scholarly journals FROM LINEAR TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF REGIONAL AWARENESS AND INITIATIVES

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 101-116
Author(s):  
Louis Delcart
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Profit Model ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
The Press ◽  
Important Player ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Set Up ◽  
New Applications

Although many OECD countries are working on it, the economy is only slowly developing from linear to circular. However, many economists are convinced that this is the only viable path if we want to prevent a climate catastrophe by 2050 and thereby leave a habitable and developable world for the next generations. Numerous articles in the press point out that many companies are only at the beginning of a gigantic effort to make their production CO2 neutral but also sustainable and that a lot of innovation will be needed before that happens. So, what are the reasons why the transition towards a circular economy is so difficult to make? The European Academy of the Regions, that advocates the regionalisation of a number of economic and socio-cultural sectors, closely follows the development of the circular economy. Since the beginning of May 2021, it has therefore set-up a blog in which newspaper articles are translated from various countries to English with examples of successful circular economy initiatives or of critical studies: earaercircular.tumblr.com. To date, the organisation made a statistical study on the 100 selected articles[1] published between 3/5/2021 and 3/9/2021 that will give the reader an idea of the themes that are most frequently discussed and of the remedies that are created. The articles come from newspapers and magazines from Belgium (Dutch and French), the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and the US and to a lesser extent from Switzerland, Canada and France. The results of this research are an overview of the topics covered, of indications of how initiatives are created, who is the influencer as well as an overview of the articles that have received more than 100 clicks on social media. It has been striking that many of the initiatives described by the press have arisen from companies whose top management is aware of the bend that urgently needs to be made and who also see commercial opportunities to start early. There are also a number of cooperative initiatives, that still succeed in creating successful initiatives from a small-scale approach. A second important player in this conversion is the academic world, especially faculties or even entire universities that have been conducting research into new materials or new applications for a long time. The traditional third player are the authorities, but very often regional governments or large cities. The conclusion remarks show that circular economy can only be successful if companies see a profit model in it, or are forced to change their course by public opinion because of negative perception and that we are not yet there.

scholarly journals Biology and Prevalence in Northern Italy of Verrallia aucta (Diptera, Pipunculidae), a Parasitoid of Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera, Aphrophoridae), the Main Vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 607
Author(s):  
Giulia Molinatto ◽  
Stefano Demichelis ◽  
Nicola Bodino ◽  
Massimo Giorgini ◽  
Nicola Mori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Xylella Fastidiosa ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Parasitization Rate ◽  
Philaenus Spumarius ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Species Specific

The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera Aphrophoridae), the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. in Europe, has few known natural enemies. The endoparasitoid Verrallia aucta (Fallén) (Diptera, Pipunculidae) was first noticed a long time ago but very little is known about its biology and prevalence. In this study, the presence and prevalence of V. aucta were investigated in different regions of northern Italy, both in plain–foothill and montane zones. Parasitic larvae were identified by the dissection of spittlebug adults, P. spumarius and Neophilaenus campestris (Fallén), and by a new species-specific molecular tool targeting the ITS2 and COI genomic regions, developed in this work. A small-scale rearing was set up to gain information on the life cycle of V. aucta on its main host P. spumarius. During the four-year investigation (2016–2019) the pipunculid parasitoid displayed low prevalence, reaching a maximum parasitization rate of 17.5% (calculated over the adult spittlebug season) in vineyards of the Piemonte region. Over the whole period, no significant difference in the prevalence was found between male and female spittlebugs. Collected data and rearing observations suggest that V. aucta is monovoltine and synchronous with P. spumarius, laying eggs in newly emerged adults, developing as an endoparasitoid through two larval stages during the whole summer, and overwintering as a pupa in the soil.

