Diagnóstico ambiental da gestão e destinação dos resíduos da construção e demolição (RCD): análise das Construtoras Associadas ao SINDUSCON/RN e empresas coletoras atuantes no município de Parnamirim - RN

Surveys carried out in many Brazilian cities have shown that the CDW Construction and Demolition Waste, in some cases, represent more than 50% of the mass of urban solid residue. Municipalities have struggled to manage in an effective way huge quantities of CDW generated every day and solve the problem of the illegal dumping in an inadequate area, which compromise the quality of life of the population as a whole, thus causing serious problems concerning social-environmental and sanitary. This paperwork was meant it carry out environmental diagnosis of the management and the final destination of the CDW in the city of Parnamirim/RN. The methodology used in this work constituted in the bibliographical research, conducted to give support and fundaments to the subject in question, identification of the main places of legal and illegal dumping, identification of the environmental impacts caused by the irregular deposition of the CDW, valuation of quantity and quality of the CDW and perception according to the Environmental Legislation. The necessary data for the elaboration of this study were carried out through the appliance of questionnaires with open and closed questions, applied to 14 (fourteen) Real Estate developer companies associated with SINDUSCON/RN and 05 companies that deal with the transportation and collection of CDW, formal and informal interviews, exploitational visits and photographical records. The collected data went through a statistic treatment being organized into tables and graphs. The main results obtained from this research show that the interviewees hold a medium knowledge of the specific Environmental Legislation; do not have an effective model of environmental management, resorting to only reusing CDW; that the reusing of CDW is not substantial, as much as the possibility of recycling has a minimal consideration. It was also verified that a considerable percentage of interviewees affirmed to send CDW to illegal and inadequate locations. It is expected that such study can be used as an important tool to subsidize the public administration in the pursuit of solutions which could bring benefits to society and the environment

The impact of perceived stage of cancer on carers’ anxiety and depression during the patients’ final year of life

Objective: This paper explores the effects of perceived stage of cancer (PSOC) on carers' anxiety and depression during the patients' final year. Methods: A consecutive sample of patients and carers (N=98) were surveyed at regular intervals regarding PSOC, and anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Means were compared by gender using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The chi-square was used to analyse categorical data. Agreement between carers' and patients' PSOC was estimated using kappa statistics. Correlations between carers' PSOC and their anxiety and depression were calculated using the Spearman's rank correlation. Results: Over time, an increasing proportion of carers reported that the cancer was advanced, culminating at 43% near death. Agreement regarding PSOC was fair (kappa=0.29-0.34) until near death (kappa=0.21). Carers' anxiety increased over the year; depression increased in the final 6 months. Females were more anxious (p=0.049, 6 months; p=0.009, 3 months) than males, and more depressed until 1 month to death. The proportion of carers reporting moderate-severe anxiety almost doubled over the year to 27%, with more females in this category at 6 months (p=0.05). Carers with moderate-severe depression increased from 6 to 15% over the year. Increased PSOC was weakly correlated with increased anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Carers' anxiety exceeded depression in severity during advanced cancer. Females generally experienced greater anxiety and depression. Carers were more realistic than patients regarding the ultimate outcome, which was reflected in their declining mental health, particularly near the end.

Final report of Delphi study

This is the final report of project 2002-010 Component Life – A Delphi Approach to Life Prediction of Building Material Components. A Delphi survey has been conducted to provide expert opinion on the life of components in buildings. Thirty different components were surveyed with a range of materials, coatings, environments and failure considered. These components were chosen to be representative of a wider range of components in the same building microclimate. The survey included both service life (with and without maintenance) and aesthetic life, and time to first maintenance. It included marine, industrial, and benign environments, and covered both commercial and residential buildings. In order to obtain answers to this wide range of question, but still have a survey that could be completed in a reasonable time, the survey was broken into five sections: 1 External metal components – residential buildings. 2. Internal metal components – residential buildings. 3. External metal components – commercial buildings. 4. Internal metal components – commercial buildings. 5. Metal connectors in buildings.

Drying condition effects on fluidization quality and fluidization velocity at initial and final stages of cubical particulates for pet food

In this research fluidization behavior of cubical Bovine intestine samples was studied. Bovine intestine samples were heat pump dried at atmospheric pressure and at emperatures below and above the material freezing points. Experiments were conducted to study fluidization characteristics and drying kinetics at different drying conditions. Bovine particles were characterized according to Geldart classification and minimum fluidization velocity was calculated using Ergun Equation and generalized equation for all drying conditions at the beginning of the trials and end of the trials. Walli’s model was used to categorize stability of the fluidization at the beginning and end of the drying for each trial. Walli’s values determined were positive at the beginning and end of all trials indicating stable fluidisation at the beginning and end for each drying condition.

