A planktonic Oscillatoria species from Mississippi catfish ponds that produces the off-flavor compound 2-methylisoborneol

A planktonic, gas-vacuolate Oscillatoria species was isolated from catfish ponds in Mississippi during an episode of off-flavor and high 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) levels. Volatile compounds from unialgal cultures were isolated using closed-loop stripping, liquid-liquid extraction, and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. The organism produced MIB at 75–87 μg 1⁻¹ after 2–3 wk of incubation at 25°C. The alga was found in moderate to high numbers in three pond water samples with high MIB levels, and low numbers in two other samples with low MIB levels. The organism was not present (less than one organism/10 ml) in nine other samples characterized by a “woody” or “swampy” odor and no detectable MIB. This Oscillatoria strain is believed to be the first blue-green alga that produces MIB ever isolated from Mississippi catfish ponds, and may be a cause of the off-flavor problem associated with MIB in those systems.     

A computational intelligent fuzzy model approach for excavator cycle time simulation

The tracked hydraulic excavator is one of the most versatile and widely utilised piece of earthmoving equipment. In many instances, the ‘excavator’ represents the first choice of earthmoving plant for both construction managers and estimators, since when properly employed (i.e. with a competent operator and in an appropriate working environment), it offers high production rates at economical cost. Nonetheless, predicting machine production performance is difficult; given the typical multiple operational parameters (e.g. machine weight, machine configuration, ground conditions, operator ability) that can apply. Consequently, determination of accurate cost estimates and predicted contract durations are subject to considerable inaccuracy, especially where a significant amount of site work is needed.

To address this inadequacy, this paper presents a computational intelligent ‘fuzzy’ model with the ability to forecast excavator cycle time. In this context, a cycle is defined as one complete revolution, from ‘place empty bucket in dig material’ through ‘fill bucket’, ‘move charged bucket to target’, ‘empty charged bucket’ and ‘return bucket to dig material’. The developed model is based upon 70 separate cycle time observations obtained from four plant manufacturers. These data provide a representative spread of machine cycle times since they include a range on a continuum from optimum to adverse operational parameters. Tests on the derived model identified that its accuracy was acceptable; but the accuracy could be improved using larger samples and a more comprehensive and exhaustive range of variables to predict machine cycle time.     

A bench study on lead removal from battery manufacturing wastewater by carbonate precipitation

A residual soluble Pb ≤ 0.2 mg/l has been measured after hydrocerussite precipitation in the range of pH 9–10 and filtration with 0.45 μm filter, at a total carbonate concentration (C_T) of about 1.5 × 10⁻⁴ M. Filterability and sedimentation were optimized by minimizing the “relative supersaturation” coefficient during precipitation. Pb abatement was implemented in the pH range 9–9.5, following a preliminary precipitation step consisting of a slow, gradual change of pH from 6.8 to 7.8 with 0.1 M NaOH solution. The crystals formed may settle within 24 h, allowing Pb to be recovered as Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂.     

Access way to underground space: Present status of access ways to underground space with examples of spatial requirements ITA Working Group 4 “subsurface planning”

This report presents the results and output from a questionnaire undertaken by the ITA Working Group No. 4 regarding “Design Criteria for Access ways” to different types of underground structures. This theme was considered an important issue as the design and layout of access ways and installed mechanical equipment have great influence on construct ability and construction costs, maintenance and operation of the underground structures.

The questions raised were basically dealing with the theme of access ways, but as well with the wider scope of design criteria for underground structures, such as: road (transport) tunnels; underground (metro) railway stations; underground parking areas and underground shopping malls and other facilities.

Foreword

The theme of this report, design criteria for access ways to underground structures, was proposed by the representatives of Japan and Spain during the ITA Working Group No. 4 meeting, held in Sao Paulo in 1998. Around the globe an increased application of underground space has been experienced and the design of access ways is an important aspect of underground structures. The participants in the meeting in Sao Paolo, representing their member nations, supported the theme. Following the Working Group meetings in Oslo (1999) and Durban (2000) a questionnaire was prepared by Japan and Spain and distributed amongst the ITA member nations. The questions raised were basically dealing with the theme of access ways, but dealt as well with the wider scope of design criteria for underground structures, such as: road (transport) tunnels; underground (metro) railway stations; underground parking areas and underground shopping malls and other facilities.

