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Economically viable and environmentally acceptable methods to recycle organic wastes are needed by the pulp and paper industry. We assessed the potential for composting the Virginia Fibre Corporation's (VFC) combined primary and secondary dewatered paper mill sludge (PMS) and evaluated the suitability of the finished product as a potting soil substitute. Composting treatments were: 1) PMS with no supplemental N (control), 2) PMS + 15 kg N/Mg PMS (dry weight), and 3) PMS + 30 kg N/Mg PMS (dry weight). Composting was conducted for 129 days and treatment effects were evaluated by windrow temperature trends. A container plant growth study employing various particle size fractions and proportions of the control PMS compost and a commercial potting medium (Promixtm) was conducted in a greenhouse to assess the capability of the compost to support growth of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), marigold (Tagetes erecta L.), and green pepper (Capsicum sp.). Windrow temperatures were lowe...

Preparing a term paper requires students to acquire thorough knowledge of a topic through study of the literature and to prepare a written summary in the student's own words. Although most reference materials for term papers should be from published literature, the Internet provides abundant sources from which to select a topic and gather information. Due to the irregular distribution of information on the Internet, locating specific information can be very challenging, especially for novice users. Students should be cautious when using Internet sources for a term paper, as the Internet does not have the high content standards typical of professional journals. This paper is intended as a short guide to be presented to students as part of a term-paper assignment. A style guide for the citation of Internet sources is also presented.

The Optimal Fibre Flow‐model, a combined optimization and simulation model, calculates the optimal combination of energy recovery and recycling of waste paper for paper and board production. In add...

Pulp and paper mill sludges (PMS) are a significant by-product of the paper making industry worldwide, and composting with mineral nutrients in Tasmania is viewed as the most environmentally acceptable technology to convert this material into a useful horticultural or agricultural product, thereby eliminating the need for landfilling. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of composting PMS in large-scale periodically turned windrows based on optimal conditions previously determined in laboratory-scale reactors. Performance of the composting process and quality of the composted PMS is reported. PMS was composted with mineral nutrients at an initial C:N:P:K ratio of 35:1:0.6:0.1 in three windrows of 25 m in length, 3 m in width and 2 m in height with weekly turning for 21 weeks, following which the trial was terminated. Temperature at the pile center remained above 50°C for the duration of the trial, with pile pH peaking at 7.46 after 11 weeks. At termination, phytotoxicity was absent...

The administration of a cathartic alone has no role in the management of the poisoned patient and is not recommended as a method of gut decontamination. Experimental data are conflicting regarding the use of cathartics in combination with activated charcoal. No clinical studies have been published to investigate the ability of a cathartic, with or without activated charcoal, to reduce the bioavailability of drugs or to improve the outcome of poisoned patients. Based on available data, the routine use of a cathartic in combination with activated charcoal is not endorsed. If a cathartic is used, it should be limited to a single dose in order to minimize adverse effects of the cathartic. A review of the literature since the preparation of the 1997 Cathartics Position Statement revealed no new evidence that would require a revision of the conclusions of the Statement.

The degradation of Kraft E1 pulp mill effluent was studied by four different ozonization oxidation systems (O3/pH3, O3/pH11, O3/pH11/H2O2, O3/pH11/UV). The investigation was focused on the reduction of total organic carbon (TOC), total phenols, color and acute toxicity (monitoring by inhibition of Escherichia coli respiration). For a reaction time of 90 minutes, the O3/pH11/UV was the most effective process for decoloration (45%). The O3/pH11/H2O2, O3/pH11/UV and O3/pH11 processes showed the best results for total phenols reduction (approximately/= 90%). None of the studied processes showed a significant TOC reduction. The O3/pH11/UV and O3/pH11 processes were effective for the acute toxicity reduction. Different kinetic parameters were also determined in order to quantify the reactivity of the effluent towards the applied oxidation systems.

Lipophilic wood extractives (LWEs) are natural components of wood, which are liberated from softwood into process water in the production of mechanical pulp (TMP refining or groundwood grinding). These compounds are known to be toxic to aquatic life in the receiving waters. Also, when water circulations are closed these compounds are accumulated in the process waters leading to problems in process operation and in product quality. In this work two different oxidation methods, ozonation and wet oxidation, were studied for die removal of LWEs from circulation waters. Bom studied meuiods are capable of selectively removing the LWEs.

