Comparison of resin beads and resin membranes for extracting soil phosphate

Six Portuguese soils of varying P sorption capacity were incubated aerobically at 30° C without and with added P in order to give 0.1.mg P L^–1 in the soil solution. Two methods of measuring extractable P were compared: (i) mixed-bed cation-anion-resin beads in bags and (ii) a simpler method with anion-resin membrane only. The bag method extracted about twice and 1.5 times as much as the strip method, respectively, without and with added P. The relationships were much closer after one extraction for 2 hours (r = 0.982, p < 0.01) instead of the cumulative extraction of 24 hours (r = 0.635,p > 0.05.). P recovery after incubation was inversely related to some soil properties as organic matter, buffer capacity, selective dissolution Al forms (Al_ox and Al_d) and P sorption. It is suggested that the simpler resin membrane method is more adequate to assess P for many studies of P reaction with soil. A simpler incubation method was tried, consisting of incubation as a soil suspension in water at a high temperature (50° C). The results suggested that this method gave similar results to aerobic incubation, with the advantage that there was no need to measure the required and final water contents of incubated soil.     

Analyzing and monitoring aluminum smelter performance via web browsers

Conclusion Based on our experience at Albras, where the system is still in operation and being expanded upon, web browsers will play only a greater role as a tool for spreading useful information to decision makers in the plant environment. Authors’ Note: A more detailed explanation of the system described here can be found at www.atan.com.br. In development is an interface that will allow every visitor to browse freely through simulated process data. Marcelo de Souza Baltar earned his B.S. in electronic engineering at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1993. He is a system engineer at the Aluminum Division of Atan Automation Systems. Ernani Fernandes Vargas da Silva is a senior programmer at the Aluminum Division of Atan Automation Systems. Constantino Seixas Filho earned his M.S. in computer science at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1985. He is an assistant professor of the Electronics Department of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and is research and development director at Atan Automation Systems.     

Elemental characterization of tissues of Octopus vulgaris along the Portuguese coast

The concentrations of V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, and Pb were measured in digestive gland (DG), branchial hearts (BH), gill (G), and muscle (M) of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 caught in three fishing areas of the Portuguese coast, Viana do Castelo, Cascais, and Santa Luzia, for 2 years. The elemental concentrations measured for the different tissues were in accordance with values reported in the literature. The digestive gland presented high concentration levels of Fe, Cu, and Zn, while the branchial hearts showed elevated levels of V, Ni, Mo, as well as Fe and Cu. Significant variations in As, V, Cu, Mo, and Pb tissue concentrations were observed for animals originated from different sampling sites. Pb and As determined in the digestive gland and branchial hearts of animals from Cascais and Santa Luzia, can reflect local environmental characteristics. The variability observed in the elemental concentrations may be useful to further assess the species susceptibility to environmental conditions.     

Characterization of the Fouled Ballast Layer in the Substructure of a 19th Century Railway Track Under Renewal

The purpose of these field and lab studies undertaken during rehabilitation work being done on an ancient railway line was to characterize a layer of ballast fouled with soil found in the track substructure. The field studies included the characterization of the thickness, grain size distribution and void ratio of the fouled ballast layer, as well as a large number of plate load tests, both on the fouled ballast layer and on the subgrade. The resilient behaviour of the fouled ballast was evaluated in the lab by cyclic triaxial tests on large size reconstituted specimens with distinct fouling indexes (different grain size distribution) and distinct humidity states (dry or wet). The results obtained were used as support for the decision to maintain the fouled ballast layer under the new sub-ballast in a number of stretches of the renewed line.     

New urban forms: the crescents of Bath and Le Corbusier's plan for Rio de Janeiro

This article considers whether formal references in Le Corbusier's work may be traced to the eigtheenth century crescents of Bath and, in particular, Lansdowne Crescent. By exploring this line, it raises the possibility that in the work he produced for the Latin American context, this arch-modernist planner moved beyond the de-contextualized approach for which he is known and explored the possibility of integrating new urban forms with nature. The article also shows how Le Corbusier's plans for Rio de Janeiro allowed him to become an important formal reference point for successive generations of local architects and planners.     

