A finite element approach to modelling the hydrological regime in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment

A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model is used to explore the relationship between clogging and hydraulics that occurs in Horizontal Subsurface Flow Treatment Wetlands (HSSF TWs) in the United Kingdom (UK). Clogging is assumed to be caused by particle transport and an existing single collector efficiency model is implemented to describe this behaviour. The flow model was validated against HSSF TW survey results obtained from the literature. The model successfully simulated the influence of overland flow on hydrodynamics, and the interaction between vertical flow through the low permeability surface layer and the horizontal flow of the saturated water table. The clogging model described the development of clogging within the system but under-predicted the extent of clogging which occurred over 15 years. This is because important clogging mechanisms were not considered by the model, such as biomass growth and vegetation establishment. The model showed the usefulness of FEA for linking hydraulic and clogging phenomenon in HSSF TWs and could be extended to include treatment processes. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

On the role of surface roughness in the aerodynamic performance and energy conversion of horizontal wind turbine blades:a review

Summary: Renewable energy is one of the main pillars of sustainable development, especially in developing economies. Increasing energy demand and the limitation of fossil fuel reserves make the use of renewable energy essential for sustainable development. Wind energy is considered to be one of the most important resources of renewable energy. In North African countries, such as Egypt, wind energy has an enormous potential; however, it faces quite a number of technical challenges related to the performance of wind turbines in the Saharan environment. Seasonal sand storms affect the performance of wind turbines in many ways, one of which is increasing the wind turbine aerodynamic resistance through the increase of blade surface roughness. The power loss because of blade surface deterioration is significant in wind turbines. The surface roughness of wind turbine blades deteriorates because of several environmental conditions such as ice or sand. This paper is the first review on the topic of surface roughness effects on the performance of horizontal-axis wind turbines. The review covers the numerical simulation and experimental studies as well as discussing the present research trends to develop a roadmap for better understanding and improvement of wind turbine performance in deleterious environments.

A fogyasztói hitelszerződések új szabályai (New regulations the credit agreements for consumers)

A fogyasztói hitelszerződések jogát az Európai Unión belül a 2008/48/EK irányelv szabályozta újra, amely a magyar jogalkotó számára is a belső jogba történő átültetés kötelezettségét írta elő. Ennek az implementációnak az eredményeként született meg a fogyasztónak nyújtott hitelről szóló 2009. évi CLXII. törvény. Jelen cikk a jelzáloghitelek szabályozására vonatkozó elképzeléseket, majd a hiteltermékek reklámozására – kereskedelmi kommunikációjára – irányadó szabályokat vizsgálja meg részletesebben. Ennek során bemutatja a hiteltermékek reklámozásáról szóló, hatályos jogszabályokban fellelhető ellentmondásokat is. Ezt követően a szerződéskötést megelőző tájékoztatási kötelezettséget, valamint az előtörlesztés intézménye körüli kérdéseket elemzi. Végül alátámasztani kívánja azt az álláspontot, hogy a fogyasztói kezességi szerződésekre is indokolt lett volna kiterjeszteni az új irányelvben foglalt védelmi szintet, a jelzáloggal fedezett hitelekre azonban nem, hiszen ezekre vonatkozóan további uniós jogalkotási lépések várhatóak. / === / The consumer protection law is governed by Directive 2008/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and was implemented to the Hungarian legal system through the Act on Credit Provided for Consumers (162/2009). This article aims at observing the relevant provisions on mortgage as well as the commercials and advertisements of mortgages. This article will show that there are many confl icts within the relevant legal provisions and will further examine the obligation to information and the institution of early repayment. The author of this article believes that the protection created by the new directive should have been extended to guarantee contracts as well, but not to hypothec contracts as the latter are expected to be governed through future EU legislation.

A horizontális és vertikális ágazaton belüli agrárkereskedelem meghatározó tényezői az EU új tagországaiban (Determinants of horizontal and vertical intra-industry agri-food trade in the new EU member-states)

Az ágazaton belüli kereskedelem egyre komolyabb szerepet tölt be a nemzetközi kereskedelemben, mind ez idáig azonban kevés mezőgazdasági témájú elemzés készült e témában. A cikk célja a horizontális és vertikális ágazaton belüli agrárkereskedelem meghatározó tényezőinek azonosítása az új tagországok és az EU–27 közötti kereskedelemben 1999–2010 között. Ehhez a szerző statikus és dinamikus panelmódszereket alkalmaz különböző specifikációkkal. Eredményei szerint a tényezőellátottság a horizontális ágazaton belüli kereskedelemmel negatív, míg a vertikálissal pozitív kapcsolatban áll. Az országok mérete az ágazaton belüli kereskedelem mindkét oldalával pozitívan, míg a távolság negatívan korrelál. Az eredmények azt is kimutatják, hogy az ágazaton belüli kereskedelem mértéke nagyobb, ha egy új tagország a kelet-közép-európai régióba exportál, és az is világossá vált, hogy az EU-csatlakozás pozitívan hatott az ágazaton belüli kereskedelemre, jelezve a gazdasági integráció kereskedelemösztönző szerepét. _____ Intra-industry trade (IIT) has a growing role in international trade, although the number of papers on its agricultural aspects is limited. This article identifies the determinants of horizontal and vertical intra-industry agri-food trade between new member-states (NMS) and the EU27 in 1999-2010, by applying to panel data static and dynamic models with different specifications. The results show that factor endowments are negatively related to agri-food horizontal intra-industry trade (HIIT), but positively to vertical intra-industry trade (VIIT). Economic size is positively and significantly related to both, while distance and IIT are found to be negatively related. This also suggests that HIIT and VIIT are greater if an NMS exports agri-food products to another NMS, while EU accession has had positive and significant impacts on both HIIT and VIIT, which suggests that economic integration fosters IIT.

