Thermal Transformations of an Aluminoborophosphate Binder

Thermal transformations of a commercial aluminoborophosphate binder are studied in a broad temperature range by optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. The introduction of B₂O₃ reduces the temperature of phosphate polycondensation, enhances the stability of cyclometaphosphates in a broad temperature range (180–1100°C), and reduces the stability of hydrogen phosphates.     

Factors affecting cloud point analysis of palm oleins

Some of the factors affecting cloud point determination of palm oleins are described. These are the type of container used, method of stirring, rate of stirring and bath temperature. The repeatability and reproducibility standard deviations of the method are determined from collaborative trials. Recommendations for the test are made to reduce the large variations among laboratories.     

A test for the statistical significance of DNA sequence similarities for application in databank searches

A method is developed, based on word-searching, which provides a rapid test for the statistical significance of DNA sequence similarities for use in databank searching. The method makes allowance for the lengths and dinucleotide compositions of the sequences being compared. A way is also described to calculate the power of the test, i.e. the probability of detecting a given similarity as being statistically significant. The effects on the power of the test of the scoring method, word length, sequence length, and sequence composition are examined. A novel scoring method is shown to be superior to the method currently used in most word-searching algorithms.     

Purification of Ellagic Acid by UF Membranes

Ellagic acid (2, 3, 7, 8‐tetrahydroxy(1)benzopyrano(5, 4, 3‐cde)(1)benzopyran‐5, 10‐dione) was selected as a model pollutant which is present in the tannic fraction of cork processing wastewater. The ultrafiltration of aqueous ellagic acid solutions through three membranes was studied in tangential UF laboratory equipment. Two of the membranes were polyethersulfone (Biomax10K and Biomax5K, with MWCO of 10000 and 5000 Da, respectively), and the third made of regenerated cellulose (Ultracel5K, with MWCO of 5000 Da). The water hydraulic permeability was evaluated for each membrane. The evolution of the permeate flow rate with processing time was followed, and the influence of the main operating variables (feed flow rate, trans‐membrane pressure and nature of the membranes) on the permeate flux was also established. According to the hypothesis of the film theory, the intrinsic and apparent rejection coefficients, as well as the mass transfer coefficients, were also determined, and the values obtained were discussed as a function of the operating conditions used.     

Biochemical oxidation of caprolactam-containing wastewater from the production of synthetic fibres

Conclusions The chemical mutagenesis method is recommended for use in local purification installations for cleaning up of caprolactam-containing wastewater.Use of this method permits one to carry out a biochemical clean-up of wastewater having a caprolactam content up to 600 mg/liter while increasing the oxidative power of the aeration tank by a factor of two.Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 6, p. 46, November–December, 1985.     

Revisiting the need for formal education in visualization.

Defining visualization education is still a work in progress. Visualization education is not just a subject within computer science. Computer scientists are not always the appropriate choice to teach visualization courses on their own. Visualization is not just mastering a set of concepts but acquiring skills. Student should learn by doing, either using one tool or a variety of tools, depending on the course's focus.     

Experimental Study of Ice Jam Thickening under Dynamic Flow Conditions

River ice jams are a common occurrence on northern rivers, and their formation can present a severe flood risk to nearby communities. As more and more river regulation projects are developed to provide an alternative to fossil fuels for electrical power-generating capacity, our need to understand the mechanisms associated with ice jam formation under variable flow conditions becomes more vital. This is because, at present, hydropeaking operations are often severely curtailed during the ice-affected seasons due to concerns that sudden flow fluctuations might instigate ice jams and associated flooding. Here, an experimental investigation explores the effects of rapid increases in discharge on ice jam formation and evolution. It is found that the thickness of ice jams formed under highly dynamic flow conditions tend to be slightly thinner than those formed during steady carrier flows for comparable discharges. Also, despite the highly dynamic nature of these consolidation events, the resulting ice thicknesses appear reasonably well approximated by steady flow theory.     

Bioavailability and Toxicity of Metal Nutrients during Anaerobic Digestion

This paper investigates the effect of chelating agents on the bioavailability of Fe and Cu during anaerobic digestion. The results on metal speciation and methane production in anaerobic serum bottles showed that biomass was able to grow in the presence of citrate 1?mM and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) 1?mM, suggesting that the binding sites at the cell surface competed efficiently for the metals with the chelating agents added. The presence of free ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid 1?mM inhibited methanogenesis, and this seemed to be related to a loss in metal uptake capacity. Although the addition of soluble microbial products (SMP) did not change metal distribution in anaerobic systems, it caused an increase in the rate of methane production, and it is believed that direct uptake of Cu-SMP complexes was responsible for this increase. The best protection against Cu toxicity occurred when stoichiometric amounts of NTA, which should complex and solubilize most of the Cu, was added, and it is likely that NTA prevented lethal concentrations of Cu from being adsorbed onto the cell and hence internalized.     

Impact of dimension uncertainty and model calibration on sewer system assessment.

Assessments of sewer performance are usually based on a single computation of CSO (combined sewer overflow) volumes using a time series of rainfall as system loads. A shortcoming of this method is that uncertainties in knowledge of sewer system dimensions are not taken into account. Moreover, sewer models are rarely calibrated. This paper presents the impacts of database errors and model calibration on return periods of calculated CSO volumes. The impact of uncertainties is illustrated with two examples. Variability of calculated CSO volumes is estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that calculated CSO volumes vary considerably due to database errors, especially uncertain dimensions of the catchment area. Furthermore, event-based calibration of a sewer model does not result in more reliable predictions because the calibrated parameters have low portability. However, it enables removal of database errors harmonising model predictions and 'reality'.