Stress biomarkers and alkali-labile phosphate level in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected in the urban area of Venice (Venice Lagoon, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pampanin, Daniela M.; Marangon, Ilenia; Volpato, Elisa; Campesan, Giancarlo; Nasci, Cristina

2005-01-01

In this study, a spatial and temporal survey at three sites located in the 'canals' of the Venice historic centre (Italy) and at a reference site was undertaken to evaluate stress effects on mussels sampled in the Venice urban area, where raw sewage is discharged without treatment directly into the water. A battery of biomarkers (metallothionein, micronuclei, condition index and survival in air) was used to evaluate the stress condition of the animals. At the same time the alkali-labile phosphate assay (ALP) was performed in mussel' hemolymph with the aim to find an estrogenic effect biomarker in this mussel species. Biomarker results showed an impairment of the general health condition in the mussels coming from the urban area, in agreement with the chemical analysis. Significantly higher level of the ALP was found in male mussels sampled in April in the urban area, in comparison with the ones from the reference site (P0.001). Finally, the PCA proved an easy and useful tool to summarize the obtained results, also able to classify the data to indicate a pollution gradient in the Venice urban area. - The overall biological and chemical data show a higher stress condition in the mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the urban area of Venice

Decision-Making Processes in Texas School Districts That Arm Personnel

Science.gov (United States)

Domain, Melinda Willoughby

2014-01-01

This qualitative phenomenological study employed narrative inquiry to describe the decision-making processes that Texas school districts followed in enacting firearms policies that allow school employees to carry concealed weapons on district property. Exploration of the lived experiences of eight Texas superintendents in such schools contributed…

Making Good Choices: Districts Take the Lead. Comprehensive School Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook, IL.

Public schools across the country are aiming to improve student performance by engaging in comprehensive school reform (CSR). This guide was created to help school districts make CSR an integral part of their strategies for improving student achievement. Five components for CSR are described: (1) Strategizing, whereby the district supports CSR by…

venice: Mask utility

Science.gov (United States)

Coupon, Jean

2018-02-01

venice reads a mask file (DS9 or fits type) and a catalogue of objects (ascii or fits type) to create a pixelized mask, find objects inside/outside a mask, or generate a random catalogue of objects inside/outside a mask. The program reads the mask file and checks if a point, giving its coordinates, is inside or outside the mask, i.e. inside or outside at least one polygon of the mask.

Wired! and Visualizing Venice: Scaling up Digital Art History

OpenAIRE

Lanzoni, Kristin Huffman; Olson, Mark James-Vrooman; Szabo, Victoria E.

2015-01-01

This article focuses on Visualizing Venice, an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural collaboration that engages in mapping, 3-D modeling, and multimedia representations of historical change in Venice, Italy. Through a “laboratory” approach that integrates students and faculty in multi-year research teams, we ask new questions and pursue emerging lines of inquiry about architectural monuments, their relation to the larger urban setting, and the role of sculptural and painted decoration in sacred s...

Atmospheric Deposition of Inorganic Elements and Organic Compounds at the Inlets of the Venice Lagoon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Morabito

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Venice Lagoon is subjected to long-range transport of contaminants via aerosol from the near Po Valley. Moreover, it is an area with significant local anthropogenic emissions due to the industrial area of Porto Marghera, the urban centres, and the glass factories and with emissions by ships traffic within the Lagoon. Furthermore, since 2005, the Lagoon has also been affected by the construction of the MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico—Electromechanical Experimental Module mobile dams, as a barrier against the high tide. This work presents and discusses the results from chemical analyses of bulk depositions, carried out in different sites of the Venice Lagoon. Fluxes of pollutants were also statistically analysed on PCA with the aim of investigating the spatial variability of depositions and their correlation with precipitations. Fluxes of inorganic pollutants depend differently on precipitations, while organic compounds show a more seasonal trend. The statistical analysis showed that the site in the northern Lagoon has lower and almost homogeneous fluxes of pollutants, while the other sites registered more variable concentrations. The study also provided important information about the annual trend of pollutants and their evolution over a period of about five years, from 2005 to 2010.

Glass-ceramic material and method of making

Science.gov (United States)

Meinhardt, Kerry D [Richland, WA; Vienna, John D [West Richland, WA; Armstrong, Timothy R [Pasco, WA; Pederson, Larry R [Kennewick, WA

2002-08-13

The present invention is a glass-ceramic material and method of making useful for joining at least two solid ceramic parts. The seal is a blend of M.sub.A O--M.sub.B O.sub.y --SiO.sub.2 that substantially matches a coefficient of thermal expansion of the solid electrolyte. According to the present invention, a series of glass ceramics in the M.sub.A O--M.sub.B O.sub.y --SiO.sub.2 system can be used to join or seal both tubular and planar ceramic solid oxide fuel cells, oxygen electrolyzers, and membrane reactors for the production of syngas, commodity chemicals and other products.

Dioxins in the Venice lagoon: Present situation, projects and recovering hypotheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Raccanelli, S; Bonamin, V

2000-01-01

Venice is famous around the world for its uniqueness and architectural splendours, arts and the history of the "Serenissima Repubblica", as it was known in the past, but few are aware that Venice economy is strongly dependent on the industrial activities based mainly on the adjacent Porto Marghera area. For many years, the lagoon that physically separates the city from the dry land has avoided association between the concern connected with the pollution derived from these industrial activities and the public perception of Venice. Since 1995, dioxins have appeared as a lagoon contaminant, and their presence, at such a level requiring immediate "in depth" studies and interventions, has been fully realized for decades.

Chemical composition and deterioration of glass excavated in the 15th-16th century fishermen town of Raversijde (Belgium)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schalm, O.; Caluwe, D.; Wouters, H.; Janssens, K.; Verhaeghe, F.; Pieters, M.

2004-01-01

The chemical composition, as determined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis of a series of ca. 100 archaeological glass fragments, excavated at the Raversijde site (Belgium) is discussed. In the 15th-16th century, Raversijde was a flourishing fishermen town located on the shore of the North Sea, close to the city of Ostend. As a consequence of several battles that were fought in its vicinity, the site was abandoned in the 16th century and was not occupied since then. It is one of the rare archaeological sites in Europe that contains a significant amount of information on the daily life inside a small but affluent medieval community. A comparison of the chemical composition of fragments of vessels and window glass encountered in Raversijde to those found in urban centres in Belgium and to literature date on German and French archaeological finds shows that glass made with wood ash dominates. Usually, it concerns artifacts with a predominantly utilitarian use. A few objects made with sodic (i.e., Na-rich) glass were also encountered, likely to have been imported from Venice during the 15th century or in later periods from an urban centre such as Antwerp, where Facon-de-Venice glass manufacturing activities were established near the start of the 16th century

Chemical composition and deterioration of glass excavated in the 15th-16th century fishermen town of Raversijde (Belgium)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schalm, O. [Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerp (Belgium)]. E-mail: koen.janssens@ua.ac.be; Caluwe, D. [Department of Archaeology, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 1, B-1040 Brussels (Belgium); Wouters, H. [Institute for the Archaeological Heritage of the Flemish Community, Doornveld Industrie Asse 3, nr. 11, bus 30, B-1731 Zellik (Belgium); Janssens, K. [Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerp (Belgium); Verhaeghe, F. [Department of Archaeology, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 1, B-1040 Brussels (Belgium); Pieters, M. [Institute for the Archaeological Heritage of the Flemish Community, Doornveld Industrie Asse 3, nr. 11, bus 30, B-1731 Zellik (Belgium)

2004-10-08

The chemical composition, as determined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis of a series of ca. 100 archaeological glass fragments, excavated at the Raversijde site (Belgium) is discussed. In the 15th-16th century, Raversijde was a flourishing fishermen town located on the shore of the North Sea, close to the city of Ostend. As a consequence of several battles that were fought in its vicinity, the site was abandoned in the 16th century and was not occupied since then. It is one of the rare archaeological sites in Europe that contains a significant amount of information on the daily life inside a small but affluent medieval community. A comparison of the chemical composition of fragments of vessels and window glass encountered in Raversijde to those found in urban centres in Belgium and to literature date on German and French archaeological finds shows that glass made with wood ash dominates. Usually, it concerns artifacts with a predominantly utilitarian use. A few objects made with sodic (i.e., Na-rich) glass were also encountered, likely to have been imported from Venice during the 15th century or in later periods from an urban centre such as Antwerp, where Facon-de-Venice glass manufacturing activities were established near the start of the 16th century.

exploring traditional glass bead making techniques in jewellery

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

Glass bead making techniques and their mass production will help the individual ... communicate cultural values in a symbolic lan- guage which ..... Surface of most of the new beads were rough ... tourism potential to be developed further to.

Dioxins in the Venice lagoon. Present situation, projects and recovering hypotheses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raccanelli, S. [Interuniversity Consortium Chemistry for the Environment, Marghera (Italy); Bonamin, V. [SGS Ecologia Srl, Villafranca (Italy)

2000-07-01

Venice is famous around the world for its uniqueness and architectural splendours, arts and the history of the ''Serenissima Repubblica'', as it was known in the past, but few are aware that Venice economy is strongly dependent on the industrial activities based mainly on the adjacent Porto Marghera area. For many years, the lagoon that physically separates the city from the dry land has avoided association between the concern connected with the pollution derived from these industrial activities and the public perception of Venice. Since 1995, dioxins have appeared as a lagoon contaminant, and their presence, at such a level requiring immediate ''in depth'' studies and interventions, has been fully realized for decades. (orig.)

75 FR 57017 - Venice Gathering System, LLC; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-17

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP10-497-000] Venice Gathering System, LLC; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization September 10, 2010. Take notice that on September 3, 2010, Venice Gathering System, LLC (VGS), 1000 Louisiana, Suite 4300, Houston, Texas 77002...

Gypsies, Jews, and "The Merchant of Venice."

Science.gov (United States)

McKendy, Thomas

1988-01-01

Shows how looking at Shakespeare's prejudices and their roots, as seen in "The Merchant of Venice," can teach students not only about historical attitudes but also about their own unacknowledged assumptions and stereotypes. (MM)

Venice: a meeting, a plague, a death

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Óscar Botasso

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Death in Venice is based on the novella of the same name by Thomas Mann, except that in the cinema version the main character, Gustav von Aschenbach, is a musician instead of a writer. Owing to poetic license not always within the layman’s grasp, Luchino Visconti also wished to identify the artist with Gustav Mahler. Beyond such dissimilarities, however, the film is a feasible recreation of the story and a faithful reconstruction of those times: a Venice divorced from its former splendor and invaded by a plague and yet at the same time still able to evoke the captivating, nostalgic legacy of its magnificent past. An ideal scenario indeed for the musical ideas of Mahler, and perfectly reflected in the Midnight Song and the adagietto of his third and fifth symphonies.

Chemical composition and deterioration of glass excavated in the 15th 16th century fishermen town of Raversijde (Belgium)

Science.gov (United States)

Schalm, O.; Caluwé, D.; Wouters, H.; Janssens, K.; Verhaeghe, F.; Pieters, M.

2004-10-01

The chemical composition, as determined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis of a series of ca. 100 archaeological glass fragments, excavated at the Raversijde site (Belgium) is discussed. In the 15th-16th century, Raversijde was a flourishing fishermen town located on the shore of the North Sea, close to the city of Ostend. As a consequence of several battles that were fought in its vicinity, the site was abandoned in the 16th century and was not occupied since then. It is one of the rare archaeological sites in Europe that contains a significant amount of information on the daily life inside a small but affluent medieval community. A comparison of the chemical composition of fragments of vessels and window glass encountered in Raversijde to those found in urban centres in Belgium and to literature date on German and French archaeological finds shows that glass made with wood ash dominates. Usually, it concerns artifacts with a predominantly utilitarian use. A few objects made with sodic (i.e., Na-rich) glass were also encountered, likely to have been imported from Venice during the 15th century or in later periods from an urban centre such as Antwerp, where Façon-de-Venice glass manufacturing activities were established near the start of the 16th century.

Situating School District Resource Decision Making in Policy Context

Science.gov (United States)

Spain, Angeline K.

2016-01-01

Decentralization and deregulation policies assume that local educational leaders make better resource decisions than state policy makers do. Conceptual models drawn from organizational theory, however, offer competing predictions about how district central office administrators are likely to leverage their professional expertise in devolved…

Haiti’s first national pavilion at the Venice Biennale: anachronism or illuminating opportunity?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wendy Asquith

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A barrage of criticism has been levelled against the Venice Biennale’s national pavilion structure in recent decades, chiefly accusing it of anachronism on account of its western biases. Yet the tide has begun to turn, making much of this criticism sound a little worn-out. As this event increasingly attracts debuting ‘non-western’ national exhibitors each year, its pavilion structure event is beginning to be reassessed. Haiti was one such debutant at the 54th edition of La Biennale di Venezia held in 2011. This article will explore in detail the debates raised by Haiti’s national pavilion, particularly as they related to the central exhibition theme of ILLUMInations selected by the International Art Exhibition Director for 2011, Bice Curiger. In doing so this piece will consider both: how the national pavilion structure at the Venice Biennale was challenged, and our wider understanding of it deepened, by Haiti’s participation; and what Venice’s national pavilion structure might be able to offer a post-colonial, ‘third-world’ nation like Haiti.

A Vision of Venice in the next Fin-de-Siècle

Science.gov (United States)

Tagliapietra, Davide

2014-05-01

The IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report projections of sea level rise are larger than in the previous one. In the Adriatic a sea level rise higher than 60 cm is considered possible and rise of one meter cannot be excluded. An end-of-century a scenario in which the mobile barrier at the inlets will not be sufficient to protect the City of Venice from permanent floods is realistic and the closure of the lagoon will become inevitable. The possibility of converting the lagoon of Venice in an enclosed non-tidal basin is discussed. The aim is to protect the City preserving as much as possible the features of a healthy brackish ecosystem able to provide many of the ecosystem services it provides at present. This involves technological challenges, a deeper understanding of the ecological functioning of enclosed coastal basins, and last but not least, a shift in the educational and cultural paradigms. There is the need to endorse a coordinated and large-scale research effort to understand what will be the new hydrology and ecohydrology of the lagoon. The relationship between ecosystem metabolism and hydrology should be approached in the conceptual framework of lagoonal saprobity. Ad hoc research programs with experimental studies and observational monitoring should be implemented to improve our understanding of new ecological scenarios. Among the new opportunities arising from an heavy hydrological management there is the possibility to keep the water at an optimum level for the fruition of the City as it was a few centuries ago. It is likely that the sea level rise would change the entire geographical context. Brackish and freshwater wetlands surrounding the lagoon of Venice, reclaimed during the last century, will be probably ingressed by the sea. An attentive adaptive policy of wetland re-creation could supply both the ecological functions and the ecosystem services lost by the lagoon of Venice. The rapid adoption of a long-term strategy is therefore needed. Strategies should

The great industrial boatyard of Venice

OpenAIRE

Macfarlane, Alan

2004-01-01

The arsenal or boat building centre of Venice in the middle ages was one of the greatest industrial centres in the world. Through a mechanical division of work and high precision it turned out ships very rapidly and inspired Dante’s vision of ‘Inferno’. Explained by Alan Macfarlane.

Thomas Mann's Death in Venice or Plutarch's way towards Eros

OpenAIRE

Gilabert Barberà, Pau

2010-01-01

In Death in Venice Thomas Mann refers explicitly to Plato's Symposium and Phaedrus in order to explain the relationship between Gustav von Aschenbach and Tadzio but he hides that his novel also depends on Plutarch's Eroticus. Why? The aim of this article is precisely to reveal the different reasons for such an attitude. Indeed, Plutarch speaks highly of conjugal love in his Eroticus and this way is not followed by Mann in Death in Venice but, at the same, the German writer finds in this Pluta...

76 FR 60113 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Masters of Venice...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-28

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 7616] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``Masters of Venice: Renaissance Paintings of Passion and Power from Kunsthistorisches Museum..., 2003), I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ``Masters of Venice...

Land Subsidence International Symposium held in Venice

Science.gov (United States)

The Third International Symposium on Land Subsidence was held March 18-25, 1984, in Venice, Italy. Sponsors were the Ground-Water Commission of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the Italian Regions of Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, the Italian Municipalities of Venice, Ravenna, and Modena, the Venice Province, and the European Research Office. Cosponsors included the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (ISSMFE), and the Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID).Organized within the framework of UNESCO's International Hydrological Program, the symposium brought together over 200 international interdisciplinary specialists in the problems of land subsidence due to fluid and mineral withdrawal. Because man's continuing heavy development of groundwater, gas, oil, and minerals is changing the natural regime and thus causing more and more subsiding areas in the world, there had been sufficient new land subsidence occurrence, problems, research, and remedial measures since the 1976 Second International Symposium held in Anaheim, California, to develop a most interesting program of nearly 100 papers from about 30 countries. The program consisted of papers covering case histories of fluid and mineral withdrawal, engineering theory and analysis, karst “sink-hole”-type subsidence, subsidence due to dewatering of organic deposits or due to application of water (hydrocompaction), instrumentation, legal, socioeconomic, and environmental effects of land subsidence, and remedial works.

Overview of ecotoxicological studies performed in the Venice Lagoon (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Losso, C; Ghirardini, A Volpi

2010-01-01

This work reports on the state of the art of the bioindicators used to assess environmental quality (regarding chemical pollutant impacts) in the Venice lagoon. After a brief description of the roles, advantages and limitations of bioindicators in marine and transitional environments and a summary of the Venice lagoon characteristics, the ecotoxicological methods used during scientific studies and research projects in the Lagoon are reported. Since not all data are available and no database can be formulated, the main evidence from toxicity bioassays, biomarkers and bioaccumulation analyses since the end of the 1970s is spatially synthesized using maps and discussed according to the four Venice lagoon basins. The majority of indicators showed that the Lido basin (north-central lagoon), affected by the presence of the industrial area and the city of Venice, is the one most highly impacted (particularly in the sites located within or in front of the industrial area, which showed very high sediment toxicity and high levels of DNA damage). The Malamocco basin (south-central lagoon) seems to be the least problematic. The southern basin (Chioggia basin) was shown to be impacted by urban contaminants from the town of Chioggia. The northern basin (Treporti basin) presented both impacted sites (high toxicity and high bioaccumulation factor) and relatively unpolluted sites (absence of toxicity, absence of imposex and low levels of bioaccumulation). This review can serve as a basis on which to select pragmatic, cost-effective biomonitoring techniques for environmental effects in lagoon ecosystems.

Ruling the Market: How Venice Dominated the Early Music Printing World

OpenAIRE

Elizabeth M. Poore

2015-01-01

This paper attempts to prove that Venice was the main geographical center of music printing and publishing from the 1300s to the late 1500s using several economic, legal, and cultural factors. The primary research method was examining secondary sources on music printing, publishing, and European and Venetian history. From the 1300s to the late 1500s, Venetian commercial trade and activity, including book publishing, reached unheard of levels. Venice held a powerful position in the European...

The Lagoon of Venice : the result of both natural factors and human influence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar RAVERA

2000-02-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to present a picture of the lagoon of Venice and analyze the combined effects of natural factors and human influence on this fragile ecotone. The structure, functioning and evolution of the lagoon are illustrated. Under natural conditions, the solid load from the tributaries would transform the lagoon into dry land or, if the violence of the sea exceeded the solid load from the watershed, the lagoon would evolve into a marine bay. This natural succession has been hindered by the works undertaken by the Republic of Venice uninterruptedly through the centuries, because the lagoon environment was essential to the life and power of Venice. The effects of human activities from the beginning of the Venetian Republic to the present are described. In addition, the influence of socio-economic development on the lagoon area and, particularly, the impact of intensive agriculture and industrialization are discussed. A possible effect of eutrophication was the dramatic proliferation of the opportunistic macroalga Ulva rigida, which for about a decade played an important role in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the lagoon. At present, the most crucial problems of Venice and its lagoon are: the lowering of the level of the city in relation to that of the sea, the continuous decline in the number of inhabitants, the increasing frequency of the “high water” phenomenon, air and water pollution, and the increased erosion and salinity of the lagoon. The recent measures taken and those still to be applied for conserving and recovering Venice and its lagoon and, particularly, the works for preventing the risk of high water are compared. There is an evident need for a new type of socio-economic development in symbiosis with the environment and tradition of Venice.

Estrogenic potential of the Venice, Italy, lagoon waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Pojana, Giulio; Bonfà, Angela; Busetti, Francesco; Collarin, Anna; Marcomini, Antonio

2004-08-01

The exposure of the Venice lagoon (Italy) to endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from different sources was investigated. Spatial and time distribution of EDC concentrations were determined in four sampling sessions (December 2001-May 2002) by solid phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography separation coupled with mass spectrometry detection via electrospray interface (SPE-HPLC-ESI-MS), which allowed identification of natural (estradiol, estrone) and synthetic estrogenic compounds, both steroidal (ethinylestradiol, mestranol) and nonsteroidal (benzophenone, bisphenol-A, nonylphenol, nonylphenol monoethoxylate carboxylate). No significant differences in the EDC distribution were observed between stations located near selected sources (raw sewage from the historical center of Venice, treated municipal and industrial effluents from sewage treatment plants, and areas undergoing the inflow of rivers). While synthetic nonsteroidal analytes were recorded in the 1 to 1040 ng/L range (average concentration: 34 ng/L), steroidal EDC (estradiol, ethinylestradiol) concentrations were lower (1-125 ng/L; average concentration: 8 ng/L). The estrogenic activity of lagoon waters was estimated in terms of estradiol equivalent concentration (EEQ) by applying the estradiol equivalency factors (EEFs). Steroidal EDCs (estradiol, ethinylestradiol) contributed >97% to the total potential estrogenicity of the waters, which accounted for 4 to 172 ng/L (average: 25 ng/L), as total EEQs. These levels are likely to pose adverse effects on the Venice lagoon aquatic organisms.

75 FR 38589 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Venice: Canaletto and His...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-02

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice: 7072] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals'' SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following... exhibition ``Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the...

The dimensional changes of a 24 inch diameter vessel during a campaign of successive glass making runs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chidley, B.E.

1983-01-01

Throughout the life of a 24 inch diameter Glass Making Vessel used on the inactive Harvest Vitrification Plant dimensional measurements have been recorded. When glass is present the diameter increases due to thermal stresses. Some permanent longitudinal extension (about 1%) occurred over the 20 runs comprising the glass-making campaign. (author)

Is Venice an ideal habitat for Legionella pneumophila?

Science.gov (United States)

Ziprani, C; Selle, V; Palazzi, B; Capretta, F; Ghio, L; Flora, M E; Baldo, V

2012-09-01

Legionella bacterium manifests itself in Legionnaire's disease and Pontiac fever, it is mainly found and transmitted by aerosol produced in cooling towers, water distribution plants and medical equipment, and it affects mainly elder persons in poor health. The population of Venice Local Health Unit was divided in two areas of study and the incidence of legionellosis in residents of Venice historical centre (Distretto Sanitario 1) and in residents of the mainland and coastal areas (Distretti Sanitari 2, 3, 4) was calculated. The cases were those notified to the Public Health Unit by law, and the population of residents was that of the eligible for health care in the archives of the Local Health Unit. Only cases of legionellosis in residents who had not travelled in the 10 days previous of the onset of disease, and not related to nosocomial clusters were considered. The standardized incidence ratio was then calculated and confidence interval were defined by Poisson distribution. Given the population of the two areas, 59801 in Distretto Sanitario 1 and 237555 in Distretti 2, 3, 4, the raw incidence of disease is respectively 87 per 100000 and 20 per 100000 in time 2002-2010. The standardized incidence ratio for the population of Distretto Sanitario 1 vs the remaining population is 4.3. The difference in risk of getting the disease in this two residential areas geographically very close, is probably related to the different buildings' characteristics, old and difficult to maintain in Venice historical centre.

Venice GIS Portal: la punta dell'iceberg

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudj Maria Todaro

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Venice GIS portal Single information system, the only methodology but an undetermined number of working groups. The basic principle, which underpins Insula, is flexibility, a philosophy which has enabled it to test the adoption of new processes of governance of assets, as a strategic resource of the Public.

Transcriptomic resources for environmental risk assessment: a case study in the Venice lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milan, M.; Pauletto, M.; Boffo, L.; Carrer, C.; Sorrentino, F.; Ferrari, G.; Pavan, L.; Patarnello, T.; Bargelloni, L.

2015-01-01

The development of new resources to evaluate the environmental status is becoming increasingly important representing a key challenge for ocean and coastal management. Recently, the employment of transcriptomics in aquatic toxicology has led to increasing initiatives proposing to integrate eco-toxicogenomics in the evaluation of marine ecosystem health. However, several technical issues need to be addressed before introducing genomics as a reliable tool in regulatory ecotoxicology. The Venice lagoon constitutes an excellent case, in which the assessment of environmental risks derived from the nearby industrial activities represents a crucial task. In this context, the potential role of genomics to assist environmental monitoring was investigated through the definition of reliable gene expression markers associated to chemical contamination in Manila clams, and their subsequent employment for the classification of Venice lagoon areas. Overall, the present study addresses key issues to evaluate the future outlooks of genomics in the environmental monitoring and risk assessment. - Highlights: • Growing need to develop new resources for the evaluation of the environmental status. • Identification of gene expression markers associated to chemical contamination. • Employment of genomics to evaluate the environmental status of Venice lagoon areas. • Hurdles and future outlooks of genomic tools in environmental risk assessment. - Genomics in risk assessment of Venice lagoon

Venice and I: How a City Can Determine the Fate of a Career.

Science.gov (United States)

Malanotte-Rizzoli, Paola

2017-01-03

Quoting the ancient Romans: Audentes Fortuna iuvat. Being in the right place at the right time is useless if you do not grasp your Fortuna and build upon it. In this article, I expound on the milestones of my multiform research career, which over more than 40 years brought me from Venice to California to MIT; from the Venice problem to highly nonlinear, coherent structures in the ocean and atmosphere; and from the mare nostrum (the Mediterranean Sea), a laboratory for global processes, to the tropical ocean-atmosphere systems and regional coupled climate models of the Maritime Continent. The climate system, with its daunting complexity, is arguably the greatest challenge for, and the future of, the entirety of the earth sciences. Finally, living in and working for Venice has been the privilege and Fortuna of my life.

Sediment budget in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy

OpenAIRE

Sarretta, Alessandro; Pillon, Simone; Molinaroli, Emanuela; Guerzoni, Stefano; Fontolan, Giorgio

2009-01-01

This is the accepted manuscript of the paper "Sediment budget in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy", published ad final paper in "Continental Shelf Research Volume 30, Issue 8, 15 May 2010, Pages 934-9499" (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2009.07.002)

Leptospirosis acquired by tourists in Venice, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagi, Filippo; Corti, Giampaolo; Meli, Massimo; Pinto, Antonella; Bartoloni, Alessandro

2013-01-01

We present the case of two Australian tourists aged 25 and 26  years who, after immersion in a canal in Venice, developed severe leptospirosis. After a 1-week history of fever, headache, myalgia, and vomiting they developed jaundice and renal failure. Complete remission was achieved by antibiotic therapy and hemodialysis. © 2012 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Discovering Site-Specific Qualities in Venice and Marseille

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reeh, Henrik

2015-01-01

. For centuries, both of these cities – Venice and Marseille – have forged long-term and intimate symbolic relationships between surrounding waters and diverse harbor functions. Today, encoun-ters with such urban spaces and practices invite the visiting researchers to single out particular and maybe unexpected...

LITERATURE CURRICULUM III--TEST FOR "THE MERCHANT OF VENICE."

Science.gov (United States)

KITZHABER, ALBERT R.

THIS TEST--"THE MERCHANT OF VENICE"--WAS DESIGNED BY THE OREGON CURRICULUM STUDY CENTER FOR A NINTH-GRADE LITERATURE CURRICULUM. IT IS INTENDED TO ACCOMPANY CURRICULUM UNITS AVAILABLE AS ED 010 815 AND ED 010 816. (MM)

Monitoring and Modeling Farmland Productivity Along the Venice Coastland, Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manoli, G.; Bonetti, S.; Scudiero, E.

2013-01-01

The southern portion of the Venice coastland is a very precarious environment and salt contamination of land and groundwater is a severe problem that is seriously impacting the farmland productivity. Geophysical surveys, lab testing and continuous monitoring of hydrological parameters together wi...... model is linked to the atmosphere by the calculation of the stomatal conductance which is optimized for maximum carbon gain. The model is applied to the field site to understand the impact of land elevation, soil heterogeneities, and seawater contamination on land productivity.......The southern portion of the Venice coastland is a very precarious environment and salt contamination of land and groundwater is a severe problem that is seriously impacting the farmland productivity. Geophysical surveys, lab testing and continuous monitoring of hydrological parameters together...

Sports and arrhythmias: a report of the International Workshop Venice Arrhythmias 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Giada, Franco; Biffi, Alessandro; Cannom, David S; Cappato, Riccardo; Capucci, Alessandro; Corrado, Domenico; Delise, Pietro; Drezner, Jonathan A; El-Sherif, Nabil; Estes, Mark; Furlanello, Francesco; Heidbuchel, Hein; Inama, Giuseppe; Lindsay, Bruce D; Maron, Barry J; Maron, Martin S; Mont, Luis; Olshansky, Brian; Pelliccia, Antonio; Thiene, Gaetano; Viskin, Sami; Zeppilli, Paolo; Natale, Andrea; Raviele, Antonio

2010-10-01

This article is a report of an international symposium, endorsed by the Section on Sports Cardiology of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology, and the Italian Federation of Sports Medicine, which was held within the 11th International Workshop on Cardiac Arrhythmias (Venice Arrhythmias 2009, Venice, Italy, October 2009). The following main topics were discussed during the symposium: the role of novel diagnostic examinations to assess the risk of sudden death in athletes, controversies on arrhythmic risk evaluation in athletes, controversies on the relationship between sports and arrhythmias, and controversies on antiarrhythmic treatment in athletes.

23. Symposium On Fusion Technology (SOFT), Venice - A personal view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spears, W.R.

2004-01-01

This conference, examining the advances in our leading-edge technology, took place on 22-24 September 2004 against the wonderful and historic backdrop of Venice, at a monastery of the Cini Foundation, on the Island of St. Giorgio, directly opposite St. Marks. The strong connection between the ancient and modern was brought home to us in the very first talk, from the Mayor of Venice and MEP Prof. P. Costa, who reminded us of Venice's particular problem with global warming, and urged us to do our part to develop an energy source that should help to avoid it drowning. Prof. Sir C. Llewellyn-Smith, head of the UK Fusion Programme and Chairman of Euratom CCE-FU, took up this theme and elaborated how we should reach our goal, showing in particular the urgency of pursuing a fast track, proceeding with ITER and the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) without further delay, and envisaging that the subsequent machine would be prototypical of future commercial fusion power plants. The conference proceeded through plenary and oral sessions, and through poster sessions, covering plasma heating, fuelling, control and diagnostics, magnets and power supplies, plasma-facing components, blanket and vessel, remote handling, materials technology, the experiences gained on existing experiments, and projections for future experiments and fusion power plants. There were 570 participants, from 25 countries, of whom a third came from outside Europe

Demons, nature, or God? Witchcraft accusations and the French disease in early modern Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

McGough, Laura J

2006-01-01

In early modern Venice, establishing the cause of a disease was critical to determining the appropriate cure: natural remedies for natural illnesses, spiritual solutions for supernatural or demonic ones. One common ailment was the French disease (syphilis), widely distributed throughout Venice's neighborhoods and social hierarchy, and evenly distributed between men and women. The disease was widely regarded as curable by the mid-sixteenth century, and cases that did not respond to natural remedies presented problems of interpretation to physicians and laypeople. Witchcraft was one possible explanation; using expert testimony from physicians, however, the Holy Office ruled out witchcraft as a cause of incurable cases and reinforced perceptions that the disease was of natural origin. Incurable cases were explained as the result of immoral behavior, thereby reinforcing the associated stigma. This article uses archival material from Venice's Inquisition records from 1580 to 1650, as well as mortality data.

HMIS and decision-making in Zambia: re-thinking information solutions for district health management in decentralized health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutemwa, Richard I

2006-01-01

At the onset of health system decentralization as a primary health care strategy, which constituted a key feature of health sector reforms across the developing world, efficient and effective health management information systems (HMIS) were widely acknowledged and adopted as a critical element of district health management strengthening programmes. The focal concern was about the performance and long-term sustainability of decentralized district health systems. The underlying logic was that effective and efficient HMIS would provide district health managers with the information required to make effective strategic decisions that are the vehicle for district performance and sustainability in these decentralized health systems. However, this argument is rooted in normative management and decision theory without significant unequivocal empirical corroboration. Indeed, extensive empirical evidence continues to indicate that managers' decision-making behaviour and the existence of other forms of information outside the HMIS, within the organizational environment, suggest a far more tenuous relationship between the presence of organizational management information systems (such as HMIS) and effective strategic decision-making. This qualitative comparative case-study conducted in two districts of Zambia focused on investigating the presence and behaviour of five formally identified, different information forms, including that from HMIS, in the strategic decision-making process. The aim was to determine the validity of current arguments for HMIS, and establish implications for current HMIS policies. Evidence from the eight strategic decision-making processes traced in the study confirmed the existence of different forms of information in the organizational environment, including that provided by the conventional HMIS. These information forms attach themselves to various organizational management processes and key aspects of organizational routine. The study results point

CODE SETTING TRENDS IN ELECTORAL MATTERS - CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE IN ELECTORAL MATTERS - VENICE 2002

OpenAIRE

Mircea-Constantin SINESCU; Mihai-Daniel ONIȘOR

2016-01-01

The integrated and ongoing effort of the of the states in the European area to modernize and adapt their laws to the current needs and exigencies of the citizens is transposed, in terms of constitutional matters, in the actions of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission, as Venice is the place of the proceedings of this Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters.

Extreme events in Italy from documentary sources: Venice as a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camuffo, D.; Pagan, E.; Colacino, M.; Enzi, S.; Cocheo, C.; Sturaro, G.

2006-01-01

Venice risks to be submerged as a consequence of two problems: local land subsidence and sea level rise due to global warming. They both contribute to what is referred as Apparent Sea Level Rise (ASLR). Flooding Tides (locally: Acqua Alta) submerge Venice with an exponentially increasing frequency. The Acqua Alta is generated by a number of factors, the main of them being the Sirocco wind blowing over the Adriatic Sea, that ultimately displaces waters towards Venice. These extreme events have been investigated by using the documentary description of past floods, accurately reported over the last millennium, and tide gauge records for the recent period. A fundamental problem is to know the trend of the ASLR, possibly distinguishing between land subsidence and sea level components. Instrumental data go back to 1872 and a key point is to extend our knowledge back in time. Long-term ASLR has been investigated with the help of a biological indicator, the height of the green belt of the algae that live in the tidal range and whose upper front shows the average high tide level. Fortunately, in the first half of the 18. century, this indicator was accurately drawn by the famous painter Antonio Canaletto (1697-1768) and his pupils, mainly Bernardo Bellotto (1722-1780), in their photographic paintings made with an optical 'camera obscura'. It has been possible to compare the tidal level, as it was in the 1700s and today. After careful spot investigation and minor corrections for some changes to the hydrological system occurred in the meantime, the bulk submersion of Venice estimated from the paintings is 61±11 cm with average yearly trend 1.9 mm y -1

The City, the Ghetto and Two Books. Venice and Jewish Early Modernity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiana Facchini

2011-10-01

Full Text Available In 1638 two books written by two Venitian rabbis were published in Venice. They were both destined successfully to reach wide circulation over the following decades. This article aims at exploring the intimate connection between Venice, a city which deeply influenced the imagination of European culture during the early modern period, and its Jewish ghetto, the first of its kind to be founded within Catholic lands.The author suggests that it was here in Venice, within the liminal space of the ghetto, that the theory of Jews as merchants, marked by undertones of utilitarianism was finally drafted. It also suggests that, in conjunction with this well-known theory, other theories based on religious tolerance were elaborated.The paper also invites the reader to view the ghetto as a space capable of enacting special religious encounters, mainly driven by an interest in religion and rituals. Therefore, the very specific local and tangible conditions of the urban environment – the city and the ghetto – performed a very important undertaking, for example, debates over the place and role of Jews in Christian society.

CODE SETTING TRENDS IN ELECTORAL MATTERS - CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE IN ELECTORAL MATTERS - VENICE 2002

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mircea-Constantin SINESCU

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The integrated and ongoing effort of the of the states in the European area to modernize and adapt their laws to the current needs and exigencies of the citizens is transposed, in terms of constitutional matters, in the actions of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission, as Venice is the place of the proceedings of this Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters.

The image of Venice in The Mountain Wreath: Some imagological observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanova Najda

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Draško’s story about his trip to Venice represented in the poem The Mountain Wreath (1847, written by Peter Petrović Njegoš, is an object of many interpretations in theoretical Njegoš studies as well as in the educational, popular science, the media, political and many other types of discourse. In this article, we aim at providing a linguo-imagological analysis of the fragment. The mechanisms of shaping and the semantic structure of the hetero-stereotypes about Venice and the Venetians are examined. In addition, both the influence of the author’s intention and that of the socio-cultural discourse regarding the creation of the poem on the way of selection and the use of expressive means are examined.

Decision-Making Quandaries that Superintendents Face in Their Work in Small School Districts Building Democratic Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Touchton, Debra; Acker-Hocevar, Michele

2011-01-01

Superintendents of small school districts describe how they give voice, involve and listen to others, and solicit various publics to build democratic communities. Superintendents make sense of leadership through their constructed role, leadership orientation, and district size. Findings suggest the following when superintendents involve, listen,…

The current state of introduction of HPV vaccination into national immunisation schedules in Europe: results of the VENICE 2008 survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Lévy-Bruhl, D; Bousquet, V; King, L A; O'Flanagan, D; Bacci, S; Lopalco, P L; Salmaso, S

2009-10-01

Three surveys have been undertaken in European Union (EU) member states since January 2007, within the European Commission funded Vaccine European New Integrated Collaboration Effort (VENICE) project, to monitor the decision status regarding the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination into national immunisation schedules. A web-based questionnaire was developed and completed online by the 28 countries participating in VENICE. According to the last update (31st December 2008), 15 countries have decided to introduce HPV vaccination into their national immunisation schedule, while another six have started the decision-making process with a recommendation favouring introduction. Varying target populations have been selected by the countries which have introduced vaccination. The number of countries which have made a decision or recommendation has increased from 12 to 21 between October 2007 and December 2008. This survey demonstrates the rapidly evolving nature of HPV vaccine introduction in Europe. A further update should be available in the second half of 2009.

Using "The Merchant of Venice" in Teaching Monetary Economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kish-Goodling, Donna M.

1998-01-01

Uses the theme of usury in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," and the history of Christian and Jewish beliefs concerning the charging of interest on loans to crystallize lending practices throughout history, particularly the medieval period and the transition to modern capitalism. Outlines themes addressed in the unit and…

The Lido as Venice's refuse tip: Dalmatian sheep and the 1819 elephant.

Science.gov (United States)

Giormani, Virgilio

2004-01-01

The Lido of Venice is an island twelve kilometers long and between a hundred and one thousand meters wide. The citizans of Venice and many turists can't imagine today, what Lido was some centuries ago Initially totally sandy, it was fertilized by means of a continuous supply of Venice's garbage (the "scoasse"). In addition to the "scoasse", damaged foodstuffs and the waste of the vegetable market were also sent to the Lido. Other fertilisers originated from the dung of the cattle and sheep arriving by ship from Dalmatia, which were landed on the Lido, where they could pasture before slaughter to regain weight lost during their voyage. The sheep dung, especially, was important for the proto-industrial production of saltpetre, a material of the greatest strategic importance, like uranium at the present time. Saltpetre is the most important component of gun powder, which was the only explosive known up to the second half of 19th century. There were plans to establish an "artificial nitriary" in the Lido, making use of the garbage and of the animal waste. In all probability, the most bulky item ever buried in the Lido is the corpse of an enraged elephant, which escaped from its cage on the Riva degli Schiavoni where it was performing during the 1819 carnival, and was killed by a cannon shot in a church where it took refuge. The original title of the paper, published in Italian is: V. Giormani, II Lido di Venezia "scoassera" della città. I montoni dalmati e l'elefante del 1819, in Atti del III Convegno nazionale di storia della medicina veterinaria, Lastra a Signa (Firenze), 23-24 settembre 2000, a cura di Alba Veggetti, Brescia, 2001, pp. 333-339. Other information has been added in order to facilitate non-italians readers and articles appearing after the publication of the Proceedings of the Third National Congress for the History of Veterinary Medicine, Lastra a Signa, (Florence), Italy, have also been used. I am deeply grateful to Mrs. Mary Moors for the

The sediments of the Venice Lagoon (Italy) evaluated in a screening risk assessment approach: part I--application of international sediment quality guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Apitz, Sabine E; Barbanti, Andrea; Bocci, Martina; Carlin, Anna; Montobbio, Laura; Bernstein, Alberto Giulio

2007-07-01

A number of studies carried out in recent years have shown the presence of a wide range of contaminants in the Venice Lagoon. It is important to have a good understanding of the ecological quality of Venice Lagoon sediments in order to 1) define and locate areas where a threat to the environment is present and therefore an intervention is needed (i.e., in situ assessment and management); and 2) define sustainable and environmentally correct ways of managing sediments that are to be dredged for navigational purposes or in relation to other interventions (i.e., ex situ management). This study reports on a critical comparison of chemical quality of sediments in Venice Lagoon and its subregions. Data on the Venice Lagoon were compiled from several studies conducted during the past decade on surface sediment contamination; temporal variation and risks for contaminants at depth were not addressed. The comparison of observed pollutant concentrations with local and internationally used sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) was used as a tool to benchmark different sites and for a tier I (screening) ecological risk assessment. Meaning and relevance of a number of SQGs are discussed, together with the options available for carrying out the comparison with sediment data. The screening of the Venice Lagoon sediment quality is discussed from a risk-assessment perspective and appropriate values for use in an in situ-ex situ management framework are suggested. Although there were some differences depending upon which specific SQGs were applied, different SQGs provided the same general picture of screening risk in Venice Lagoon: Although there are geographic differences, median levels for several contaminants in surface sediments exceeded a number of SQGs. Many contaminants exceed threshold effects SQGs, and Hg exceeds probable effects SQGs in most sub-basins except the southern Lagoon. Venice Lagoon south has the lowest screening risk levels, Venice Lagoon central/north has the

MERCHANT OF VENICE. LITERATURE CURRICULUM III, TEACHER VERSION.

Science.gov (United States)

KITZHABER, ALBERT R.

THIS TEACHING GUIDE ON "THE MERCHANT OF VENICE" WAS PREPARED FOR USE IN A NINTH-GRADE LITERATURE CURRICULUM. THE PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE WAS TO ILLUMINATE THE PLAY AS A WHOLE, AND TO SUGGEST TO THE TEACHER SOME USEFUL PRINCIPLES FOR FRAMING QUESTIONS AND GUIDING DISCUSSIONS IN THE CLASSROOM. THE GUIDE WAS NOT TO BE USED, HOWEVER, AS A BASE…

Make the heat hotter. - marketing district heating to households in detached houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sernhed, Kerstin; Pyrko, Jurek

2008-09-15

For district heating (DH) companies, to expand in low heat density areas such as detached houses, it is essential to obtain a high rate of connections to the district-heating network in order to enhance the cost effectiveness. Marketing district heating to house owners is, however, a fairly different matter from selling it to customers in industrial, commercial, and multi-family buildings. Suitable market strategies need to be developed and the need for information about potential customers' preferences and attitudes are of great importance since the house-owners often constitute a heterogeneous group where different households have different requirements. This paper investigates a case of one Swedish district heating company's marketing activities and expansion strategies in a single family house area where the customers were offered conversion of their direct resistive electric heating (DEH) into district heating (DH). 88 out of 111 houses were converted in 2002. Four years later, interviews were carried out with 23 of the households in the area, both with those who had accept-ed the district heating offer and those who had not. The study shows that apart from the economic aspects, thermal comfort, aesthetics and practicalities also affected the buying decision. Since the different economic aspects of the offer were complex, it was very difficult for the households to make a strictly rational economical decision. Statistical analysis confirmed that variables such as age, type of household and energy use level could, to some extent, be related to the decision to convert from electric heating to district heating. Timing, low prices and the total solutions presented to the households were crucial factors in the success of the marketing strategy.

Environmental quality of transitional waters: the lagoon of Venice case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Micheletti, C; Gottardo, S; Critto, A; Chiarato, S; Marcomini, A

2011-01-01

coherent information for each LOE was selected, and among these stations, potential reference sites for each water body typology were identified. The quality assessment highlighted that there are specific lagoon areas, especially those located near the industrially developed area, which are highly affected by anthropogenic activities, and that chemical contamination is one of the main pressures affecting ecological status (e.g. macro-benthonic biodiversity) in the Venice lagoon. The integrated quality assessment procedure that was developed provided a new tool supporting decision making, as well as lagoon assessment and management. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Case Studies in Censorship: Censoring "The Merchant of Venice."

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Richard A.

1991-01-01

Reviews censorship of "The Merchant of Venice," which has been based on its portrayal of the Jewish character Shylock. Background information is followed by an annotated bibliography which includes 15 citations dealing with Shylock, 22 citations to articles that address the censorship of the play, and 64 works of literature that have…

Autogenous Crack Control during Construction Phases of MOSE Venice Dams

Science.gov (United States)

Bertagnoli, Gabriele; Anerdi, Constanza; Malavisi, Marzia; Zoratto, Nadia

2017-10-01

The design of concrete structures exposed to severe environmental attack, like in marine environment, requires serious attention for concrete durability. Early age cracking due to autogenous deformations can be detrimental to the performance of tidal structures. The study of the structural effects of hydration heat and rheological behaviour of a set of huge concrete structures of the Mobile Venice Dams known with the MOSE acronym (Experimental Electromechanical Module) is presented in this paper. Together with other measures such as coastal reinforcement, the raising of quaysides, and the paving and improvement of the lagoon, MOSE is designed to protect Venice and the lagoon from tides of up to 3 meters. Construction began simultaneously in 2003 at all three lagoon inlets, and the project has been completed in 2014. Floods have caused damage since ancient times and have become more frequent and intense as a result of the combined effect of eustatism (a rise in sea level) and subsidence (a drop in land level) caused by natural and man-induced phenomena. Nowadays, towns and villages in the lagoon are about 23 cm lower with respect to the water level than at the beginning of the 1900s. Each year, floods can cause serious problems for the inhabitants as well as deterioration of architecture, urban structures and the ecosystem. Over the entire lagoon area, there is also a constant risk of a catastrophic event such as that of 4 November 1966, when a tide of 194 cm submerged Venice, Chioggia and the other built-up areas.

Phosphate gypsum wastes in Venice lagoon. Radiological impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belli, M; Blasi, M; Guogang, J.; Rosamilia, S.; Sansone, U.; Biancotto, R.; Bidoli, P.; Sepulcri, D.

2000-03-01

The phosphoric minerals utilized in phosphoric acid production, presents high concentrations of radioactive materials: U238, Th 232, K 40. The phosphogypsum is the waste material obtained in the phosphoric acid production in wet process. This type of production method is employed for many years in Venice lagoon (Porto Marghera chemical plants). In this paper are reported evaluations of radiological impact on aquatic environment of lagoon [it

Architectures drawn / digital models: the Venices (impossible on line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malvina Borgherini

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A contemporary city representation talks not only about architecture and landscape but also about the effects that political institutions, cultural traditions and economic enterprises have on the urban community. Methods and ways traditionally used to present the complexity and, at the same time, the personality of a town, or on a smaller scale of one of his monument, are not suitable with the contemporary reality. A very famous panel presented at Venice Biennale in 1976, Aldo Rossi’s «Città Analoga», within real and ideal architectures, ancient monuments and contemporary landscapes, individual and collective memories, human presences and empty spaces, can be taken as an example for the preparation of a new ‘story’ or a new ‘map’ for a city like Venice. The space of a digital model can become a place for discussion and analysis, a place where to see together historical records and projects never realized, where to put subjective and objective visions, which overlap daily and occasional tracks.

A Teacher's Guide for "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello."

Science.gov (United States)

WGBH-TV, Boston, MA.

William Shakespeare has influenced most, if not all, Western playwrights. His techniques, themes, characters, and plots are contained in much of what is produced today, from television to Broadway. This teacher's guide provides summaries of the plays "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello," essays, and corresponding student…

Deposition in St. Mark's Basilica of Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, E; Zendri, E; Piazza, R; Ganzerla, R; Montalbani, S; Marcoleoni, E; Bonetto, F; Scandella, A; Barbante, C; Gambaro, A

2013-04-01

Atmospheric pollutants may cause damage to monuments and historical buildings. Besides air contaminants, soluble salts are also responsible for stone deterioration and decay in outdoor and indoor monuments. The problem of how to conserve works of arts thus requires a deep knowledge of contaminants' concentration and distribution inside buildings. In this work, water-soluble ions inside St. Mark's Basilica in Venice were studied, with the aim of understanding their principal source and distribution inside the building. With the aid of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis, the interaction between ions and surface's material was also investigated. Ion chromatographic analysis of depositions highlighted a large amount of "deteriorating agents" such as sulphates and chlorides. A possible source in the innermost area of the basilica has been found for formates and nitrates. On the contrary, a decrease of chloride, from the entrance to the innermost area, has been found, which indicates that the source is outside the building. It is emphasized that different contaminants behave differently on different material, and the effect of pollution inside churches and monuments is not easy to predict. Wood and brick seem to react differently than stone and mortar to the damaging action of salts and pollutants. The present work should be considered a useful tool for the future preservation of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. LITERATURE CURRICULUM III, STUDENT VERSION.

Science.gov (United States)

KITZHABER, ALBERT R.

A GUIDE WAS PRODUCED FOR STUDENT USE IN NINTH-GRADE STUDY OF "THE MERCHANT OF VENICE." THE GUIDE PRESENTED SEVERAL ALTERNATE APPROACHES FOR UNDERSTANDING THE PLAY AND LEARNING ITS CONTENT. A MAJOR EMPHASIS OF THE GUIDE WAS PLACED ON THREE FORMS OF STUDENT QUESTIONS, RELATED TO SPECIFIC ACTS AND SCENES, THE CHARACTERS IN THE DRAMA, AND…

Copper complexation capacity in surface waters of the Venice Lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgadillo-Hinojosa, Francisco; Zirino, Alberto; Nasci, Cristina

2008-10-01

Total copper (Cu(T)), copper ion activity (pCu) and the copper complexation capacity (CuCC) were determined in samples of seawater collected in July 2003 from the Venice Lagoon. Cu(T) and CuCC showed considerable spatial variability: Cu(T) ranged from 1.8 to 70.0nM, whereas the CuCC varied from 195 to 573nM. pCu values varied from 11.6 to 12.6 and are consistent with those previously reported in estuarine and coastal areas (10.9-14.1). The range of Cu(T) values compares well with those reported in the past in the lagoon and in the adjacent Adriatic Sea. The highest concentrations of Cu(T) were found in samples collected near the industrial area of Porto Marghera, whereas the lowest were measured near the Chioggia and Malamocco inlets, where an intense tidally-driven renewal of seawater takes place. Although CuCC showed a high degree of spatial variability, the values recorded in the Venice Lagoon are comparable to those reported in other estuarine systems. In addition, CuCC was positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), suggesting that organic ligands responsible for Cu complexation are part of the bulk organic matter pool in the lagoon. The CuCC:Cu(T) molar ratio was, on average 55:1, indicating that a large excess of complexation capacity exists in the Venice Lagoon. The high levels of CuCC and the narrow range of pCu indicates the importance of the role played by organic ligands in controlling the free ion Cu concentrations in the lagoon, and as a consequence, regulating its availability and/or toxicity.

PCDD/PCDF presence in the waste water to depuration plant of Fusina - Venice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paoli, P.; Cuomo, M.; Rubino, B.; Cossettini, P.; Zaccone, C. [Vesta spa, Venice (Italy); Pavanato, A. [Provincia di Venezia, Venice (Italy); Aimo, E. [Arpav Venezia, Venice (Italy)

2004-09-15

In July 1999 the Environmental Department issued a decree, well-known as Ronchi -Costa referring to authors' names, that imposed limits more and more restrictive for micropollutants concentrations, as PCDD/PCDF in waste water discharging in Venice Lagoon. Prior to the application of this decree, VESTA S.p.A., that manages the Fusina WWTP situated near Venice Lagoon, planned a systematic monitoring on all flows entering the plant, on produced sludge and on water discharging in lagoon. The aims of monitoring were: the determination of micropollutants source and nature; the individualization of tendency of the concentrations in final discharge and in sludge and to state possible correlations between entering and leaving quantities of pollutants.

Effect of Partial Use of Venice Flood Barriers

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Luca Cavallaro

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Venice lagoon is one of the most important areas in Italy because of its history and its particular structure and form. In order to defend Venice and other towns within the lagoon from severe floods, the Italian Government promotes a project that includes, among other measures, the construction of the Experimental Electromechanical Module (MoSE. The MoSE is a system of mobile gates installed at the lagoon inlets that are able to temporarily isolate the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea during severe storm surge events, thus ensuring acceptable safeguarding water levels. To prevent interference between the barriers and the normal port activities, locks have been constructed at each lagoon inlet. However, the use of such locks causes a slowdown in maritime traffic. In order to evaluate a means of reducing such interference during the flooding events characterized by high but not extreme water levels, the present paper demonstrates, by means of a numerical approach, that one of the three inlets can be left open so as to ensure the transit of the vessels. The present paper also points out the meteorological conditions for which the safeguarding water levels of the lagoon are not exceeded when closing only two inlets.

Venice, Genoa, and John VIII Palaeologus’ Renovation of the Fortifications of Constantinople

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Marios Philippides

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Chalcocondyles’ account of John’s conflict with the Genoese ca. 1434 is supplemented by a contemporary panegyric that shows the events to be part of a larger conflict between Genoa and Venice.

