Macadam Base Shoulders, HR-181, 1977

Highway safety and pavement performance can be directly influenced by the type of shoulders that are constructed. Shoulder design alternatives have always been rather limited. Moreover, the use of some of the alternatives has always been restricted by funding limitations. This research project seeks to explore the use of modified macadam base construction for shoulders. This type of shoulder design could offer the designer another option when paved or stabilized shoulders are being considered. Macadam base construction has in the past been shown to be quite strong and freedraining. Two macadam base shoulder designs were developed and constructed for this research project. A new roadway embankment and P.C.C. pavement were constructed on a section of US 6 east of Adel in Dallas County. The macadam base shoulders were constructed adjacent to the pavement as part of the project. The north shoulder was finished with a choke stone course and bituminous surface treatment and the south shoulder was finished with a two (2) inch layer of Type B Class II asphalt concrete. The initial results are considered satisfactory. Follow-up performance evaluation and load bearing tests are planned.

Reinforced Slope with Geogrids, HR-548, 1997

The objective of this research study is to evaluate the performance, maintenance requirements and cost effectiveness of constructing reinforced slope along a concrete bikeway overpass with a Geogrid system such as manufactured by Tensar Corporation or Reinforced Earth Company. This final report consists of two separate reports - construction and performance. An earlier design report and work plan was submitted to the Iowa DOT in 1989. From the Design Report, it was determined that the reinforced slope would be the most economical system for this particular bikeway project. Preliminary cost estimates for other design alternatives including concrete retaining walls, gabions and sheet pile walls ranged from $204/L.F. to $220/L.F. The actual final construction cost of the reinforced slope with GEDGRIDS was around $112/L.F. Although, since the reinforced slope system was not feasible next to the bridge overpass because of design constraints, a fair cost comparison should reflect costs of constructing a concrete retaining wall. Including the concrete retaining wall costs raises the per lineal foot cost to around $122/L.F. In addition to this initial construction cost effectiveness of the reinforced slope, there has been little or no maintenance needed for this reinforced slope. It was noted that some edge mowing or weed whacking could be done near the concrete bikeway slab to improve the visual quality of the slope, but no work has been assigned to city crews. It was added that this kind of weed whacking over such steep slope is more difficult and there could possibly be more potential for work related injury. The geogrid reinforced slope has performed really well once the vegetation took control and prevented soil washing across the bikeway slab. To that end, interim erosion control measures might need to be considered in future projects. Some construction observations were noted. First, there i s no specialized experience or equipment required for a contractor to successfully build a low-to-medium geogrid reinforced slope structure. Second, the adaptability of the reinforced earth structure enables the designer to best fit the shape of the structure to the environment and could enhance aesthetic quality. Finally, a reinforced slope can be built with relatively soft soils provided differential settlements between facing are limited to one or two percent.

El trabajo en beneficio de la comunidad como alternativa a la prision: entre la aceptacion y el rechazo

El debate sobre las medidas alternativas a la prisión y, en particular, sobre el trabajo en beneficio de la comunidad, ha adquirido un renovado interés durante los últimos años, a raíz del progresivo aumento de la población reclusa española. Partiendo de las diversas teorías que existen sobre la pena, se pretende mostrar que, tras más de diez años de haberse aprobado el Código penal vigente, esa medida, aunque ha experimentado recientemente una notable expansión, sigue sin alcanzar su máximo desarrollo, a pesar de los efectos positivos ya demostrados en otros países de nuestro entorno, en cuanto a su mayor eficacia en la reinserción social de las personas encausadas y, por consiguiente, en la disminución de la densidad carcelaria.

Reinforced Earth and Stone Columns for Weak Subsoil Conditions, HR-510, 1980

Reinforced Earth is a French development that has been used in the United States for approximately ten years. Virbro-Replacement, more commonly referred to as stone columns, is an outgrowth of deep densification of cohesionless soils originally developed in Germany. Reinforced Earth has applicability when wall height is greater than about twelve feet and deep seated foundation failure is not a concern. Stone columns are applicable when soft, cohesive subsoil conditions are encountered and bearing capacity and shearing resistance must be increased. The conditions in Sioux City on Wesley Way can be summarized as: (1) restricted right of way, (2) fill height in excess of 25 feet creating unstable conditions, (3) adjacent structures that could not be removed. After analyzing alternatives, it was decided that Reinforced Earth walls constructed on top of stone columns were the most practical approach.