Job-exposure matrices (JEMs) are being used to organize occupational exposure assessments for a nested case—control study of British Columbia pulp and paper workers. To validate the methodology used to create the JEMs, the estimates from the first mill studied were compared with personal measurements subsequently collected from that site. In total, 1678 samples were collected from workers to assess their exposure to five chemicals; these samples characterized both shift-long average and short-term high level exposures. The comparison indicated that the estimates were effective at predicting which job titles were exposed to carbon monoxide, calcium oxide, and wood dust, but less so for chlorine dioxide. Estimates were also effective at predicting which job titles were unexposed to calcium oxide, but less so for carbon monoxide, chlorine dioxide, and wood dust. The differing degrees of agreement between the estimates and measurements can be partly explained by the physical characteristics of each c...

The growth of online term paper mills has recently exploded. With access to term papers available at their fingertips, student cheating, by submitting a purchased term paper, becomes much easier an...

The occurrence of deaths due to lung cancer was studied among 883 white male workers from a pulp and paper company in northern New Hampshire. All subjects had participated in a longitudinal study of respiratory morbidity, and data from interviews were used to construct lifetime cigarette smoking and occupational histories. Most of the subjects had entered follow-up in the 1960s and, at that time, their mean age was 51 years and they had worked for the pulp and paper company a mean of 25 years. By the end of follow-up in 1992, the 512 deceased subjects included 35 whose underlying cause of death had been lung cancer. With an internal comparison using the Cox proportional-hazards model, the hazard ratio for sulfite pulp mill work was 2.5 (95% CI 1.3-4.9), while controlling for the effects of age, cigarette smoking, and work in other parts of the pulping operation. In addition, the hazard ratio for the combination of35 pack-years of smoking and10 years sulfite mill work was greater than the product of the hazard ratios for each factor alone. While these findings are consistent with past asbestos exposure in the sulfite pulp mill environment, the absence of mesothelioma cases is inconsistent with this type of exposure.

The rhetoric of the 1997 White Paper, Excellence in Education, appears to mark a ‘rediscovery’ of the role played by contextual factors in influencing the quality and performance of schools. Despite this, the policy initiatives outlined in the White Paper remain wedded to the idea that school improvement can take place largely independently of contextual constraints. This paper argues that this survival of a perspective more in keeping with New Right thinking reflects the continuing dominance of the School Effectiveness Research (SER) paradigm. Providing a methodological critique of SER, we argue that the focus on the use of prior attainment data in the measurement of the ‘value added’ by schools has deflected attention from studies of how patterns of school performance reflect underlying patterns of social advantage/disadvantage. Reviewing a growing body of work which demonstrates how schooling serves to reinforce existing patterns of social advantage, we conclude that genuine and widespread sch...

Effluent collected from two very important industries in Nigeria, the Nigerian Fertilizer company, Port Harcourt and Star Paper Mill, Owerrinta, were examined for its chemical and microbiological quality. Quantitative examination of the microorganisms present in the effluent revealed that as many as 2.03 x 103 viable bacteria (cfu per ml) were present. The predominant bacterial forms include: Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, Kleb‐siella, Pseudomonas, Aerobacter and Micrococcus. Yeast and mold isolated from the effluent include: Candida, Torula, Saccharomyces, Aspergillus, Pencillium, Mucor and Rhizopus species. Nitrate‐nitrogen and Ammonia‐nitrogen levels in the effluent range between 0.9–1.0 x 102mgNO3‐N/L and 0.8–1.0 x 103 mgNH3‐N/L, respectively. BOD level ranged between 1.44–1.28 x 103 mgDO/L. The study could be useful for designing an appropriate pollution control strategy in Nigeria.

A two-stage anaerobic/aerobic biological process was investigated for its ability to remove sulphate from a pulp and paper mill effluent which had a low COD/sulphate ratio of 3.3. A bench-scale, continuous flow pilot-plant comprising an upward flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a fixed film sulphide oxidising reactor (SOR) was operated over a 3 month period. A simultaneous high-rate conversion of sulphate to sulphide and COD to methane and CO 2 was observed in the anaerobic reactor. Sulphide was then oxidised by sulphide oxidising bacteria in the SOR to elemental sulphur. No significant inhibition was observed and the COD and sulphate removal rates were 66% and 73% respectively for a hydraulic retention time in the UASB of 6 hours and 0.5 hours in the SOR. A granular sludge was maintained in the UASB which was found to be both stable and active at the COD/sulphate ratio investigated.

