Consumption of Single-Use Plastics by a Commercial Construction Firm: A Case Study

Most construction sites utilize single-use plastic bottles because they are easy to distribute and guarantee fresh, clean drinking water. The number of bottles consumed on a site is usually an unknown quantity and is not a waste center that is commonly focused on. This case study outlines a mid-sized construction company’s rate of consumption of single-use plastic bottles. This study details the specifics of the project including size, type, value, and number of workers onsite. The information was gained through working closely with an onsite contact in a management position. The range of focus has been narrowed to only the amount of labor provided by the general contractor, in order to focus the study to a single company, rather than an entire site. The rate of consumption and number of plastic bottles consumed over the project’s lifetime was studied. The final estimate found that this company’s projects consumed around 530,000 plastic bottles with a team of 72 onsite workers. The final number of plastic bottles consumed will be applied to companies with projects of similar scope, in order to gain more insight into the amount of single-use plastic waste contributed to the environment by the construction industry

Comparison of Methods and Interdisciplinary Possibilities. The Case of Literature Reviews in Social Work and in Nursing Sciences

The reflections on interdisciplinarity cover several dimensions. One, among them, concerns the nature of what occurs between two disciplines. Does inter-disciplinarity relate to an intention, to a metatheory, to the object, or to a method? It is this ultimate space that we propose to study, supported by Resweber’s (2000) proposition, putting the study of the homology of forms forward as a promising way to better understand the interdisciplinarity. Therefore, we have modelled the literature review methods for social work and nursing in order to clarify what expresses, on the plan of the method, either some form homologies or else some interdisciplinary possibilitie

Disciplinarité et interdisciplinarité en travail social : Pratiques comparées de recension des écrits en travail social et en sciences infirmières

L’interdisciplinarité peut se concevoir comme découlant des nécessités d’une intervention concrète, comme le fait d’une métathéorie générale, comme le reflet de la complexité des objets, voire comme l’effet d’une méthodologie transversale. Cet article présente une étude portant sur ce dernier locus de l’inter. Nous avons en effet étudié la forme que prend l’une des constituantes fondatrices de l’activité scientifique en travail social, soit la recension des écrits, et l’avons comparée aux pratiques en sciences infirmières. L’étude de l’homologie des formes entre deux phénomènes permet de penser l’objet complexe que constitue l’interdisciplinarité et, ce faisant, de réfléchir à la disciplinarité.Interdisciplinarity may be conceived as arising from the necessities of concrete interventions, as the essence of an encompassing metatheory, as the product of the complexity of objects, even as the effect of a transversal methodology. This article presents a study pertaining to this last approach to inter. We have in fact studied the form taken by one of the founding constituents of scientific activity, literature reviews, in social work and nursing. The study of the homology of forms between two phenomenons, allows to think the complex object that represents interdisciplinarity, and at once to reflect upon disciplinarity in social work

Les dimensions et les marqueurs du partenariat parents-professionnels dans le contexte de la réadaptation auprès d'enfants atteints d'une déficience physique

Ce mémoire présente une recherche qualitative sur le partenariat entre professionnels et parents dans le contexte de la réadaptation auprès d'enfants atteint d'une déficience physique. Notre but général était de contribuer à la définition de marqueurs interpersonnels et structurels d'une relation clinique proches-professionnels pertinente en regard des grands principes du partenariat. Pour ce faire, nous avons mené une analyse secondaire des données d'une étude reliée à notre sujet, laquelle fut dirigée par St-Onge, Tétreault, Carrière et Béguet (2002). Nous avons effectué une analyse qualitative de contenu sur les données provenant d'un des six centres de réadaptation participant à cette étude, soit l'Institut de réadaptation en déficience de Québec (IRDPQ). Nos résultats ont permis de construire une grille faisant ressortir les marqueurs interpersonnels et structurels les plus significatifs aux yeux des parents et des intervenants. Notre recherche démontre que cette relation de partenariat se concrétise grâce à l'interdépendance de marqueurs appartenant aux dimensions interpersonnelle et structurelle. Nous remarquons que le temps et l'espace alloués à l'intervention auprès des parents restent encore limités. Il ressort aussi que le but de créer une meilleure relation clinique de partenariat avec les parents constitue une formidable opportunité d'actualiser la pratique du travail social dans le domaine de la réadaptation physique. Enfin, nos résultats nous amènent au constat que cette relation de partenariat est surtout comprise comme un transfert des savoirs et des compétences du personnel clinique vers les parents. Selon le discours de ces deux groupes acteurs, nous croyons qu'il s'agit plutôt d'une relation de collaboration qui n'implique pas nécessairement la participation des parents au processus de prise de décision concernant l'orientation de la réadaptation de leur enfant. Cette collaboration, en principe positive, comporte à l'occasion des risques de déséquilibre des pouvoirs malgré le souhait sincère des intervenants d'éviter un tel déséquilibre

