Digital Technology in a Smart Tourist Destination: The Case of Porto

Given that information and communication technologies (ICT) have become increasingly integrated into the tourism industry, this article aims to emphasize the growing importance of ICT for smart tourism destinations. As a city, Porto has been consolidating its position as a smart tourism destination by emphasizing tourists’ experiences that are evaluated through innovation, communication, and interactivity with tourists/visitors. A survey of 423 tourists visiting the city provided the data for this study. The analysis focuses on the availability of ICT in Porto and its influence on tourists’ decisions to visit the city. This information helps to determine whether the application and information available on the Internet had positively contributed to tourists’ satisfaction in their visits to Porto. In particular, this article focuses on the influence of ICT accessibility on tourists’ choices of destination, their experiences, and their satisfaction. The results obtained can serve as insights for others to understand how tourists’ behavior and experiences, their planning stages and their demand for information are affected by the availability of ICT, in the context of smart tourism destinations.     

Use of biomarkers to show sub-cellular effects in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) living on an abandoned gold mine site

Run-off from mine tailings ponds constitutes the main anthropogenic release of arsenic in Canada. As a potential consequence, wildlife not normally exposed to arsenic under other circumstances may receive toxicologically relevant concentrations of arsenic compounds in their food and water. To test this hypothesis, and to determine if arsenic is being transported through trophic levels, the arsenic concentrations in members of a short food chain (soil-plant-meadow vole) were measured. Arsenic concentrations were higher in exposed organisms compared with those from a reference location. However, elevated concentrations of arsenic do not necessarily indicate impact, and consequently a biomonitoring study was undertaken to determine if there were sub-cellular effects of exposure in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) as a consequence of arsenic exposure. In this work, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and liver glutathione (GSH) levels were used as biomarkers of exposure and the frequency of red blood cell micronuclei (mono- and polychromatic) was used as a biomarker of effect. ATP results were not conclusive but there was a statistically significant relationship between a reduction of GSH in vole livers and increased liver arsenic concentrations. A statistically significant relationship was also observed between increased micronucleated monochromatic red blood cells in voles from arsenic contaminated sites compared to a background location. The results of the GSH and monochromatic red blood cell investigations suggest that there are possible sub-cellular effects on these voles as a consequence of dietary arsenic exposure. This is the first field study in which such effects have been observed in voles living near mine tailings.     

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Gap Graded Cold Asphalt Containing Cement Utilising By-Product Material

The little stiffness modulus, high voidage and long curing time has limited the use of CBEM＇s （cold bituminous emulsion mixtures） in road and highways to pavement experiencing low traffic. The aim of this study is to improve the properties of gap graded CRA （cold rolled asphal0 containing OPC （ordinary portland cement） as filler by addition of a by-product material as an activator. OPC was added to the CRA as a replacement to the conventional mineral filler （0%-100%）, while LJMUA （Liverpool John Moores University Activator） was added as an additive in the range from 0%-3% by total mass of aggregate. Laboratory tests included stiffness modulus and uniaxial creep test to assess the mechanical properties. The results have shown a considerable improvement in the mechanical properties from the addition of LJMUA to the CRA containing OPC especially for the early life stiffness modulus that is the main disadvantage of the cold mixtures.     

Phthalates in indoor dust in Kuwait: implications for non‐dietary human exposure

Phthalates are semivolatile organic compounds with a ubiquitous environmental distribution. Their presence in indoor environments is linked to their use in a variety of consumer products such as children's toys, cosmetics, food packaging, flexible PVC flooring among others. The goal of this study was to investigate the occurrence and concentration of phthalates in dust from homes in Kuwait and to assess non‐dietary human exposure to these phthalates. Dust samples were randomly collected from 21 homes and analyzed for eight phthalates. The concentrations of total phthalates were log normally distributed and ranged from 470 to 7800 μg/g. Five phthalates [Di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Di‐n‐octyl phthalate (DnOP), Di‐n‐butyl phthalate (DBP), Benzyl butyl phthalate (BzBP), and Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DcHP)] were routinely detected. The major phthalate compound was DEHP at a geometric mean concentration of 1704 μg/g (median, 2256 μg/g) accounting for 92% of the total phthalates measured. Using the measured concentrations and estimates of dust ingestion rates for children and adults, estimated human non‐dietary exposure based on median phthalate concentrations ranged from 938 ng/kg‐bd/day for adults to 13362 ng/kg‐bd/day for toddlers. The difference in exposure estimates between children and adults in this study supports previous reports that children are at greater risk from pollutants that accumulate indoors.     

Impact of industrial discharges on the zooplankton community in the Messaieed industrial area,Qatar (Persian Gulf)

Zooplankton samples were collected from the Messaieed Marine Area that is subject to industrial and sewage discharge, thermal pollution, as well as oil loading and unloading activities. Copepods formed 74% of the zooplankton community followed by bivalves (7.6%) and Gastropod veligers (5.5%), Ostracods (4.7%) and Cladocera (3.4%). Industrial discharge not only impacted the total number of zooplankton but also species diversity. Diversity indices were higher for inner coastal waters. Pollution levels more than reduction in food source impacted the distribution of main zooplankton groups. The pollution stress changed the structure of zooplankton community rather than impacting the total population. Copepods showed resistance to oil pollution but were reduced in numbers at areas affected by oxygen demanding wastes. Polychaete larvae and Chaetognatha withstand elevated temperature, ammonia and pH levels.     