Thin Bonded Concrete Overlay with Fast Track Concrete, Final Report, HR-531, 1990

Pavements have been overlaid with thin bonded portland cement concrete (PCC) for several years. These projects have had traffic detoured for a period of 5-10 days. These detours are unacceptable to the traveling public and result in severe criticism. The use of thin bonded fast track overlay was promoted to allow a thin bonded PCC overlay with minimal disruption of local traffic. This project demonstrated the concept of using one lane of the roadway to maintain traffic while the overlay was placed on the other and then with the rapid strength gain of the fast track concrete, the construction and local traffic is maintained on the newly placed, thin bonded overlay. The goals of this project were: 1. Traffic usage immediately after placement and finishing. 2. Reduce traffic disruption on a single lane to less than 5 hours. 3. Reduce traffic disruption on a given section of two-lane roadway to less than 2 days. 4. The procedure must be economically viable and competitive with existing alternatives. 5. Design life for new construction equivalent to or in excess of conventional pavements. 6. A 20 year minimum design life for rehabilitated pavements.

Defining molecular components of symbiotic phosphate uptake in rice

Phosphate (Pi) acquisition of crops via arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis acquires increasing importance due to the limited rock Pi reserves and the demand for environmentally sustainable agriculture. However, the symbiotic Pi uptake machinery has not been characterized in any monocotyledonous plant species. Among these, rice is the primary staple food for more than half of the human population and thus central for future food security. However, the relevance of the AM symbiosis for rice Pi nutrition is presently unclear. Here, we show that 70% of the overall Pi acquired by rice is delivered via the symbiotic route. To better understand this pathway we combined genetic, molecular and physiological approaches to determine the specific functions of the two rice Pi transporters, PT11 and PT13, which are expressed only during AM symbiosis. The PT11 lineage of proteins is present in mono- and dicotyledons whereas PT13, while found across the Poaceae, is absent from dicotyledons. Surprisingly, mutations in either PT11 or PT13 affected fungal colonization and arbuscule formation demonstrating that both genes are essential for AM symbiosis between rice and Glomus intra.rad.ices. Importantly, for symbiotic Pi uptake, only PT11 is necessary and sufficient. We found that mycorrhizal rice, remarkably, received almost all Pi via the symbiotic route. Such dominating mycorrhizal Pi uptake was found in plants grown under controlled conditions as well as in field soils, suggesting that the AM symbiosis is relevant for the Pi nutrition of field grown rice. Development of smaller arbuscules in PT11 mutants suggested that symbiotic Pi signaling is required for fungal nourishment by the plant. However, co-culture of mutant with wild type nurse plants did not restore normal arbuscule size in mutant roots, indicating that other factors than malnutrition accounted for the altered arbuscule phenotype. Surprisingly, the loss of PT13 did not affect symbiotic Pi uptake although it impacted arbuscule morphology, suggesting that PT13 is involved in signaling during arbuscule development. However, induction of PT13 was not only monitored in arbusculated cells but also in inner cortex cells of non-inoculated roots of plants grown under high Pi fertilization conditions. According to preliminary observations, PT13 localized at the tonoplast in arbusculated and non-arbusculated cells, suggesting that it might be involved in transporting Pi into the vacuole, possibly for maintaining cellular Pi homeostasis. The further investigation showed that fungal colonization level was significantly affected in the crown roots of two ptlS mutant alleles, but not in large lateral roots, implying the possible role of PT13 for maintaining Pi homeostasis in the crown roots. - L'acquisition de phosphate (Pi) par les plantes cultivées s'effectue grâce à une symbiose mycorhizienne arbasculaire (AM). L'étude de cette symbiose devient fondamentale puisque d'une part, les réserves en phosphate minéral sont limitées, et, d'autre part, la demande pour une agriculture écologiquement soutenable se renforce. La machinerie d'absorption symbiotique du phosphate n'est cependant pas encore élucidée chez les plantes monocotylédones. Parmi celles-ci, le riz occupe une place primordiale. Aliment de base pour plus de la moitié de la population mondiale, il revêt de ce fait une dimension essentielle en termes de sécurité alimentaire. Pourtant, l'importance de la symbiose AM chez le riz dans le processus d'acquisition du phosphate n'est, encore de nos jours, que peu comprise. Dans cette étude, nous montrons que 70% du phosphate acquis par le riz est mis à disposition de la plante grâce à la symbiose AM. Afin de mieux comprendre ce mécanisme, nous avons employé des approches physiologiques et génétiques nous permettant de déterminer les fonctions spécifiques de deux transporteurs de Pi, PT11 et PT13, présents chez le riz et exprimés uniquement durant la symbiose AM. La famille de gènes à laquelle appartient PT11 est présente chez les monocotylédones ainsi