Analysis of antibiotic resistance gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by quantitative real-time-PCR

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa many of the clinically relevant resistance mechanisms result from changes in gene expression as exemplified by the Mex drug efflux pumps, the AmpC β-lactamase and the carbapenem-specific porin OprD. We used quantitative real-time-PCR to analyze the expression of these genes in susceptible and antibiotic-resistant laboratory and clinical strains. In nalB mutants, which overexpress OprM, we observed a four- to eightfold increase in the expression of mexA, mexB, and oprM genes. MexX and mexY genes were induced eight to 12 times in the presence of 2 mg L−1 tetracycline. The mexC/oprJ and mexE/oprN gene expression levels were increased 30- to 250-fold and 100- to 760-fold in nfxB and nfxC mutants, respectively. We further found that in defined laboratory strains expression levels of ampC and oprD genes paralleled β-lactamase activity and OprD protein levels, respectively. Our data support the use of quantitative real-time-PCR chain reaction for the analysis of the antimicrobial resistance gene expression in P. aeruginos

Climate change, animal product consumption and the future of food systems

The livestock sector contributes around 14.5 percent of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Developing mitigation strategies is a serious challenge, especially if we anticipate a rapid growth in the consumption of animal products in Low-Income (LI) and Lower Middle-Income (LMI) countries. Across the planet, livestock systems are highly diverse and the livestock sector offers many possibilities for carbon sinking that can help to reduce emissions. In particular, carbon sequestration in grasslands, rangelands and feed crop fields and manure recycling are crucial in the assessment of the carbon efficiency of livestock value chains. Supporting sustainable livestock production systems, together with sustainable animal product market chains and consumption, requires the completion of GHG inventories based on landscape carbon balances

Residual stresses in surface induction hardening of steels: Comparison between experiment and simulation

Deep induction hardening has been performed on two batches of smooth cylindrical specimens with a hardening depth respectively around 2 mm and 3 mm. The distributions of axial and circumferential residual stresses are analysed for the two specimen batches by X-ray diffraction technique. The radial normal stress field is estimated through the use of the well known Moore and Evans correction. Finally, the experimental residual stresses are compared with those obtained from a multiphysic finite element modelling of the whole induction treatment process, including electromagnetic, thermal, metallurgical and mechanical phenomena. The simulated residual stress field is in good agreement with X-ray analysis especially at depths lower than one-tenth the specimen diameter. At deeper depths, a correction of the experimental X-ray analysis has been done to obtain realistic values

[Die nächtliche Heerschau <dt.>] La revue nocturne

Eine Lithografie mit einem von Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) handgeschriebenen Gedicht ist bei Aufräumarbeiten im Archivzentrum der Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main gefunden worden. Es handelt sich dabei um das Gedicht "La Revue Nocturne", Dumas' wortgetreue Übersetzung des Gedichts "Die nächtliche Heerschau" von Joseph Christian Freiherr von Zedlitz (1796-1869) ins Französische, das Dumas auf den breiten Rand der Lithografie schrieb

Characterization and molecular basis of the oligomeric structure of HIV-1 Nef protein

International audienceThe Nef protein of human immunodeficiency virus type I~HIV-1! is an important determinant for the onset of AIDS disease. The self-association properties of HIV-1 Nef are analyzed by chemical cross-linking, dynamic light scattering, equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation, and NMR spectroscopy. The experimental data show that the HIV-1 Nef core domain forms stable homo-dimers and trimers in solution, but not higher oligomers. These Nef homomers are not covalently linked by disulfide bridges, and the equilibrium between these forms is dependent on the Nef concentration. We further provide the molecular basis for the Nef core dimers and trimers obtained by analysis of crystallographic models. Oligomerization of biological polypeptides is a common tool used to trigger events in cellular signaling and endocytosis, both of which are targeted by Nef. The quaternary structure of Nef may be of physiological importance and may help to connect its cellular targets or to increase affinity of the viral molecule for its ligands. The herein described models for Nef dimers and trimers will allow further mutational studies to elucidate their role in vivo. These results provide novel insight into the structural and functional relationships of this important viral protein. Moreover, the oligomer interface may represent a novel target for the design of antiviral agents