Compatibility of stormwater treatment performance data between different geographical areas

Using a case study approach, this paper presents a robust methodology for assessing the compatibility of stormwater treatment performance data between two geographical regions in relation to a treatment system. The desktop analysis compared data derived from a field study undertaken in Florida, USA, with South East Queensland (SEQ) rainfall and pollutant characteristics. The analysis was based on the hypothesis that when transposing treatment performance information from one geographical region to another, detailed assessment of specific rainfall and stormwater quality parameters is required. Accordingly, characteristics of measured rainfall events and stormwater quality in the Florida study were compared with typical characteristics for SEQ. Rainfall events monitored in the Florida study were found to be similar to events that occur in SEQ in terms of their primary characteristics of depth, duration and intensity. Similarities in total suspended solids (TSS) and total nitrogen (TN) concentration ranges for Florida and SEQ suggest that TSS and TN removal performances would not be very different if the treatment system is installed in SEQ. However, further investigations are needed to evaluate the treatment performance of total phosphorus (TP). The methodology presented also allows comparison of other water quality parameters.

The effect of ß-alanine on buffering capacity and exercise performance during and following high-intensity exercise in healthy males

Introduction Intense exercise induced acidosis occurs from the accumulation of hydrogen ions as by-products of anaerobic metabolism. Oral ingestion of ß-alanine, a limiting precursor of the intracellular physiochemical buffer carnosine in skeletal muscle, may counteract any detrimental effect of acidosis and benefit performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ß-alanine as an ergogenic aid during high intensity exercise performance in healthy males. Methods Five males ingested either ß-alanine (BAl) (4.8 g.d-1 for 4wk, then 6.4 g.d-1 for 2wk) or placebo (Pl) (CaCO3) in a crossover design with 6 wk washout between. Following supplementation, participants performed two different intense exercise protocols over consecutive days. On the first day a repeated sprint ability (RSA) test of 5 x 6s, with 24s rest periods, was performed. On the second day a cycling capacity test measuring the time to exhaustion (TTE) was performed at 110% of their max workload achieved in a pre supplementation max test (CCT110%). Non-invasive quantification of carnosine, prior to, and following each supplementation, with magnetic resonance spectrometry was performed in the soleus and gastrocnemius. Time to fatigue (CCT110%), peak and mean power (RSA), blood pH, and plasma lactate were measured. Results Muscle carnosine concentration was not different prior to ß-alanine supplementation and increased 18% in the soleus and 26% in the gastrocnemius, respectively with 6 wk supplementation. There was no difference in the measured performance variables during the RSA test (peak and average power output). TTE during the CCT110% was significantly enhanced following the ingestion of BAl (155s ± 19.03) compared to Pl (134s ± 26.16). No changes were observed in blood pH during either exercise protocol and during the recovery from exercise. Plasma lactate in the BAl condition was significantly higher than Pl only from the 15th minute following exercise during the CCT110%. FIG. 1: Changes in carnosine concentration in the gastrocnemius prior and post 6 week chronic supplementation of placebo and β-alanine. Values expressed as mean.* p<0.05 from Pl at 6 weeks, # p<0.05 from pre supplementation. Conclusion/Discussion Greater muscle carnosine content following 6wk supplementation of ß-alanine enhanced the potential for intracellular buffering capacity. However, this only translated into enhanced performance during the CCT110% high intensity cycling exercise protocol, with no change observed during the RSA test. No differences in post exercise and recovery plasma lactates and blood pH, indicates that 6wks ß-alanine supplementation has no effect on anaerobic metabolism during multiple bout high intensity exercise. Changes in plasma lactate during recovery supports that ß-alanine supplementation may affect anaerobic metabolism however during single bout high intensity.

The effect of ß-alanine on buffering capacity and exercise performance during and following high-intensity exercise in healthy males