Pneumonia is one of the more frequent infections acquired by patients in the hospital. It generally carries a high mortality, in intensive care units, or at least added morbidity, an increase in the duration of hospital stay and hence important additional costs. Many aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of hospital acquired pneumonia are controversial but there is a general belief that inappropriate empiric treatment or late appropriate treatment results in a higher mortality rate.

Aspergillus foetidus a fungus isolated in our laboratory was studied for its ability to remove colour, COD (chemical oxygen demand) and lignin from disserved bagasse lignin, raw black and alkali stage liquors in nutrient medium. Nearly 90-95% of the total initial colour was removed from growth medium containing 0.05 to 0.1% of Lignin or diluted black liquor or alkali liquor. Our investigations reveal that the decolourisation, lignolytic and COD removal processes occur principally during the exponential growth phase of the fungus with concomitant utilisation of the primary growth supporting substrate such as glucose. Simultaneous reduction in colour and lignin content of the samples indicate strong correlation between the decolourisation and lignolytic processes. Comparison of COD and colour removal rates in combination with the results obtained from our recent experiments relating to colour recovery from fungal biomass provide evidences for preferential bioadsorption of chromophoric pollutants. Preliminary results obtained with selected textile dyes indicate that the extended application of the Aspergillusfoetidus for treatment of textile mill and electroplating effluents is a good possibility.

Mine tailings generating acidic effluents were neutralized by alkaline sludges produced in pulp and paper mill operations. Depending on the proportion of sludge added, the resulting pH values increased from 3.96 to between 10.9 and 12.4. The sludge incorporation also increased the buffer capacity of the mining residues. Leaching studies conducted in laboratory columns for a period of about 25 weeks showed the efficacy of sludge incorporation with acid mine tailings. The basic sludges were well mixed with the mining wastes in varying proportions (33, 50, 67, and 75% v/v). It was observed that this incorporation improved the leachate quality considerably. Therefore the leachate pH of the mixtures remained stable between 11.5 and 12.5 compared to a pH of 3.7 for the leachate coming out of the blank column. The metal concentration of Cu, Zn and Mn in the leachate was reduced by 80 to 100 %. In the case of Pb, however, the reduction was not as significant. On the other hand, microbiological tests revealed that...

Standard occupational coding systems in Canada and elsewhere do not adequately describe the pulp and paper industry for the purpose of assigning the worker's chemical exposures. Accordingly, a coded list of standard job titles in the pulp and paper industry was developed from two sources: industry-related job titles in pre-existing Canadian occupational coding systems, and mill-specific job tides listed on historical job descriptions from 14 mills in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The mill-specific titles were reviewed in the context of the existing process technology, engineering controls, and mill-specific work practices. Each job code was considered unique in terms of its chemical exposure potential. The newly formed classification system was applied to job titles listed on the employment records of a sample of workers employed at the mills between 1950 and 1992. Standardizing and coding the job titles within each mill streamlined the subsequent exposure assessment and data analysis...

This study has evaluated the factors affecting the utilization of alternative fiber resources and efforts have also been made to outline the possible alternative fiber resources available in the country. Since 1989, paper consumption has exceeded production. Imports of industrial paper have increased and the future of newsprint export is dark. The government sector pulp and paper mills are highly dependent on forest based fiber resources and private sector paper and board mills depend on imported pulps. Uneven distribution of fiber resources has limited the raw material availability of the pulp and paper mills. Shortage of raw materials, irregular procurements, and low installed capacity are the main reasons for low paper production. On the other hand, paper demand will increase tremendously in the near future. But the present raw material availability is not sufficient to cope with the future demand for attaining self sufficiency in paper production. Therefore, immediate action is necessary for utilizing alternative fiber resources. Rangpur region has abundant lower grade jute. Jute cutting is available in Narayangonj area. Available bagasse supply is expected in the northwest regions after the end of this century. These resources are more than enough for supplementing the shortage of present raw materials during the 1997–2006 period.

In this paper an inexpensive configuration for a cylinder blow box (CBB) and its effect on the evaporation rate are described. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of the blow boxes on drying intensity on a paper machine. The pilot machine trials were simulated with a computer program. Based on these results two cases were simulated for a commercial paper machine with and without blow boxes on single cylinders. The results revealed that when using the blow boxes on single cylinders, the drying rate can be increased by up to 15%. The potential for using this kind of configuration is biggest at the beginning of a dryer section. A simple construction of blow boxes makes this technique useful especially in boosting the drying performance of older paper and board machines. The exhaust air from the boxes can be utilized in ventilation of dryer pockets.

