Chemical Modeling of Acid-Base Properties of Soluble Biopolymers Derived from Municipal Waste Treatment Materials

This work reports a study of the proton-binding capacity of biopolymers obtained from different materials supplied by a municipal biowaste treatment plant located in Northern Italy. One material was the anaerobic fermentation digestate of the urban wastes organic humid fraction. The others were the compost of home and public gardening residues and the compost of the mix of the above residues, digestate and sewage sludge. These materials were hydrolyzed under alkaline conditions to yield the biopolymers by saponification. The biopolymers were characterized by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and potentiometric titration. The titration data were elaborated to attain chemical models for interpretation of the proton-binding capacity of the biopolymers obtaining the acidic sites concentrations and their protonation constants. The results obtained with the models and by NMR spectroscopy were elaborated together in order to better characterize the nature of the macromolecules. The chemical nature of the biopolymers was found dependent upon the nature of the sourcing materials.     

An overview of 21 global and 43 regional land-cover mapping products

Land-cover (LC) products, especially at the regional and global scales, comprise essential data for a wide range of environmental studies affecting biodiversity, climate, and human health. This review builds on previous compartmentalized efforts by summarizing 23 global and 41 regional LC products. Characteristics related to spatial resolution, overall accuracy, time of data acquisition, sensor used, classification scheme and method, support for LC change detection, download location, and key corresponding references are provided. Operational limitations and uncertainties are discussed, mostly as a result of different original modelling outcomes. Upcoming products are presented and future prospects towards increasing usability of different LC products are offered. Despite the common realization of product usage by non-experts, the remote-sensing community has not fully addressed the challenge. Algorithmic development for the effective representation of inherent product limitations to facilitate proper usage by non-experts is necessary. Further emphasis should be placed on international coordination and harmonization initiatives for compatible LC product generation. We expect the applicability of current and future LC products to increase, especially as our environmental understanding increases through multi-temporal studies.     

Development of a multiple linear regression model for predicting the 28-day compressive strength of Portland pozzolan cement

A multiple linear regression model was developed for the prediction of the 28-day compressive strength of Portland Pozzolan Cement (PPC) containing Santorin Earth as an admixture. The independent variables of the model were: (1) the compressive strength at the age of 2 days, (2) the compressive strength after autoclave hydrothermal treatment at 2.07 N/mm² (300 psi) and 214°C for 3 h, (3) the C₃S/C₂S ratio of the clinker, (4) the insoluble residue of the cement, (5) the pozzolanic activity factor and (6) the C₃A content of the clinker. The evaluation of the proposed model was performed by various statistical tests, all of which were successful. These tests included: multiple correlation, test of the significance of coefficients (t-test), estimation of confidence intervals for coefficients, test for outliers and unusual residuals, test for influential points, conditional sums of squares, R-squared and analysis of variance. There was very good agreement between the strength predicted by the multiple regression model and experimental results.

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Résumé Un modèle de régression multiple linéaire a été developpé pour la prédiction de la résistance en compression du ciment pozzolanique Portland, contenant de la Terre de Santorin comme mélange. Les variables indépendantes du modèle étaient: (1) la résistance en compression pour l’age de 2 jours, (2) la résistance en compression après un traitement de 3 heures dans un autoclave à 2,07 N/mm² (300 psi) et 214°C, (3) le rapport C₂S/C₂S du clinker, (4) la quantité d’insolubles du ciment, (5) le facteur d’activité pozzolanique et (6) la quantité de C₃A du clinker. L’évaluation du modèle proposé à été effectuée par une série d’essais statistiques: une corrélation multiple, un essai de signification des coefficients (t-test), estimation des intervalles de confiance pour les coefficients, essai pour les substances étrangères et les résidus inhabituels, essai pour les points d’influence, somme des moindres carrés conditionnels, carré et une analyse de variance. Un très bon accord entre la résistance prévue par le modèle de régression et les résultats expérimentaux, a été constaté.

     

Updated Taxonomy for the Network and Service Management Research Field

Network and service management is an established research field within the general area of computer networks. A few years ago, an initial taxonomy, organizing a comprehensive list of terms and topics, was established through interviews with experts from both industry and academia. This taxonomy has since been used to better partition standardization efforts, identify classes of managed objects and improve the assignment of reviewers to papers submitted in the field. Because the field of network and service management is rapidly evolving, a biyearly update of the taxonomy was proposed. In this paper, a large-scale questionnaire is presented which was answered by experts in the field, evaluating the relevance of each individual topic for the next five years. Missing topics, which are likely to become relevant over the next few years, are identified as well. Furthermore, an analysis is performed of the records of papers submitted to major conferences in the area. Based on the obtained results, an updated version of the taxonomy is proposed.     

