Interrelationships among water, air, and chemical transport properties of soil

This dissertation consists of three studies of soil hydraulic properties. The hydraulic properties of soils are very important properties which deal with the transport of water and solutes in the soils. In the first study, Shelby tubes were used to collect undisturbed soil samples at depths of 2 to 12 m from several glacial till profiles. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and chloride breakthrough curves were made on the soil samples within the Shelby tubes as well as on soil removed from Shelby tubes and resealed into permeameters. Paraffin wax was used to seal soil into permeameters. Saturated hydraulic conductivity measurements indicated that conductivity decreased with depth from 1.85x 10[superscript]-6 cm s[superscript]-1 to 1.64x 10[superscript]-7 cm s[superscript]-1. Below a 9 m depth, however, the conductivity remained nearly unchanged. The results of saturated hydraulic conductivity and chloride breakthrough obtained from soil samples within Shelby tubes and soil samples removed from Shelby tubes were different. Larger saturated hydraulic conductivity values and early chloride breakthrough obtained from the soil samples within the Shelby tubes indicated side-wall flow effect;In the second study, undisturbed soil samples were obtained from the surface A horizon to characterize the effects of two tillage systems (no-till and chisel plow) and traffic on water retention and transport of water, chemicals and air in the soil. The results obtained in this study showed that in general tillage did not significantly affect these properties. Traffic generally affected these properties significantly. No-wheel traffic samples tended to retain more water at or near saturation than did wheel traffic samples. Wheel traffic reduced unsaturated and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Air permeability values were also decreased because of wheel traffic;In the third study, a method is presented for estimating unsaturated hydraulic conductivity from air permeability data. Twelve undisturbed soil samples were obtained from the surface A horizon of a Tama soil. Samples were collected from the middle of wheel traffic and no-wheel traffic interrows. Air permeability was measured for each sample at selected soil matric potentials. A theoretical model relating air permeability to air filled porosity was developed. The model contains a parameter that can be used to predict unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. The model parameter was determined for each soil sample by curve fitting the model to the measured air permeability data. The model parameter for each sample was then used to predict unsaturated hydraulic conductivity for each sample. Predicted unsaturated hydraulic conductivity values were compared to estimated values from transient outflow method. The results of this study indicated that unsaturated hydraulic conductivity can be estimated reasonably well from air permeability data

Insertion of English acronyms & single words/terms in Arabic translation

Insertion of source text (henceforth: ST) acronyms and single words/terms (henceforth: item/s) into target text (henceforth: TT) is relatively, so far, a neglected issue in translation studies. In the case of translating a text from English into Modern Standard Arabic (henceforth MSA) in Australia, we are dealing with the issue of inserting an item of a source text (English source text, henceforth EST) into a target text (Arabic target text, henceforth ArTT). The ArTT has newly introduced items in their Roman Letters (henceforth R.I), The ArTT has newly introduced items in their Roman letters (henceforth R.I), transliterated and/or translated with or without being accompanied by their EST counterparts in R.I

Thermal Performances of Traditional Houses in Dry Hot Arid Climate and the Effect of Natural Ventilation on Thermal Comfort: A Case Study in Damascus☆

Abstract Traditional houses in hot arid climate of Mediterranean area consist of rooms around one or more courtyards giving a general good comfort conditions especially in hot summer periods. This paper aims to contribution to evaluate the influence of thermal performance of building structures and natural ventilation (cross ventilation, single side ventilation) on the indoor thermal comfort for traditional houses and courtyard located in Damascus old city. The paper shows results of several monitoring data (air temperature, humidity and air velocity) acquired during a summer period, in parallel with occupancy survey for the evaluation of comfort conditions

A recombinant single-chain antibody fragment that neutralizes toxin II from the venom of the scorpion Androctonus australis hector

AbstractMonoclonal antibody 4C1 specifically binds to and neutralizes the most potent neurotoxin (AahII) of the scorpion Androctonus australis. The cDNAs encoding the variable regions of this antibody were isolated by PCR-mediated cloning. A single-chain Fv gene was engineered and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein had neutralizing activity similar to that of the intact antibody in vitro and in vivo. We have thus neutralized the pharmacological and biological properties of a scorpion neurotoxin with a single-chain Fv, which opens new perspectives for the treatment of envenomizations

Optimize Natural Ventilation and Thermal Mass in Residential Buildings to Achieve Thermal Comfort and Reduction of Energy Consumption in Hot Dry Climate