Paper can be a very effective support material for housing objects. Historically, works of art and artifacts on paper have been stored in paper enclosures with great success. If housings are properly designed, paper can also be used to store small objects. Papers are available in a wide variety of weights, textures, and chemical compositions. They can be used with different adhesives to create inexpensive, conformal supports that can be tailored to the physical and chemical needs of the object. Designs are described here for scrolls, mixed collections, fans, and objects with fragile edges and irregular lower surfaces.

In this study we examined the technique of measuring thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on filter paper blood samples for use in evaluating the iodine nutrition status of newborns and adults living in iodine-deficient areas. Filter paper blood samples were obtained between the 5th and 7th day after birth from 103, 43 and 103 term newborns living in Khartoum (mild iodine deficiency), Kosti (moderate iodine deficiency) and Darfur (severe iodine deficiency), respectively. TSH was measured with a commercial assay and the levels were compared with those obtained with the same method in 1147 samples from term Swedish newborns, obtained on the 3rd to the 5th day of life. The mean (95% confidence interval) TSH levels of the three Sudanese groups and the Swedish group were 7.1 (4.8-9.4), 8.3 (6.6-10.1), 11.9 (0.9-22.9) and 4.51 (3.8-5.3) mU l-1, respectively. The mean TSH for all three Sudanese groups was higher than the Swedish mean (p0.001). TSH levels determined in filter paper blood samples from adults living in an iodine-deficient area showed a correlation (p0.001; r = 0.55) to levels in corresponding serum samples (range 0.52-14.1 mU l-1, median 3.4 mU l-1). No significant correlation was found, however, between blood spot levels and serum levels within the reference range (5 mU l-1). A modification of the commercial procedure consisting in using three instead of two monoclonal antibodies did not sufficiently improve the assay for measurements of TSH within the reference range. Thus, there is a need to develop the filter paper technique further to make it a useful test for monitoring iodine deficiency in populations expected to have TSH levels close to the reference range. In the examination of neonates, however, with their birth-induced surge of TSH, the current assay promises to be a convenient tool for discovering iodine deficiency within a community.

The Tasman Pulp and Paper Company Ltd.'s Mill at Kawerau, New Zealand, has been utilizing geothermal energy for more than 30 years. The mill produces approximately 200,000 tonnes of kraft pulp and 400,000 tonnes of newsprint per annum. Geothermal energy produces 26% of the process steam requirements and 6% of the mill's electrical load. The management of the mill's energy sources is complex and ever changing, which has resulted in unique control strategies being developed over the years to improve efficiencies in the operation of the plant. Complete utilization of the geothermal resource has been the aim of the company and has led to pioneering plant and process developments.

From 1955 through 1974, the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm of Haskins & Sells published a series of annual volumes, entitled Selected Papers, which highlighted the publications and speeches of the firm’s partners and staff. Over the 20 volumes, a total of 724 articles and speeches were shared with national and international audiences through this publication outlet. The publication of the volumes served to provide evidence of the thoughts of the firm’s leadership and served as a form of outreach, providing the community with information about the firm’s positions on accounting and auditing principles, as well as views on problems facing the accounting profession in the USA. Alternatively, the firm also benefited in that the volumes could be considered an indirect form of advertising in the era before advertising was permitted for CPAs. Authors included the firm’s managing partners, John Queenan (the most prolific contributor), Arthur B. Foye, and Michael Chetkovich. Practice office partner...

This background paper aims to better understand and classify the needs of migrant, refugee and asylum seeker patients worldwide, and provides background information on the subject.

The Unit Behavioral Health Needs Assessment Survey (UBHNAS) is a tool used to aid behavioral health providers in assessing the needs of service members of a military unit. Traditionally, the survey has been administered by paper-and-pencil; however, implementing the survey via the Internet may be a

The writing process has traditionally been seen ‘as a lonely journey’ to typify the lack of support that students experience for writing outside the classroom. This paper examines an attempt of The Writing Portal (TWP), a supplementary online writing platform, to support students’ writing needs throughout the five stages of the writing process, viz., planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Social constructivist principles underpin TWP, which was designed to engender collaboration amongst its student participants. Not only does TWP provide links to evaluated Internet resources and a writing portfolio, but it also features collaboration tools such as the Group Forum, chat, a writing portfolio, a private messaging system, and a comment function for pages or articles created. Thus, it is very much akin to a ‘one-stop centre’ for academic writing within a flexible and supportive environment. In this qualitative case study, 16 third-year TESL pre-service teachers at a Malaysian Teacher Ed...

