Investigation of Accelerated Degradation Methods to Cause Blisters for Non-Defective Vinyl Ester Resin Glass Flake Organic Coatings

Organic coatings are applied as a corrosion prevention measure, but their effectiveness may degrade over time. In this study, the acceleration effects of typical degradation methods in non-defective vinyl ester resin organic coatings containing glass flakes such as high-temperature immersion and immersion in chemical accelerators are clarified using physiochemical techniques. Immersion in an acetic acid (AcOH) aqueous solution causes resin swelling, and the behaviors are quantitatively evaluated through gravimetric, thickness, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Furthermore, a combined process of immersion in hydrofluoric acid and an AcOH aqueous solution reduces the electrical properties and eventually blisters the thick coating surface. This result suggests that an appropriate combination of the resin swelling and the glass degradation (glass dissolution and/or formation of the gap between glass and resin) decrease mechanical properties of the glass flake coating and causes blisters. In order to help the health diagnosis of the visually non-defective aged glass flake coating, the relationship between the electrical characteristic values and the invisible degradation by accelerated tests is finally indicated.

Agricultural Waste Annona squamosa L. Peel and Seed Extract: Biosynthesis of Hand Sanitizer Gel against Skin Pathogens

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are being recommended as an infection prevention measure for COVID-19. Washing hands is a simple matter to eliminate and minimize germs on the hands with water and by adding certain ingredients, the use of hand sanitizer becomes must in recent circumstances. We have developed reliable and eco-friendly process for the synthesis of hand sanitizer gel that is a really useful tool in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Considering scanty literature available on the use of custard apple peel and seed for preparation of hand sanitizer gel, present study was undertaken to evaluate effect of hand sanitizer from custard apple peel and seed extract. The antimicrobial activity of the formulated gel was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii, Salmonella typhimurinum and Shigella sonnei by The Quality Assurance and Testing Center 3 (QUATEST 3) in Ho Chi Minh city, Viet Nam.

The Overlooked Intricacies of Wellbore Cleanout in Sub-Hydrostatic Conditions with Coiled Tubing: Lessons Learned Toward an Effective Approach

This study focuses on horizontal wells completed with pre-perforated liners installed in open holes, and which produce under sub-hydrostatic conditions. During workover operations, loss circulation materials (LCM) are routinely pumped, thus requiring coiled tubing (CT) cleanout interventions to enable well production afterwards. The sub-hydrostatic nature of the reservoir makes it challenging to maintain optimum bottomhole pressure (BHP) and have the ideal downhole conditions, without significant losses and with sufficient annular velocities, for an effective cleanout. During CT cleanout operations, the LCM plugging the formation may falsely create a perception that the well is able to sustain a column of fluid. However, as the LCM is cleaned out and the wellbore starts communicating with the reservoir, sudden fluid losses may occur, causing solids in the annulus to fall and leading to a stuck pipe scenario. Constant control of the balanced downhole conditions is therefore critical in such operations—yet frequently overlooked during job design. The use of real-time downhole pressure sensors thus not only ensure effective cleanout but also act as a stuck pipe prevention measure. Based on job executions in similar wells, several lessons learned were compiled. The ability to maintain optimum downhole conditions by adjusting liquid and nitrogen rates during cleanout has proven to be key to a successful cleanout. Additionally, in one of the wells where CT did get stuck, the team was able to prevent debris from falling, thus addressing the root cause, and facilitating the implementation of an effective contingency plan to get the pipe free. The need for live downhole monitoring is even more important when operating in the pre-perforated liner sections that are exposed to the open hole. Common designs calculate annular velocities based on the internal diameter of the liner, but in reality, the much bigger openhole diameter shall be taken into consideration, which result in much lower values of annular velocities in reality. Additionally, selection of the right bottomhole assembly (BHA) is critical for the overall system performance. In the presented case, the motor and mill configuration was observed to be more effective compared to a high-pressure rotary jetting tool. However, as the motor and mill combination creates significant vibrations while operating, it becomes critical to use a ruggedized version of the live downhole CT acquisition system to ensure maximum reliability. The observations compiled throughout operations enabled the development of best practices. Risks involved in a cleanout operation are often underestimated, especially in a well with a depleted reservoir. As more reservoirs face depletion in mature fields globally, the ability to clearly understand the downhole dynamics during such operations makes the difference between a successful job and a catastrophic failure.