que chez les dicotylédones tandis que PT13, bien que retrouvé au sein des Poaceae, est absent chez les dicotylédones. Etonnamment, des versions mutées de PT11 ou de PT13 affectent la colonisation par le champignon endo-mycorhizien ainsi que la formation d'arbuscules, démontrant l'importance de ces deux gènes dans la symbiose AM entre le riz et Glomus intraradices. Il est à noter que seul PT11 se révèle nécessaire et suffisant pour l'apport de Pi grâce à la symbiose. Nous avons observé que la presque totalité du phosphate dont dispose le riz lors d'une symbiose AM provient du champignon. De telles proportions ont été observées tant chez des plantes cultivées en conditions contrôlées que chez des plantes cultivées dans les champs. Cela suggère l'importance de la symbiose AM dans le processus d'acquisition du Pi chez le riz cultivé à l'extérieur. Le développement d'arbuscules plus petits chez le mutant PT11 tend à montrer qu'une voie signalétique impliquant le Pi symbiotique est nécessaire pour l'entretien du champignon par la plante. Toutefois, une co-culture du mutant avec des plantes sauvages ne permet pas de restaurer des arbuscules de taille normale dans les racines du mutant. Ce résultat indique le rôle de facteurs autres que la malnutrition aboutissant à la formation d'arbuscules altérés. Si la perte de PT13 n'affecte pas l'acquisition de phosphate symbiotique, la morphologie de l'arbuscule est, quant à elle, modifiée. Ceci suggère un rôle de PT13 durant le développement de l'arbuscule. Or, l'induction de PT13 est non seulement détectée dans des cellules contenant des arbuscules mais également dans des cellules du cortex, ceci chez des plantes cultivées sans champignon mais dans des conditions de fortes concentrations en engrais phosphaté. En accord avec des observations précédentes, PT13 est localisé au niveau du tonoplaste des cellules contenant ou non des arbuscules. Ceci suggère que PT13 pourrait être impliqué dans le transport du Pi vers la vacuole, éventuellement pour maintenir une certaine homéostasie du phosphate. Dans cette étude, nous démontrons également que le niveau de colonisation par le champignon est affecté de manière significative dans les racines principales des deux allèles du mutants ptl3, mais pas dans les grosses racines latérales. Cela impliquerait un rôle possible de PT13 dans le maintien de l'homéostasie du phosphate dans les racines principales. RESUME POUR UN LARGE PUBLIC Le phosphate (Pi), l'un des éléments minéraux essentiel au développement des plantes, se trouve généralement en faible quantité dans le sol, limitant ainsi la croissance des plantes. Le rendement de la production agricole dépend dès lors de l'addition d'engrais contenant du phosphate inorganique (Pi), obtenu à partir de ressources minières riches en phosphate. Or, ces ressources devraient être épuisées d'ici la fin du siècle. Les racines des plantes possèdent des transporteurs de phosphate efficaces leur permettant d'acquérir rapidement le Pi présent dans le sol. Comme le Pi s'avère immobile dans le sol, l'absorption rapide par les racines crée des zones pauvres en Pi autour des systèmes racinaires. Pour surmonter cet obstacle, les plantes ont développé une symbiose avec des champignons endomycorhiziens, la symbiose mycorhizienne arbusculaire (AM). Cette association leur donne accès à d'autres ressources en phosphate puisque le mycélium de ces champignons se développe sur une surface 100 fois supérieure à celle des racines. Cela augmente considérablement la surface de nutrition, dépassant ainsi la zone appauvrie en Pi. Le phosphate, transporté grâce au champignon jusqu'à l'intérieur des racines, est fourni à la plante par le biais de structures établies à l'intérieur des cellules végétales, appelées arbuscules. De leur côté, les plantes possèdent des transporteurs spécifiques afin de recevoir le Pi fourni par les champignons. A l'heure actuelle, la machinerie nécessaire à cette absorption a été uniquement décrite chez des plantes dicotylédones. Or, comprendre l'apport de phosphate par les champignons mycorhiziens s'avère particulièrement pertinent dans le cas des espèces monocotylédones cultivées telles que les céréales. Ces dernières constituent en effet la majeure partie de l'alimentation humaine. Parmi les céréales, le riz demeure l'aliment de base de la population mondiale, d'où son importance en terme de sécurité alimentaire. Durant mon travail de thèse, j'ai identifié et caractérisé le transporteur du riz impliqué dans l'apport de phosphate par ce type de symbiose AM. J'ai également démontré que le riz, lorsqu'il vit en symbiose, bénéficie de la presque totalité du Pi transporté par le champignon. Environ 40% de la production globale de riz est cultivée dans des conditions permettant la symbiose avec des mycorhizes arbusculaires. Les variétés de riz adaptées à ces conditions aérobiques deviennent des alternatives favorables aux cultivars actuels nécessitant une forte irrigation. Elles se révèlent en effet plus tolérantes aux pénuries d'eau et permettent l'utilisation de pratiques agricoles moins intensives. Les données présentées dans cette étude enrichissent nos connaissances concernant l'absorption du phosphate chez le riz grâce à la symbiose AM. Ces connaissances peuvent s'avérer décisives pour le développement de cultivars du riz plus adaptés à une agriculture écologiquement soutenable.