Protecting the historic centre of Venice. A coordinated analysis of the physical and perceived wear processes to define mitigating actions

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Renata Codello

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The research aims to identify "physical" and "perceptual" wear factors of the historic center of Venice (with particular attention to the effects of anthropogenic pressure related to the phenomenon of tourism and to assess the damages they could produce to identify criteria and tools of mitigation and control. Research is part of the Action Plan "Protection and conservation of the heritage", established by the Plan of Management for the UNESCO Site of Venice and its Lagoon. Through a systemic reading and analysis of the forces of change in place, this study identifies the " macro-emergencies", i.e. the main factors that adversely affect the site’s safeguarding. The research project "Evaluation of wear processes and critical factors of the City of Venice and its lagoon, and its impact on the site’s protection" is part of the actions set out by the Management Plan of the UNESCO site of Venice and its Lagoon. The main objective of the project is the identification of physical and perceptual factors of wear, which threaten the conservation of the historical and artistic heritage of the historic center of Venice, with a particular focus on the effects of anthropogenic pressure linked to tourism, and the evaluation of their level of danger. A further objective is the recognition of measurable parameters (indicators for monitoring and, subsequently, mitigation strategies for the most significant phenomena.

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites in the Venice lagoon and conterminous areas (Northern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Bini, Claudio; Wahsha, Mohammad; Fontana, Silvia; Maleci, Laura

2013-04-01

The lagoon of Venice and the conterminous land are affected by heavy contamination of anthropogenic origin, and for this reason the whole area has been classified as site of national interest, and must be restored. Heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Sb, Se, Zn) and organic compounds (IPA, PCB, Dioxine) have been identified as the main contaminants at various sites, owing to agriculture and industrial wastes discharged on soils and convoyed to the lagoon. Five case studies of soil remediation are here reported. S. Giuliano is a former palustrine area reclaimed since the 60's with various human transported materials (HTM). In this area, hot spots overpassing the reference limits for residential and green areas have been recorded for Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and IPA. Campalto is a site bordering the Venice lagoon and subjected to oscillating water level, that enhances metal mobility; diffuse contamination by heavy metals, particularly Pb, has been recorded at this site, utilized since 30 years for military and sport (skate) activities. Marghera is dramatically famous for its numerous factories and for oil refineries that affected the lagoon sediments since the 50's. Sediments proved heavily contaminated by As (up to 137 mgkg-1), Cd (57 mgkg-1), Hg (30mgkg-1), Ni, Pb (700 mgkg-1), Zn (5818 mgkg-1). Murano is a small island where many glass factories (the most famous all over the world) are running since XIII century. Glass is stained with several metals and, moreover, some substances are used to regulate fusion temperature, purity, etc., and therefore the surrounding environment is heavily contaminated by these substances. Mean concentrations of As (429 mgkg-1), Cd (1452 mgkg-1), Pb (749 mgkg-1), Zn (1624 mgkg-1), Se (341 mgkg-1), Sb (74 mgkg-1) widely overpass the reference values for both residential and industrial areas in national guidelines. Molo Serbatoi is a former oil container currently under restoration in the port of Venice. Soil contamination by As, Hg, Zn and

Investigation of residence time and groundwater flux in Venice Lagoon: comparing radium isotope and hydrodynamic models.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapaglia, John; Ferrarin, Christian; Zaggia, Luca; Moore, Willard S; Umgiesser, Georg; Garcia-Solsona, Ester; Garcia-Orellana, Jordi; Masqué, Pere

2010-07-01

The four naturally-occurring isotopes of radium were coupled with a previously evaluated hydrodynamic model to determine the apparent age of surface waters and to quantify submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Mean apparent age of water in the Venice Lagoon was calculated using the ratio of 224Ra to 228Ra determined from 30 monitoring stations and a mean pore water end member. Average apparent age was calculated to be 6.0 d using Ra ratios. This calculated age was very similar to average residence time calculated for the same period using a hydrodynamic model (5.8 d). A mass balance of Ra was accomplished by quantifying each of the sources and sinks of Ra in the lagoon, with the unknown variable being attributed to SGD. Total SGD were calculated to be 4.1 +/- 1.5, 3.8 +/- 0.7, 3.0 +/- 1.3, and 3.5 +/- 1.0 x 10(10) L d(-1) for (223,224,226, 228)Ra, respectively, which are an order of magnitude larger than total mean fluvial discharge into the Venice Lagoon (3.1 x 10(9) L d(-1)). The SGD as a source of nutrients in the Venice Lagoon is also discussed and, though significant to the nutrient budget, is likely to be less important as the dominant control on SGD is recirculated seawater rather than freshwater. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of residence time and groundwater flux in Venice Lagoon: comparing radium isotope and hydrodynamical models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapaglia, John; Ferrarin, Christian; Zaggia, Luca; Moore, Willard S.; Umgiesser, Georg; Garcia-Solsona, Ester; Garcia-Orellana, Jordi; Masque, Pere

2010-01-01

The four naturally-occurring isotopes of radium were coupled with a previously evaluated hydrodynamic model to determine the apparent age of surface waters and to quantify submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Mean apparent age of water in the Venice Lagoon was calculated using the ratio of 224 Ra to 228 Ra determined from 30 monitoring stations and a mean pore water endmember. Average apparent age was calculated to be 6.0 d using Ra ratios. This calculated age was very similar to average residence time calculated for the same period using a hydrodynamic model (5.8 d). A mass balance of Ra was accomplished by quantifying each of the sources and sinks of Ra in the lagoon, with the unknown variable being attributed to SGD. Total SGD were calculated to be 4.1 ± 1.5, 3.8 ± 0.7, 3.0 ± 1.3, and 3.5 ± 1.0 x 10 10 L d -1 for 223,224,226,228 Ra, respectively, which are an order of magnitude larger than total mean fluvial discharge into the Venice Lagoon (3.1 x 10 9 L d -1 ). The SGD as a source of nutrients in the Venice Lagoon is also discussed and, though significant to the nutrient budget, is likely to be less important as the dominant control on SGD is recirculated seawater rather than freshwater.

Situation Venice: Towards a Performative "Ex-Planation" of a City

Science.gov (United States)

Whybrow, Nicolas

2011-01-01

The article's main concern is to analyse theoretical and artistic factors influencing the attempt by a group of undergraduate students (at the University of Warwick, UK) to produce a "performative mapping" of the city of Venice. In other words, it asks what kind of performance-based strategies might usefully be applied in the process of…

Hydrogen: a new resource for the Venice industrial area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giorgio Mattiello

2006-01-01

Hydrogen Park is based in Marghera, inside the Venice Municipality, where it is produced the 40% of the Italian production of hydrogen, as by-product of industrial processes. This availability gives the possibility to develop and to test new technologies based on hydrogen without the gas generation constrain. The Company deal is to coordinate the partners activities to utilize the Hydrogen resources available in Marghera. (authors)

Venice: Fifty years after the great flood of November 4, 1966

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzoli, P. M.

2017-12-01

Fifty years ago Venice and its lagoon suffered the most devastating flood in their millennial history. The causes of the increasingly recurring floods will be examined, namely the man-induced subsidence in the period 1925-1970 and the storm surges of the Adriatic sea. The engineering solution designed for their protection , named the MOSE system, will be discussed in detail. The MOSE was started in 2003 and is near completion. It consists of four barriers , invisible in normal conditions, which will close the inlets to the lagoon under the prediction of a forthcoming flood. Finally, the perspective of the MOSE capability of protecting the city under scenarios of future global sea level rise will be assessed. This assessment must critically take into account that Venice and its lagoon are confined in the northernmost corner of the semi-enclosed, marginal Mediterranean sea for which the uncertainties of future sea level rise greatly exceed the uncertainties of the global averages.

Rischio stress tra il personale degli asili nido/scuole dell'infanzia della Municipalità di Venezia e Marghera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Camerino, Donatella; Fichera, G P; Punzi, Silvia

2011-01-01

Based on an investigation on organizational well-being in the Municipality of Venice (2009), we examined 110 public nursery school and preschool teachers working in the Venice and Marghera districts....

On the Major Dramatic Conftict of Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

蒋文

2000-01-01

"The Merchant of Venice", a master piece with humanist idea by William Shakespeare, presents readers a dramatic conflict between friendship and greediness, love and cruelty.This essay illustrates briefly how this conflict is created, developed and dramatized. At the same time, the root causes for this conflict is analysed.

Bacterioplankton diversity and community composition in the Southern Lagoon of Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonato, Francesca; Gómez-Pereira, Paola R; Fuchs, Bernhard M; Amann, Rudolf

2010-04-01

The Lagoon of Venice is a large water basin that exchanges water with the Northern Adriatic Sea through three large inlets. In this study, the 16S rRNA approach was used to investigate the bacterial diversity and community composition within the southern basin of the Lagoon of Venice and at one inlet in October 2007 and June 2008. Comparative sequence analysis of 645 mostly partial 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated high diversity and dominance of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes at the lagoon as well as at the inlet station, therefore pointing to significant mixing. Many of these sequences were close to the 16S rRNA of marine, often coastal, bacterioplankton, such as the Roseobacter clade, the family Vibrionaceae, and class Flavobacteria. Sequences of Actinobacteria were indicators of a freshwater input. The composition of the bacterioplankton was quantified by catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) with a set of rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. CARD-FISH counts corroborated the dominance of members of the phyla Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. When assessed by a probe set for the quantification of selected clades within Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, bacterioplankton composition differed between October 2007 and June 2008, and also between the inlet and the lagoon. In particular, members of the readily culturable copiotrophic gammaproteobacterial genera Vibrio, Alteromonas and Pseudoalteromonas were enriched in the southern basin of the Lagoon of Venice. Interestingly, the alphaproteobacterial SAR11 clade and related clusters were also present in high abundances at the inlet and within the lagoon, which was indicative of inflow of water from the open sea.

TerraSAR-X InSAR multipass analysis on Venice, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Nitti, D. O.; Nutricato, R.; Bovenga, F.; Refice, A.; Chiaradia, M. T.; Guerriero, L.

2009-09-01

The TerraSAR-X (copyright) mission, launched in 2007, carries a new X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor optimally suited for SAR interferometry (InSAR), thus allowing very promising application of InSAR techniques for the risk assessment on areas with hydrogeological instability and especially for multi-temporal analysis, such as Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) techniques, originally developed at Politecnico di Milano. The SPINUA (Stable Point INterferometry over Unurbanised Areas) technique is a PSI processing methodology which has originally been developed with the aim of detection and monitoring of coherent PS targets in non or scarcely-urbanized areas. The main goal of the present work is to describe successful applications of the SPINUA PSI technique in processing X-band data. Venice has been selected as test site since it is in favorable settings for PSI investigations (urban area containing many potential coherent targets such as buildings) and in view of the availability of a long temporal series of TerraSAR-X stripmap acquisitions (27 scenes in all). The Venice Lagoon is affected by land sinking phenomena, whose origins are both natural and man-induced. The subsidence of Venice has been intensively studied for decades by determining land displacements through traditional monitoring techniques (leveling and GPS) and, recently, by processing stacks of ERS/ENVISAT SAR data. The present work is focused on an independent assessment of application of PSI techniques to TerraSAR-X stripmap data for monitoring the stability of the Venice area. Thanks to its orbital repeat cycle of only 11 days, less than a third of ERS/ENVISAT C-band missions, the maximum displacement rate that can be unambiguously detected along the Line-of-Sight (LOS) with TerraSAR-X SAR data through PSI techniques is expected to be about twice the corresponding value of ESA C-band missions, being directly proportional to the sensor wavelength and inversely proportional to the

Chinese and Venetian glass beads excavated from Fais Island in Micronesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intoh, Michiko

1997-01-01

Full text: Over 830 glass beads were excavated from a late prehistoric cemetery site on Fais Island in the Caroline Islands, Micronesia In one of the 13 excavated burials a young woman had more that 310 glass beads around her wrist. Bone collagen from this burial was dated by AMS to 387 + 64 BP. The associated glass beads were classified into three groups based on colour and size. A sample from each group was examined for evidence of manufacturing technique. The chemical composition was determined using an X-ray microanalyser. The first group consisted of more than 300 pale green, transparent glass beads which are less than 2 mm in diameter. The chemical composition is high in PbO (75.22%) while low in MgO. Such a high lead content is characteristic of Chinese glass. The manufacturing technique could not be determined because the surfaces were too eroded. The second group contains several yellow, translucent glass beads. The chemical composition is also high in PbO (54.8%) and low in MgO. The beads were made by winding. The combination of winding and high lead strongly indicates that the beads were made in China. The third group had only one white, translucent glass bead. It has particular white stripes which suggest that it is a 'gooseberry' bead which was made in Venice between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. In conclusion, both Chinese and Venetian glass beads co-existed on Fais Island around the time of European contact. They are likely to have been brought in from an area which had access to both beads. Island South-East Asia is tentatively considered to be the source area

Glass capillary optics for making x-ray beams of 0.1 to 50 microns diameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilderback, Donald H.; Fontes, Ernest

1997-01-01

We have fabricated a unique computerized glass puller that can make parabolic or elliptically tapered glass capillaries for microbeam x-ray experiments from hollow glass tubing. We have produced optics that work in a single-bounce imaging mode or in a multi-bounce condensing mode. The imaging-mode capillaries have been used to create 20 to 50 micron diameter x-ray beams at 12 keV that are quite useful for imaging diffraction patterns from tiny bundles of carbon and Kevlar fibers. The condensing-mode capillaries are useful for creating submicron diameter beams and show great promise in x-ray fluorescence applications with femtogram sensitivity for patterned Er and Ti dopants diffused into an optically-active lithium niobate wafer

The use of glass powder in making batako

Science.gov (United States)

Nursyamsi, N.; Indrawan, I.

2018-02-01

Along with the increase in construction materials, innovation is needed to lessen the use of them, and one of them is by using cement [1]. In this research, it is reduced by glass powder; the reason for using it as the substitution of cement is that some chemical elements in cement are similar to those in glass powder such as SiO2, A12o3, Fe2O3, and CaO. The glass powder used was the one who passed sieve no. 100 and was hampered in sieve no. 200. It passed sieve no. 200 with its composition of 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% from the volume of the use of cement. The specimen would treat within 28 days before the testing of compressive strength, water absorption, and tensile strength [2]. The variation which produced optimum result would mix with the foaming agent as the material for reducing the weight of the specimen. After that, the test of compressive strength, water absorption, and tensile strength on the installment of batako walls were done. The data analyzed by using SNI 02-0349-1989[3] reference about concrete brick for wall installment. The variation of 20% of glass powder passing sieve no. 200 gave optimum result. A specimen of the variation on glass powder of 20% which passed sieve no. 200 and the foaming agent was higher than the compressive strength of the specimen which used glass powder substitution of 0% of passing sieve no. 200 and foaming agent. The compressive strength of batako walls which used the batako construction with glass powder substitution of 20% of passing sieve no. 200 and the foaming agent was also higher than the compressive strength of the assaying object which used glass powder substitution of 0% of passing sieve no. 200 and foaming agent.

Is the lagoon of Venice health? A look at budgets and pathways of POP's in Venice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerzoni, S.; Sarretta, A. [CNR - Istituto di Scienze Marine, Venezia (Italy); Ferrari, G. [Magistrato alle Acque, Venezia (Italy); Molinaroli, E. [Univ. Ca Foscari, Venezia (Italy). Dip. Scienze Ambientali; Rossini, P. [Istituto di Ricerca Gruppo CSA, Rimini (Italy)

2004-09-15

The rapid deterioration of the world's major ecosystems has intensified the need for effective monitoring and development of operational indicators of ecosystem health, and the extension of health to describe regional ecosystems is a response to accumulating evidence that humandominated ecosystems have become highly dysfunctional. The Lagoon of Venice is probably one of the world's best-known examples of an ecosystem that has been historically influenced by human intervention since the XVth century. The area has a long history of industrial activity (even recent, mainly after World War II), with oil refining and several chemical production plants around the Lagoon. Only recently has Venice also been recognised because of its environmental problems, mainly due to POPs accumulating in sediments and seafood which has aroused local concern. It is well-known that one important effect of ecosystem degradation is an increased risk to the health of human populations. In the case of POPs, the simplest way for humans to be exposed is through the consumption of food contaminated by dioxins and PCBs. Due to bio-accumulation and long-term exposure (additives) to these pollutants, even minimal doses of dioxins and PCBs can result in negative effects on health. Human health should thus be understood within an ecological framework as an expression of the life-supporting capacity of the environment. Consequently, human health becomes an important criterion of sustainability - one which, over time, signals whether we are satisfactorily sustaining the social and ecological realms. This paper gathers together recent data on dioxins and PCBs, related both to the environment and to human health, in order to emphasize the need for intervention.

Linking pipefishes and seahorses to their habitat: implications for species conservation in the Venice lagoon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca Scapin

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Seagrass meadows of the Venice lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy are spatially heterogeneous systems, with attributes such as degree of coverage and plant assemblages varying along multiple environmental gradients. They play a particularly relevant role in conservation of fish diversity, since they provide vital habitats for pipefish and seahorse species (family Syngnathidae. Aim of the study was to investigate the diversity of syngnathid assemblages in the Venice lagoon and link species distributions to habitat characteristics, in order to evaluate the importance of seagrass meadows of the lagoon for the conservation of these species. The analyses of this work are based on eight years of fish data collected between 2001 and 2014 in 186 shallow water sites across the entire lagoon. Water parameters, presence of macroalgae, seagrass presence and coverage, as well as meadows species composition, were considered as predictors in a modelling framework, to explain the distribution of each species. Overall, two species of seahorses and seven species of pipefishes including the Adriatic endemism Syngnathus taenionotus were found. Three species (S. abaster, S. typhle and Nerophis ophidion were the most abundant, together accounting for 98% of total individuals caught. Both seagrass presence and its coverage resulted significant predictors, with densities of S. abaster, S. typhle, N. ophidion and Hippocampus guttulatus being positively associated with higher percentages of seagrass cover. In addition, some evidences suggested a different functionality of different meadow types in supporting both S. typhle and N. ophidion. The study highlighted the role of Venice lagoon as biodiversity hotspot for syngnathids, since it supports nine out of the 10 species known in the Mediterranean (with only S. phlegon being absent. Results also suggested the importance of habitat management, which should aim at compensating for seagrass habitat loss and therefore

Kraków, the Old Town – A Continental Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Urmă

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Surviving the destructions of the war, the old town of Krakow is a lesson of architecture and urbanism through the multitude of architectural styles, coherence and urban continuity. These features were preserved despite the numerous stages of construction, just as in San Marco Square from Venice, thus proving the power of consolidation of the values which had naturally been constituted, in time.

Relations between constructive peculiarities and structural behavior in Venice buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doglioni, F.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Here we are synthetically describing some constructive peculiarities of Venice civil buildings, analyzing the relation with the features of their structural decay and behavior in the long run. We suppose Venetian buildings, especially those parts which are conceived to suit the lagoon environment, to have undergone an evolution made of some adjustments, which were based on the observation of damages in previous buildings. That is we suppose ancient builders to rely on their awareness of the behavior of structures yet to come, and to be able to forecast it in part. This process brought some building contrivances to perfection, as exclusive and enduring features of Venice, overcoming changes in style and architectural layout, till they grew into essential elements of a whole and adaptable “device”. This writing is meant for a concise interpretation of this device, which is the result of some research works carried out at Venice IUAV University.

En este texto, se describen sintéticamente algunas peculiaridades de la edificación residencial de Venecia, analizando su relación con el abanico de problemas estructurales que caracterizan el comportamiento estructural del edificio a lo largo del tiempo. Se aventura la hipótesis que las construcciones venecianas y, en particular, algunos de sus detalles, concebidos específicamente para la laguna donde se enclava, han sido objeto de una adaptación evolutiva a través de la observación de los problemas estructurales de los edificios precedentes. Los alarifes venecianos aprendieron a tener en cuenta el comportamiento estructural posterior del edificio, que previeron en cierta medida. Este proceso ha llevado a perfeccionar algunos detalles constructivos exclusivos de Venecia que han perdurado en el tiempo, que han resistido impertérritos a mutaciones de estilo y de configuración arquitectónica, hasta constituir elementos esenciales de un aparato indivisible y adaptable cuya interpretaci

Division XII / Commission 41 / Working Group Historical Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Pigatto, Luisa; Il-Seong, Nha; Hamel, Jürgen; Johnson, Kevin; Kochhar, Rajesh K.; Nakamura, Tsuko; Orchiston, Wayne; Pettersen, Bjørn R.; Schechner, Sara J.; Yunli, Shi

The Historical Instruments Working Group (WG-HI) and Commission 41 started planning an interdisciplinary conference titled Astronomy and its instruments before and after Galileo since January 2007. This conference, as an IYA2009 initiative, aims “to highlight mankind's path toward an improved knowledge of the sky using mathematical and mechanical tools as well as monuments and buildings, giving rise, in doing so, to scientific astronomy”. Commission 46 and Commission 55 also support this conference, to be held on the Isle of San Servolo, Venice (Italy), 27 September 3 October 2009. As a fact of history, it was in Venice that Galileo was advised and got material (glass) to make his telescope, and in Venice he presented an working instrument to Venetian Doge in August 1609. The conference is co-sponsored by IAU as a Joint Symposium with the INAF Astronomical Observatory of Padova, Italy.

Prejudice, Pedagogy, and the Play: A Study of "The Merchant of Venice."

Science.gov (United States)

Eiferman, Sharon

There is little critical agreement on the meaning of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." One must confront the mindset of the play that systematically dehumanizes, stereotypes, excoriates, and seeks the extermination of one group on the grounds that their existence is repugnant to the controlling majority. Such a mindset is the…

Regional and local land subsidence at the Venice coastland by TerraSAR-X PSI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Tosi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Land subsidence occurred at the Venice coastland over the 2008–2011 period has been investigated by Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI using a stack of 90 TerraSAR-X stripmap images with a 3 m resolution and a 11-day revisiting time. The regular X-band SAR acquisitions over more than three years coupled with the very-high image resolution has significantly improved the monitoring of ground displacements at regional and local scales, e.g., the entire lagoon, especially the historical palaces, the MoSE large structures under construction at the lagoon inlets to disconnect the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea during high tides, and single small structures scattered within the lagoon environments. Our results show that subsidence is characterized by a certain variability at the regional scale with superimposed important local displacements. The movements range from a gentle uplift to subsidence rates of up to 35 mm yr−1. For instance, settlements of 30–35 mm yr−1 have been detected at the three lagoon inlets in correspondence of the MoSE works, and local sinking bowls up to 10 mm yr−1 connected with the construction of new large buildings or restoration works have been measured in the Venice and Chioggia historical centers. Focusing on the city of Venice, the mean subsidence of 1.1 ± 1.0 mm yr−1 confirms the general stability of the historical center.

Organic micropollutants in wet and dry depositions in the Venice Lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambaro, Andrea; Radaelli, Marta; Piazza, Rossano; Stortini, Angela Maria; Contini, Daniele; Belosi, Franco; Zangrando, Roberta; Cescon, Paolo

2009-08-01

Atmospheric transport is an important route by which pollutants are conveyed from the continents to both coastal and open sea. The role of aerosol deposition in the transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and polybromodiphenyls ethers (PBDEs) to water and soil systems has been evaluated by measuring their concentrations in wet and dry depositions to the Venice Lagoon. The organic micropollutant flux data indicate that they contribute to the total deposition flux in different ways through wet and dry deposition, showing that the prevalent contribution derives from wet deposition. The fluxes calculated for PBDEs, showed the prevalence of 47, 99, 100 and 183 congeners, both in dry and wet fluxes. With regard to PCBs, the flux of summation operatorPCB for wet deposition is in the same order of magnitude of the diffusive flux at the air-water interface. The PAH fluxes obtained in the present study are similar to those obtained in previous studies on the atmospheric bulk deposition to the Venice Lagoon. The ratios between Phe/Ant and Fl/Py indicate that the pollutants sources are pyrolytic, deriving from combustion fuels.

Transcriptomic resources for environmental risk assessment: a case study in the Venice lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Milan, M; Pauletto, M; Boffo, L; Carrer, C; Sorrentino, F; Ferrari, G; Pavan, L; Patarnello, T; Bargelloni, L

2015-02-01

The development of new resources to evaluate the environmental status is becoming increasingly important representing a key challenge for ocean and coastal management. Recently, the employment of transcriptomics in aquatic toxicology has led to increasing initiatives proposing to integrate eco-toxicogenomics in the evaluation of marine ecosystem health. However, several technical issues need to be addressed before introducing genomics as a reliable tool in regulatory ecotoxicology. The Venice lagoon constitutes an excellent case, in which the assessment of environmental risks derived from the nearby industrial activities represents a crucial task. In this context, the potential role of genomics to assist environmental monitoring was investigated through the definition of reliable gene expression markers associated to chemical contamination in Manila clams, and their subsequent employment for the classification of Venice lagoon areas. Overall, the present study addresses key issues to evaluate the future outlooks of genomics in the environmental monitoring and risk assessment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvements of Storm Surge Modelling in the Gulf of Venice with Satellite Data: The ESA Due Esurge-Venice Project

Science.gov (United States)

De Biasio, F.; Bajo, M.; Vignudelli, S.; Papa, A.; della Valle, A.; Umgiesser, G.; Donlon, C.; Zecchetto, S.

2016-08-01

Among the most detrimental natural phenomena, storm surges heavily endanger the environment, the economy and the everyday life of sea-side countries and coastal zones. Considering that 120.000.000 people live in the Mediterranean area, with additional 200.000.000 presences in Summer for tourism purposes, the correct prediction of storm surges is crucial to avoid fatalities and economic losses. Earth Observation (EO) can play an important role in operational storm surge forecasting, yet it is not widely diffused in the storm surge community. In 2011 the European Space Agency (ESA), through its Data User Element (DUE) programme, financed two projects aimed at encouraging the uptake of EO data in this sector: eSurge and eSurge-Venice (eSV). The former was intended to address the issues of a wider users' community, while the latter was focused on a restricted geographical area: the northern Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Venice. Among the objectives of the two projects there were a number of storm surge hindcast experiments using satellite data, to demonstrate the improvements on the surge forecast brought by EO. We report here the results of the hindcast experiments of the eSV project. They were aimed to test the sensitivity of a storm surge model to a forcing wind field modified with scatterometer data in order to reduce the bias between simulated and observed winds. Hindcast experiments were also performed to test the response of the storm surge model to the assimilation, with a dual 4D-Var system, of satellite altimetry observations as model errors of the initial state of the sea surface level. Remarkable improvements on the storm surge forecast have been obtained for what concerns the modified model wind forcing. Encouraging results have been obtained also in the assimilation experiments.

The high resolution mapping of the Venice Lagoon tidal network

Science.gov (United States)

Madricardo, Fantina; Foglini, Federica; Kruss, Aleksandra; Bellafiore, Debora; Trincardi, Fabio

2017-04-01

One of the biggest challenges of the direct observation of the ocean is to achieve a high resolution mapping of its seafloor morphology and benthic habitats. So far, sonars have mapped just 0.05% of the ocean floor with less than ten-meter resolution. The recent efforts of the scientific community have been devoted towards the mapping of both Deep Ocean and very shallow coastal areas. Coastal and transitional environments in particular undergo strong morphological changes due to natural and anthropogenic pressure. Nowadays, only about 5% of the seafloor of these environments † have been mapped: the shallowness of these environments has prevented the use of underwater acoustics to reveal their morphological features. The recent technological development of multibeam echosounder systems, however, enables these instruments to achieve very high performances also in such shallow environments. In this work, we present results and case studies of an extensive multibeam survey carried out in the Lagoon of Venice in 2013. The Lagoon of Venice is the biggest lagoon in the Mediterranean Sea with a surface of about 550 km2 and with an average depth of about 1 m. In the last century, the morphological and ecological properties of the lagoon changed dramatically: the surface of the salt marshes was reduced by 60% and some parts of the lagoon are deepening with a net sediment flux exiting from the inlets. Moreover, major engineering interventions are currently ongoing at the inlets (MOSE project). These changes at the inlets could affect substantially the lagoon environment. To understand and monitor the future evolution of the Lagoon of Venice, ISMAR within the project RITMARE (a National Research Programme funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research) carried out an extensive survey, involving a team of more than 25 scientists, to collect high resolution (0.5 m) bathymetry of key study areas such as the tidal inlets and channels. Following a broad

Vibrio trends in the ecology of the Venice lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Mohammad Shamsur; Martino, Maria Elena; Cardazzo, Barbara; Facco, Pierantonio; Bordin, Paola; Mioni, Renzo; Novelli, Enrico; Fasolato, Luca

2014-04-01

Vibrio is a very diverse genus that is responsible for different human and animal diseases. The accurate identification of Vibrio at the species level is important to assess the risks related to public health and diseases caused by aquatic organisms. The ecology of Vibrio spp., together with their genetic background, represents an important key for species discrimination and evolution. Thus, analyses of population structure and ecology association are necessary for reliable characterization of bacteria and to investigate whether bacterial species are going through adaptation processes. In this study, a population of Vibrionaceae was isolated from shellfish of the Venice lagoon and analyzed in depth to study its structure and distribution in the environment. A multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) was developed on the basis of four housekeeping genes. Both molecular and biochemical approaches were used for species characterization, and the results were compared to assess the consistency of the two methods. In addition, strain ecology and the association between genetic information and environment were investigated through statistical models. The phylogenetic and population analyses achieved good species clustering, while biochemical identification was demonstrated to be imprecise. In addition, this study provided a fine-scale overview of the distribution of Vibrio spp. in the Venice lagoon, and the results highlighted a preferential association of the species toward specific ecological variables. These findings support the use of MLSA for taxonomic studies and demonstrate the need to consider environmental information to obtain broader and more accurate bacterial characterization.

lead glass brick

CERN Multimedia

When you look through the glass at a picture behind, the picture appears raised up because light is slowed down in the dense glass. It is this density (4.06 gcm-3) that makes lead glass attractive to physicists. The refractive index of the glass is 1.708 at 400nm (violet light), meaning that light travels in the glass at about 58% its normal speed. At CERN, the OPAL detector uses some 12000 blocks of glass like this to measure particle energies.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of industrial port of Venice (Italy) sediment samples after a decontamination treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Libralato, Giovanni; Losso, Chiara; Arizzi Novelli, Alessandra; Citron, Marta; Della Sala, Stefano; Zanotto, Emanuele; Cepak, Franka; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria

2008-12-01

This work assesses the ecotoxicological effects of polluted sediment after a decontamination treatment process using a new sediment washing technique. Sediment samples were collected from four sites in Marghera Port industrial channels (Venice, Italy). Ecotoxicological evaluations were performed with Vibrio fischeri and Crassostrea gigas bioassays. Whole sediment and elutriate were deemed as the most suitable environmental matrices for this study. Toxicity scores developed in the Lagoon of Venice for V. fischeri on whole sediment and for C. gigas on elutriate were considered for the final ranking of samples. Ecotoxicological results showed that the treated sediment samples presented both acute and sub-chronic toxicities, which were mainly attributed to the presence of some remaining chemicals such as metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The acute toxicity ranged from low to medium, while the sub-chronic one from absent to very high, suggesting that treated sediments could not be reused in direct contact with seawater.

Shakespeare and Christianity—Studies in the Merchant of Venice

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

黄琼英

2016-01-01

Christianity, by far the most influential religion in the west, touches every phase of man's life so much so that it has shaped the western civilization more decisively and become the blood of western culture. William Shakespeare is the greatest hu-manist, but he is also a Christian rooted in western culture, so it is observed that Shakespeare's thinking pattern and writing were influenced by Christianity. The paper, taking the Merchant of Venice as an example, analyzed Biblical references in Shake-speare's thinking pattern, Christianity and Shakespeare's idealistic character.

Impact of maritime traffic on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals and particulate matter in Venice air.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregoris, Elena; Barbaro, Elena; Morabito, Elisa; Toscano, Giuseppa; Donateo, Antonio; Cesari, Daniela; Contini, Daniele; Gambaro, Andrea

2016-04-01

Harbours are important hubs for economic growth in both tourism and commercial activities. They are also an environmental burden being a source of atmospheric pollution often localized near cities and industrial complexes. The aim of this study is to quantify the relative contribution of maritime traffic and harbour activities to atmospheric pollutant concentration in the Venice lagoon. The impact of ship traffic was quantified on various pollutants that are not directly included in the current European legislation for shipping emission reduction: (i) gaseous and particulate PAHs; (ii) metals in PM10; and (iii) PM10 and PM2.5. All contributions were correlated with the tonnage of ships during the sampling periods and results were used to evaluate the impact of the European Directive 2005/33/EC on air quality in Venice comparing measurements taken before and after the application of the Directive (year 2010). The outcomes suggest that legislation on ship traffic, which focused on the issue of the emissions of sulphur oxides, could be an efficient method also to reduce the impact of shipping on primary particulate matter concentration; on the other hand, we did not observe a significant reduction in the contribution of ship traffic and harbour activities to particulate PAHs and metals. Graphical abstract Impact of maritime traffic on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals and particulate matter and evaluation of the effect of an European Directive on air quality in Venice.

The review of constitutional norms concerning local public administration in the view of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission)

OpenAIRE

Apostolache, Mihai

2015-01-01

The proposals of the Commission to review the Constitution of Romania were subject to the analysis of experts from the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission), who expressed their opinion in a report adopted at the 98th plenary session of the European body. The article analyzes the recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding the proposed changes to the constitutional norms governing local public administration, comprising some general aspects concern...

210Pb and 210Po in Venice Lagoon Biota and their contribution to population dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Guogang; Rosamilia, S.; Blasi, M.; Sansone, U.; Belli, M.; Sepulcri, D.; Bidoli, P.

2002-01-01

Phosphogypsum is a by-product resulting from the processes applied in phosphoric acid or phosphate fertilizer production. The phosphate ore used in these chemical processes contains the naturally occurring radioactive materials U, and Th, along with their decay products. Large volumes of solid waste products were discharged from a phosphoric acid production plant on the edge of the Venice lagoon (Italy). Water, suspended matter, and biota were monitored in the Venice lagoon, since this aquatic environment can be considered to represent the final area of deposition for the radionuclides transported from inland. The present paper reports data on the activity concentrations of 210 Po and 210 Pb determined in biota living in the lagoon, and an estimation of the contribution to internal dose to man from the ingestion of food originating in the investigated area. (orig.)

Venice Film Festival before, during and after Pontecorvo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Donati

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A brief historical introduction to Venice Film Festival. The reasons that led Gillo Pontecorvo to become Director in 1992. Pontecorvo’s programmatic standpoint, successes and first false steps: the Unforgiven case. The five Pontecorvo editions in detail: titles, directors, discoveries, reassessments. His initiatives aimed to repopulate the Lido of common moviegoers, specifically young spectators, after years when the Mostra had become an insiders’ exclusive destination. Gillo’s comeback as a former Director, again as a filmmaker, with the short movie Nostalgia di protezione. Pontecorvo’ aftermath: from Felice Laudadio to Alberto Barbera, from Moritz de Hadeln to Marco Müller, until Barbera’s comeback.

Glass injuries seen in the emergency department of a South African district hospital

OpenAIRE

Nzaumvila, Doudou; Govender, Indiran; Kramer, Efraim B.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The emergency department of Embhuleni Hospital frequently manages patients with glass-related injuries. This study assessed these injuries and the glass that caused them in more detail. AIM: The objectives of our study included determining the type of glass causing these injuries and describing the circumstances associated with different types of glass injuries. SETTING: The emergency department of Embhuleni Hospital in Elukwatini, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. METHODS: This ...

Shylock’s Speech in The Merchant of Venice: Critical Discourse Analysis

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Hamada Dawood

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to examine, reveal and analyse Shylock's speech in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, by connecting his words to the power, identity, and ideology in the play. The purposes of this study are to examine the effects of linguistic manipulation on power, to link language with the structure of a society, and to find the impact of a combination of different ideologies on each other. Hence, this descriptive qualitative study explores the literature to answer the aforementioned questions. What is found in this paper is that Shylock, the Jew, lacks power, Jewish ideology and Jewish identity, but when he tries to find these aspects, he fails to gain any of them. The reasons behind Shylock's failure in obtaining "the self" can be attributed to his brutal character. His insistence on the literal implementation of the bond leads to his destruction. He neglects the fact that those charged with power are able to edit the language of "his bond" the way they like. To conclude, language is one of the most influencing factors aiding in imposing power, destroying "unwanted" identities, and appropriating others' ideology by the "upper hands" in any society. Keywords: The Merchant of Venice Shylock's Speech, Critical Discourse Analysis.

Thorium isotopes as indicators of scavenging rates in the Venice lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cochran, J. K.; Hirschberg, D.J.; Barnes, C.

1995-01-01

The naturally occurring thorium isotopes 228 Th and 234 Th, produced in sea water from decay of 228 Ra and 238 U, respectively, were used to estimate the rate of scavenging onto particle surfaces and the rate of removal of particles from the water column of the Venice Lagoon. Large water samples (1000-2000 L) were collected at three sites in the shallow ( 2 -impregnated cartridges to extract dissolved thorium. Activities of particulate 234 Th ranged from 510 to 1335 μBq L -1 and dissolved 234 Th was -1 . Relative to calculated 238 U activities in the lagoon, the 234 Th data yielded mean residence times as short as 2 h for the scavenging of dissolved 234 Th onto particles and 12 h for the removal of particulate 234 Th. Resuspension rates of 0.6 to 8 mg cm -2 day -1 were estimated from the data on dissolved and particulate 234 Th, these values being comparable to those determined by sediment traps (1.8-9.5 mg cm -2 day -1 ) at the same sites. These results suggest that Th and other similarly reactive trace metals are removed rapidly from the waters of the Venice Lagoon to the sediments. 23 refs., 4 tabs., 2 figs

Salinity and its variability in the Lagoon of Venice, 2000–2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Zirino

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Yearly averages computed from monthly and bimonthly salinity data collected between 2000 and 2009 from 13 broadly spaced stations in the Venice Lagoon were analysed in view of 30 min data collected semi-continuously during 2009 at nine similarly located stations. Data from all stations and all years indicate that, based on yearly averages, the lagoon may be divided along its major (long axis into three areas: 1 a northern, freshwater impacted area (S = 32 PSU of low, tidally-caused, variability, and 3 an intermediate zone. Salinity changes are closely associated with rainfall events, and the incoming freshwater is consistently distributed throughout the lagoon by tidal action. Much variability is simply a result of the forward and backward motion of the tides and is not caused by a salinity change in the water itself. The consistency of the 2000–2009 data and the historical (to 1961 watershed record support the hypothesis that the Venice Lagoon has been and is currently at steady-state with respect to its salinity distribution. As such, it is conducive to the development of (at least three separate ecosystems.

Pattern of Decision Making of Irula Tribal Farm Women in Nilgiris District

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Sujeetha Natarajan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The study was undertaken to find out the pattern of decision making of the Irula  tribal farm women of Nilgiris district in farm and home. The study revealed that Irula tribal farm women took self decision in the case of irrigating fields (85.00 followed by using plant protection measures (83.33 in case of farm management and took self decision in cases like selection and preparation of food (100.00, decorating the house (70.00 They had least participation in decisions like construction of new house (63.33 followed by borrowing and giving loans (38.33.

Mathematical-statistical model for analysis of Ulva algal net photosynthesis in Venice lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izzo, G.; Rizzo, V.; Bella, A.; Picci, M.; Giordano, P.

1996-08-01

The algal net photosynthesis, an important factor for the characterization of water quality in Venice lagoon, has been studied experimentally providing a mathematical model, validated by using statistical methods. This model relates oxygen production with irradiance, according to a well known law in biological literature. Its observed an inverted proportion between algal oxygen production and temperature, thus seasonality

The Challenge of High-resolution Mapping of Very Shallow Coastal Areas: Case Study of the Lagoon of Venice, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Madricardo, F.; Foglini, F.; Kruss, A.; Bajo, M.; Campiani, E.; Ferrarin, C.; Fogarin, S.; Grande, V.; Janowski, L.; Keppel, E.; Leidi, E.; Lorenzetti, G.; Maicu, F.; Maselli, V.; Montereale Gavazzi, G.; Pellegrini, C.; Petrizzo, A.; Prampolini, M.; Remia, A.; Rizzetto, F.; Rovere, M.; Sarretta, A.; Sigovini, M.; Toso, C.; Zaggia, L.; Trincardi, F.

2017-12-01

Very shallow coastal environments are often highly urbanized with half of the world's population and 13 of the largest mega-cities located close to the coast. These environments undergo rapid morphological changes due to natural and anthropogenic pressure that will likely be enhanced in the near future by mean sea-level rise. Therefore, there is a strong need for high resolution seafloor mapping to monitor and protect shallow coastal areas. To date, only about 5% of their seafloor has been mapped: their shallowness has prevented so far the use of underwater acoustics to reveal their morphological features; their turbidity often hindered the efficient use of LIDAR technology, particularly in lagoons and estuaries. The recent technological development of multibeam echosounder systems, however, enables these instruments to achieve very high performances also in such shallow environments. In this work, we present the results of an extensive multibeam survey carried out in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy) in 2013. The Lagoon of Venice is the biggest lagoon in the Mediterranean Sea (surface area of about 550 km2, average depth of about 1 m) and it is a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site together with the historical city of Venice which is currently endangered by relative sea-level rise. Major engineering works are ongoing at the lagoon inlets (MOSE project) to protect Venice from flood events. In the last century, the morphology and ecology of the lagoon changed dramatically: the extent of the salt marshes was reduced by 60% and some parts of the lagoon deepened by more than 1 m with a net sediment flux exiting from the inlets. To understand and monitor the future evolution of the Lagoon of Venice in view of the inlet modifications and mean sea-level rise, CNR-ISMAR within the project RITMARE (a National Research Programme funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research) carried out an extensive survey, involving a team of more than 25 scientists, to

Floating call boys and agile homosexuals: homophobia/Venice/history.

Science.gov (United States)

Champagne, John

2014-01-01

Because works of nonfiction are always composed of literary tropes and metaphors, they have to be read critically for the ways in which their truth claims are potentially structured by ideologies and stereotypes. This essay reads passages from Richard Sennett's sociological analysis Flesh and Stone, The Body and the City in Western Civilization and Joseph Brodsky's memoir Watermark in order to demonstrate how these alleged works of nonfiction shore up some dishearteningly familiar literary stereotypes of male homosexuality and participate in a tradition, dating from the 19th century, of linking the city of Venice with homosexuality and death.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension in congenital cardiac disease - the need for refinement of the Evian-Venice classification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Albada, Mirjam E.; Berger, Rolf M. F.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital systemic-to-pulmonary shunts has been classified, in the Evian-Venice classification, as Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, which includes a heterogeneous group of conditions. Emerging options for treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial

Ion-beam analysis of a medieval glass bottle excavated in Gyoer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uzonyi, I.; Szoboszlai, Z.; Kertesz, Zs.; Simon, A.; Kiss, A.Z.

2008-01-01

) techniques: the particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and the particle induced gamma ray emission (PIGE) were used. Measurements were carried out on a small glass piece from the present archaeological find which was not used for the restoration. PIXE analysis was carried out at the Scanning Nuclear Microprobe facility. The sample was irradiated at five different spots by 2 MeV H + beam focused to 2x2 μm 2 spot size and applying scan size of 2x2 mm 2 . The accumulated charge at the sample was ∼0.2 μC. Characteristic X-rays were detected by an ultra thin windowed and a Be windowed Si(Li) detectors, thus elements could be analyzed for the Z≥6 atomic number region with high sensitivity. Characteristic X-ray spectra were evaluated with the PIXEKLM-TPI software package. Efficiency calibration of detectors was based on the NIST 610 glass standard reference material. In the case of the PIGE analysis the samples were irradiated in an isolated vacuum chamber with a 3.8 MeV proton beam of about 5 nA. The accumulated charge at the sample was ∼3 μC. The gamma-rays were detected with a 40 % HPGe detector situated at 90 deg with respect to the beam direction and 20 cm distance from the sample. To calculate the concentrations of Na, Al and Si the same NIST 610 glass standard was used. The analysis revealed that the bottle was made from soda-lime glass. Comparing Na, Mg and Ca values with available literature data, 'similarity' with Venice glass can be stated. However, considering the high Ti, Fe (and Al) concentrations it can be supposed that a relatively low quality vitrifying agent (siliceous material) was used excluding late medieval (15-16th c.) fine Venetian glass. The greenish tint attributable to the high Fe content indicates incomplete decolourization (by MnO) which is also characteristic for lower quality glass products. Therefore, the analytical results does not falsify the hypotheses that the artefact can be a 13th century (supposedly Venice) glass

Clam bioaccumulation of Alkylphenols and Polyciclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Venice lagoon under different pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ademollo, N; Patrolecco, L; Matozzo, V; Marin, M G; Valsecchi, S; Polesello, S

2017-11-15

Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factors (BSAFs) of nonylphenols (NPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Ruditapes philippinarum from the Venice Lagoon (Italy) were determined with the aim to verify whether the routine biomonitoring studies are reliable in contaminated sites. Clams and sediments were collected in field campaigns (October 2003 to June 2004) in three sites of the Venice Lagoon. Results showed that Marghera and Campalto sediments were more contaminated by NPs and PAHs than Poveglia. Different trends were observed in the contamination of clams with the highest BSAFs found at Poveglia. BSAF trend appeared to be inversely related to the contaminant pressure on the sites. These results suggest that clam bioaccumulation is not always representative of the chemical pressure on aquatic biota. The direct correlation between sediment and biota concentrations in contaminated sites can be lost as a function of the site-specific conditions such as sediment toxicity and food availability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding "The Merchant of Venice": A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents.

Science.gov (United States)

Halio, Jay L.

"The Merchant of Venice," even in its own time, was considered William Shakespeare's most controversial play. Now, one of the most popular read and performed works, the play raises even more important issues for today, particularly anti-Semitism and the treatment of Jews. The analysis of the play in this casebook helps students interpret…

Crystallization In Multicomponent Glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, A.A.; Hrma, P.R.

2009-01-01

In glass processing situations involving glass crystallization, various crystalline forms nucleate, grow, and dissolve, typically in a nonuniform temperature field of molten glass subjected to convection. Nuclear waste glasses are remarkable examples of multicomponent vitrified mixtures involving partial crystallization. In the glass melter, crystals form and dissolve during batch-to-glass conversion, melter processing, and product cooling. Crystals often agglomerate and sink, and they may settle at the melter bottom. Within the body of cooling glass, multiple phases crystallize in a non-uniform time-dependent temperature field. Self-organizing periodic distribution (the Liesegnang effect) is common. Various crystallization phenomena that occur in glass making are reviewed.

CRYSTALLIZATION IN MULTICOMPONENT GLASSES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

KRUGER AA; HRMA PR

2009-10-08

In glass processing situations involving glass crystallization, various crystalline forms nucleate, grow, and dissolve, typically in a nonuniform temperature field of molten glass subjected to convection. Nuclear waste glasses are remarkable examples of multicomponent vitrified mixtures involving partial crystallization. In the glass melter, crystals form and dissolve during batch-to-glass conversion, melter processing, and product cooling. Crystals often agglomerate and sink, and they may settle at the melter bottom. Within the body of cooling glass, multiple phases crystallize in a non-uniform time-dependent temperature field. Self-organizing periodic distribution (the Liesegnang effect) is common. Various crystallization phenomena that occur in glass making are reviewed.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of industrial port of Venice (Italy) sediment samples after a decontamination treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Libralato, Giovanni; Losso, Chiara; Arizzi Novelli, Alessandra; Citron, Marta; Della Sala, Stefano; Zanotto, Emanuele; Cepak, Franka; Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria

2008-01-01

This work assesses the ecotoxicological effects of polluted sediment after a decontamination treatment process using a new sediment washing technique. Sediment samples were collected from four sites in Marghera Port industrial channels (Venice, Italy). Ecotoxicological evaluations were performed with Vibrio fischeri and Crassostrea gigas bioassays. Whole sediment and elutriate were deemed as the most suitable environmental matrices for this study. Toxicity scores developed in the Lagoon of Venice for V. fischeri on whole sediment and for C. gigas on elutriate were considered for the final ranking of samples. Ecotoxicological results showed that the treated sediment samples presented both acute and sub-chronic toxicities, which were mainly attributed to the presence of some remaining chemicals such as metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The acute toxicity ranged from low to medium, while the sub-chronic one from absent to very high, suggesting that treated sediments could not be reused in direct contact with seawater. - A sediment washing technique was assessed for port contaminated sediment remediation and reuse, indicating its reduced efficiency and the need for further improvements

Ecotoxicological evaluation of industrial port of Venice (Italy) sediment samples after a decontamination treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Libralato, Giovanni [Environmental Sciences Department, Venice University Ca Foscari, Campo della Celestia 2737/b, I-30122 Venice (Italy)], E-mail: giovanni.libralato@unive.it; Losso, Chiara; Arizzi Novelli, Alessandra [Environmental Sciences Department, Venice University Ca Foscari, Campo della Celestia 2737/b, I-30122 Venice (Italy); Citron, Marta; Della Sala, Stefano; Zanotto, Emanuele [Environmental Department, Venice Port Authority, Zattere 1401, I-30123, Venice (Italy); Cepak, Franka [Institute of Public Health, Vojkovo nabrezje 4a, 6000 Koper (Slovenia); Volpi Ghirardini, Annamaria [Environmental Sciences Department, Venice University Ca Foscari, Campo della Celestia 2737/b, I-30122 Venice (Italy)

2008-12-15

This work assesses the ecotoxicological effects of polluted sediment after a decontamination treatment process using a new sediment washing technique. Sediment samples were collected from four sites in Marghera Port industrial channels (Venice, Italy). Ecotoxicological evaluations were performed with Vibrio fischeri and Crassostrea gigas bioassays. Whole sediment and elutriate were deemed as the most suitable environmental matrices for this study. Toxicity scores developed in the Lagoon of Venice for V. fischeri on whole sediment and for C. gigas on elutriate were considered for the final ranking of samples. Ecotoxicological results showed that the treated sediment samples presented both acute and sub-chronic toxicities, which were mainly attributed to the presence of some remaining chemicals such as metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The acute toxicity ranged from low to medium, while the sub-chronic one from absent to very high, suggesting that treated sediments could not be reused in direct contact with seawater. - A sediment washing technique was assessed for port contaminated sediment remediation and reuse, indicating its reduced efficiency and the need for further improvements.

Una storia di Venezia dalle origini al Cinquecento. Problemi e discussioni. (A history of Venice from its origins to the sixteenth century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. SAPORI

2014-07-01

Full Text Available A review article of Gino Luzzatto’s Storia economica di Venezia dall’XI al XVI secolo, Venice, “Centro internazionale delle arti e del costume”, 1961. Apart from its vividness and fidelity in reconstructing the events which Venice has experienced during the course of several centuries, the fundamental importance of the volume lies in the questions it raises: reticular problems of a city and general problems of time, which are obviously interlinked. Here, the author confines himself to indicating some of those problems.JEL: N13, N43

"Rulers of Venice, 1349 to 1524". Alcune osservazioni sulla schedatura dei registri del Segretario alle Voci

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Mozzato

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Illustrazione dei criteri di compilazione del data-base Rulers of Venice, progettato dallo storico americano Benjamin Kohl utilizzando l’archivio della magistratura della repubblica di Venezia denominata “Segretario alle voci”, ed esemplificazione del funzionamento di tale repertorio mediante alcuni case-studies.

Integration of biological responses from a suite of bioassays for the Venice Lagoon (Italy) through sediment toxicity index - Part A: Development and comparison of two methodological approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losso, Chiara; Novelli, Alessandra Arizzi; De Salvador, Davide; Ghetti, Pier Francesco; Ghirardini, Annamaria Volpi

2010-01-01

Marine and coastal quality assessment, based on test batteries involving a wide array of endpoints, organisms and test matrices, needs for setting up toxicity indices that integrate multiple toxicological measures for decision-making processes and that classify the continuous toxicity response into discrete categories according to the European Water Framework Directive. Two toxicity indices were developed for the lagoon environment such as the Venice Lagoon. Stepwise procedure included: the construction of a database that identified test-matrix pairs (indicators); the selection of a minimum number of ecotoxicological indicators, called toxicological core metrics (CMs-tox) on the basis of specific criteria; the development of toxicity scores for each CM-tox; the integration of the CMs-tox into two indices, the Toxicity Effect Index (TEI), based on the transformation of Toxic Unit (TU) data that were integrated as logarithmic sum, and the Weighted Average Toxicity Index (WATI), starting from toxicity classes integrated as weighted mean. Results from the indices are compared; advantages and drawbacks of both approaches are discussed. - Two toxicity indices were set up and compared to integrate toxicity data from a battery of bioassays for the Venice lagoon.

Integration of biological responses from a suite of bioassays for the Venice Lagoon (Italy) through sediment toxicity index - Part A: Development and comparison of two methodological approaches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Losso, Chiara, E-mail: closso@unive.i [Environmental Sciences Department, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Campo della Celestia 2737/b, I-30122 Venice (Italy); Novelli, Alessandra Arizzi [Environmental Sciences Department, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Campo della Celestia 2737/b, I-30122 Venice (Italy); De Salvador, Davide [Physics Department, Padova University, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy); Ghetti, Pier Francesco; Ghirardini, Annamaria Volpi [Environmental Sciences Department, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Campo della Celestia 2737/b, I-30122 Venice (Italy)

2010-12-15

Marine and coastal quality assessment, based on test batteries involving a wide array of endpoints, organisms and test matrices, needs for setting up toxicity indices that integrate multiple toxicological measures for decision-making processes and that classify the continuous toxicity response into discrete categories according to the European Water Framework Directive. Two toxicity indices were developed for the lagoon environment such as the Venice Lagoon. Stepwise procedure included: the construction of a database that identified test-matrix pairs (indicators); the selection of a minimum number of ecotoxicological indicators, called toxicological core metrics (CMs-tox) on the basis of specific criteria; the development of toxicity scores for each CM-tox; the integration of the CMs-tox into two indices, the Toxicity Effect Index (TEI), based on the transformation of Toxic Unit (TU) data that were integrated as logarithmic sum, and the Weighted Average Toxicity Index (WATI), starting from toxicity classes integrated as weighted mean. Results from the indices are compared; advantages and drawbacks of both approaches are discussed. - Two toxicity indices were set up and compared to integrate toxicity data from a battery of bioassays for the Venice lagoon.

