Analysis of hydrodynamic characteristics of a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland

Horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands are widely used for wastewater treatment but there’s still a lack of information on flow characteristics changes throughout the porous bed over time. The continuous growth of roots, the adsorption, sedimentation and precipitation of wastewater compounds and the biofilm release over operation time leads to the development of stagnated areas, the appearance of hydraulic short-circuiting and variations in dispersion conditions, which affect substrate distribution throughout the bed and, therefore, may worsen the overall performance of the system. In order to enable a better understanding of the transport mechanisms throughout the bed, two series of tracer tests were performed in a laboratory HSSF system at the hydraulic loading of 4.7x10-3 m3 m-2 h-1. The first series was executed with the bed without vegetation and the second with the bed already colonized with Phragmites australis after an operation period of eight months at an average organic loading of 12 g m-2 d-1 COD. The magnitude of longitudinal dispersion was estimated both by a curve- fitting technique using the non-linear least square optimization method (LSOM) and using the moment method (MOM) over the advection-dispersion-reaction equation. The flow regime and the extension of dead volumes were estimated by the same curve-fitting technique over the multiple tanks in series model (MTS). The results showed that the development of plants and biomass did not contribute for a significant amount of longitudinal dispersion in the overall media length. However, the dispersion was very strong in the inlet section, where the dead volumes increased approximately 65% within the colonized bed. The flow regime may be considered as plug flow throughout the overall length and the tracer retention was associated with dispersion and internal recirculation and, additionally, for Series II it was associated with the occurrence of clusters of biomass and roots. The MTS better explain the tracer results for the overall media length. The MOM seems to be inadequate for estimating Pe leading to underestimated values when compared with the ones calculated by LSOM.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sovereign credit rating mismatches

We study the factors behind split ratings in sovereign credit ratings from different agencies, for the period 1980-2015. We employ random effects ordered and simple probit approaches to assess the explanatory power of different macroeconomic, government and financial variables. Our results show that structural balances and the existence of a default in the last ten years were the least significant variables whereas the level of net debt, budget balances, GDP per capita and the existence of a default in the last five years were found to be the most relevant variables explaining rating mismatches across agencies. For speculative-grade ratings, we also find that a default in the last two or five years decreases the rating difference between S&P and Fitch. For the positive rating difference between S&P and Moody’s for investment-grade ratings, an increase in external debt leads to a smaller rating gap between the two agenciesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Urban water reuse in tourism area

Over the past decades, treated wastewater (reclaimed water) has been used as an alternative to potable water for a range of uses such as irrigation (landscapes, golf courses, and agricultural fields), aquifer recharge, industry applications, stream flow feed- ing, and nonpotable urban applications. In that period, there have been significant advances in reuse technologies, and an increase in the implementation of either rules or guidelines for water reuse. Tourism generates one of the biggest pressures on water needs that coincides with the necessity to manage decreasing water resources more efficiently. As tourism areas continue to grow, pressure on local water sources will continue to increase and significant environmental, economic, and social impacts can arise where local freshwater supplies are limited or are available only with large capital investment. The integration of water reuse in water management strategies will contribute to reducing discharges to receiving waters and reducing reliance on natural water sources to meet water demands. In tourism areas, there are several opportunities for reusing reclaimed water produced from domestic wastewater, stormwater, and graywater. Urban waters can be treated through a variety of physical, chemical, and biological processes in order to produce final reclaimed water for dis- charging into a water stream or for reuse.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modeling and mitigation of noise on the A23 motorway using GIS

Rendering at the European Directive 2002/49/EC, all EU members have to draw up a strategic noise map for all agglomerations with more than 250,000 inhabitants and for all major airports, roads and railways. A study of environmental impact assessment on motorway A23 in the stretch between Castelo Branco–Alcains (Portugal), based in the impact of the environmental noise, allowed the modeling the noise variation, which can be useful for establishing mitigation measures. The results show that noise model can be a useful tool for the monitoring noise impact in surrounding of motorways.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Contributions to the study of the complement system in IgA nephropathy and dialysis