Using CiteSpace to draw a keyword co-occurrence knowledge map for 1,048 research papers on the quality of higher education from 2000 to 2014 in the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index database, ...

To increase the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems, maximum power point (MPP) tracking of the solar arrays is needed. Under partially shaded conditions (PSCs), the solar arrays power–current (P–I) characteristic has multiple MPP. This paper presents various methods and approaches of tracking the MPP from a PV generator operating under PSC. Some comparisons, advantages, drawbacks and critical analysis of each method are discussed. It was found that, indirect methods use empirical data or mathematical expressions of numerical approximations to estimate the MPP from the PV generator’s voltage, current and irradiance. Direct methods offer the advantage of obtaining the actual maximum power from the PV generator’s voltage and current. Artificial intelligence methods do not need exact mathematical models. They can perform under parameter variation, load and supply voltage disturbances. Finally, novel methods require less number of iterations to converge, independent to the initial conditions. All t...

This paper deals with the relation between different kinds of indigenous speech and music and various iconographic forms such as petroglyphs, house painting, basketry designs and also features of landscape that are understood in graphic terms. It examines how Northwest Amazonian myth-history is structured and memorized, how it can appear in both verbal and non-verbal forms, and how contemporary books, maps and diagrams produced by indigenous organizations as part of programmes of research and education show continuity with these traditional forms. Rather than making firm distinctions between peoples with and without writing, I argue that it is more profitable to focus on how various mnemonic systems—“writing”—work in tandem with different narrative forms—“myth”. When “writing” and “myth” are understood in indigenous terms, contemporary written documents appear in a new light.

Gianni Nebbiosi’s clinical paper is discussed as music to the hammer of the commentator’s ear. Three overlapping points are presented. The first centers on Nebbiosi’s tone of voice with his analysand Teresa. The second point is about music and psychoanalysis. The final point is about Nebbiosi’s free association to Beethoven’s Third Symphony.

Various electronic voting channels have been introduced across a range of countries. In some countries these new channels have proved uncontroversial, while in others, they remain contentious and have even been abandoned. Relatively little is known about whether and why voters have confidence in new and old voting channels. Australia provides a useful case for researching these issues, since it is a mature democracy in which election processes and outcomes are widely accepted. The 2013 Australian Election Study results show that in this context, voters have most confidence in paper-based voting and least in voting via smartphones. Positive political attachments, ease of voting and familiarity with technology are all associated with higher levels of confidence in voting channels.

Summary The Ships Plans collection at the National Maritime Museum, London, contains upwards of 10,000 plans drawn between 1840 and 1900. The plans are drawn on oil and resin impregnated tracing paper. How best to preserve them and allow safe consultation has been the pre-occupation of curators and conservators for the last decade. This paper, the result of a six week project, is an update intended to detail earlier treatment techniques with certain modifications. A practical repair procedure is described that seeks, by refining previous methods, to achieve simpler, flexible and more convenient working methods suitable for most Dlan formats and states of deterioration.

This paper sets out the legislative background to the recycling of waste materials in the UK. Relevant items in this background include: the provision of recycling credits under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act; the draft EC Packaging Waste Directive; and the German DSD scheme. We next set out the elements of a cost‐benefit analysis of waste paper recycling, including the environmental impacts of recycling. The method is then applied to a recycling scheme in central Scotland. We find that whilst on private, financial grounds the scheme is unattractive, it passes the cost‐benefit test in the base‐line case; this justifies government support for this recycling scheme, given the data used.

Stochastic models are developed to determine the production rate and efficiency of an integrated pulp and paper factory, which consists of a pulp mill, a storage tank and two parallel paper mills or pulp dryers. The effects of storage tank capacity and random stoppages in the mills on line efficiency and line output rate are investigated. The models are general and can be used for any continuous process system

The use of a Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser for paper conservation is investigated and discussed. The laser is used to remove a variety of common writing inks from cotton and woodpulp paper; the effectiveness of ink removal and the level of damage acquired by the paper surface at differing laser pulse energies are assessed. The laser beam parameters of spot size, waist, and profile are determined, and used to control the laser beam incident on the paper surface. Photomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to further investigate the damage caused to a cotton rag paper as a result of laser removal of ball point pen ink. A Nd:YAG laser can be used for safe removal of ballpoint inks from cotton papers. The laser is characterised so that the pulse fluence is known and controllable. A fluence of 29 ± 1 Jcm‐2 per pulse was found to give optimal ink removal on Roma 100% cotton paper.