Late Byzantine mineral soda high alumina glasses from Asia Minor: a new primary glass production group.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Schibille

Full Text Available The chemical characterisation of archaeological glass allows the discrimination between different glass groups and the identification of raw materials and technological traditions of their production. Several lines of evidence point towards the large-scale production of first millennium CE glass in a limited number of glass making factories from a mixture of Egyptian mineral soda and a locally available silica source. Fundamental changes in the manufacturing processes occurred from the eight/ninth century CE onwards, when Egyptian mineral soda was gradually replaced by soda-rich plant ash in Egypt as well as the Islamic Middle East. In order to elucidate the supply and consumption of glass during this transitional period, 31 glass samples from the assemblage found at Pergamon (Turkey that date to the fourth to fourteenth centuries CE were analysed by electron microprobe analysis (EPMA and by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS. The statistical evaluation of the data revealed that the Byzantine glasses from Pergamon represent at least three different glass production technologies, one of which had not previously been recognised in the glass making traditions of the Mediterranean. While the chemical characteristics of the late antique and early medieval fragments confirm the current model of glass production and distribution at the time, the elemental make-up of the majority of the eighth- to fourteenth-century glasses from Pergamon indicate the existence of a late Byzantine glass type that is characterised by high alumina levels. Judging from the trace element patterns and elevated boron and lithium concentrations, these glasses were produced with a mineral soda different to the Egyptian natron from the Wadi Natrun, suggesting a possible regional Byzantine primary glass production in Asia Minor.

Thermal pollution and settlement of new tropical alien species: The case of Grateloupia yinggehaiensis (Rhodophyta) in the Venice Lagoon

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, M. A.; Sfriso, A.; Moro, I.

2014-06-01

The Venice Lagoon has become increasingly affected by the introduction of allochthonous macroalgae mainly coming from the Indo-Pacific area. In consequence to the recent climate changes and temperature increase, such species could simply find numerous habitats suitable for their growth. One local process that contributes to water temperature changes is thermal pollution. In this study we used the DNA barcoding method to identify a new alien macroalgal species, Grateloupia yinggehaiensis Wang et Luan (Rhodophyta), found near the industrial area of Porto Marghera (Venice, Italy) hosting the Fusina thermoelectric power plant. The microclimate of this area has enabled the spread of this species native of the tropical area of the Hainan Province (China) and probably introduced in the Mediterranean Sea via shellfish transfers.

Assertiveness: making yourself heard in district nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, Sally; Stewart, Fiona

2005-06-01

Being assertive is not the same as being aggressive. Assertiveness is a tool for expressing ourselves confidently, and a way of saying 'yes' and 'no' in an appropriate way. This article explores issues concerned with assertiveness in district nurse settings. It outlines helpful techniques to develop assertiveness, such as the broken record, fogging, negative assertion and negative inquiry.

Mongol histories at the center of Christianity. Het‘um of Korykos and his first readers in Avignon: Marino Sanudo and Paolino of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Bueno

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Presenting Mongol history from an Armenian perspective, Het‘um of Korykos’ Flor des estoires de la terre d’Orient (1307 introduced to Western audiences previously unknown information about the history, geography, and ethnography of Asia, and it rapidly gained enormous popularity. This article analyzes the first circulation of this text, which took place in the culturally dynamic and lively space of the papal court of Avignon. Under the stimulus of Venetian authors related to the curia, such as Marino Sanudo and Paolino of Venice, the Flor met significant interpretative shifts, crossing different contexts of reception and textual genres and making use of historical writings in new ways.

Contaminant fate and transport in the Venice Lagoon: results from a multi-segment multimedia model.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommerfreund, J K; Gandhi, N; Diamond, M L; Mugnai, C; Frignani, M; Capodaglio, G; Gerino, M; Bellucci, L G; Giuliani, S

2010-03-01

Contaminant loadings to the Venice Lagoon peaked from 1950s-1980s and although they have since declined, contaminant concentrations remain elevated in sediment and seafood. In order to identify the relative importance of contaminant sources, inter-media exchange and removal pathways, a modified 10-segment fugacity/aquivalence-based model was developed for octachlorodibenzodioxin/furan (OCDD/F), PCB-180, Pb and Cu in the Venice Lagoon. Results showed that in-place pollution nearby the industrial area, current industrial discharges, and tributary loadings were the main sources of contaminants to the lagoon, with negligible contributions from the atmosphere. The fate of these contaminants was governed by sediment-water exchange with simultaneous advective transport by water circulation. Contaminants circulated amongst the northern and central basins with a small fraction reaching the far southern basin and the Chioggia inlet. As a consequence, we estimated limited contaminant transfer to the Adriatic Sea, trapping the majority of contaminants in the sediment in this "average" circulation scenario which does not account for periodic flooding events. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conflict Management in Declining School Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, William Lowe; Wheaton, Dennis R.

1983-01-01

Professional literature about managing conflicts associated with declining enrollments indicates the existing tension in this area. A research study shows that, while upper-middle class districts may succeed using a rational approach to decision making, lower class districts, for various reasons, may not. Special problems of urban districts are…

Natural versus anthropogenic subsidence of Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tosi, Luigi; Teatini, Pietro; Strozzi, Tazio

2013-09-26

We detected land displacements of Venice by Persistent Scatterer Interferometry using ERS and ENVISAT C-band and TerraSAR-X and COSMO-SkyMed X-band acquisitions over the periods 1992-2010 and 2008-2011, respectively. By reason of the larger observation period, the C-band sensors was used to quantify the long-term movements, i.e. the subsidence component primarily ascribed to natural processes. The high resolution X-band satellites reveal a high effectiveness to monitor short-time movements as those induced by human activities. Interpolation of the two datasets and removal of the C-band from the X-band map allows discriminating between the natural and anthropogenic components of the subsidence. A certain variability characterizes the natural subsidence (0.9 ± 0.7 mm/yr), mainly because of the heterogeneous nature and age of the lagoon subsoil. The 2008 displacements show that man interventions are responsible for movements ranging from -10 to 2 mm/yr. These displacements are generally local and distributed along the margins of the city islands.

Hydrothermal metallurgy for recycling of slag and glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Toshihiro; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Hirai, Nobumitsu; Katsuyama, Shigeru

2009-01-01

The authors have applied hydrothermal reactions to develop recycling processing of slag or glass. As an example, under hydrothermal conditions such as 200 300 deg. C and 30 40MPa with H 2 O, powders made of glass can be sintered to become solidified glass materials containing about 10mass% H 2 O. When the glass containing H 2 O is heated again under normal pressure, the glass expands releasing H 2 O to make porous microstructure. H 2 O starts to emit just above the glass transition temperature. Therefore, when we have a glass with low glass transition temperature, we can make low temperature foaming glass. The SiO 2 -Na 2 O-B 2 O 3 glass is a candidate to be such a foaming glass. In this paper, we describe our recent trial on the fabrication of the low temperature foaming glass by using hydrothermal reaction.

Determining optical and radiation characteristics of cathode ray tubes' glass to be reused as radiation shielding glass

Science.gov (United States)

Zughbi, A.; Kharita, M. H.; Shehada, A. M.

2017-07-01

A new method of recycling glass of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) has been presented in this paper. The glass from CRTs suggested being used as raw materials for the production of radiation shielding glass. Cathode ray tubes glass contains considerable amounts of environmentally hazardous toxic wastes, namely heavy metal oxides such as lead oxide (PbO). This method makes CRTs glass a favorable choice to be used as raw material for Radiation Shielding Glass and concrete. The heavy metal oxides increase its density, which make this type of glass nearly equivalent to commercially available shielding glass. CRTs glass have been characterized to determine heavy oxides content, density, refractive index, and radiation shielding properties for different Gamma-Ray energies. Empirical methods have been used by using the Gamma-Ray source cobalt-60 and computational method by using the code XCOM. Measured and calculated values were in a good compatibility. The effects of irradiation by gamma rays of cobalt-60 on the optical transparency for each part of the CRTs glass have been studied. The Results had shown that some parts of CRTs glass have more resistant to Gamma radiation than others. The study had shown that the glass of cathode ray tubes could be recycled to be used as radiation shielding glass. This proposed use of CRT glass is only limited to the available quantity of CRT world-wide.

Making MgO/SiO2 Glasses By The Sol-Gel Process

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Narottam P.

1989-01-01

Silicon dioxide glasses containing 15 mole percent magnesium oxide prepared by sol-gel process. Not made by conventional melting because ingredients immiscible liquids. Synthesis of MgO/SiO2 glass starts with mixing of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate with silicon tetraethoxide, both in alcohol. Water added, and transparent gel forms. Subsequent processing converts gel into glass. Besides producing glasses of new composition at lower processing temperatures, sol-gel method leads to improved homogeneity and higher purity.

Smashing into the Glass Ceiling for Women Managers.

Science.gov (United States)

Veale, Camilla; Gold, Jeff

1998-01-01

Interviews with 10 women administrators in a British metropolitan district council revealed the glass ceiling to be a complex phenomenon reaching beyond the employment sphere. Their career progression was hindered by lack of career counseling, family-work conflicts, lack of management development for women, and particularly a managerial culture…

The Frari bell tower in Venice: study and restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilaria Cavaggioni

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The preliminary study, project and restoration process of the bell tower of the Frari church in Venice is an exemplary case of intervention on a historic building. This intervention started within depth research into the documentary data along with a detailed study of the material fabric which has made it possible to compare the verisimilitude and gaps in the historic sources, the evolution of the building, its built reality and the effects of the repair works carried out in the past at the same time as the damages in the fabric were monitored. Thanks to the knowledge thus gleaned, the restoration works proceeded with great caution in order to respect the material history of the building and short and long-term structural compatibility.

Glass microspheres for brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prado, Miguel O.; Prastalo, Simon; Blaumann, Herman; Longhino, Juan M.; Repetto Llamazares, A.H.V.

2007-01-01

We developed the capacity to produce glass microspheres containing in their structure one or more radioactive isotopes useful for brachytherapy. We studied the various facts related with their production: (Rare earth) alumino silicate glass making, glass characterization, microspheres production, nuclear activation through (n,γ) nuclear reactions, mechanical characterization before and after irradiation. Corrosion tests in simulated human plasma and mechanical properties characterization were done before and after irradiation. (author) [es

Macroalgal biomass and species variations in the Lagoon of Venice (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy: 1981-1998

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Daniele Curiel

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Over the past hundred years, the composition of the submerged aquatic vegetation of the Lagoon of Venice has changed considerably, due to increased anthropic activities and large-scale industrialisation. Seagrasses have gradually been reduced, whereas macroalgae (Ulva rigida, Enteromorpha spp., Cladophora spp., Chaetomorpha spp. have increased. Macroalgal overgrowths peaked between 1970 and 1990 to the extent that, in order to estimate macroalgal biomass and coverage, the Venice Magistrato alle Acque (the Lagoon water management authority started a series of investigations including monthly in situ measurements and aerial photo surveys. In the present paper these data are compared with available information on the Lagoon of Venice, and the widespread phenomenon of macroalgal proliferation is described. At the end of the 1980s, in our study area (78 km2 in the central part of the Lagoon biomass values ranged from 10 to 25 kg wet weight (w.w. m-2 (sub-areas of Lido and Sacca Sessola, with a total mean biomass of 392,000 t w.w. A slight reduction took place in 1992 and at the end of the 1990s the highest biomass values were relatively low, 5 kg w.w. m-2, with a total mean biomass of 1,600 t w.w. Our qualitative research carried out in 1991 on 130 sampling stations in the study area showed that soft substrates had a greatly reduced floristic composition in the five sub-areas in comparison with the control area (from 18 to 6 taxa, with Chlorophyta (50-80% prevailing over both Rhodophyta (14-38% and Phaeophyta (0-14%, and a slight or reduced distribution of seagrasses. The trend in macroalgal reduction during the 1990s corresponded to seagrass recolonisation, mainly of Zostera marina, taking advantage of new, compacted, oxidised and stabilised sediments that were no longer covered by extensive Ulva beds.

78 FR 39597 - Safety Zone; Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks, San Joaquin River, Venice Island, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-02

... Zone; Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks, San Joaquin River, Venice Island, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... the Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks in the Captain of the Port, San Francisco area of responsibility...'' W (NAD83) for the Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks in 33 CFR 165.1191, Table 1, Item number 17. This...

Glass Melting under microgravity. ; Space experiment by Mori astronaut. Mujuryokuka deno glass yoyu. ; Morisan no uchu jikken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makihara, M. (Osaka National Research Institute, Osaka (Japan))

1993-03-01

A space experiment on glass melting under microgravity was performed in a space shuttle in September 1992. The experiment has been intended to make glass from glass material floating in air by heating and melting it with light and an acoustic levitation furnace. The acoustic levitation furnace used in the experiment has been arranged so that a sound wave from a speaker makes a steady wave in a cylindrical quartz glass core tube with a length of 16 cm and a diameter of 4 cm, and a test sample can be retained floating in a valley of central wave pressures. The test sample retained floating has been collected and heated by light from a 500-W halogen lamp. Behavior of molten glass liquid under microgravity has been investigated. The glass material powder spheres have been melted completely and made into glass without crystallization. With regard to flows generated in the test sample placed in the acoustic levitation furnace, a glass spot containing cobalt oxide has been attached onto part of the test sample surface for observation. As a result, the spot has been incorporated in the glass without developing diffusion. 6 refs., 4 figs.

Paolo Sarpi’s vow of obedience: catholic political thought in early seventeenth-century Venice

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Kainulainen, Jaska

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to study the idea of obedience in early-modern Catholic political thought. I focus on early seventeenth-century Venice and on one of its leading political thinkers, Paolo Sarpi. I argue that for Sarpi and the Venetian nobility obedience was a religious, Catholic concept, which they nonetheless applied to a secular system of governance; notwithstanding their refusal to obey the papal ban during the interdict of Venice in 1606-1607, Venetians regarded obedience as an act of piety and an indispensable element of civic life.El objetivo de este artículo es estudiar la idea de obediencia en el pensamiento político católico de la edad moderna, en particular en Venecia en el siglo XVII y en Paolo Sarpi, uno de sus pensadores políticos más importantes. Este artículo argumenta que para Sarpi y la nobleza la obediencia era un concepto católico, que a pesar de ello, aplicaron a un sistema de gobierno secular. A pesar de su negativa a obedecer la prohibición papal durante el interdicto de Venecia en 1606-1607, los venecianos consideraban la obediencia como un acto de piedad y un elemento indispensable de la vida cívica.

Dermatologic care in the homeless and underserved populations: observations from the Venice Family Clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossberg, Anna L; Carranza, Dafnis; Lamp, Karen; Chiu, Melvin W; Lee, Catherine; Craft, Noah

2012-01-01

Dermatologic care in the homeless and impoverished urban underserved populations is rarely described despite the wide prevalence of skin concerns in this population. Because the homeless population may be subject to increased sun exposure compared to the nonhomeless population, they also may be at increased risk for skin cancer. We sought to describe the spectrum of dermatologic diseases seen in a free clinic in Venice, California--the Venice Family Clinic (VFC)--as well as the differences in diagnoses between the homeless and nonhomeless patients seen at this clinic. A retrospective chart review was performed of dermatology patients (N = 82) seen at VFC throughout the 2006 calendar year. The homeless population (n = 22) was found to have more diagnoses of malignant/premalignant growths (25% [16/64] of all homeless diagnoses) compared to their nonhomeless (n = 60) counterparts (6.1% [8/132] of all nonhomeless diagnoses; P < .0001). This difference was sustained when ethnicity was controlled, with 29.6% [16/54] of diagnoses in the homeless white group consisting of malignant/ premalignant growths compared to 8.9% [4/45] of diagnoses in the nonhomeless white cohort (P < .005). Homeless patients may have a higher incidence of skin cancers and precancerous skin lesions due to increased sun exposure and/or limited access to dermatologic care.

Measurement of natural radionuclides in bricks and brick-making clays from Cuddalore district, Tamilnadu, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viruthagirl, G.; Rajamanan, B.; Ravisankar, R.; Thilaivelavan, K.; Chandrasekaran, A.; Meenkshisundram, V.

2010-01-01

In India, bricks as building materials are mainly prepared by clay using the deposited sediments of rivers, and the radionuclide contents in bricks and brick-making clays should vary with origin and geological condition. In this paper, the radionuclide contents of these materials from river bank areas of Cuddalore district, Tamilnadu India are measured by gamma ray spectrometer using NaI (Tl) detector, and compared with those of other countries. The radiation hazard indices, which are evaluated by radium-equivalent (Raeq) activity, are lower than that of NEA-OECD. (authors)

Praises & Nudges: A Case of District-Wide Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Richard; And Others

This paper describes the processes and outcomes experienced by the Marshalltown Community School District (Iowa) as it implemented a shared decision-making, school-improvement program. A district Shared Decision Making (SDM) Team and School Improvement Program (SIP) teams were trained to facilitate greater staff participation in the…

From Venice to Famagusta: 'Eliyahu da Pesaro´s travel

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José Ramón Magdalena Nom de Déu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper offers the very accurate and interesting description of a journey through the Mediterranean, from Venice to Famagusta, of an italian Jew, Eliyahu da Pesaro, in 1563, based on the hebrew text of the unique ms. extant at the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris. The four main topics of the text are: 1 the ambiance and general situation of the Venetian port during the previous days of the departure of the galleon. 2 the conditions of the voyage on the boat itself 3 the Eliyahu's itinerary trhough the Adriatic and Egean seas and 4 the island of Cyprus, specially the city of Eamagusta and the living conditions there.

Masterplan to safeguard Venice and to restore the lagoon and conterminous areas

Science.gov (United States)

Bini, Claudio; Gallo, Alba; Nadimi-Goki, Mandana; Wahsha, Mohammad

2015-04-01

Venice and its lagoon constitute a complex system, well known all over the world for the peculiarity of the town and for the fragility of the lagoon ecosystem with its delicate equilibrium. The whole system has been, and is currently, affected by human activities (industry, agriculture, settlements, tourism) that impact severely the ecosystem. Discharge from the agricultural drainage basin affects particularly the area North of the city of Venice; the central and southern areas, instead, receive important pollutant inputs from the industrial zone of Porto Marghera since the early'50s. Additional sources of pollution are domestic sewage and waste disposal from the urban area, that is visited by more than 10M people every year. As a consequence of the increasing land contamination, significant amounts of contaminants (both organic and inorganic) are accumulated in soils of the borderline, in water and in lagoon sediments, which constitute a potential source of secondary pollution. Results of surveys carried out in recent years in the whole area show that contaminants concentration increased from the beginning of the industrial activities until the '90s, when Porto Marghera declined. Most of contaminants have concentrations above the background levels. The highest metal levels were found in an area between Porto Marghera and the city of Venice, where both industrial and urban sewage are discharged, provoking environmental and human health hazard. In order to safeguard the city of Venice, and to restore its lagoon and conterminous areas, a Master Plan of intervention has been developed since the early 2000s. The land currently interested by environmental analysis and/or restoration covers approximately 1350ha; 78% of these (1100ha) proved variously contaminated, with 85% of sites overcoming the National Reference Values. Contamination, besides being diffused, is quite complex, involving the co-existence of several contaminant families (PAH, PCB, dioxin, heavy metals

Global change and relative sea level rise at Venice: what impact in term of flooding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carbognin, Laura; Tosi, Luigi [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Venice (Italy); Teatini, Pietro [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Venice (Italy); University of Padova, Department of Mathematical Methods and Models for Scientific Applications, Padua (Italy); Tomasin, Alberto [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Venice (Italy); University Ca' Foscari in Venice, Venice (Italy)

2010-11-15

Relative sea level rise (RSLR) due to climate change and geodynamics represents the main threat for the survival of Venice, emerging today only 90 cm above the Northern Adriatic mean sea level (msl). The 25 cm RSLR occurred over the 20th century, consisting of about 12 cm of land subsidence and 13 cm of sea level rise, has increased the flood frequency by more than seven times with severe damages to the urban heritage. Reasonable forecasts of the RSLR expected to the century end must be investigated to assess the suitability of the Mo.S.E. project planned for the city safeguarding, i.e., the closure of the lagoon inlets by mobile barriers. Here we consider three RSLR scenarios as resulting from the past sea level rise recorded in the Northern Adriatic Sea, the IPCC mid-range A1B scenario, and the expected land subsidence. Available sea level measurements show that more than 5 decades are required to compute a meaningful eustatic trend, due to pseudo-cyclic 7-8 year long fluctuations. The period from 1890 to 2007 is characterized by an average rate of 0.12 {+-} 0.01 cm/year. We demonstrate that linear regression is the most suitable model to represent the eustatic process over these 117 year. Concerning subsidence, at present Venice is sinking due to natural causes at 0.05 cm/year. The RSLR is expected to range between 17 and 53 cm by 2100, and its repercussions in terms of flooding frequency are associated here to each scenario. In particular, the frequency of tides higher than 110 cm, i.e., the value above which the gates would close the lagoon to the sea, will increase from the nowadays 4 times per year to a range between 20 and 250. These projections provide a large spread of possible conditions concerning the survival of Venice, from a moderate nuisance to an intolerable aggression. Hence, complementary solutions to Mo.S.E. may well be investigated. (orig.)

Economic Valuation of On Site Material Damages of High Water on Economic Activities based in the City of Venice: Results from a Dose-Response-Expert-Based Valuation Approach

OpenAIRE

Paulo A.L.D. Nunes; Margaretha Breil; Gretel Gambarelli

2005-01-01

The paper focuses on the economic assessment of damages caused by high water in the city of Venice. In particular, we focus our attention on a valuation exercise that addresses the estimation of monetary, short period, on-site damages due to high water events on the different business activities located in Venice. On-site damages include both mitigation costs, which refer to all types of financial expenditure undergone to avert physical and material damages caused by flooding, and remediation...

Pre-School Education--Aims, Methods and Problems. Report of a Symposium (Venice, Italy, October 11-16, 1971).

Science.gov (United States)

Council of Europe, Strasbourg (France). Committee for General and Technical Education.

This report provides a summary of the proceedings and recommendations of the Council of Europe symposium on preschool education held in Venice, Italy in 1971. The report is divided into three major areas: (1) historical background information; (2) summaries of general lectures, especially dealing with the functions, aims, methods, and problems of…

[The De affectibus oris, of Vittorio Trincavella of Venice].

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal, F

1993-01-01

The author states that starting with a work published in 1575 in the city of Venice, it is possible to rebuild in a complete way the Dentistry History of the XVI century; it is indeed an important testimony considering specially the lack of existing information and of authors dedicated specifically to this subject. The article center its interest in the Book number V and in the 13 chapters it is composed of and where there are described the common affections of the mouth and its surroundings. It is also given a biography of Trincavella and a panorama of Medicine of that time and by XVI and XVII centuries. Prof. Vidal offers also the translation from latin to french of Vittorio Trincavella, text made by Jean Marc Galeazzi, Paris.

Crystallization of Yttrium and Samarium Aluminosilicate Glasses

OpenAIRE

Lago, Diana Carolina; Prado, Miguel Oscar

2016-01-01

Aluminosilicate glasses containing samarium and yttrium (SmAS and YAS glasses) exhibit high glass transition temperatures, corrosion resistance, and glass stability on heating which make them useful for technological applications. Yttrium aluminosilicate glass microspheres are currently being used for internal selective radiotherapy of liver cancer. During the preparation process, crystallization needs to be totally or partially avoided depending on the final application. Thus knowing the cry...

Polychlorinated biphenyls in two salt marsh sediments of the Venice Lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mugnai, Cristian; Giuliani, Silvia; Bellucci, Luca G; Carraro, Claudio; Favotto, Maurizio; Frignani, Mauro

2011-10-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in two dated salt marsh cores of the Venice Lagoon to assess their input chronology and to evaluate the importance of atmospheric deposition as a source. Sampling sites were chosen in order to evidence the differences between areas located leeward and windward with respect to inputs originating in both the city of Venice and the industrial area. Concentrations of PCB indicators (0.13-15.6 ng g⁻¹) increased gradually from the 1930s, reached maxima from the 1950s to the late 1970s, and then decreased. PCB loadings to marshes are driven by both the atmospheric deposition and the resuspension of subtidal sediments, this latter being more important for heavier congeners. The downwind marsh recorded higher fluxes (0.06-9.72 ng cm⁻² year⁻¹) than the upwind one (0.01-0.53 ng cm⁻² year⁻¹). Recent fluxes are rather consistent with bulk deposition measurements. A higher contribution of CB-101 and CB-118 was detected in the intermediate layers of the downwind site, suggesting a different PCB source for the corresponding time interval. In the other marsh, PCBs showed a rather constant composition at all levels (mostly CB-153, CB-138 and CB-180), accounting for a regional influence. Deep layers showed an enrichment of higher chlorinated congeners at both sites, whereas recent samples conserve the patterns typical of surficial and subsurficial subtidal sediments. The scientific approach adopted in this research can be considered as a sort of methodological procedure for the determination of fluxes and pathways of PCBs through the study of marsh cores.

Air--sea gaseous exchange of PCB at the Venice lagoon (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Manodori, L; Gambaro, A; Moret, I; Capodaglio, G; Cescon, P

2007-10-01

Water bodies are important storage media for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and this function is increased in coastal regions because their inputs are higher than those to the open sea. The air-water interface is extensively involved with the global cycling of PCBs because it is the place where they accumulate due to depositional processes and where they may be emitted by gaseous exchange. In this work the parallel collection of air, microlayer and sub-superficial water samples was performed in July 2005 at a site in the Venice lagoon to evaluate the summer gaseous flux of PCBs. The total concentration of PCBs (sum of 118 congeners) in air varies from 87 to 273 pg m(-3), whereas in the operationally defined dissolved phase of microlayer and sub-superficial water samples it varies from 159 to 391 pg L(-1). No significant enrichment of dissolved PCB into the microlayer has been observed, although a preferential accumulation of most hydrophobic congeners occurs. Due to this behaviour, we believe that the modified two-layer model was the most suitable approach for the evaluation of the flux at the air-sea interface, because it takes into account the influence of the microlayer. From its application it appears that PCB volatilize from the lagoon waters with a net flux varying from 58 to 195 ng m(-2)d(-1) (uncertainty: +/-50-64%) due to the strong influence of wind speed. This flux is greater than those reported in the literature for the atmospheric deposition and rivers input and reveals that PCB are actively emitted from the Venice lagoon in summer months.

Determining optical and radiation characteristics of cathode ray tubes' glass to be reused as radiation shielding glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zughbi, A.; Kharita, M.H.; Shehada, A.M.

2017-01-01

A new method of recycling glass of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) has been presented in this paper. The glass from CRTs suggested being used as raw materials for the production of radiation shielding glass. Cathode ray tubes glass contains considerable amounts of environmentally hazardous toxic wastes, namely heavy metal oxides such as lead oxide (PbO). This method makes CRTs glass a favorable choice to be used as raw material for Radiation Shielding Glass and concrete. The heavy metal oxides increase its density, which make this type of glass nearly equivalent to commercially available shielding glass. CRTs glass have been characterized to determine heavy oxides content, density, refractive index, and radiation shielding properties for different Gamma-Ray energies. Empirical methods have been used by using the Gamma-Ray source cobalt-60 and computational method by using the code XCOM. Measured and calculated values were in a good compatibility. The effects of irradiation by gamma rays of cobalt-60 on the optical transparency for each part of the CRTs glass have been studied. The Results had shown that some parts of CRTs glass have more resistant to Gamma radiation than others. The study had shown that the glass of cathode ray tubes could be recycled to be used as radiation shielding glass. This proposed use of CRT glass is only limited to the available quantity of CRT world-wide. - Highlights: • A new method of recycling glass of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) has been presented. • The glass from CRTs used as raw materials for radiation shielding glass. • The resulted glass have good optical properties and stability against radiations.

Advancing the application of systems thinking in health: realist evaluation of the Leadership Development Programme for district manager decision-making in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwamie, Aku; van Dijk, Han; Agyepong, Irene Akua

2014-06-16

Although there is widespread agreement that strong district manager decision-making improves health systems, understanding about how the design and implementation of capacity-strengthening interventions work is limited. The Ghana Health Service has adopted the Leadership Development Programme (LDP) as one intervention to support the development of management and leadership within district teams. This paper seeks to address how and why the LDP 'works' when it is introduced into a district health system in Ghana, and whether or not it supports systems thinking in district teams. We undertook a realist evaluation to investigate the outcomes, contexts, and mechanisms of the intervention. Building on two working hypotheses developed from our earlier work, we developed an explanatory case study of one rural district in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Data collection included participant observation, document review, and semi-structured interviews with district managers prior to, during, and after the intervention. Working backwards from an in-depth analysis of the context and observed short- and medium-term outcomes, we drew a causal loop diagram to explain interactions between contexts, outcomes, and mechanisms. The LDP was a valuable experience for district managers and teams were able to attain short-term outcomes because the novel approach supported teamwork, initiative-building, and improved prioritisation. However, the LDP was not institutionalised in district teams and did not lead to increased systems thinking. This was related to the context of high uncertainty within the district, and hierarchical authority of the system, which triggered the LDP's underlying goal of organisational control. Consideration of organisational context is important when trying to sustain complex interventions, as it seems to influence the gap between short- and medium-term outcomes. More explicit focus on systems thinking principles that enable district managers to better cope with

High-insulated glass house, Egebjerggaard, Ballerup; Det hoejisolerede glashus. Egebjerggaard, Ballerup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wittchen, K.B.; Aggerholm, S.

1999-11-01

New, super-insulating transparent and translucent glazing offers new perspectives for use of glass in architecture to achieve new facade idioms, spatial and light effects and low energy consumption. The new types of glazing are being tested in practice through the construction of a super-insulated glass house for Ballerup Ejendomsselskab in the district of Egebjerggaard west of Copenhagen. The project is based on SBI Report 220, Super-insulated glass houses (1993), in which use of new, super-insulating transparent and translucent glazing is analysed in relation to architecture, light conditions, indoor climate and energy consumption - for a detached house and a terraced house. (EHS)

Sediment texture and metal contamination in the Venice Lagoon (Italy): A snapshot before the installation of the MOSE system

Science.gov (United States)

Zonta, Roberto; Botter, Margherita; Cassin, Daniele; Bellucci, Luca Giorgio; Pini, Roberto; Dominik, Janusz

2018-05-01

sediment layers (5-10 and/or 10-20 cm) as an effect of increasing pollutant inputs until a certain time in the past. Enrichment Factors (EF) were calculated from 9 cores, comparing concentrations in the "pre-industrial" (>100 years ago) and recent (surface layer, 0-5 cm) sediments. The mostly lithogenic elements were not enriched (EF ˜ 1), whereas the partly anthropogenic elements showed slight (Cu and Pb, EF ˜ 1.2) to significant (Hg and Zn, EF ˜ 2) enrichment. The shallow waters on the landward side (particularly close to freshwater inputs), the area nearby the industrial district of Porto Marghera and a small zone adjacent to the city of Chioggia were identified as the main pollutant accumulation sites. Mercury was the only element potentially harmful for aquatic life. Its concentration in the biologically active surface sediment layer (0-5 cm) exceeded the NOAA Effects Range-Median (ERM) value in 27% of samples, corresponding to 20% of the shallow-water surface area. The collected data set represents a valuable reference for monitoring the impact of the construction and operation of the MOSE system on the sediment features of the Venice Lagoon.

Time trend of butyl- and phenyl-tin contamination in organisms of the Lagoon of Venice (1999-2003).

Science.gov (United States)

Zanon, F; Rado, N; Centanni, E; Zharova, N; Pavoni, B

2009-05-01

In the period 1999-2003 a monitoring study on the accumulation of organotin compounds in edible organisms in the Lagoon of Venice was conducted. Butyl and Phenyl derivatives were determined in pooled samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Tapes spp. with the aims of assessing organotin contamination in the Lagoon of Venice in the period just preceding their ban in Europe, monitoring the concentrations in organisms with a high commercial use, evaluating a potential hazard for human health due to seafood and identifying the possible contamination sources. Sampling stations (up to 20) were distributed around the Lagoon and particularly concentrated in the area close to the town of Chioggia. Significantly higher (analysis of variance (ANOVA), p 0.05) in either species. Furthermore, by analyzing the entire data set, it is evident that most stations show analogous concentrations in the 3 years for both species, whereas few have anomalously higher concentrations. If organotin concentrations in specimens from some sites are compared with the Tolerable Average Residue Level, a possible risk for human health must be considered.

Synthesis for Lunar Simulants: Glass, Agglutinate, Plagioclase, Breccia

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Michael; Wilson, Stephen A.; Rickman, Douglas L.; Stoeser, Douglas

2012-01-01

The video describes a process for making glass for lunar regolith simulants that was developed from a patented glass-producing technology. Glass composition can be matched to simulant design and specification. Production of glass, pseudo agglutinates, plagioclase, and breccias is demonstrated. The system is capable of producing hundreds of kilograms of high quality glass and simulants per day.

Fiber glass reinforced structural materials for aerospace application

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, D. H.

1968-01-01

Evaluation of fiber glass reinforced plastic materials concludes that fiber glass construction is lighter than aluminum alloy construction. Low thermal conductivity and strength makes the fiber glass material useful in cryogenic tank supports.

What a Difference a District Can Make: An Interview with Meredith Honig

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, Rafael

2018-01-01

While they're often overlooked in education policy debates, district central office staff can play critical role in improving schools. In this interview, Meredith Honig, professor of Education Policy, Organizations, and Leadership at the University of Washington and founder of the District Leadership Lab, explains what her research and experience…

An integrated approach to prevent the erosion of salt marshes in the lagoon of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Barausse

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The loss of coastal habitats is a widespread problem in Europe. To protect the intertidal salt marshes of the lagoon of Venice from the erosion due to natural and human causes which is diffusely and intensely impacting them, the European Commission has funded the demonstrative project LIFE VIMINE. LIFE VIMINE aims to protect the most interior, hard-to-access salt marshes in the northern lagoon of Venice through an integrated approach, whose core is the prevention of erosion through numerous, small but spatially-diffuse soil-bioengineering protections works, mainly placed through semi-manual labour and with low impact on the environment and the landscape. The effectiveness of protection works in the long term is ensured through routine, temporally-continuous and spatially-diffuse actions of monitoring and maintenance. This method contrasts the common approach to managing hydraulic risk and erosion in Italy which is based on large, one-off and irreversible protection actions. The sustainability of the LIFE VIMINE approach is ensured by the participatory involvement of stakeholders and the recognition that protecting salt marshes means defending the benefits they provide to society through their ecological functions, as well as protecting the jobs linked to the existence or conservation of this habitat.

Edge-Strengthening of Structural Glass with Protective Coatings

OpenAIRE

Lindqvist Maria; Louter Christian; Lebet Jean-Paul

2012-01-01

In modern buildings, glass is increasingly used as a load-carrying material in structural components, such as glass beams. For glass beams especially the edge strength of glass is important. However, the strength of glass is not a material constant but depends on various parameters, which makes glass, amongst other things, a challenging building material. One of the parameters influencing glass strength is the combination of humidity and stress, which may cause stress corrosion. The aim of th...

A Tale of Two Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Mark

2012-01-01

These days, everyone seems to be wringing their hands about how to construct new evaluation systems that will make teachers better. This unnecessary angst has led to crazy experiments in reform that have embraced churn for the sake of churn, put school districts at risk, and demoralized many of the most talented teachers. A few school districts,…

Foam Glass for Construction Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Rasmus Rosenlund

2016-01-01

Foaming is commonly achieved by adding foaming agents such as metal oxides or metal carbonates to glass powder. At elevated temperature, the glass melt becomes viscous and the foaming agents decompose or react to form gas, causing a foamy glass melt. Subsequent cooling to room temperature, result...... in a solid foam glass. The foam glass industry employs a range of different melt precursors and foaming agents. Recycle glass is key melt precursors. Many parameters influence the foaming process and optimising the foaming conditions is very time consuming. The most challenging and attractive goal is to make...... low density foam glass for thermal insulation applications. In this thesis, it is argued that the use of metal carbonates as foaming agents is not suitable for low density foam glass. A reaction mechanism is proposed to justify this result. Furthermore, an in situ method is developed to optimise...

"I Could Teach You How to Choose Right": Using Holocaust Memoir to Teach Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"

Science.gov (United States)

Whaley, Annemarie Koning

2011-01-01

The article examines the problems of teaching William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" after the Holocaust, arguing that even though the play is anti-Semitic, it can become a valuable teaching tool when placed in the context of the Holocaust memoirs "Dry Tears" by Nechama Tec and "The Nazi Officer's Wife" by…

X-ray fluorescent analysis on Indo-Pacific glass beads from Sungai Mas archaeological sites, Kedah, Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuliskandar Ramli; Nik Hassan Shuhaimi; Nik Abdul Rahman; Abdul Latif Samian

2011-01-01

Sungai Mas was an ancient port-kingdom located on West Coast of Peninsula Malaysia in a district of Kota Kuala Muda, Kedah, Malaysia. The port-kingdom evolved as an entrepot since fifth century AD and continuously visited by international trader from India, China, Middle East and Europe until eighteenth century AD. Sungai Mas was also one of the Indo-Pacific beads making centers in Southeast Asia since sixth to thirteenth century AD and also produced pottery and brick. X-ray fluorescent analysis (XRF) on Sungai Mas Indo-Pacific beads is carried out to determine whether the glass beads originated from Arikamedu, India or locally made by community in Sungai Mas. Totally, twenty-two samples of beads and beads materials assayed by XRF were chosen. Contents of nine major elements and nine trace elements, which might be present of flux, stabilizer, colorants or opacifier were examined. The elements Si, Na, K, Ca, Fe, Al, Ti, Mn, Mg, Cu, Pb, Zr, Sr, Ba, La, U, Ni and Cr were detectable in all samples. The concentration of elements found are discussed in terms of flux, silica or lead base glass, color and/or opacity of the glass beads and glass samples. The result showed that Sungai Mas produced their own Indo-Pacific beads from sixth to thirteenth century AD. (author)

Social-Cultural Factors Affecting Maasai Women Participation In Decision Making In Tanzania. A Case Study Of Longido District

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Carolyn Kandusi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Throughout history participation in decision making through processes like voting vying for leadership position and participation in decision making meetings has been blinded by discrimination to certain groups of community members including women. This study assessed the social cultural factors affecting Maasai womens participation in decision making a case of Longido district. Purposive sampling was used to select the districts under the study. Decision to select Longido was based on the inhabitance of pastoral community. A total of 115 respondents were obtained through simple random selection. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. Simple descriptive statistics and cross tabulation were used in the analysis. The results show that majority would you vote for a woman to be an MP Councilor Village Chairman in your community. A considerable proportion of men refused to be led by a woman. Furthermore women were found not to effectively participate in politics through vying for leadership positions as many respondents voted for male contestant main reasons being no female contestant. Situations in which women are involved in decision making were found mainly to be on issues pertaining women development and family matters. Findings show that women are allowed to vote in the community but often the decision for a woman to vote was found to be determined by men. The study further found that women are not regarded elders and females ideas were not taken into account as male ideas in village meetings. The main barriers for women participation in leadership were found that men do not want women to compete in leadership and women ideas not accepted by most men. The study concluded that Maasai women participation in decision making is limited by social cultural factors like social identity social acceptance social roles and limiting cultural practices. It is recommended that civic education strategy and appropriate

Radiological impact of phosphogypsum discharged into the Venice lagoon: 222Rn

Science.gov (United States)

Cantaluppi, C.; Ceccotto, F.; Cianchi, A.; Fasson, A.; Degetto, S.

2012-04-01

For about 20 years, between the 60 's and the 80 's of the last century, in the Passo a Campalto area (Lagoon of Venice - Italy) about 400,000 m3 of phosphogypsum (PG) were deposited at the border of the lagoon and next to urban areas without any environmental control. These materials are a by-product formed during the wet processing of phosphate rocks by sulphuric acid and have a significant environmental impact due to their abundance and their chemical-physical and radiochemical characteristics. The PG contains both chemical elements, which are considered dangerous for the ecosystems and natural radionuclides whose concentrations are much higher if compared to those typical for the Earth's crust. These discarded materials caused for many years the dispersion of radionuclides in the environment due to the tidal erosion, the re-suspension of radioactive inhalable dusts, the uncontrolled radon exhalation and the bioaccumulation of some radionuclides in the lagoon environment. After a decision of the appointed authorities, the Venice Water Authority (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport), planned a permanent safety control of the site resulting in the complete isolation of the entire volume of contaminated materials from the environmental system. The entire project was specific for the particular features of the site and it required the improvement of analytical, sampling and measurement techniques in order to verify the effectiveness of the safety action. The radon assessment, in particular the check of the effectiveness of the inhibition of radon exhalation, is part of a more complex study, covering many other aspects of the management of a permanent disposal; they will be the object of further notes. The ultimate results of this study prove the efficacy of the intervention: radon concentrations in air and exhalation values from the restored area, measured during surveys, have been proved to be well in agreement with those of non contaminated soils.

PLASTIC AND GLASS GREENHOUSES DETECTION AND DELINEATION FROM WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE IMAGERY

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D. Koc-San

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Greenhouse detection using remote sensing technologies is an important research area for yield estimation, sustainable development, urban and rural planning and management. An approach was developed in this study for the detection and delineation of greenhouse areas from high resolution satellite imagery. Initially, the candidate greenhouse patches were detected using supervised classification techniques. For this purpose, Maximum Likelihood (ML, Random Forest (RF, and Support Vector Machines (SVM classification techniques were applied and compared. Then, sieve filter and morphological operations were performed for improving the classification results. Finally, the obtained candidate plastic and glass greenhouse areas were delineated using boundary tracing and Douglas Peucker line simplification algorithms. The proposed approach was implemented in the Kumluca district of Antalya, Turkey utilizing pan-sharpened WorldView-2 satellite imageries. Kumluca is the prominent district of Antalya with greenhouse cultivation and includes both plastic and glass greenhouses intensively. When the greenhouse classification results were analysed, it can be stated that the SVM classification provides most accurate results and RF classification follows this. The SVM classification overall accuracy was obtained as 90.28%. When the greenhouse boundary delineation results were considered, the plastic greenhouses were delineated with 92.11% accuracy, while glass greenhouses were delineated with 80.67% accuracy. The obtained results indicate that, generally plastic and glass greenhouses can be detected and delineated successfully from WorldView-2 satellite imagery.

Glass Ceiling Converted Into Glass Transparency: A Study On The Factors Making Women Executives Successful In The Indian Banking Sector

OpenAIRE

Sachdeva, Dr Geeta

2014-01-01

Economic reforms in the Indian economy along with gradual opening up of a conservative society to a modern society preceded breaking the glass ceiling or conversion Glass ceiling into a Glass Transparency in the Indian Banking Sector. This is backed by a recent study of 240 top Indian companies by EMA Partners, the global executive-search firm, which says more than a half of India's women chief executives are accounted for by the banking and financial services industry. This paper studie...

Pupil Exchange in the European Community Venice Colloquium (October 24-28, 1977). Collection Studies. Education Series No. 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Commission des Communautes Europeennes (Luxembourg).

This publication contains the papers of the Venice Colloquium held in October, 1977 by educators from European countries to discuss the topic of visits and exchanges for pupils. There are seven chapters. Chapter one discusses the context and objectives of the colloquium. Chapter two describes pupil visits and exchanges in the European community.…

Factors Influencing Teacher Job Satisfaction and Their Alignment with Current District Practices in a Suburban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Dickens, Kimberly Rae

2010-01-01

School districts across the country make many decisions that impact teachers' satisfaction both positively and negatively. With statistics reporting a significant number of teachers leaving the profession in the first 5 years of experience, determining the reasons for teacher dissatisfaction are important in shaping district practices to be more…

Neutron- and light-scattering studies of the liquid-to-glass and glass-to-glass transitions in dense copolymer micellar solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Weiren; Chen Sowhsin; Mallamace, Francesco; Glinka, Charles J.; Fratini, Emiliano

2003-01-01

Recent mode coupling theory (MCT) calculations show that if a short-range attractive interaction is added to the pure hard sphere system, one may observe a new type of glass originating from the clustering effect (the attractive glass) as a result of the attractive interaction. This is in addition to the known glass-forming mechanism due to the cage effect in the hard sphere system (the repulsive glass). The calculations also indicate that if the range of attraction is sufficiently short compared to the diameter of the particle, within a certain interval of volume fractions where the two glass-forming mechanisms nearly balance each other, varying the external control parameter, the effective temperature, makes the glass-to-liquid-to-glass reentrance and the glass-to-glass transitions possible. Here we present experimental evidence of both transitions, obtained from small-angle neutron-scattering and photon correlation measurements taken from dense L64 copolymer micellar solutions in heavy water. Varying the temperature in certain predicted volume fraction range triggers a sharp transition between these two different types of glass. In particular, according to MCT, there is an end point (called A 3 singularity) of this glass-to-glass transition line, beyond which the long-time dynamics of the two glasses become identical. Our findings confirm this theoretical prediction. Surprisingly, although the Debye-Waller factors, the long-time limit of the coherent intermediate scattering functions, of these two glasses obtained from photon correlation measurements indeed become identical at the predicted volume fraction, they exhibit distinctly different intermediate time relaxation. Furthermore, our experimental results obtained from volume fractions beyond the end point are characterized by the same features as the repulsive glass obtained before the end point. A complete phase diagram giving the boundaries of the structural arrest transitions for L64 micellar system is

Natural glass analogues to alteration of nuclear waste glass: A review and recommendations for further study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, W.F.

1990-01-01

The purpose of this report is to review previous work on the weathering of natural glasses; and to make recommendations for further work with respect to studying the alteration of natural glasses as it relates quantifying rates of dissolution. the first task was greatly simplified by the published papers of Jercinovic and Ewing (1987) and Byers, Jercinovic, and Ewing (1987). The second task is obviously the more difficult of the two and the author makes no claim of completeness in this regard. Glasses weather in the natural environment by reacting with aqueous solutions producing a rind of secondary solid phases. It had been proposed by some workers that the thickness of this rind is a function of the age of the glass and thus could be used to estimate glass dissolution rates. However, Jercinovic and Ewing (1987) point out that in general the rind thickness does not correlate with the age of the glass owing to the differences in time of contact with the solution compared to the actual age of the sample. It should be noted that the rate of glass dissolution is also a function of the composition of both the glass and the solution, and the temperature. Quantification of the effects of these parameters (as well as time of contact with the aqueous phase and flow rates) would thus permit a prediction of the consequences of glass-fluid interactions under varying environmental conditions. Defense high- level nuclear waste (DHLW), consisting primarily of liquid and sludge, will be encapsulated by and dispersed in a borosilicate glass before permanent storage in a HLW repository. This glass containing the DHLW serves to dilute the radionuclides and to retard their dispersion into the environment. 318 refs

Natural glass analogues to alteration of nuclear waste glass: A review and recommendations for further study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKenzie, W.F.

1990-01-01

The purpose of this report is to review previous work on the weathering of natural glasses; and to make recommendations for further work with respect to studying the alteration of natural glasses as it relates quantifying rates of dissolution. the first task was greatly simplified by the published papers of Jercinovic and Ewing (1987) and Byers, Jercinovic, and Ewing (1987). The second task is obviously the more difficult of the two and the author makes no claim of completeness in this regard. Glasses weather in the natural environment by reacting with aqueous solutions producing a rind of secondary solid phases. It had been proposed by some workers that the thickness of this rind is a function of the age of the glass and thus could be used to estimate glass dissolution rates. However, Jercinovic and Ewing (1987) point out that in general the rind thickness does not correlate with the age of the glass owing to the differences in time of contact with the solution compared to the actual age of the sample. It should be noted that the rate of glass dissolution is also a function of the composition of both the glass and the solution, and the temperature. Quantification of the effects of these parameters (as well as time of contact with the aqueous phase and flow rates) would thus permit a prediction of the consequences of glass-fluid interactions under varying environmental conditions. Defense high- level nuclear waste (DHLW), consisting primarily of liquid and sludge, will be encapsulated by and dispersed in a borosilicate glass before permanent storage in a HLW repository. This glass containing the DHLW serves to dilute the radionuclides and to retard their dispersion into the environment. 318 refs.

Future Services for District Heating Solutions in Residential Districts

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Hannele Ahvenniemi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The underlying assumption of this study is that in order to retain the competitiveness while reaching for the EU targets regarding low-energy construction, district heating companies need to develop new business and service models. How district heating companies could broaden their perspective and switch to a more service-oriented way of thinking is a key interest of our research. The used methods in our study are house builder interviews and a questionnaire. With the help of these methods we discussed the potential interest in heating related services acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the customer needs. The results indicate the importance of certain criteria when choosing the heating system in households: easiness, comfort and affordability seem to dominate the house builders’ preferences. Also environmental awareness seems to be for many an important factor when making a decision about the heating of the house. Altogether, based on the results of this study, we suggest that the prospects of district heating could benefit from highlighting certain aspects and strengths in the future. District heating companies need to increase flexibility, readiness to adopt new services, to invest in new marketing strategies and improving the communication skills.

Increasing understanding of the relationship between geographic access and gendered decision-making power for treatment-seeking for febrile children in the Chikwawa district of Malawi

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Victoria L. Ewing

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study used qualitative methods to investigate the relationship between geographic access and gendered intra-household hierarchies and how these influence treatment-seeking decision-making for childhood fever within the Chikwawa district of Malawi. Previous cross-sectional survey findings in the district indicated that distance from facility and associated costs are important determinants of health facility attendance in the district. This paper uses qualitative data to add depth of understanding to these findings by exploring the relationship between distance from services, anticipated costs and cultural norms of intra-household decision-making, and to identify potential intervention opportunities to reduce challenges experienced by those in remote locations. Qualitative data collection included 12 focus group discussions and 22 critical incident interviews conducted in the local language, with primary caregivers of children who had recently experienced a febrile episode. Results Low geographic accessibility to facilities inhibited care-seeking, sometimes by extending the ‘assessment period’ for a child’s illness episode, and led to delays in seeking formal treatment, particularly when the illness occurred at night. Although carers attempted to avoid incurring costs, cash was often needed for transport and food. Whilst in all communities fathers were normatively responsible for treatment costs, mothers generally had greater access to and control over resources and autonomy in decision-making in the matrilineal and matrilocal communities in the central part of the district, which were also closer to formal facilities. Conclusions This study illustrates the complex interplay between geographic access and gender dynamics in shaping decisions on whether and when formal treatment is sought for febrile children in Chikwawa District. Geographic marginality and cultural norms intersect in remote areas both to increase the

Evaluation of oxidative stress biomarkers in Zosterisessor ophiocephalus from the Venice Lagoon, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascoli, Francesco; Negrato, Elena; Di Giancamillo, Alessia; Bertotto, Daniela; Domeneghini, Cinzia; Simontacchi, Claudia; Mutinelli, Franco; Radaelli, Giuseppe

2011-02-01

Several studies carried out in the last years have demonstrated the presence of a wide range of contaminants in some areas of the Venice Lagoon. Many of these contaminants are able to drive free radical reactions, which lead to oxidative stress and can potentially affect fish health. In the present study, oxidative stress biomarkers were examined in three different sites (Porto Marghera, Val di Brenta and Caroman) of the Venice Lagoon and their levels monitored in Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, one of the most common fish species present in the lagoon. Schmorl's staining revealed the presence of melanomacrophage centres in spleen and head kidney, and the highest number of melanomacrophage centres was observed in the animals sampled at the Porto Marghera (Porto Marghera vs Val di brenta and Caroman: p<0.01). The cellular localization of HNE and NT, investigated through an immunohistochemical approach, showed that immunopositivity was mainly localized in melanomacrophage centres of spleen and kidney. It is relevant that the animals of the detoxified control group did not exhibit any immunoreactivity. By Western blot, the antibodies against HNE and NT recognized in the liver polypeptides damaged by oxidative stress with molecular weights under 66kDa. Comparing the relative densities, animals from the Val di Brenta site exhibited the lowest levels of HNE adducts (p<0.05), whereas animals from the Porto Marghera site exhibited the highest levels of NT adducts (p<0.05). MDA levels, measured spectrophotometrically by TBARS assay did not exhibit any statistical difference among sites. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Approach to Remove the Systematic Bias from the Storm Surge forecasts in the Venice Lagoon

Science.gov (United States)

Canestrelli, A.

2017-12-01

In this work a novel approach is proposed for removing the systematic bias from the storm surge forecast computed by a two-dimensional shallow-water model. The model covers both the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas and provides the forecast at the entrance of the Venice Lagoon. The wind drag coefficient at the water-air interface is treated as a calibration parameter, with a different value for each range of wind velocities and wind directions. This sums up to a total of 16-64 parameters to be calibrated, depending on the chosen resolution. The best set of parameters is determined by means of an optimization procedure, which minimizes the RMS error between measured and modeled water level in Venice for the period 2011-2015. It is shown that a bias is present, for which the peaks of wind velocities provided by the weather forecast are largely underestimated, and that the calibration procedure removes this bias. When the calibrated model is used to reproduce events not included in the calibration dataset, the forecast error is strongly reduced, thus confirming the quality of our procedure. The proposed approach it is not site-specific and could be applied to different situations, such as storm surges caused by intense hurricanes.

Sedimentation rate and lateral migration of tidal channels in the Lagoon of Venice (Northern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Donnici, Sandra; Madricardo, Fantina; Serandrei-Barbero, Rossana

2017-11-01

Tidal channels are crucial for the functioning of highly valuable coastal environments, such as estuaries and lagoons. Their properties, however, are currently less understood than those of river systems. To elucidate their past behaviour, an extensive geophysical investigation was performed to reconstruct the evolution of channels and tidal surfaces in the central part of the Lagoon of Venice (Italy) over the past 5000 years. Comparing high-spatial-resolution acoustic data and sedimentary facies analyses of 41 cores, 29 of which were radiocarbon dated, revealed the sedimentation rates in different lagoonal environments and allowed the migration of two large meanders to be reconstructed. The average sedimentation rate of the study succession in the different sedimentary environments was 1.27 mm yr-1. The lateral migration rates were 13-23 m/century. This estimate is consistent with the lateral migration rates determined by comparing aerial photographs of recent channels. Comparing the buried channels with historical and current maps showed that, in general, the number of active channels is now reduced. Their morphology was sometimes simplified by artificial interventions. An understanding of the impact of the artificial interventions over time is useful for the management and conservation of tidal environments, particularly for the Lagoon of Venice, where management authorities are currently debating the possible deepening and rectification of large navigation channels.