Epilogue

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Hilliard
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
The Press ◽  
Set Up

The epilogue considers the mystery of Edith Swan and her wider significance. It begins by examining the press commentary on her and moves down into questions of motive and agency. After Swan’s conviction, newspapers were quick to diagnose her with a form of ‘sex mania’, applying the second-hand Freudianism that was becoming current in early 1920s Britain (one that assumed that repression led to outbursts of sexualized behaviour, rather than displacement into other areas). Yet Swan’s actions were at least as consistent with what is now known as borderline personality disorder. Many of Swan’s letters needled members of her own family about homely grievances. And while the letters accusing her of being promiscuous may have been fantasies of a sort, they also set up dramas in which she played the starring role.

scholarly journals Modification of a Solar Thermal Collector to Promote Heat Transfer inside an Evacuated Tube Solar Thermal Absorber

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4100
Author(s):  
Rasa Supankanok ◽  
Sukanpirom Sriwong ◽  
Phisan Ponpo ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Walairat Chandra-ambhorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Medium Temperature ◽  
Change Behavior ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Evacuated Tube ◽  
Heating Medium

Evacuated-tube solar collector (ETSC) is developed to achieve high heating medium temperature. Heat transfer fluid contained inside a copper heat pipe directly affects the heating medium temperature. A 10 mol% of ethylene-glycol in water is the heat transfer fluid in this system. The purpose of this study is to modify inner structure of the evacuated tube for promoting heat transfer through aluminum fin to the copper heat pipe by inserting stainless-steel scrubbers in the evacuated tube to increase heat conduction surface area. The experiment is set up to measure the temperature of heat transfer fluid at a heat pipe tip which is a heat exchange area between heat transfer fluid and heating medium. The vapor/ liquid equilibrium (VLE) theory is applied to investigate phase change behavior of the heat transfer fluid. Mathematical model validated with 6 experimental results is set up to investigate the performance of ETSC system and evaluate the feasibility of applying the modified ETSC in small-scale industries. The results indicate that the average temperature of heat transfer fluid in a modified tube increased to 160.32 °C which is higher than a standard tube by approximately 22 °C leading to the increase in its efficiency by 34.96%.

scholarly journals Acceptance of a Symptom-Based Approach for COVID-19 rtRT-PCR Testing to Conserve Resources in a Lower Middle-Income Setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272098771
Author(s):  
S. M. Rashed Ul Islam ◽  
Tahmina Akther ◽  
Md. Abdullah Omar Nasif ◽  
Sharmin Sultana ◽  
Saif Ullah Munshi
Keyword(s):  
Primary Method ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Clinical Recovery ◽  
Clinical Presentations ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Secretion ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Set Up

SARS-CoV-2 initially emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019. It has since been recognized as a pandemic and has led to great social and economic disruption globally. The Reverse Transcriptase Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (rtRT-PCR) has become the primary method for COVID-19 testing worldwide. The method requires a specialized laboratory set up. Long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal secretion after full clinical recovery of the patient is regularly observed nowadays. This forces the patients to spend a longer period in isolation and test repeatedly to obtain evidence of viral clearance. Repeated COVID-19 testing in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases often leads to extra workload for laboratories that are already struggling with a high specimen turnover. Here, we present 5 purposively selected cases with different patterns of clinical presentations in which nasopharyngeal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was observed in patients for a long time. From these case studies, we emphasized the adoption of a symptom-based approach for discontinuing transmission-based precautions over a test-based strategy to reduce the time spent by asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients in isolation. A symptom-based approach will also help reduce laboratory burden for COVID-19 testing as well as conserve valuable resources and supplies utilized for rtRT-PCR testing in an emerging lower-middle-income setting. Most importantly, it will also make room for critically ill COVID-19 patients to visit or avail COVID-19 testing at their convenience.