To the Editor,We came across an article titled ‘Rare manner of birth in a twin pregnancy’ written by Jovanovic and Petrovic (1972), published in Acta Medica Saliniana. It caught our attention becau...

Emissions of SO2 and NOx from U.S. pulp and paper mills were estimated for calendar years 1980,1985 and 1990. Questionnaires were used to obtain mill-specific information on fuel use, coal and oil sulfur content, SO2/NOx control technology performance, and relevant production-related parameters. Total estimated SO2 emissions declined from 875,000 tons in 1980 to 600,000 tons in 1990, while NOx emissions increased from 274,000 to 305,000 tons. Paper production increased nearly 30 percent from 1980 to 1990.

Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (EPCAMH) is now accepting papers for a special issue focused on advancing equity in child and adolescent mental health services, guest ...

A 6000 cubic metres tank in the paper industry suddenly capsized during a water filling test. Several people witnessed the tilting and fall of the tank. The Council of State nominated an investigation board to investigate the accident as a disaster case. Investigations showed that the foundation slab as well as the foundation piles of the tank were not of the proper dimensions. It was found also that the foundation piles were not driven deeply enough into the ground. New guidelines and measures to prevent similar disasters occurring in the future are outlined.

The Kinleith pulp and paper mill discharges effluent into the Kopakorahi arm of Lake Maraetai (New Zealand) resulting in an effluent gradient defined by the effluent visibility (Secchi disc), transmittance (465 nm), temperature, and oxygen level that is discernible at least as far down stream as the adjoining Lake Waipapa. This effluent gradient is reflected in the composition of the fauna caught in fyke nets which at the most effluent‐exposed sites is dominated by goldfish (Carassius auratus) and is depauperate in pollution‐sensitive species such as freshwater crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) and trout (Salmo trutta and Oncoryhynchus mykiss) In 1991 the Kinleith mill undertook substantial process modifications which have resulted in improvements in the water quality of the discharge. Secchi disc visibilities have increased markedly at the most effluent‐exposed sites since modernisation of the mill and similar improvements have been observed in light transmittance. A seasonal trend in water tem...

(1998). Strictly by the book: textbooks and the control of production in the North American pulp and paper industry. History of Education: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 85-95.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the reduction of pollution load of paper mill effluent through phytoremediation technique using water caltrop (Trapa natans). Different concentrations, viz. 0% (control), 25, 50, 75, and 100% (absolute) were treated using T. natans for 60 days. Results showed that sewage effluent was loaded with various parameters, viz. total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity, total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN), phosphate ($ {\text{PO}}_{4}^{3- } $), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The maximum removal of different parameters was recorded after 60 days of phytoremediation experiments. Water caltrop (T. natans) significantly (p

This article summarizes the Scottish Office White Paper, Scotland's Children - Proposals for Child Care Policy and Law, and analyses the proposals in the context of a number of inquiries and reports which preceded the White Paper. The main legal changes involve protection of children and more stringent provisions before there can be emergency intervention to remove children from their homes. In addition there are provisions for the exclusion of abusers from the home, provisions for children to be assessed without their being removed from the home and measures to improve the techniques used by those interviewing children. The proposed measures try to comply with the obligations created under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. There are also a number of provisions on the Children's Hearing system in Scotland, including strengthening the role of the safeguarder to protect the interests of the child, as well as provisions aimed at truants, at young offenders (especially persist...

This article describes a creative design activity to introduce engineering students to mechatronic prototyping. Our goal was to find a creative task to increase student confidence and skills in mechanical design, electrical circuits, microcontrollers, and programming. We present the Paper Robot exercise, a design activity that blends everyday materials such as cardboard, with electronic components. This activity was introduced during the 2010–2011 academic year and has been repeated every year since, in a global, industry-sponsored design course at Stanford University. The Paper Robot exercise resulted from the observation that students were intimidated to create functional prototypes with microcontrollers. The teaching team needed a way to quickly introduce tools for programming electronic components and to encourage creative experimentation early in the course. Results include a 100% task performance rate of students that successfully made a robot meeting the minimum requirements. 76% of student...