Deregulation or excessive activation of the complement system is now considered a fundamental aspect of the pathogenesis of a wide-spectrum of immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases, and it is particularly involved in kidney diseases. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is recognized as a major health-care problem due to its increasing prevalence and association with cardiovascular mortality, costs to healthcare systems, and patient well-being.The current work presented in this thesis contributes to, and expands the notion of, the involvement of the complement system in various pathological processes taking part in the progression of CKD and in the uremic milieu in dialysis patients. Particularly, in a common glomerular disease such as IgA nephropathy (IgAN), it was shown that C4d, as both a glomerular and potentially vascular biomarker of lectin pathway (LP) activation, identifies a subgroup of patients with a worse prognosis in this very complex and heterogeneous disease, that may benefit from different clinical approaches. Also, in hemodialysis (HD) patients with higher levels of intra-dialytic complement activation indicated by an increased C3d/C3-ratio, a higher risk of a cardiovascular event was identified. Furthermore, in CKD and HD patients who were administered intravenous iron formulations, particularly iron sucrose, complement activation measured through sC5b-9 levels was documented, expanding the list of potential side effects of this commonly administered drug in HD patients. Finally, in peritoneal dialysis (PD), both local and systemic complement activation was demonstrated to occur through apparently different triggering pathways, and strikingly, systemic sC5b-9 levels were significantly higher than those found in HD patients

Evaluation of the groundwater quality in the Alcochete area using GIS

Most of the water needed for domestic, agricultural, recreational and industrial activities in the Alcochete municipality (Portugal) comes from groundwater sources. However, doubts remain on the state of its quality and attractiveness for the current uses. A monitoring campaign was set in 67 groundwater sources (26 wells and 41 boreholes) for the period of 4 months to evaluate the water quality status. In order to better analyse the large and complex available information it was necessary to setup a Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which allowed georeferencing data, creating relational databases and generating thematic and suitability maps for the use of groundwater. The results show that most of the water wells are chlorinated calcic type and have no minimum quality to be used for production of drinking water, but may be used for agricultural irrigation. Most o the water boreholes are chlorinated sodium type, and approximately 70.7% presents the minimum quality to be used for production of drinking water and all of the sources can be used for agricultural irrigation. Nitrate is the most important contaminant, but chlorides and iron are also of concern. The results of this study will allow establishing relationship between water, geological environment and anthropogenic fluxes, which have been influencing changes in water quality, as well as determining flow directions, recharge and discharge areas. This information, which was aggregated in a database using GIS is very useful for the further establishment of sustainable water management measures

Heavy metals removal from reclaimed water in a laboratory column using a granitic residual soil

The removal of five heavy metals was evaluated in vertical downflow column, with a granitic residual soil, operated in discontinuous and continuous mode. The results show higher removal rates of the five metals for the continuous mode, with highest values to Zn and Pb followed by Ni, Cu and Cr. The removal of all metals occurs mainly at the top 5 cm essentially through complexation and precipitation in the form of hydroxides.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Heavy metals removal from reclaimed water in a laboratory column using a granitic residual soil

The removal of five heavy metals was evaluated in vertical downflow column, with a granitic residual soil, operated in discontinuous and continuous mode. The results show higher removal rates of the five metals for the continuous mode, with highest values to Zn and Pb followed by Ni, Cu and Cr. The removal of all metals occurs mainly at the top 5 cm essentially through complexation and precipitation in the form of hydroxides.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Translating the EFQM model into the courts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an assessment guide based on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model criteria. Courts have been under pressure to become more accountable and responsive organisations. In this context, self-assessment models that drive attention to the way resources are being used and to the results that are being achieved, incorporating the views of different stakeholders, are of particular interest. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was used. The meaning of the quality principles that underline the EFQM model was discussed with the court administrator, judges, prosecutors and justice officers. Those perspectives were taken into account when translating the criteria and criterion parts of the EFQM model. The assessment guide was validated by an experts’ panel. Findings The EFQM model captures the essential features of a court even if the courts terminology and governance models challenge the translation of some criteria. The resulting guide includes a description of the various criteria and criterion parts and the identification of key focus areas, while giving some illustrative examples of initiatives and indicators that could be looked at under each model dimension. Practical implications The assessment guide can be used to undertake self-assessment exercises in different courts. Originality/value There is a lack of studies on the measurement of courts’ performance apart from the publication of simple lists of process indicators. The assessment guide developed in this study is perhaps one of the most comprehensive resources for assessing the quality of a court

Evaluation of Entre-os-Rios Thermal Aquifer Vulnerability Using DRASTIC Index

The “Entre-os-Rios” thermal aquifer has a protection perimeter buffer zone for avoiding water contamination. A vulnerability map was generated, using geographic information systems (GIS) tools and the DRASTIC index, to evaluate the risk of contamination of the perimeter area. The results showed that the protection perimeter buffer zone has an insignificant to moderate risk of pollution, with the DRASTIC index’s values ranging from 47 to 127 points, and an average pollution vulnerability of 79 points. The alluvium-covered land is vulnerable to moderate contamination but is located far from the catchment point. Areas of minimal risk correspond to locations where the granitic massif has not been altered significantly. Keywords: geographic information systems, vulnerability map, protection perimeter buffer zone, DRASTIC inde