Final report of Working Group 2: Traffic psychology [A COST Action TU1101 / HOPE collaboration]

BACKGROUND The workgroup of Traffic Psychology is concerned with the social, behavioral, and perceptual aspects that are associated with use and non-use of bicycle helmets, in their various forms and under various cycling conditions. OBJECTIVES The objectives of WG2 are to (1) share current knowledge among the people already working in the field, (2) suggest new ideas for research on and evaluation of the design of bicycle helmets, and (3) discuss options for funding of such research within the individual frameworks of the participants. Areas for research include 3.1. The patterns of use of helmets among different users: children, adults, and sports enthusiasts. 3.2. The use of helmets in different environments: rural roads, urban streets, and bike trails. 3.3. Concerns bicyclists have relative to their safety and convenience and the perceived impact of using helmets on comfort and convenience. 3.4. The benefit of helmets for enhancing visibility, and how variations in helmet design and colors affect daytime, nighttime, and dusktime visibility. 3.5. The role of helmets in the acceptance of city-wide pickup-and-drop-off bicycles. 3.6. The impact of helmets on visual search behaviour of bicyclists.

Final report of the Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management (STREAM): a NACA networking initiative

The governing council of Naca has resolved to effect a shift in emphasis from aquaculture development to aquaculture for development. This will require engaging partners from a broad spectrum of government and development agencies, the nature of the information that will need to be gathered and the strategies used for disseminating information and initiating action. The vehicle for operationalising this shift is STREAM - Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management. This report outlines the nature of the STREAM network, its relationship to NACA's vision, mission, objectives and operating principles, and how STREAM differs from previous NACA's networks. Because STREAM is different, a theoretical basis for network communication is presented along with an outline of the preliminary steps in getting the network up and running. (Pdf contains 33 pages).

Final report of the Fisheries Catch Assessment Survey in the Ugandan waters of Lake Victoria for the May 2011 survey

This report presents findings of the CAS conducted in the Ugandan waters of Lake Victoria in May 2011. The results of the previous eleven CASs conducted under the IFMP of the LVFO programme in July, August, September and November 2005; in March, August and December 2006; in March and August 2007; in February and December 2008; and March 2010 are included to show the emerging trends. The report also presents annual catch estimates for the Ugandan part of the lake from 2005 to 2011. Through these CASs, information is building up to show the emerging picture of fish production in the Ugandan waters of the lake. Similar surveys are conducted in the Kenyan and Tanzanian parts of the lake, which provide the lake wide perspective of fisheries production but this time not simultaneously as under the LVFO effort due to different sources and timing of funding. These data can now be utilised together with other Resource and Socio-economic Monitoring survey data for a stock assessment of the lake to provide a firm basis for planning and management of the fisheries resources.

Final report of the targeted research on Indian mackerel and sharks and national plan of action for conservation and management of shark resources, Thailand

Research included: population structure of Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta); a National Plan of Action for the conservation and management of sharks; levels of heavy metals in shark products; and a database on rays.

Final report of the baseline data reconstruction for the Quality Assurance for Fish Marketing Project

A baseline survey for the project which had been conducted in 2009 had gaps that could not allow assessment of project performance in the outcome and impact indicators to be made. This study was, therefore, commissioned to reconstruct the baseline data, aligned to the impact and outcome indicators on the project logframe and results framework, against which project achievements could be assessed. The purpose and scope of the study was to reconstruct the baseline data and analysis describing the situation prior to QAFM Project inception, taking 2008 as the baseline year, which was aligned to the project logframe outcome and impact indicators; to collect data on current status to compare project outcome (and where possible impact) in improved fish handling sites in comparison with the baseline as well as with comparable non-improved fish landing sites as control group. The study was conducted through secondary data search from sources at NaFIRRI, DFR and ICEIDA. Field data collection was carried out using a sample survey covering 312 respondents including boat and gear owners, crew members, processors and traders at eight project and two control landing sites. Key Informant Interviews were conducted with DFOs and BMU leaders in the study districts and landing sites respectively.

Final report of the fisheries catch assessment survey in the Ugandan waters of Lake Victoria for the March 2010 survey

This report presents findings of the CAS conducted in the Ugandan waters of Lake Victoria in March 2010. The results of the previous ten CASs conducted under the same programme in July, August, September and November 2005; in March, August and December 2006; in March, and August 2007; in February and December 2008 are included to show the emerging trends. The report also presents total annual catch estimates for the Ugandan part of the lake from 2005 to 2010.