Examination of Highway Maintenance Garages in the U.S. 30 Corridor between Ames and Cedar Rapids, 1988

A linear programming model is used to optimally assign highway segments to highway maintenance garages using existing facilities. The model is also used to determine possible operational savings or losses associated with four alternatives for expanding, closing and/or relocating some of the garages in a study area. The study area contains 16 highway maintenance garages and 139 highway segments. The study recommends alternative No. 3 (close Tama and Blairstown garages and relocate new garage at Jct. U.S. 30 and Iowa 21) at an annual operational savings of approximately $16,250. These operational savings, however, are only the guidelines for decisionmakers and are subject to the required assumptions of the model used and limitations of the study.

An Optimum Allocation Approach to Closing or Relocating Highway Maintenance Garages in Iowa, 1981

Highway maintenance engineers and administrators are often confronted with a number of problems related to highway maintenance work programs. One of these problems is concerned with determining the optimum number and locations of highway maintenance garages in a given area. Serious decline in highway revenues and a high inflation rate have made it necessary to examine existing maintenance practices and to allocate reduced financial resources more effectively and efficiently. Searching for and providing of reasonable solutions to these problems is the focus of this research project. The methodology used is to identify and modify for use (if necessary) those models which have already been developed. Models which could give optimum number and locations of highway maintenance garages were found to be too theoretical and/or practically infeasible. Consequently, research focus was shifted from these models to other models that could compare alternatives and select the best among these alternatives. Three such models -- the Alabama model, California model, and Louisiana model, were identified and studied.

Temps de desig: la novel-la de Jeanne Hersch

L'única novel·la publicada per la filòsofa Jeanne Hersch (Temps alternés, 1942) consisteix principalment en una reflexió sobre el temps i sobre la relació del subjecte amb l'Altre. Descriu dos tipus de temporalitat: un present etern, en què la narradora adolescent viu l'instant sense plantejar-se cap fita, i un present de maduresa fet de records i de projeccions cap al futur. Exposa també dues possibilitats de relació entre el subjecte i l'Altre: la separació total, marcada per l'hermetisme del propi cos, i la fusió, encarnada en el cos porós de la dona embarassada. Aquestes alternatives es resumeixen en l'oposició entre amor i desig.

L'accès des consommateurs à la justice: de la résolution extrajudiciaire des conflits de consommation à la procédure collective : étude de droit suisse et droit comparé