Numerical Study of Methane and Air Combustion Inside Heat-Recirculating Combustors

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanxia Li ◽  
Zhongliang Liu ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Jiaming Liu
Keyword(s):  
Gas Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Convection Heat Transfer ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Inlet Velocity ◽  
Strong Convection ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Lean Fuel ◽  
Set Up

A numerical model on methane/air combustion inside a small Swiss-roll combustor was set up to investigate the flame position of small-scale combustion. The simulation results show that the combustion flame could be maintained in the central area of the combustor only when the speed and equivalence ratio are all within a narrow and specific range. For high inlet velocity, the combustion could be sustained stably even with a very lean fuel and the flame always stayed at the first corner of reactant channel because of the strong convection heat transfer and preheating. For low inlet velocity, small amounts of fuel could combust stably in the central area of the combustor, because heat was appropriately transferred from the gas to the inlet mixture. Whereas, for the low premixed gas flow, only in certain conditions (Φ = 0.8 ～ 1.2 when ν0 = 1.0m/s, Φ = 1.0 when ν0 = 0.5m/s) the small-scale combustion could be maintained.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of cartographic presentation methods applied within small-scale thematic maps in the press and on the Internet

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17
Author(s):  
Jolanta Korycka-Skorupa
Keyword(s):  
Graphic Design ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Thematic Maps ◽  
The Press ◽  
Presentation Methods ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Better Than

Abstract The author discuss effectiveness of cartographic presentations. The article includes opinions of cartographers regarding effectiveness, readability and efficiency of a map. It reminds the principles of map graphic design in order to verify them using examples of small-scale thematic maps. The following questions have been asked: Is the map effective? Why is the map effective? How do cartographic presentation methods affect effectiveness of the cartographic message? What else can influence effectiveness of a map? Each graphic presentation should be effective, as its purpose is to complete written word, draw the recipients’ attention, make text more readable, expose the most important information. Such a significant role of graphics results in the fact that graphic presentations (maps, diagrams) require proper preparation. Users need to have a chance to understand the graphics language in order to draw correct conclusions about the presented phenomenon. Graphics should demonstrate the most important elements, some tendencies, and directions of changes. It should generalize and present a given subject from a slightly different perspective. There are numerous examples of well-edited and poorly edited small-scale thematic maps. They include maps, which are impossible to interpret correctly. They are burdened with methodological defects and they cannot fulfill their task. Cartography practice indicates that the principles related to graphic design of cartographic presentation are frequently omitted during the process of developing small-scale thematic maps used – among others – in the press and on the Internet. The purpose of such presentations is to quickly interpret them. On such maps editors’ problems with the selection of an appropriate symbol and graphic variable (fig. 1A, 9B) are visible. Sometimes they use symbols which are not sufficiently distinguishable nor demonstrative (fig. 11), it does not increase their readability. Sometime authors try too hard to reflect presented phenomenon and therefore the map becomes more difficult to interpret (fig. 4A,B). The lack of graphic sense resulting in the lack of graphic balance and aesthetics constitutes a weak point of numerous cartographic presentations (fig. 13). Effectiveness of cartographic presentations consists of knowledge and skills of the map editor, as well as the recipients’ perception capabilities and their readiness to read and interpret maps. The qualifications of the map editor should include methodological qualifications supported by the knowledge of the principles for cartographic symbol design, as well as relevant technical qualifications, which allow to properly use the tools to edit a map. Maps facilitate the understanding of texts they accompany and they present relationships between phenomenon better than texts, appealing to the senses.

Challenges confronting waste pickers in Indonesia: An on-field analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2110291
Author(s):  
Gabriel Andari Kristanto ◽  
Dini Kemala ◽  
Paras AC Nandhita
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Field Analysis ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Recycling Rate ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Solid Waste Recycling ◽  
Waste Pickers