The main intention of the Working Group No. 4 Subsurface Planning was that the findings of the questions raised could be of great help in the field of assisting, developing and harmonizing subsurface planning.

Not surprisingly, the member nations who replied to the questionnaires addressed the various aspects of this topic in different ways. Nevertheless, the diverse views clearly show differences in opinions and details by which various countries approach these issues. The report is intended to aid subsurface planners who wish to gain a broad view on how matters are dealt with in other countries or seek guidance in comparable situations – and also for the benefit and understanding of owners and operators of such facilities.

The fire and life safety issues in road and railway tunnels are of course of great importance for public confidence in such structures. These issues have been specifically dealt with in a previous report by Working Group No. 4; “Fire and Life Safety for Underground Facilities” published in the journal “Tunneling and Underground Space Technology” (TUST), volume 13/3 July/September 1998.

The ITA expresses the appreciation to the member nations who made contributions and especially to Japan who assembled and presented the material. The ITA also wish to thank Norway and the Netherlands for assisting in finalizing the report, which was completed under remaining Working Group 4 responsibilities.     

The long-term nutrient accumulation with respect to anthropogenic impacts in the sediments from two freshwater marshes (Xianghai Wetlands, Northeast China)

Sediment cores, representing a range of watershed characteristics and anthropogenic impacts, were collected from two freshwater marshes at the Xianghai wetlands (Ramsar site no. 548) in order to trace the historical variation of nutrient accumulation. Cores were ²¹⁰Pb- and ¹³⁷Cs-dated, and these data were used to calculate sedimentation rates and sediment accumulation rates. Ranges of dry mass accumulation rates and sedimentation rates were 0.27–0.96 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ and 0.27–0.90 cm yr⁻¹, respectively. The effect of human activities on increased sediment accumulation rates was observed. Nutrients (TOC, N, P, and S) in sediment were analyzed and nutrient concentration and accumulation were compared in two marshes with different hydrologic regime: an “open” marsh (E-0) and a partly “closed” marsh (F-0). Differences in physical and chemical characteristics between sediments of “open” and partly “closed” marsh were also observed. The “open” marsh sequestered much higher amounts of TOC (1.82%), N (981.1 mg kg⁻¹), P (212.17 mg kg⁻¹), and S (759.32 mg kg⁻¹) than partly “closed” marsh (TOC: 0.32%, N: 415.35 mg kg⁻¹, P: 139.64 mg kg⁻¹, and S: 624.45 mg kg⁻¹), and the “open” marsh indicated a rather large historical variability of TOC, N, P, and S inputs from alluvial deposits. Nutrient inputs (2.16–251.80 g TOC m⁻² yr⁻¹, 0.43–20.12 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹, 0.39–3.03 g P m⁻² yr⁻¹, 1.60–15.13 g S m⁻² yr⁻¹) into the Xianghai wetlands of China are in the high range compared with reported nutrient accumulation rates for freshwater marshes in USA. The vertical variation, particularly for N, P, and S indicated the input history of the nutrients of the Xianghai wetlands developed in three periods—before 1950s, 1950–1980s, and after 1980s. The ratios between anthropogenic and natural inputs showed that the relative anthropogenic inputs of TOC, N, P, and S have been severalfold (TOC: 1.68–11.21, N: 0.47–3.67, P: 0.24–1.36, and S: 1.46–2.96) greater than values of their natural inputs after 1980s. The result is probably attributable, in part, to two decades of surface coal mining activities, urban sewage, and agriculture runoff within the upstream region of the Huolin River. Our findings suggest that the degree of anthropogenic disturbance within the surrounding watershed regulates wetland sediment, TOC, N, P, and S accumulation.     

Removal of cadmium and manganese by a non-toxic strain of the freshwater cyanobacterium Gloeothece magna.