INTRODUCTION : 1. L'OBJET ET L'INTÉRÊT DE LA THÈSE : DES BARRIÈRES D'ACCÈS À LA JUSTICE L'accès à la justice est un droit fondamental garanti par les art. 29a Cst. et 6 CEDH. Il s'agit d'un droit social mis en place par l'avènement de l'Etat providence qui accorde à chacun le droit à ce qu'un tribunal connaisse de toute contestation relative à ses droits et obligations de caractère civil. Aussi a-t-il pour effet de rendre efficace la législation mise en place par un Etat. Ainsi dans le cas particulier du droit de la consommation, l'élaboration des règles de droit matériel ne suffirait pas à concrétiser la protection des consommateurs voulue par le constituant et le législateur fédéral si une voie d'accès à la justice n'était pas ouverte afin de permettre aux consommateurs dont les droits sont violés d'en obtenir réparation. Si le droit formel permet à chacun de poursuivre la réalisation de ses droits par la voie judiciaire, y compris pour les consommateurs, il n'en demeure pas moins que ces derniers, dans la pratique, rencontrent plusieurs obstacles qui, souvent, les découragent de faire valoir leurs droits en justice. En effet, les tribunaux, victimes de leur succès, ont de plus en plus de peine à faire face à la masse des litiges qui leur sont soumis. L'engorgement de l'institution judiciaire est responsable de longs délais avant qu'une affaire soit jugée. A cela s'ajoutent des problèmes d'ordre financier : le coût de la justice comprenant le coût de la consultation juridique et de la représentation, des frais de consultation d'experts qui, parfois, peuvent dépasser le montant même du litige, sans oublier le risque, pour le consommateur, de devoir assurer, en cas d'échec du procès, les frais de l'autre partie. Puis on trouve des barrières d'ordre psychologique liées à la complexité et au formalisme qui accompagnent certaines procédures judiciaires civiles. Enfin, il y a la situation très complexe du litige revêtant un caractère intercantonal ou international (litiges transfrontaliers). S'agissant de litiges de faible valeur litigieuse (petits litiges ou small claims en anglais), ces barrières prennent une importance telle que de nombreux consommateurs renoncent tout simplement à faire valoir leurs droits en justice et subissent parfois la violation de ceux-ci. La valeur limitée de l'enjeu économique du litige peut rendre la durée de la procédure judiciaire démesurée et son coût disproportionné. En ce qui concerne le coût de la justice, nous illustrons ce propos par l'exemple reproduit sous l'annexe I ci-dessous. Il est également bon de signaler une étude couvrant 15 Etats membres de l'Union européenne réalisée en 1995 par la Commission européenne selon laquelle " le coût moyen (frais de justice + frais d'avocat, hors TVA) d'un règlement judiciaire d'un litige intracommunautaire portant sur un montant de 2'000 écus s'élève, dans la meilleure des hypothèses pour la partie demanderesse, à un montant d'environ 2'500 écus ". Après avoir relevé l'importance de l'accès à la justice pour le consommateur et les différents obstacles qui se dressent sur son chemin, nous allons nous intéresser aux solutions proposées pour minimiser voire supprimer ces barrières. A cet égard, on se posera la question de savoir dans quelle mesure les moyens extrajudiciaires, tels que des institutions d'ombudsmans et des organismes paritaires existant dans certains secteurs de la consommation, peuvent constituer des alternatives efficaces à la saisine des tribunaux. Puis on se demandera de quelle manière il faut alléger les formalités de procédure afin de permettre aux consommateurs non assistés de mandataires professionnels de saisir la justice et par-là même de diminuer le coût lié à celle-ci. Enfin, vu les difficultés qu'affrontent les consommateurs agissant individuellement, la question de l'opportunité de procédures collectives sera abordée. Comme ces interrogations touchent de près ou de loin les alinéas 2 et 3 de l'art. 97 Cst. nous avons jugé opportun d'exposer à titre liminaire la genèse de cette disposition. De plus, comme celui qui entreprend de traiter l'accès des consommateurs à la justice se doit de commencer par définir ce que l'on entend par consommateur, nous aborderons les notions de consommateur et de litige de consommation avant d'entrer dans le vif de la matière.

How important are interview methods and questionnaire designs in research on self-reported juvenile delinquency? An experimental comparison of internet vs. paper-and-pencil questionnaires and different definitions of the reference period

There has been relatively little change over recent decades in the methods used in research on self-reported delinquency. Face-to-face interviews and selfadministered interviews in the classroom are still the predominant alternatives envisaged. New methods have been brought into the picture by recent computer technology, the Internet, and an increasing availability of computer equipment and Internet access in schools. In the autumn of 2004, a controlled experiment was conducted with 1,203 students in Lausanne (Switzerland), where "paper-and-pencil" questionnaires were compared with computer-assisted interviews through the Internet. The experiment included a test of two different definitions of the (same) reference period. After the introductory question ("Did you ever..."), students were asked how many times they had done it (or experienced it), if ever, "over the last 12 months" or "since the October 2003 vacation". Few significant differences were found between the results obtained by the two methods and for the two definitions of the reference period, in the answers concerning victimisation, self-reported delinquency, drug use, failure to respond (missing data). Students were found to be more motivated to respond through the Internet, take less time for filling out the questionnaire, and were apparently more confident of privacy, while the school principals were less reluctant to allow classes to be interviewed through the Internet. The Internet method also involves considerable cost reductions, which is a critical advantage if self-reported delinquency surveys are to become a routinely applied method of evaluation, particularly so in countries with limited resources. On balance, the Internet may be instrumental in making research on self-reported delinquency far more feasible in situations where limited resources so far have prevented its implementation.