Horizontal diversity of higher education institutions. The case of Hungary – in European context

In the European Higher Education Area the diversification of higher education is considered to be an emphasized value, a guarantee of creativity. The various institutional rankings are the displays of vertical diversity, but in parallel with these, there is an increasing attention directed at horizontal diversity, the entirety of the institutions' activities. The European Mapping Project (U-map) undertook this challenge. The paper presents the research program, which is an attempt to adapt the U-map model to Hungary. According to the results, the U-map method which was intended for application on an international level, is very useful in the identification of the main groups of institutions in a specific national higher education system as well, and may provide a basis for the creation of institutional strategies and the development of the institutions’ network.

Country-specific determinants of horizontal and vertical intra-industry agri-food trade: the case of Bulgaria and Romania

The article analyses patterns and country-specific determinants of agri-food trade of Bulgaria and Romania with the European Union. As literature focusing on agricultural aspects of the topic is limited, the paper seeks to contribute to the literature by providing up to date results and suggestions as well as by identifying the determinants of horizontal and vertical intra-industry trade of the Bulgaria and Romania after EU accession. Results suggest that intra-industry agri-food trade is mainly of vertical nature, referring to trade of different quality products. Results verify that determinants of horizontal and vertical IIT are similar and suggest that economic size and FDI are positively, while factor endowments and distance are negatively related to both sides of IIT. Results are mainly in line with the majority of empirical literature in the field.

Horizontal genetic transfer in asexual fungi

Four aspects of horizontal genetic transfer during heterokaryon formation were examined in the asexual pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc): (1) variability based on method of heterokaryon formation; (2) differences in nuclear and mitochondrial inheritance; (3) the occurrence of recombination without nuclear fusion; (4) the occurrence of horizontal genetic transfer between distantly related isolates. The use of non-pathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum as biocontrol agents warrants a closer examination at the reproductive life cycle of this fungus, particularly if drug resistance or pathogenicity genes can be transmitted horizontally. Experiments were divided into three phases. Phase I looked at heterokaryon formation by hyphal anastomosis and protoplast fusion. Phase II was a time course of heterokaryon formation to look at patterns of nuclear and mitochondrial inheritance. Phase III examined the genetic relatedness of the different vegetative compatibility groups using a multilocus analysis approach. Heterokaryon formation was evident within and between vegetative compatibility groups. Observation of non-parental genotypes after heterokaryon formation confirmed that, although a rare event, horizontal genetic transfer occurred during heterokaryon formation. Uniparental mitochondria inheritance was observed in heterokaryons formed either by hyphal anastomosis or protoplast fusion. Drug resistance was expressed during heterokaryon formation, even across greater genetic distances than those distances imposed by vegetative compatibility. Phylogenies inferred from different molecular markers were incongruent at a significant level, challenging the clonal origins of Foc. Mating type genes were identified in this asexual pathogen Polymorphisms were detected within a Vegetative Compatibility Group (VCG) suggesting non-clonal inheritance and/or sexual recombination in Foc. This research was funded in part by a NIH-NIGMS (National Institutes of Health-National Institute of General Medical Sciences) Grant through the MBRS (Minority Biomedical Research Support), the Department of Biological Sciences and the Tropical Biology Program at FIU. ^

Determination of vertical and horizontal pathways of injected fresh wastewater into a deep saline aquifer (Florida, USA) using natural chemical tracers

Two deep-well injection sites in south Florida, USA, inject an average of 430 million liters per day (MLD) of treated domestic fresh wastewater into a deep saline aquifer 900 m below land surface. Elevated levels of NH3 (highest concentration 939 µmol) in the overlying aquifer above ambient concentrations (concentration less than 30 µmol) were evidence of the upward migration of injected fluids. Three pathways were distinguished based on ammonium, chloride and bromide ratios, and temperature. At the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant, the tracer ratios showed that the injectate remained chemically distinct as it migrated upwards through rapid vertical pathways via density-driven buoyancy. The warmer injectate (mean 28°C) retained the temperature signal as it vertically migrated upwards; however, the temperature signal did not persist as the injectate moved horizontally into the overlying aquifers. Once introduced, the injectate moved slowly horizontally through the aquifer and mixed with ambient water. At the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, data provide strong evidence of a one-time pulse of injectate into the overlying aquifers due to improper well construction. No evidence of rapid vertical pathways was observed at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Planning Buy-Sell Agreements In The Hospitality Industry