Using natural phenomena to reach indoor comfort has been known since early time and the oldest heritage architecture‘s and engineering of Middle East region, which has responded with such phenomena as well very good solutions special for hot-dry region (height temperature and radiation at summer and big variation between day and night temperature also between the hot summer and cool winter). This Architecture realized inside its houses optimum comfortable temperatures throughout nearly all the days of the yearlong. That was through equating with the volume adopting and the space taming with the different natural elements forces of the sun, atmosphere and climate as all which is common in these days as passive design strategies and reducing energy consumption . This research investigate the thermal mass and natural ventilation for traditional house (hot-dry region in Damascus) that gives high energy efficiency in providing cool indoor air through ventilation (single sided , cross ventilation) and envelope behavior, with the procedures of measurements combined with simulation program model, to improve Middle East new residential buildings through utilize combination of passive cooling and heating techniques. Natural ventilation in traditional building coupled with effects of massive construction and design assemble, provide thermal comfort (temperature control) over interior condition. This strategies are utilized to conserve energy in a hot-dry climate specially on middle east region as Damascus and other cities which have comfort traditional houses . The modern template applied by simulation program for traditional heating and cooling technique achieves thermal comfort related to occupant behavior and reduces energy consumption for new apartment of about 30-45% reduction of energy needs at Damascus, 20-35% at Cairo and 15-30% also at very hot dry climate as Riyadh

Hydraulic properties of soil cores from untrafficked and trafficked areas

The hydraulic conductivity is an important soil parameter that is both difficult and time consuming to measure directly. Several methods have been proposed to estimate soil hydraulic conductivity indirectly. This paper focuses on one method of predi.:ting hydraulic conductivity from knowledge of the soil water retention curve. Water retention curves were measured for 15 undisturbed soil cores. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the same 15 soil cores also was determined directly by using unit gradient measurements. An equation was fitted to each of the retention curves, and a procedure using the fitting parameters was implemented to predict hydraulic conductivity of each core. Predicted and observed hydraulic conductivities are compared. The procedure describes hydraulic conductivity relationships better when observed values of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity are included in the curve fitting process, than when the saturated hydraulic conductivity alone is used as a matching point. Analysis of a data set taken from the literature indicates that observed air permeabilities may also be useful for estimating the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity

Triple junction solar cell with Cu In1-x Gex Se as absorbents layers

The design of multi-junction solar cells is guided by both the theoretical optimum bandgap combinations as well as the realistic limitations to materials with these bandgaps. Nowadays, triple-junction III-V multi-junction solar cells are commonly used as GaAs, InGaAs; InGaP ... In this work, we are interested in studying triple junctions based on thin-film solar cells Cu(In1-xGax) Se2, CuInSe2, and CuGaSe2 quaternaries using Silvaco ATLAS software. Incorporating Cu(In0.34Ga0.66) Se2 as an absorber in the middle sub-cell increased the open-circuit voltage by 0.72 V. The highest cell efficiency is 20.89 % (Voc = 2.33 V, Jsc = 9.97 mA/cm2, FF = 89.62%). This triple-junction solar cell demonstrates the potential and limitations of future improvements when voltage and current are considered

Quelle influence de la loi HPST sur les valeurs publiques ? Le cas d’un Centre Hospitalier Universitaire

Cette recherche s’intéresse à l’influence de la loi HPST sur les valeurs qui sous-tendent l’hôpital public sous l’angle des missions nouvellement introduites. Elle s’appuie sur une étude qualitative de type interprétative qui a pris la forme d’une approche exploratoire auprès d’un CHU du centre de la France. Les résultats montrent que la mise en place d’une nouvelle organisation fondée sur des nouvelles instances de direction et sur l’introduction de pôles d’activités ne modifie pas la perception des acteurs sur les valeurs. Néanmoins, la dimension managériale semble influer négativement sur ces dernières en raison principalement de l’absence de compétences ou d’appétences gestionnaires pourtant nécessaires au pilotage des nouvelles missions.The case of a University Hospital Centre. This study is focusing on the influence of the HPST Law on the values that underlie the public hospital from the point of view of newly introduced missions. It is leaning on an interpretative-qualitative analysis that takes the form of an exploratory approach of a CHU in the center of France. The results show that the setting up of a new organization based on a new management authority and on the introduction of new activity centers doesn’t change the value perception of the actors. However, it seems that the managerial dimension has a negative impact on these values because of the absence of whether competencies or managerial appetencies which are necessary when running new missions