Experience with the antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting in tracking faecal pollution at two lake beaches.

Posting or closing of swimming beaches because of faecal contamination is a widespread problem reported in many locations. In a risk-based approach to this problem, the risk to swimmers' health is assessed by field monitoring of indicator bacteria and the associated risks are managed by source controls and other remedial measures. In risk assessment, great advances have been made in recent years with the introduction of microbial source tracking (MST) techniques. Two such techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting, were applied in a study of causes of faecal contamination at two lake beaches in Toronto, Ontario. Both methods identified bird faeces as the dominant sources of E. coli. Coping with this type of pollution presents a major environmental challenge.     

Study of the technological properties of Karelian rocks as raw material for production of mineral wool

A technological study of basic and ultrabasic Karelian rocks as mineral wool raw material was conducted. It was found that ultrabasic rocks with a ratio of CaO: MgO ≥ 0.5 are the optimum raw material for production of mineral wool by the cupola method. Promising sections of these types of rocks for development are identified.     

A strain hardening failure assessment diagram derived from carbon-manganese steel compact tension specimens

A failure assessment diagram is derived from carbon-manganese steel compact tension specimens. The diagram has been determined from an elastic-plastic finite element analysis of a compact tension specimen geometry. The diagram has been validated by using experimental fracture toughness data obtained on the same steel and specimen geometry modelled in the finite element analysis. The plastic collapse load has been determined empirically for this geometry.It is shown that a non-work-hardening failure assessment diagram is not a good representation of the experimental data and that the computed failure assessment diagram is more appropriate for describing the behaviour of the carbon-manganese steel specimens.     

Simplified method for the prediction of water activity in binary aqueous solutions

This work describes the application of a simplified method to predict the water activity ( a _w) of binary aqueous solutions in a range of concentrations relevant to intermediate moisture foods. The water activity as a function of molality for several solutes (electrolytes and non-electrolytes) is described by the equation, a _w, = 1 − K m , where K is a constant and m is the molality. Values of K are reported for fifteen non-electrolytes and eight electrolytes. The accuracy of water activity prediction by this method satisfies the actual needs in food research.     

Energy expenditures and the actual nutrition of workers in a synthetic leather plant

A study was made of energy expenditures and factual nutrition of the workers engaged in synthetic leather manufacture. Antropometric measurements were also taken. Based on the study of daily energy expenditures, the calculations were made of the optimal requirements of the main substances and energy. The actual nutrition of the workers was found to provide the necessary caloricity covering energy expenditures. However, definite shortcomings were revealed in the structure of the foods consumed, namely insufficient intake of vegetable fats, the prevalence of simple sugars in the structure of carbohydrate component, insufficient intake of vitamins A, B1 and folacin. According to the antropometric measurements 30,4% of the examined workers were obese.     

Nonlinear inverse problem of reconstructing transport coefficients

The inverse coefficient problem for the quasilinear heat-conduction equation is solved numerically.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 909–915, December, 1985.     

Integrated modelling under uncertainty in watershed-level assessment and management.

Uncertainty in water quality model predictions is inevitably high due to natural stochasticity, model uncertainty, and parameter uncertainty. An integrated modelling system (modified-BASINS) under uncertainty is described and demonstrated for use in receiving-water quality prediction and watershed management. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate the effect of various uncertainty types on output prediction. Without pollution control measures in the watershed, the concentrations of total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) in the Hwaong Reservoir, considering three uncertainty types, would be less than about 4.4 and 0.23 mg L(-1), respectively, in 2012, with 90% confidence. The effects of two watershed management practices, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and constructed wetlands (WETLAND), were evaluated. The combined scenario (WWTP + WETLAND) was the most effective at improving reservoir water quality, bringing concentrations of T-N and T-P in the Hwaong Reservoir to less than 3.4 and 0.14 mg L(-1), 24 and 41% improvements, respectively, with 90% confidence. Overall, the Monte Carlo simulation in the integrated modelling system was practical for estimating uncertainty and reliable in water quality prediction. The approach described here may allow decisions to be made based on the probability and level of risk, and its application is recommended.