Intense exercise induced acidosis occurs after accumulation of hydrogen ions as by-products of anaerobic metabolism. Oral ingestion of ß-alanine, a limiting precursor of the intracellular physiochemical buffer carnosine in skeletal muscle, may counteract detrimental effects of acidosis and benefit performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ß-alanine as an ergogenic aid during high intensity exercise performance. Five healthy males ingested either ß-alanine or placebo (Pl) (CaCO3) in a crossover design with 6 wk washout between. Participants performed two different intense exercise protocols over consecutive days. On the first day a repeated sprint ability (RSA) test was performed. On the second day a cycling capacity test measuring the time to exhaustion (TTE) was performed at 110% of maximum workload achieved in a pre supplementation max test (CCT110%). Non-invasive quantification of carnosine, prior to, and following each supplementation, with in vivo magnetic resonance spectrometry was performed in the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle. Time to fatigue (CCT110%), peak and mean power (RSA), blood pH, and plasma lactate were measured. Muscle carnosine concentration was not different prior to ß-alanine supplementation and increased 18% in the soleus and 26% in the gastrocnemius, respectively after supplementation. There was no difference in the measured performance variables during the RSA test (peak and average power output). TTE during the CCT110% was significantly enhanced following the ingestion of BAl (155s ± 19.03) compared to Pl (134s ± 26.16). No changes were observed in blood pH during either exercise protocol and during the recovery from exercise. Plasma lactate after BAI was significantly higher than Pl only from the 15th minute following exercise during the CCT110%. Greater muscle carnosine content following 6wk supplementation of ß-alanine enhanced the potential for intracellular buffering capacity. This translated into enhanced performance during the CCT110% high intensity cycling exercise protocol but not during the RSA test. The lack of change in plasma lactate or blood pH indicates that 6wks ß-alanine supplementation has no effect on anaerobic metabolism during multiple-bout high-intensity exercise. Changes measured in plasma lactate during recovery support the hypothesis that ß-alanine supplementation may affect anaerobic metabolism particularly during single bout high intensity.

The Construction and Performance of Commercial Contracts

This book analyses the principles underlying the construction and application of a number of boilerplate and other clauses commonly included in commercial contracts. The first Part of the work deals with general principles of interpretation. It then considers clauses which allocate commercial risk; clauses relating to performance; clauses introducing new parties by way of assignment, novation or nomination; clauses such as guarantees and indemnities which create liabilities in third parties; and dispute resolution clauses including governing law. The authors highlight common issues surrounding the application of these clauses in practice and, where appropriate, make drafting recommendations based on their analysis of case law and the operation of relevant statutes. This is a very accessible resource for all commercial practitioners.

Buyer's hardship precludes specific performance

The case is noteworthy for its consideration of the relevance of circumstances arising after formation of the contract of sale in a summary judgment context...

Modelling the dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 in human malaria to better understand malaria rapid diagnostic test performance

BACKGROUND: Effective diagnosis of malaria is a major component of case management. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) based on Plasmodium falciparumhistidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) are popular for diagnosis of this most virulent malaria infection. However, concerns have been raised about the longevity of the PfHRP2 antigenaemia following curative treatment in endemic regions. METHODS: A model of PfHRP2 production and decay was developed to mimic the kinetics of PfHRP2 antigenaemia during infections. Data from two human infection studies was used to fit the model, and to investigate PfHRP2 kinetics. Four malaria RDTs were assessed in the laboratory to determine the minimum detectable concentration of PfHRP2. RESULTS: Fitting of the PfHRP2 dynamics model indicated that in malaria naive hosts, P. falciparum parasites of the 3D7 strain produce 1.4 x 10(-)(1)(3) g of PfHRP2 per parasite per replication cycle. The four RDTs had minimum detection thresholds between 6.9 and 27.8 ng/mL. Combining these detection thresholds with the kinetics of PfHRP2, it is predicted that as few as 8 parasites/muL may be required to maintain a positive RDT in a chronic infection. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the model indicate that good quality PfHRP2-based RDTs should be able to detect parasites on the first day of symptoms, and that the persistence of the antigen will cause the tests to remain positive for at least seven days after treatment. The duration of a positive test result following curative treatment is dependent on the duration and density of parasitaemia prior to treatment and the presence and affinity of anti-PfHRP2 antibodies.