The role of partnerships in water‐related research in Palestine

This study analyses the good effect of science and engineering inputs from partnerships and applied research in promoting sustainable management of water and environmental resources in Palestine. The capacity building achieved during the past 10 years at the Institute of Environmental and Water Studies (IEWS) is reviewed. Palestine faces major constraints, and these affect everyone and everything. A problem‐solving approach can be beneficial.     

Oxidation of resin and fatty acids by ozone: kinetics and toxicity study

The ozonation of resin and fatty acids (RFAs) found in pulp mill effluents was investigated using rapid-scan stopped-flow spectrophotometry. RFAs oxidation (i.e., degradation) efficiency increased with increasing the amount of used ozone and temperature. The degradation process with respect to the acid was found to follow first-order kinetics. The ozonation of RFAs was modeled as an overall second-order reaction for both reactants. The apparent overall second-order rate constants were calculated based on the pseudo first-order rate constants obtained from the kinetic data fitting for the acid degradation. The apparent overall second-order rate constant was affected by pH and temperature. At 20 degrees C and when pH increased from 8 to 11, the apparent overall second-order rate constant increased almost by a factor of 5 (from 3.9 x10(3) to 1.8 x10(4)M(-1)s(-1)) for 9 mgL(-1) resin acid and a factor of 4 (from 9.6 x10(3) to 3.9 x10(4)M(-1)s(-1)) for 8 mgL(-1) fatty acid. At pH 8 and as temperature increased from 10 to 20 degrees C, the apparent overall second-order rate constant increased almost by a factor of 5 (from 8.2 x10(2) to 3.9 x10(3)M(-1)s(-1)) for 9 mgL(-1) resin acid and a factor of 3 (from 3.5 x10(3) to 9.6 x10(3)M(-1)s(-1)) for 8 mgL(-1) fatty acid. Microtox bioassay tests were completed to evaluate the toxicity of RFAs samples before and after ozonation. For the resin acid, there was an increase in toxicity as a result of ozonation. Meanwhile, toxicity of fatty acid samples decreased as a result of ozonation.     

Photocatalysis of xenobiotic organic compounds in greywater using zinc oxide nanoparticles: a critical review

The direct discharge of raw bathroom greywater has increased the concentrations of various pollutants in the water bodies. Typically, greywater contains large quantities of xenobiotic organic compounds (XOCs) owing to an increase in consumption of personal care and bath products. Therefore, it urges for a suitable technology to eliminate these compounds from contaminated waters. Photocatalytic degradation using Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) has the potentiality to eliminate various XOCs. However, ZnO NPs have high tendency to aggregate, which may lower the photocatalytic degradation rate. Therefore, there is an urgency to modify ZnO NPs to overcome the limitation. The present review was conducted to determine a suitable method for the modification ZnO NPs. Besides, the potential of the modified ZnO NPs in degrading XOCs in greywater as a photocatalyst was also discussed.     

Oxidation and particle deposition modeling in plasma spraying of Ti-6Al-4V/SiC fiber composites

Plasma spraying is known to be a promising process for the manufacturing of Ti/SiC long-fiber composites. However, some improvements remain for this process to be applied in an industrial route. These include: oxygen contamination of the sprayed material through that of titanium particles before and during spraying, damage to fibers due to a high level of thermal stresses induced at the spraying stage, adequate deposition of titanium-base powder to achieve a low-porosity matrix and good impregnation of the fiber array. This article deals with work that resulted in a threefold study of the process. Oxidation was studied using electron microprobe analysis of elementary particles quenched and trapped into a closed box at various given flight distances. Oxygen diffusion phenomena within the particles are discussed from a preliminary theoretical approach coupled with experimental data. Isothermal and thermomechanical calculations were made using the ABAQUS code to determine stresses arising from contact of a liquid Ti-6Al-4V particle onto a SiC fiber. On the scale of the sprayed powder flow, a two-dimensional new type of model simulating the deposition of droplets onto a substrate was developed. This new type of model is based on a lattice-gas automaton that reproduces the hydrodynamical behavior of fluids.     

Corrosion of Mild Steel by Urban River Water

The corrosion processes of mild steel immersed in river water were investigated. The reaction of the Bahlui River on common steel used in domestic and industrial installations was studied. The corrosion of mild steel is an extensive topic approached in different media, yet little information about river water as a corrosive has been reported. The experimental determinations were performed for short term immersion of four alloys in the laboratory. By using Tafel extrapolation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the corrosion of the alloys was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to characterize the morphology of corrosion products and identify their phases. The corrosive activity of river water leads to the formation of inner compact and outer porous layers. The differences between corrosion products formed in the presence of underground and surface waters are described.