In the article - Planning Buy-Sell Agreements In The Hospitality Industry - by John M. Tarras, Assistant Professor, School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management at Michigan State University, the author initially observes: “The vast majority of hospitality firms (restaurants, hotels, etc.) would be considered closely-held corporations. As such, they have unique planning problems compared to large, publicly-traded hospitality firms. One area of special concern to the closely-held hospitality firm is the planning and adoption of a buy-sell agreement.” The above thesis statement outlines the heart of the article; the buy-sell agreement in regard to smaller [closely held, as Tarras calls them] corporations. The theory is narrow and pro-active, spanning the gap between personal-to-corporate stock manipulations. “The primary purpose of a buy-sell agreement is to contribute to the orderly transfer of a shareholder's stock in a hospitality firm upon some future incident [typically retirement, withdrawal of a shareholder, disability, or death], as Tarras defines the concept. “The hospitality firm or the other shareholders would be committed to purchase the departing shareholder's stock at an agreed upon price and method, and to ensure that ample cash will be obtainable for such an impending sale. The buy-sell agreement provides a market for the shareholder or the shareholder's estate for the sale of otherwise illiquid stock,” the author further provides as canons of buy-sell agreements. In defining the buy-sell agreement with restrictive clauses, Tarras demonstrates, “…many closely-held hospitality firms desire to limit ownership to those individuals, either family or principal corporate employees, who are essential to the well-being of the firm.” Tarras says, another element of the buy-sell agreement is to furnish the departing shareholder with liquidity. “…there typically is some form of cash down payment with the remainder denoted by an interest-bearing promissory note [usually 5 to 15 years],” he informs. “The departing shareholders may require that the hospitality firm pledge the assets of the firm and that the remaining shareholders personally guarantee the promissory note.” “…the most frequent reason for establishing buy-sell agreements is for estate planning purposes,” Tarras says. There are tax advantages and liabilities for both the seller and buyer of stock via the buy-sell agreement, and the author enumerates many of these. One, big advantage of the buy-sell agreement is that it provides for the running of the company with a minimum of disruption through the stock-cash transition process, Tarras offers.

O desempenho da compartimentação horizontal seletiva na promoção da segurança contra incêndio em edificações

The thesis presents the results of research that addresses the performance of selective horizontal partitioning to promote Fire Safety in Buildings - FSB. Horizontal partitioning is a passive protection measure, settable in the early stages of the design process and controlled by the architect. However, there is a frequent reconfiguration of the rooms in academic buildings to adjust them for the space demand. Thus, large classrooms could turn into two or more smaller rooms, for example. Regardless when the subdivision occurs in the design phase or during the occupation of the building, the regulations just ensures the compartimentation of the room if all fireguard devices are present in the room. Knowing the fire's first minutes are the most important for life protection, we defend the hypothesis that a kind of partitioning ignored by regulatory standards is able to favoring the building vacancy and occupants rescue, for promote the room’s smoke exhaust. The performance of the selective horizontal partitioning due different blend of openings for smoke outlet was simulated on CFD software. The results indicate that selective horizontal partitioning is able to promote an upper smoke free layer and delay the indoor temperature growth.

O desempenho da compartimentação horizontal seletiva na promoção da segurança contra incêndio em edificações

The thesis presents the results of research that addresses the performance of selective horizontal partitioning to promote Fire Safety in Buildings - FSB. Horizontal partitioning is a passive protection measure, settable in the early stages of the design process and controlled by the architect. However, there is a frequent reconfiguration of the rooms in academic buildings to adjust them for the space demand. Thus, large classrooms could turn into two or more smaller rooms, for example. Regardless when the subdivision occurs in the design phase or during the occupation of the building, the regulations just ensures the compartimentation of the room if all fireguard devices are present in the room. Knowing the fire's first minutes are the most important for life protection, we defend the hypothesis that a kind of partitioning ignored by regulatory standards is able to favoring the building vacancy and occupants rescue, for promote the room’s smoke exhaust. The performance of the selective horizontal partitioning due different blend of openings for smoke outlet was simulated on CFD software. The results indicate that selective horizontal partitioning is able to promote an upper smoke free layer and delay the indoor temperature growth.

Firm-level utilization rates of regional trade agreements : importers' perspective

While previous theoretical studies have examined exporters' choice of tariff schemes without considering explicit heterogeneity of importers, an empirical analysis on regional trade agreement (RTA) utilization is, in general, possible by employing trade data covering the importers' side. To better link the empirical analysis with a theoretical model, this study develops a model that sheds light on the role of both importers' and exporters' characteristics in RTA utilization. The model enables us to replicate stylized facts concerning importers' RTA utilization. Based on this model, we derive some propositions on the determinants of RTA utilization rates (i.e., share of imports under RTA schemes out of total imports) at an import firm-product level. Finally, we found that these theoretical predictions are supported by highly detailed import data in Thailand from Australia from 2007 to 2009.

Coseismic horizontal slip revealed by sheared clastic dikes in the Dead Sea Basin

Peer reviewed