DETERMINATION OF SLUDGE COMPOST QUALITY BY BIOASSAY

The paper reports the progress on a plant germination and growth trial as part of Thames Water's quality-control procedure for sludge composting and recycling. The experiment was conducted by cultivating two types of plants in a greenhouse under controlled environmental conditions, using (a) standard peat-based multipurpose compost, (b) Terra Eco Systems multipurpose compost, and (c) woodchip-amended sludge compost.
Tomatoes and petunias were selected for the trial, and the varieties were first-generation (F) hybrid. Germinated seed counts were used to calculate germination percentages and germination values, to assess compost performance. Calculated germination values for tomato and petunias were 26.52 and 17.76 respectively for the peat-based compost: the values of tomato plants for Woodchip-amended compost and Terra Eco compost were 17.80 and 11.84 respectively; and for petunia, all composts performed similarly, with germination values ranging from 14.00 to 17.76. It was concluded that there were no significant differences between the petunia plants in three composts used in this trial.     

Commercial Supported Gold Nanoparticles Catalyzed Alkyne Hydroamination and Indole Synthesis

Commercial gold nanoparticles supported on titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were found to be a highly efficient catalyst for alkyne hydroamination. Terminal alkynes could easily undergo intermolecular hydroamination with low catalyst loadings (0.2 mol% Au) under solvent‐free conditions. Indoles were efficiently synthesized using microwave heating through intramolecular hydroamination.

     

Ansel Adams and Fiat Lux

Abstract

In 1963, Clark Kerr, then President of the University of California, approached Ansel Adams and Nancy Newhall to participate in the centennial celebrations (in 1968) of the founding of the University. Adams's photographic work on the nme campuses in the years following resulted in the production of six thousand negatives, from which six hundred and five were produced as fine prints (placed in the University Archives at the Bancroft Library at Berkeley) and many others reproduced in the book, Fiat Lux (1968), with text by Nancy Newhall. In 1990, an exhibition consisting of one hundred of those photographs (to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the University of California at Irvine) toured the campuses of the University between January 1991 and May 1992, accompanied by the exhibition catalogue, Ansel Adams: Fiat Lux.     

Maximally weighted graph theoretic facilities design planning

This paper examines how graph theory (GTH) can be used to create facility designs. It proposes a new approach which focuses upon the concept of a maximally weighted planar graph (MWPG) through the use of non-maximally planar weighted graph (MPWG) theory and a weighted flow-distance measure. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is then evaluated using other methodologies.     

Reproducible,biocompatible medical materials from biologically derived polysaccharides: Processing and Characterization

Natural polysaccharides like chitosan and dextran have garnered considerable interest in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and nontoxicity. Nonetheless, the development of a reproducible class of medical devices from these materials is challenging and has had limited success. Chitosan and dextran are inherently variable and synthesis using these materials is prone to inconsistencies. In this study, we put forward a robust product development regimen that allows these natural materials to be developed into a reproducible class of biomaterials. First, an array of validated characterization methods (Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, titrations, Ultraviolet spectroscopy, Size Exclusion Chromatography—Multi-Angle Light Scattering, Size Exclusion Chromatography—Refractive Index, and proprietary methods) were developed that allowed rigorous specifications to be set for unprocessed chitosan and dextran, chitosan and dextran intermediates, and chemically modified materials—acrylated chitosan (aCHN) and oxidized dextran (oDEX). Second, a robust and reproducible synthesis scheme involving various in-process controls was developed to chemically modify the unprocessed polysaccharides. Third, purification methods to remove byproducts and low-molecular-weight impurities for both aCHN and oDEX were developed. The study presents a viable strategy for converting variable, natural materials into a reproducible class of biomaterials that can be applied in various biomedical applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48454.     

Urban flood impact assessment: A state-of-the-art review

Flooding can cause major disruptions in cities, and lead to significant impacts on people, the economy and on the environment. These impacts may be exacerbated by climate and socio-economic changes. Resilience thinking has become an important way for city planners and decision makers to manage flood risks.

Despite different definitions of resilience, a consistent theme is that flood resilient cities are impacted less by extreme flood events. Therefore, flood risk professionals and planners need to understand flood impacts to build flood resilient cities. This paper presents a state-of-the-art literature review on flood impact assessment in urban areas, detailing their application, and their limitations. It describes both techniques for dealing with individual categories of impacts, as well as methodologies for integrating them. The paper will also identify future avenues for progress in improving the techniques.     

Integrated appraisal of a Solar Hot Water system

An ‘integrated appraisal’ of a solar hot water (SHW) system in the UK residential sector was carried out to assess its overall energetic, environmental and economic performance. The energy analysis indicates that when displacing a gas boiler, oil boiler, or electrical immersion heater, the SHW system would provide a net energy benefit for the majority of its estimated 25 year lifetime, thus enhancing energy security by reducing the use of, and dependence upon, conventional energy resources (mainly fossil fuels). A life cycle assessment was carried out to determine a range of environmental implications of installing and using the SHW system. It was shown that the use of aluminium has the greatest impact within the production of the system. During its use, the SHW provides the largest environmental externality benefits when displacing electricity. The economic assessment indicates that the SHW system is currently uncompetitive given the negative net present values of the various scenarios assessed. This outcome included the internalisation of the social costs of carbon. There are, however, future prospects for reduced capital costs that may significantly improve the economic performance of the system.     

The public health approach to youth violence and child maltreatment prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Millions of people in the United States suffer the consequences of violence, including physical injuries, psychological trauma, and death. Solutions to violence have traditionally been reactive. Through the lens of the public health perspective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) views violence as predictable based on various contributing factors, and thus as preventable. Within CDC, the Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) leads efforts to prevent injury, death, and disability, and to reduce the suffering and medical costs caused by violence. DVP employs a multidisciplinary, public health approach to identify factors associated with violence, and to develop, evaluate, and disseminate preventive interventions. Psychology is one discipline that has contributed to our approach. The authors present a series of violence prevention initiatives funded by the CDC that are framed within a public health perspective, with attention to the contributions of psychology to youth violence and child maltreatment prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)