Grinding Glass Disks On A Belt Sander

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, James J., III

1995-01-01

Small machine attached to table-top belt sander makes possible to use belt sander to grind glass disk quickly to specified diameter within tolerance of about plus or minus 0.002 in. Intended to be used in place of production-shop glass grinder. Held on driveshaft by vacuum, glass disk rotated while periphery ground by continuous sanding belt.

Effective team management by district nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Bliss, Julie

2004-12-01

This article considers the key role played by the district nurse in managing the district nursing team in order to provide high quality health care. It considers how the district nurse can use key managerial roles (interpersonal, informational and decision-making) in order to ensure unity within the team. The importance of shared goals and trust to achieve unity is explored and a strategy for managing conflict is discussed. Finally, the article suggests a set of ground rules which could be used to facilitate effective team working.

Assess the environmental health status of macrophyte ecosystems using an oxidative stress biomarker. Case studies: The Gulf of Aqaba and the Lagoon of Venice

Science.gov (United States)

Wahsha, Mohammad; Juhmani, Abdul-Salam; Buosi, Alessandro; Sfriso, Andrea; Sfriso, Adriano

2017-04-01

Macrophytes play a fundamental role in structuring communities in aquatic environments. They contribute to maintaining the ecosystem services. Unfortunately, nowadays, they are threatened by different sources of pollution. The release of such potentially toxic elements (PTEs) to the environment may influence negatively the ecosystem health, which often limits and sometimes disqualifies the ecosystem biodiversity. Indeed, the increasing concentration and distribution of PTEs in the marine ecosystem by mismanagement of industrial activities, overuse of agrochemicals, and waste disposal are causing worldwide concern. The aim of this work is to describe the developing of an innovative early warning tool, based on the implementation of the lipid peroxidation oxidative stress biomarker for the assessment and monitoring of ecological status in response to PTEs in different marine environments. Six sites were selected along the Jordanian coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba and the lagoon of Venice in Italy according to different morphological, ecological conditions and anthropogenic impact. Our results indicated that the effect of PTEs causes oxidative stress to macrophytes; in particular: Ulva fasciata and Ulva lactuca collected from the lagoon of Venice and Gulf of Aqaba respectively. The oxidative stress by PTEs alters the biochemical processes, as it stimulates the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and accordingly the oxidative degradation of lipids (LPO). The by-products of LPO, the organic compound malondialdehyde (MDA) is significantly correlated (pVenice, macrophytes, lipid peroxidation.

Glasses and nuclear waste vitrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojovan, Michael I.

2012-01-01

Glass is an amorphous solid material which behaves like an isotropic crystal. Atomic structure of glass lacks long-range order but possesses short and most probably medium range order. Compared to crystalline materials of the same composition glasses are metastable materials however crystallisation processes are kinetically impeded within times which typically exceed the age of universe. The physical and chemical durability of glasses combined with their high tolerance to compositional changes makes glasses irreplaceable when hazardous waste needs immobilisation for safe long-term storage, transportation and consequent disposal. Immobilisation of radioactive waste in glassy materials using vitrification has been used successfully for several decades. Nuclear waste vitrification is attractive because of its flexibility, the large number of elements which can be incorporated in the glass, its high corrosion durability and the reduced volume of the resulting wasteform. Vitrification involves melting of waste materials with glass-forming additives so that the final vitreous product incorporates the waste contaminants in its macro- and micro-structure. Hazardous waste constituents are immobilised either by direct incorporation into the glass structure or by encapsulation when the final glassy material can be in form of a glass composite material. Both borosilicate and phosphate glasses are currently used to immobilise nuclear wastes. In addition to relatively homogeneous glasses novel glass composite materials are used to immobilise problematic waste streams. (author)

Some observations on glass-knife making.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, R T

1977-11-01

The yield of usable knife edge per knife (for thin sectioning) was markedly increased when glass knives were made at an included angle of 55 degrees rather than the customary 45 degrees. A large number of measurements of edge check marks made with a routine light scattering method as well as observations made on a smaller number of test sections with the electron microscope indicated the superiority of 55 degrees knives. Knives were made with both taped pliers and an LKB Knifemaker. Knives were graded by methods easily applied in any biological electron microscope laboratory. Depending on the mode of fracture, the yield of knives having more than 33% of their edges free of check marks was 30 to 100 times greater at 55 degrees than 45 degrees.

Glass material oxidation and dissolution system: Converting miscellaneous fissile materials to glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.W.; Ferrada, J.J.

1996-01-01

The cold war and the development of nuclear energy have resulted in significant inventories of miscellaneous fissile materials (MFMs). MFMs include (1) plutonium scrap and residue, (2) miscellaneous spent nuclear fuel (SNF), (3) certain hot cell wastes, and (4) many one-of-a-kind materials. Major concerns associated with the long-term management of these materials include: safeguards and nonproliferation issues; health, environment, and safety concerns. waste management requirements; and high storage costs. These issues can be addressed by converting the MFMs to glass for secure, long-term storage or repository disposal; however, conventional glass-making processes require oxide-like feed materials. Converting MFMs to oxide-like materials with subsequent vitrification is a complex and expensive process. A new vitrification process has been invented, the Glass Material Oxidation and Dissolution System (GMODS), which directly converts metals, ceramics, and amorphous solids to glass; oxidizes organics with the residue converted to glass; and converts chlorides to borosilicate glass and a secondary sodium chloride (NaCl) stream. Laboratory work has demonstrated the conversion of cerium (a plutonium surrogate), uranium, Zircaloy, stainless steel, multiple oxides, and other materials to glass. However, significant work is required to develop GMODS further for applications at an industrial scale. If implemented, GMODS will provide a new approach to manage these materials

Diopside-Fluorapatite-Wollastonite Based Bioactive Glasses and Glass-ceramics =

Science.gov (United States)

Kansal, Ishu

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics are a class of biomaterials which elicit special response on their surface when in contact with biological fluids, leading to strong bonding to living tissue. This particular trait along with good sintering ability and high mechanical strength make them ideal materials for scaffold fabrication. The work presented in this thesis is directed towards understanding the composition-structure-property relationships in potentially bioactive glasses designed in CaO-MgO-P2O5-SiO2-F system, in some cases with added Na2O. The main emphasis has been on unearthing the influence of glass composition on molecular structure, sintering ability and bioactivity of phosphosilicate glasses. The parent glass compositions have been designed in the primary crystallization field of the pseudo-ternary system of diopside (CaO•MgO•2SiO2) - fluorapatite (9CaO•3P2O5•CaF2) - wollastonite (CaO•SiO2), followed by studying the impact of compositional variations on the structure-property relationships and sintering ability of these glasses. All the glasses investigated in this work have been synthesized via melt-quenching route and have been characterized for their molecular structure, sintering ability, chemical degradation and bioactivity using wide array of experimental tools and techniques. It has been shown that in all investigated glass compositions the silicate network was mainly dominated by Q2 units while phosphate in all the glasses was found to be coordinated in orthophosphate environment. The glass compositions designed in alkali-free region of diopside - fluorapatite system demonstrated excellent sintering ability and good bioactivity in order to qualify them as potential materials for scaffold fabrication while alkali-rich bioactive glasses not only hinder the densification during sintering but also induce cytotoxicity in vitro, thus, are not ideal candidates for in vitro tissue engineering. One of our bioglass compositions with low sodium

Biomarker responses and contamination levels in crabs (Carcinus aestuarii) from the Lagoon of Venice: An integrated approach in biomonitoring estuarine environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricciardi, Francesco; Matozzo, Valerio; Binelli, Andrea; Marin, Maria Gabriella

2010-03-01

An integrated biological-chemical approach is necessary to evaluate correctly the environmental status of bodies of water, as suggested by the EU Water Framework Directive. The shore crab Carcinus aestuarii, sampled in the Lagoon of Venice (NE Italy), was used as a biomonitor species, and the chemical concentrations of 42 organic pollutants (HCHs, PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, PBDEs), biological responses related to neurotoxicity (AChE inhibition), detoxification mechanisms (CYP450 induction) and endocrine alterations (vitellogenin-like protein induction) were measured at the same time. The responsiveness of biomarkers as predictors (or descriptors) of chemical contamination was evaluated by multivariate regression analysis, revealing good predictor potential for the selected biomarkers. Biomonitoring in the Lagoon of Venice revealed a predominance of DDT and PCB compounds, especially near industrial sites or large cities. Endocrine alterations, not always correlated with the presence of measured compounds, were also detected in many areas, suggesting exposure to compounds able to interfere with the crab endocrine system. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial deterioration of artistic tiles from the façade of the Grande Albergo Ausonia & Hungaria (Venice, Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Giacomucci, Lucia; Bertoncello, Renzo; Salvadori, Ornella; Martini, Ilaria; Favaro, Monica; Villa, Federica; Sorlini, Claudia; Cappitelli, Francesca

2011-08-01

The Grande Albergo Ausonia & Hungaria (Venice Lido, Italy) has an Art Nouveau polychrome ceramic coating on its façade, which was restored in 2007. Soon after the conservation treatment, many tiles of the façade decoration showed coloured alterations putatively attributed to the presence of microbial communities. To confirm the presence of the biological deposit and the stratigraphy of the Hungaria tiles, stereomicroscope, optical and environmental scanning electron microscope observations were made. The characterisation of the microbial community was performed using a PCR-DGGE approach. This study reported the first use of a culture-independent approach to identify the total community present in biodeteriorated artistic tiles. The case study examined here reveals that the coloured alterations on the tiles were mainly due to the presence of cryptoendolithic cyanobacteria. In addition, we proved that the microflora present on the tiles was generally greatly influenced by the environment of the Hungaria hotel. We found several microorganisms related to the alkaline environment, which is in the range of the tile pH, and related to the aquatic environment, the presence of the acrylic resin Paraloid B72® used during the 2007 treatment and the pollutants of the Venice lagoon.

Gas-particle distributions, sources and health effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in Venice aerosols.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregoris, Elena; Argiriadis, Elena; Vecchiato, Marco; Zambon, Stefano; De Pieri, Silvia; Donateo, Antonio; Contini, Daniele; Piazza, Rossano; Barbante, Carlo; Gambaro, Andrea

2014-04-01

Air samples were collected in Venice during summer 2009 and 2012 to measure gas and particulate concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). PCB-11, considered a marker for non-Aroclor contamination of the environment, was found for the first time in the Venetian lagoon and in Europe. An investigation on sources has been conducted, evidencing traffic as the major source of PAHs, whereas PCBs have a similar composition to Aroclor 1248 and 1254; in 2009 a release of PCN-42 has been hypothesized. Toxicological evaluation by TCA and TEQ methods, conducted for the first time in Venice air samples, identified BaP, PCB-126 and PCB-169 as the most important contributors to the total carcinogenic activity of PAHs and the total dioxin-like activity of PCBs and PCNs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a case study of the potential of public and private sector data in India and Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Berhanu, Della; Taddesse, Nolawi; Srivastava, Aradhana; Wickremasinghe, Deepthi; Schellenberg, Joanna

2016-01-01

Many low- and middle-income countries have pluralistic health systems where private for-profit and not-for-profit sectors complement the public sector: data shared across sectors can provide information for local decision-making. The third article in a series of four on district decision-making for health in low-income settings, this study shows the untapped potential of existing data through documenting the nature and type of data collected by the public and private health systems, data flow and sharing, use and inter-sectoral linkages in India and Ethiopia. In two districts in each country, semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrators and data managers to understand the type of data maintained and linkages with other sectors in terms of data sharing, flow and use. We created a database of all data elements maintained at district level, categorized by form and according to the six World Health Organization health system blocks. We used content analysis to capture the type of data available for different health system levels. Data flow in the public health sectors of both counties is sequential, formal and systematic. Although multiple sources of data exist outside the public health system, there is little formal sharing of data between sectors. Though not fully operational, Ethiopia has better developed formal structures for data sharing than India. In the private and public sectors, health data in both countries are collected in all six health system categories, with greatest focus on service delivery data and limited focus on supplies, health workforce, governance and contextual information. In the Indian private sector, there is a better balance than in the public sector of data across the six categories. In both India and Ethiopia the majority of data collected relate to maternal and child health. Both countries have huge potential for increased use of health data to guide district decision-making. PMID:27591203

Radiological impact of phosphogypsum discharged into the Venice lagoon: 222Rn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fasson A.

2012-04-01

Full Text Available For about 20 years, between the 60 ’s and the 80 ’s of the last century, in the Passo a Campalto area (Lagoon of Venice - Italy about 400,000 m3 of phosphogypsum (PG were deposited at the border of the lagoon and next to urban areas without any environmental control. These materials are a by-product formed during the wet processing of phosphate rocks by sulphuric acid and have a significant environmental impact due to their abundance and their chemical-physical and radiochemical characteristics. The PG contains both chemical elements, which are considered dangerous for the ecosystems and natural radionuclides whose concentrations are much higher if compared to those typical for the Earth’s crust. These discarded materials caused for many years the dispersion of radionuclides in the environment due to the tidal erosion, the re-suspension of radioactive inhalable dusts, the uncontrolled radon exhalation and the bioaccumulation of some radionuclides in the lagoon environment. After a decision of the appointed authorities, the Venice Water Authority (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, planned a permanent safety control of the site resulting in the complete isolation of the entire volume of contaminated materials from the environmental system. The entire project was specific for the particular features of the site and it required the improvement of analytical, sampling and measurement techniques in order to verify the effectiveness of the safety action. The radon assessment, in particular the check of the effectiveness of the inhibition of radon exhalation, is part of a more complex study, covering many other aspects of the management of a permanent disposal; they will be the object of further notes. The ultimate results of this study prove the efficacy of the intervention: radon concentrations in air and exhalation values from the restored area, measured during surveys, have been proved to be well in agreement with those of non

The Petition of Peter the Great for The Orthodox Christians of Venice as Part of Russia's Foreign Policy

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Iastrebov Aleksei

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The petition of Peter the Great for return of a taken church from the Orthodox christians of Venice is interesting in the context of the religious motives behind his domestic and foreign policy, his interaction with Catholicism, and his support of Orthodoxy in Europe and the Ottoman Empire. The charter itself is a unique document testifying to the concerns of the Russian czar for coreligionists in a Catholic country. At the same time, it is clear that in an epoch when religion was tightly intertwined with politics, such an appeal was not only part of religious but also secular politics. The goals of the Russian government in the Balkans coincide with the aspirations of the Orthodox peoples languishing under the yoke of the Turks: they had seen in Russia the liberator of the hated invaders. The natural allies of Moscow-Petersburg themselves for a long time to convince kings to stand up for the persecuted faith, and calls were heard from bishops of the Eastern Church and the authorities are dependent on the Turkish vassal principalities. Finally, the moment came. Despite the fact that Peter did not want war with the Sultan, he had to prepare for it, and for that sought to mobilize all the allies, including the Balkan Christians. The letter addressed to the Venetian Doge, actually addressed to them. Following the message the Russian government opens in Venice diplomatic agency, whose task are monitoring the political situation in Italy and the Balkans, as well as the recruitment of volunteers under the fl ag of St. Andrew. Thus, the charter-petition of Peter for the Orthodox of Venice has completely fulfi lled its task — it has become part of a policy to win sympathy of the peoples of the Balkans, and has contributed to the understanding that the Venetian government would not object to the actions of the Russian envoys in the country.

Assessment of cumulative evidence for the association between glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and lung cancer: application of the Venice interim guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Langevin, Scott M; Ioannidis, John P A; Vineis, Paolo; Taioli, Emanuela

2010-10-01

There is an overwhelming abundance of genetic association studies available in the literature, which can often be collectively difficult to interpret. To address this issue, the Venice interim guidelines were established for determining the credibility of the cumulative evidence. The objective of this report is to evaluate the literature on the association of common glutathione S-transferase (GST) variants (GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null and GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism) and lung cancer, and to assess the credibility of the associations using the newly proposed cumulative evidence guidelines. Information from the literature was enriched with an updated meta-analysis and a pooled analysis using data from the Genetic Susceptibility to Environmental Carcinogens database. There was a significant association between GSTM1 null and lung cancer for the meta-analysis (meta odds ratio=1.17, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.25) and pooled analysis (adjusted odds ratio=1.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.16), although substantial heterogeneity was present. No overall association between lung cancer and GSTT1 null or GSTP1 Ile105Val was found. When the Venice criteria was applied, cumulative evidence for all associations were considered 'weak', with the exception of East Asian carriers of the G allele of GSTP1 Ile105Val, which was graded as 'moderate' evidence. Despite the large amounts of studies, and several statistically significant summary estimates produced by meta-analyses, the application of the Venice criteria suggests extensive heterogeneity and susceptibility to bias for the studies on association of common genetic polymorphisms, such as with GST variants and lung cancer.

New insights into the Middle Jurassic floras of Sardinia (Italy) : the Miccolis Collection at the Museo di Storia Naturale of Venice, Italy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scanu, Giovanni G.; Kustatscher, E.; Pittau, Paola; van Konijnenburg - van Cittert, J.H.A.

2016-01-01

The fossil plants of the Domenico Miccolis Collection, stored at the Museo di Storia Naturale of Venice (Italy), are from the Middle Jurassic Genna Selole Formation of central Sardinia. The assemblage contains 11 taxa: Marattia intermedia, Phlebopteris muensteri, P. braunii, Coniopteris sp. cf. C.

What Governs District Manager Decision Making? A Case Study of Complex Leadership in Dangme West District, Ghana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kwamie, Aku; Agyepong, Irene Akua; Dijk, Van Han

2015-01-01

Management and leadership in complex health systems
have been little addressed as contributors toward improving maternal
and newborn health. Widespread perceptions of weak district-level
management and leadership have encouraged capacity strengthening
interventions with a predominant

Decision-making processes for low-energy districts of mixed tenure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abdalla, G.; Maas, G.J.; Eekhout, A.C.J.M.; Peter Roos, xx

2009-01-01

This research project investigates the diffusion of innovations in the construction of low-energy districts.The project draws both on deep connections to the construction industry and its professional practices, and on the potential to put this industry into contact with innovation, methods and

District health information system assessment: a case study in iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Raeisi, Ahmad Reza; Saghaeiannejad, Sakineh; Karimi, Saeed; Ehteshami, Asghar; Kasaei, Mahtab

2013-03-01

Health care managers and personnel should be aware and literate of health information system in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in their organization. Since accurate, appropriate, precise, timely, valid information and interpretation of information is required and is the basis for policy planning and decision making in various levels of the organization. This study was conducted to assess the district health information system evolution in Iran according to WHO framework. This research is an applied, descriptive cross sectional study, in which a total of twelve urban and eight rural facilities, and the district health center at Falavarjan region were surveyed by using a questionnaire with 334 items. Content and constructive validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed with correlation coefficient of 0.99. Obtained data were analyzed with SPSS 16 software and descriptive statistics were used to examine measures of WHO compliance. The analysis of data revealed that the mean score of compliance of district health information system framework was 35.75 percent. The maximum score of compliance with district health information system belonged to the data collection process (70 percent). The minimum score of compliance with district health information system belonged to information based decision making process with a score of 10 percent. District Health Information System Criteria in Isfahan province do not completely comply with WHO framework. Consequently, it seems that health system managers engaged with underlying policy and decision making processes at district health level should try to restructure and decentralize district health information system and develop training management programs for their managers.

Economic Nationalism in Haughton’s Englishmen for My Money and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

OpenAIRE

Baldo Jonathan

2016-01-01

Close to the time of Elizabeth’s expulsion of the Hanseatic merchants and the closing of the Steelyard (der Stahlhof) in the years 1597-98, two London plays engaged extensively with the business of trade, the merchant class, foreign merchants, and moneylending: early modern England’s first city comedy, William Haughton’s Englishmen for My Money, or A Woman Will Have Her Will (1598); and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (registered 22 July 1598). Whereas Haughton’s play uses foreignness, e...

A Report To The Superintendent Regarding the Progress of Venice Junior High School Towards Flexible Instructional Organization (F10), or Staff Differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Fenwick W.

This report determined the results of the implementation of flexible instructional organization (F10) or staff differentiation at Venice Junior High School, Sarasota, Florida. The introductory portion concerns the report purpose, procedures and scope as well as background material. Results of interviews, conferences, surveys, observations, and…

Increasing Poverty: How Do Leaders in One Suburban District Respond?

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Jennifer Dawn

2014-01-01

This dissertation addresses the question of how suburban school district leaders in one large Midwestern school district respond to increasing student poverty. The purpose of this study was to determine how suburban school district leaders respond to increasing student poverty in their decision making and actions. Data for this study came from one…

District Policies and Practices Vary in Their Association With Adolescents' Consumption of Milk and 100% Fruit Juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Sliwa, Sarah A; Miller, Gabrielle F; Brener, Nancy D; Park, Sohyun; Merlo, Caitlin L

2017-05-01

Researchers previously examined the relationship between school beverage policies and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. This study addressed a research gap by examining cross-sectional associations between district-level policies and practices and U.S. high school students' consumption of milk and 100% fruit juice. Data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study and 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System were linked for 12 large urban school districts. Outcome variables were daily milk consumption (≥1 glass/day) and 100% fruit juice consumption (≥1 time/day). Exposure variables were five district policies (i.e., restrict SSB sales, maintain closed campuses, offer/sell healthful alternatives, restrict promotional products, and require nutrition education). Logistic regression models estimated the odds of consuming milk or 100% fruit juice daily, conditional on the policies and adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, grade level, weight status, and district free/reduced-price lunch eligibility (n = 23,173). Students in districts that required/recommended restricting the times of SSB sales had 55% higher (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-1.87) odds of consuming ≥1 glass/day of milk than students in districts without this policy. Closed campus policies were associated with lower odds of consuming milk (AOR, .72; 95% CI, .63-.82) and higher odds of consuming juice (AOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07-1.50). Policies requiring/recommending that districts offer/sell healthful alternatives were associated with lower odds of consuming 100% fruit juice daily. Results suggest that restricting SSB sales may support adolescents' milk consumption. Future studies should assess whether the implementation of federal standards that further restrict SSB sales in school leads to increased milk consumption. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Fragrances as new contaminants in the Venice lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Vecchiato, Marco; Cremonese, Simone; Gregoris, Elena; Barbaro, Elena; Gambaro, Andrea; Barbante, Carlo

2016-10-01

Fragrance Materials (FMs) are omnipresent components of household and Personal Care Products (PCPs). In spite of their widespread use, little is known about their environmental occurrence. We selected 17 among the longest-lasting and most stable fragrance ingredients that are commercially available, namely: Amberketal, Ambrofix, Amyl Salicylate, Benzyl Salicylate, Bourgeonal, Dupical, Hexyl Salicylate, Isobutavan, Lemonile, Mefranal, Myraldene, Okoumal, Oranger Crystals, Pelargene, Peonile, Tridecene-2-Nitrile, Ultravanil. A new analytical method was developed to quantify FMs in water samples and it was applied to perform the first study about the distribution of these compounds in the surface waters of the city of Venice and its lagoon. Total FMs concentrations range from about 30ngL(-1) to more than 10μgL(-1) in polluted canals during the low tide. Sewage discharges were supposed to be the main sources of the selected FMs in the environment. Salicylates, oestrogenic and allergenic compounds, were in general the most abundant and widespread components. This study reports for the first time the detection of most of the selected FMs in surface waters and represent the first step to understand their environmental fate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

With the Void, Full Powers: Anish Kapoor and the Venice Biennale of 1990

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakhee Balaram

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In 1990, Anish Kapoor, supported by the British Council, was Britain's representative at the Venice Biennale. Still an Indian citizen at the time of his selection, Kapoor's exhibition questioned what it meant to be claimed as a "British" artist at a time when multiculturalism was at its height and, in Europe, events in Berlin would signal geopolitical change. Aligned for years with artists associated with the “New British Sculpture”, Kapoor's bold exhibition at the British Pavilion would bring him international acclaim. Routinely positioned between East and West, Kapoor's sculpture and conceptual concerns were often read as universalist, but the messy postcolonial and diasporic legacies of British art force a reconsideration of this timely exhibition.

Hydrogeological effects of dredging navigable canals through lagoon shallows. A case study in Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Teatini

2017-11-01

Full Text Available For the first time a comprehensive investigation has been carried out to quantify the possible effects of dredging a navigable canal on the hydrogeological system underlying a coastal lagoon. The study is focused on the Venice Lagoon, Italy, where the port authority is planning to open a new 10 m deep and 3 km long canal to connect the city passenger terminal to the central lagoon inlet, thus avoiding the passage of large cruise ships through the historic center of Venice. A modeling study has been developed to evaluate the short (minutes, medium (months, and long (decades term processes of water and pollutant exchange between the shallow aquifer system and the lagoon, possibly enhanced by the canal excavation, and ship wakes. An in-depth characterization of the lagoon subsurface along the channel has supported the numerical modeling. Piezometer and sea level records, geophysical acquisitions, laboratory analyses of groundwater and sediment samples (chemical analyses and ecotoxicity testing, and the outcome of 3-D hydrodynamic and computational fluid dynamic (CFD models have been used to set up and calibrate the subsurface multi-model approach. The numerical outcomes allow us to quantify the groundwater volume and estimate the mass of anthropogenic contaminants (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Pb, Se likely leaked from the nearby industrial area over the past decades, and released into the lagoon from the canal bed by the action of depression waves generated by ships. Moreover, the model outcomes help to understand the effect of the hydrogeological layering on the propagation of the tidal fluctuation and salt concentration into the shallow brackish aquifers underlying the lagoon bottom.

Measuring Mechanical Properties Of Optical Glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Dennis S.; Nichols, Ronald L.

1989-01-01

Report discusses mechanical tests measuring parameters of strength and fracture mechanics of optical glasses. To obtain required tables of mechanical properties of each glass of interest, both initial-strength and delayed-fracture techniques used. Modulus of rupture measured by well-known four-point bending method. Initial bending strength measured by lesser-known double-ring method, in which disk of glass supported on one face near edge by larger ring and pressed on its other face by smaller concentric ring. Method maximizes stress near center, making it more likely specimen fractures there, and thereby suppresses edge effects. Data from tests used to predict reliabilities and lifetimes of glass optical components of several proposed spaceborne instruments.

Ship-induced solitary Riemann waves of depression in Venice Lagoon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parnell, Kevin E. [College of Marine and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland 4811 (Australia); Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 21, 12618 Tallinn (Estonia); Soomere, Tarmo, E-mail: soomere@cs.ioc.ee [Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 21, 12618 Tallinn (Estonia); Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, 10130 Tallinn (Estonia); Zaggia, Luca [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venice (Italy); Rodin, Artem [Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 21, 12618 Tallinn (Estonia); Lorenzetti, Giuliano [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venice (Italy); Rapaglia, John [Sacred Heart University Department of Biology, 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT 06825 (United States); Scarpa, Gian Marco [Università Ca' Foscari, Dorsoduro 3246, 30123 Venice (Italy)

2015-03-06

We demonstrate that ships of moderate size, sailing at low depth Froude numbers (0.37–0.5) in a navigation channel surrounded by shallow banks, produce depressions with depths up to 2.5 m. These depressions (Bernoulli wakes) propagate as long-living strongly nonlinear solitary Riemann waves of depression substantial distances into Venice Lagoon. They gradually become strongly asymmetric with the rear of the depression becoming extremely steep, similar to a bore. As they are dynamically similar, air pressure fluctuations moving over variable-depth coastal areas could generate meteorological tsunamis with a leading depression wave followed by a devastating bore-like feature. - Highlights: • Unprecedently deep long-living ship-induced waves of depression detected. • Such waves are generated in channels with side banks under low Froude numbers. • The propagation of these waves is replicated using Riemann waves. • Long-living waves of depression form bore-like features at rear slope.

Ship-induced solitary Riemann waves of depression in Venice Lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parnell, Kevin E.; Soomere, Tarmo; Zaggia, Luca; Rodin, Artem; Lorenzetti, Giuliano; Rapaglia, John; Scarpa, Gian Marco

2015-01-01

We demonstrate that ships of moderate size, sailing at low depth Froude numbers (0.37–0.5) in a navigation channel surrounded by shallow banks, produce depressions with depths up to 2.5 m. These depressions (Bernoulli wakes) propagate as long-living strongly nonlinear solitary Riemann waves of depression substantial distances into Venice Lagoon. They gradually become strongly asymmetric with the rear of the depression becoming extremely steep, similar to a bore. As they are dynamically similar, air pressure fluctuations moving over variable-depth coastal areas could generate meteorological tsunamis with a leading depression wave followed by a devastating bore-like feature. - Highlights: • Unprecedently deep long-living ship-induced waves of depression detected. • Such waves are generated in channels with side banks under low Froude numbers. • The propagation of these waves is replicated using Riemann waves. • Long-living waves of depression form bore-like features at rear slope

The direct influence of ship traffic on atmospheric PM2.5, PM10 and PAH in Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

Contini, D; Gambaro, A; Belosi, F; De Pieri, S; Cairns, W R L; Donateo, A; Zanotto, E; Citron, M

2011-09-01

The direct influence of ship traffic on atmospheric levels of coarse and fine particulate matter (PM(2.5), PM(10)) and fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been estimated in the urban area of Venice. Data analysis has been performed on results collected at three sites over the summer, when ship traffic is at a maximum. Results indicate that monitoring of the PM daily concentrations is not sufficiently detailed for the evaluation of this contribution, even though it could be useful for specific markers such as PAHs. Therefore a new methodology, based on high temporal resolution measurements coupled with wind direction information and the database of ship passages of the Harbour Authority of Venice has been developed. The sampling sites were monitored with optical detectors (DustTrack(®) and Mie pDR-1200) operating at a high temporal resolution (20s and 1s respectively) for PM(2.5) and PM(10). PAH in the particulate and gas phases were recovered from quartz fibre filters and polyurethane foam plugs using pressurised solvent extraction, the extracts were then analysed by gas chromatography- high-resolution mass spectrometry. Our results shows that the direct contribution of ships traffic to PAHs in the gas phase is 10% while the contribution to PM(2.5) and to PM(10) is from 1% up to 8%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Standard test method for determining liquidus temperature of immobilized waste glasses and simulated waste glasses

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 These practices cover procedures for determining the liquidus temperature (TL) of nuclear waste, mixed nuclear waste, simulated nuclear waste, or hazardous waste glass in the temperature range from 600°C to 1600°C. This method differs from Practice C829 in that it employs additional methods to determine TL. TL is useful in waste glass plant operation, glass formulation, and melter design to determine the minimum temperature that must be maintained in a waste glass melt to make sure that crystallization does not occur or is below a particular constraint, for example, 1 volume % crystallinity or T1%. As of now, many institutions studying waste and simulated waste vitrification are not in agreement regarding this constraint (1). 1.2 Three methods are included, differing in (1) the type of equipment available to the analyst (that is, type of furnace and characterization equipment), (2) the quantity of glass available to the analyst, (3) the precision and accuracy desired for the measurement, and (4) candi...

Glass-making furnaces, cement kilns and baking ovens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-01-01

Possible areas for future strategic R and D within the European Community in the cement, glass and bake industries are identified based upon the current scenario of R and D in process industries and following views of main industries and research experts. Priority topics for R and D should include advanced flow modelling, the implementation of control strategies and expert systems and the development of on-line sensors. Fundamental research in some areas, such as advanced diagnostic techniques and sensor systems and modelling of two-phase and pollutant formation, is considered of primary importance.

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a case study of the potential of public and private sector data in India and Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Berhanu, Della; Taddesse, Nolawi; Srivastava, Aradhana; Wickremasinghe, Deepthi; Schellenberg, Joanna; Iqbal Avan, Bilal

2016-09-01

Many low- and middle-income countries have pluralistic health systems where private for-profit and not-for-profit sectors complement the public sector: data shared across sectors can provide information for local decision-making. The third article in a series of four on district decision-making for health in low-income settings, this study shows the untapped potential of existing data through documenting the nature and type of data collected by the public and private health systems, data flow and sharing, use and inter-sectoral linkages in India and Ethiopia. In two districts in each country, semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrators and data managers to understand the type of data maintained and linkages with other sectors in terms of data sharing, flow and use. We created a database of all data elements maintained at district level, categorized by form and according to the six World Health Organization health system blocks. We used content analysis to capture the type of data available for different health system levels. Data flow in the public health sectors of both counties is sequential, formal and systematic. Although multiple sources of data exist outside the public health system, there is little formal sharing of data between sectors. Though not fully operational, Ethiopia has better developed formal structures for data sharing than India. In the private and public sectors, health data in both countries are collected in all six health system categories, with greatest focus on service delivery data and limited focus on supplies, health workforce, governance and contextual information. In the Indian private sector, there is a better balance than in the public sector of data across the six categories. In both India and Ethiopia the majority of data collected relate to maternal and child health. Both countries have huge potential for increased use of health data to guide district decision-making. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford

Alkaline resistant phosphate glasses and method of preparation and use thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Brow, Richard K.; Reis, Signo T.; Velez, Mariano; Day, Delbert E.

2010-01-26

A substantially alkaline resistant calcium-iron-phosphate (CFP) glass and methods of making and using thereof. In one application, the CFP glass is drawn into a fiber and dispersed in cement to produce glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) articles having the high compressive strength of concrete with the high impact, flexural and tensile strength associated with glass fibers.

SAFETY BULLETIN TIS 2002-03 GLASS DOORS

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Be careful! What happened?   Unsignaled reinforced glass.   Signaled safety glass.   A visitor recently hurt his leg when he walked into a glass door which shattered from the impact. This door was made of reinforced glass, a material which is inappropriate for this kind of use as it is too fragile. Indeed, it shatters into sharp splinters which can cause serious injury. Furthermore, the door was not easily visible (badly lit, no warning signs, ...). Corrective measures Just after the accident: glass doors were signed to make them more visible; replacement of dangerous glass panes planned for 2003. What preventive measures can be taken against this kind of accident? If you are in charge of projects and works: In the call for tender, specify the acceptable shock resistance level of the glass pane; Before the door is mounted, insist on receiving technical documentation and/or certificate of conformity from the supplier; If in doubt, ask advice from the TIS/GS sa...

Glass Foreign Body Hand Radiograph

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Ehsani-Nia, DO

2018-04-01

Full Text Available History of present illness: A 27-year-old female sustained an injury to her left hand after she tripped and fell on a vase. She presented to the emergency department (ED complaining of pain over the laceration. Upon examination, patient presented with multiple small abrasions of the medial aspect of the left 5thdigit that are minimally tender. Additionally, she has one 0.5cm linear laceration of the medial aspect of the 5thmetacarpal with severe tenderness in the area and palpable underlying foreign body. Significant findings: Left hand plain radiography demonstrated a subcutaneous foreign body medial to the 5thmetacarpal that is radiopaque, trapezoidal in shape, and measures approximately 11mm x 3mm. Discussion: Laceration repairs are amongst the most common procedures in the emergency department; however, consideration for foreign body is often underdiagnosed. Imaging is performed in only about 11% of all traumatic wounds in the ED.1 Of those injuries relating to the hand that are subsequently imaged, about 15% are found to have a foreign body.2,3 Additionally, it is estimated that foreign bodies are present in 7% to 8.7% of all wounds caused by glass objects.4,5 Glass is among the most common foreign bodies in lacerations, and fortunately they are radiopaque and relatively well visualized radiographically. It has been demonstrated that 2mm glass foreign bodies have a 99% detection rate with radiography, and 1mm glass foreign bodies an 83% detection rate.6 Patient perception of foreign body has a positive predictive value of 31%, making it a poor source in influencing clinical decision-making to obtain wound radiographs.3 Clinicians should have a high suspicion for foreign body in lacerations, particularly those caused by glass, and utilize close physical examination and imaging for evaluation. Topics: Radiography, glass, foreign body, trauma

A new glass option for parenteral packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaut, Robert A; Peanasky, John S; DeMartino, Steven E; Schiefelbein, Susan L

2014-01-01

Glass is the ideal material for parenteral packaging because of its chemical durability, hermeticity, strength, cleanliness, and transparency. Alkali borosilicate glasses have been used successfully for a long time, but they do have some issues relating to breakage, delamination, and variation in hydrolytic performance. In this paper, alkali aluminosilicate glasses are introduced as a possible alternative to alkali borosilicate glasses. An example alkali aluminosilicate glass is shown to meet the compendial requirements, and to have similar thermal, optical, and mechanical attributes as the current alkali borosilicate glasses. In addition, the alkali aluminosilicate performed as well or better than the current alkali borosilicates in extractables tests and stability studies, which suggests that it would be suitable for use with the studied liquid product formulation. The physical, mechanical, and optical properties of glass make it an ideal material for packaging injectable drugs and biologics. Alkali borosilicate glasses have been used successfully for a long time for these applications, but there are some issues. In this paper, alkali aluminosilicate glasses are introduced as a possible alternative to alkali borosilicate glasses. An example alkali aluminosilicate glass is shown to meet the requirements for packaging injectable drugs and biologics, and to be suitable for use with a particular liquid drug. © PDA, Inc. 2014.

Study of organic sulphur compounds (DMS, DMSP and CS2) in lagoon ecosystems: the case of the Venice lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambaro, Andrea; Moret, Ivo; Piazza, Rossano; Andreoli, Carlo; Corami, Fabiana; Turetta, Clara; Cescon, Paolo

2003-03-01

This study of the origin and fate of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in a particular and complex lagoon ecosystem such as that of the Venice lagoon focuses on the temporal evolutions of DMS concentrations in surface water together with those of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), carbon disulphide (CS2), nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, silicate), sulphate, chlorophyll a, chlorinity, water temperature and phytoplankton (composition and density). Measurements were made from 3 March 1997 to 23 July 1998 at three stations in the central part of the Venice lagoon. The temporal trends of DMS concentration showed an absolute maximum concentration in winter (65 nmol S/l, 19/2/1998, Stn. 1; 119 nmol S/l, 19/2/1998, Stn. 2; 29 nmol S/l, 17/2/1998, Stn. 3) and two relative maxima in the spring-summer period. The spring-summer secondary maxima of DMS concentration were related to the maxima of DMSP and chlorophyll a concentrations and consequently to phytoplanktonic abundance while the winter DMS maximum showed no relation to DMSP or to chlorophyll a suggesting that the production and the fate of DMS could be different for the two periods. According to previous studies the CS2 concentration increased in the spring, achieved its maximum in summer, decreased in autumn and fell to its minimum in winter.

Glass ... current issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, A.F.; Dupuy, J.

1985-01-01

The objectives of the School were twofold. Firstly to inform participants of actual and developing technological applications of glassy materials in which fundamental science makes a strong contribution, and secondly to bring together scientists from the widely different backgrounds of glass science and technology to promote mutual understanding and collaboration. (orig.)

Trace metals behaviour during salt and fresh water mixing in the Venice Lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghermandi, G.; Campolieti, D.; Cecchi, R.; Costa, F.; Zaggia, L.; Zonta, R.

1993-01-01

Preliminary results of an investigation on trace metals behaviour in the estuarine system of the Dese River (Venice Lagoon) are described. Hydrodynamical and water chemical-physical measurements and PIXE concentrations analysis on size-fractionated samples emphasize the complexity of the processes occurring in the area of salt and fresh water mixing. Suspended load variations in the bottom layer of the water column, which may be mostly ascribed to resuspension, regulate the trace metal concentrations and seem to play a fundamental role in the transport of pollutants in shallow water areas of the estuary. The behaviour of dissolved metals is masked by the presence of suspended matter, but some relationships with chemical-physical variables are distinguishable, furnishing information on the processes affecting their concentration in the system. (orig.)

Advanced method for making vitreous waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, J.M.; Harrison, D.E.

1980-01-01

A process is described for making waste glass that circumvents the problems of dissolving nuclear waste in molten glass at high temperatures. Because the reactive mixing process is independent of the inherent viscosity of the melt, any glass composition can be prepared with equal facility. Separation of the mixing and melting operations permits novel glass fabrication methods to be employed

Holes generation in glass using large spot femtosecond laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Yuval; Kotler, Zvi; Shacham-Diamand, Yosi

2018-03-01

We demonstrate high-throughput, symmetrical, holes generation in fused silica glass using a large spot size, femtosecond IR-laser irradiation which modifies the glass properties and yields an enhanced chemical etching rate. The process relies on a balanced interplay between the nonlinear Kerr effect and multiphoton absorption in the glass which translates into symmetrical glass modification and increased etching rate. The use of a large laser spot size makes it possible to process thick glasses at high speeds over a large area. We have demonstrated such fabricated holes with an aspect ratio of 1:10 in a 1 mm thick glass samples.

Recycle Glass in Foam Glass Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Rasmus Rosenlund; König, Jakob; Yue, Yuanzheng

The foam glass industry turn recycle glass into heat insulating building materials. The foaming process is relative insensitive to impurities in the recycle glass. It is therefore considered to play an important role in future glass recycling. We show and discuss trends of use of recycled glasses...... in foam glass industry and the supply sources and capacity of recycle glass....

Biomarker responses and contamination levels in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum for biomonitoring the Lagoon of Venice (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Matozzo, Valerio; Binelli, Andrea; Parolini, Marco; Locatello, Lisa; Marin, Maria Gabriella

2010-03-01

A multibiomarker approach was used to assess effects of environmental contaminants in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum from the Lagoon of Venice. Bivalves were collected in 8 sites of the Lagoon (Campalto, Marghera, Palude del Monte, Valle di Brenta, Cà Roman, San Servolo, Fusina and Canale Dese), differently influenced by both anthropogenic impact and natural conditions. The following biomarkers were chosen: total haemocyte count and lysozyme activity in cell-free haemolymph as immunomarkers, acetylcholinesterase activity in gills as a biomarker of exposure to neurotoxic compounds, vitellogenin-like protein levels in both digestive gland and cell-free haemolymph as a biomarker of exposure to estrogenic compounds, and survival-in-air widely used to evaluate general stress conditions in clams. In addition, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDT) and its breakdown products (DDE, DDD), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were measured in clams. Results demonstrated that the integrated approach between biomarkers and chemical analyses in R. philippinarum is a useful tool in biomonitoring the Lagoon of Venice. The biomarker responses suggested quite similar contamination levels in the entire Lagoon, although the relative impact of differing classes of pollutants changed among sites according to potential sources, as chemical analyses demonstrated. Overall, among the sampling sites investigated, Palude del Monte can represent an environmental risk area, bearing in mind its peculiar use for clam culture.

The evolution of the Lagoon of Venice as a paradigm of anthropogenic alteration of ecosystems: a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction through wide-area acoustic surveys and core sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Madricardo, Fantina; Donnici, Sandra

2013-04-01

The Lagoon of Venice (Italy) is the unique result of natural and anthropogenic changes. Through the centuries, human activities, steadily modified its environment, bringing it to the point that the Lagoon of Venice is itself a signature of human activities. Moreover, the historical city of Venice, a world heritage site, is threatened by flooding caused by sea level rises, so much so that major modifications of the lagoon inlets are ongoing in order to protect it. For these reasons, the Lagoon of Venice is at the same time a paradigm of a relatively circumscribed ecosystem in which the Anthropocene has started long ago, and a sensitive testbed of the environmental changes that are taking place at the global level. In this context, a large geophysical survey was carried out to explore the Holocene sediments in order to establish the natural evolution of the lagoon and the impact of human activities. The survey is the basis of an interdisciplinary study that has allowed the reconstruction of ancient landscapes of the lagoon from before its origin to present days. In particular, thanks to acoustic and geologic investigation of the lagoon sub-bottom, and by crossing our data with the environmental records provided by archaeological findings and by the city's historical archives, we could distinguish different phases of the lagoon evolution and evaluate the weight of human-induced changes We first mapped the position and the depth of the alluvial plain that was flooded during the last marine transgression, about 6000 years before present (BP), when the lagoon originated. Then, we mapped the areal extension of a dense network of palaeochannels and palaeosurfaces corresponding to different hydrological conditions and relative mean sea levels. Using many radiocarbon dating and the acoustical sub-bottom reconstruction, we could establish an average sedimentation rate of about 1 mm/year from 2500 and 1500 BP and 0.5 mm/year from 1500 BP up to present and an average migration

District heating rehabilitation project in Kaerdla on Hiiumaa, Estonia. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-03-01

The main objective of the project has been to assist Kaerdla Municipality with the rehabilitation of their district heating system with Danish technology, and thereby support and make it possible for the Municipality of Kaerdla to develop the district heating sector in Kaerdla and thereby also to reduce emissions of harmful gases to the environment, as well as making a much more rational and energy efficient system. The project would further on demonstrate the use of pre-insulated pipes, which are fully sealed against penetration of water as well as demonstrate the use of compact units as substations including weather compensation control systems for regulation of heat and hot tap water supply for the district heating consumers. Besides the project gives significantly decreases in energy consumption's and in the pollution from the production of energy, the objective of the project was also to put great stress on providing technical assistance to Kaerdla DH company, in order to make them capable in operation and maintenance of the new district heating system, and also to train the local operational staff in operation of the complete district heating system. The project will have a high demonstration value towards other towns in Estonia with similar problems and configurations of their heating systems. (EG)

District heating rehabilitation project in Kaerdla on Hiiumaa, Estonia. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

The main objective of the project has been to assist Kaerdla Municipality with the rehabilitation of their district heating system with Danish technology, and thereby support and make it possible for the Municipality of Kaerdla to develop the district heating sector in Kaerdla and thereby also to reduce emissions of harmful gases to the environment, as well as making a much more rational and energy efficient system. The project would further on demonstrate the use of pre-insulated pipes, which are fully sealed against penetration of water as well as demonstrate the use of compact units as substations including weather compensation control systems for regulation of heat and hot tap water supply for the district heating consumers. Besides the project gives significantly decreases in energy consumption`s and in the pollution from the production of energy, the objective of the project was also to put great stress on providing technical assistance to Kaerdla DH company, in order to make them capable in operation and maintenance of the new district heating system, and also to train the local operational staff in operation of the complete district heating system. The project will have a high demonstration value towards other towns in Estonia with similar problems and configurations of their heating systems. (EG)

High throughput, multiplexed pathogen detection authenticates plague waves in medieval Venice, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Thi-Nguyen-Ny; Signoli, Michel; Fozzati, Luigi; Aboudharam, Gérard; Raoult, Didier; Drancourt, Michel

2011-03-10

Historical records suggest that multiple burial sites from the 14th-16th centuries in Venice, Italy, were used during the Black Death and subsequent plague epidemics. High throughput, multiplexed real-time PCR detected DNA of seven highly transmissible pathogens in 173 dental pulp specimens collected from 46 graves. Bartonella quintana DNA was identified in five (2.9%) samples, including three from the 16th century and two from the 15th century, and Yersinia pestis DNA was detected in three (1.7%) samples, including two from the 14th century and one from the 16th century. Partial glpD gene sequencing indicated that the detected Y. pestis was the Orientalis biotype. These data document for the first time successive plague epidemics in the medieval European city where quarantine was first instituted in the 14th century.

Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling: Recent Experimental Approaches to Probe the Properties of Supercooled Liquids near the Glass Transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, R Scott; Kay, Bruce D

2012-03-15

Experimental measurements of the properties of supercooled liquids at temperatures near their glass transition temperatures, Tg, are requisite for understanding the behavior of glasses and amorphous solids. Unfortunately, many supercooled molecular liquids rapidly crystallize at temperatures far above their Tg, making such measurements difficult to nearly impossible. In this Perspective, we discuss some recent alternative approaches to obtain experimental data in the temperature regime near Tg. These new approaches may yield the additional experimental data necessary to test current theoretical models of the dynamical slowdown that occurs in supercooled liquids approaching the glass transition.

District heating rehabilitation project. Viljandi - Estonia. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-04-01

The main objective of the project has been to assist Viljandi Municipality with the rehabilitation of their district heating system, and thereby to support the positive development of the district heating system in Viljandi to a more energy efficient and rational system and to achieve a significantly decrease in the pollution from the production of heat energy in Viljandi. The project has also included technical assistance to Viljandi DH company, in order to make them capable of operation and maintaining of the new substations, and also training of the local operational staff for operation of the complete district heating system. Viljandi is a county and is centrally located in Estonia, which makes Viljandi very suitable as recipient for a demonstration project. One important objective was the projects significantly positive environmental impact in reduction of the generated emissions of CO 2 , NO x and SO 2 , as the project includes installation of more efficient energy systems and supply of heat from the 2 existing district heating plants (both are partly fired with wood chips) instead of heating by very old and worn-out coal fired boilers and inexpedient designed substations with the present operational conditions. (EG)

District heating rehabilitation project. Viljandi - Estonia. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-04-01

The main objective of the project has been to assist Viljandi Municipality with the rehabilitation of their district heating system, and thereby to support the positive development of the district heating system in Viljandi to a more energy efficient and rational system and to achieve a significantly decrease in the pollution from the production of heat energy in Viljandi. The project has also included technical assistance to Viljandi DH company, in order to make them capable of operation and maintaining of the new substations, and also training of the local operational staff for operation of the complete district heating system. Viljandi is a county and is centrally located in Estonia, which makes Viljandi very suitable as recipient for a demonstration project. One important objective was the projects significantly positive environmental impact in reduction of the generated emissions of CO{sub 2}, NO{sub x} and SO{sub 2}, as the project includes installation of more efficient energy systems and supply of heat from the 2 existing district heating plants (both are partly fired with wood chips) instead of heating by very old and worn-out coal fired boilers and inexpedient designed substations with the present operational conditions. (EG)

Assessing the Impact of Urban Improvement on Housing Values: A Hedonic Pricing and Multi-Attribute Analysis Model for the Historic Centre of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Rosato

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The Hedonic Pricing Method is one of the principal assessment methods for evaluating services and resources not normally exchanged on the market. However, the method is often unable to account for the great variety of qualities in an urban context and faces scarce and heterogeneous market data. This paper presents a model for the valuation of benefits generated by environmental and urban improvement investments adopting a mixed hedonic-multi-attribute procedure for modeling a value function of urban real estate values. The peculiarity of the model is that the independent variables are aggregated indicators, which synthetize more detailed characteristics. Using the expertise of real estate agents, all relevant variables influencing real estate values were weighted and synthetized in a set of cardinal indicators. Next, market prices were used to calibrate a hedonic function that transforms the cardinal indicators into real estate values. The valuation model was integrated into a GIS for mapping the housing value, and its variation induced by urban investment. The proposed model pointed out plausible and robust results, in particular, the possibility to use any available information, such as location, position, technical and economic characteristics of buildings, and organize it in a flexible and transparent way, and to keep evident the role of each characteristic through the hierarchical structure of the model. The model was applied to the real estate market of Venice to test the effects of the MOSE project (Electromechanical Experimental Module for the protection of Venice from high tides. The results of the application showed a relevant increase in real estate values in the center of Venice, especially related to property in ground floor units, of about 1.4 billion €.

Mercury in the food chain of the Lagoon of Venice, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dominik, Janusz; Tagliapietra, Davide; Bravo, Andrea G; Sigovini, Marco; Spangenberg, Jorge E; Amouroux, David; Zonta, Roberto

2014-11-15

Sediments and biota samples were collected in a restricted area of the Lagoon of Venice and analysed for total mercury, monomethyl mercury (MMHg), and nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Results were used to examine mercury biomagnification in a complex food chain. Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) proved to be a major source of nutrients and mercury to primary consumers. Contrary to inorganic mercury, MMHg was strongly biomagnified along the food chain, although the lognormal relationship between MMHg and δ(15)N was less constrained than generally reported from lakes or coastal marine ecosystems. The relationship improved when logMMHg concentrations were plotted against trophic positions derived from baseline δ(15)N estimate for primary consumers. From the regression slope a mean MMHg trophic magnification factor of 10 was obtained. Filter-feeding benthic bivalves accumulated more MMHg than other primary consumers and were probably important in MMHg transfer from sediments to higher levels of the food chain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct conversion of plutonium-containing materials to borosilicate glass for storage or disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.W.; Beahm, E.C.

