Comparative Study on Pressure Reduction of Sprinkler Piping Systems with an Orifice

The recent increase in the number of high-rise buildings has led to increased pressure on sprinkler piping systems. This overpressure results in the supply of large quantities of water to a small number of open sprinkler heads due to the aging of buildings or malfunctioning of sprinkler heads. This induces significant water damage during incidents such as fires, resulting in long-term restoration needs of electrical and infrastructure facilities. Therefore, this study intends to mitigate this damage by introducing an orifice in sprinkler piping systems to reduce the water pressure at sprinkler head openings. Various types of data values were calculated by increasing the pressure and simultaneously varying the orifice specifications for each type of pipe. Currently, there are no test data of this kind, rendering the obtained data useful in the design and construction of orifices for pressure reduction in sprinkler piping systems.

Straw cigarette branding: misleading descriptors and a new Marlboro man

BackgroundStraw cigarettes are hand-rolled tobacco in a corn straw, common in Brazil and believed to be less harmful by consumers. Traditionally consumed in rural areas and by men, a recent increase in use among young people in urban areas was observed. This study assessed marketing appeals of straw cigarette packaging in Brazil.MethodsFollowing a systematic protocol, unique straw cigarette packs were purchased in 2013, 2016 and 2019 from three cities: Manaus, Salvador and São Paulo. Packs were double-coded for the absence/presence of marketing appeals (ie, luxury/quality, masculinity, classic/timeless, flavours and less harm).ResultsThe number of unique straw cigarette packs purchased as part of the overall sample increased in the most recent collection: 2.3% (n=3), 1.3% (n=2) and 15.5% (n=27) in 2013, 2016 and 2019, respectively. Across the years, all packs presented luxury/quality elements (eg, images of crests); 93.8% (n=30) included the word ‘artisanal’. Masculine appeal (eg, images of men) was present on 56.3% (n=18) of packs. Almost half had classic/timeless elements, including the words ‘tradition’/‘original’. In 2019, 59.3% (n=16) of the packs were flavoured compared with none in previous years. Over a quarter of all packs presented a less harm appeal (eg, ‘smooth’).ConclusionWe identified an increase in availability of unique straw cigarette packs, strong branding and use of misleading descriptors on the packs. The adoption of plain packaging and the implementation of Brazil’s additive ban could help to reduce the appeal of straw cigarettes and curb the current increase in use among youth.

Certification and Regulation of Trade in Biofuels

<p>The recent increase in biofuel production and trade has raised concerns about environmental and other impacts, and has prompted some governments to initiate measures to ensure biofuels are produced sustainably. Certification schemes are the most common measure used, and apply to both imported biofuels, and those produced in the country that has initiated the certification scheme. This dissertation argues that biofuels certification schemes, as currently drafted, are inconsistent with WTO trade agreements. Biofuel policies and certification schemes need to be better coordinated internationally to ensure that policy goals are met in a way that complies with trade agreements. The dissertation recommends that international standards need to be further developed to promote consistency between certification schemes and to support WTO consistency.</p>

Certification and Regulation of Trade in Biofuels

<p>The recent increase in biofuel production and trade has raised concerns about environmental and other impacts, and has prompted some governments to initiate measures to ensure biofuels are produced sustainably. Certification schemes are the most common measure used, and apply to both imported biofuels, and those produced in the country that has initiated the certification scheme. This dissertation argues that biofuels certification schemes, as currently drafted, are inconsistent with WTO trade agreements. Biofuel policies and certification schemes need to be better coordinated internationally to ensure that policy goals are met in a way that complies with trade agreements. The dissertation recommends that international standards need to be further developed to promote consistency between certification schemes and to support WTO consistency.</p>

Ten new species of marine bryozoans (Gymnolaemata: Cheilostomatida) from Brazil

Despite a recent increase in the number of taxonomic studies on the bryozoan fauna of northeastern Brazil, new discoveries and re-examination of museum specimens allow the continued recognition of new taxa. Here, we describe ten new cheilostome species from the northeastern continental shelf of Brazil based on different museum collections. The new species are: Thalamoporella tupinamba n. sp., Turbicellepora papula n. sp., Plesiocleidochasma brasiliensis n. sp., Plesiocleidochasma infundibulum n. sp., Rhynchozoon turgidum n. sp., Cribrilaria brasiliensis n. sp., Hippoporina titan n. sp., Crepidacantha fasciata n. sp., Crepidacantha browni n. sp., and Hippopodina inarmata n. sp. Some specimens previously reported from northeastern Brazil are here reassigned to the newly described taxa, and two new combinations, Cribrilaria caraguata (Winston & Vieira, 2013) n. comb. and Cribrilaria tuba (Winston & Vieira, 2013) n. comb., are proposed.

Management of PH-ILD: Past, Present, and Future

Pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease signifies worse outcomes. Given previous negative clinical trials, the use of pulmonary vasodilators in pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease has traditionally been on a case-by-case basis; however, the recent INCREASE study has led to the first and milestone approval of inhaled treprostinil for this population. This review discusses the management of pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease from the pulmonary vascular perspective, with an emphasis on clinical trials in this population.

The recording of mental health consultations by patients: clinical, ethical and legal considerations

Summary The topic of patients recording healthcare consultations has been previously debated in the literature, but little consideration has been given to the risks and benefits of such recordings in the context of mental health assessments and treatment. This issue is of growing importance given the increasing use of technology in healthcare and the recent increase in online healthcare services, largely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the clinical, ethical and legal considerations relevant to audio or visual recordings of mental health consultations by patients, with reference to existing UK guidance and the inclusion of a patient's perspective.

The Role of Short-Term and Longer Term Immigration Trends on Voting for Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe

The success of populist radical right parties (PRRPs) in Europe has, in part, been attributed to growing immigration, but previous findings have found an inconsistent relationship between immigration and voting for PRRPs. We address previous inconsistencies by suggesting a time-focused perspective on intergroup relations. We disentangle short-term from longer term immigration trends and argue that a recent increase in immigration should predict PRRP support. With time, however, citizens will adapt to these demographic changes and voting for PRRPs could decline. We drew on official immigration records and representative data from the European Social Survey, capturing the voting behavior of 75,874 individuals from 15 European countries between 2002 and 2014. We found that a recent increase in immigration predicted more PRRP voting, and this relationship was strengthened under conditions of higher economic strain and inequality. In contrast, sustained immigration in the longer term was not related with PRRP votes.

Udviklingen af kynisme fra politistuderende til betjent

The literature shows that some police officers develop cynicism early in their careers, i.e., develop a critical or distrusting attitude that is often aimed towards citizens. Despite a recent increase in societal focus on how citizens experience interaction with the police, we have only a limited understanding of how cynicism develops in Scandinavia, including Denmark. In this study, we present statistical analyses of questionnaire data collected among police employees in three waves between the beginning of their training to become police officers and after four years of active service. The results demonstrate that cynicism should be approached as a multi-faceted phenomenon. This is because participants generally report a decrease in cynicism towards citizens, but an increase in cynicism in connection with other aspects of police work. Post hoc analyses, however, indicate that high emotional demands, as well as violence and threats may contribute to an increased cynicism towards citizens.