Economic cost-benefit analysis for the agricultural use of sewage sludge treated with lime and fly ash

A tool for calculating the economic and environmental impacts of the use of byproducts of industrial processes that can substitute for perishable resources was ...     

Between East and West: immigrants, critical regionalism and public housing

The architecture of an immigrant society is characterised by problems of identity. The lack of a long continuous connection between the builders and the land where the construction takes place severs the natural identity between the planning and construction tradition and the builders. Concepts such as 'local planning and construction tradition' or 'adapting construction to the conditions and natural qualities of the land' are not defined where immigrant architecture is concerned.

The State of Israel was built by Jews who immigrated to it from all over the world. The problem of the lack of a local constructing tradition, common to the entire immigrant population, was magnified many times over in Jewish construction in Israel. Israel being an immigrant country, the European origin of most of the early Jewish immigrants, and the conflict between the Jews and the Palestinians - all contributed to intensifying the problem of creating the 'place'.

This paper examines public housing construction in Israel and its relationship to the 'place'. Following the Introduction, which reviews the question of the essence of the place in an immigrant society, the paper covers pre-State construction and Jewish-ideological planning, focusing on urban and neighbourhood planning during the first decade of the State of Israel (1948-1958). Planning was first evidenced in the town of Be'er Sheva - a desert town referred to in the bible as the City of Abraham. The town was rebuilt during the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century and later by the Israeli authorities.

In examining Be'er Sheva's urban and neighbourhood planning, the following questions may be studied: What is the relationship between 'ideological' planning and the population that 'lives' with the planning? What is the relationship between the planning and the physical conditions of the place? In effect, the issue of critical regionalism is examined.     

Treating wastewater from a pharmaceutical formulation facility by biological process and ozone

Wastewater from a pharmaceutical formulation facility (TevaKS, Israel) was treated with a biological activated-sludge system followed by ozonation. The goal was to reduce the concentrations of the drugs carbamazepine (CBZ) and venlafaxine (VLX) before discharging the wastewater to the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Both drugs were detected at extremely high concentrations in TevaKS raw wastewater ([VLX] = 11.72 ± 2.2 mg/L, [CBZ] = 0.84 ± 0.19 mg/L), and resisted the biological treatment. Ozone efficiently degraded CBZ: at an O₃ dose-to-dissolved organic carbon ratio of 0.55 (O₃/DOC), the concentration of CBZ was reduced by >99%. A lower removal rate was observed for VLX, which was decreased by ～98% at the higher O₃/DOC ratio of 0.87. Decreasing the pH of the biologically treated effluent from 7 to 5 significantly increased the ozone degradation rate of CBZ, while decreasing the degradation rate of VLX. Ozone treatment did not alter the concentration of the effluent's DOC and filtered chemical oxygen demand (COD_f). However, a significant increase was recorded (following ozonation) in the effluent's biological oxygen demand (BOD₅) and the BOD₅/COD_f ratio. This implies an increase in the effluent's biodegradability, which is highly desirable if ozonation is followed by a domestic biological treatment. Different organic byproducts were formed following ozone reaction with the target pharmaceuticals and with the effluent organic matter; however, these byproducts are expected to be removed during biological treatment in the municipal WWTP.     

Liquid marbles containing petroleum and their properties

Liquid marbles(non-stick droplets) containing crude petroleum are reported.Liquid marbles were obtained by use of fluorinated decyl polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane(FD-POSS) powder.Marbles containing crude petroleum remained stable on a broad diversity of solid and liquid supports.The effective surface tension of marbles filled with petroleum was established.The mechanism of friction of the marbles is discussed.Actuation of liquid marbles containing crude petroleum with an electric field is presented.     

Wastewater Irrigation-Economic Concerns Regarding Beneficiary and Hazardous Effects of Nutrients

The optimal wastewater treatment level is affected by costs, hazards and benefits. Lowering the wastewater treatment level decreases fertilization costs because of the increased levels of available nutrients left in the water, and irrigation costs decrease if water prices reflect the lower treatment costs. Agricultural yields and/or prices may decrease according to differences between levels of nutrients needed by crops and those available in wastewater. The present article focuses on determination of monthly optimal treatment levels and of the mix of crops calculated to maximize agricultural incomes, according to farmers' point of view. It does not reflect the national point-view focusing on maximization of net national benefits considering also environmental hazards. The methodology appears in Haruvy (1994) and application will be presented in another article (Haruvy et al., 1999).     