The ability of both living and dry cells of Gloeothece magna, a non-toxic freshwater cyanobacterium, to adsorb cadmium and manganese is demonstrated in this study. Chlorophyll a content of living cells was not influenced by either cadmium or manganese concentrations, indicating that adsorption of both Cd²⁺ and Mn²⁺ by living cells of G. magna, was independent of the metabolic state of the organism. Moreover, the adsorption of both Cd²⁺ and Mn²⁺ to living cells and dry cells, was dependent on the metal concentrations, and fitted the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. However, dry cells had larger binding capacity for both Cd²⁺ (K_f=912.6) and Mn²⁺ (K_f=2398) than living cells (K_f=151.4 & 63, respectively). The role of the capsular polysaccharides, the main constituents of the cyanobacterial envelope, in binding these two metals was also studied. Polysaccharide extracts of this organism adsorbed high amounts of both Cd²⁺ (115–425 μg mg⁻¹) and Mn²⁺ (473–906 μg mg⁻¹). This study suggests that G. magna would probably be cultured in water bodies contaminated by heavy metals to ameliorate their toxicity. Also dry material of this cyanobacterium being a non-toxic species, could be used as a safe biofilter to remove toxic metals from drinking water.     

Method of selective dissolution for characterization of particulate forms of Radium and Barium in natural and waste waters

A new method is proposed for characterization of particulate forms of radium and barium in natural and waste waters. Particulate solids suspended in 1–3 l. of water are first concentrated by membrane filtration or by centrifugation to 20–50 ml of a concentrate which is then filtered through a small-size membrane filter. The solids retained by the filter are successively washed with three selective solvents releasing “loosely bound”, “acid soluble” and “barium sulfate” forms of radium and barium. Compositions and volumes of the selective solvents have been chosen using model experiments and partially checked by analysis of natural samples. Radium and barium “in crystalline detritus” remain on the filter and are determined after an acid digestion of the filter. The principal criteria and selectivity of the method are discussed.     

On the love strain form of naturally curved and twisted rods

Love proposed in 1944 [A.E.H. Love, A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity. Dover Publications, New York, 1944] that the nonvanishing (linear) strain components of a naturally curved and twist spatial rod, whose centroidal axis is along x and cross-section is in yz plane, can be represented nicely in the form ε_xx = e₁ + zk₂ − yk₃ε_xy = e₂ − zk₁ε = e₃ + yk₁ where e₁, e₂, e₃ are the strain components at y = z = 0 and k₁, k₂, k₃ are the curvatures. Functions e₁, e₂, e₃, k₁, k₂, k₃ depend on x alone. Mottershead [J. E. Mottershead, “Finite elements for dynamical analysis for helical rods”, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 22, (1980), pp 252–283], Pearson and Wittrick [D. Pearson and W.H. Witrick “An exact solution for the vibration of helical springs using a Bernoulli-Euler Model”, International Journal for Mechanical Sciences, 28, (1986), pp 83–96], Leung [A.Y.T. Leung “Exact shape functions for helix- elements”, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 9, (1991), pp 23–32], and Tabarrok and Xiong [B. Tabarrok and Y. Xiong, “On the buckling equations for spatial rods”, International Journal for Mechanical Sciences, 31, (1980), pp 179–192] have made use of the Love form. We shall show that the Love form is not even valid for two-dimensionally curved beams when shear deformation is considered. The fact that the differential length ds at point P, on the cross-section with distance y, z away from the centroidal axis is different from the differential length dx at point S on the centroidal axis has been neglected. In fact DS = (1 − k₃y + k₂z)dx, where k; are initial curvatures, which contribute to the strain components of the first order of curvatures.     

The bacterial degradation of synthetic anionic detergents

Experimental work carried out during the period from October 1966 to April 1968 has been concerned with the assessment of the biodegradability of synthetic anionic detergents, with particular reference to the “slope culture” technique. Solutions of the detergents known as JNX, JNQ, sodium tetrapropylene benzene sulphonate, a “difficult” alkyl benzene sulphonate and Dobane 055 were inoculated with bacteria from various sewage works effluents which had undergone prior acclimatization to a particular detergent on an agar slope; unacclimatized bacteria were also investigated. Further tests were carried out using a single, standard effluent and a microbial slime from an experimental recirculating filter together with a more stringent testing procedure. The results of all tests showed that the detergents had a low biodegradability value when compared with other methods, and they were inconsistent. Bacteria which degraded JNX were isolated from a sewage works effluent and from the microbial slime which developed on an experimental recirculating filter matured on JNX. Inoculation of the bacteria into a detergent solution was found to be ineffective in assessing their detergent degrading ability. A recirculating filter was developed for this purpose and proved to be successful. The active bacteria were members of the genera Klebsiella, Achromobacter, Flavobacterium and Micrococcus. The environmental conditions controlling detergent degradation by a pure culture of bacteria were also investigated. With the prior knowledge that the recirculating filter provided a favourable environment, each of its predominant physical characteristics was simulated individually. Degradation occurred in the presence of inert materials such as gravel, asbestos, or dried activated sludge provided that the detergent solution was vigorously agitated. The presence of an additional nutrient such as peptone did not appear to interfere with the normal degradation of the detergent. With the knowledge of the essential conditions for degradation, attempts were made to induce the bacteria E. coli and Serratia marcescens to degrade JNX in a recirculating filter; these attempts were unsuccessful.     

