Technical and Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Water Distribution Systems

An environmental and technical sustainability assessment methodology is developed for both centralized and dual water distribution systems (WDSs) with and without fire flow scenarios. Technical sustainability of potable and reclaimed water networks is measured by a sustainability index (SI) assessment using reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability performance criteria. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPANET software is used to simulate hydraulic (i.e. nodal pressure) and water quality (i.e. water age) analysis in a WDS. Total fresh water use and total energy intensity are considered as environmental sustainability criteria. The procedure considers two separate alternatives for meeting fire flows: (1) adding pumping to a system or (2) adding a non-potable WDS. The reclaimed system is designed using linear programming (LP) optimization. For each alternative, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is used to combine technical and environmental sustainability criteria for an urban WDS.     

The long‐term effects of arteriovenous fistula creation on the development of pulmonary hypertension in hemodialysis patients

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate long‐term effects of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and the relationship between blood flow rate of AVF and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in the patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). This prospective study was performed in 20 patients with ESRD. Before an AVF was surgically created for hemodialysis, the patients were evaluated by echocardiography. Then, an AVF was surgically created in all patients. After mean 23.50 ± 2.25 months, the second evaluation was performed by echocardiography. Also, the blood flow rate of AVF was measured at the second echocardiographic evaluation. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was defined as a systolic PAP above 35 mmHg at rest. Mean age of 20 patients with ESRD was 55.05 ± 13.64 years; 11 of 20 patients were males. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was detected in 6 (30%) patients before AVF creation and in 4 (20%) patients after AVF creation. Systolic PAP value was meaningfully lower after AVF creation than before AVF creation (29.95 ± 10.26 mmHg vs. 35.35 ± 7.86 mmHg, respectively, P: 0.047). However, there was no significant difference between 2 time periods in terms of presence of PAH (P>0.05). Pulmonary artery pressure did not correlate with blood flow rate of AVF and duration after AVF creation (P>0.05). In hemodialysis patients, a surgically created AVF has no significant effect on the development of PAH within a long‐term period. Similarly, blood flow rate of AVF also did not affect remarkably systolic PAP within the long‐term period.     

Computation of the exact Cramer–Rao lower bound for the parameters of a nonsymmetric half-plane 2-D ARMA model

The Cramer–Rao lower bound (CRLB) that gives the minimal achievable variance/standard deviation for any unbiased estimator offers a useful tool for an assessment of the consistency of parameter estimation techniques. In this paper, a closed-form expression for the computation of the exact CRLB on unbiased estimates of the parameters of a two-dimensional (2-D) autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model with a nonsymmetric half-plane (NSHP) region of support is developed. The proposed formulation is mainly based on a matrix representation of 2-D real-valued discrete and homogeneous random field characterized by the NSHP ARMA model. Assuming that the random field is Gaussian, the covariance matrix of the NSHP ARMA random field is first expressed in terms of the model parameters. Then, using this matrix structure, a closed-form expression of the exact Fisher information matrix required for the CRLB computation of the NSHP ARMA model parameters is developed. Finally, the main formulas derived for the NSHP ARMA model are rearranged for its autoregressive and moving average counterparts, separately. Numerical simulations are included to demonstrate the behavior of the derived CRLB formulas.     

Determination of flavan-3-ols and trans-resveratrol in grapes and wine using HPLC with fluorescence detection

Concentrations of trans-resveratrol, catechin and epicatechin were analyzed in musts and wines produced from seven red and four white grape cultivars from various wine growing regions of Turkey. Phenolics were quantified using an HPLC method optimized for the separation of wine phenolics. Wine samples contained higher phenolics levels than the corresponding musts. With the exception of Semillion, white wines and musts contained lower concentrations of phenolics than red wines and musts. However, the white cultivar Semillion had the highest concentrations of catechin and epicatechin among all wine and must samples. Semillion wine catechin and epicatechin were 13.7 and 11.8 mg/L, respectively. The highest level of trans-resveratrol among the white cultivars was found in Narince wine (1.93 mg/L). Within the red wine and must cultivars, Bo?azkere, Öküzgozü, and Cabernet contained the highest concentrations of flavan-3-ols and trans-resveratrol. Catechin was the major phenolic in all wines and most musts. Epicatechin was the major phenolic in 6 of the 11 must samples, but none of the wine samples. trans-Resveratrol was generally found in lowest concentrations in both wines and musts.     