1995-01-01

A new process, the Glass Material Oxidation and Dissolution System (GMODS), has been invented for the direct conversion of plutonium metal, scrap, and residue into borosilicate glass. The glass should be acceptable for either the long-term storage or disposition of plutonium. Conversion of plutonium from complex chemical mixtures and variable geometries into homogeneous glass (1) simplifies safeguards and security; (2) creates a stable chemical form that meets health, safety, and environmental concerns; (3) provides an easy storage form; (4) may lower storage costs; and (5) allows for future disposition options. In the GMODS process, mixtures of metals, ceramics, organics, and amorphous solids containing plutonium are fed directly into a glass melter where they are directly converted to glass. Conventional glass melters can accept materials only in oxide form; thus, it is its ability to accept materials in multiple chemical forms that makes GMODS a unique glass making process. Initial proof-of-principle experiments have converted cerium (plutonium surrogate), uranium, stainless steel, aluminum, and other materials to glass. Significant technical uncertainties remain because of the early nature of process development

A Re-evaluation of the Physiochemistry of Glass on the Basis of Recent Developments and its Relevance to the Glass Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veer, F.A.; Bristogianni, Telesilla; Justino de Lima, Clarissa; Louter, Christian; Bos, Freek; Belis, Jan; Veer, Fred; Nijsse, Rob

The classical image of glass is that of a rigid, transparent brittle material characterized by a non-crystalline microstructure. This 19th and 20th century image however is mostly based on the contrast between soda lime glass and metals. It does not really make sense in the 21th century where more

Cold crucible induction melter studies for making glass ceramic waste forms: A feasibility assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crum, Jarrod; Maio, Vince; McCloy, John; Scott, Clark; Riley, Brian; Benefiel, Brad; Vienna, John; Archibald, Kip; Rodriguez, Carmen; Rutledge, Veronica; Zhu, Zihua; Ryan, Joe; Olszta, Matthew

2014-01-01

Glass ceramics are being developed to immobilize fission products, separated from used nuclear fuel by aqueous reprocessing, into a stable waste form suitable for disposal in a geological repository. This work documents the glass ceramic formulation at bench scale and for a scaled melter test performed in a pilot-scale (∼1/4 scale) cold crucible induction melter (CCIM). Melt viscosity, electrical conductivity, and crystallization behavior upon cooling were measured on a small set of compositions to select a formulation for melter testing. Property measurements also identified a temperature range for melter operation and cooling profiles necessary to crystallize the targeted phases in the waste form. Bench scale and melter run results successfully demonstrate the processability of the glass ceramic using the CCIM melter technology

Understanding the organisational culture of district health services: Mahalapye and Ngamiland health districts of Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Nkomazana, Oathokwa; Mash, Robert; Phaladze, Nthabiseng

2015-11-30

Botswana has a shortage of health care workers, especially in primary healthcare. Retention and high performance of employees are closely linked to job satisfaction and motivation, which are both highest where employees' personal values and goals are realised. The aim of the study was to evaluate employees' personal values, and the current and desired organisational culture of the district health services as experienced by the primary health care workers. The study was conducted in the Ngamiland and Mahalapye health districts. This was a cross sectional survey. The participants were asked to select 10 values that best described their personal, current organisational and desired organisational values from a predetermined list. Sixty and 67 health care workers completed the survey in Mahalapye and Ngamiland districts, respectively. The top 10 prevalent organisational values experienced in both districts were: teamwork, patient satisfaction, blame, confusion, job insecurity, not sharing information and manipulation. When all the current values were assessed, 32% (Mahalapye) and 36% (Ngamiland) selected by health care workers were potentially limiting organisational effectiveness. The organisational values desired by health care workers in both districts were: transparency, professional growth, staff recognition, shared decision-making, accountability, productivity, leadership development and teamwork. The experience of the primary health care workers in the two health districts were overwhelmingly negative, which is likely to contribute to low levels of motivation, job satisfaction, productivity and high attrition rates. There is therefore urgent need for organisational transformation with a focus on staff experience and leadership development.

Glass consistency and glass performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plodinec, M.J.; Ramsey, W.G.

1994-01-01

Glass produced by the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) will have to consistently be more durable than a benchmark glass (evaluated using a short-term leach test), with high confidence. The DWPF has developed a Glass Product Control Program to comply with this specification. However, it is not clear what relevance product consistency has on long-term glass performance. In this report, the authors show that DWPF glass, produced in compliance with this specification, can be expected to effectively limit the release of soluble radionuclides to natural environments. However, the release of insoluble radionuclides to the environment will be limited by their solubility, and not glass durability

High Throughput, Multiplexed Pathogen Detection Authenticates Plague Waves in Medieval Venice, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Thi-Nguyen-Ny; Signoli, Michel; Fozzati, Luigi; Aboudharam, Gérard; Raoult, Didier; Drancourt, Michel

2011-01-01

Background Historical records suggest that multiple burial sites from the 14th–16th centuries in Venice, Italy, were used during the Black Death and subsequent plague epidemics. Methodology/Principal Findings High throughput, multiplexed real-time PCR detected DNA of seven highly transmissible pathogens in 173 dental pulp specimens collected from 46 graves. Bartonella quintana DNA was identified in five (2.9%) samples, including three from the 16th century and two from the 15th century, and Yersinia pestis DNA was detected in three (1.7%) samples, including two from the 14th century and one from the 16th century. Partial glpD gene sequencing indicated that the detected Y. pestis was the Orientalis biotype. Conclusions These data document for the first time successive plague epidemics in the medieval European city where quarantine was first instituted in the 14th century. PMID:21423736

Radar-driven high-resolution hydro-meteorological forecasts of the 26 September 2007 Venice flash flood

Science.gov (United States)

Rossa, Andrea M.; Laudanna Del Guerra, Franco; Borga, Marco; Zanon, Francesco; Settin, Tommaso; Leuenberger, Daniel

2010-11-01

SummaryThis study aims to assess the feasibility of assimilating carefully checked radar rainfall estimates into a numerical weather prediction (NWP) to extend the forecasting lead time for an extreme flash flood. The hydro-meteorological modeling chain includes the convection-permitting NWP model COSMO-2 and a coupled hydrological-hydraulic model. Radar rainfall estimates are assimilated into the NWP model via the latent heat nudging method. The study is focused on 26 September 2007 extreme flash flood which impacted the coastal area of North-eastern Italy around Venice. The hydro-meteorological modeling system is implemented over the 90 km2 Dese river basin draining to the Venice Lagoon. The radar rainfall observations are carefully checked for artifacts, including rain-induced signal attenuation, by means of physics-based correction procedures and comparison with a dense network of raingauges. The impact of the radar rainfall estimates in the assimilation cycle of the NWP model is very significant. The main individual organized convective systems are successfully introduced into the model state, both in terms of timing and localization. Also, high-intensity incorrectly localized precipitation is correctly reduced to about the observed levels. On the other hand, the highest rainfall intensities computed after assimilation underestimate the observed values by 20% and 50% at a scale of 20 km and 5 km, respectively. The positive impact of assimilating radar rainfall estimates is carried over into the free forecast for about 2-5 h, depending on when the forecast was started. The positive impact is larger when the main mesoscale convective system is present in the initial conditions. The improvements in the precipitation forecasts are propagated to the river flow simulations, with an extension of the forecasting lead time up to 3 h.

Variation in adult vaccination policies across Europe: an overview from VENICE network on vaccine recommendations, funding and coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanitz, Elisabeth E; Wu, Lauren A; Giambi, Cristina; Strikas, Raymond A; Levy-Bruhl, Daniel; Stefanoff, Pawel; Mereckiene, Jolita; Appelgren, Eva; D'Ancona, Fortunato

2012-07-27

In 2010-2011, in the framework of the VENICE project, we surveyed European Union (EU) and Economic Area (EEA) countries to fill the gap of information regarding vaccination policies in adults. This project was carried out in collaboration with the United States National Vaccine Program Office, who conducted a similar survey in all developed countries. VENICE representatives of all 29 EU/EEA-countries received an online questionnaire including vaccination schedule, recommendations, funding and coverage in adults for 17 vaccine-preventable diseases. The response rate was 100%. The definition of age threshold for adulthood for the purpose of vaccination ranged from 15 to 19 years (median=18 years). EU/EEA-countries recommend between 4 and 16 vaccines for adults (median=11 vaccines). Tetanus and diphtheria vaccines are recommended to all adults in 22 and 21 countries respectively. The other vaccines are mostly recommended to specific risk groups; recommendations for seasonal influenza and hepatitis B exist in all surveyed countries. Six countries have a comprehensive summary document or schedule describing all vaccines which are recommended for adults. None of the surveyed countries was able to provide coverage estimates for all the recommended adult vaccines. Vaccination policies for adults are not consistent across Europe, including the meaning of "recommended vaccine" which is not comparable among countries. Coverage data for adults should be collected routinely like for children vaccination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition of 12-18th century window glass in Belgium: Non-figurative windows in secular buildings and stained-glass windows in religious buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schalm, Olivier; Janssens, Koen; Wouters, Hilde; Caluwe, Danielle

2007-01-01

A set of ca. 500 window glass fragments originating from different historical sites in Belgium and covering the period 12 th -18 th century was analyzed by means of electron probe microanalysis. Most samples are archaeological finds deriving from non-figurative windows in secular buildings. However, the analyzed set also contains glass sampled from still existing non-figurative windows in secular buildings and stained-glass windows in religious buildings. A sudden compositional change at the end of the 14 th century can be noticed among the series of glass compositions that were obtained. These changes could be related to the use of different glassmaker recipes and to the introduction of new raw materials for glass making

Composition of 12-18 th century window glass in Belgium: Non-figurative windows in secular buildings and stained-glass windows in religious buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Schalm, Olivier; Janssens, Koen; Wouters, Hilde; Caluwé, Danielle

2007-07-01

A set of ca. 500 window glass fragments originating from different historical sites in Belgium and covering the period 12 th-18 th century was analyzed by means of electron probe microanalysis. Most samples are archaeological finds deriving from non-figurative windows in secular buildings. However, the analyzed set also contains glass sampled from still existing non-figurative windows in secular buildings and stained-glass windows in religious buildings. A sudden compositional change at the end of the 14 th century can be noticed among the series of glass compositions that were obtained. These changes could be related to the use of different glassmaker recipes and to the introduction of new raw materials for glass making.

The Problem: Low-Achieving Districts and Low-Performing Boards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David E. Lee

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Effective school districts maintain superintendent and school board collegiality which can foster success and connectedness among members. Delagardelle and Alsbury (2008 found that superintendents and board members are not consistent in their perceptions about the work the board does, and Glass (2007 found that states do not require boards to undergo evaluation for effectiveness. In the current study, 115 board meetings were observed using the School Board Video Project (SBVP survey, which was created in 2012 by researchers to uncover school board meetings’ effectiveness. MANOVA, Univariate ANOVA, and Pearson Chi-Square test results revealed significant differences between low-, medium-, and high-performing districts’ school board meetings. Evidence indicated that low-performing districts’ board meetings were: less orderly; had less time spent on student achievement; lacked respectful and attentive engagement across speakers; had board meeting members who seemed to advance their own agenda; had less effective working relationships among the governance team; had fewer board members who relied on the superintendent for advice and input; had one member, other than the board president, stand out for taking excessive time during meetings; and did not focus on policy items as much as high- and medium-performing school districts. The research concluded that more school board members from low-performing districts needed training to improve their effectiveness. Furthermore, highly refined and target-enhanced school board training programs might lead to lasting governance success and more effective teaming that could improve district, and ultimately, student achievement.

Understanding the organisational culture of district health services: Mahalapye and Ngamiland health districts of Botswana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oathokwa Nkomazana

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Botswana has a shortage of health care workers, especially in primary healthcare. Retention and high performance of employees are closely linked to job satisfaction and motivation, which are both highest where employees’ personal values and goals are realised. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate employees’ personal values, and the current and desired organisational culture of the district health services as experienced by the primary health care workers. Setting: The study was conducted in the Ngamiland and Mahalapye health districts. Method: This was a cross sectional survey. The participants were asked to select 10 values that best described their personal, current organisational and desired organisational values from a predetermined list. Results: Sixty and 67 health care workers completed the survey in Mahalapye and Ngamiland districts, respectively. The top 10 prevalent organisational values experienced in both districts were: teamwork, patient satisfaction, blame, confusion, job insecurity, not sharing information and manipulation. When all the current values were assessed, 32% (Mahalapye and 36% (Ngamiland selected by health care workers were potentially limiting organisational effectiveness. The organisational values desired by health care workers in both districts were: transparency, professional growth, staff recognition, shared decision-making, accountability, productivity, leadership development and teamwork. Conclusions: The experience of the primary health care workers in the two health districts were overwhelmingly negative, which is likely to contribute to low levels of motivation, job satisfaction, productivity and high attrition rates. There is therefore urgent need for organisational transformation with a focus on staff experience and leadership development.

Nafion Coated Electrodes as Voltammetric Sensors for Iron Analysis in Sediments and Pore Waters: an Example from the Lagoon of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuele Argese

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Glassy carbon electrodes coated with Nafion are used for the ion-exchange voltammetric (IEV determination of Fe(II in the pore-waters and acidic extracts of sediments of the lagoon of Venice (Italy. The coated electrodes give reversible voltammetric signals, well resolved from background currents, which can be used for quantitative determinations. The yield of iron extracted by HCl from the sediment depends on the experimental conditions, in particular on the concentration of hydrochloric acid. By combining IEV on the acid extract with trapping and analysis of gaseous H2S evolved it is possible to obtain quantitative information both on the total content of iron dissolved by the acid attack and on the fraction of iron present in the form of acid volatile sulphides (AVS. As far as pore-waters are concerned, in this kind of samples the IEV determination of iron can be performed simply after dilution with HCl. The pore-waters here examined were sampled without alteration of their equilibrium conditions by using a suitable “in situ” sampler. IEV data obtained in samples from the lagoon of Venice (Italy show satisfactory correlation with previous results obtained using different analytical techniques.

Determination of leachable arsenic from glass ampoules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kayasth, S.R.; Swain, K.K.

2004-01-01

Appreciable amounts of different arsenic compounds are used in the manufacture of glass and glass ampoules (injection vials and bottles) used to store drugs. Exposure/intake of arsenic to human beings may result in skin ulceration, injury to mucous membranes, perforation of nasal septum, skin cancer and keratoses, especially of the palms and soles and may cause detrimental effects. Considering the toxicity of arsenic, even if traces of arsenic from such glass containers/ampoules are leached out, it can impart damage to human beings. To check the possibility of leaching of arsenic from glass ampoules, a simple methodology has been developed. Different makes and varieties of glass ampoules filled with de-ionized water were subjected to high pressure and temperature leaching for varying amount of time using autoclave to create extreme conditions for the maximum leaching out of the analyte. Subsequently, the determination of the arsenic contents in leached water using neutron activation analysis is reported in detail with observations. (author)

Making Team Differences Work

Science.gov (United States)

Strathman, Beth

2015-01-01

Most district and school leaders understand that recruiting group members who have differing backgrounds, perspectives, talents, and personalities makes for good decision-making. Unfortunately, simply assembling a variety of top-notch individuals does not necessarily mean their talents and perspectives will be fully considered. Beth Strathman…

Tamper-indicating device having a glass body

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Roger G.; Garcia, Anthony R. E.

2003-04-29

A tamper-indicating device is described. The device has a first glass body member and a second glass body member that are attached to each other through a hasp. The glass body members of the device can be tempered. The body members can be configured with hollow volumes into which powders, microparticles, liquids, gels, or combinations thereof are sealed. The choice, the amount, and the location of these materials can produce a visible, band pattern to provide each body member with a unique fingerprint identifier, which makes it extremely difficult to repair or replace once it is damaged in order to avoid tamper detection.

Tool for economic and environmental analysis of hybrid plants for district cooling and district heating - 'District cooling 2.0'. Final report and user guide; Vaerktoej til oekonomisk og miljoemaessig analyse af hybridanlaeg til fjernkoeling og fjernvarme. Fjernkoel 2.0. Slutrapport og brugermanual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-03-15

The purpose of the tool is to help bring district cooling solutions into consideration by facilitating rapid technical / economic and environmental analysis of district cooling solutions - also with heat pump operation. The tool is a screening tool intended for specific cases with actual data from reality. The tool can analyze the simultaneous production of heat and cooling, and use of storage can make district cooling even more profitable. It is also possible to analyze the importance of flexible electricity and heating prices and see how they can be utilized, including the calculation of the probable prices on heating and cooling, and investments. The tool can make calculations on the following plant types: - Systems with only cooling without cold storage; - Systems with only cooling with cold storage; - Systems with cooling and heating controlled by cooling - with heat storage; - Systems with heating and cooling controlled by heating - with heating and cooling storage; - Systems with cooling and heating with optimized management - with heat storage. The tool can also be used to make general assessments, for example, to analyze the importance of flexible electricity and heating prices of typical district cooling systems, and for that matter, heat pump systems. (LN)

Radiation-induced transmission spectral variations of Ce3+-doped heavy germanate glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yunxia; Baccaro, S.; Cecilia, A.; Rao Jinhua; Zhang Junbiao; Xia Fang; Chen Guorong

2005-01-01

Radiation-induced transmission spectral variations of Ce 3+ -doped heavy germanate glasses used as scintillating materials are presented. Glass matrix contains mainly GeO 2 , BaO and Gd 2 O 3 with a density higher than 5 g/cm 3 . Glasses are melted in the different atmosphere. The transmission spectra of glasses before and after radiation treatments are measured and compared. Unlike exhibiting the monotonous deterioration effect on the glass matrix, radiation plays the radiation protection role, even making enhanced transmission of Ce 3+ -doped glasses, depending upon glass melting atmosphere and radiation dose. Radiation-induced reducing and oxidizing mechanism is proposed to explain phenomena

75 FR 59288 - National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-27

... FLORIDA Sarasota County John Nolen Plan of Venice Historic District, Laguna Dr on N, Home Park Rd on E... Methodist Episcopal Church, 2226 Fries Mill Rd, Monroe Township, 10000835 OHIO Franklin County North.... 2010-24042 Filed 9-24-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312-51-P ...

Heisenberg spin glass experiments and the chiral ordering scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, Ian A.; Petit, Dorothee C.M.C.

2010-01-01

An overview is given of experimental data on Heisenberg spin glass materials so as to make detailed comparisons with numerical results on model Heisenberg spin glasses, with particular reference to the chiral driven ordering transition scenario due to Kawamura and collaborators. On weak anisotropy systems, experiments show critical exponents which are very similar to those estimated numerically for the model Heisenberg chiral ordering transition but which are quite different from those at Ising spin glass transitions. Again on weak anisotropy Heisenberg spin glasses, experimental torque data show well defined in-field transverse ordering transitions up to strong applied fields, in contrast to Ising spin glasses where fields destroy ordering. When samples with stronger anisotropies are studied, critical and in-field behavior tend progressively towards the Ising limit. It can be concluded that the essential physics of laboratory Heisenberg spin glasses mirrors that of model Heisenberg spin glasses, where chiral ordering has been demonstrated numerically. (author)

DWPF GLASS BEADS AND GLASS FRIT TRANSPORT DEMONSTRATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adamson, D; Bradley Pickenheim, B

2008-11-24

DWPF is considering replacing irregularly shaped glass frit with spherical glass beads in the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) process to decrease the yield stress of the melter feed (a non-Newtonian Bingham Plastic). Pilot-scale testing was conducted on spherical glass beads and glass frit to determine how well the glass beads would transfer when compared to the glass frit. Process Engineering Development designed and constructed the test apparatus to aid in the understanding and impacts that spherical glass beads may have on the existing DWPF Frit Transfer System. Testing was conducted to determine if the lines would plug with the glass beads and the glass frit slurry and what is required to unplug the lines. The flow loop consisted of vertical and horizontal runs of clear PVC piping, similar in geometry to the existing system. Two different batches of glass slurry were tested: a batch of 50 wt% spherical glass beads and a batch of 50 wt% glass frit in process water. No chemicals such as formic acid was used in slurry, only water and glass formers. The glass beads used for this testing were commercially available borosilicate glass of mesh size -100+200. The glass frit was Frit 418 obtained from DWPF and is nominally -45+200 mesh. The spherical glass beads did not have a negative impact on the frit transfer system. The transferring of the spherical glass beads was much easier than the glass frit. It was difficult to create a plug with glass bead slurry in the pilot transfer system. When a small plug occurred from setting overnight with the spherical glass beads, the plug was easy to displace using only the pump. In the case of creating a man made plug in a vertical line, by filling the line with spherical glass beads and allowing the slurry to settle for days, the plug was easy to remove by using flush water. The glass frit proved to be much more difficult to transfer when compared to the spherical glass beads. The glass frit impacted the transfer system to the point

DWPF GLASS BEADS AND GLASS FRIT TRANSPORT DEMONSTRATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamson, D.; Pickenheim, Bradley

2008-01-01

DWPF is considering replacing irregularly shaped glass frit with spherical glass beads in the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) process to decrease the yield stress of the melter feed (a non-Newtonian Bingham Plastic). Pilot-scale testing was conducted on spherical glass beads and glass frit to determine how well the glass beads would transfer when compared to the glass frit. Process Engineering Development designed and constructed the test apparatus to aid in the understanding and impacts that spherical glass beads may have on the existing DWPF Frit Transfer System. Testing was conducted to determine if the lines would plug with the glass beads and the glass frit slurry and what is required to unplug the lines. The flow loop consisted of vertical and horizontal runs of clear PVC piping, similar in geometry to the existing system. Two different batches of glass slurry were tested: a batch of 50 wt% spherical glass beads and a batch of 50 wt% glass frit in process water. No chemicals such as formic acid was used in slurry, only water and glass formers. The glass beads used for this testing were commercially available borosilicate glass of mesh size -100+200. The glass frit was Frit 418 obtained from DWPF and is nominally -45+200 mesh. The spherical glass beads did not have a negative impact on the frit transfer system. The transferring of the spherical glass beads was much easier than the glass frit. It was difficult to create a plug with glass bead slurry in the pilot transfer system. When a small plug occurred from setting overnight with the spherical glass beads, the plug was easy to displace using only the pump. In the case of creating a man made plug in a vertical line, by filling the line with spherical glass beads and allowing the slurry to settle for days, the plug was easy to remove by using flush water. The glass frit proved to be much more difficult to transfer when compared to the spherical glass beads. The glass frit impacted the transfer system to the point

Comparison of PM10 concentrations and metal content in three different sites of the Venice Lagoon: an analysis of possible aerosol sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Contini, Daniele; Belosi, Franco; Gambaro, Andrea; Cesari, Daniela; Stortini, Angela Maria; Bove, Maria Chiara

2012-01-01

The Venice Lagoon is exposed to atmospheric pollutants from industrial activities, thermoelectric power plants, petrochemical plants, incinerator, domestic heating, ship traffic, glass factories and vehicular emissions on the mainland. In 2005, construction began on the mobile dams (MOSE), one dam for each channel connecting the lagoon to the Adriatic Sea as a barrier against high tide. These construction works could represent an additional source of pollutants. PM10 samples were taken on random days between 2007 and 2010 at three different sites: Punta Sabbioni, Chioggia and Malamocco, located near the respective dam construction worksites. Chemical analyses of V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl and Pb in PM10 samples were performed by Inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) and results were used to identify the main aerosol sources. The correlation of measured data with meteorology, and source apportionment, failed to highlight a contribution specifically associated to the emissions of the MOSE construction works. The comparison of the measurements at the three sites showed a substantial homogeneity of metal concentrations in the area. Source apportionment with principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) showed that a four principal factors model could describe the sources of metals in PM10. Three of them were assigned to specific sources in the area and one was characterised as a source of mixed origin (anthropogenic and crustal). A specific anthropogenic source of PM10 rich in Ni and Cr, active at the Chioggia site, was also identified.

Effect of different glasses in glass bonded zeolite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, M.A.; Ackerman, J.P.; Verma, S.

1995-01-01

A mineral waste form has been developed for chloride waste salt generated during the pyrochemical treatment of spent nuclear fuel. The waste form consists of salt-occluded zeolite powders bound within a glass matrix. The zeolite contains the salt and immobilizes the fission products. The zeolite powders are hot pressed to form a mechanically stable, durable glass bonded zeolite. Further development of glass bonded zeolite as a waste form requires an understanding of the interaction between the glass and the zeolite. Properties of the glass that enhance binding and durability of the glass bonded zeolite need to be identified. Three types of glass, boroaluminosilicate, soda-lime silicate, and high silica glasses, have a range of properties and are now being investigated. Each glass was hot pressed by itself and with an equal amount of zeolite. MCC-1 leach tests were run on both. Soda-lime silicate and high silica glasses did not give a durable glass bonded zeolite. Boroaluminosilicate glasses rich in alkaline earths did bind the zeolite and gave a durable glass bonded zeolite. Scanning electron micrographs suggest that the boroaluminosilicate glasses wetted the zeolite powders better than the other glasses. Development of the glass bonded zeolite as a waste form for chloride waste salt is continuing

Breaking the glass ceiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarus, A

1997-03-01

The glass ceiling is a form of organizational bias and discrimination that prevents qualified professionals from achieving positions of top governance and leadership. This article examines glass ceiling barriers that keep physicians from the upper reaches of management. While these factors apply mainly to women and minority physicians in academia, and are attributable to sexual harassment and discrimination, physicians as a class are frequently denied executive management positions. Such denial results from inadequate preparation for a career in health care administration. Important issues in the professional development of physician executives include mentoring, training and education, administrative experience, and cultural and personality factors. All of those must be considered when making the transition from medicine to management.

Butyltins and phenyltins in biota and sediments from the Lagoon of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelo Bortoli

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Sediments and organisms were sampled to determine organotin contents - butyltins (BTs and phenyltins (PhTs - at 12 locations in an estuarine ecosystem, the Lagoon of Venice, characterised by varying contamination impacts. The results showed that organotin contamination in sediments is at lower levels, ranging from 2.5 ± 0.1 to 84 ± 1 ng g-1 (d.w. for SigmaBTs and from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 7 ± 1 ng g-1 (d.w., for SigmaPHTs, than in organisms, where the highest concentrations were found infilter feeders like mussels - from 60 ± 3 to 7632 ± 148 ng g-1 (d.w. for SigmaBTs and from 0.80 ± 0.01 to 4005 ± 121 ng g-1 (d.w. for SigmaPHTs. The possible risk to human health was assessed on the basis of the consumption of edible species sampled in some areas of the lagoon.

Toward 4th generation district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend; Dalla Rosa, Alessandro

2014-01-01

In many countries, district heating (DH) has a key role in the national strategic energy planning. However, tighter legislation on new and future buildings requires much less heating demand which subsequently causes relative high network heat loss. This will make current DH system uneconomical co...

Zr-Cu-Ni-Al bulk metallic glasses with superhigh glass-forming ability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Y.J.; Qu, D.D.; Huang, Y.J.; Liss, K.-D.; Wei, X.S.; Xing, D.W.; Shen, J.

2009-01-01

Zr-Cu-Ni-Al quaternary amorphous alloy compositions with varying glass-forming ability are developed by an efficient method of proportional mixing of binary eutectics. The critical diameter of the glassy sample is improved from 6 mm for Zr 53 Cu 18.7 Ni 12 Al 16.3 to 14 mm for Zr 50.7 Cu 28 Ni 9 Al 12.3 by straightforwardly adjusting the eutectic unit's coefficients. The drastic improvement in GFA is attributed to balancing the chemical affinities of the Zr, Cu, Ni and Al components in the melt prior to solidification which makes the precipitation of competing crystalline phases more difficult. As the glass-forming ability increases, the concentration of Cu in the alloys exhibits a same trend. Based on synchrotron radiation high-energy X-ray diffraction analysis and Miracle's structural model, it is envisioned that the substitution of additional Cu atoms for Zr atoms in the investigated alloys stabilizes the efficient cluster packing structure of the amorphous alloys, leading to the pronounced increase in their glass-forming ability

Testing lagoonal sediments with early life stages of the copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana): An approach to assess sediment toxicity in the Venice Lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Picone, Marco; Bergamin, Martina; Delaney, Eugenia; Ghirardini, Annamaria Volpi; Kusk, Kresten Ole

2018-01-01

The early-life stages of development of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa from egg to copepodite I is proposed as an endpoint for assessing sediment toxicity by exposing newly released eggs directly onto the sediment-water interface. A preliminary study of 5 sediment samples collected in the lagoon of Venice highlighted that the larval development rate (LDR) and the early-life stages (ELS) mortality endpoints with A. tonsa are more sensitive than the standard amphipod mortality test; moreover LDR resulted in a more reliable endpoint than ELS mortality, due to the interference of the sediment with the recovery of unhatched eggs and dead larvae. The LDR data collected in a definitive study of 48 sediment samples from the Venice Lagoon has been analysed together with the preliminary data to evaluate the statistical performances of the bioassay (among replicate variance and minimum significant difference between samples and control) and to investigate the possible correlation with sediment chemistry and physical properties. The results showed that statistical performances of the LDR test with A. tonsa correspond with the outcomes of other tests applied to the sediment-water interface (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryotoxicity test), sediments (Neanthes arenaceodentata survival and growth test) and porewater (S. purpuratus); the LDR endpoint did, however, show a slightly higher variance as compared with other tests used in the Lagoon of Venice, such as 10-d amphipod lethality test and larval development with sea urchin and bivalves embryos. Sediment toxicity data highlighted the high sensitivity and the clear ability of the larval development to discriminate among sediments characterized by different levels of contamination. The data of the definitive study evidenced that inhibition of the larval development was not affected by grain-size and the organic carbon content of the sediment; in contrast, a strong correlation between inhibition of the larval development

210Pb and 137Cs as chronometers for salt marsh accretion in the Venice Lagoon - links to flooding frequency and climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellucci, L G; Frignani, M; Cochran, J K; Albertazzi, S; Zaggia, L; Cecconi, G; Hopkins, H

2007-01-01

Five salt marsh sediment cores from different parts of the Venice Lagoon were studied to determine their depositional history and its relationship with the environmental changes occurred during the past approximately 100 years. X-radiographs of the cores show no disturbance related to particle mixing. Accretion rates were calculated using a constant flux model applied to excess (210)Pb distributions in the cores. The record of (137)Cs fluxes to the sites, determined from (137)Cs profiles and the (210)Pb chronologies, shows inputs from the global fallout of (137)Cs in the late 1950s to early 1960s and the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Average accretion rates in the cores are comparable to the long-term average rate of mean sea level rise in the Venice Lagoon ( approximately 0.25 cm y(-1)) except for a core collected in a marsh presumably affected by inputs from the Dese River. Short-term variations in accretion rate are correlated with the cumulative frequency of flooding, as determined by records of Acqua Alta, in four of the five cores, suggesting that variations in the phenomena causing flooding (such as wind patterns, storm frequency and NAO) are short-term driving forces for variations in marsh accretion rate.

210Pb and 137Cs as chronometers for salt marsh accretion in the Venice Lagoon - links to flooding frequency and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellucci, L.G.; Frignani, M.; Cochran, J.K.; Albertazzi, S.; Zaggia, L.; Cecconi, G.; Hopkins, H.

2007-01-01

Five salt marsh sediment cores from different parts of the Venice Lagoon were studied to determine their depositional history and its relationship with the environmental changes occurred during the past ∼100 years. X-radiographs of the cores show no disturbance related to particle mixing. Accretion rates were calculated using a constant flux model applied to excess 210 Pb distributions in the cores. The record of 137 Cs fluxes to the sites, determined from 137 Cs profiles and the 210 Pb chronologies, shows inputs from the global fallout of 137 Cs in the late 1950s to early 1960s and the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Average accretion rates in the cores are comparable to the long-term average rate of mean sea level rise in the Venice Lagoon (∼0.25 cm y -1 ) except for a core collected in a marsh presumably affected by inputs from the Dese River. Short-term variations in accretion rate are correlated with the cumulative frequency of flooding, as determined by records of Acqua Alta, in four of the five cores, suggesting that variations in the phenomena causing flooding (such as wind patterns, storm frequency and NAO) are short-term driving forces for variations in marsh accretion rate

Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Akademigatan 1, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

2009-02-15

Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Oestersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey. (author)

Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif

2009-01-01

Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Ostersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey

Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Akademigatan 1, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

2009-02-15

Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Oestersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey. (author)

Decentralization in Zambia: resource allocation and district performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bossert, Thomas; Chitah, Mukosha Bona; Bowser, Diana

2003-12-01

Zambia implemented an ambitious process of health sector decentralization in the mid 1990s. This article presents an assessment of the degree of decentralization, called 'decision space', that was allowed to districts in Zambia, and an analysis of data on districts available at the national level to assess allocation choices made by local authorities and some indicators of the performance of the health systems under decentralization. The Zambian officials in health districts had a moderate range of choice over expenditures, user fees, contracting, targeting and governance. Their choices were quite limited over salaries and allowances and they did not have control over additional major sources of revenue, like local taxes. The study found that the formula for allocation of government funding which was based on population size and hospital beds resulted in relatively equal per capita expenditures among districts. Decentralization allowed the districts to make decisions on internal allocation of resources and on user fee levels and expenditures. General guidelines for the allocation of resources established a maximum and minimum percentage to be allocated to district offices, hospitals, health centres and communities. Districts tended to exceed the maximum for district offices, but the large urban districts and those without public district hospitals were not even reaching the minimum for hospital allocations. Wealthier and urban districts were more successful in raising revenue through user fees, although the proportion of total expenditures that came from user fees was low. An analysis of available indicators of performance, such as the utilization of health services, immunization coverage and family planning activities, found little variation during the period 1995-98 except for a decline in immunization coverage, which may have also been affected by changes in donor funding. These findings suggest that decentralization may not have had either a positive or

Slumped glass option for making the XEUS mirrors: preliminary design and ongoing developments

Science.gov (United States)

Ghigo, M.; Canestrari, R.; Proserpio, L.; Dell'Orto, E.; Basso, S.; Citterio, O.; Pareschi, G.; Parodi, Giancarlo

2008-07-01

The XEUS mission (X-ray Evolving-Universe Spectroscopy Mission) of ESA, in the present configuration has a mirror collecting area in the order of 5-6 m2 @ 1 keV, 2 m2 @ 7 keV and 1 m2 @ 10 keV. These large collecting areas could be obtained with a mirror assembly composed of a large number of high quality segments each being able to deliver the angular resolution requested by the mission or better. The XEUS telescope will fit in the fairing of an Ariane 5 ECA launcher and hence its diameter is presently of about 4.5 m. The request in terms of angular resolution of the telescope has been set to 5 arcsec with a goal of 2 arcsec. Due to the large size of the optics it is impossible to create closed shells like those used for XMM or Chandra and hence it will be necessary to assemble a large number of segments (for example of ~0.6 m x ~0.3 m size) to recreate the mirror shells. These segments will form a module, an optical sub-unit of the telescope. The modules will be assembled to form the whole mirror system. As for all the space missions, the limits imposed on the payload mass budget by the launcher is the main driver that force the use of very lightweight optics and this request is of course very challenging. For example, the current design for XEUS foresees a geometric-area/mass ratio better than about 30 cm2/kg. In this article is illustrated a possible approach for the realization of large size and lightweight X-ray mirrors that derive from an experience gained from a previous work made in INAF-OAB on the thermal slumping of thin glass optics. The process foresees the use of a mould having a good optical figure but opposite shape respect to the segment to be slumped. On the mould is placed an initially flat glass sheet. With a suitable thermal cycle the glass sheet is conformed to the mould shape. Once tested for acceptance the glass sheet it is then integrated into a module by means of a robotic arm having a feedback system to confirm the correct alignment. A

Hydrogen transport and storage in engineered glass microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rambach, G.D.

1995-02-28

New, high strength glass microspheres filled with pressurized hydrogen exhibit densities which make them attractive for bulk hydrogen storage and transport. The membrane tensile stress at failure for engineered glass microspheres is about 150,000 psi, permitting a three-fold increase in pressure limit and storage capacity above commercial microspheres, which have been studied a decade ago and have been shown to fail at membrane stresses of 50,000 psi. This analysis relating glass microspheres for hydrogen transport with infrastructure and economics, indicate that pressurized microspheres can be economically competitive with other forms of bulk rail and truck transport such as pressurized tube transports and liquid hydrogen trailers. This paper will describe the matching of current glass microspheres with the useful application in commercial hydrogen bulk transport and storage.

Benefits of a STEAM Collaboration in Newark, New Jersey: Volcano Simulation through a Glass-Making Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Alexander E.

2017-01-01

A simulated physical model of volcanic processes using a glass art studio greatly enhanced enthusiasm and learning among urban, middle- to high-school aged, largely underrepresented minority students in Newark, New Jersey. The collaboration of a geoscience department with a glass art studio to create a science, technology, engineering, arts, and…

Quartz crystal reinforced quartz glass by spark plasma sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torikai, D.; Barazani, B.; Ono, E.; Santos, M.F.M.; Suzuki, C.K.

2011-01-01

The Spark Plasma Sintering presents fast processing time when compared to conventional sintering techniques. This allows to control the grain growth during sintering as well as the diffusion rate of a multi-material compounds, and make possible obtainment of functionally graded materials and nanostructured compounds. Powders of high purity silica glass and crystalline silica were sintered in a SPS equipment at temperatures around 1350° C, i.e., above the softening temperature of silica glass and below the melting temperature of quartz crystal. As a result, glass ceramics with pure silica glass matrix reinforced with crystalline alpha-quartz grains were fabricated at almost any desired range of composition, as well as controlled size of the crystalline reinforcement. X-ray diffraction and density measurements showed the possibility to manufacture a well controlled density and crystallinity glass-ceramic materials. (author)

Characterization of glass and glass ceramic nuclear waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutze, W.; Borchardt, J.; De, A.K.

1979-01-01

Characteristics of solidified nuclear waste forms, glass and glass ceramic compositions and the properties (composition, thermal stability, crystallization, phase behavior, chemical stability, mechanical stability, and radiation effects) of glasses and glass ceramics are discussed. The preparation of glass ceramics may be an optional step for proposed vitrification plants if tailored glasses are used. Glass ceramics exhibit some improved properties with respect to glasses. The overall leach resistance is similar to that of glasses. An increased leach resistance may become effective for single radionuclides being hosted in highly insoluble crystal phases mainly when higher melting temperatures are applicable in order to get more leach resistant residual glass phases. The development of glass ceramic is going on. The technological feasibility is still to be demonstrated. The potential gain of stability when using glass ceramics qualifies the material as an alternative nuclear waste form

Health Technology Assessments of human papillomavirus vaccinations in Europe: a survey from VENICE network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédérique Dorléans

2012-03-01

Full Text Available

Background: Venice II is a project funded in 2008 by the European centre for disease Prevention and control to collect information on the national vaccination programmes, to increase their knowledge and to know the impact of new vaccines introduced in member states (MS. In 2006-2007, two vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV were authorized in Europe.
Methods: an online survey was carried out to investigate the decision-making process undertaken regarding the potential introduction of the HPV vaccinations into MS national immunization pro- grammes as well as to investigate the modalities of implementation of the vaccination programmes. there were specific questions about health technology assessment and reports of the countries that had carried them out were reviewed.
Results: in 21 of the 29 MS, the national advisory body recommended to introduce HPV vaccination in their national immunization schedule and in 18 countries introduced it. only 6 countries have realized a health technology assessments (Hta report, each one with different methodology, but in all of them both vaccines show positive evaluations.
Conclusion: from the available Hta, HPV vaccination is cost-effective under the assumption of a life- long protection. Screening programme for cervical cancer and HPV vaccination programme should be always complementary. organizational aspects need to be taken into account to improve the vaccina- tion. HPV vaccination should target girls before the debut of their sexual life. Instead HPV vaccination of boys has not been demonstrated as bringing significant epidemiological benefits and has not been shown as being cost-effective. ...

Hydrogen transport and storage in engineered glass microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rambach, G.D.

1995-04-18

New, high strength glass microspheres filled with pressurized hydrogen exhibit densities which make them attractive for bulk hydrogen storage and transport. The membrane tensile stress at failure for our engineered glass microspheres is about 150,000 psi, permitting a threefold increase in pressure limit and storage capacity above commercial microspheres, which have been studied a decade ago and have been shown to fail at membrane stresses of 50,000 psi. Our analysis relating glass microspheres for hydrogen transport with infrastructure and economics, indicate that pressurized microspheres can be economically competitive with other forms of bulk rail and truck transport such as pressurized tube transports and liquid hydrogen trailers.

36 CFR 27.3 - Seashore District.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Seashore District. 27.3 Section 27.3 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR CAPE...' studio, for appropriate small scale home occupations as the making and selling of traditional Cape Cod...

Production and Marketing of Orange in Two Villages in Muheza District, Tanzania

OpenAIRE

MHANDO, David Gongwe; IKENO, Jun

2018-01-01

This study examines the current situation and challenges in orange production and marketing in Muheza District, Tanga Region, Tanzania. Tanga Region is a major orange production area in Tanzania, and it is estimated that more than 80% of all oranges in Tanga Region are produced in Muheza District. Utilizing field data collected in Mkuzi and Mindu villages in Muheza District, this paper explores the current situation of orange production and marketing. Orange production makes a substantial con...

Sodium Is Not Essential for High Bioactivity of Glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaojing; Chen, Xiaohui; Brauer, Delia S.; Wilson, Rory M.; Law, Robert V.; Hill, Robert G.; Karpukhina, Natalia

2017-01-01

This study aims to demonstrate that excellent bioactivity of glass can be achieved without the presence of an alkali metal component in glass composition. In vitro bioactivity of two sodium-free glasses based on the quaternary system SiO2-P2O5-CaO-CaF2 with 0 and 4.5 mol% CaF2 content was investigated and compared with the sodium containing glasses with equivalent amount of CaF2. The formation of apatite after immersion in Tris buffer was followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), 31P and 19F solid state MAS-NMR. The dissolution study was completed by ion release measurements in Tris buffer. The results show that sodium free bioactive glasses formed apatite at 3 hours of immersion in Tris buffer, which is as fast as the corresponding sodium containing composition. This signifies that sodium is not an essential component in bioactive glasses and it is possible to make equally degradable bioactive glasses with or without sodium. The results presented here also emphasize the central role of the glass compositions design which is based on understanding of structural role of components and/or predicting the network connectivity of glasses. PMID:29271977

Self-assembled nanotextures impart broadband transparency to glass windows and solar cell encapsulants

Science.gov (United States)

Liapis, Andreas C.; Rahman, Atikur; Black, Charles T.

2017-10-01

Most optoelectronic components and consumer display devices require glass or plastic covers for protection against the environment. Optical reflections from these encapsulation layers can degrade the device performance or lessen the user experience. Here, we use a highly scalable self-assembly based approach to texture glass surfaces at the nanoscale, reducing reflections by such an extent so as to make the glass essentially invisible. Our nanotextures provide broadband antireflection spanning visible and infrared wavelengths (450-2500 nm) that is effective even at large angles of incidence. This technology can be used to improve the performance of photovoltaic devices by eliminating reflection losses, which can be as much as 8% for glass encapsulated cells. In contrast, solar cells encapsulated with nanotextured glass generate the same photocurrent as when operated without a cover. Ultra-transparent windows having surface nanotextures on both sides can withstand three times more optical fluence than commercial broadband antireflection coatings, making them useful for pulsed laser applications.

Biomonitoring approach with mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lmk) and clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeve, 1850) in the Lagoon of Venice.

Science.gov (United States)

Moschino, Vanessa; Delaney, Eugenia; Meneghetti, Francesca; Ros, Luisa Da

2011-06-01

Transplanted Mytilus galloprovincialis and native Ruditapes philippinarum were deployed in 10 sampling stations with different pollution impact within the Lagoon of Venice to evaluate the temporal variations and the suitability of the following cytochemical and histochemical biomarkers just as indicators of environmental stress: lysosomal membrane stability, lipofuscins, neutral lipids and lysosome to cytoplasm volume ratio. The physiological status of the organisms was also investigated by determining the survival in air capability and the reburrowing rate (clams). The biological parameters were assessed in June and October. Furthermore, for a better definition of the environmental aspects of the study sites, heavy metal, PAH and PCB concentrations were also evaluated in the sediments. As a whole, the biological responses examined in both species from all the sampling sites showed significant differences between the two seasonal campaigns, only lysosomal membrane stability exhibited less variability. Pollutants in sediments generally showed low-intermediate contamination levels, few hotspots persisting mostly in the inner areas of the lagoon, the most influenced by the industrial zone. Transplanted mussels were more responsive than native clams and the biological responses of both species varied temporally. The range of the spatial variability was always narrow and reflected only partially the broader variability shown by the chemical content in the sediments. In this sense, biological responses seemed to be particularly influenced by the high temporal and spatial heterogeneity that characterise the Lagoon of Venice, as well as most of the transitional environments.

Rational decisions, random matrices and spin glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Galluccio, Stefano; Bouchaud, Jean-Philippe; Potters, Marc

We consider the problem of rational decision making in the presence of nonlinear constraints. By using tools borrowed from spin glass and random matrix theory, we focus on the portfolio optimisation problem. We show that the number of optimal solutions is generally exponentially large, and each of them is fragile: rationality is in this case of limited use. In addition, this problem is related to spin glasses with Lévy-like (long-ranged) couplings, for which we show that the ground state is not exponentially degenerate.

Paleochannel and beach-bar palimpsest topography as initial substrate for coralligenous buildups offshore Venice, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tosi, Luigi; Zecchin, Massimo; Franchi, Fulvio; Bergamasco, Andrea; Da Lio, Cristina; Baradello, Luca; Mazzoli, Claudio; Montagna, Paolo; Taviani, Marco; Tagliapietra, Davide; Carol, Eleonora; Franceschini, Gianluca; Giovanardi, Otello; Donnici, Sandra

2017-05-02

We provide a model for the genesis of Holocene coralligenous buildups occurring in the northwestern Adriatic Sea offshore Venice at 17-24 m depth. High-resolution geophysical surveys and underwater SCUBA diving reconnaissance revealed meandering shaped morphologies underneath bio-concretionned rocky buildups. These morphologies are inferred to have been inherited from Pleistocene fluvial systems reactivated as tidal channels during the post- Last Glacial Maximum transgression, when the study area was a lagoon protected by a sandy barrier. The lithification of the sandy fossil channel-levee systems is estimated to have occurred at ca. 7 cal. ka BP, likely due to the interaction between marine and less saline fluids related to onshore freshwater discharge at sea through a sealed water-table. The carbonate-cemented sandy layers served as nucleus for subsequent coralligenous buildups growth.

Specialty glass development for radiation shielding windows and nuclear waste immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandal, S.; Ghorui, S.; Roy Chowdhury, A.; Sen, R.; Chakraborty, A.K.; Sen, S.; Maiti, H.S.

2015-01-01

The technology of two important varieties of specialty glasses, namely high density Radiation Shielding Window (RSW) glass and specialty glass beads of borosilicate composition have been successfully developed in CGCRI with an aim to meet the countries requirement. Radiation Shielding Windows used in nuclear installations, are viewing devices, which allow direct viewing into radioactive areas while still providing adequate protection to the operating personnel. The glass blocks are stabilized against damage from radiation by introducing cerium in definite proportions. Considering the essentially of developing an indigenous technology to make the country self-sufficient for this critical item, CGCRI has taken up a major programme to develop high lead containing glasses required for RSWs under a MoD with BARC. On the other hand, the specialty glass bead of specific composition and properties is a critical material required for management of radioactive waste in a closed nuclear fuel cycle that is followed by India. During reprocessing of the spent nuclear fuel, high level radio-active liquid waste (HLW) is produced containing unwanted radio isotopes some of which remain radioactive for thousands of years. The need is to immobilize them within a molecular structure so that they will not come out and be released to the ambience and thereby needs to be resolved if nuclear power is to make a significant contribution to the country's power requirement. Borosilicate glass has emerged as the material of choice for immobilization due to its unique random network structure

Color-converted remote phosphor prototype of a multiwavelength excitable borosilicate glass for white light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Hua; Qiu Kun; Song Jun; Wang Da-Jian; Liu Ji-Wen

2012-01-01

We report a unique red light-emitting Eu-doped borosilicate glass to convert color for warm white light-emitting diodes. This glass can be excited from 394 nm-peaked near ultraviolet light, 466 nm-peaked blue light, to 534 nm-peaked green light to emit the desired red light with an excellent transmission in the wavelength range of 400–700 nm which makes this glass suitable for color conversion without a great cost of luminous power loss. In particular, when assembling this glass for commercial white light-emitting diodes, the tested results show that the color rendering index is improved to 84 with a loss of luminous power by 12 percent at average, making this variety of glass promising for inorganic “remote-phosphor” color conversion

Two-Level Solutions to Exponentially Complex Problems in Glass Science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mauro, John C.; Smedskjær, Morten Mattrup

Glass poses an especially challenging problem for physicists. The key to making progress in theoretical glass science is to extract the key physics governing properties of practical interest. In this spirit, we discuss several two-level solutions to exponentially complex problems in glass science....... Topological constraint theory, originally developed by J.C. Phillips, is based on a two-level description of rigid and floppy modes in a glass network and can be used to derive quantitatively accurate and analytically solvable models for a variety of macroscopic properties. The temperature dependence...... that captures both primary and secondary relaxation modes. Such a model also offers the ability to calculate the distinguishability of particles during glass transition and relaxation processes. Two-level models can also be used to capture the distribution of various network-forming species in mixed...

Examination of the uncertainty in contaminant fate and transport modeling: a case study in the Venice Lagoon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommerfreund, J; Arhonditsis, G B; Diamond, M L; Frignani, M; Capodaglio, G; Gerino, M; Bellucci, L; Giuliani, S; Mugnai, C

2010-03-01

A Monte Carlo analysis is used to quantify environmental parametric uncertainty in a multi-segment, multi-chemical model of the Venice Lagoon. Scientific knowledge, expert judgment and observational data are used to formulate prior probability distributions that characterize the uncertainty pertaining to 43 environmental system parameters. The propagation of this uncertainty through the model is then assessed by a comparative analysis of the moments (central tendency, dispersion) of the model output distributions. We also apply principal component analysis in combination with correlation analysis to identify the most influential parameters, thereby gaining mechanistic insights into the ecosystem functioning. We found that modeled concentrations of Cu, Pb, OCDD/F and PCB-180 varied by up to an order of magnitude, exhibiting both contaminant- and site-specific variability. These distributions generally overlapped with the measured concentration ranges. We also found that the uncertainty of the contaminant concentrations in the Venice Lagoon was characterized by two modes of spatial variability, mainly driven by the local hydrodynamic regime, which separate the northern and central parts of the lagoon and the more isolated southern basin. While spatial contaminant gradients in the lagoon were primarily shaped by hydrology, our analysis also shows that the interplay amongst the in-place historical pollution in the central lagoon, the local suspended sediment concentrations and the sediment burial rates exerts significant control on the variability of the contaminant concentrations. We conclude that the probabilistic analysis presented herein is valuable for quantifying uncertainty and probing its cause in over-parameterized models, while some of our results can be used to dictate where additional data collection efforts should focus on and the directions that future model refinement should follow. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Saltwater contamination in the managed low-lying farmland of the Venice coast, Italy: An assessment of vulnerability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Da Lio, Cristina, E-mail: cristina.dalio@ve.ismar.cnr.it [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Arsenale — Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venezia (Italy); Carol, Eleonora, E-mail: eleocarol@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Cátedra de Hidrología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata 64 n" o3 La Plata (Argentina); Kruse, Eduardo, E-mail: kruse@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Cátedra de Hidrología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata 64 n" o3 La Plata (Argentina); Teatini, Pietro, E-mail: pietro.teatini@unipd.it [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Arsenale — Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venezia (Italy); Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Padova, Via Trieste 63, 35121 Padova (Italy); Tosi, Luigi, E-mail: luigi.tosi@ismar.cnr.it [Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Arsenale — Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venezia (Italy)

2015-11-15

The original morphology and hydrogeology of many low-lying coastlands worldwide have been significantly modified over the last century through river diversion, embankment built-up, and large-scale land reclamation projects. This led to a progressive shifting of the groundwater–surficial water exchanges from naturally to anthropogenically driven. In this human-influenced hydrologic landscape, the saltwater contamination usually jeopardizes the soil productivity. In the coastland south of Venice (Italy), several well log measurements, chemical and isotope analyses have been performed over the last decade to characterize the occurrence of the salt contamination. The processing of this huge dataset highlights a permanent variously-shaped saline contamination up to 20 km inland, with different conditions in relation with the various geomorphological features of the area. The results point out the important role of the land reclamation in shaping the present-day salt contamination and reveal the contribution of precipitation, river discharge, lagoon and sea water to the shallow groundwater in the various coastal sectors. Moreover, an original vulnerability map to salt contamination in relation to the farmland productivity has been developed taking into account the electrical conductivity of the upper aquifer in the worst condition, the ground elevation, and the distance from salt and fresh surface water sources. Finally, the study allows highlighting the limit of traditional investigations in monitoring saltwater contamination at the regional scale in managed Holocene coastal environments. Possible improvements are outlined. - Highlights: • Land reclamation shapes the present saltwater contamination in the Venice coastland. • Natural and anthropogenic forcings drive the seawater flow in shallow aquifers. • Hydro-geophysical–geochemical investigations highlight the groundwater origin. • The vulnerability of the farmland to salt contamination extents up to 20

Saltwater contamination in the managed low-lying farmland of the Venice coast, Italy: An assessment of vulnerability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Lio, Cristina; o3 La Plata (Argentina))" data-affiliation=" (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Cátedra de Hidrología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata 64 no3 La Plata (Argentina))" >Carol, Eleonora; o3 La Plata (Argentina))" data-affiliation=" (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Cátedra de Hidrología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata 64 no3 La Plata (Argentina))" >Kruse, Eduardo; Teatini, Pietro; Tosi, Luigi

2015-01-01

The original morphology and hydrogeology of many low-lying coastlands worldwide have been significantly modified over the last century through river diversion, embankment built-up, and large-scale land reclamation projects. This led to a progressive shifting of the groundwater–surficial water exchanges from naturally to anthropogenically driven. In this human-influenced hydrologic landscape, the saltwater contamination usually jeopardizes the soil productivity. In the coastland south of Venice (Italy), several well log measurements, chemical and isotope analyses have been performed over the last decade to characterize the occurrence of the salt contamination. The processing of this huge dataset highlights a permanent variously-shaped saline contamination up to 20 km inland, with different conditions in relation with the various geomorphological features of the area. The results point out the important role of the land reclamation in shaping the present-day salt contamination and reveal the contribution of precipitation, river discharge, lagoon and sea water to the shallow groundwater in the various coastal sectors. Moreover, an original vulnerability map to salt contamination in relation to the farmland productivity has been developed taking into account the electrical conductivity of the upper aquifer in the worst condition, the ground elevation, and the distance from salt and fresh surface water sources. Finally, the study allows highlighting the limit of traditional investigations in monitoring saltwater contamination at the regional scale in managed Holocene coastal environments. Possible improvements are outlined. - Highlights: • Land reclamation shapes the present saltwater contamination in the Venice coastland. • Natural and anthropogenic forcings drive the seawater flow in shallow aquifers. • Hydro-geophysical–geochemical investigations highlight the groundwater origin. • The vulnerability of the farmland to salt contamination extents up to 20

Economic Nationalism in Haughton’s Englishmen for My Money and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baldo Jonathan

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Close to the time of Elizabeth’s expulsion of the Hanseatic merchants and the closing of the Steelyard (der Stahlhof in the years 1597-98, two London plays engaged extensively with the business of trade, the merchant class, foreign merchants, and moneylending: early modern England’s first city comedy, William Haughton’s Englishmen for My Money, or A Woman Will Have Her Will (1598; and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (registered 22 July 1598. Whereas Haughton’s play uses foreignness, embodied in a foreign merchant, three half-English daughters, and three foreign suitors, as a means of promoting national consciousness and pride, Shakespeare indirectly uses the foreign not to unify but to reveal the divisions within England’s own economic values and culture.

The use of 21OPb and 137Cs in the study of sediment pollution in the Lagoon of Venice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battiston, G.A.; Degetto, S.; Gerbasi, R.; Sbrignadello, G.; Tositti, L.

1988-01-01

The activity of 137 Cs per unit area in sediments of the central part of the Lagoon of Venice was determined with aim of identifying boundaries of homogeneous depositional zones. the 21O Pb dating technique was used to date vertical profiles of cores from the same area. A comparison of the toal amounts of 137 cs and non-supported 21O Pb present in each core and the atmospheric input allows us to identify different depositional areas inside the basin and to outline the possible drainage effect of industrial solid wastes used in past reclaiming operations. 17 refs.; 3 figs.; 2 tabs

Smart-Glasses: Exposing and Elucidating the Ethical Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Bjørn; Haustein, Dušan; Landeweerd, Laurens

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to provide an overview over the ethical issues relevant to the assessment, implementation, and use of smart-glasses. The purpose of the overview is to facilitate deliberation, decision making, and the formation of knowledge and norms for this emerging technology. An axiological question-based method for human cognitive enhancement including an extensive literature search on smart-glasses is used to identify relevant ethical issues. The search is supplemented with relevant ethical issues identified in the literature on human cognitive enhancement (in general) and in the study of the technical aspects of smart-glasses. Identified papers were subject to traditional content analysis: 739 references were identified of which 247 were regarded as relevant for full text examinations, and 155 were included in the study. A wide variety of ethical issues with smart-glasses have been identified, such as issues related to privacy, safety, justice, change in human agency, accountability, responsibility, social interaction, power and ideology. Smart-glasses are envisioned to change individual human identity and behavior as well as social interaction. Taking these issues into account appears to be relevant when developing, deliberating, deciding on, implementing, and using smart-glasses.

A field campaign for measurement of benzene in urban area of Venice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allegrini, I.; Febo, A.; Giliberti, C.; Giusto, M.; Montagnoli, M.

1996-01-01

A field campaign for the measurement of benzene and toluene in urban areas has been planned by the city of Venice in collaboration with CNR during the period June-July 1994. The measurements were provided by three automatic systems, available from the companies Chrompack, Elecos and Perkin-Elmer. The main aims of this campaign were to collect information on spatial and temporal distribution of these pollutants, in order to estimate the exposure risk for people in an urban polluted environment, and to identify the most reliable and accurate systems to measure this pollutant. From the comparison between the temporal trend of benzene and natural radioactivity it can be deduced that the concentration levels of primary pollutants at ground state are not simply linked to emissions, but they are strongly modulated by atmospheric diffusion processes. The reliability of the experimental results was demonstrated by a statistical treatment, and it was shown that it is necessary to carry out measurements at sufficiently high frequencies to represent the real environmental situation

Winter evolution of DMS and DMSP in Venice lagoon water and sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambaro, Andrea; Moret, Ivo; Piazza, Rossano; Da Rin, Eleonora; Turetta, Clara; Cescon, Paolo

2002-03-01

The evolution of dimethylsulphide (DMS) and dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) concentrations in the water and sediment of the Venice lagoon were studied together with the concentration of chlorophyll a, temperature and the composition and density of phytoplankton to understand the role of the sediment as a source of DMS during the winter period. The temporal trend of water DMS concentration in this period showed a maximum concentration in February (75.7 nmol S l-1) related to low DMSP and chlorophyll a concentrations but to high phytoplanktonic abundance. The DMS and DMSP concentrations were greater in the sediment than in the water. The temporal trend of DMS concentration in sediment showed a maximum in February (1155 nmol S l-1) related to the maximum of DMS concentration in surface water. These observations suggested that in the winter period DMS could be produced by the conversion of the DMSP present in the bulk water but principally by that present in the sediment (microbiological degradation of DMSP or other sulphur-containing compounds) that subsequently diffuse in water.

Fabrication of high activity glasses in the cells VULCAIN and PIVER. Leaching at three temperatures of some of these glasses in the VULCAIN cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacquet-Francillon, N.; Laude, F.; Magnier, A.; Vernaz, E.

1982-01-01

The methods for manufacturing and leaching four blocks of glass and one of vitreous ceramic made as from actual solutions of fission products in the Vulcain cell are described. The four blocks of glass and the vitreous ceramic are in lumps weighing from 1.6 to 1.9 kg. The volatilities measured during the making of these blocks of glass by a pot (intermittent) method and expressed as a percentage of the total activity trapped in the condenser vary from 30.7 to 9.4 for ruthenium. In the case of cesium, strontium and cerium, the volatilization rates are between 0.01 and 0.5%. The behaviour under leaching of the vitreous ceramic is less good than its mother glass. The increase in leaching rates with temperature differs from one glass to the next and according to the components

Building an eco-effective district heating management system in a city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gitelman Leonid

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of making the urban environment safer amid increasing human impact adds to the importance of district heating management. The article outlines the results of a study into the problem of improving the urban environment by implementing two innovative solutions. Technological innovations imply the introduction of modern sustainable tools of reducing emissions in district heating networks, one of them being the combination of district heating and combined heat and power plants (a case study of Turin. Organizational innovations are built upon the management of demand for thermal energy that makes it possible to reduce investment in new construction and to optimize the architecture of heat load schedules for the purpose of alleviating energy and environmental pressure on the city. The authors propose formats and areas of demand side management for thermal energy and methods of offering economic incentives to program participants.

Multi-megajoule Nd: glass fusion laser design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manes, K.R.

1986-01-01

New technologies make multi-megajoule glass lasers economically feasible. Laser architectures using harmonic switchout, target plane holographic injection, phase conjugation, continuous apodization and higher amplifier efficiencies have been devised. A plan for a multi-megajoule laser which can be built for an acceptable cost relies on manufacturing economies of scale and the demonstration of the new technologies presented here. These include continuous pour glass production, rapid harmonic crystal growth, switching of large blocks of power using larger capcaitors packed more economically and by using large identical parts counts

Redox reaction and foaming in nuclear waste glass melting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, J.L.

1995-08-01

This document was prepared by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and is an attempt to analyze and estimate the effects of feed composition variables and reducing agent variables on the expected chemistry of reactions occurring in the cold cap and in the glass melt in the nuclear waste glass Slurry-fed, joule-heated melters as they might affect foaming during the glass-making process. Numerous redox reactions of waste glass components and potential feed additives, and the effects of other feed variables on these reactions are reviewed with regard to their potential effect on glass foaming. A major emphasis of this report is to examine the potential positive or negative aspects of adjusting feed with formic acid as opposed to other feed modification techniques including but not limited to use of other reducing agents. Feed modification techniques other than the use of reductants that should influence foaming behavior include control of glass melter feed pH through use of nitric acid. They also include partial replacement of sodium salts by lithium salts. This latter action (b) apparently lowers glass viscosity and raises surface tension. This replacement should decrease foaming by decreasing foam stability.

Rediscovering Red: Full-Spectrum Structural Color in Colloidal Glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Magkiriadou, Sofia; Park, Jin-Gyu; Kim, Young-Seok; Yi, Gi-Ra; Manoharan, Vinothan N.

2014-03-01

We use colloidal glasses to develop pigments with structural color: color that arises from interference rather than absorption. This pigmentation mechanism is common in blue birds, whose feather barbs often contain glassy microstructures. When a glass is illuminated, the spatial correlations between neighboring particles can give rise to constructive interference for a small range of wavelengths. Unlike the colors arising from Bragg diffraction in crystals, the colors of these ``photonic glasses'' are independent of angle due to the disordered, isotropic structure. However, there are no known examples of photonic glasses with pure structural red color, either in nature or in the lab. We present both experimental evidence and a model showing that the absence of red is due to the wavelength-dependence of the single-particle scattering cross-section. We show that this problem can be solved in ``inverse glasses,'' namely glasses composed of particles with refractive index lower than that of their medium. Although these systems are similar to those in birds, no known species uses this mechanism to create red. We use inverse glasses to make full-spectrum, angle-independent structural colors. This will enable the use of colloidal glasses as a new type of long-lasting, non-bleaching pigment.

High level waste forms: glass marbles and thermal spray coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treat, R.L.; Oma, K.H.; Slate, S.C.

1982-01-01

A process that converts high-level waste to glass marbles and then coats the marbles has been developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under sponsorship of the US Department of Energy. The process consists of a joule-heated glass melter, a marble-making device based on a patent issued to Corning Glass Works, and a coating system that includes a plasma spray coater and a marble tumbler. The process was developed under the Alternative Waste Forms Program which strived to improve upon monolithic glass for immobilizing high-level wastes. Coated glass marbles were found to be more leach-resistant, and the marbles, before coating were found to be very homogeneous, highly impact resistant, and conductive to encapsulation in a metal matric for improved heat transfer and containment. Marbles are also ideally suited for quality assurance and recycling. However, the marble process is more complex, and marbles require a larger number of canisters for waste containment and have a higher surface area than do glass monoliths

Insight into silicate-glass corrosion mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cailleteau, C; Angeli, F; Gin, S; Jollivet, P [CEA VALRHO, DEN, Lab Etude Comportement Long Terme, F-30207 Bagnols Sur Ceze, (France); Devreux, F [Ecole Polytech, CNRS, Lab Phys Mat Condensee, F-91128 Palaiseau, (France); Jestin, J [CEA, CNRS, Lab Leon Brillouin, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France); Spalla, O [CEA, DSM, Lab Interdisciplinaire Org Nanometr et Supramol, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France)

2008-07-01

The remarkable chemical durability of silicate glass makes it suitable for a wide range of applications. The slowdown of the aqueous glass corrosion kinetics that is frequently observed at long time is generally attributed to chemical affinity effects (saturation of the solution with respect to silica). Here, we demonstrate a new mechanism and highlight the impact of morphological transformations in the alteration layer on the leaching kinetics. A direct correlation between structure and reactivity is revealed by coupling the results of several structure-sensitive experiments with numerical simulations at mesoscopic scale. The sharp drop in the corrosion rate is shown to arise from densification of the outer layers of the alteration film, leading to pore closure. The presence of insoluble elements in the glass can inhibit the film restructuring responsible for this effect. This mechanism may be more broadly applicable to silicate minerals. (authors)

Green synthesis of water-glass from municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrix, Y.; Alam, Q.; Thijs, L.; Lazaro Garcia, A.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

2017-01-01

Water-glass is extensively used as a silica precursor in different chemical applications such as alkali activated binders and nano-silica. The current production of water-glass involves the fusion of sand with soda ash at temperatures above 1000 ºC, which makes the production expensive and

Taxonomic formula of geoecological hazard for the cadastral districts of Moscow city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karfidova E.A.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available the article proposes a method for calculating the taxonomic formula for the geoecological hazard of the cadastral district. The engineering-geological zoning map uses for calculating the balance of the territory by the hazard index – the basis of the taxonomic formula. The taxonomic formula as an open data set makes it possible to characterize the geoecological hazards of the territory of a district. The geoenvironmental hazard map of cadastral districts is necessary for regional model of spatial planning at the municipal level.

Electrochromic Glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-31

this glass and that dipole-dipole correlations contribute to the "ferroelectric-like" character of this amorphous system. The TeO2 -W03 glasses can only...shows the dielectric constant and Fig. I(b) glass from pure TeO2 ot pure WO. In addition, glass the tan 8 of the WO glass as a function of temperature... glasses containing WO, in various glass forming nitworks of LifO-B1O0, Na:O-BzO,, and TeO2 were prepared from reagent grade oxides at 800 C - 9SO C in

Physical, thermal and structural properties of Calcium Borotellurite glass system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paz, E.C. [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); IFMA, Açailândia, MA (Brazil); Dias, J.D.M. [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); Melo, G.H.A. [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); IFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); Lodi, T.A. [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); Carvalho, J.O. [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); IFTO, Araguaína, TO (Brazil); Façanha Filho, P.F.; Barboza, M.J.; Pedrochi, F. [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil); Steimacher, A., E-mail: steimacher@hotmail.com [CCSST – UFMA, Imperatriz, MA (Brazil)

2016-08-01

In this work the glass forming ability in Calcium Borotellurite (CBTx) glass system was studied. Six glass samples were prepared by melt-quenching technique and the obtained samples are transparent, lightly yellowish, with no visible crystallites. The structural studies were carried out by using XRD, FTIR, Raman Spectra, density measurements, and the thermal analysis by using DTA and specific heat. The results are discussed in terms of tellurium oxide content and their changes in structural and thermal properties of glass samples. The addition of TeO{sub 2} increased the density and thermal stability values and decreased glass transition temperature (Tg). Raman and FTIR spectroscopies indicated that the network structure of CBTx glasses is formed by BO{sub 3}, BO{sub 4}, TeO{sub 3}, TeO{sub 3+1} and TeO{sub 4} units. CBTx system showed good glass formation ability and good thermal stability, which make CBTx glasses suitable for manufacturing process and a candidate for rare-earth doping for several optical applications. - Highlights: • Glass forming ability on Calcium Borotellurite system was studied. • The glass structure was investigated by XRD, Raman and FTIR. • The glass network structure of the CBTx glasses is formed by BO{sub 3}, BO{sub 4}, TeO{sub 3}, TeO{sub 3+1} and TeO{sub 4} units. • The density and thermal stability of the CBTx glass decreases with TeO{sub 2} while the Cp and the Tg decreases. • The obtained CBTx glasses are suitable for manufacturing process and rare-earth doping for several optical applications.

Council Districts

Data.gov (United States)

Town of Cary, North Carolina — View the location of the Town of Cary’s four Town Council districts.Please note that one district, District A, is split into two geo-spatial areas. One area is in...

Woodfuel procurement strategies of district heating plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roos, A.; Bohlin, F.; Hektor, B.; Hillring, B.

2003-01-01

Woodfuel use in the Swedish district heating sector increased significantly from 1985 to 1999. This study analysed strategies and considerations concerning woodfuel procurement in district heating plants. Priorities and concerns in the industry involved an increased woodfuel share, ambitions to create an environmental image, cost minimisation, awareness about the role of energy policies for fuel choice, improvement of woodfuel quality and the ambition to maintain a competitive woodfuel market with several suppliers. Factor analysis yielded five dimensions in the woodfuel procurement strategies among the district heating companies: (1) increased woodfuel use; (2) import; (3) spot market woodfuel purchases; (4) focus on refined woodfuels; and (5) using price only when deciding whether to use woodfuels or other fuels. Five clusters were defined along the three strategy dimensions (1)-(3). The clusters differed concerning size, experiences from the introduction of woodfuels, perceptions about woodfuels and strategies employed to date. This paper describes different strategies that the district heating companies apply on the woodfuel market. The conclusion is that policies should consider this diversity in procurement strategies, mitigate their negative side-effects and assist to make them cost-effective. (author)

{sup 210}Pb and {sup 137}Cs as chronometers for salt marsh accretion in the Venice Lagoon - links to flooding frequency and climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellucci, L.G. [Istituto di Scienze Marine - Sede di Bologna - Geologia Marina, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna (Italy)], E-mail: luca.bellucci@ismar.cnr.it; Frignani, M. [Istituto di Scienze Marine - Sede di Bologna - Geologia Marina, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna (Italy); Cochran, J.K. [Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, NY (United States); Albertazzi, S. [Istituto di Scienze Marine - Sede di Bologna - Geologia Marina, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna (Italy); Zaggia, L. [Istituto di Scienze Marine, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - S. Polo 1364, 30125 Venezia (Italy); Cecconi, G. [Consorzio Venezia Nuova - S. Croce 505, 30135 Venezia (Italy); Hopkins, H. [Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, NY (United States)

2007-10-15

Five salt marsh sediment cores from different parts of the Venice Lagoon were studied to determine their depositional history and its relationship with the environmental changes occurred during the past {approx}100 years. X-radiographs of the cores show no disturbance related to particle mixing. Accretion rates were calculated using a constant flux model applied to excess {sup 210}Pb distributions in the cores. The record of {sup 137}Cs fluxes to the sites, determined from {sup 137}Cs profiles and the {sup 210}Pb chronologies, shows inputs from the global fallout of {sup 137}Cs in the late 1950s to early 1960s and the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Average accretion rates in the cores are comparable to the long-term average rate of mean sea level rise in the Venice Lagoon ({approx}0.25 cm y{sup -1}) except for a core collected in a marsh presumably affected by inputs from the Dese River. Short-term variations in accretion rate are correlated with the cumulative frequency of flooding, as determined by records of Acqua Alta, in four of the five cores, suggesting that variations in the phenomena causing flooding (such as wind patterns, storm frequency and NAO) are short-term driving forces for variations in marsh accretion rate.

Mandatory and recommended vaccination in the EU, Iceland and Norway: results of the VENICE 2010 survey on the ways of implementing national vaccination programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Haverkate, M; D'Ancona, F; Giambi, C; Johansen, K; Lopalco, P L; Cozza, V; Appelgren, E

2012-05-31

This report provides an updated overview of recommended and mandatory vaccinations in the European Union (EU), Iceland and Norway, considering the differences in vaccine programme implementation between countries. In 2010, the Vaccine European New Integrated Collaboration Effort (VENICE) network, conducted a survey among the VENICE project gatekeepers to learn more about how national vaccination programmes are implemented, whether recommended or mandatory. Information was collected from all 27 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. In total 15 countries do not have any mandatory vaccinations; the remaining 14 have at least one mandatory vaccination included in their programme. Vaccination against polio is mandatory for both children and adults in 12 countries; diphtheria and tetanus vaccination in 11 countries and hepatitis B vaccination in 10 countries. For eight of the 15 vaccines considered, some countries have a mixed strategy of recommended and mandatory vaccinations. Mandatory vaccination may be considered as a way of improving compliance to vaccination programmes. However, compliance with many programmes in Europe is high, using only recommendations. More information about the diversity in vaccine offer at European level may help countries to adapt vaccination strategies based on the experience of other countries. However, any proposal on vaccine strategies should be developed taking into consideration the local context habits.

Mobile glasses-free 3D using compact waveguide hologram

Science.gov (United States)

Pyun, K.; Choi, C.; Morozov, A.; Putilin, A.; Bovsunovskiy, I.; Kim, S.; Ahn, J.; Lee, H.-S.; Lee, S.

2013-02-01

The exploding mobile communication devices make 3D data available anywhere anytime. However, to record and reconstruct 3D, the huge number of optical components is often required, which makes overall device size bulky and image quality degraded due to the error-prone tuning. In addition, if additional glass is required, then user experience of 3D is exhausting and unpleasant. Holography is the ultimate 3D that users experience natural 3D in every direction. For mobile glasses-free 3D experience, it is critical to make holography device that can be as compact and integrated as possible. For reliable and economical mass production, integrated optics is needed as integrated circuits in semiconductor industry. Thus, we propose mobile glasses-free 3D using compact waveguide hologram in terms of overall device sizes, quantity of elements and combined functionality of each element. The main advantages of proposed solution are as follows: First, this solution utilizes various integral optical elements, where each of them is a united not adjustable optical element, replacing separate and adjustable optical elements with various forms and configurations. Second, geometrical form of integral elements provides small sizes of whole device. Third, geometrical form of integral elements allows creating flat device. And finally, absence of adjustable elements provide rigidly of whole device. The usage of integrated optical means based on waveguide holographic elements allows creating a new type of compact and high functional devices for mobile glasses-free 3D applications such as mobile medical 3D data visualization.

Mobile glasses-free 3D using compact waveguide hologram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyun, K; Choi, C; Kim, S; Ahn, J; Lee, H-S; Lee, S; Morozov, A; Bovsunovskiy, I; Putilin, A

2013-01-01

The exploding mobile communication devices make 3D data available anywhere anytime. However, to record and reconstruct 3D, the huge number of optical components is often required, which makes overall device size bulky and image quality degraded due to the error-prone tuning. In addition, if additional glass is required, then user experience of 3D is exhausting and unpleasant. Holography is the ultimate 3D that users experience natural 3D in every direction. For mobile glasses-free 3D experience, it is critical to make holography device that can be as compact and integrated as possible. For reliable and economical mass production, integrated optics is needed as integrated circuits in semiconductor industry. Thus, we propose mobile glasses-free 3D using compact waveguide hologram in terms of overall device sizes, quantity of elements and combined functionality of each element. The main advantages of proposed solution are as follows: First, this solution utilizes various integral optical elements, where each of them is a united not adjustable optical element, replacing separate and adjustable optical elements with various forms and configurations. Second, geometrical form of integral elements provides small sizes of whole device. Third, geometrical form of integral elements allows creating flat device. And finally, absence of adjustable elements provide rigidly of whole device. The usage of integrated optical means based on waveguide holographic elements allows creating a new type of compact and high functional devices for mobile glasses-free 3D applications such as mobile medical 3D data visualization.

Preliminary Simulation of the Corrosion Rate of Archaeological Glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steefel, Carl

2014-01-06

In this study, we make use of a micro-continuum modeling approach (the Kinetic-Microscopic-Continuum Model or K{micro}C model) to capture the spatial distribution and identity of reaction products developing over time as a result of the archaeological glass corrosion, while also matching the time scales of alteration where possible. Since the glass blocks sat on the Mediterranean seafloor for 1800 years, the physical and chemical boundary conditions are largely constant. We focus on a fracture within the glass block identified by Verney-Carron et al. (2008) and simulate it as a 1D system, with a fixed concentration (Dirichlet) boundary corresponding to the interior of the fracture.

Decentralization and Participatory Decision-Making: Implementing School-Based Management in the Abbott Districts.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Elaine M.

2000-01-01

This study examined issues faced during implementation of school-based management (SBM) in New Jersey's special needs or Abbott districts, using a literature review, surveys of K-12 schools, and focus groups with central office administrators. The study examined forms of SBM, team operations, local autonomy versus state power, skills required to…

Relaxations in spin glasses: Similarities and differences from ordinary glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngai, K.L.; Rajagopal, A.K.; Huang, C.Y.

1984-01-01

Relaxation phenomena have become a major concern in the physics of spin glasses. There are certain resemblances of these relaxation properties to those of ordinary glasses. In this work, we compare the relaxation properties of spin glasses near the freezing temperature with those of glasses near the glass transition temperature. There are similarities between the two types of glasses. Moreover, the relaxation properties of many glasses and spin glasses are in conformity with two coupled ''universality'' relations predicted by a recent model of relaxations in condensed matter

Glass Forming Ability in Systems with Competing Orderings

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, John; Romano, Flavio; Tanaka, Hajime

2018-04-01

Some liquids, if cooled rapidly enough to avoid crystallization, can be frozen into a nonergodic glassy state. The tendency for a material to form a glass when quenched is called "glass-forming ability," and it is of key significance both fundamentally and for materials science applications. Here, we consider liquids with competing orderings, where an increase in the glass-forming ability is signaled by a depression of the melting temperature towards its minimum at triple or eutectic points. With simulations of two model systems where glass-forming ability can be tuned by an external parameter, we are able to interpolate between crystal-forming and glass-forming behavior. We find that the enhancement of the glass-forming ability is caused by an increase in the structural difference between liquid and crystal: stronger competition in orderings towards the melting point minimum makes a liquid structure more disordered (more complex). This increase in the liquid-crystal structure difference can be described by a single adimensional parameter, i.e., the interface energy cost scaled by the thermal energy, which we call the "thermodynamic interface penalty." Our finding may provide a general physical principle for not only controlling the glass-forming ability but also the emergence of glassy behavior of various systems with competing orderings, including orderings of structural, magnetic, electronic, charge, and dipolar origin.

Natural versus anthropogenic subsidence of Venice: investigation of the present occurrence by PSI

Science.gov (United States)

Tosi, Luigi; Strozzi, Tazio; Teatini, Pietro

2014-05-01

We detected land displacements of Venice by Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) using ERS and ENVISAT C-band and TerraSAR-X and COSMO-SkyMed X-band acquisitions over the periods 1992-2010 and 2008-2011, respectively. PSI provides the cumulative land displacements (natural plus anthropogenic) of the investigated area independently of the radar band. The natural subsidence rate depends on the reference period and, due to the present elevation of Venice with respect to the sea level, it is much more interesting for the city to evaluate the natural displacement over the last few decades, i.e. the present natural land subsidence, than that averaged over geological periods. Concerning anthropogenic land subsidence the contribution due to activities characterized by large scale and long term effects, e.g., that caused by groundwater withdrawals, ended a few decades ago. Today, the anthropogenic component of the land subsidence is only due to local, short-time interventions such as restoration works and inherent deformations of historical structures. By reason of the larger observation period, the C-band sensors were used to quantify the long-term movements, i.e. the subsidence component primarily ascribed to natural processes. The high resolution, short revisiting time X-band satellites reveal a high effectiveness to monitor short-time movements as those induced by human activities. The statistical analysis of the displacement distributions measured by PSI points out that the average rates, i.e. the natural component of the subsidence, are almost equal with the C-band and X-band satellites. Conversely, the standard deviation with X-band acquisitions (1.6 mm/yr) is characterized by a value significantly larger than that detected with C-band images (0.7 mm/yr). The larger X-band variability superposes to a background velocity similar to that given by ERS/ENVISAT. It is reasonable to assume that the difference between the movements provided by ERS/ENVISAT and Terra

Glass science tutorial: Lecture No. 7, Waste glass technology for Hanford

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, A.A.

1995-07-01

This paper presents the details of the waste glass tutorial session that was held to promote knowledge of waste glass technology and how this can be used at the Hanford Reservation. Topics discussed include: glass properties; statistical approach to glass development; processing properties of nuclear waste glass; glass composition and the effects of composition on durability; model comparisons of free energy of hydration; LLW glass structure; glass crystallization; amorphous phase separation; corrosion of refractories and electrodes in waste glass melters; and glass formulation for maximum waste loading

Human Resource Support for School Principals in Two, Urban School Districts: An Exploratory Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lochmiller, Chad R.

2010-01-01

School districts are increasingly focused on instructional practice in classrooms. Many urban school districts have shifted decision-making responsibility to school principals in order to improve instruction. This reform strategy has been referred to as decentralization or school-based management. Decentralization has a significant influence on…

Glass forms for immobilization of Hanford wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, W.W.; Dressen, A.L.; Hobbick, C.W.; Babad, H.

1975-03-01

Approximately 140 million liters of solid salt cake (mainly NaNO 3 ), produced by evaporation of aged alkaline high-level liquid wastes, will be stored in underground tanks when the present Hanford Waste Management Program is completed in the early 1980's. At this time also, large volumes of various other solid radioactive wastes (sludges, excavated Pu-contaminated soil, and doubly encapsulated 137 CsCl and 90 SrF 2 ) will be stored on the Hanford Reservation. All these solid wastes can be converted to immobile silicate and aluminosilicate glasses of low water leachability by melting them at 1100 0 to 1400 0 C with appropriate amounts of basalt (or sand) and other glass-formers such as B 2 O 3 or CaO. Reviewed in this paper are formulations and other melt conditions used successfully in batch tests to make glasses from actual and synthetic wastes; leachability and other properties of these glasses show them to be satisfactory vehicles for immobilization of the Hanford wastes. (U.S.)

Evaluation of surficial sediment toxicity and sediment physico-chemical characteristics of representative sites in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Losso, C.; Arizzi Novelli, A.; Picone, M.; Marchetto, D.; Pessa, G.; Molinaroli, E.; Ghetti, P. F.; Volpi Ghirardini, A.

2004-11-01

Toxic hazard in sites with varying types and levels of contamination in the Lagoon of Venice was estimated by means of toxicity bioassays based on the early life-stages of the autochthonous sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Elutriate was chosen as the test matrix, due to its ability to highlight potential toxic effects towards sensitive biological components of the water column caused by sediment resuspension phenomena affecting the Lagoon. Surficial sediments (core-top 5 cm deep), directly influenced by resuspension/redeposition processes, and core sediments (core 20 cm deep), recording time-mediated contamination, were sampled in some sites located in the lagoonal area most greatly influenced by anthropogenic activities. Particle size, organic matter and water content were also analysed. In two sites, the results of physical parameters showed that the core-top sediments were coarser than the 20-cm core sediments. Sperm cell toxicity test results showed the negligible acute toxicity of elutriates from all investigated sites. The embryo toxicity test demonstrated a short-term chronic toxicity gradient for elutriates from the 20-cm core sediments, in general agreement both with the expected contamination gradient and with results of the Microtox® solid-phase test. Elutriates of the core-top 5-cm sediments revealed a totally inverted gradient, in comparison with that for the 20-cm core sediments, and the presence of a "hot spot" of contamination in the site chosen as a possible reference. Investigations on ammonia and sulphides as possible confounding factors excluded their contribution to this "hot spot". Integrated physico-chemical and toxicity results on sediments at various depths demonstrated the presence of disturbed sediments in the central basin of the Lagoon of Venice.

Mechanical failure and glass transition in metallic glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egami, T.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We review the recent results of molecular dynamics simulations on metallic glasses. → They show the equivalence of mechanical failure and glass transition. → We discuss the microscopic mechanism behind this equivalence. → We show that the density of defects in metallic glasses is as high as a quarter. → Our concepts about the defect state in glasses need to be changed. - Abstract: The current majority view on the phenomenon of mechanical failure in metallic glasses appears to be that it is caused by the activity of some structural defects, such as free-volumes or shear transformation zones, and the concentration of such defects is small, only of the order of 1%. However, the recent results compel us to revise this view. Through molecular dynamics simulation it has been shown that mechanical failure is the stress-induced glass transition. According to our theory the concentration of the liquid-like sites (defects) is well over 20% at the glass transition. We suggest that the defect concentration in metallic glasses is actually very high, and percolation of such defects causes atomic avalanche and mechanical failure. In this article we discuss the glass transition, mechanical failure and viscosity from such a point of view.

The size distribution of chemical elements of atmospheric aerosol at a semi-rural coastal site in Venice (Italy). The role of atmospheric circulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Masiol, Mauro; Squizzato, Stefania; Ceccato, Daniele; Pavoni, Bruno

2015-01-01

The concentrations of selected elemental tracers were determined in the aerosol of a semi-rural coastal site near Venice (Italy). Size-segregated aerosol samples were collected using an 8-stage cascade impactor set at 15m above ground, during the cold season (late autumn and winter), when high levels of many pollutants are known to cause risks for human health. From the experimental data, information was extracted on potential pollutant sources by investigating the relationships between elements in the different size fractions. Moreover, an approach to highlight the importance of local atmospheric circulation and air mass origin in influencing the PM composition and fractional distribution is proposed. Anthropogenic elements are strongly inter-correlated in the submicrometric (4 μm) Fe and Zn are well correlated and are probably linked to tire and brake wear emissions. Regarding atmospheric circulation, results show increasing levels of elements related to pollution sources (S, K, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn) when air masses come from Central and Eastern Europe direction and on the ground wind blows from NWN-N-NE (from mainland Venice). Low wind speed and high percentage of wind calm hours favor element accumulation in the submicrometric and intermediate modes. Furthermore, strong winds favor the formation of sea-spray and the increase of Si in the coarse mode due to the resuspension of sand fine particles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smartphone Magnification Attachment: Microscope or Magnifying Glass

Science.gov (United States)

Hergemöller, Timo; Laumann, Daniel

2017-09-01

Today smartphones and tablets do not merely pervade our daily life, but also play a major role in STEM education in general, and in experimental investigations in particular. Enabling teachers and students to make use of these new techniques in physics lessons requires supplying capable and affordable applications. Our article presents the improvement of a low-cost technique turning smartphones into powerful magnifying glasses or microscopes. Adding only a 3D-printed clip attached to the smartphone's camera and inserting a small glass bead in this clip enables smartphones to take pictures with up to 780x magnification (see Fig. 1). In addition, the construction of the smartphone attachments helps to explain and examine the differences between magnifying glasses and microscopes, and shows that the widespread term "smartphone microscope" for this technique is inaccurate from a physics educational perspective.

Silicate glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutze, W.

1988-01-01

Vitrification of liquid high-level radioactive wastes has received the greatest attention, world-wide, compared to any other HLW solidification process. The waste form is a borosilicate-based glass. The production of phosphate-based glass has been abandoned in the western world. Only in the Soviet Union are phosphate-based glasses still being developed. Vitrification techniques, equipment and processes and their remote operation have been developed and studied for almost thirty years and have reached a high degree of technical maturity. Industrial demonstration of the vitrification process has been in progress since 1978. This chapter is a survey of world-wide research and development efforts in nuclear waste glasses and its production technology. The principal glasses considered are silicate glasses which contain boron, i.e., borosilicate glasses

High-Level Waste Glass Formulation Model Sensitivity Study 2009 Glass Formulation Model Versus 1996 Glass Formulation Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belsher, J.D.; Meinert, F.L.

2009-01-01

This document presents the differences between two HLW glass formulation models (GFM): The 1996 GFM and 2009 GFM. A glass formulation model is a collection of glass property correlations and associated limits, as well as model validity and solubility constraints; it uses the pretreated HLW feed composition to predict the amount and composition of glass forming additives necessary to produce acceptable HLW glass. The 2009 GFM presented in this report was constructed as a nonlinear optimization calculation based on updated glass property data and solubility limits described in PNNL-18501 (2009). Key mission drivers such as the total mass of HLW glass and waste oxide loading are compared between the two glass formulation models. In addition, a sensitivity study was performed within the 2009 GFM to determine the effect of relaxing various constraints on the predicted mass of the HLW glass.

Dynamic thermal expansivity of liquids near the glass transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Niss, Kristine; Gundermann, Ditte; Christensen, Tage; Dyre, Jeppe C

2012-04-01

Based on previous works on polymers by Bauer et al. [Phys. Rev. E 61, 1755 (2000)], this paper describes a capacitative method for measuring the dynamical expansion coefficient of a viscous liquid. Data are presented for the glass-forming liquid tetramethyl tetraphenyl trisiloxane (DC704) in the ultraviscous regime. Compared to the method of Bauer et al., the dynamical range has been extended by making time-domain experiments and by making very small and fast temperature steps. The modeling of the experiment presented in this paper includes the situation in which the capacitor is not full because the liquid contracts when cooling from room temperature down to around the glass-transition temperature, which is relevant when measuring on a molecular liquid rather than a polymer.

Reduction of predose reading in radiophotoluminescent glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramanathan, G.; Nagpal, J.S.; Gangadharan, P. (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Div. of Radiological Protection)

1982-04-01

A method is described of reducing the predose reading in radiophotoluminescent glass dosimeters. Decay time discrimination is obtained by making use of the space charge effects which occur between the last dynode and the collector of the detecting photomultiplier and discriminating the pulse heights obtained.

Crystallization kinetics, glass transition kinetics, and thermal stability of Se70-xGa30Inx (x=5, 10, 15, and 20) semiconducting glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imran, Mousa M.A.

2011-01-01

Crystallization and glass transition kinetics of Se 70-x Ga 30 In x (x=5, 10, 15, and 20) semiconducting chalcogenide glasses were studied under non-isothermal condition using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). DSC thermograms of the samples were recorded at four different heating rates 5, 10, 15, and 20 K/min. The variation of the glass transition temperature (T g ) with the heating rate (β) was used to calculate the glass transition activation energy (E t ) using two different models. Meanwhile, the variation of the peak temperature of crystallization (T p ) with β was utilized to deduce the crystallization activation energy (E c ) using Kissinger, Augis-Bennet, and Takhor models. Results reveal that E t decreases with increasing In content, while both T g and E c exhibit the opposite behavior, and the crystal growth occurs in one dimension. The variation of these thermal parameters with the average coordination number was also discussed, and the results were interpreted in terms of the type of bonding that In makes with Se. Assessment of thermal stability and glass forming ability (GFA) was carried out on the basis of some quantitative criteria and the results indicate that thermal stability is enhanced while the crystallization rate is reduced with the addition of In to Se-Ga glass. -- Research highlights: → Addition of In to Se-Ga glass decreases the glass transition activation energy. → The crystallization rate in Se-Ga-In glass is reduced as In content increases. → The crystal growth in Se-Ga-In glass occurs in one dimension. → Thermal properties of Se-Ga-In glass indicate a shift in Phillips-Thorpe threshold.

Studies on deposition of radon daughters on glass surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loerinc, M.; Feher, I.; Palfalvi, J.

1998-01-01

In a certain village in Northern Hungary, in some houses the radon concentration was found to be in the order of kBq.m -3 . In an attempt to decide whether an earthquake or the near-by mining activity is to blame, past radon concentration was studied making use of radon daughters embedded in the surface layer of glass sheets. In the investigation several conclusions were reached: drastic changes in Rn concentration could be excluded, ie., the high Rn concentration existed over the last 50 years; the continuing deposition of dirt on the glass surface and the occasional cleaning had no significant effect; the effect of corrosion processes at the glass surface should be further investigated. (A.K.)

Application of ceramic and glass materials in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamnabard, Z.

2008-01-01

Ceramic and glass are high temperature materials that can be used in many fields of application in nuclear industries. First, it is known that nuclear fuel UO 2 is a ceramic material. Also, ability to absorb neutrons without forming long lived radio-nuclides make the non-oxide ceramics attractive as an absorbent for neutron radiation arising in nuclear power plants. Glass-ceramic materials are a new type of ceramic that produced by the controlled nucleation and crystallization of glass, and have several advantages such as very low or null porosity, uniformity of microstructure, high chemical resistance etc. over conventional powder processed ceramics. These ceramic materials are synthesized in different systems based on their properties and applications. In nuclear industries, those are resistant to leaching and radiation damage for thousands of years, Such as glass-ceramics designed for radioactive waste immobilization and machinable glass-ceramics are used. This article introduces requirements of different glass and ceramic materials used in nuclear power plants and have been focused on developments in properties and application of them

Attrattività delle città di celluloide. A Venezia tra cinema "avventura" e turismo / Attractiveness of the celluloid cities. In Venice between “adventure” cinema and tourism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella Privitera

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Molte destinazioni hanno basato la loro strategia di promozione affidandosi ai prodotti multimediali, considerando i vantaggi legati alla potenza incisiva del cinema. Il cinema conserva un ruolo privilegiato grazie alla sua capacità di suggestione. Lo scopo dello studio è di migliorare la comprensione del cineturismo in location in film noti e di avventura. Quali sono le immagini che i turisti hanno di Venezia visionando i film di James Bond? Le interviste sono state condotte con un gruppo di studenti che hanno visto la pellicola Casino Royale. I risultati mostrano che Venezia nel mondo di Bond contiene elementi attrattivi ma rimane piuttosto in secondo piano.   Film and Tourism share a close relationship. The aim of the study is to improve understanding of film induced tourism on locations featured in popular films. The present research used the case of James Bond film to explore this issue about Venice. Interviews were conducted with students who have seen Casino Royale movie. These interviews indicate that Venice, into the world of Bond contains elements attractive but it remains of little importance compared to Bond.

Strengthened glass for high average power laser applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerqua, K.A.; Lindquist, A.; Jacobs, S.D.; Lambropoulos, J.

1987-01-01

Recent advancements in high repetition rate and high average power laser systems have put increasing demands on the development of improved solid state laser materials with high thermal loading capabilities. The authors have developed a process for strengthening a commercially available Nd doped phosphate glass utilizing an ion-exchange process. Results of thermal loading fracture tests on moderate size (160 x 15 x 8 mm) glass slabs have shown a 6-fold improvement in power loading capabilities for strengthened samples over unstrengthened slabs. Fractographic analysis of post-fracture samples has given insight into the mechanism of fracture in both unstrengthened and strengthened samples. Additional stress analysis calculations have supported these findings. In addition to processing the glass' surface during strengthening in a manner which preserves its post-treatment optical quality, the authors have developed an in-house optical fabrication technique utilizing acid polishing to minimize subsurface damage in samples prior to exchange treatment. Finally, extension of the strengthening process to alternate geometries of laser glass has produced encouraging results, which may expand the potential or strengthened glass in laser systems, making it an exciting prospect for many applications

Optimized Synthesis of Foam Glass from Recycled CRT Panel Glass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Rasmus Rosenlund; König, Jakob; Yue, Yuanzheng

Most of the panel glass from cathode ray tubes (CRTs) is landfilled today. Instead of landfilling, the panel glass can be turned into new environment-friendly foam glass. Low density foam glass is an effective heat insulating material and can be produced just by using recycle glass and foaming...... additives. In this work we recycle the CRT panel glass to synthesize the foam glass as a crucial component of building and insulating materials. The synthesis conditions such as foaming temperature, duration, glass particle size, type and concentrations of foaming agents, and so on are optimized...... by performing systematic experiments. In particular, the concentration of foaming agents is an important parameter that influences the size of bubbles and the distribution of bubbles throughout the sample. The foam glasses are characterised regarding density and open/closed porosity. Differential scanning...

Adapting Shakespeare – Converting Shylock in Michael Radford’s the Merchant of Venice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oakes Luke

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This article aims to explore the extension and evolution of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice through Michael Radford’s 2004 cinematic adaptation. By investigating the concept of adaptation and the significance of intertextuality, Shakespeare’s source text is considered alongside Radford’s twenty-first century recreation to reimagine and redefine the construction of Shylock as both a comic and tragic device utilized across film and play. Issues of racial and religious prejudices alongside anti- Semitic views were particularly prominent in Elizabethan England and, by concentrating on recontextualisation, this article looks to expose Shakespeare’s characterization as a reflective commentary concerning societal discriminations at the time of the play’s performance. By focusing primarily on Shakespeare’s Jewish Usurer, Radford is able to reconstruct and reestablish the dramatic devices and characters within the cinematic version, metaphorically converting Shylock from comic villain to tragic victim. Finally, it argues that this dynamic shift inevitably metamorphoses Shylock from a spectator’s perspective and provides Michael Radford with an opportunity to offer a social commentary on social inequality in the twenty-first century.

Nuclear traces in glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segovia A, M. de N.

1978-01-01

The charged particles produce, in dielectric materials, physical and chemical effects which make evident the damaged zone along the trajectory of the particle. This damaged zone is known as the latent trace. The latent traces can be enlarged by an etching of the detector material. This treatment attacks preferently the zones of the material where the charged particles have penetrated, producing concavities which can be observed through a low magnification optical microscope. These concavities are known as developed traces. In this work we describe the glass characteristics as a detector of the fission fragments traces. In the first chapter we present a summary of the existing basic theories to explain the formation of traces in solids. In the second chapter we describe the etching method used for the traces development. In the following chapters we determine some chatacteristics of the traces formed on the glass, such as: the development optimum time; the diameter variation of the traces and their density according to the temperature variation of the detector; the glass response to a radiation more penetrating than that of the fission fragments; the distribution of the developed traces and the existing relation between this ditribution and the fission fragments of 252 Cf energies. The method which has been used is simple and cheap and can be utilized in laboratories whose resources are limited. The commercial glass which has been employed allows the registration of the fission fragments and subsequently the realization of experiments which involve the counting of the traces as well as the identification of particles. (author)

Taking the Plunge: Districts Leap into Virtualization

Science.gov (United States)

Demski, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Moving from a traditional desktop computing environment to a virtualized solution is a daunting task. In this article, the author presents case histories of three districts that have made the conversion to virtual computing to learn about their experiences: What prompted them to make the move, and what were their objectives? Which obstacles prove…

Integration of biological responses from a suite of bioassays for the Venice Lagoon (Italy) through sediment toxicity index - part A: development and comparison of two methodological approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Losso, Chiara; Novelli, Alessandra Arizzi; De Salvador, Davide; Ghetti, Pier Francesco; Ghirardini, Annamaria Volpi

2010-12-01

Marine and coastal quality assessment, based on test batteries involving a wide array of endpoints, organisms and test matrices, needs for setting up toxicity indices that integrate multiple toxicological measures for decision-making processes and that classify the continuous toxicity response into discrete categories according to the European Water Framework Directive. Two toxicity indices were developed for the lagoon environment such as the Venice Lagoon. Stepwise procedure included: the construction of a database that identified test-matrix pairs (indicators); the selection of a minimum number of ecotoxicological indicators, called toxicological core metrics (CMs-tox) on the basis of specific criteria; the development of toxicity scores for each CM-tox; the integration of the CMs-tox into two indices, the Toxicity Effect Index (TEI), based on the transformation of Toxic Unit (TU) data that were integrated as logarithmic sum, and the Weighted Average Toxicity Index (WATI), starting from toxicity classes integrated as weighted mean. Results from the indices are compared; advantages and drawbacks of both approaches are discussed. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Reforming health service delivery at district level in Ghana: the perspective of a district medical officer.

Science.gov (United States)

Agyepong, I A

1999-03-01

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa face the problem of organizing health service delivery in a manner that provides adequate quality and coverage of health care to their populations against a background of economic recession and limited resources. In response to these challenges, different governments, including that of Ghana, have been considering or are in the process of implementing varying degrees of reform in the health sector. This paper examines aspects of health services delivery, and trends in utilization and coverage, using routine data over time in the Dangme West district of the Greater Accra region of Ghana, from the perspective of a district health manager. Specific interventions through which health services delivery and utilization at district level could be improved are suggested. Suggestions include raising awareness among care providers and health managers that increased resource availability is only a success in so far as it leads to improvements in coverage, utilization and quality; and developing indicators of performance which assess and reward use of resources at the local level to improve coverage, utilization and quality. Also needed are more flexibility in Central Government regulations for resource allocation and use; integration of service delivery at district level with more decentralized planning to make services better responsive to local needs; changes in basic and inservice training strategies; and exploration of how the public and private sectors can effectively collaborate to achieve maximum coverage and quality of care within available resources.

Mathematical-statistical model for analysis of Ulva algal net photosynthesis in Venice lagoon; Modello matematico-statistico per l`analisi della produttivita` primaria dell`alga Ulva nella laguna di Venezia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izzo, G.; Rizzo, V. [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome (Italy). Dip. Ambiente; Bella, A.; Picci, M. [Rome Univ. La Sapienza (Italy). Dip. di Statistica e Probabilita` Applicata; Giordano, P. [Rome Univ. La Sapienza (Italy). Dip. di Biologia Vegetale

1996-08-01

The algal net photosynthesis, an important factor for the characterization of water quality in Venice lagoon, has been studied experimentally providing a mathematical model, validated by using statistical methods. This model relates oxygen production with irradiance, according to a well known law in biological literature. Its observed an inverted proportion between algal oxygen production and temperature, thus seasonality.

Physical and chemical analysis of glass beads and glassy slag from Iron Age sites in northeast Thailand : preliminary findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saitowitz, S.J.; Reid, D.L.

2001-01-01

Substantial numbers of glass beads have been found at the Iron Age site of Noen U-Loke (ca. 850 BC to AD 500) in northeast Thailand. Typological classification of the beads, using standardised procedures, together with specialized analytical data show that while distinctly different bead-making techniques were used to produce the beads, the chemical composition of the glass was very similar. This information suggests the possibility of multiple craftsmen, at varied levels of expertise, using glass made at a single source or using raw materials found within a specific region. These findings allow for more detailed physical and chemical analysis of the beads, so as to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of different bead types. A fragment of glassy slag, excavated at Noen U-Loke, was analysed to distinguish whether it could be associated with a glass making process. However, the results were unable to confirm whether it was used to make glass suitable for beads. (author). 30 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

Radiation induced coloring of glasses measured during and after electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swyler, K.J.; Hardy, W.H. II; Levy, P.W.

1975-01-01

The growth of color centers during irradiation, and the decay after irradiation, were studied in two glasses using recently developed equipment for making optical absorption and luminescence measurements during and after electron irradiation. The glasses studied were NBS 710, a soda-lime silicate glass, and NBS 711, a lead silicate glass. Both glasses exhibit similar coloring characteristics. The radiation-induced absorption spectra consists of a weak gaussian shaped band in the visible, a stronger gaussian band in the ultraviolet, and a band edge ''shift'' which may be accurately approximated by a third gaussian band. For all absorption bands, the color center vs dose (or irradiation time) curves can be accurately resolved into two saturating exponential and one linear component. The decay curves obtained after the irradiation is terminated can be accurately expressed by three exponential components. Coloring and decay curves made at different dose rates indicate that the processes responsible for decay after irradiation and electron hole recombination during irradiation play important roles in determining the rate and extent of coloring. Results are qualitatively in agreement with some very simple kinetic treatments for color center formation. In some, but not all, respects the quantitative agreement is also good. Lastly, the results indicate that it is necessary to make measurements during irradiation to establish the formation kinetics of color centers that are unstable at the bombardment temperature. (U.S.)

Recycling of Glass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Damgaard, Anders

2011-01-01

Glass is used for many purposes, but in the waste system glass is predominantly found in terms of beverage and food containers with a relatively short lifetime before ending up in the waste. Furthermore there is a large amount of flat glass used in building materials which also ends up in the waste...... system; this glass though has a long lifetime before ending up in the waste. Altogether these product types add up to 82% of the production of the European glass industry (IPCC, 2001). Recycling of glass in terms of cleaning and refilling of bottles as well as the use of broken glass in the production...... of new glass containers is well established in the glass industry. This chapter describes briefly howglass is produced and howwaste glass is recycled in the industry. Quality requirements and use of recycled products are discussed, as are the resource and environmental issues of glass recycling....

The path dependence of district manager decision-space in Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Kwamie, Aku; van Dijk, Han; Ansah, Evelyn K; Agyepong, Irene Akua

2016-01-01

The district health system in Ghana today is characterized by high resource-uncertainty and narrow decision-space. This article builds a theory-driven historical case study to describe the influence of path-dependent administrative, fiscal and political decentralization processes on development of the district health system and district manager decision-space. Methods included a non-exhaustive literature review of democratic governance in Ghana, and key informant interviews with high-level health system officials integral to the development of the district health system. Through our analysis we identified four periods of district health system progression: (1) development of the district health system (1970–85); (2) Strengthening District Health Systems Initiative (1986–93); (3) health sector reform planning and creation of the Ghana Health Service (1994–96) and (4) health sector reform implementation (1997–2007). It was observed that district manager decision-space steadily widened during periods (1) and (2), due to increases in managerial profile, and concerted efforts at managerial capacity strengthening. Periods (3) and (4) saw initial augmentation of district health system financing, further widening managerial decision-space. However, the latter half of period 4 witnessed district manager decision-space contraction. Formalization of Ghana Health Service structures influenced by self-reinforcing tendencies towards centralized decision-making, national and donor shifts in health sector financing, and changes in key policy actors all worked to the detriment of the district health system, reversing early gains from bottom-up development of the district health system. Policy feedback mechanisms have been influenced by historical and contemporary sequencing of local government and health sector decentralization. An initial act of administrative decentralization, followed by incomplete political and fiscal decentralization has ensured that the balance of

The path dependence of district manager decision-space in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwamie, Aku; van Dijk, Han; Ansah, Evelyn K; Agyepong, Irene Akua

2016-04-01

The district health system in Ghana today is characterized by high resource-uncertainty and narrow decision-space. This article builds a theory-driven historical case study to describe the influence of path-dependent administrative, fiscal and political decentralization processes on development of the district health system and district manager decision-space. Methods included a non-exhaustive literature review of democratic governance in Ghana, and key informant interviews with high-level health system officials integral to the development of the district health system. Through our analysis we identified four periods of district health system progression: (1) development of the district health system (1970-85); (2) Strengthening District Health Systems Initiative (1986-93); (3) health sector reform planning and creation of the Ghana Health Service (1994-96) and (4) health sector reform implementation (1997-2007). It was observed that district manager decision-space steadily widened during periods (1) and (2), due to increases in managerial profile, and concerted efforts at managerial capacity strengthening. Periods (3) and (4) saw initial augmentation of district health system financing, further widening managerial decision-space. However, the latter half of period 4 witnessed district manager decision-space contraction. Formalization of Ghana Health Service structures influenced by self-reinforcing tendencies towards centralized decision-making, national and donor shifts in health sector financing, and changes in key policy actors all worked to the detriment of the district health system, reversing early gains from bottom-up development of the district health system. Policy feedback mechanisms have been influenced by historical and contemporary sequencing of local government and health sector decentralization. An initial act of administrative decentralization, followed by incomplete political and fiscal decentralization has ensured that the balance of power has

Wearable technology smart watches to Google Glass for libraries

CERN Document Server

Bruno, Tom

2015-01-01

Emerging devices are placing powerful computing abilities into the wardrobes of consumers through wearable technology which combines fashion and function in new and exciting ways. The most recognizable of these emerging gadgets is Google Glass. Wearable Technology: Smart Watches to Google Glass for Libraries provides a comprehensive overview of the current wearable technology landscape, the types of devices and functionality available, the benefits and limitations of this type of technology, and how you can make use of it in yo

Influence of sodium content on the properties of bioactive glasses for use in air abrasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Farooq, Imran; Tylkowski, Maxi; Müller, Steffen; Janicki, Tomasz; Brauer, Delia S; Hill, Robert G

2013-12-01

Air abrasion is used in minimally invasive dentistry for preparing cavities, while removing no or little sound dentine or enamel, and the use of bioactive glass (rather than alumina) as an abrasive could aid in tooth remineralization. Melt-derived bioactive glasses (SiO2-P2O5-CaO-CaF2-Na2O) with low sodium content (0 to 10 mol% Na2O in exchange for CaO) for increased hardness, high phosphate content for high bioactivity and fluoride content for release of fluoride and formation of fluorapatite were produced, and particles between 38 and 80 µm in size were used for cutting soda-lime silicate glass microscope slides and human enamel. Vickers hardness increased with decreasing Na2O content, owing to a more compact silicate network in low sodium content glasses, resulting in shorter cutting times. Cutting times using bioactive glass were significantly longer than using the alumina control (29 µm) when tested on microscope slides; however, glasses showed more comparable results when cutting human enamel. The bioactive glasses formed apatite in Tris buffer within 6 h, which was significantly faster than Bioglass® 45S5 (24 h), suggesting that the hardness of the glasses makes them suitable for air abrasion application, while their high bioactivity and fluoride content make them of interest for tooth remineralization.

Nuclear waste under glass, further discussion

Science.gov (United States)

O'Keefe, J. A.; Barkatt, A.; Glass, B. P.; Alterescu, S.