This article presents the informal recycling sector’s (IRS) social, economic driving factors in five cities in Indonesia and their contribution to waste management in the cities. An on-field analysis was conducted by random and incidental sampling method of questionnaire administration followed by observation. Among the respondents ( n = 178), 79% of individuals were waste pickers, 15% were small-scale waste collectors, and 6% were medium-scale waste collectors. The majority of the waste pickers sampled are male (79%). The amount of waste collected by individual waste pickers is 43.87 kg person−1 day−1, a corresponding recycling rate of approximately 12%, and an average monthly income of US$91.7. Gender differences are apparent as the male waste pickers generated higher incomes than those earned by their female counterparts (US$128.3 for men and US$69.7 for women) even as their average work hours are similar to that of the men (7.8 and 7.6 hours day−1, respectively). Economic motives are the respondents’ primary driving factors as moving to large cities accompanied by their family members. The study concluded that the IRS plays substantial contribution to waste management; further integrating them into the waste management system via IRS association, additional investment, formulation of law and policies and efforts by municipalities can give various benefits for involved stakeholders, the community and the environment. The results can serve as a significant reference for improving the solid waste recycling system and informal sector management in Indonesian cities and other developing countries.

Risk Factors for Typhoid Fever Occurrence and Recurrence in Gombe Metropolis, Gombe State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 381-401
Author(s):  
Umar Abdullahi Tawfiq ◽  
◽  
Shohaimi Shamarina ◽  
Syafinaz Amin Nordin ◽  
Mohd Noor Hisham Mohd Nadzir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Associated Risk Factors ◽  
At Home

Typhoid is a life-threatening disease that has remained endemic in parts of Africa and Asia where its burden is elevated by the inefficiency of control efforts which have been hampered by lack of epidemiological data, among others. In Nigeria, such data is absent in most of the States like Gombe where the disease has been rife for a long time, hence, to bridge that knowledge gap, this study was set up to determine the host-associated risk factors for typhoid occurrence and recurrence in Gombe. A questionnaire that was designed and validated for this location was used to obtain data from 663 respondents using simple random sampling and analyzed using the Chi-square test for association and binomial logistic regression to obtain risk factors for typhoid occurrence and recurrence, respectively. The study revealed that occurrences were statistically significantly associated with the variables for vaccination (χ2 = 39.729, p < 0.01), having houseboy/girl (χ2 = 16.909, p < 0.01), typhoid patient at home (χ2 = 13.393, p < 0.01), hand washing before handling food (χ2 = 22.856, p < 0.01), consuming iced/frozen items (χ2 = 16.805, p < 0.01), boiling drinking water (χ2 = 49.633, p < 0.01), and eating commercially available foods/drinks (χ2 = 27.864, p < 0.01), while recurrences were statistically significantly predicted by „not sure of been vaccinated‟ (OR = 2.962, CI = 1.290 to 6.802, p < 0.01), „not having another typhoid patient at home‟ (OR = 1.799, CI = 0.998 to 3.244, p < 0.01), and „drinking unboiled water sometimes‟ (OR = 2.130, CI = 1.023 to 4.434, p < 0.01). It is believed that these findings will guide efforts by the Government for health interventions against typhoid in the study area, thus improving the quality of life for the population.

Non-Gaussian probability distributions of solar wind fluctuations

1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1127-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Marsch ◽  
C. Y. Tu
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Mhd Turbulence ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Fluid Turbulence ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Non Gaussian

Abstract. The probability distributions of field differences ∆x(τ)=x(t+τ)-x(t), where the variable x(t) may denote any solar wind scalar field or vector field component at time t, have been calculated from time series of Helios data obtained in 1976 at heliocentric distances near 0.3 AU. It is found that for comparatively long time lag τ, ranging from a few hours to 1 day, the differences are normally distributed according to a Gaussian. For shorter time lags, of less than ten minutes, significant changes in shape are observed. The distributions are often spikier and narrower than the equivalent Gaussian distribution with the same standard deviation, and they are enhanced for large, reduced for intermediate and enhanced for very small values of ∆x. This result is in accordance with fluid observations and numerical simulations. Hence statistical properties are dominated at small scale τ by large fluctuation amplitudes that are sparsely distributed, which is direct evidence for spatial intermittency of the fluctuations. This is in agreement with results from earlier analyses of the structure functions of ∆x. The non-Gaussian features are differently developed for the various types of fluctuations. The relevance of these observations to the interpretation and understanding of the nature of solar wind magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is pointed out, and contact is made with existing theoretical concepts of intermittency in fluid turbulence.

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