The horizontal flow of buoyant gases toward an opening

Well-established equations exist for calculating mass flow rates of thermally buoyant gas layers out of openings. The present work presents an alternative method of deriving such an expression in two-dimensional flows for non-uniform approach velocities induced by the layer's buoyancy. The method makes a number of assumptions, leading to the application of the total energy equation at a virtual vena contracta outside the opening.

The resulting mass flow formula is quantitatively equal to the established formula for a wide exit and C_d = 0.6, i.e., for a deep downstand, and so agrees with published data as well as does the existing formula. The two formulae diverge for different values of C_d and for gas flows much hotter than 300 °C.

Since the new formula gives more pessimistic (i.e., larger) mass flow rates for wide openings with no downstand (and hence larger extract fans or vent areas in the smoke reservoir “downstream” of those openings), it is suggested that it should be used by designers of smoke ventilation systems in such circumstances.

It is also deduced that, for “realistic” buoyant-layer flows, the mass weighted average is typically 0.73 θ_max for θ_max 300 °C.     

Zn solubility in low carbonate solutions

While the importance of several metal basic carbonates has been recognized in natural and wastewater systems, the existence of the Zn basic carbonate, hydrozincite, has not been fully appreciated even though solubility data have been available. In the presence of 2 mM total inorganic carbonate, Zn²⁺ solutions below pH 8.2 were found to precipitate hydrozincite within 24 h and to contain total dissolved Zn concentrations that were comparable to those predicted from equilibrium with hydrozincite. The identity of the hydrozincite was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and elemental analyses. In the pH range 8.2–10.5, the total dissolved Zn concentrations were less than that expected from equilibrium with hydrozincite by factors of up to 3, while the precipitated solids had C:Zn ratios intermediate between those of hydrozincite and give oxide and exhibited weak hydrozincite X-ray diffraction patterns. At pHs above 10.5, zinc oxides with strong X-ray diffraction patterns were present and total dissolved Zn concentrations approached those expected for equilibrium with zinc oxide. In solutions prepared to exclude carbonate, the total dissolved zinc concentrations in all solutions were similar to those expected for equilibrium with zinc oxide. However, two solids in these “carbonate-free” solutions contained small amounts of inorganic carbonate and exhibited weak hydrozincite X-ray diffraction patterns. The presence of well-defined or poorly-crystalline hydrozincite in all 2 mM inorganic carbon solutions between pH 8–10 and its presence in two solutions prepared to exclude carbonate contamination suggest that hydrozincite is probably a common Zn solid formed in conventional precipitation processes.     

Measurement of the inhibition of respiration in activated sludge by a modified determination of the ttc-dehydrogenase activity

Concerning the TTC dehydrogenase determination, the presence of substrates and redox compounds in the incubation medium is discussed. This implies that the Klapwijk et al. (1974) statement of low sensitivity of the TTC-method by inhibition studies is only valid if the Klapwijk modification is applied. Here, the TTC-“dehydrogenase” determination has been modified in such a way that it can be applied to indicate the inhibitory effect or substrate effect of various matters. The results may be compared with the results of short-time Warburg-tests. This is in accordance with the principle of the TTC-assay: TTC replaces O₂ as final H⁺/e⁻¹ acceptor in the respiration chains of the microorganisms of the sludge. By using lysozyme in the incubation medium, an improved reproducibility has been achieved. Inhibition of activated sludge is shown by the matters HgCl₂, KCN, ZnCl₂, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid. The effect of the substrates pyruvate and lactate is also proved. The measurement of “general dehydrogenase activity” is distinguished from determinations of specific dehydrogenase activity. The latter are measured when specific enzyme substrates are applied (such as lactate, glucose, and succinate).     

