Constructability Analysis in the Design Firm

The timely execution of a construction project is very important to the owner, who makes plans and commitments on the basis of the project’s anticipated completion date. Failure of design professionals to consider how a builder will implement the design can result in scheduling problems, delays, and disputes during the construction process. Constructability of design is a subjective scale that depends basically on a number of interdependent project-related factors. Many design firms have a formal (explicit) constructability program that is launched as early as the conceptual planning stage of the project. This research examines design professionals’ efforts to pursue constructability and provides recommendations for performing constructability reviews in an efficient and effective manner.     

The selection of international standards for the thermodynamic properties of HFC-134a and HCFC-123

The objectives and activities of the International Energy Agency-Annex 18 are summarized. One of the goals of the Annex was to determine the formulations that best represent the thermodynamic properties of HFC-134a and HCFC-123. The formulations selected were those which accurately represented the experimental data and simultaneously exhibited thermodynamic consistency. Methods of comparison include analysis of the experimental data, statistical comparisons of values calculated from the property formulations to experimental values, and graphical analyses of the thermodynamic surface. The analytical methods used are summarized in this paper. The equations of state reviewed in these comparisons represented the most accurate formulations available in December 1992. Four equations of state were reviewed for HFC-I34a and three equations of state were considered for HCFC-123. These equations represented the work of independent researchers in Germany, Japan, and the United States. The formulations selected as international standards are presented.Paper presented at the Twelfth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Thermophysical property predictions from the software package EOSMIX

A two-fluid corresponding-states model for predicting the thermodynamic properties of mixtures has been developed, which uses accurate equations of state for the reference substances of the components. A new mixing parameter has been introduced, which takes account of the differences in molecular sizes in binary fluid mixtures. The three mixing parameters for methane-ethane and methane-propane have been optimized using different types of experimental data. Comparisons of predictions with data are given for experimental densities and speed of sound.Paper presented at the Twelfth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Throughput maximization for multimedia communication with cooperative cognitive radio using adaptively controlled sensing time

Multimedia Tools and Applications - In the last years, most researches proved that spectrum holes are not efficiently utilized in wireless communications. Cognitive radio (CR) is an efficient...     

Electrodeposition of nanostructured cuprous oxide on various substrates and their electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Nanostructured Cu2O films have been developed on various conductive substrates (FTO, ITO, and Mo) by a low-cost electrodeposition process...     

A longitudinal study of type-specific antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 in an area of unstable malaria in Sudan

Merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) of Plasmodium falciparum is a malaria vaccine candidate Ag. Immunity to MSP-1 has been implicated in protection against infection in animal models. However, MSP-1 is a polymorphic protein and its immune recognition by humans following infection is not well understood. We have compared the immunogenicity of conserved and polymorphic regions of MSP-1, the specificity of Ab responses to a polymorphic region of the Ag, and the duration of these responses in Sudanese villagers intermittently exposed to P. falciparum infections. Recombinant Ags representing the conserved N terminus (Block 1), the conserved C terminus, and the three main types of the major polymorphic region (Block 2) of MSP-1 were used to determine the specificity and longitudinal patterns of IgG Ab responses to MSP-1 in individuals. Abs from 52 donors were assessed before, during, and after malaria transmission seasons for 4 yr. Ags from the Block 1 region were rarely recognized by any donor. Responses to the C-terminal Ag occurred in the majority of acutely infected individuals and thus were a reliable indicator of recent clinical infection. Ags from the polymorphic Block 2 region of MSP-1 were recognized by many, although not all individuals after clinical malaria infections. Responses to Block 2 were type specific and correlated with PCR typing of parasites present at the time of infection. Responses to all of these Ags declined within a few months of drug treatment and parasite clearance, indicating that naturally induced human Ab responses to MSP-1 are short lived.     

Optimization of electro-oxidation and electro-Fenton techniques for the treatment of oilfield produced water

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes are the most promising methods for destroying and degrading organic and inorganic pollutants present in produced water effluents. This study presents the electro-oxidation process using graphite electrodes and electro-Fenton process using iron electrodes for the treatment of real produced water. The effect of operating parameters such as current density on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was addressed. The result showed that electro-Fenton process was more efficient than electro-oxidation process where it gave 98% as maximum COD removal efficiency with energy consumption of 1.9 kWh/dm³ at H₂O₂ concentration of 12 mM, current density of 10 mA/cm², temperature of 25°C, pH of 3, and treatment time of 80 min compared with 96.9% as maximum COD removal efficiency with energy consumption of 3 kWh/dm³ at pH of 6, current density of 10 mA/cm², temperature of 40°C, and reaction time of 80 min when using electro-oxidation process. These results demonstrated that electrochemical technologies are very promising methods for the treatment of produced water from oil/gas industry, so it can be safely disposed of or effectively reused for injection and irrigation.     

Solitary thyroid nodule in Khartoum

Ninety four patients with solitary and significantly dominant thyroid nodules were studied. Inadequate sampling was reported in 5 patients (5.9%). In the remaining 89 patients, 64 had simple goitre (72%), 12 follicular adenoma (13.5%), 12 were malignant nodules (6 follicular, 5 papillary and one anaplastic) (13.5%) and one patient had Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The incidence of malignancy in the clinically solitary nodules was 14% (10/70) compared to 10% (2/19) for the dominant nodules which increased to 16% (8/49) versus 10% (4/40) respectively after ultrasonography and histopathological confirmation of the nature of the gland. There is a low positive predictive value for follicular neoplasm with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) (44%). This is due to the fact that reports of suspicious follicular pattern is agreed not to imply definite malignancy, however total lobectomy was done for those patients whereas terms like "not suspicious" and "highly suspicious" are considered to mean, benign and malignant respectively and in those latter groups the prediction was 100%. The study stresses the importance of FNAC techniques in reducing the surgical load with minimal false negative results, increasing the yield of carcinoma and projecting the importance of a significantly dominant nodule in endemic areas.     

Cleaner dyeing and antibacterial activity of wool fabric using Henna dye modified with Acacia nilotica pods

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Natural dyes have promising features; however, there are some drawbacks limiting their application in textile dyeing, for example, low dyeing, and...