Global sequence variation in the histidine-rich proteins 2 and 3 of Plasmodium falciparum: implications for the performance of malaria rapid diagnostic tests

Background Accurate diagnosis is essential for prompt and appropriate treatment of malaria. While rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) offer great potential to improve malaria diagnosis, the sensitivity of RDTs has been reported to be highly variable. One possible factor contributing to variable test performance is the diversity of parasite antigens. This is of particular concern for Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2)-detecting RDTs since PfHRP2 has been reported to be highly variable in isolates of the Asia-Pacific region. Methods The pfhrp2 exon 2 fragment from 458 isolates of P. falciparum collected from 38 countries was amplified and sequenced. For a subset of 80 isolates, the exon 2 fragment of histidine-rich protein 3 (pfhrp3) was also amplified and sequenced. DNA sequence and statistical analysis of the variation observed in these genes was conducted. The potential impact of the pfhrp2 variation on RDT detection rates was examined by analysing the relationship between sequence characteristics of this gene and the results of the WHO product testing of malaria RDTs: Round 1 (2008), for 34 PfHRP2-detecting RDTs. Results Sequence analysis revealed extensive variations in the number and arrangement of various repeats encoded by the genes in parasite populations world-wide. However, no statistically robust correlation between gene structure and RDT detection rate for P. falciparum parasites at 200 parasites per microlitre was identified. Conclusions The results suggest that despite extreme sequence variation, diversity of PfHRP2 does not appear to be a major cause of RDT sensitivity variation.

Improved performance in diketopyrrolopyrrole-based transistors with bilayer gate dielectrics

There has been significant progress in the past 2 decades in the field of organic and polymer thin-film transistors. In this paper, we report a combination of stable materials, device architecture, and process conditions that resulted in a patterned gate, small channel length (<5 μm) device that possesses a scaled field-induced conductivity in air that is higher than any organic/polymer transistor reported thus far. The operating voltage is below 10 V; the on-off ratio is high; and the active materials are solution-processable. The semiconducting polymer is a new donor-acceptor polymer with furan-substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole and thienyl-vinylene-thienyl building blocks in the conjugated backbone. One of the major striking features of our work is that the patterned-gate device architecture is suitable for practical applications. We also propose a figure of merit to meaningfully compare polymer/organic transistor performance that takes into account mobility and operating voltage. With this figure of merit, we compare leading organic and polymer transistors that have been hitherto reported. The material and device architecture have shown very high mobility and low operating voltage for such short channel length (below 5 μm) organic/polymer transistors.

Design and modification of three-component randomly incorporated copolymers for high performance organic photovoltaic applications

In this study we report the molecular design, synthesis, characterization, and photovoltaic properties of a series of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and dithienothiophene (DTT) based donor-acceptor random copolymers. The six random copolymers are obtained via Stille coupling polymerization using various concentration ratios of donor to acceptor in the conjugated backbone. Bis(trimethylstannyl)thiophene was used as the bridge block to link randomly with the two comonomers 5-(bromothien-2-yl)-2,5-dialkylpyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1, 4-dione and 2,6-dibromo-3,5-dipentadecyl-dithieno[3,2-b;2′,3′-d] thiophene. The optical properties of these copolymers clearly reveal a change in the absorption band through optimization of the donor-acceptor ratio in the backbone. Additionally, the solution processability of the copolymers is modified through the attachment of different bulky alkyl chains to the lactam N-atoms of the DPP moiety. Applications of the polymers as light-harvesting and electron-donating materials in solar cells, in conjunction with PCBM as acceptor, show power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to 5.02%.

Poly(2,5-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-3,6-di(furan-2-yl)-2,5-dihydro-pyrrolo[3,4-c] pyrrole-1,4-dione-co-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene): A high performance polymer semiconductor for both organic thin film transistors and organic photovoltaics

A new diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-containing donor-acceptor polymer, poly(2,5-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-3,6-di(furan-2-yl)-2,5-dihydro-pyrrolo[3,4-c] pyrrole-1,4-dione-co-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PDBF-co-TT), is synthesized and studied as a semiconductor in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs). High hole mobility of up to 0.53 cm 2 V -1 s -1 in bottom-gate, top-contact OTFT devices is achieved owing to the ordered polymer chain packing and favoured chain orientation, strong intermolecular interactions, as well as uniform film morphology of PDBF-co-TT. The optimum band gap of 1.39 eV and high hole mobility make this polymer a promising donor semiconductor for the solar cell application. When paired with a fullerene acceptor, PC 71BM, the resulting OPV devices show a high power conversion efficiency of up to 4.38% under simulated standard AM1.5 solar illumination.

Synthesis, characterization and organic field effect transistor performance of a diketopyrrolopyrrole-fluorenone copolymer

A diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) with fluorenone (FN) based low band gap alternating copolymer (PDPPT-alt-FN) has been synthesized via Suzuki coupling. PDPPT-alt-FN exhibits a deep HOMO level with a lower band gap. Fabricated organic thin film transistors using PDPPT-alt-FN as a channel semiconductor show p-channel behaviour with the highest hole mobility of 0.083 cm2 V-1 s-1 measured in air.