Modified amperometric membrane probes for determining free and total residual chlorine in saline cooling waters

Modifications have been made to a Delta Scientific model 82124 free available chlorine probe so that it can be used to determine either the free or the total residual chlorine in cooling waters at coastal and estuarine power stations. For measurements of free residual chlorine, the internal filling solution of the probe was changed for one containing potassium bromide at pH 4. When the sample solution was dosed with potassium bromide and pH 4 buffer, the probe had a linear response over the range 0.04–1.0 μg ml⁻¹ Cl₂ and errors caused by changes in salinity were negligible. Total standard deviations for the analysis of 1.0 and 0.1 μg ml⁻¹ Cl₂ solutions were 0.055 and 0.01 μg ml⁻¹ Cl₂ respectively. For measurements of total residual chlorine a potassium iodide solution at pH 4 was used as the probe's internal filling solution and the sample solution was dosed with potassium iodide and pH 4 buffer. The probe had a linear response over the range 0.02-0.5 μg ml⁻¹ Cl₂, with total standard deviations of 0.05 and 0.01 μg ml⁻¹ Cl₂ at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.1 μg ml⁻¹ Cl₂ respectively.     

Calculation of heat transfer in fire test furnaces with specific interest in the exposure of steel structures. A technical note

The equations for radiactive transfer in a compartment are outlined for a uniform gray gas. The incident radiation towards a test structure is related to the incident radiation from a black gas by the parameter φ.

φ increases with time as the compartment walls are heated. φ values are plotted in a figure, which makes manual calculation possible. In computer programmes time dependence of gas- and wall surface emissivities can be accounted for.

In general the ε_res approach is incorrect. For steel structures in a uniform test furnace a comparison is made between the two approaches, and it is shown that the ε_res approach overestimates the thermal exposure. The “overfiring” of test furnaces due to the fact that the ISO curve is specified for a thermocouple (and not the true gas temperature) partly compensates this error.     

Properties of blended sulfoaluminate belite cement

The subject of the study was the possibility of the blending of sulfoaluminate belite (SAB) cement by means of various pozzolanas. The results obtained show that it was possible effectively to modify the properties of SAB cement by means of granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, and silica fume, and the properties of materials based on these blends. Interesting properties from practical viewpoints of these materials was their compressive strength. As it is very well known, this is by the blending used to decrease. From a viewpoint of the acceptable compressive strength decrease, for SAB cement blends well-found portions of pozzolana with the values of approximately 5–15% seem to be optimal. This range was significantly lower than well-found portions of pozzolanas with values of approximately 20–40% for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) blends. The main cause was the fact that unique sources of calcium hydroxide needed for pozzolanic reaction in SAB was only β–C₂S compared to OPC having two sources of calcium hydroxide — the hydration of C₃S and β–C₂S. Therefore, the amount of calcium hydroxide for the pozzolanic reaction in the SAB cement blends was significantly lower. That was why the lower portions of pozzolanas in SAB cement blends were suitable.     

People''s clothing behaviour according to external weather and indoor environment

In prehistoric times man wore furs of animals to protect himself from the cold. Successively over the centuries clothing has become also a tool to distinguish ourselves in society. Clothing has in addition an important impact on people's perception of the indoor environment.

Clothing behaviour has been analysed by investigating the external and indoor parameters that motivate people's choice of clothing. Based on two existing databases, two types of buildings have been investigated: air-conditioned and naturally ventilated (NV) buildings. The impact of outdoor temperature on people's clothing selection has been considered. The outdoor temperature at 6 a.m. seems to affect people's choice of clothes the most. Gender does not significantly affect the selection of clothing insulation.

Latitude has also been investigated and a good correlation has been found between clothing insulation and external temperature in the ranges 20°–40° and −20° to −40° for NV buildings.

Indoor air temperature does not seem to influence the clothing choice early in the morning but it does seem to influence the change of clothing during the day, if this is authorized, in workplaces in NV buildings. Such action can be termed “clothing adjustment” during the day.