J. J. Crovisier and J. Honnorez [1988] discuss an article by W. W. Maggs, “Mg May Protect Waste Under Glass” [Maggs, 1988] summarizing work by A. Barkatt (Catholic University, Washington, D.C.), B. P. Glass (University of Delaware, Newark), and S. Alterescu and J. A. O'Keefe (NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Md.). We found that seawater is orders of magnitude less corrosive t h an fresh water in attacking tektite glass; traced the protective effect to the presence of magnesium, at a level of about 1.3 g/L in seawater; and suggested that the effect might be useful in protecting nuclear waste glasses from corrosion.Crovisier and Honnorez first make the point that the rate of corrosion of glass is, in principle, a function of the ratio of surface area 5 to the effective volume V. This concept, which is usually discussed in American literature under the name of S/V effects, is discussed by Crovisier and Honnorez in terms of the “permeability of the environment.” These effects have been carefully considered throughout our work (see, for example, Barkatt et al. [19867rsqb;). It turns out that in the sea the effective S/V is so small that the effects referred to by Crovisier and Honnorez can be ignored.

Make My Trip Count 2015

Data.gov (United States)

Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — The Make My Trip Count (MMTC) commuter survey, conducted in September and October 2015 by GBA, the Pittsburgh 2030 District, and 10 other regional transportation...

Quantitative Market Research Regarding Funding of District 8 Construction Projects

Science.gov (United States)

1995-05-01

The primary objective of this quantitative research is to provide information : for more effective decision making regarding the level of investment in various : transportation systems in District 8. : This objective was accomplished by establishing ...

Characterization of iron phosphate glasses prepared by microwave heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, Fabio Jesus Moreira de

2006-01-01

Phosphate glasses have been investigated since the fifties, because they are relatively easy to prepare, have low melting temperatures (1000 deg C - 1200 deg C and low glass transition. However, these glasses were very sensitive to humidity, showing a very low chemical durability. Iron phosphate glasses have been prepared by melting inorganic precursors in conventional electric furnaces and induction furnaces. By adding iron, phosphate glasses became chemical resistant and were thought to be used as nuclear waste forms or mechanical resistance fibers. The use of microwaves has been investigated because it makes possible a fast and homogeneous heating of the materials. Microwave promotes the self-heating of the material by the interaction of the external electromagnetic field with the molecules and ions of the material. Niobium phosphate glasses was also produced already through the heating of precursors in microwave ovens. Other glasses containing iron in theirs structure was produced by conventional furnaces and they had your structures analyzed. But even so, it was not still published synthesis of iron phosphate glasses starting from the melting of precursors materials in microwave ovens. In the present work mixtures of (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 and Fe 3 O 4 or (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 and Fe 2 O 3 were exposed to microwave energy with electromagnetic waves of 2,45 GHz. It was proposed that the absorption of this radiation for the material causes the heating from room temperature to melting temperature. The obtained iron phosphate glasses was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Moessbauer spectroscopy, and Differential Thermal Analysis. Iron phosphate glasses were also produced in electrical furnaces for comparison. (author)

Characterization of iron phosphate glasses prepared by microwave heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, Fabio Jesus Moreira de

2006-01-01

Phosphate glasses have been investigated since the fifties, because they are relatively easy to prepare, have low melting temperatures (1000 deg C - 1200 deg C), and low glass transition. However, these glasses were very sensitive to humidity, showing a very low chemical durability. Iron phosphate glasses have been prepared by melting inorganic precursors in conventional electric furnaces and induction furnaces. By adding iron, phosphate glasses became chemical resistant and were thought to be used as nuclear waste forms or mechanical resistance fibers. The use of microwaves has been investigated because it makes possible a fast and homogeneous heating of the materials. Microwave promotes the self-heating of the material by the interaction of the external electromagnetic field with the molecules and ions of the material. Niobium phosphate glasses was also produced already through the heating of precursors in microwave ovens. Other glasses containing iron in theirs structure was produced by conventional furnaces and they had your structures analyzed. But even so, it was not still published synthesis of iron phosphate glasses starting from the melting of precursors materials in microwave ovens. In the present work mixtures of (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 and Fe 3 O 4 or (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 and Fe 2 O 3 were exposed to microwave energy with electromagnetic waves of 2,45 GHz. It was proposed that the absorption of this radiation for the material causes the heating from room temperature to melting temperature. The obtained iron phosphate glasses was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Moessbauer spectroscopy, and Differential Thermal Analysis. Iron phosphate glasses were also produced in electrical furnaces for comparison. (author)

NEW ERBIUM DOPED ANTIMONY GLASSES FOR LASER AND GLASS AMPLIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Tioua

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Because of the special spectroscopic properties of the rare earth ions, rare earth doped glasses are widely used in bulk and fiber lasers or amplifiers. The modelling of lasers and searching for new laser transitions require a precise knowledge of the spectroscopic properties of rare earth ions in different host glasses. In this poster will offer new doped erbium glasses synthesized in silicate crucibles were obtained in the combination Sb2O3-WO3-Na2O. Several properties are measured and correlated with glass compositions. The absorption spectral studies have been performed for erbium doped glasses. The intensities of various absorption bands of the doped glasses are measured and the Judd-Ofelt parameters have been computed. From the theory of Judd-Ofelt, various radiative properties, such as transition probability, branching ratio and radiative life time for various emission levels of these doped glasses have been determined and reported. These results confirm the ability of antimony glasses for glass amplification.

Influence of Glass Property Restrictions on Hanford HLW Glass Volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Sang; Vienna, John D.

2001-01-01

A systematic evaluation of Hanford High-Level Waste (HLW) loading in alkali-alumino-borosilicate glasses was performed. The waste feed compositions used were obtained from current tank waste composition estimates, Hanford's baseline retrieval sequence, and pretreatment processes. The waste feeds were sorted into groups of like composition by cluster analysis. Glass composition optimization was performed on each cluster to meet property and composition constraints while maximizing waste loading. Glass properties were estimated using property models developed for Hanford HLW glasses. The impacts of many constraints on the volume of HLW glass to be produced at Hanford were evaluated. The liquidus temperature, melting temperature, chromium concentration, formation of multiple phases on cooling, and product consistency test response requirements for the glass were varied one- or many-at-a-time and the resultant glass volume was calculated. This study shows clearly that the allowance of crystalline phases in the glass melter can significantly decrease the volume of HLW glass to be produced at Hanford.

Radar-driven High-resolution Hydrometeorological Forecasts of the 26 September 2007 Venice flash flood

Science.gov (United States)

Massimo Rossa, Andrea; Laudanna Del Guerra, Franco; Borga, Marco; Zanon, Francesco; Settin, Tommaso; Leuenberger, Daniel

2010-05-01

Space and time scales of flash floods are such that flash flood forecasting and warning systems depend upon the accurate real-time provision of rainfall information, high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) forecasts and the use of hydrological models. Currently available high-resolution NWP model models can potentially provide warning forecasters information on the future evolution of storms and their internal structure, thereby increasing convective-scale warning lead times. However, it is essential that the model be started with a very accurate representation of on-going convection, which calls for assimilation of high-resolution rainfall data. This study aims to assess the feasibility of using carefully checked radar-derived quantitative precipitation estimates (QPE) for assimilation into NWP and hydrological models. The hydrometeorological modeling chain includes the convection-permitting NWP model COSMO-2 and a hydrologic-hydraulic models built upon the concept of geomorphological transport. Radar rainfall observations are assimilated into the NWP model via the latent heat nudging method. The study is focused on 26 September 2007 extreme flash flood event which impacted the coastal area of north-eastern Italy around Venice. The hydro-meteorological modeling system is implemented over the Dese river, a 90 km2 catchment flowing to the Venice lagoon. The radar rainfall observations are carefully checked for artifacts, including beam attenuation, by means of physics-based correction procedures and comparison with a dense network of raingauges. The impact of the radar QPE in the assimilation cycle of the NWP model is very significant, in that the main individual organized convective systems were successfully introduced into the model state, both in terms of timing and localization. Also, incorrectly localized precipitation in the model reference run without rainfall assimilation was correctly reduced to about the observed levels. On the other hand, the

Phase transitions and glass transition in a hyperquenched silica–alumina glass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Y.F.; Zhao, D.H.; Yue, Yuanzheng

2017-01-01

We investigate phase transitions, glass transition, and dynamic behavior in the hyperquenched 69SiO2–31Al2O3 (mol%) glass (SA glass). Upon reheating, the SA glass exhibits a series of thermal responses. Subsequent to the sub-Tg enthalpy release, the glass undergoes a large jump in isobaric heat...... capacity (ΔCp) during glass transition, implying the fragile nature of the SA glass. The mullite starts to form before the end of glass transition, indicating that the SA glass is extremely unstable against crystallization. After the mullite formation, the remaining glass phase exhibits an increased Tg...... and a suppressed ΔCp. The formation of cristobalite at 1553 K indicates the dominance of silica in the remaining glass matrix. The cristobalite gradually re-melts as the isothermal heat-treatment temperature is raised from 1823 to 1853 K, which is well below the melting point of cristobalite, while the amount...

Glass sealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brow, R.K.; Kovacic, L.; Chambers, R.S. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1996-04-01

Hernetic glass sealing technologies developed for weapons component applications can be utilized for the design and manufacture of fuel cells. Design and processing of of a seal are optimized through an integrated approach based on glass composition research, finite element analysis, and sealing process definition. Glass sealing procedures are selected to accommodate the limits imposed by glass composition and predicted calculations.

Distribution to heavy metals in sediments of the Venice Lagoon: The role of the industrial area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frignani, M.; Bellucci, L.G.; Ravanelli, M.; Paolucci, D.

1999-01-01

The Venice Lagoon has been heavily polluted both from diffuse and direct sources. It has been recently established that the atmospheric delivery of contaminants to the lagoon can be very significant in zones far from direct sources, but the influence of the industrial area of Porto Marghera, though widely recognized, has not been entirely described and quantified. In order to assess the temporal and spatial variability of metal pollution, and to better understand the contribution of the industrial channels as sources of contaminants, in May 1996 we sampled 18 stations in the lagoon and 9 in the channels of the industrial area of Porto Marghera. At each site a short core, 10 cm long, was taken and immediately extruded to obtain 4 slices 2-2.5 cm thick. Sediment samples have been analysed for As, Cd, Pb, and Zn after acid extraction

Analysis of early medieval glass beads - Glass in the transition period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smit, Ziga, E-mail: ziga.smit@ijs.si [Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, P.O.B. 3000, SI-1001 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Knific, Timotej [National Museum of Slovenia, Presernova 20, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Jezersek, David [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, P.O.B. 3000, SI-1001 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Istenic, Janka [National Museum of Slovenia, Presernova 20, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2012-05-01

Glass beads from graves excavated in Slovenia and dated archaeologically to the 7th-10th century AD were analysed by the combined PIXE-PIGE method. The results indicate two groups of glass; natron glass made in the Roman tradition and glass made with alkalis from the ash of halophytic plants, which gradually replaced natron glass after c. 800 AD. The alkalis used in the second group of glass seem to be in close relation to a variant of the Venetian white glass that appeared several centuries later. The origin of this glass may be traced to glass production in Mesopotamia and around the Aral Sea. All the mosaic beads with eye decoration, as well as most of the drawn-segmented and drawn-cut beads analysed, are of plant-ash glass, which confirms their supposed oriental origin.

Spherical 2+p spin-glass model: An exactly solvable model for glass to spin-glass transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crisanti, A.; Leuzzi, L.

2004-01-01

We present the full phase diagram of the spherical 2+p spin-glass model with p≥4. The main outcome is the presence of a phase with both properties of full replica symmetry breaking phases of discrete models, e.g., the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model, and those of one replica symmetry breaking. This phase has a finite complexity which leads to different dynamic and static properties. The phase diagram is rich enough to allow the study of different kinds of glass to spin glass and spin glass to spin glass phase transitions

Glass binder development for a glass-bonded sodalite ceramic waste form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, Brian J.; Vienna, John D.; Frank, Steven M.; Kroll, Jared O.; Peterson, Jacob A.

2017-01-01

This paper discusses work to develop Na_2O-B_2O_3-SiO_2 glass binders for immobilizing LiCl-KCl eutectic salt waste in a glass-bonded sodalite waste form following electrochemical reprocessing of used metallic nuclear fuel. In this paper, five new glasses with ~20 mass% Na_2O were designed to generate waste forms with high sodalite. The glasses were then used to produce ceramic waste forms with a surrogate salt waste. The waste forms made using these new glasses were formulated to generate more sodalite than those made with previous baseline glasses for this type of waste. The coefficients of thermal expansion for the glass phase in the glass-bonded sodalite waste forms made with the new binder glasses were closer to the sodalite phase in the critical temperature region near and below the glass transition temperature than previous binder glasses used. Finally, these improvements should result in lower probability of cracking in the full-scale monolithic ceramic waste form, leading to better long-term chemical durability.

Using physical properties of molten glass to estimate glass composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kwan Sik; Yang, Kyoung Hwa; Park, Jong Kil

1997-01-01

A vitrification process is under development in KEPRI for the treatment of low-and medium-level radioactive waste. Although the project is for developing and building Vitrification Pilot Plant in Korea, one of KEPRI's concerns is the quality control of the vitrified glass. This paper discusses a methodology for the estimation of glass composition by on-line measurement of molten glass properties, which could be applied to the plant for real-time quality control of the glass product. By remotely measuring viscosity and density of the molten glass, the glass characteristics such as composition can be estimated and eventually controlled. For this purpose, using the database of glass composition vs. physical properties in isothermal three-component system of SiO 2 -Na 2 O-B 2 O 3 , a software TERNARY has been developed which determines the glass composition by using two known physical properties (e.g. density and viscosity)

Microstructuring of glasses

CERN Document Server

Hülsenberg, Dagmar; Bismarck, Alexander

2008-01-01

As microstructured glass becomes increasingly important for microsystems technology, the main application fields include micro-fluidic systems, micro-analysis systems, sensors, micro-actuators and implants. And, because glass has quite distinct properties from silicon, PMMA and metals, applications exist where only glass devices meet the requirements. The main advantages of glass derive from its amorphous nature, the precondition for its - theoretically - direction-independent geometric structurability. Microstructuring of Glasses deals with the amorphous state, various glass compositions and their properties, the interactions between glasses and the electromagnetic waves used to modify it. Also treated in detail are methods for influencing the geometrical microstructure of glasses by mechanical, chemical, thermal, optical, and electrical treatment, and the methods and equipment required to produce actual microdevices.

District heating in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzog, F.

1991-01-01

District heating has been used in Switzerland for more than 50 years. Its share of the heat market is less than 3% today. An analysis of the use of district heating in various European countries shows that a high share of district heating in the heat market is always dependent on ideal conditions for its use. Market prospects and possible future developments in the use of district heating in Switzerland are described in this paper. The main Swiss producers and distributors of district heating are members of the Association of District Heating Producers and Distributors. This association supports the installation of district heating facilities where ecological, energetical and economic aspects indicate that district heating would be a good solution. (author) 2 tabs., 6 refs

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neonatal Infectious Diseases/Immunology"

OpenAIRE

--- Various Authors

2017-01-01

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmer...

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neurology and Follow-up"

OpenAIRE

--- Various Authors

2017-01-01

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmer...

SHADES OF VENICE IN THE BIOGRAPHY OF HEGUMEN PALLADY ROGOVSKY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex YASTREBOV

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Pallady Rogovsky was the fi rst Russian doctor of theology and philosophy. While a student of the Slavyano-Greek-Latin Academy directed by the Brothers Lichudes, he left his homeland for the West in order to obtain a full university education. The years which he spent in Europe and particularly in Italy have attracted little notice on the part of Church historians. The study of unpublished materials in Italian archives together with those already published by the Russian researcher E. Shmurlo from the archive of the Propaganda de Fide and the Greek College, which however, remain unnoticed for the great majority of academics, permit us to have an idea of what occupied Rogovsky during this time, as well as to draw a more precise portrait of his personality. Most remarkable is the fact of his priestly ordination in the Roman Catholic Church and the correspondence relating to Rome’s acceptance of his Russian Orthodox diaconal ordination. One of the most informative documents found among those relating to his ordination and addressed to the Roman Curia is the letter of a Russian Catholic, the deacon (later defrocked Petr Artem’ev, in which Artem’ev revealed that Rogovsky already had converted to Roman Catholicism before he left Russia. Equally noteworthy is Rogovsky’s own letter which he composed while in Venice and in which he formulated his plans for the propagation of Roman Catholicism in Russia.

Hydrogen speciation in hydrated layers on nuclear waste glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aines, R.D.; Weed, H.C.; Bates, J.K.

1987-01-01

The hydration of an outer layer on nuclear waste glasses is known to occur during leaching, but the actual speciation of hydrogen (as water or hydroxyl groups) in these layers has not been determined. As part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project, we have used infrared spectroscopy to determine hydrogen speciations in three nuclear waste glass compositions (SRL-131 and 165, and PNL 76-68), which were leached at 90 0 C (all glasses) or hydrated in a vapor-saturated atmosphere at 202 0 C (SRL-131 only). Hydroxyl groups were found in the surface layers of all the glasses. Molecular water was found in the surface of SRL-131 and PNL 76-68 glasses that had been leached for several months in deionized water, and in the vapor-hydrated sample. The water/hydroxyl ratio increases with increasing reaction time; molecular water makes up most of the hydrogen in the thick reaction layers on vapor-phase hydrated glass while only hydroxyl occurs in the least reacted samples. Using the known molar absorptivities of water and hydroxyl in silica-rich glass the vapor-phase layer contained 4.8 moles/liter of molecular water, and 0.6 moles water in the form hydroxyl. A 15 μm layer on SRL-131 glass formed by leaching at 90 0 C contained a total of 4.9 moles/liter of water, 2/3 of which was as hydroxyl. The unreacted bulk glass contains about 0.018 moles/liter water, all as hydroxyl. The amount of hydrogen added to the SRL-131 glass was about 70% of the original Na + Li content, not the 300% that would result from alkali=hydronium ion interdiffusion. If all the hydrogen is then assumed to be added as the result of alkali-H + interdiffusion, the molecular water observed may have formed from condensation of the original hydroxyl groups

Influence of sodium content on the properties of bioactive glasses for use in air abrasion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farooq, Imran; Brauer, Delia S; Hill, Robert G; Tylkowski, Maxi; Müller, Steffen; Janicki, Tomasz

2013-01-01

Air abrasion is used in minimally invasive dentistry for preparing cavities, while removing no or little sound dentine or enamel, and the use of bioactive glass (rather than alumina) as an abrasive could aid in tooth remineralization. Melt-derived bioactive glasses (SiO 2 –P 2 O 5 –CaO–CaF 2 –Na 2 O) with low sodium content (0 to 10 mol% Na 2 O in exchange for CaO) for increased hardness, high phosphate content for high bioactivity and fluoride content for release of fluoride and formation of fluorapatite were produced, and particles between 38 and 80 µm in size were used for cutting soda-lime silicate glass microscope slides and human enamel. Vickers hardness increased with decreasing Na 2 O content, owing to a more compact silicate network in low sodium content glasses, resulting in shorter cutting times. Cutting times using bioactive glass were significantly longer than using the alumina control (29 µm) when tested on microscope slides; however, glasses showed more comparable results when cutting human enamel. The bioactive glasses formed apatite in Tris buffer within 6 h, which was significantly faster than Bioglass® 45S5 (24 h), suggesting that the hardness of the glasses makes them suitable for air abrasion application, while their high bioactivity and fluoride content make them of interest for tooth remineralization. (paper)

Korean district heating. Part 1: A general report on Korean district heating 1994/1995; Fjaerrvaerme i Korea. Del 1: En allmaen redovisning av koreansk fjaerrvaerme aarsskiftet 1994/95

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joensson, Mats; Olsson, Nils

1996-02-01

This thesis describes the conditions for district heating in the Republic of Korea at the turn of the year 1994-95. It is based on a study made in Seoul at Korea District Heating Corporation, which is the largest district heating utility in Korea. The substations were particularly studied. District heating was introduced in Korea in the 80s because of the environmental advantages. KHDC was established in 1985 and in 1994 they provided 340 000 households with district heating. By the year of 2001 KDHC plans to supply 45% of the heating in Seoul with its 12 million inhabitants. KDHC receives most of its thermal energy from combined heat and power plants that use natural gas as fuel. In 1991 KDHC initiated a collaboration with Ekono of Finland to develop more advanced technology in Korea. Therefore the Finnish standard, which is similar to Swedish standard, has left it`s mark on the Korean district heating technology. Typical for the Korean substation is that the heat exchangers are connected in parallel in only one step. KDHC:s expansion will, within a couple of years, help to make Korea one of the leading countries in modern district heating. 9 refs, 3 figs, 2 tabs

Harmful algae records in Venice lagoon and in Po River Delta (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Facca, Chiara; Bilaničovà, Dagmar; Pojana, Giulio; Sfriso, Adriano; Marcomini, Antonio

2014-01-01

A detailed review of harmful algal blooms (HAB) in northern Adriatic Sea lagoons (Po River Delta and Venice lagoon) is presented to provide "updated reference conditions" for future research and monitoring activities. In the study areas, the high mollusc production requires the necessity to identify better methods able to prevent risks for human health and socioeconomical interests. So, an integrated approach for the identification and quantification of algal toxins is presented by combining microscopy techniques with Liquid Chromatography coupled with High Resolution Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-HR-TOF-MS). The method efficiency was first tested on some samples from the mentioned coastal areas, where Dinophysis spp. occurred during summer in the sites directly affected by seawaters. Although cell abundance was always <200 cells/L, the presence of Pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), detected by HPLC-HR-TOF-MS, indicated the potential release of detectable amounts of toxins even at low cell abundance.

Interannual heavy element and nutrient concentration trends in the top sediments of Venice Lagoon (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Masiol, Mauro; Facca, Chiara; Visin, Flavia; Sfriso, Adriano; Pavoni, Bruno

2014-12-15

The elemental composition of surficial sediments of Venice Lagoon (Italy) in 1987, 1993, 1998 and 2003 were investigated. Zn and Cr concentrations resulted in higher than background levels, but only Cd and Hg were higher than legal quality standards (Italian Decree 2010/260 and Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC). Contaminants with similar spatial distribution are sorted into three groups by means of correlation analysis: (i) As, Co, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn; (ii) Ni, Cr; (iii) Hg. Interannual concentrations are compared by applying a factor analysis to the matrix of differences between subsequent samplings. A general decrease of heavy metal levels is observed from 1987 to 1993, whereas particularly high concentrations of Ni and Cr are recorded in 1998 as a consequence of intense clam fishing, subsequently mitigated by better prevention of illegal harvesting. Due to the major role played by anthropogenic sediment resuspension, bathymetric variations are also considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Properties and structure of high erbium doped phosphate glass for short optical fibers amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seneschal, Karine; Smektala, Frederic; Bureau, Bruno; Floch, Marie Le; Jiang Shibin; Luo, Tao; Lucas, Jacques; Peyghambarian, Nasser

2005-01-01

New phosphate glasses have been developed in order to incorporate high rare-earth ions concentrations. These glasses present a great chemical stability and a high optical quality. The phosphate glass network is open, very flexible, with a linkage of the tetrahedrons very disordered and contains a larger number of non-bridging oxygens (66%). The great stability and resistance against crystallization associated with the possibility to incorporate high doping concentration of rare-earth ions in these phosphate glasses make them very good candidates for the realization of ultra short single mode amplifiers with a high gain at 1.55 μm

Direct conversion of plutonium metal, scrap, residue, and transuranic waste to glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.W.; Beahm, E.C.; Parker, G.W.; Malling, J.F.; Rudolph, J.

1995-01-01

A method for the direct conversion of metals, ceramics, organics, and amorphous solids to borosilicate glass has been invented. The process is called the Glass Material Oxidation and Dissolution System (GMODS). Traditional glass-making processes can convert only oxide materials to glass. However, many wastes contain complex mixtures of metals, ceramics, organics, and amorphous solids. Conversion of such mixtures to oxides followed by their conversion to glass is often impractical. GMODS may create a practical method to convert such mixtures to glass. Plutonium-containing materials (PCMS) exist in many forms, including metals, ceramics, organics, amorphous solids, and mixtures thereof. These PCMs vary from plutonium metal to filters made of metal, organic binders, and glass fibers. For storage and/or disposal of PCMS, it is desirable to convert PCMs to borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass is the preferred repository waste form for high-level waste (HLW) because of its properties. PCMs converted to a transuranic borosilicate homogeneous glass would easily pass all waste acceptance and storage criteria. Conversion of PCMs to a glass would also simplify safeguards by conversion of heterogeneous PCMs to homogeneous glass. Thermodynamic calculations and proof-of-principle experiments on the GMODS process with cerium (plutonium surrogate), uranium, stainless steel, aluminum, Zircaloy-2, and carbon were successfully conducted. Initial analysis has identified potential flowsheets and equipment. Major unknowns remain, but the preliminary data suggests that GMODS may be a major new treatment option for PCMs

Composite Biomaterials Based on Sol-Gel Mesoporous Silicate Glasses: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Baino, Francesco; Fiorilli, Sonia; Vitale-Brovarone, Chiara

2017-01-01

Bioactive glasses are able to bond to bone and stimulate the growth of new tissue while dissolving over time, which makes them ideal materials for regenerative medicine. The advent of mesoporous glasses, which are typically synthesized via sol-gel routes, allowed researchers to develop a broad and versatile class of novel biomaterials that combine superior bone regenerative potential (compared to traditional melt-derived glasses) with the ability of incorporating drugs and various biomolecules for targeted therapy in situ. Mesoporous glass particles can be directly embedded as a bioactive phase within a non-porous (e.g., microspheres), porous (3D scaffolds) or injectable matrix, or be processed to manufacture a surface coating on inorganic or organic (macro)porous substrates, thereby obtaining hierarchical structures with multiscale porosity. This review provides a picture of composite systems and coatings based on mesoporous glasses and highlights the challenges for the future, including the great potential of inorganic–organic hybrid sol-gel biomaterials. PMID:28952496

Contrasting the magnetic response between magnetic-glass and reentrant spin-glass

OpenAIRE

Roy, S. B.; Chattopadhyay, M. K.

2008-01-01

Magnetic-glass is a recently identified phenomenon in various classes of magnetic systems undergoing a first order magnetic phase transition. We shall highlight here a few experimentally determined characteristics of magnetic-glass and the relevant set of experiments, which will enable to distinguish a magnetic-glass unequivocally from the well known phenomena of spin-glass and reentrant spin-glass.

Application of lanthanide ions doped in different glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhondiyal, Charu Chandra

2015-01-01

The transfer of optical excitation energy from one ion/molecule to another ion/molecule has proved to be of potential importance in industrial application as well as research. Rare earth elements (RE) although not as rare as some of them occur more prevalently then other well known material (e.g. silver, tin, tungsten) are special group of elements of the periodic table comprising lanthanide series (from lanthanum to lutetium) and actinide series (from actinium to lawrencium). Most of the actinides are highly radioactive hence their uses are limited. Fluorescence is the particular optical property of lanthanide (RE) ions. The narrow absorption and emission lines exhibited by the RE ions in crystals, glasses and solutions have always made these ions attractive as sensitive probes of solids and liquid state and also makes them useful in laser technology, CRT displays, UV to visible converters and optical communications etc. In recent years there has been a special interest to study the properties and applications of rare earth doped in glasses. Lanthanide ions in glasses play an important role, especially by retaining their emission capabilities, in the host matrix. Glass as a dielectric material plays an important role in science and industry. Its chemical, physical and particular optical properties make it suitable for applications such as opto-electronic materials, laboratory equipment, laser gain media, etc. Photoluminescence from rare earth doped glasses are of major interest in the research area of optoelectronic device applications like phosphors, display monitors, lasers and amplifiers for communication systems. Now a days, development of optical devices based on rare-earth ions doped materials is one of the interesting fields of research. Rare earth doped glasses are widely used as laser materials, optical amplifiers, optical memory devices, magneto-optical devices, medical lasers, eye safe lasers, flat panel displays, fluorescent lamps, white LED's etc

Comparison of a model vapor deposited glass films to equilibrium glass films

Science.gov (United States)

Flenner, Elijah; Berthier, Ludovic; Charbonneau, Patrick; Zamponi, Francesco

Vapor deposition of particles onto a substrate held at around 85% of the glass transition temperature can create glasses with increased density, enthalpy, kinetic stability, and mechanical stability compared to an ordinary glass created by cooling. It is estimated that an ordinary glass would need to age thousands of years to reach the kinetic stability of a vapor deposited glass, and a natural question is how close to the equilibrium is the vapor deposited glass. To understand the process, algorithms akin to vapor deposition are used to create simulated glasses that have a higher kinetic stability than their annealed counterpart, although these glasses may not be well equilibrated either. Here we use novel models optimized for a swap Monte Carlo algorithm in order to create equilibrium glass films and compare their properties with those of glasses obtained from vapor deposition algorithms. This approach allows us to directly assess the non-equilibrium nature of vapor-deposited ultrastable glasses. Simons Collaboration on Cracking the Glass Problem and NSF Grant No. DMR 1608086.

Design and fabrication of multispectral optics using expanded glass map

Science.gov (United States)

Bayya, Shyam; Gibson, Daniel; Nguyen, Vinh; Sanghera, Jasbinder; Kotov, Mikhail; Drake, Gryphon; Deegan, John; Lindberg, George

2015-06-01

As the desire to have compact multispectral imagers in various DoD platforms is growing, the dearth of multispectral optics is widely felt. With the limited number of material choices for optics, these multispectral imagers are often very bulky and impractical on several weight sensitive platforms. To address this issue, NRL has developed a large set of unique infrared glasses that transmit from 0.9 to > 14 μm in wavelength and expand the glass map for multispectral optics with refractive indices from 2.38 to 3.17. They show a large spread in dispersion (Abbe number) and offer some unique solutions for multispectral optics designs. The new NRL glasses can be easily molded and also fused together to make bonded doublets. A Zemax compatible glass file has been created and is available upon request. In this paper we present some designs, optics fabrication and imaging, all using NRL materials.

Simulation Models to Size and Retrofit District Heating Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Sartor

2017-12-01

Full Text Available District heating networks are considered as convenient systems to supply heat to consumers while reducing CO 2 emissions and increasing renewable energies use. However, to make them as profitable as possible, they have to be developed, operated and sized carefully. In order to cope with these objectives, simulation tools are required to analyze several configuration schemes and control methods. Indeed, the most common problems are heat losses, the electric pump consumption and the peak heat demand while ensuring the comfort of the users. In this contribution, a dynamic simulation model of all the components of the network is described. It is dedicated to assess some energetic, environmental and economic indicators. Finally, the methodology is used on an existing application test case namely the district heating network of the University of Liège to study the pump control and minimize the district heating network heat losses.

Submerged pedology: the soils of minor islands in the Venice lagoon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Washa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Minor islands of the Venice lagoon are part of a delicate ecosystem, with equilibrium that depends on multiple factors deriving from both the aqueous and the terrestrial compartment, and represent useful indicators of the lagoon ecosystem status. Over centuries, some islands emerged, some others disappeared, others are being submerged in consequence of sea level rise, or are dismantled by marine erosion. Ecological survey and soil sampling evidenced rather homogeneous environment and soil characters, likely due to the same genesis from HTM during centuries, and to environmental conditions such as moisture and brackish groundwater. Four of the examined soils are Inceptisols, while the others present limited horizon differentiation, and are Entisols. All the profiles reflect udic or aquic conditions, and some of them are submerged for most time. Most soils are moderately alkaline (7.9 250 g/kg; organic carbon content at surface is within the normal range (8 17 g/kg and carbonates. Moreover, the textural class is generally silty-loam with increasing clay content with depth. Currently, the soils examined present hydromorphic pedofeatures, which are the result of the most important pedogenic process in the lagoon. Alternating reduction/oxidation processes would increase as a consequence of sea level rise, determining reducing conditions at bottom, and conversely enhancing salt concentration uppermost, with negative consequences for both pedogenic evolution and vegetation survival.

Source apportionment of PAHs and n-alkanes bound to PM1 collected near the Venice highway.

Science.gov (United States)

Valotto, Gabrio; Rampazzo, Giancarlo; Gonella, Francesco; Formenton, Gianni; Ficotto, Silvia; Giraldo, Giorgia

2017-04-01

n-Alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to atmospheric particulate matter (PM 1 ) were investigated in a traffic site located in an urban area of Venice Province (Eastern Po Valley, Italy) during the cold season. Considering the critical situation affecting the Veneto Region concerning the atmospheric pollution and the general lack of information on PM 1 composition and emission in this area, this experimental study aims at determining the source profile, their relative contributions and the dispersion of finer particles. Four sources were identified and quantified using the Positive Matrix Factorization receptor model: (1) mixed combustions related to the residential activities, (2) agricultural biomass burning in addition to the resuspension of anthropogenic and natural debris carried by the wind, (3) gasoline and (4) diesel traffic-related combustions. The role of local atmospheric circulation was also investigated to identify the pollutant sources. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Modelling ecological and human exposure to POPs in Venice lagoon - Part II: Quantitative uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in coupled exposure models.

Science.gov (United States)

Radomyski, Artur; Giubilato, Elisa; Ciffroy, Philippe; Critto, Andrea; Brochot, Céline; Marcomini, Antonio

2016-11-01

The study is focused on applying uncertainty and sensitivity analysis to support the application and evaluation of large exposure models where a significant number of parameters and complex exposure scenarios might be involved. The recently developed MERLIN-Expo exposure modelling tool was applied to probabilistically assess the ecological and human exposure to PCB 126 and 2,3,7,8-TCDD in the Venice lagoon (Italy). The 'Phytoplankton', 'Aquatic Invertebrate', 'Fish', 'Human intake' and PBPK models available in MERLIN-Expo library were integrated to create a specific food web to dynamically simulate bioaccumulation in various aquatic species and in the human body over individual lifetimes from 1932 until 1998. MERLIN-Expo is a high tier exposure modelling tool allowing propagation of uncertainty on the model predictions through Monte Carlo simulation. Uncertainty in model output can be further apportioned between parameters by applying built-in sensitivity analysis tools. In this study, uncertainty has been extensively addressed in the distribution functions to describe the data input and the effect on model results by applying sensitivity analysis techniques (screening Morris method, regression analysis, and variance-based method EFAST). In the exposure scenario developed for the Lagoon of Venice, the concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and PCB 126 in human blood turned out to be mainly influenced by a combination of parameters (half-lives of the chemicals, body weight variability, lipid fraction, food assimilation efficiency), physiological processes (uptake/elimination rates), environmental exposure concentrations (sediment, water, food) and eating behaviours (amount of food eaten). In conclusion, this case study demonstrated feasibility of MERLIN-Expo to be successfully employed in integrated, high tier exposure assessment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of tannery sludge from the leather industry of Franca industrial district, SP, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambi, M.M.; Toffoli, S.M.

2011-01-01

The industry of leather manufacture generates large quantities of solid leather waste with characteristics of high-polluting and hazardous conditions. Among these wastes, stands out the wet blue leather (chromed leather scraps), and the tanning sludge and secondary sludge generated in the processes of effluents treatment. These wastes contain Cr(III), which, under oxidizing conditions, can turn into Cr (VI), which is highly toxic. However, these wastes are a potential source of chromium oxide (traditional industrial pigment), which could be used by the glass and ceramic enamel industries. In this study, a preliminary characterization of a chromium sludge from the industrial district of Franca-SP was conducted. X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical (XRF) and thermal (DTA / TG) analyses were used to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of this solid waste. The potential of using this material as an available and cheap pigment for the manufacture of enamels and glass is discussed. (author)

The reduction of predose reading in radiophotoluminescent glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramanathan, G.; Nagpal, J.S.; Gangadharan, P.

1982-01-01

A method is described of reducing the predose reading in radiophotoluminescent glass dosimeters. Decay time discrimination is obtained by making use of the space charge effects which occur between the last dynode and the collector of the detecting photomultiplier and discriminating the pulse heights obtained. (U.K.)

Leaching of glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hench, L.L.

1977-01-01

Understanding surface compositional profiles of glasses over a range of 0-2000 A with a variety of analytical instruments shows that five general types of glass surfaces exist. The surface character of a glass article depends upon bulk composition and environmental history during which surface dealkalization, film formation, and network dissolution can occur. Environmental-surface interactions generally result in complex compositional profiles of all the constituents in a glass. Durable glasses almost always develop a stable surface film which has a higher concentration of network formers than the bulk composition. Compositional effects that are used to improve glass durability usually improve the stability of the surface films. Durability tests or service conditions that lead to film destruction are especially severe for the most silicate glasses. 43 references

Corrosion Rate Monitoring in District Heating Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel; Nielsen, Lars Vendelbo; Andersen, A.

2005-01-01

be applicable, and if on-line monitoring could improve the quality control. Water quality monitoring was applied as well as corrosion rate monitoring with linear polarization resistance (LPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), electrical resistance (ER) technique, mass loss and a crevice corrosion......Quality control in district heating systems to keep uniform corrosion rates low and localized corrosion minimal is based on water quality control. Side-stream units equipped with carbon steel probes for online monitoring were mounted in district heating plants to investigate which techniques would...... cell for localized corrosion risk estimation. Important variations in corrosion rate due to changes in make-up water quality were detected with the continuous monitoring provided by ER and crevice cell, while LPR gave unreliable corrosion rates. The acquisition time of two-three days for EIS...

Distribution of Escherichia coli in a coastal lagoon (Venice, Italy): Temporal patterns, genetic diversity and the role of tidal forcing.

Science.gov (United States)

Perini, L; Quero, G M; García, E Serrano; Luna, G M

2015-12-15

Despite its worldwide importance as fecal indicator in aquatic systems, little is known about the diversity of Escherichia coli in the environment and the factors driving its spatial distribution. The city of Venice (Italy), lying at the forefront of a large European lagoon, is an ideal site to study the mechanisms driving the fate of fecal bacteria, due to the huge fluxes of tourists, the city's unique architecture (causing poor efficiency of sewages treatment), and the long branching network of canals crossing the city. We summarize the results of a multi-year investigation to study the temporal dynamics of E. coli around the city, describe the population structure (by assigning isolates to their phylogenetic group) and the genotypic diversity, and explore the role of environmental factors in determining its variability. E. coli abundance in water was highly variable, ranging from being undetectable up to 10(4) Colony Forming Units (CFU) per 100 ml. Abundance did not display significant relationships with the water physico-chemical variables. The analysis of the population structure showed the presence of all known phylogroups, including extra-intestinal and potentially pathogenic ones. The genotypic diversity was very high, as likely consequence of the heterogeneous input of fecal bacteria from the city, and showed site-specific patterns. Intensive sampling during the tidal fluctuations highlighted the prominent role of tides, rather than environmental variables, as source of spatial variation, with a more evident influence in water than sediments. These results, the first providing information on the genetic properties, spatial heterogeneity and influence of tides on E. coli populations around Venice, have implications to manage the fecal pollution, and the associated waterborne disease risks, in coastal cities lying in front of lagoons and semi-enclosed basins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colloidal glasses

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Colloidal glasses. Glassy state is attained when system fails to reach equilibrium due to crowding of constituent particles. In molecular glasses, glassy state is reached by rapidly lowering the temperature. In colloidal glasses, glassy state is reached by increasing the ...

Classification of submersed aquatic vegetation of the Venice lagoon using MIVIS airborne data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pignatti

2006-06-01

Full Text Available In July 2001 an aerial survey with MIVIS (Multispectral Infrared and Visible Spectrometer hyperspectral sensor and an in situ survey campaign were performed on Venice lagoon to map benthic macro-algae and sea phanerogams distribution. On MIVIS VIS spectral range images, training areas for benthic macro-algae and sea phanerogams have been selected by using sea truth data collected by CNR-ISMAR from in situ campaign and periodic area surveys used in the lagoon by the local authorities. The derived spectral signature has been used to classify the area in order to produce the maps of the pure and mixture submersed vegetation population. The algorithm applied to the data is based on the Subpixel Spectral Analytical Process (SSAP method. The method assumes that the spectrum of a single pixel is composed of a fraction of the material of interest while the remainder of the observed spectra contains background materials. In terms of recognition processes the produced maps present a very good agreement with the sea truth data even though the fraction material expressed in the maps does not represent a quantitative estimation of the material of interest.

Study of the subterranean estuary of Venice lagoon using radium and radon isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gattacceca, J.

2009-02-01

This study focuses on hydrological processes in the southern part of Venice lagoon (Italy), and more specifically on the interactions between surface waters and groundwater of superficial coastal aquifers. These aquifers present a hydraulic head and a ground level below sea level. Major elements and stable isotopes were used to characterize mixing processes into the superficial aquifer. Our results, in agreement with hydrodynamic modelling, evidenced the restriction of saline intrusion to a narrow coastal fringe (≤ 1 km). Submarine groundwater discharge fluxes into the lagoon were quantified using radium and radon natural isotopes. Their activities in the lagoon are in excess compared to the sea. Our results and preliminary modelling work evidence that the system requires an input from groundwater enriched in these isotopes to explain measured activities. A mass balance at steady state is used to quantify the flux. Results vary between 8.1*10 5 and 1.5*10 7 m 3 .d -1 . This flux is mainly due to recirculation of lagoon water into the sediments, and is 2 to 10 times higher than surface runoff, and may have significant environmental consequences by releasing contaminants. (author)

National Implications for Urban School Systems: Strategic Planning in the Human Resource Management Department in a Large Urban School District

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Clarence; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

This article addresses several key ongoing issues in a large urban school district. Literature focuses on what make a large urban school district effective in Human Resource Management. The effectiveness is addressed through recruitment and retention practices. A comparison of the school district with current research is the main approach to the…

Using of borosilicate glass waste as a cement additive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Weiwei; Sun, Tao; Li, Xinping; Sun, Mian; Lu, Yani

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Borosilicate glass waste used as cement additive can improves its radiation shielding. • When content is 14.8%, the linear attenuation coefficient is 0.2457 cm"−"1 after 28 d. • From 0 to 22.2%, linear attenuation coefficient firstly increase and then decrease. - Abstract: Borosilicate glass waste is investigated as a cement additive in this paper to improve the properties of cement and concrete, such as setting time, compressive strength and radiation shielding. The results demonstrate that borosilicate glass is an effective additive, which not only improves the radiation shielding properties of cement paste, but also shows the irradiation effect on the mechanical and optical properties: borosilicate glass can increase the compressive strength and at the same time it makes a minor impact on the setting time and main mineralogical compositions of hydrated cement mixtures; and when the natural river sand in the mortar is replaced by borosilicate glass sand (in amounts from 0% to 22.2%), the compressive strength and the linear attenuation coefficient firstly increase and then decrease. When the glass waste content is 14.8%, the compressive strength is 43.2 MPa after 28 d and the linear attenuation coefficient is 0.2457 cm"−"1 after 28 d, which is beneficial for the preparation of radiation shielding concrete with high performances.

Using of borosilicate glass waste as a cement additive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Weiwei [State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070 (China); School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070 (China); Sun, Tao, E-mail: sunt@whut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070 (China); Key Laboratory of Roadway Bridge & Structure Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070 (China); Li, Xinping [Key Laboratory of Roadway Bridge & Structure Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070 (China); Sun, Mian [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070 (China); Lu, Yani [Urban Construction Institute, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei 432000 (China)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Borosilicate glass waste used as cement additive can improves its radiation shielding. • When content is 14.8%, the linear attenuation coefficient is 0.2457 cm{sup −1} after 28 d. • From 0 to 22.2%, linear attenuation coefficient firstly increase and then decrease. - Abstract: Borosilicate glass waste is investigated as a cement additive in this paper to improve the properties of cement and concrete, such as setting time, compressive strength and radiation shielding. The results demonstrate that borosilicate glass is an effective additive, which not only improves the radiation shielding properties of cement paste, but also shows the irradiation effect on the mechanical and optical properties: borosilicate glass can increase the compressive strength and at the same time it makes a minor impact on the setting time and main mineralogical compositions of hydrated cement mixtures; and when the natural river sand in the mortar is replaced by borosilicate glass sand (in amounts from 0% to 22.2%), the compressive strength and the linear attenuation coefficient firstly increase and then decrease. When the glass waste content is 14.8%, the compressive strength is 43.2 MPa after 28 d and the linear attenuation coefficient is 0.2457 cm{sup −1} after 28 d, which is beneficial for the preparation of radiation shielding concrete with high performances.

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neonatal Fetal Nutrition and Metabolism"

OpenAIRE

--- Various Authors

2017-01-01

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmer...

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Quality Improvement, Parents Centered Care"

OpenAIRE

--- Various Authors

2017-01-01

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zi...

Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Districts - MDC_CommunityDevelopmentDistrict

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Community Development Districts (CDDs) are special taxing districts or local units of special-purpose government. A CDD may charge separate non-ad valorem special...

Surface treatment of glass substrates for the preparation of long-lived carbon stripper foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Suehiro; Takekoshi, Eiko

1981-02-01

Glass substrates having uniformly distributed microscopic grains on the surfaces are useful to make long-lived carbon stripper foils for heavy ions. A method of surface treatment of glass substrates to form the surface structure is described. This method consists of precipitation of glass components, such as soda, onto the surfaces in a hot and humid atmosphere and a fogging treatment of forming microscopic grains of the precipitated substances. Some results of studies on the treatment conditions are also presented. (author)

Toward Molecular Engineering of Polymer Glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freed, Karl F. [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Xu, Wen-Sheng [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Dudowicz, Jacek B. [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Douglas, Jack F. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States)

2017-04-05

to test the theory by directly comparing between the predictions of our generalized entropy theory with experiment and with simulations and to expand the vistas of the theory to describe a wider range of important systems (e.g. glass formation in binary blends and systems with specific interactions) and phenomena that are describable by the generalized entropy theory. In addition, we have addressed longstanding fundamental problems associated with the validity of the Adam-Gibbs theory, one of the underpinnings of the general entropy theory. Theoretical advances to enable describing the properties of glass-formation over a wider class of important polymeric systems, included semi-flexible systems, the more general situation of specific interactions, and more. Our recent work removes the simplest approximation uses the simplest model in which the interaction is approximated by a single, monomer average. Thus, the theory has been extended to allow some variations of the energy parameters between the atoms within the monomers. The theory has also been extended to include all the contributions from chain semi-flexibility. Both projects are extremely difficult, but the payback is that the process of solving the problems developed strong theoretical skills in Dr. Xu, who has recently begun a postdoc position at ORNL. The theory has also been extended to describe glass formation in partially miscible blends, with good general agreement with experiment. Again, the development of the theory presented an extremely difficult problem, but the payback is the development of a theory for a very important class of systems. Another project provides an extremely simple approximation for certain properties of glass formation in polymer melts and should make the theory more accessible to everyone.

District nurse training

OpenAIRE

Elliott, Arnold; Freeling, Paul; Owen, John

1980-01-01

Training for district nursing is being reviewed. By 1981 district nurses will have a new administrative structure, a new curriculum, and a new examination. Training for nursing, like that for general practice, is to become mandatory. The history of the development of district nurse training is briefly described.

Calibration and Measurement of the Viscosity of DWPF Start-Up Glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schumacher, R.F.

2001-01-01

The Harrop, High-Temperature Viscometer has been in operation at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) for several years and has proven itself to be reasonably accurate and repeatable. This is particularly notable when taking into consideration the small amount of glass required to make the viscosity determination. The volume of glass required is only 2.60 cc or about 6 to 7 grams of glass depending on the glass density. This may be compared to the more traditional viscosity determinations, which generally require between 100 to 1000 grams of glass. Before starting the present investigation, the unit was re-aligned and the furnace thermal gradients measured. The viscometer was again calibrated with available NIST Standard Reference Material glasses (717a and 710a) and a spindle constant equation was determined. Standard DWPF Waste Compliance Glasses (Purex, HM, and Batch 1) were used to provide additional verification for the determinations at low temperature. The Harrop, High-Temperature Viscometer was then used to determine the viscosity of three random samples of ground and blended DWPF, Black, Start -Up Frit, which were obtained from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The glasses were in powder form and required melting prior to the viscosity determination. The results from this evaluation will be compared to ''Round Robin'' measurements from other DOE laboratories and a number of commercial laboratories

Heating-induced glass-glass and glass-liquid transformations in computer simulations of water

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Janet; Starr, Francis W.; Giovambattista, Nicolas

2014-03-01

Water exists in at least two families of glassy states, broadly categorized as the low-density (LDA) and high-density amorphous ice (HDA). Remarkably, LDA and HDA can be reversibly interconverted via appropriate thermodynamic paths, such as isothermal compression and isobaric heating, exhibiting first-order-like phase transitions. We perform out-of-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of glassy water using the ST2 model to study the evolution of LDA and HDA upon isobaric heating. Depending on pressure, glass-to-glass, glass-to-crystal, glass-to-vapor, as well as glass-to-liquid transformations are found. Specifically, heating LDA results in the following transformations, with increasing heating pressures: (i) LDA-to-vapor (sublimation), (ii) LDA-to-liquid (glass transition), (iii) LDA-to-HDA-to-liquid, (iv) LDA-to-HDA-to-liquid-to-crystal, and (v) LDA-to-HDA-to-crystal. Similarly, heating HDA results in the following transformations, with decreasing heating pressures: (a) HDA-to-crystal, (b) HDA-to-liquid-to-crystal, (c) HDA-to-liquid (glass transition), (d) HDA-to-LDA-to-liquid, and (e) HDA-to-LDA-to-vapor. A more complex sequence may be possible using lower heating rates. For each of these transformations, we determine the corresponding transformation temperature as function of pressure, and provide a P-T "phase diagram" for glassy water based on isobaric heating. Our results for isobaric heating dovetail with the LDA-HDA transformations reported for ST2 glassy water based on isothermal compression/decompression processes [Chiu et al., J. Chem. Phys. 139, 184504 (2013)]. The resulting phase diagram is consistent with the liquid-liquid phase transition hypothesis. At the same time, the glass phase diagram is sensitive to sample preparation, such as heating or compression rates. Interestingly, at least for the rates explored, our results suggest that the LDA-to-liquid (HDA-to-liquid) and LDA-to-HDA (HDA-to-LDA) transformation lines on heating are related

Heating-induced glass-glass and glass-liquid transformations in computer simulations of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Janet; Giovambattista, Nicolas; Starr, Francis W.

2014-01-01

Water exists in at least two families of glassy states, broadly categorized as the low-density (LDA) and high-density amorphous ice (HDA). Remarkably, LDA and HDA can be reversibly interconverted via appropriate thermodynamic paths, such as isothermal compression and isobaric heating, exhibiting first-order-like phase transitions. We perform out-of-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of glassy water using the ST2 model to study the evolution of LDA and HDA upon isobaric heating. Depending on pressure, glass-to-glass, glass-to-crystal, glass-to-vapor, as well as glass-to-liquid transformations are found. Specifically, heating LDA results in the following transformations, with increasing heating pressures: (i) LDA-to-vapor (sublimation), (ii) LDA-to-liquid (glass transition), (iii) LDA-to-HDA-to-liquid, (iv) LDA-to-HDA-to-liquid-to-crystal, and (v) LDA-to-HDA-to-crystal. Similarly, heating HDA results in the following transformations, with decreasing heating pressures: (a) HDA-to-crystal, (b) HDA-to-liquid-to-crystal, (c) HDA-to-liquid (glass transition), (d) HDA-to-LDA-to-liquid, and (e) HDA-to-LDA-to-vapor. A more complex sequence may be possible using lower heating rates. For each of these transformations, we determine the corresponding transformation temperature as function of pressure, and provide a P-T “phase diagram” for glassy water based on isobaric heating. Our results for isobaric heating dovetail with the LDA-HDA transformations reported for ST2 glassy water based on isothermal compression/decompression processes [Chiu et al., J. Chem. Phys. 139, 184504 (2013)]. The resulting phase diagram is consistent with the liquid-liquid phase transition hypothesis. At the same time, the glass phase diagram is sensitive to sample preparation, such as heating or compression rates. Interestingly, at least for the rates explored, our results suggest that the LDA-to-liquid (HDA-to-liquid) and LDA-to-HDA (HDA-to-LDA) transformation lines on heating are related

Heating-induced glass-glass and glass-liquid transformations in computer simulations of water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, Janet; Giovambattista, Nicolas [Department of Physics, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York 11210 (United States); Starr, Francis W. [Department of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459 (United States)

2014-03-21

Water exists in at least two families of glassy states, broadly categorized as the low-density (LDA) and high-density amorphous ice (HDA). Remarkably, LDA and HDA can be reversibly interconverted via appropriate thermodynamic paths, such as isothermal compression and isobaric heating, exhibiting first-order-like phase transitions. We perform out-of-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of glassy water using the ST2 model to study the evolution of LDA and HDA upon isobaric heating. Depending on pressure, glass-to-glass, glass-to-crystal, glass-to-vapor, as well as glass-to-liquid transformations are found. Specifically, heating LDA results in the following transformations, with increasing heating pressures: (i) LDA-to-vapor (sublimation), (ii) LDA-to-liquid (glass transition), (iii) LDA-to-HDA-to-liquid, (iv) LDA-to-HDA-to-liquid-to-crystal, and (v) LDA-to-HDA-to-crystal. Similarly, heating HDA results in the following transformations, with decreasing heating pressures: (a) HDA-to-crystal, (b) HDA-to-liquid-to-crystal, (c) HDA-to-liquid (glass transition), (d) HDA-to-LDA-to-liquid, and (e) HDA-to-LDA-to-vapor. A more complex sequence may be possible using lower heating rates. For each of these transformations, we determine the corresponding transformation temperature as function of pressure, and provide a P-T “phase diagram” for glassy water based on isobaric heating. Our results for isobaric heating dovetail with the LDA-HDA transformations reported for ST2 glassy water based on isothermal compression/decompression processes [Chiu et al., J. Chem. Phys. 139, 184504 (2013)]. The resulting phase diagram is consistent with the liquid-liquid phase transition hypothesis. At the same time, the glass phase diagram is sensitive to sample preparation, such as heating or compression rates. Interestingly, at least for the rates explored, our results suggest that the LDA-to-liquid (HDA-to-liquid) and LDA-to-HDA (HDA-to-LDA) transformation lines on heating are related

Database and Interim Glass Property Models for Hanford HLW Glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hrma, Pavel R; Piepel, Gregory F; Vienna, John D; Cooley, Scott K; Kim, Dong-Sang; Russell, Renee L

2001-01-01

The purpose of this report is to provide a methodology for an increase in the efficiency and a decrease in the cost of vitrifying high-level waste (HLW) by optimizing HLW glass formulation. This methodology consists in collecting and generating a database of glass properties that determine HLW glass processability and acceptability and relating these properties to glass composition. The report explains how the property-composition models are developed, fitted to data, used for glass formulation optimization, and continuously updated in response to changes in HLW composition estimates and changes in glass processing technology. Further, the report reviews the glass property-composition literature data and presents their preliminary critical evaluation and screening. Finally the report provides interim property-composition models for melt viscosity, for liquidus temperature (with spinel and zircon primary crystalline phases), and for the product consistency test normalized releases of B, Na, and Li. Models were fitted to a subset of the screened database deemed most relevant for the current HLW composition region

A study of water in glass by an autoradiographic method that utilizes tritiated water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knickerbocker, S.H.; Brown, S.D.; Joshi, S.B.