Ergonomic Analysis of the Impacts of Covid-19 on Production Engineering Professors at UFAM

In the contemporaries of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the working from home was adopted as a health prevention measure. This article aims to analyze the ergonomic, emotional, and psychological aspects arising from this new way of working with professors of the Production Engineering Department of the Federal University of Amazonas - UFAM. The study is descriptive and was elaborated by literature review, and data survey through online interviews. The participants answered a questionnaire in which it was verified the points that directly interfere in the quality of life and performance of the professors in their professional activities. According to the results obtained, it was found that the reality faced by the workers is divergent from the standards established by ergonomic norms. It was also observed that the sharing of personal and professional life caused worries, stress, and anxiety, impacting on the educators' emotional health. Finally, we recommended possible solutions to mitigate the negative effects of this new way of working.

Knowledge on mode of transmission and prevention measure of HIV and AIDS

Background: HIV prevalence in Bangladesh is low (<1%) among the general population, even within the vulnerable population it continued to be low other than certain sections of injecting drug users.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Polly Chikitsok/rural medical practitioners in Hobiganj, Narayanganj, Rangpur and Kurigram District of Bangladesh during January 2014 to April 2014. One hundred eighty (180) Polly chikitsok/rural medical practitioners were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling technique was used. Statistical analysis of the results was done by using computer software SPSS version 22 with tabulation plan. The ethical committee of the department of public health, Daffodil International University of Bangladesh, approved the thesis with their signature.Results: A total of 180 participants were interviewed, of whom 176 were males and 4 were females. 17.8 percent of the respondents are of 21-30 years of age, 37 percent respondents are 31-40 years old. 27.8 percent of the study participants were in their 41-50. Hundred percent respondents, they had ever met any HIV positive patient in the course of their occupational responsibility in the workplace. 97.8 percent respondents correctly knew blood transfusions transmit HIV/AIDS, followed by sharing needles (98.3 percent), and maternal child transmission (68.9 percent). However, more than two thirds of the respondents (77.8 percent) correctly identified HIV/AIDS preventive measures. Nearly half the sampled population (84.4 percent) did not think condoms were useful in preventing transmission of HIV.Conclusions: In Bangladesh, the prevalence of HIV infection is growing and PC/RMPs are increasingly involved in a range of HIV prevention and care activities.

Proposal of a web application of virtual letters for restaurants as a prevention measure in time of COVID-19

The COVID - 19 pandemic and the health crisis that today has affected the entire world, has forced many companies to make the use of technological tools essential for them to compete in the market. All this has made mobile applications or web systems the most appropriate solution to implement in your business model. The present investigative work aims to propose the analysis and development of an order management system, digitizing the menu for restaurants and allowing the ordering process to be quick and interactive. Following the guidelines provided by the Government of Peru, in which they recommend, the digitization of traditional letters as it is considered a source of the spread of the coronavirus and to be replaced by menus or virtual letters which can be scanned through QR codes. The development of this project allows customers to view in detail the available dishes offered by the restaurant and proceed to order the food they want, on the other hand, the restaurant can keep track of all orders and relevant information about the business. To develop the prototype, an analysis and information gathering of the technologies to be implemented will begin.

Development of a support system for creating disaster prevention maps focusing on road networks and hazardous elements