Some computer simulations on a test reference year have been carried out for a typical air-conditioned office to analyse a person's comfort when wearing different clothes. It is possible to see that in air-conditioned buildings a variation of 0.1 clo is sufficient to change totally the comfort evaluation. It is evident that further studies are needed in this field.     

Comparison of anthropological and “natural” input of substances through waters into Adriatic, Baltic and Black Sea

BOD₅, COD, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, phosphates, surface active substances, detergents, mineral oils, phenols, PAH, Zn, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Hg annual loading for the Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea through wastewater and “natural” waters have been estimated. The quantities of “natural” waters, which are several orders of magnitude higher than the anthropological ones, the expected “natural” loading of substances considered here highly exceeds annually, weak reflections on the natural concentration increase in the whole sea system have been observed. This is essentially due to enormous quantities of suspended matter, and highest pollution is registered in the narrowest littoral zone. The present pollution has ecological implications primarily on the enchanted point-source spots. Comparison of the results for these closed seas reveals that the Adriatic sea has the smallest loading taken absolutely and relatively considering its volume, while the Black Sea, and particularly the Baltic Sea, have significantly higher loading.     

DEGRADATION OF AROCLOR 1242 IN A SINGLE-STAGE COUPLED ANAEROBIC/AEROBIC BIOREACTOR

Degradation of Aroclor 1242 was studied in granular biofilm reactors with limited aeration. An aerobic biphenyl degrader, Rhodococcus sp. M5, was used to supplement a natural bacterial population present in a “bioaugmented” reactor, while the “non-bioaugmented” reactor only contained natural granular sludge. The bioaugmentation, however appeared to have no effect on the reactor performance. Aroclor measurements showed its disappearance in both reactors with only 16–19% of Aroclor recovered from the reactor biomass and effluent. Simultaneously, a chlorine balance indicated that dechlorination occurred at a specific rate of 1.43 mg PCB (g volatile suspended solids)⁻¹ d⁻¹, which was comparable to the observed rate of Aroclor disappearance. Intermediates detected in both reactors were biphenyl, benzoic acid, and mono-hydroxybiphenyls. This suggests that a near-complete mineralization of Aroclor can be achieved in a single-stage anaerobic/aerobic system due to a combination of reductive and oxidative degradation mechanisms.     

Dual-phase steel re-bars for high-ductile r.c. structures, Part 2: Rotational capacity of beams

The article presents an application of an innovative type of reinforcing bars, made by dual-phase (DP) steel, for the design of high-ductile r.c. structures in seismic areas.

In particular a comparison of the capacity, in terms of ductility, of r.c. structural elements reinforced using dual-phase (DP) steel bars with that of identical structures reinforced with the traditional Tempcore steel bars, currently used in practice, has been carried out.

To this purpose an analytical procedure enabling the calculation of the plastic rotational capacity of r.c. beams has been set up, obtaining the bending moment–curvature law through an expressly developed model in order to reproduce “tension-stiffening” phenomenon.     

Re-engineering the scientific knowledge management process: the SciX project

In the past, paper-based publications were both the medium for the information exchange among the scientists as well as the measure of their scientific quality. Recently electronic publication is increasingly important for the dissemination of scientific work, while evaluation of scientists and institutions remains largely based on the printed publications. In the “material world”, associations, such as eCAADe have been providing a stage for getting the right people together and through annual conferences and seminars made sure that research results were heard and read. The Internet and the Web are allowing the scientists to pursue those activities on their own or through flexibly organized “virtual” associations. Electronic publications also provide a basis for efficient management of scientific knowledge—discovering related work, reduction of the duplicate efforts, establishment of virtual research teams etc. In this paper, we present the goals and initial results of an EU-project called SciX: “Open, Self Organising Repository for Scientific Information Exchange”. The goal of SciX is to analyze the business processes of scientific publishing, to invent new publication models and through a series of pilots to demonstrate how this will work. In the envisioned scenarios, professional associations such as eCAADe play an important role. Their members are the potential users of SciX's platforms, authors and readers of the papers. Associations could also become the publishers and archivists of the knowledge created within their respective community. The objectives of this contribution focus on involving the eCAADe-community in the developments in SciX, on fine-shaping the goals, as well as on defining the requirements and monitoring the usability of the pilots.