1983-01-01

This chapter determines water concentration and spatial distribution in glass by an autoradiographic method that makes use of tritiated water as the tagged species. Describes the method and presents some typical results. Lists advantages and disadvantages associated with the method and examines other methods that might be used for the study of water in glass. Discusses dry glass preparation, the addition of tritiated water to glass, glass preparation, film selection, and film analysis. Shows tritium autoradiography to be a valuable technique for measuring the content and spatial distribution of water in inorganic glasses. Finds that the technique yields unique information, particularly in regard to spatial distribution, when compared with techniques of IR spectroscopy, SIMS, SIPS, NRRA, ESR and NMR. Points out that large areas (e.g., several square inches) of sample can be mapped in a single exposure. Notes that the spatial resolution of water in the glass network can be 10 -7 m, so very accurate diffusion profiles are obtainable

Google Glass-Directed Monitoring and Control of Microfluidic Biosensors and Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu Shrike; Busignani, Fabio; Ribas, João; Aleman, Julio; Rodrigues, Talles Nascimento; Shaegh, Seyed Ali Mousavi; Massa, Solange; Rossi, Camilla Baj; Taurino, Irene; Shin, Su-Ryon; Calzone, Giovanni; Amaratunga, Givan Mark; Chambers, Douglas Leon; Jabari, Saman; Niu, Yuxi; Manoharan, Vijayan; Dokmeci, Mehmet Remzi; Carrara, Sandro; Demarchi, Danilo; Khademhosseini, Ali

2016-03-01

Google Glass is a recently designed wearable device capable of displaying information in a smartphone-like hands-free format by wireless communication. The Glass also provides convenient control over remote devices, primarily enabled by voice recognition commands. These unique features of the Google Glass make it useful for medical and biomedical applications where hands-free experiences are strongly preferred. Here, we report for the first time, an integral set of hardware, firmware, software, and Glassware that enabled wireless transmission of sensor data onto the Google Glass for on-demand data visualization and real-time analysis. Additionally, the platform allowed the user to control outputs entered through the Glass, therefore achieving bi-directional Glass-device interfacing. Using this versatile platform, we demonstrated its capability in monitoring physical and physiological parameters such as temperature, pH, and morphology of liver- and heart-on-chips. Furthermore, we showed the capability to remotely introduce pharmaceutical compounds into a microfluidic human primary liver bioreactor at desired time points while monitoring their effects through the Glass. We believe that such an innovative platform, along with its concept, has set up a premise in wearable monitoring and controlling technology for a wide variety of applications in biomedicine.

Google Glass-Directed Monitoring and Control of Microfluidic Biosensors and Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu Shrike; Busignani, Fabio; Ribas, João; Aleman, Julio; Rodrigues, Talles Nascimento; Shaegh, Seyed Ali Mousavi; Massa, Solange; Rossi, Camilla Baj; Taurino, Irene; Shin, Su-Ryon; Calzone, Giovanni; Amaratunga, Givan Mark; Chambers, Douglas Leon; Jabari, Saman; Niu, Yuxi; Manoharan, Vijayan; Dokmeci, Mehmet Remzi; Carrara, Sandro; Demarchi, Danilo; Khademhosseini, Ali

2016-01-01

Google Glass is a recently designed wearable device capable of displaying information in a smartphone-like hands-free format by wireless communication. The Glass also provides convenient control over remote devices, primarily enabled by voice recognition commands. These unique features of the Google Glass make it useful for medical and biomedical applications where hands-free experiences are strongly preferred. Here, we report for the first time, an integral set of hardware, firmware, software, and Glassware that enabled wireless transmission of sensor data onto the Google Glass for on-demand data visualization and real-time analysis. Additionally, the platform allowed the user to control outputs entered through the Glass, therefore achieving bi-directional Glass-device interfacing. Using this versatile platform, we demonstrated its capability in monitoring physical and physiological parameters such as temperature, pH, and morphology of liver- and heart-on-chips. Furthermore, we showed the capability to remotely introduce pharmaceutical compounds into a microfluidic human primary liver bioreactor at desired time points while monitoring their effects through the Glass. We believe that such an innovative platform, along with its concept, has set up a premise in wearable monitoring and controlling technology for a wide variety of applications in biomedicine. PMID:26928456

Making Sense of the Glass Ceiling in Schools: An Exploration of Women Teachers' Discourses

Science.gov (United States)

Moreau, Marie-Pierre; Osgood, Jayne; Halsall, Anna

2007-01-01

There is extensive evidence of a "glass ceiling" for women across the labour market. Though schools have widely been described as "feminized" work environments, the under-representation of women at school management level is well established. Based on a study of women teachers' careers and promotion in the English school sector…

Aqueous corrosion of silicate glasses. Analogy between volcanic glasses and the French nuclear waste glass R7T7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldschmidt, F.

1991-01-01

The behaviour of borosilicate glasses upon aqueous corrosion is controlled for long periods of time (>10,000 years) by processes which are not directly accessible by means of laboratory experiments. The analogical approach consists here to compare leaching performances between the french nuclear waste glass R7T7 and natural volcanic glasses, basaltic and rhyolitic ones. The three glasses were leached in the same conditions; open system, 90 deg C, initial pH of 9.7. Basaltic and R7T7 glasses having the same kinetic of dissolution, the basaltic glass was chosen as the best analogue. (author). refs., figs., tabs

Spectroscopic properties and thermal stability of Er3+-doped tungsten-tellurite glass for waveguide amplifier application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Shilong; Wang Xiuli; Fang Dawei; Xu Shiqing; Hu Lili

2006-01-01

Tungsten-tellurite glass with molar composition of 60TeO 2 -30WO 3 -10Na 2 O has been investigated for developing planar broadband waveguide amplifier application. Spectroscopic properties and thermal stability of Er 3+ -doped tungsten-tellurite glass have been discussed. The results show that the introduction of WO 3 increases significantly the glass transition temperature and the maximum phonon energy. Er 3+ -doped tungsten-tellurite glass exhibits high glass transition temperature (377 deg. C), large emission cross-section (0.91 x 10 -20 cm 2 ) at 1532 nm and broad full width at half maximum (FWHM), which make it preferable for broadband Er 3+ -doped waveguide amplifier application

Spheroidization of glass powders for glass ionomer cements.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Y W; Yap, A U J; Cheang, P; Kumar, R

2004-08-01

Commercial angular glass powders were spheroidized using both the flame spraying and inductively coupled radio frequency plasma spraying techniques. Spherical powders with different particle size distributions were obtained after spheroidization. The effects of spherical glass powders on the mechanical properties of glass ionomer cements (GICs) were investigated. Results showed that the particle size distribution of the glass powders had a significant influence on the mechanical properties of GICs. Powders with a bimodal particle size distribution ensured a high packing density of glass ionomer cements, giving relatively high mechanical properties of GICs. GICs prepared by flame-spheroidized powders showed low strength values due to the loss of fine particles during flame spraying, leading to a low packing density and few metal ions reacting with polyacrylic acid to form cross-linking. GICs prepared by the nano-sized powders showed low strength because of the low bulk density of the nano-sized powders and hence low powder/liquid ratio of GICs.

Korean district heating. Part 2: Investigation of the consumption pattern in a substation at Korea District Heating Corporation at the turn of the year 1994/95

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joensson, Mats; Olsson, Nils

1996-05-01

This thesis, which is the second part of two, analyses the consumption pattern and the conditions for district heating in the Republic of Korea at the turn of the year 1994-95. It is based on a study made in Seoul at Korea District Heating Corporation which is the largest district heating utility in Korea. District heating was introduced in the 80s because of the environmental advantages. In 1994 KDHC provided 340 000 households with district heating. KDHC receives most of its thermal energy from combined heat and power plants which use natural gas as fuel. One substation was chosen for the investigation and temperature, flow, and pressure were measured. A typical Korean substation has heat exchangers connected in parallel in only one step and the apartment complexes use floor heating for internal heating. The space heating load shows a linear relation to the outdoor temperature. The hot tap-water consumption shows a highly varying pattern with peak loads in the morning and evening. There were also an oscillating pattern for some of the temperatures and flows caused by poor regulation. DH suits very well to Korea with its climate and the overpopulated cities. KDHC:s expansion will help to make Korea one of the leading countries in modern district heating. 10 refs, 36 figs, 11 tabs

Innovative system for delivery of low temperature district heating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Ivanov Ianakiev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An innovative Low Temperature District Heating (LTDH local network is developed in Nottingham, supported by REMOURBAN project, part of the H2020 Smart City and Community Lighthouse scheme. It was proposed that a branch emanating from the return pipe of the of the existing district heating system in Nottingham would be created to use low temperature heating for the first time in UK. The development is aimed to extract wasted (unused heat from existing district heating system and make it more efficient and profitable. Four maisonette blocks of 94 low-raised flats, at Nottingham demo site of the REMOURBAN project will be connected to this new LTDH system. The scheme will provide a primary supply of heat and hot water at approximately 50oC to 60oC. Innovated solutions have been put forward to overcome certain barriers, such as legionella related risks and peak loads during extreme heating seasons and occasional maintenance.

Inter-annual trend of the primary contribution of ship emissions to PM2.5 concentrations in Venice (Italy): Efficiency of emissions mitigation strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Contini, Daniele; Gambaro, Andrea; Donateo, Antonio; Cescon, Paolo; Cesari, Daniela; Merico, Eva; Belosi, Franco; Citron, Marta

2015-02-01

Ships and harbour emissions are currently increasing, due to the increase of tourism and trade, with potential impact on global air pollution and climate. At local scale, in-port ship emissions influence air quality in coastal areas impacting on health of coastal communities. International legislations to reduce ship emissions, both at Worldwide and European levels, are mainly based on the use of low-sulphur content fuel. In this work an analysis of the inter-annual trends of primary contribution, ε, of tourist shipping to the atmospheric PM2.5 concentrations in the urban area of Venice has been performed. Measurements have been taken in the summer periods of 2007, 2009 and 2012. Results show a decrease of ε from 7% (±1%) in 2007 to 5% (±1%) in 2009 and to 3.5% (±1%) in 2012. The meteorological and micrometeorological conditions of the campaigns were similar. Tourist ship traffic during measurement campaigns increased, in terms of gross tonnage, of about 25.4% from 2007 to 2009 and of 17.6% from 2009 to 2012. The decrease of ε was associated to the effect of a voluntary agreement (Venice Blue Flag) for the use of low-sulphur content fuel enforced in the area between 2007 and 2009 and to the implementation of the 2005/33/CE Directive in 2010. Results show that the use of low-sulphur fuel could effectively reduce the impact of shipping to atmospheric primary particles at local scale. Further, voluntary agreement could also be effective in reducing the impact of shipping on local air quality in coastal areas.

Wear and chemistry of zirconium-silicate, aluminium-silicate and zirconium-aluminium-silicate glasses in alkaline medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouse, C.G.; Lemos Guenaga, C.M. de

1984-01-01

A study of the chemical durability, in alkaline solutions, of zirconium silicate, aluminium silicate, zirconium/aluminium silicate glasses as a function of glass composition is carried out. The glasses were tested using standard DIN-52322 method, where the glass samples are prepared in small polished pieces and attacked for 3 hours in a 800 ml solution of 1N (NaOH + NA 2 CO 3 ) at 97 0 C. The results show that the presence of ZrO 2 in the glass composition increases its chemical durability to alkaline attack. Glasses of the aluminium/zirconium silicate series were melted with and without TiO 2 . It was shown experimentally that for this series of glasses, the presence of both TiO 2 and ZrO 2 gave better chemical durability results. However, the best overall results were obtained from the simpler zirconium silicate glasses, where it was possible to make glasses with higher values of ZrO 2 . (Author) [pt

A multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate pluvial floods risk under changing climate: The case study of the municipality of Venice (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Sperotto, A; Torresan, S; Gallina, V; Coppola, E; Critto, A; Marcomini, A

2016-08-15

Global climate change is likely to pose increasing threats in nearly all sectors and across all sub-regions worldwide (IPCC, 2014). Particularly, extreme weather events (e.g. heavy precipitations), together with changing exposure and vulnerability patterns, are expected to increase the damaging effect of storms, pluvial floods and coastal flooding. Developing climate and adaptation services for local planners and decision makers is becoming essential to transfer and communicate sound scientific knowledge about climate related risks and foster the development of national, regional and local adaptation strategies. In order to analyze the effect of climate change on pluvial flood risk and advice adaptation planning, a Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) methodology was developed and applied to the urban territory of the municipality of Venice. Based on the integrated analysis of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and risk, RRA allows identifying and prioritizing targets and sub-areas that are more likely to be affected by pluvial flood risk due to heavy precipitation events in the future scenario 2041-2050. From the early stages of its development and application, the RRA followed a bottom-up approach taking into account the requests, knowledge and perspectives of local stakeholders of the North Adriatic region by means of interactive workshops, surveys and discussions. Results of the analysis showed that all targets (i.e. residential, commercial-industrial areas and infrastructures) are vulnerable to pluvial floods due to the high impermeability and low slope of the topography. The spatial pattern of risk mostly reflects the distribution of the hazard and the districts with the higher percentage of receptors' surface in the higher risk classes (i.e. very high, high and medium) are Lido-Pellestrina and Marghera. The paper discusses how risk-based maps and statistics integrate scientific and local knowledge with the final aim to mainstream climate adaptation in the development

Glass pipette-carbon fiber microelectrodes for evoked potential recordings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moraes M.F.D.

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Current methods for recording field potentials with tungsten electrodes make it virtually impossible to use the same recording electrode also as a lesioning electrode, for example for histological confirmation of the recorded site, because the lesioning procedure usually wears off the tungsten tip. Therefore, the electrode would have to be replaced after each lesioning procedure, which is a very high cost solution to the problem. We present here a low cost, easy to make, high quality glass pipette-carbon fiber microelectrode that shows resistive, signal/noise and electrochemical coupling advantages over tungsten electrodes. Also, currently used carbon fiber microelectrodes often show problems with electrical continuity, especially regarding electrochemical applications using a carbon-powder/resin mixture, with consequent low performance, besides the inconvenience of handling such a mixture. We propose here a new method for manufacturing glass pipette-carbon fiber microelectrodes with several advantages when recording intracerebral field potentials

Hydrogen transport and storage in engineered glass microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rambach, G.D.

1994-04-20

New, high-strength, hollow, glass microspheres filled with pressurized hydrogen exhibit storage densities which make them attractive for bulk hydrogen storage and transport. The hoop stress at failure of our engineered glass microspheres is about 150,000 psi, permitting a three-fold increase in pressure limit and storage capacity above commercial microspheres, which fail at wall stresses of 50,000 psi. For this project, microsphere material and structure will be optimized for storage capacity and charge/discharge kinetics to improve their commercial practicality. Microsphere production scale up will be performed, directed towards large-scale commercial use. Our analysis relating glass microspheres for hydrogen transport with infrastructure and economics` indicate that pressurized microspheres can be economically competitive with other forms of bulk rail and truck transport such as hydride beds, cryocarbons and pressurized tube transports. For microspheres made from advanced materials and processes, analysis will also be performed to identify the appropriate applications of the microspheres considering property variables, and different hydrogen infrastructure, end use, production and market scenarios. This report presents some of the recent modelling results for large beds of glass microspheres in hydrogen storage applications. It includes plans for experiments to identify the properties relevant to large-bed hydrogen transport and storage applications, of the best, currently producible, glass microspheres. This work began in March, 1994. Project successes will be manifest in the matching of cur-rent glass microspheres with a useful application in hydrogen bulk transport and storage, and in developing microsphere materials and processes that increase the storage density and reduce the storage energy requirement.

Pressure Separators for District Cooling; Tryckvaexlare foer fjaerrkyla - Teknik och funktion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafson, Bror-Arne [Fludex AB, Goeteborg (SE)] [and others

2003-07-01

About 10 pressure separators run today in commercial operation in district heating networks. Undoubtedly, the pressure separator has become a new tool for more efficient operation of district heating systems. The pressure separator makes it possible to keep different parts of the pipe network at different pressure levels without the unavoidable temperature losses of heat exchangers. The objectives of this project are to find the answers of two questions. The first question is: Will the pressure separator function in district cooling systems if it is designed in the same way as for district heating? The only difference should then be the temperatures of operation. The second question is: Is there a modified design that will perform better in district cooling systems? To find the answers of the two questions, a test rig was built in Rosenlund Power Station in Goeteborg. Also computer simulations were carried out to clarify actual phenomena. The answer to the first question is: Yes/no. Measurements show that the original design of the pressure separator can be made working at temperatures of operation typical for district cooling. It will, however, be very sensitive and is not recommended for practical applications. The answer to the second question is: Yes, there is. This makes the details of the original design less interesting. The modified design is characterized by 'Differential pressure control' instead of temperature layer control'. This means a working principle that is completely independent of operational temperatures. The TVX-tank is replaced by a 'short cut' with a spring loaded checkvalve. One of the control valves creates a differential pressure that is too low to open the check valve but high enough to keep the next checkvalve in the next short cut closed. Measurements and computer simulations show that the pressure separator in the modified design works very well in district cooling applications. The temperature losses of heat

Comparision of γ -ray shielding properties of some borate glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thind, K.S.

2003-01-01

Several new glasses have been prepared in recent years to suit their increasing number of applications. Some of the glass compositions have distinct properties which make them the most preferred materials for certain applications such as shielding, optical fibers, electronics displays etc. The information of composition, processing and effect of environment on the glass properties is of great importance for their design and application. The shielding ability of pure elements and some mixtures have already been studied but limited attempts have been made on glasses. A good shielding glass should have high absorption cross - section for radiation and at the same time irradiation effects on its mechanical and optical properties should be small. By keeping in view of the importance of shielding ability of borate glasses, we have studied two series of different glass type: x PbO - (1-x) B 2 O 3 and x ZnO - 2xPbO - (1-3x) B 2 O 3 (where x is the mole fraction) by using narrow beam transmission method. A 2' x 2' NaI(Tl) crystal with an energy resolution of 12.5% at 662 keV of 137 Cs was used for the determination of attenuation coefficients and hence interaction cross-sections. Glass samples were prepared by using melt-quenching technique. Thickness measurement was carried out by micrometer and density was measured by Archimede's Principle using benzene as the immersion liquid. The densities of the glasses were found to increase linearly with the increase in the chemical composition of heavy metal oxide. Variations in mass attenuation coefficients and interaction cross ' sections were observed with the change in chemical composition and photon energy. It is found that these glasses have potential applications to be used as radiation shielding materials

GLASS COMPOSITION-TCLP RESPONSE MODEL FOR WASTE GLASSES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Sang; Vienna, John D.

2004-01-01

A first-order property model for normalized Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) release as a function of glass composition was developed using data collected from various studies. The normalized boron release is used to estimate the release of toxic elements based on the observation that the boron release represents the conservative release for those constituents of interest. The current TCLP model has two targeted application areas: (1) delisting of waste-glass product as radioactive (not mixed) waste and (2) designating the glass wastes generated from waste-glass research activities as hazardous or non-hazardous. This paper describes the data collection and model development for TCLP releases and discusses the issues related to the application of the model

Cesium titanium silicate and method of making

Science.gov (United States)

Balmer, Mari L.

1997-01-01

The invention is the new material, a ternary compound of cesium, silica, and titania, together with a method of making the ternary compound, cesium titanium silicate pollucite. More specifically, the invention is Cs.sub.2 Ti.sub.2 Si.sub.4 O.sub.13 pollucite which is a new crystalline phase representing a novel class of Ti-containing zeolites. Compositions contain relatively high Cs.sub.2 O and TiO.sub.2 loadings and are durable glass and ceramic materials. The amount of TiO.sub.2 and Cs.sub.2 that can be incorporated into these glasses and crystalline ceramics far exceeds the limits set for the borosilicate high level waste glass.

Multiple Glass Ceilings

OpenAIRE

Russo, Giovanni; Hassink, Wolter

2011-01-01

Both vertical (between job levels) and horizontal (within job levels) mobility can be sources of wage growth. We find that the glass ceiling operates at both margins. The unexplained part of the wage gap grows across job levels (glass ceiling at the vertical margin) and across the deciles of the intra-job-level wage distribution (glass ceiling at the horizontal margin). This implies that women face many glass ceilings, one for each job level above the second, and that the glass ceiling is a p...

Thermal properties and crystallization of lithium–mica glass and glass-ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nia, A. Faeghi

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Two groups of Li–mica glass-ceramics, have been compared. • By controlling the glass composition, crystalline lepidolite was obtained. • The T p of Li–mica was through the previous virgilite and eucryptite phase. - Abstract: The purpose of this study was the synthesis of two groups of Li–mica glass-ceramics denoted by lepidolite (Al 2.5 F 2 KLi 1.5 O 10 Si 3 ) and Li-phlogopite (LiMg 3 AlSi 3 O 10 F 2 ). The studied system was SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 –MgO–K 2 O–Li 2 O. A total of 3 compositions were prepared. Bulk casted glasses and sintered glass-ceramics of Li-phlogopite and lepidolite systems, were prepared. Eucryptite and virgilite were two prior phases of lepidolite and Li-phlogopite crystallization. It was shown that the obtained glass-ceramics have lower TEC than corresponding glasses. Sinterability of lepidolite glass-ceramic was shown that improved by increasing the Al 2 O 3 content in glass composition. TEC and microhardness values were α = 6.08 × 10 −6 /°C, 755 ± 11.1, α = 7.86 × 10 −6 /°C, 739 ± 7.4 and α = 5.05 × 10 −6 /°C, 658 ± 6.2 HV for Li-lep, Klep1 and Klep2 glasses, respectively

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a qualitative study in Uttar Pradesh, India, on engaging the private health sector in sharing health-related data

Science.gov (United States)

Gautham, Meenakshi; Spicer, Neil; Subharwal, Manish; Gupta, Sanjay; Srivastava, Aradhana; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Avan, Bilal Iqbal; Schellenberg, Joanna

2016-01-01

Health information systems are an important planning and monitoring tool for public health services, but may lack information from the private health sector. In this fourth article in a series on district decision-making for health, we assessed the extent of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)-related data sharing between the private and public sectors in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India; analysed barriers to data sharing; and identified key inputs required for data sharing. Between March 2013 and August 2014, we conducted 74 key informant interviews at national, state and district levels. Respondents were stakeholders from national, state and district health departments, professional associations, non-governmental programmes and private commercial health facilities with 3–200 beds. Qualitative data were analysed using a framework based on a priori and emerging themes. Private facilities registered for ultrasounds and abortions submitted standardized records on these services, which is compulsory under Indian laws. Data sharing for other services was weak, but most facilities maintained basic records related to institutional deliveries and newborns. Public health facilities in blocks collected these data from a few private facilities using different methods. The major barriers to data sharing included the public sector’s non-standardized data collection and utilization systems for MNCH and lack of communication and follow up with private facilities. Private facilities feared information disclosure and the additional burden of reporting, but were willing to share data if asked officially, provided the process was simple and they were assured of confidentiality. Unregistered facilities, managed by providers without a biomedical qualification, also conducted institutional deliveries, but were outside any reporting loops. Our findings suggest that even without legislation, the public sector could set up an effective MNCH data sharing strategy with

Volumetric change of simulated radioactive waste glass irradiated by electron accelerator. [Silica glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Seichi; Furuya, Hirotaka; Inagaki, Yaohiro; Kozaka, Tetsuo; Sugisaki, Masayasu

1987-11-01

Density changes of simulated radioactive waste glasses, silica glass and Pyrex glass irradiated by an electron accelerator were measured by a ''sink-float'' technique. The density changes of the waste and silica glasses were less than 0.05 %, irradiated at 2.0 MeV up to the fluence of 1.7 x 10/sup 17/ ecm/sup 2/, while were remarkably smaller than that of Pyrex glass of 0.18 % shrinkage. Precision of the measurements in the density changes of the waste glass was lower than that of Pyrex glass possibly because of the inhomogeneity of the waste glass

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neonatal Pulmonology, Neonatal Respiratory Support, Resuscitation"

OpenAIRE

--- Various Authors

2017-01-01

Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmermann...

The Effect of Government Expenditures, Private Investment and Labor on Economic Growth in Pidie District

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munzir AG

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study aims to determine the effect of government spending, private investment, and labor on economic growth in Pidie District, Data analyzed from 2000-2016, using multiple linear regression model. The results of research on government spending, private investment and labor both simultaneously and partially have a positive and significant impact on economic growth in Pidie District. Variations of government expenditure variables, private investment and labor are able to explain the variation of economic growth in Pidie District by 48,7 percent and the rest of 51,3 percent influenced by other variables. Labor is the most dominant variable of influence on economic growth in Pidie District. Private investment is the least influence variable to economic growth in Pidie District. The need for a policy that could make private government investment spending, and labor increases simultaneously so it is likely to have a positive impact on improving economic growth in Pidie District.

Micropatterning on glass with deep UV

OpenAIRE

sprotocols

2015-01-01

Authors: Nicolas CARPI, Matthieu PIEL, Ammar Azioune & Jenny Fink ### Abstract This protocol describes a method to print micropatterns on glass with extra-cellular matrix proteins to promote cell adhesion. The non-adhesive part is made with polylysine grafted polyethyleneglycol (PLL-g-PEG). This technique is reproducible, cheap, fast and can achieve high resolution (~1 µm). ### Introduction This protocol explains how to make high resolution adhesive micropattens of protein...

"Hired Guns" and "Legitimate Voices": The Politics and Participants of Levy Campaigns in Five Ohio School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Ingle, William Kyle; Johnson, Paul Andrew; Petroff, Ruth Ann

2012-01-01

Background: In Ohio, levy campaigns are a burdensome task for district administrators and stakeholders alike. To date, there is little research on the districts' role in crafting school budget referenda campaigns. Purpose: This study asked three research questions: How did the macropolitical contexts shape stakeholders' decision making in terms of…

High insulation foam glass material from waste cathode ray tube panel glass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

König, Jakob; Petersen, Rasmus Rosenlund; Yue, Yuanzheng

. In general CRT consists of two types of glasses: barium/strontium containing glass (panel glass) and lead containing glass (funnel and panel glass). In this work we present the possibility to produce high performance insulation material from the recycled lead-free glass. We studied the influence of foaming...... between 750 and 850°C. We investigated the influence of milling time, particle size, foaming and oxidizing agent concentrations, temperature and time on the foaming process, foam density, foam porosity and homogeneity. Only moderate foaming was observed in carbon containing samples, while the addition...... of the oxidizing agent greatly improved the foaming quality. The results showed that the amount of oxygen available from the glass is not sufficient to combust all of the added carbon, therefore, additional oxygen was supplied via manganese reduction. In general, a minimum in the foam glass density was observed...

Magnetic Glass Ceramics by Sintering of Borosilicate Glass and Inorganic Waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inès M. M. M. Ponsot

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Ceramics and glass ceramics based on industrial waste have been widely recognized as competitive products for building applications; however, there is a great potential for such materials with novel functionalities. In this paper, we discuss the development of magnetic sintered glass ceramics based on two iron-rich slags, coming from non-ferrous metallurgy and recycled borosilicate glass. The substantial viscous flow of the glass led to dense products for rapid treatments at relatively low temperatures (900–1000 °C, whereas glass/slag interactions resulted in the formation of magnetite crystals, providing ferrimagnetism. Such behavior could be exploited for applying the obtained glass ceramics as induction heating plates, according to preliminary tests (showing the rapid heating of selected samples, even above 200 °C. The chemical durability and safety of the obtained glass ceramics were assessed by both leaching tests and cytotoxicity tests.

Bioactive Glass and Glass-Ceramic Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldo R. Boccaccini

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Traditionally, bioactive glasses have been used to fill and restore bone defects. More recently, this category of biomaterials has become an emerging research field for bone tissue engineering applications. Here, we review and discuss current knowledge on porous bone tissue engineering scaffolds on the basis of melt-derived bioactive silicate glass compositions and relevant composite structures. Starting with an excerpt on the history of bioactive glasses, as well as on fundamental requirements for bone tissue engineering scaffolds, a detailed overview on recent developments of bioactive glass and glass-ceramic scaffolds will be given, including a summary of common fabrication methods and a discussion on the microstructural-mechanical properties of scaffolds in relation to human bone (structure-property and structure-function relationship. In addition, ion release effects of bioactive glasses concerning osteogenic and angiogenic responses are addressed. Finally, areas of future research are highlighted in this review.

Production of dry wood chips in connection with a district heating plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yrjölä Jukka

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Moisture and its variation in wood chips make the control of burning in small scale heating appliances difficult resulting in emissions and loss of efficiency. If the quality of wood chips would be better, i. e. dried and sieved fuel with more uniform size distribution would be avail able, the burning could be much cleaner and efficiency higher. In addition higher power out put could be obtained and the investment costs of the burning appliances would be lower. The production of sieved and dried wood chip with good quality could be accomplished in connection with a district heating plant. Then the plant would make profit, in addition to the district heat, from the dried wood chips sold to the neighboring buildings and enterprises sep a rated from the district heating net using wood chips in energy production. The peak power of a district heating plant is required only a short time during the coldest days of the winter. Then the excess capacity during the milder days can be used as heat source for drying of wood chips to be marketed. Then wood chips are sieved and the fuel with best quality is sold and the reject is used as fuel in the plant it self. In a larger district heating plant, quality of the fuel does not need to be so high In this paper the effect of moisture on the fuel chain and on the boiler is discussed. Energy and mass balance calculations as a tool of system design is described and the characteristics of proposed dry chips production method is discussed.

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Aza, P. N.

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Since the late 1960´s, a great interest in the use of bioceramic materials for biomedical applications has been developed. In a previous paper, the authors reviewed crystalline bioceramic materials “sensus stricto”, it is to say, those ceramic materials, constituted for non-metallic inorganic compounds, crystallines and consolidates by thermal treatment of powders at high temperature. In the present review, the authors deal with those called bioactive glasses and glassceramics. Although all of them are also obtained by thermal treatment at high temperature, the first are amorphous and the second are obtained by devitrification of a glass, although the vitreous phase normally prevails on the crystalline phases. After an introduction to the concept of bioactive materials, a short historical review of the bioactive glasses development is made. Its preparation, reactivity in physiological media, mechanism of bonding to living tissues and mechanical strength of the bone-implant interface is also reported. Next, the concept of glass-ceramic and the way of its preparation are exposed. The composition, physicochemical properties and biological behaviour of the principal types of bioactive glasses and glass-ceramic materials: Bioglass®, Ceravital®, Cerabone®, Ilmaplant® and Bioverit® are also reviewed. Finally, a short review on the bioactive-glass coatings and bioactive-composites and most common uses of bioactive-glasses and glass-ceramics are carried out too.

Desde finales de los años sesenta, se ha despertado un gran interés por el uso de los materiales biocerámicos para aplicaciones biomédicas. En un trabajo previo, los autores hicieron una revisión de los denominados materiales biocerámicos cristalinos en sentido estricto, es decir, de aquellos materiales, constituidos por compuestos inorgánicos no metálicos, cristalinos y consolidados mediante tratamientos térmicos a altas temperaturas. En el presente trabajo, los autores

Glass and vitrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, J.L.; Vacher, R.; Moncouyoux, J.P.; Vernaz, E.

1997-01-01

Most glasses used as materials are oxides glasses that are produced by a quick quench of a liquid. Glasses are characterized by the absence of periodicity in the atomic arrangements, they do not have symmetries and do not present order over a long distance. This series of 4 short articles present: 1) the properties of glass and its industrial story, 2) the glass structure, 3) a forty years long story of glass as dies used to confine wastes and 4) the methodology used to study the behaviour of glass over very long periods of time. This methodology is based on 5 steps: 1) define and specify the material to study (the prediction of long term alteration of a material is nonsense unless you know well its initial properties), 2) identify all the alteration processes that are likely to happen, determine their kinetics and the influence of environmental parameters, 3) develop mathematical models in order to simulate long-term behaviour of glasses, 4) determine the release rates of the radionuclides confined in the glass, and 5) validate data and models, it is not possible to expect a complete validation of a model that will be extrapolated over tens of thousands of years, nevertheless some ways of validation can lead to a satisfactory level of confidence taking into account reasonable uncertainties. (A.C.)

Glass formation, properties, and structure of soda-yttria-silicate glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Angel, Paul W.; Hann, Raiford E.

1991-01-01

The glass formation region of the soda yttria silicate system was determined. The glasses within this region were measured to have a density of 2.4 to 3.1 g/cu cm, a refractive index of 1.50 to 1.60, a coefficient of thermal expansion of 7 x 10(exp -6)/C, softening temperatures between 500 and 780 C, and Vickers hardness values of 3.7 to 5.8 GPa. Aqueous chemical durability measurements were made on select glass compositions while infrared transmission spectra were used to study the glass structure and its effect on glass properties. A compositional region was identified which exhibited high thermal expansion, high softening temperatures, and good chemical durability.

Glass formation, properties and structure of soda-yttria-silica glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Angel, Paul W.; Hann, Raiford E.

1992-01-01

The glass formation region of the soda yttria silicate system was determined. The glasses within this region were measured to have a density of 2.4 to 3.1 g/cu cm, a refractive index of 1.50 to 1.60, a coefficient of thermal expansion of 7 x 10(exp -6)/C, softening temperatures between 500 and 780 C, and Vickers hardness values of 3.7 to 5.8 GPa. Aqueous chemical durability measurements were made on select glass compositions while infrared transmission spectra were used to study the glass structure and its effect on glass properties. A compositional region was identified which exhibited high thermal expansion, high softening temperatures, and good chemical durability.

Production of glass or glass-ceramic to metal seals with the application of pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Michael D.; Kramer, Daniel P.

1987-11-10

In a process for preparing a glass or glass-ceramic to metal seal comprising contacting the glass with the metal and heat-treating the glass and metal under conditions whereby the glass to metal seal is effected and, optionally, the glass is converted to a glass-ceramic, an improvement comprises carrying out the heat-treating step using hot isostatic pressing.

Glass leaching performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chick, L.A.; Turcotte, R.P.

1983-05-01

Current understanding of the leaching performance of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) glass is summarized. The empirical model of waste glass leaching behavior developed shows that at high water flow rates the glass leach rate is kinetically limited to a maximum value. At intermediate water flow rates, leaching is limited by the solution concentration of silica and decreases with decreasing water flow rates. Release of soluble elements is controlled by silica dissolution because silica forms the binding network of the glass. At low water flow rates, mass loss rates reach values controlled by formation rates of alteration minerals, or by diffusion of dissolution products through essentially stagnant water. The parameters reviewed with respect to their quantifiable influence on leaching behavior include temperature, pH, leachant composition, glass composition, thermal history, and radiation. Of these, temperature is most important since the rate of mass loss approximately doubles with each 10 0 C increase in dilute solutions. The pH has small effects within the 4 to 10 range. The chemical composition of the leachant is most important with regard to its influence on alteration product formation. Glass composition exhibits the largest effects at high flow rates where improved glasses leach from ten to thirty times slower than glass 76 to 68. The effects of the thermal history (devitrification) of the glass are not likely to be significant. Radiation effects are important primarily in that radiolysis can potentially drive pH values to less than 4. Radiation damage to the glass causes insignificant changes in leaching performance

7 CFR 917.14 - District.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... District. (g) Contra Costa District includes and consists of Contra Costa County. (h) Santa Clara District... Ventura County. (l) Stockton District includes and consists of San Joaquin County, Amador County...

Friction behavior of glass and metals in contact with glass in various environments

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, D. H.

1973-01-01

Sliding friction experiments have been conducted for heat-resistant glass and metals in contact with glass. These experiments were conducted in various environments including vacuum, moist air, dry air, octane, and stearic acid in hexadecane. Glass exhibited a higher friction force in moist air than it did in vacuum when in sliding contact with itself. The metals, aluminum, iron, and gold, all exhibited the same friction coefficient when sliding on glass in vacuum as glass sliding on glass. Gold-to-glass contacts were extremely sensitive to the environment despite the relative chemical inertness of gold.

Glass Property Data and Models for Estimating High-Level Waste Glass Volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vienna, John D.; Fluegel, Alexander; Kim, Dong-Sang; Hrma, Pavel R.

2009-10-05

This report describes recent efforts to develop glass property models that can be used to help estimate the volume of high-level waste (HLW) glass that will result from vitrification of Hanford tank waste. The compositions of acceptable and processable HLW glasses need to be optimized to minimize the waste-form volume and, hence, to save cost. A database of properties and associated compositions for simulated waste glasses was collected for developing property-composition models. This database, although not comprehensive, represents a large fraction of data on waste-glass compositions and properties that were available at the time of this report. Glass property-composition models were fit to subsets of the database for several key glass properties. These models apply to a significantly broader composition space than those previously publised. These models should be considered for interim use in calculating properties of Hanford waste glasses.

Glass Property Data and Models for Estimating High-Level Waste Glass Volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vienna, John D.; Fluegel, Alexander; Kim, Dong-Sang; Hrma, Pavel R.

2009-01-01

This report describes recent efforts to develop glass property models that can be used to help estimate the volume of high-level waste (HLW) glass that will result from vitrification of Hanford tank waste. The compositions of acceptable and processable HLW glasses need to be optimized to minimize the waste-form volume and, hence, to save cost. A database of properties and associated compositions for simulated waste glasses was collected for developing property-composition models. This database, although not comprehensive, represents a large fraction of data on waste-glass compositions and properties that were available at the time of this report. Glass property-composition models were fit to subsets of the database for several key glass properties. These models apply to a significantly broader composition space than those previously publised. These models should be considered for interim use in calculating properties of Hanford waste glasses.

Can painted glass felt or glass fibre cloth be used as vapour barrier?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Khattam, Amira; Andersen, Mie Them; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

2014-01-01

In most Nordic homes the interior surfaces of walls and ceilings have some kind of surface treatment for aesthetical reasons. The treatments can for example be glass felt or glass fibre cloth which are painted afterwards. To evaluate the hygrothermal performance of walls and ceilings...... treatments. The surface treatments were glass felt or glass fibre cloth with different types of paints or just paint. The paint types were acrylic paint and silicate paint. The results show that the paint type has high influence on the water vapour resistance while the underlay i.e. glass felt or glass fibre...... acrylic paint on glass felt or glass fibre cloth cannot be used instead of a vapour barrier....

Erbium concentration dependent absorbance in tellurite glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sazali, E. S., E-mail: mdsupar@utm; Rohani, M. S., E-mail: mdsupar@utm; Sahar, M. R., E-mail: mdsupar@utm; Arifin, R., E-mail: mdsupar@utm; Ghoshal, S. K., E-mail: mdsupar@utm; Hamzah, K., E-mail: mdsupar@utm [Advanced Optical Material Research Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia)

2014-09-25

Enhancing the optical absorption cross-section in topically important rare earth doped tellurite glasses is challenging for photonic devices. Controlled synthesis and detailed characterizations of the optical properties of these glasses are important for the optimization. The influence of varying concentration of Er{sup 3+} ions on the absorbance characteristics of lead tellurite glasses synthesized via melt-quenching technique are investigated. The UV-Vis absorption spectra exhibits six prominent peaks centered at 490, 526, 652, 800, 982 and 1520 nm ascribed to the transitions in erbium ion from the ground state to the excited states {sup 4}F{sub 7/2}, {sup 2}H{sub 11/2}, {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}, {sup 4}I{sub 9/2}, {sup 2}H{sub 11/2} and {sup 4}I{sub 13/2}, respectively. The results are analyzed by means of optical band gap E{sub g} and Urbach energy E{sub u}. The values of the energy band gap are found decreased from 2.82 to 2.51 eV and the Urbach energy increased from 0.15 to 0.24 eV with the increase of the Er{sub 2}O{sub 3} concentration from 0 to 1.5 mol%. The excellent absorbance of the prepared tellurite glasses makes them suitable for fabricating solid state lasers.

Legislative Districts, Four layers - One State Assembly district, one State Senate district, one US House of Rep district, and one US Senate district showing the locations in the County of Polk, WI., Published in 2007, 1:24000 (1in=2000ft) scale, Polk County Government.

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Legislative Districts dataset current as of 2007. Four layers - One State Assembly district, one State Senate district, one US House of Rep district, and one US...

The bird's-eye perspective: how do district health managers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

KB Von Pressentin

This study supports the employment of FPs at scale within the. South African district ... by the academic leadership.8,25 In South Africa, policy documents acknowledge the ... KvP conducted the qualitative data analysis under the supervision of RM. ..... cited as examples of them making a 'huge difference as part of a complex ...

High resolution multibeam and hydrodynamic datasets of tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon

Science.gov (United States)

Madricardo, Fantina; Foglini, Federica; Kruss, Aleksandra; Ferrarin, Christian; Pizzeghello, Nicola Marco; Murri, Chiara; Rossi, Monica; Bajo, Marco; Bellafiore, Debora; Campiani, Elisabetta; Fogarin, Stefano; Grande, Valentina; Janowski, Lukasz; Keppel, Erica; Leidi, Elisa; Lorenzetti, Giuliano; Maicu, Francesco; Maselli, Vittorio; Mercorella, Alessandra; Montereale Gavazzi, Giacomo; Minuzzo, Tiziano; Pellegrini, Claudio; Petrizzo, Antonio; Prampolini, Mariacristina; Remia, Alessandro; Rizzetto, Federica; Rovere, Marzia; Sarretta, Alessandro; Sigovini, Marco; Sinapi, Luigi; Umgiesser, Georg; Trincardi, Fabio

2017-09-01

Tidal channels are crucial for the functioning of wetlands, though their morphological properties, which are relevant for seafloor habitats and flow, have been understudied so far. Here, we release a dataset composed of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) extracted from a total of 2,500 linear kilometres of high-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) data collected in 2013 covering the entire network of tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon, Italy. The dataset comprises also the backscatter (BS) data, which reflect the acoustic properties of the seafloor, and the tidal current fields simulated by means of a high-resolution three-dimensional unstructured hydrodynamic model. The DTMs and the current fields help define how morphological and benthic properties of tidal channels are affected by the action of currents. These data are of potential broad interest not only to geomorphologists, oceanographers and ecologists studying the morphology, hydrodynamics, sediment transport and benthic habitats of tidal environments, but also to coastal engineers and stakeholders for cost-effective monitoring and sustainable management of this peculiar shallow coastal system.

Youth and Work: The Incidence of the Economic Situation on the Access of Young People to Education, Culture and Work. Report, Recommendations and Documents of a European Regional Meeting, Venice, 7-11 November, 1977.

Science.gov (United States)

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

This document contains materials from a Unesco European regional meeting held in Venice (November 7-11, 1977) to discuss the problem of youth unemployment. The final report of the meeting is composed of (1) a summary of the discussions on background and nature of the problem, remedies, action, education and training, creating jobs, quality of…

Improvement in precision and trueness of quantitative XRF analysis with glass-bead method. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yasuyuki; Ogasawara, Noriko; Yuhara, Yoshitaroh; Yokoyama, Yuichi

1995-01-01

The factors which lower the precisions of simultaneous X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer were investigated. Especially in quantitative analyses of oxide powders with glass-bead method, X-ray optical characteristics of the equipment affects the precision of the X-ray intensities. In focused (curved) crystal spectrometers, the precision depends on the deviation of the actual size and position of the crystals from those of theoretical designs, thus the precision differs for each crystal for each element. When the deviation is large, a dispersion of the measured X-ray intensities is larger than the statistical dispersion, even though the intensity itself keeps unchanged. Moreover, a waviness of the surface of glass-beads makes the difference of the height of an analyzed surface from that of the designed one. This difference makes the change of the amount of the X-ray incident on the analyzing crystal and makes the dispersion of the X-ray intensity larger. Considering these factors, a level of the waviness must be regulated to improve the precision under exsisting XRF equipments. In this study, measurement precisions of 4 simultaneous XRF spectrometers were evaluated, and the element lead (Pb-Lβ1) was found to have the lowest precision. Relative standard deviation (RSD) of the measurements of 10 glass-beads for the same powder sample was 0.3% without the regulation of the waviness of analytical surface. With mechanical flattening of the glass-bead surface, the level of waviness, which is the maximum difference of the heights in a glass-bead, was regulated as under 30 μm, RSD was 0.038%, which is almost comparable to the statistical RSD 0.033%. (author)

Numerical study of the glass-glass transition in short-ranged attractive colloids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaccarelli, Emanuela; Sciortino, Francesco; Tartaglia, Piero

2004-01-01

We report extensive numerical simulations in the glass region for a simple model of short-ranged attractive colloids, the square well model. We investigate the behaviour of the density autocorrelation function and of the static structure factor in the region of temperatures and packing fractions where a glass-glass transition is expected according to theoretical predictions. We strengthen our observations by studying both waiting time and history dependence of the numerical results. We provide evidence supporting the possibility that activated bond-breaking processes destabilize the attractive glass, preventing the full observation of a sharp glass-glass kinetic transition

Studies on Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O glasses and superconducting glass ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.; Zacharias, E.

1991-01-01

Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O glasses and glass ceramics of various compositions were synthesised. The glass transition temperature varies from 396 to 422degC depending on the glass composition. The bulk glass ceramics of 4334, 4336, 2223 and 4246 compositions show superconductivity when the corresponding glass samples were heat-treated in air at 820degC for 3, 9, 12 and 24 h respectively. X-ray diffraction studies show that the superconducting phase present in all these compositions is Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O x . The 4334 glass ceramic is almost a single-phase material with a preferred orientation such that the c axis is normal to the sample surface. The 2223 glass ceramic has a higher T c (onset) than the other three compositions indicating the presence of high T c phase (110 K) also. ESR studies on the glass samples indicate the existence of Cu 2+ . The effect of heat treatment on ESR shows that the intensity of resonance decreases with increase in heat-treatment duration. This effect is more pronounced for the 4334 and 2223 compositions. The advantages of synthesizing superconducting materials by glass route are discussed in view of practical applications. (author). 9 refs., 6 figs

GROTESQUE ENCOUNTERS: READING SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE ALONG THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SUBLIME, BEAUTIFUL AND GROTESQUE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin Bartha

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article is an attempt to apply the basic principles of the aesthetic discourse on the sublime, beautiful and grotesque to William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Even though it is a discourse that only begins in the course of the eighteenth century, I will argue that the structure of the play parallels the model of the traditional sublime, as it deals with a subject-object binary and meditates on the relationship between the material (body and the transcendental (mind. However, the play is also rich in disruptive — or grotesque — forces that unsettle this binary structure. The parallels between the play and the aesthetic discourse could not only help our understanding of postmodern criticism and rewriting of the sublime, but the sublime can also, in turn, shed light on the reception of the play.

Precision glass molding: Toward an optimal fabrication of optical lenses

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liangchi; Liu, Weidong

2017-03-01

It is costly and time consuming to use machining processes, such as grinding, polishing and lapping, to produce optical glass lenses with complex features. Precision glass molding (PGM) has thus been developed to realize an efficient manufacture of such optical components in a single step. However, PGM faces various technical challenges. For example, a PGM process must be carried out within the super-cooled region of optical glass above its glass transition temperature, in which the material has an unstable non-equilibrium structure. Within a narrow window of allowable temperature variation, the glass viscosity can change from 105 to 1012 Pas due to the kinetic fragility of the super-cooled liquid. This makes a PGM process sensitive to its molding temperature. In addition, because of the structural relaxation in this temperature window, the atomic structure that governs the material properties is strongly dependent on time and thermal history. Such complexity often leads to residual stresses and shape distortion in a lens molded, causing unexpected changes in density and refractive index. This review will discuss some of the central issues in PGM processes and provide a method based on a manufacturing chain consideration from mold material selection, property and deformation characterization of optical glass to process optimization. The realization of such optimization is a necessary step for the Industry 4.0 of PGM.

Spin glasses

CERN Document Server

Bovier, Anton

2007-01-01

Spin glass theory is going through a stunning period of progress while finding exciting new applications in areas beyond theoretical physics, in particular in combinatorics and computer science. This collection of state-of-the-art review papers written by leading experts in the field covers the topic from a wide variety of angles. The topics covered are mean field spin glasses, including a pedagogical account of Talagrand's proof of the Parisi solution, short range spin glasses, emphasizing the open problem of the relevance of the mean-field theory for lattice models, and the dynamics of spin glasses, in particular the problem of ageing in mean field models. The book will serve as a concise introduction to the state of the art of spin glass theory, usefull to both graduate students and young researchers, as well as to anyone curious to know what is going on in this exciting area of mathematical physics.

26 CFR 1.6012-1 - Individuals required to make returns of income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... be made by an agent if the taxpayer requests permission, in writing, of the district director for the... person liable for the making of the return, and such district director determines that good cause exists... the amount thereof: (a) Consists entirely of remuneration for personal services performed as an...

A preliminary investigation of the distribution of heavy metals in surface sediments of the Cona tidal marsh (Venice Lagoon)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernardi, S.; Costa, F.; Vazzoler, S.; Zonta, R.

1988-01-01

Data are from the two series of surface sediment sampling in an interface area between the Venice Lagoon and the mainland. The distribution of heavy metals gives a correlation with polluted sourcesites-identified in the channel systems with a highly polluted input-and allows us to identify the localities of accumulation. Restricted to the estuary of the river tributary transporting a high concentration of pollutants into a tidal marsh area of the lagoon, the study shows the effect of the fresh water forcing to distribute heavy metals on surface sediments. Within the scope of this preliminary investigation, indications from sampling identify a sector of the 'palude of Cona' in this estuary, which is highly suitable for detailed studies on precesses affecting heavy-metal distributions in bottom surface sediments of shallow-water areas

State and district policy influences on district-wide elementary and middle school physical education practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Chriqui, Jamie F; Eyler, Amy; Carnoske, Cheryl; Slater, Sandy

2013-01-01

To examine the influence of state laws and district policies on district-wide elementary school and middle school practices related to physical education (PE) time and the percentage of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time during PE. Multivariate, cross-sectional analysis of state laws, district wellness and PE policies, and district PE practices for school year 2010-2011 controlling for district-level urbanicity, region, size, race/ethnicity of students, and socioeconomic status and clustered on state. One hundred ninety-five public school districts located in 42 states. District-level PE coordinators for the included districts who responded to an online survey. Minutes and days of PE per week and percent time spent in MVPA during PE time. District PE coordinators reported significantly less PE time than national standards-82.9 and 189.6 minutes at the elementary school and middle school levels, respectively. Physical education was provided an average of 2.5 and 3.7 days per week, respectively; and the percentage of MVPA time in PE was 64.4% and 65.7%, respectively. At the elementary school level, districts in either states with laws governing PE time or in a state and district with a law/policy reported significantly more days of PE (0.63 and 0.67 additional days, respectively), and districts in states with PE time laws reported 18 more minutes of PE per week. At the middle school level, state laws were associated with 0.73 more days of PE per week. Neither state laws nor district policies were positively associated with percent MVPA time in PE. State laws and district policies can influence district-level PE practices-particularly those governing the frequency and duration of PE-although opportunities exist to strengthen PE-related laws, policies, and practices.

Binary eutectic clusters and glass formation in ideal glass-forming liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Z. P.; Shen, J.; Xing, D. W.; Sun, J. F.; Liu, C. T.

2006-01-01

In this letter, a physical concept of binary eutectic clusters in 'ideal' glass-forming liquids is proposed based on the characteristics of most well-known bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). The authors approach also includes the treatment of binary eutectic clusters as basic units, which leads to the development of a simple but reliable method for designing BMGs more efficiently and effectively in these unique glass-forming liquids. As an example, bulk glass formers with superior glass-forming ability in the Zr-Ni-Cu-Al and Zr-Fe-Cu-Al systems were identified with the use of the strategy

Characterization of glass filter micromodels used for polymer EOR flooding experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foedisch, H.; Wegner, J.; Hincapie-Reina, R.; Ganzer, L. [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany). ITE

2013-08-01

This work is conducted as part of the research project DGMK 746 - ''Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Polymer Flooding Processes Using Micromodels - From Pore Scale to Continuum Scale''. The industry standard to assess polymer flood performance is through flooding experiments with cores or plugs. A complement to flooding experiments in cores is represented by micromodels such as glass filters, which resemble real porous media through their porous structures. In this way, an almost unlimited number of equivalent samples can be produced. Moreover, compared to cores the micromodels enable visual access to the flooding process enabling a detailed process description. The sintered glass filters used in this work represent one way to make displacement processes inside artificial structures visible. However, challenges exist to transfer the results obtained from models composed of glass to real plugs or rock sections. Therefore, this study focuses on the comparison of glass filter micromodels and real rock samples composed of Bentheimer sandstone. We determine water permeability and oil-water relative permeability endpoints with flooding experiments, compare capillary pressure functions of the glass models obtained from mercury porosimetry analysis with results from Bentheimer sandstone, and characterize the glass filter with respect of connate water saturation using NMR-spectroscopy and porosity obtained from pycnometer measurements. (orig.)

A simple method for tuning the glass transition process in inorganic phosphate glasses