Unnatural Mothers, Mothering Unnaturally: Technologies of Reproduction and the Politics of Maternity in Hiromi Goto's "Hopeful Monsters"

Through scientific discourse and reproductive technologies, the reproductive body and the maternal body continue to be constructed as ‘natural’. At the same time,these technologies have begun to blur the boundaries between what is consideredan acceptable reproductive body, and consequently an acceptable maternal body,and an unnatural or a socially undesireable one. As science purports to offerwomen greater control over how and when they choose to procreate, through methods which range between delaying or eliminating the possibility of contraception to those which extend the possibility of conception to postmenopausal or infertile women, these same procedures raise questions about thenature and ‘naturalness’ of reproduction. Added to these concerns are thesuitablility of the reproductive body as a maternal body. Consequently, and moreand more frequently, bodies which defy ideals about maternity and motherhoodemerge, and questions about what it means to mother are raised. Bodies whichcontest the construction of motherhood as natural are frequently represented asmonstrous or freakish, and the debate between science and nature is heightened.Hiromi Goto’s short story ‘Hopeful Monsters’ resists the construction of the‘natural’ maternal body by highlighting the way in which women’s bodies areshaped by scientific discourse. In turn, images of ‘monstrous’ mothers emerge andare challenged, suggesting the need to reimagine what it means to mother and whatit means to be a mother. Through reading a selection of the stories this paper willinterrogate possible alternatives to constructions of the ‘natural’ maternal body and motherhood, suggesting that the Goto’s ‘monsters’ are perhaps only monstrous as a result of scientific discourse which constructs them as such.

Ignorance and Indifference: Epistemic Indefinites in Slovak

This thesis investigates epistemic indefinites (EIs), elements noteworthy for their grammaticalized ignorance implicature, i.e. inability to provide further information about the identity of the expression's referent. This work contributes to the effort of finding a unified account of the cross-linguistic repertoire of EIs. It comprises a corpus survey and a semantic analysis of Slovak voľa- and -si, EI items not studied until now. First, the following hypothesis was tested: the semantic/syntactic functions expressed by an indefinite will fall into contiguous areas on an implicational map (Haspelmath 1997). The results of the corpus analysis revealed that the map does not entirely capture the Slovak EIs' functional distribution and interpretations. Secondly, the semantic analysis was developed within the alternatives-and-exhaustification framework (Chierchia 2013). I show that some of the EIs' behavior can be explained as a consequence of an assumed sensitivity to parameters proposed by Chierchia. I situate voľa- and -si with respect to the framework’s typology and offer a critical assessment of this theoretical perspective.

Low environmental impact bleaching sequences for attaining high brightness level with eucalyptus SPP pulp

The alternatives used for minimizing the usage of chlorine dioxide in bleaching sequences included a hot acid hydrolysis (Ahot) stage, the use of hot chlorine dioxide (Dhot) and ozone stages at medium consistency and high consistency (Zmc and Zhc), in addition to stages with atmospheric hydrogen peroxide (P) and pressurized hydrogen peroxide (PO). The results were interpreted based on the cost of the chemical products, bleaching process yields and on minimizing the environmental impact of the bleaching process. In spite of some process restrictions, high ISO brightness levels were kept around 90 % brightness. Additionally, the inclusion of stages like acid hydrolysis, pressurized peroxide and ozone in the bleaching sequences provided an increase in operating flexibility, aimed at reducing environmental impact (ECF Light). The Dhot(EOP)D(PO) sequence presented lower operating cost for ISO brightness above 92 %. However, this kind of sequence was not allowed for closing the wastewater circuit, even partially. For ISO brightness level around 91%, the AhotZhcDP sequence presented a lower operating cost than the others

Reduction of the bull: cow ratio in the Brazilian Pantanal

This work was conducted to study alternatives for reduction of the bull:cow ratio in the Brazilian lowland and, therefore, lower the production costs for the local beef cattle industry. The ratios 1:10, 1:25, and 1:40 were used in native pastures with a mean stocking rate of 0.27 mature animal unit per hectare over two consecutive breeding seasons. Statistical analysis did not show any effect (P>0.05) of year (P = 0.2097), animal category (P = 0.0773), bull:cow ratio (0.8134) on reproductive performance. However, the pregnancy rate in a multiple bull system was higher (P = 0.0228) than in the individual bull system. An evaluation of the economic impact of this management system in the extensive Lowland herds showed that at the ratio of 1:10 the bulls were sub utilized.