The development of an onsite sanitation system based on vermifiltration: the ‘tiger toilet’

This paper describes the development of a novel onsite sanitation system based on vermifiltration, the ‘Tiger Toilet’. Initial laboratory experiments demonstrated that feed distribution was not required, a worm density of 2 kg/m2 could be used, worms preferred wetter environments, and system configuration did not affect effluent quality. Installing the first prototype in the UK proved that the process functioned when scaled, i.e., chemical oxygen demand and thermotolerant coliform reduction were found to be comparable with the laboratory results. Ten prototypes were then tested by households in rural India; all were working well after six months. The vermifilters were processing the amount of faeces entering the system on a daily basis, so faeces was not accumulating. It was estimated that they would require emptying after approximately five years, based on the depth of the vermicompost generated. With further development, it is believed that the Tiger Toilet has the potential to become a superior form of onsite sanitation, when compared with traditional onsite sanitation technologies

Portable automated radio-frequency scanner for non-destructive testing of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer composites

A portable automated scanner for non-destructive testing of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites has been developed. Measurement head has been equipped with an array of newly developed radio-frequency (RF) inductive sensors mounted on a flexible arm, which allows the measurement of curved CFRP samples. The scanner is also equipped with vacuum sucks providing mechanical stability. RF sensors operate in a frequency range spanning from 10 up to 300 MHz, where the largest sensitivity to defects buried below the front CFRP surface is expected. Unlike to ultrasonic testing, which will be used for reference, the proposed technique does not require additional couplants. Moreover, negligible cost and high repeatability of inductive sensors allows developing large scanning arrays, thus, substantially speeding up the measurements of large surfaces. The objective will be to present the results of an extensive measurement campaign undertaken for both planar and curved large CFRP samples, pointing out major achievements and potential challenges that still have to be addressed

FRP-to-masonry bond durability assessment with infrared thermography method

The bond behavior between FRP composites and masonry substrate plays an important role in the performance of externally bonded reinforced masonry structures. Therefore, monitoring the bond quality during the application and subsequent service life of a structure is of crucial importance for execution control and structural health monitoring. The bond quality can change during the service life of the structure due to environmental conditions. Local detachments may occur at the FRP/substrate interface, affecting the bond performance to a large extent. Therefore, the use of expedite and efficient non-destructive techniques for assessment of the bond quality and monitoring FRP delamination is of much interest. Active infrared thermography (IR) technique was used in this study for assessing the bond quality in environmentally degraded FRP-strengthened masonry elements. The applicability and accuracy of the adopted method was initially validated by localization and size quantification of artificially embedded defects in FRP-strengthened brick specimens. Then, the method was used for investigating the appearance and progression of FRP delaminations due to environmental conditions. GFRP-strengthened brick specimens were exposed to accelerated hygrothermal ageing tests and inspected periodically with the IR camera. The results showed environmental exposure may produce large progressive FRP delaminations.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

STRAIN FOR THE TREATMENT AND/OR PREVENTION OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES

The present invention concerns the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis CU1 filed with the French Collection Nationale de Culture des Microorganismes (National Collection of Microorganism Cultures) under number I-2745, cells obtained by culturing said strain and a composition comprising cells obtained by culturing said strain, for the use thereof in the treatment and/or prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases, and in particular chronic inflammatory rheumatism

J Neurosci Methods

BACKGROUND: Spatial memory and navigation have been widely studied using animal models, most of them were performed with rodents and only few of them with non-human primates. Also, most of these studies were achieved in simple and small-scale mazes. NEW METHOD: In order to test navigation strategy in macaque monkeys, we used a double-cross virtual maze in which they could freely move using a joystick and a procedure adapted from previous studies with rodents. The monkeys had first to learn several routes from a specific starting point to reach separate positions, each one containing distinct symbols, and then to associate each route with these symbols. After this phase, the monkeys had to reach these targets from a second starting point positioned at the other end of the maze, requiring the use an allocentric strategy. In order to evaluate monkey's strategy, we analyzed monkey's first choice as a function of the symbol presented. RESULTS: The monkeys were able to learn routes and to associate routes with symbols but were not able to use an allocentric strategy. They also did not use the procedural strategy and seemed disoriented or adopted a stereotypical behavior. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): Contrary to the few studies using small-scale environments, the monkeys seemed unable to solve the allocentric task. The studies using virtual mazes seemed not to specifically analyze monkey's navigation strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementary experiments will be necessary to explain the origin of the monkey's inability to use an allocentric strategy. Modified learning conditions could also incite the monkeys to develop an allocentric representation

Capacitive probe for non destructive inspection of external post-tensioned ducts: Modelling by DPSM technique

This paper presents both theoretical and experimental aspects of a measurement problem in the field of non-destructive evaluation. The purpose of our work is to develop a capacitive probe devoted to post-tensioned cable inspection, mainly for bridge monitoring applications. In this paper will successively be presented the industrial problem, the current probe in use, and an original modeling achieved for sensor design and signal processing. In a first step, we will compare the experimental and theoretical data obtained with different 'devices under test' configurations. Then we will discuss about both capabilities of our direct model, on one hand to provide some help in sensor design improvements and on other hand to be inserted in an inverse problem scheme, to get an estimate of some interesting data of our problem from the measured signals