Process and device characterization of high voltage gallium arsenide P-i-N layers grown by an improved liquid phase epitaxy method

GaAs P-i-N layers with an i-region net doping of less than 10¹² cm⁻³ were grown on P⁺ and N⁺ substrates by a modified liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. Doping profiles and structural data obtained by varius characterization techniques are presented and discussed. A P⁺-P-i-N-N⁺ diode with a 25 μm-wide i-region exhibits a breakdown voltage of 1000 V, a t_rr of 50 ns, and reverse current densities (at V_R = 800 V) of − 3 × 10⁻⁶ A/cm² at 25°C and 10⁻² A/cm² at 260° C.     

Low degree of functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes probed by highly sensitive characterization techniques

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) were functionalized using a one-step radical addition procedure leading to a desired low functionalization degree. Based on well chosen techniques, the characterization of the functionalized samples allows having a good feedback on the functionalization process. We were able to determine the functionalization level and the nature of the bonds between the SWCNT surface and the functional groups. By means of a TGA–mass spectrometry coupling technique, the mechanisms of detachment upon heating were used to determine the nature of the grafted functional groups. In addition to the expected groups, unexpected groups were covalently grafted on the sample surface. Based on inert gas adsorption properties, we show that the functional groups are unambiguously grafted on the SWCNT sidewalls.     

The Role of PEDF in Reproductive Aging of the Ovary

Reproductive aging is characterized by a decline in ovarian function and in oocytes’ quantity and quality. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a pivotal player in ovarian angiogenic and oxidative balance, was evaluated for its involvement in reproductive aging. Our work examines the initial stage of reproductive aging in women and mice, and the involvement of PEDF in the process. Granulosa cells from reproductively-aged (RA) women and mice (36–44 years old and 9–10 months old, respectively) indicated an increase in the level of PEDF mRNA (qPCR), with yet unchanged levels of AMH and FSHR mRNAs. However, the PEDF protein level in individual women showed an intra-cellular decrease (ELISA), along with a decrease in the corresponding follicular fluid, which reflects the secreted fraction of the protein. The in vitro maturation (IVM) rate in the oocytes of RA mice was lower compared with the oocytes of young mice, demonstrated by a reduced polar body extrusion (PBE) rate. The supplementation of PEDF improved the hampered PBE rate, manifested by a higher number of energetically-competent oocytes (ATP concentration and mtDNA copy number of individual oocytes). Our findings propose PEDF as an early marker of reproductive aging, and a possible therapeutic in vitro agent that could enhance the number of good-quality oocytes in older IVF patients.     

Transformer Loss Evaluation: User?Manufacturer Communications

The cost of transformer losses as determined by the user are important design parameters to the manufacturer. The transformer designer uses these data to design a transformer which will result in the lowest overall cost to the user throughout the equipment service life. Even though the initial purchase price of an optimized transformer is higher than a standard unit, the total cost of ownership is lower. The aim is to facilitate communications between the user and the manufacturer in order to obtain the most cost effective transformer for the user.     

Impact of Particle Aggregated Microbes on UV Disinfection. I: Evaluation of Spore–Clay Aggregates and Suspended Spores

Aggregation of microbes with particles can reduce the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. This study evaluated the comparative impact of dispersed spores, dispersed spores mixed with clay particles (nonaggregated), spore–spore aggregates, and spore–clay aggregates on UV disinfection performance in simulated drinking waters. Aggregates were induced by flocculation with alum and characterized by particle size analysis (count, volume, and surface area) of dispersed and aggregated systems, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. It was concluded that spores within aggregates of the spore–clay system were protected from UV irradiation compared to nonaggregated spores and the difference between these systems was found to be statistically significant throughout the UV range tested. In addition SEM-EDX analysis suggested that aggregate composition is nonhomogeneous with respect to the ratio of spores and clay particles among aggregates. It was estimated that 30–50% of the spores in the aggregates tested were protected from UV irradiation.