Decision support systems in water resources in the demarcated region of Douro – case study in Pinhão river basin,Portugal

This paper puts forward the importance of decision support systems (DSS) for the planning and management of water resources. A case study of the Pinhão river basin, in Portugal, is presented. Given the importance of vineyards in the Douro region, it is important to determine if water availability will be enough to meet present and future water demands. In order to answer this question, DSS tools were used to assess different scenarios. The MIKE BASIN software was used in the hydrographical basin of Pinhão river, assisted by a geographic information system, GIS, which allowed the modelling of the basin, both temporally and spatially, facilitating the visualisation and interpretation of results. According to the attained results, it was verified that, at present, the hydrographical basin meets the considered water needs. The DSS proved to be an important tool to assist the decision‐making process in the studied river basin.     

QUANTIFICATION OF BINARY MIXTURES OF COCAINE AND ADULTERANTS USING DISPERSIVE RAMAN AND FT-IR SPECTROSCOPY AND PRINCIPAL COMPONENT REGRESSION

Current forensic methods for detecting and identifying cocaine and its adulterants are destructive, so evidence cannot be re-analyzed. Vibrational techniques [Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy] allow rapid, economical, nondestructive analysis. This work compares these techniques as methods for quantifying mixtures of cocaine (in the crack presentation) and adulterants. The aim is to provide a method to determine the amount of cocaine in crack rocks and to identify and quantify possible adulterants. A sample of crack was adulterated with benzocaine, caffeine, sodium carbonate, and lidocaine to create binary mixtures of concentrations of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%; pure samples of each adulterant and of crack were also examined. All samples were observed using dispersive Raman and attenuated total reflectance FT-IR spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis was performed based on principal component regression (PCR) applied to simulated and real spectra. The PCR model revealed that the Raman spectra yielded only minor measurement errors and the highest correlations using the PC2 spectral vector, which presented spectral features of cocaine. Among the mixtures, the best and worst results were obtained for caffeine and sodium carbonate, respectively. Dispersive Raman spectroscopy outperformed FT-IR in the quantitative determination of binary mixtures of cocaine and adulterants.     

Torque loss in a gearbox lubricated with wind turbine gear oils

In this study, four different fully formulated ISO VG 320 wind turbine gear oils were select: a mineral oil‐based, a polyalphaolefin‐based, an ester‐based and a polyalkyleneglycol‐based fluids. Their physical properties (viscosity, thermoviscosity, piezoviscosity etc.) were characterised for a wide range of operating temperatures. A two‐stage multiplying gearbox, with helical gears, was selected to evaluate the influence of the wind turbine gear oil formulation on torque loss with the gearbox operating at low speed (130–230 rpm) and high torque (500–1000 Nm). The results obtained showed that each wind turbine gear oil formulation generated very different torque losses, evacuated heat flows and operating temperatures, with differences above 20 °C under the most severe operating conditions. A numerical model was developed, simulating all power loss mechanisms inside the gearbox, in particular the churning and friction losses. The coefficients of friction, between gear teeth and between rolling elements and bearing raceways, were calculated for all the tested oils. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Green supply chain management in local and multinational high-tech companies located in Brazil

The objective of this article is to analyse how green supply chain management (GSCM) practices are being adopted by some high-tech companies located in Brazil. The research was conducted using the case study approach, focusing on eight companies that are representative of this sector. The main results are: (a) the most adopted GSCM practices in the studied high-tech companies located in Brazil are internal environmental management, investment recovery and reverse logistics and (b) Brazilian environmental legislation and international policies are very important in driving the adoption of GSCM practices. The internationalisation of companies was also found to be a variable that interferes with the adoption of GSCM practices. This is one of the first studies that examine the relationship between GSCM and the internationalisation of companies located in Brazil.     

Design and fabrication of 3D‐plotted polymeric scaffolds in functional tissue engineering

Regenerating the load‐bearing tissues requires 3D scaffolds that balance the temporary mechanical function with the biological requirements. In functional tissue engineering, designing scaffolds with biomimetic mechanical properties could promote tissue ingrowth since the cells are sensitive to their local mechanical environment. This work aims to design scaffolds that mimic the mechanical response of the biological tissues under physiological loading conditions. Poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds with varying porosities and pore sizes were made by the 3D‐plotting technique. The scaffolds were tested under unconfined ramp compression to compare their stress profile under load with that of bovine cartilage. A comparison between the material parameters estimated for the scaffolds and for the bovine cartilage based on the biphasic theory enabled the definition of an optimum window for the porosity and pore size of these constructs. Moreover, the finite element prediction for the stress distribution inside the scaffolds, surrounded by the host cartilaginous tissue, demonstrated a negligible perturbation of the stress field at the site of implantation. The finite element modeling tools in combination with the developed methodology for optimal porosity/pore size determination can be used to improve the design of biomimetic scaffolds. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:608–618, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.