An Industrial Competitiveness Model

The essence of strategic management is to generate within the firm the capability and the potentiality and then fully utilize them to better cope with competition. For this, however, the “competitiveness” level of a firm needs to be defined and measured. The present paper proposes a model for (i) measuring the competitiveness level of a given industrial firm, (ii) identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the firm, and (iii) formulating strategies to improve the competitive position of the firm. Field experience with this model is encouraging enough to discuss its usefulness as a tool for competitive strategy formulation.     

Influence of temperature on fast-mode cyclic operation hydrodynamics in trickle-bed reactors

Despite the merits of periodic operation praised in the academic literature as one of the process intensification strategies advocated for trickle-bed reactors (TBRs), there is still reluctance to implement it in industrial practice. This can partly be ascribed to the lack of engineering data relevant to the elevated temperature and pressure characterizing industrial processes. Currently, the hydrodynamics of trickle beds under cyclic operation, especially in fast mode at elevated temperature and pressure, remains by and large terra incognita. This study proposes exploration of the hydrodynamic behavior of TBRs experiencing fast liquid flow modulation at elevated temperature and moderate pressure. The effect of temperature and pressure on the liquid holdup and pressure drop time series in terms of pulse breakthrough and decay times, pulse intensity and pulse velocity was examined for a wide range of superficial gas and liquid (base and pulse) velocities for the air-water system. The pulse breakthrough and decay times decreased, whereas the pulse velocity increased with temperature and/or pressure. The pressure drop was attenuated with increasing temperature for a given superficial gas, and base and pulse superficial liquid velocities. Experimental pulse velocity values were compared to the Giakoumakis et al. [2005. Induced pulsing in trickle beds—characteristics and attenuation of pulses. Chemical Engineering Science 60, 5183-5197] correlation which revealed that it could be relied upon at elevated temperature and close to atmospheric pressure.     

Antibacterial oil‐based polyurethane films for wound dressing applications

As an alternative to petroleum‐based polyol, hydroxyl containing material was prepared from linseed oil for polyurethane synthesis. Hexamethylene di‐isocyanate (HMDI) and/or 4, 4′‐methylene diphenyl di‐isocyanate (MDI) were used as isocyanate source. The polymerization reaction was carried out without catalyst. Polymer films were prepared by casting‐evaporation technique. The MDI/HMDI‐based polyurethane and its films had higher T_g and better thermal property than that of the HMDI‐based one because of the existence of benzene ring in the polymer chain. Static water contact angle was determined to be 74° and 77.5° for HMDI and MDI/HMDI‐based films, respectively. Water adsorption was found to be around 2.6–3.6% for both films. In vitro degradation of polyurethanes in phosphate buffered saline at 37°C was investigated by gravimetric method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for confirmation of degradation on the polymer surface. The degradation rate of the HMDI‐based polyurethane film was found higher than that of the MDI/HMDI‐based film. Both the direct contact method and the MMT test were applied for determination of cytotoxicity of polymer films, and the polyurethane films investigated here was not cytotoxic. Silver‐containing films were prepared using Biocera A® as filler and were screened for their antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and/or Bacillus subtilis. The films prepared with and without Biocera A® exhibited antibacterial activity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Rheological and fusion behaviors of PVC micro‐ and nano‐composites evaluated from torque rheometer data

The effects of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) particle size on the fusion and rheological behaviors of rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites prepared in a Haake torque rheometer were investigated by means of torque data recorded during processing. Increasing the number of particles in the same blend volume by decreasing the particle size resulted in increasing frictional forces. This increase led in turn to increased fusion torque and decreased fusion time and temperature. The power‐law‐index values of the composites increased with decreasing particle size except for 25‐nm CaCO₃. The viscosities of all composites were found to decrease with shear rate; therefore, high pseudoplasticity was observed. At a particular rotor speed, viscosity of the composites decreased with decreasing particle size except for 25‐nm CaCO₃. The overall results showed that the particle size of CaCO₃ altered the fusion characteristics and rheological behavior of PVC. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers