Opportunities to Analyse the Pollution in Metallurgical Industry

The metallurgical industry is a highly polluting economic sector. In order to establish measures to minimise the pollution, new methods are needed to analyse such processes. This article analyses the following possibilities: − thermodynamic analysis; − analysis with system theory elements; − characterization of pollution as global phenomenon of soiling; − possibilities of maintaining a balance between the economic development and pollution

Analysis of the Floods Effects in June 2016 in the Voronet River Hydrographic Basin

The paper presents an analysis of the hydrological risk parameters registered in the Voroneţ river basin. The studies and researches took place on the Voroneţ River after the June 2016 floods. The research has taken into account the hydrological risk parameters of the last 20 years recorded in the Siret River Basin. The river basin of the Siret River has been affected by multiple floods in recent years. The floods have morphologically modified the minor and the major river Voroneţ, a situation that influenced the floodplain areas in the urban environment and outside. The research analyzed the precipitation, the liquid flows (minimum, average and maximum), the way of formation and evolution of the floods, the volume of the damage produced, etc. The investigation of the precipitation volume indicated a number of factors that have prevailed over the last 20 years. The precipitation value was 71.6 l/m2 in two days. The flow recorded in the downstream section of the river was 118.12 m3/s (the probability of calculation is 1%). The processing of liquid flow data revealed more flood flows in the same year. The effects of the floods have brought about the excessive degradation of shore defense works (about 2600 m) on the Voroneţ River located in the town of Gura Humorului, Voronet neighborhood and outside the city. The county road DJ 177D was degraded on 1600 m and two bridges were destroyed. Floods have resulted in the destruction of some economic and social objectives in the coastal area. The parameters of hydroclimatic risk highlighted by this research require special conditions for the design of works in the riverbed and the riparian area

Degradation of Ceramic Materials in Thermotechnical Plants

It is demonstrated that the degradation of materials is currently a poorly studied scientific area. We propose a definition of degradation and a classification of the types of degradation. It is investigated, using a technical model, the destructive interactions between the ceramic materials of the tundish refractory lining, in a continuous steel casting plant. We hereby present the experimental results regarding: - the importance of the steel penetration depth in the refractory ceramic mass; - the assessment of mineralogical degradation; - the analysis of chemical degradation. It is shown that the results of laboratory - pilot scale research can be extended to the industrial level

Ecotechnologies – A Major Route for DurableSustainable Development in the Metal Materials Industry

The paper shows that the durable and sustainable development depends on the quality of the events occurring in the convergence area between the natural ecological system (N.E.S.) and the technological system (T.S.) represented by the metal materials industry. The analysis is carried out in the following situations: - decrease in the level of negentropy (nS) of N.E.S., due to the consumption of natural resources by T.S., and - increase in the level of entropy (S) of N.E.S., due to the discharge into the environment of the pollutants generated by T.S. Ecotechnologies constitute a major tool for optimizing the correlations N.E.S.-T.S. Our study proposes a classification of ecotechnologies in four categories, according to their influence on nS and S. The role of ecotechnologies in reducing the environmental entropisation phenomenon is also highlighted

The d-d transitions and ligand field parameters for Cr3+/Co2+ doped (Mg, Zn)Al2O4: Multi-reference Ab initio investigations

The normal spinels (Mg, Zn)Al2O4 doped with transition metal (TM) ions Cr3+/Co2+ are versatile materials with important electronic, optical and spectral properties. In addition to being used in many applications, they are excellent systems for testing some models and simulation features. The aim of this paper is to present, in the unified frame, the results on d-d transitions and ligand field parameters (LFPs) for the title systems, based on ab initio calculations, combining periodic density functional theory (DFT) supercell approach with ab initio (AI) multi -reference perturbation theory (MRPT) and multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) methods. These AI methods, based on complete active space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) reference, allow to calculate and investigate the energy levels of TM ions and the d-d transitions between them. From the AI results the B and C Racah parameters, the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) constant and the LFPs in the frame of the angular overlap model (AOM) were accurately extracted with ab initio ligand field theory (AILFT) protocol, all with subsequent comparison with the experimental data or existing theoretical results in the literature. The calculation technique presented in this paper serves as a predictive formalism for further studies of larger monomer clusters, for which experimental data is unreliable or unavailable

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Le plus ancien dépôt de monnaies histriennes à la roue découvert à Histria

Conovici Niculae, Avram Alexandru. Le plus ancien dépôt de monnaies histriennes à la roue découvert à Histria. In: Sur les traces des Argonautes. Actes du 6e symposium de Vani (Colchide), 22-29 septembre 1990. Besançon : Université de Franche-Comté, 1996. pp. 253-258. (Annales littéraires de l'Université de Besançon, 613

Optical properties of 3d-ions in crystals spectroscopy and crystal field analysis

"Optical Properties of 3d-Ions in Crystals: Spectroscopy and Crystal Field Analysis" discusses spectral, vibronic and magnetic properties of 3d-ions in a wide range of crystals, used as active media for solid state lasers and potential candidates for this role. Crystal field calculations (including first-principles calculations of energy levels and absorption spectra) and their comparison with experimental spectra, the Jahn-Teller effect, analysis of vibronic spectra, materials science applications are systematically presented. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students in crystal spectroscopy, materials science and optical applications. Dr. N.M. Avram is an Emeritus Professor at the Physics Department, West University of Timisoara, Romania; Dr. M.G. Brik is a Professor at the Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Estonia

Sampling and Identification of volatile and particulate air contaminants generated by intense road traffic in an urban area

A case study of urban air quality assessment was carried along a heavily circulated road, aiming to assess the impact of heavy vehicles traffic on the air quality on adjacent streets. A simple method was used for the collection of volatiles from air, in charcoal filled tubes. The analytes were desorbed in an organic solvent, then separated on a capillary column. The concentration of volatile organic atmospheric contaminants mainly originating from the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, were then determined by using GC/MS quantitative analysis methods. Particulate matter concentrations in the air along the monitored street, were determined in 9 sampling sites, using a portable detector, and by applying the short time sampling methodology