As a disaster prevention measure based on self-assistance and mutual assistance, disaster prevention maps are being created with citizen participation throughout Japan. The process of creating disaster prevention maps is itself a disaster prevention measure that contributes to raising awareness of disaster prevention by promoting exchange and cooperation within the region. By focusing on relations between road networks and hazardous elements, we developed a system to support disaster prevention map creation that visualizes roads at high risk during a disaster and facilitates the study of evacuation simulations. This system leads to a completed disaster prevention map in three phases. In the first phase, we use a device with GPS logging functions to collect information related to hazardous elements. In the second phase, we use Google Maps (“online map,” below) to visualize roads with high evacuation risk. In the final phase, we perform a regional evaluation through simulations of disaster-time evacuations. In experimental verifications, by conducting usability tests after creating a disaster prevention map in the target area, we evaluated the system in terms of simple operability and visibility. We found that by implementing this series of processes, even users lacking specialized knowledge regarding disaster prevention can intuitively discover evacuation routes while considering the relations between visualized road networks and hazardous elements. These results show that compared with disaster prevention maps having simple site notations using existing WebGIS systems, disaster prevention maps created by residents while inspecting the target area raise awareness of risks present in the immediate vicinity even in normal times and are an effective support system for prompt disaster prevention measures and evacuation drills.

Service robots and COVID-19: exploring perceptions of prevention efficacy at hotels in generation Z

Purpose COVID-19 is expected to enhance hospitality robotization because frontline robots facilitate social distancing, lowering contagion risk. Investing in frontline robots emerges as a solution to recover customer trust and encourage demand. However, we ignore how customers perceive these initiatives and, therefore, their efficacy. Focusing on robot employment at hotels and on Generation Z customers, this study aims to analyze guests’ perceptions about robots’ COVID-19 prevention efficacy and their impact on booking intentions. Design/methodology/approach This study tests its hypotheses combining an experimental design methodology with partial least squares. Survey data from 711 Generation Z individuals in Spain were collected in 2 periods of time. Findings Generation Z customers consider that robots reduce contagion risk at hotels. Robot anthropomorphism increases perceived COVID-19 prevention efficacy, regardless of the context where the robots are used. Robots’ COVID-19 prevention efficacy provokes better attitudes and higher booking intentions. Research limitations/implications The sampling method used in this research impedes this study’s results generalization. Further research could replicate this study using random sampling methods to ensure representativeness, even for other generational cohorts. Practical implications Employing robots as a COVID-19 prevention measure can enhance demand, especially if robots are human-like. Hoteliers need to communicate that robots can reduce contagion risk, particularly in markets more affected by COVID-19. Robots must be employed in low social presence contexts. Governments could encourage robotization by financially supporting hotels and publicly acknowledging its benefits regarding COVID-19 prevention. Originality/value This study combines preventive health, robotics and hospitality literature to study robot implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on Generation Z guests – potential facilitators of robot diffusion.

Global Causes, Drivers, and Prevention Measures for Lost Fishing Gear

Abandoned, Lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) comprises a significant part of global marine plastic pollution, with adverse consequences for fishers, the seafood industry, and marine wildlife and habitats. To effectively prevent and reduce ALDFG at source, an understanding of the major causes of and drivers behind fishing gear losses is required. We interviewed 451 fishers from seven countries around the world (Belize, Iceland, Indonesia, Morocco, New Zealand, Peru, and the United States of America) representing five key fishing gear types (gillnets, purse seine nets, trawl nets, longlines, and pots and traps) about why and under what circumstances they lose their gear. We also asked them their views on the most effective interventions to reduce gear losses. Across all major gear types and countries where interviews were undertaken, bad weather was the most common cause of gear loss, followed by interactions with wildlife (identified as a cause for loss by 81% and 65% of all fishers interviewed, respectively). Snagging gear on a bottom obstruction was a major cause of loss for gears that contact the seafloor, along with conflicts with other fishers, often via gear and vessel interactions, for gillnet and pot and trap fishers. Operational and behavioral characteristics such as gear type, trip length, and the party responsible to pay for gear repairs and replacements all significantly influenced gear losses. Gear maintenance was the most effective gear loss prevention measure across all gear types and countries reported by fishers, followed by training crew in gear management (identified as an effective prevention measure by 95% and 82% of all fishers interviewed, respectively). Actions available to fishers, managers and port operators to effectively prevent fishing gear losses include: gear maintenance; reducing active gear interactions with wildlife; reducing financial and administrative burdens for port reception facilities; reducing trip lengths; and targeting education and gear stewardship programs to fishers with limited ALDFG awareness, particularly those in low income fisheries and countries.