Aquaculture technologies in Bangladesh: an assessment of technical and economic performance and producer behavior

This study evaluates the performance of a wide range of aquaculture systems in Bangladesh. It is by far the largest of its kind attempted to date. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the most important production systems, rather than to provide a nationally representative overview of the entire aquaculture sector of Bangladesh. As such, the study yields a huge amount of new information on production technologies that have never been thoroughly researched before. The study reveals an extremely diverse array of specialized, dynamic and rapidly evolving production technologies, adapted to a variety of market niches and local environmental conditions. This is a testament to the innovativeness of farmers and other value chain actors who have been the principal drivers of this development in Bangladesh. Data was collected from six geographical hubs. This survey was conducted from November 2011 to June 2012. Technological performance in terms of detailed input and output information, fish management practices, credit and marketing, and social and environmental issues were captured by the survey questionnaire, which had both open and closed format questions. The study generated insights that enable better understanding of aquaculture development in Bangladesh.

The role for low carbon electrification technologies in poverty reduction and climate change strategies: A focus on renewable energy mini-grids with case studies in Nepal, Peru and Kenya

As a potential poverty reduction and climate change strategy, this paper considers the advantages and disadvantages of using renewable energy technologies for rural electrification in developing countries. Although each case must be considered independently, given a reliable fuel source, renewable energy mini-grids powered by biomass gasifiers or micro-hydro plants appear to be the favoured option due to their lower levelised costs, provision of AC power, potential to provide a 24. h service and ability to host larger capacity systems that can power a wide range of electricity uses. Sustainability indicators are applied to three case studies in order to explore the extent to which sustainable welfare benefits can be created by renewable energy mini-grids. Policy work should focus on raising awareness about renewable energy mini-grids, improving institutional, technical and regulatory frameworks and developing innovative financing mechanisms to encourage private sector investments. Establishing joint technology and community engagement training centres should also be encouraged. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Part I: Binders & technologies - Basic principles

The first three reports in this series (Parts I, II and III) deals with binders and technologies used in stabilisation/ solidification (S/S) practice and research in the UK. This first part covers 'basic principles'while the second covers 'research' and the third 'applications'. The purpose of this work, which forms part of the Network STARNET on stabilisation/solidification treatment and remediation, is to identify the knowledge gaps and future research needs in this field. This paper describes the details and basic principles of available binders and technologies in the UK. The introduction in the report includes background on S/S, legislation aspects, overview of STARNET and its activities and details of commonly used binder selection criteria. The report is then divided into two main sections. The first covers binders and includes cement, blastfurnace slag, pulverised fuel ash, lime, natural and organophilic clays, bitumen, waste binders and concludes with proprietary binders. The second part details implementation processes for S/S treatment systems starting with ex-situ treatment systems, such as plant processing, direct mixing and in-drum processing and finishes with in-situ treatment processes, such as mechanical mixing and pressure mixing. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group.

Part II: Binders & technologies - Research

The first report of report series I, II and III entitled 'basic principles' presented details of the binders and technologies available and used in the stabilisation/ solidification (S/S) treatment of hazardous waste and contaminated land. This second report entitled 'research' presents an overview of the main research work, both experimental and numerical, carried out in the UK concentrating on the last decade or so but also highlighting earlier significant research work. The research work is reported under the headings of the individual binders and for each binder the work is presented in chronological order. In this work, most of the S/S materials are prepared by manual/mechanical mixing. The latter part of this report presents research work on S/S materials prepared using soil mixing with mixing augers. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group.

Universal access and assistive technology

This book contains the proceedings of the first Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT), incorporating the fourth Cambridge Workshop on Rehabilitation Robotics, held in Cambridge, England in March 2002.

Comparison of Image-Based and Time-of-Flight-Based Technologies for 3D Reconstruction of Infrastructure

Image-based (i.e., photo/videogrammetry) and time-of-flight-based (i.e., laser scanning) technologies are typically used to collect spatial data of infrastructure. In order to help architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries make cost-effective decisions in selecting between these two technologies with respect to their settings, this paper makes an attempt to measure the accuracy, quality, time efficiency, and cost of applying image-based and time-of-flight-based technologies to conduct as-built 3D reconstruction of infrastructure. In this paper, a novel comparison method is proposed, and preliminary experiments are conducted. The results reveal that if the accuracy and quality level desired for a particular application is not high (i.e., error < 10 cm, and completeness rate > 80%), image-based technologies constitute a good alternative for time-of-flight-based technologies and significantly reduce the time and cost needed for collecting the data on site.