Furan containing diketopyrrolopyrrole copolymers : synthesis, characterization, organic field effect transistor performance and photovoltaic properties

In this work, we report design, synthesis and characterization of solution processable low band gap polymer semiconductors, poly{3,6-difuran-2-yl-2,5-di(2- octyldodecyl)-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione-alt-phenylene} (PDPP-FPF), poly{3,6-difuran-2-yl-2,5-di(2-octyldodecyl)-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1, 4-dione-alt-naphthalene} (PDPP-FNF) and poly{3,6-difuran-2-yl-2,5-di(2- octyldodecyl)-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione-alt-anthracene} (PDPP-FAF) using the furan-containing 3,6-di(furan-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4(2H,5H)-dione (DBF) building block. As DBF acts as an acceptor moiety, a series of donor-acceptor (D-A) copolymers can be generated when it is attached alternatively with phenylene, naphthalene or anthracene donor comonomer blocks. Optical and electrochemical characterization of thin films of these polymers reveals band gaps in the range of 1.55-1.64 eV. These polymers exhibit excellent hole mobility when used as the active layer in organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) devices. Among the series, the highest hole mobility of 0.11 cm 2 V -1 s -1 is achieved in bottom gate and top-contact OTFT devices using PDPP-FNF. When these polymers are used as a donor and [70]PCBM as the acceptor in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 2.5 and 2.6% are obtained for PDPP-FAF and PDPP-FNF polymers, respectively. Such mobility values in OTFTs and performance in OPV make furan-containing DBF a very promising block for designing new polymer semiconductors for a wide range of organic electronic applications.

Impact of child labor on academic performance : evidence from the program "Edúcame Primero Colombia"

In this study, the effects of different variables of child labor on academic performance are investigated. To this end, 3302 children participating in the child labor eradication program “Edúcame Primero Colombia” were interviewed. The interview format used for the children's enrollment into the program was a template from which socioeconomic conditions, academic performance, and child labor variables were evaluated. The academic performance factor was determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The data were analyzed through a logistic regression model that took into account children who engaged in a type of labor (n = 921). The results showed that labor conditions, the number of weekly hours dedicated to work, and the presence of work scheduled in the morning negatively affected the academic performance of child laborers. These results show that the relationship between child labor and academic performance is based on the conflict between these two activities. These results do not indicate a linear and simple relationship associated with the recognition of the presence or absence of child labor. This study has implications for the formulation of policies, programs, and interventions for preventing, eradicating, and attenuating the negative effects of child labor on the social and educational development of children.

Corporate Environmental and Economic Performance of Japanese Manufacturing Firms: Empirical Study for Sustainable Development

This study examines the relationship between environmental performance and economic performance in Japanese manufacturing firms. The environmental performance indicators include CO2 emissions and the aggregate toxic risk associated with chemical emissions relative to sales. Return on assets (ROA) is used as an indicator of economic performance. We demonstrate that there is a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between ROA and environmental performance calculated by aggregated toxic risk. We also find that the environmental performance increases ROA through both returns on sales and improved capital turnover. However, we observe a significant positive relationship between financial performance and environmental performance based on CO2 emissions. These findings may provide evidence for the consequences of firms' environmental behavior and sustainable development. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Understanding financial information used to assess small firm performance : an Australian qualitative study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reality of financial and management accounting in a small group of small firms. Specifically, from the owner's perspective, an exploration is undertaken to see what financial information is collected, how it is used (or not) to make business decisions and evaluate the firm's performance, and the role played by the accountant in that process. Design/methodology/approach A phenomenological paradigm underpins this exploratory study. Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with the owners of ten small firms, where the focus was on understanding what happens in an organisational setting, as opposed to theory and textbook practice. Findings The qualitative data supported prior research in other countries. The in‐depth analysis revealed a very basic understanding of accounting information and problems with the financial literacy amongst these small firm owners. Accounting reports were not widely produced or used, so an informal assessment, such as how much cash was in the bank, was the primary means of assessing business performance. Accountants were used for taxation services, although some owners sought more general business advice. Originality/value An understanding is developed of why there might be a gap between textbook rhetoric and reality of accounting practice in small firms. The conclusion is that accounting textbooks need to include more information about the reality of financial management in small firms.