Determination of Turbidity in Kourris Dam in Cyprus Utilizing Landsat TM Remotely Sensed Data

Determination of turbidity is a common component of water-quality assessments. In regions where there are a lot of inland waters such as dams, sampling even a small proportion of those dams for monitoring and assessing water quality is cost prohibitive. Satellite remote sensing has the potential to be a powerful tool for assessing water quality over large spatial scales. The overall objective of this study was to examine whether Landsat-5 TM (Thematic Mapper) and Landsat-7 ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper) could be used to measure turbidity across theKourris Dam, which is the biggest dam in Cyprus. This paper presents the results obtained by applying the linear regression analysis in order to examine the relationship between the turbidity measurements measured in-situ during the satellite overpass against at-satellite atmospheric corrected reflectance values. It has been found that the reflectance, after atmospheric correction, at LandsatTMBands 1 and 3 is strongly related with turbidity levels after linear regression analysis. The most significant correlation was occurred when reflectance in TM band 3 and logarithmic reflectance in TM band 3 were correlated with turbidity measurements. Indeed, the correlation coefficient (R) when atmospheric corrected reflectance (ρ) in the LandsatTMband 3 were correlated against turbidity, before atmospheric correction was R = 0.38 and after atmospheric correction was R = 1; and when atmospheric corrected logarithmic reflectance (Log ρ) in the Landsat TM band 3 were correlated against turbidity, before atmospheric correction was R = 0.46 and after atmospheric correction was R = 1.     

A study of the effect of some factors influencing Alinite clinker formation

Research interest in chloride salts has been revived due to the new technological trends in cements following the development of Alinite Technology. Thus, the present work, which is a part of an extensive program, deals with the searching of the effect of LSF, MgO, alkalies and chlorides on the formation of Alinite clinker. In this context, seven raw mixes were prepared by varying the factors mentioned. The clinkers formed were studied by means of both XRD and chemical analysis. Useful information is derived concerning the influence of these factors on Alinite clinker formation.     

Geologie des barrages dans les regions karstiques de grece quelques considerations generales—Quelques cas particuliers

Carbonate rock distribution state, as well as structural and paleogeographic influence on the karst and on hydrogeological bassin distinction are briefly discussed, in relation to civil work construction. Need for covering wide areas during hydrogeological studies for water-tightness problems identification is stressed and confrontation measures for water-tightness problems are illustrated, based on experience from certain particular cases.     

Tuning of a Vertical Spin Valve with a Monolayer of Single Molecule Magnets

The synthesis and the chemisorption from solution of a terbium bis‐phthalocyaninato complex suitable for the functionalization of lanthanum strontium manganite (LSMO) are reported. Two phosphonate groups are introduced in the double decker structure in order to allow the grafting to the ferromagnetic substrate actively used as injection electrode in organic spin valve devices. The covalent bonding of functionalized terbium bis‐phthalocyaninato system on LSMO surface preserves its molecular properties at the nanoscale. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the integrity of the molecules on the LSMO surface and a small magnetic hysteresis reminiscent of the typical single molecule magnet behavior of this system is detected on surface by X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments. The effect of the hybrid magnetic electrode on spin polarized injection is investigated in vertical organic spin valve devices and compared to the behavior of similar spin valves embedding a single diamagnetic layer of alkyl phosphonate molecules analogously chemisorbed on LSMO. Magnetoresistance experiments have evidenced significant alterations of the magneto‐transport by the terbium bis‐phthalocyaninato complex characterized by two distinct temperature regimes, below and above 50 K, respectively.     

Reviews

DROUGHT AND FAMINE IN ETHIOPIA Editor: Abdul Mejid Hussein. African Environment Special Report No. 2, The International African Institute, London, 1976,121 pp. £1.50.

HEDGING (A Practical conservation handbook) Alan Brooks, The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, The Zoological Gardens, Regents Park, London, 1975. 117 pp. £2.10 inc. postage.

THREE JOURNALS Habitat: Published by : The Council for Nature, The Zoological Gardens, Regents Park, NW1 4RY. At £2.50, or £5.00 per annum.

Recreation News: Published by: The Countryside Commission , John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, Glos., GL50 3RA.

The International Journal of Environmental Studies: Published by : Gordon Breach Science Publishers Ltd., 42 William IV Street. London, W.C.2. £17.50 for individuals, £35.00 for Libraries. Habitat

A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE J.J. Bagley, Phillimore & Co. Ltd., London & Chichester 1976. 128 pp. £4.95.