Development of methods for the characterization of melting batches

Glass batch melting has been studied by many researchers on various scales and under various conditions but no comprehensive understanding has been reached. In view of this situation, a major part of this work was devoted to the improvement of five new experimental methods suitable for the investigation of batch melting. These are: conductometry, thermal diffusivity, heating microsopy, batch free time (BFT) and weight loss measurement. Firstly, as for the development of conductometry, three meaningful ways to present batch reactions in terms of "DTA", "voltage drop", and "electrical conductivity" were concluded. It was also possible to determine the duration of stages characterized by foaming. Secondly, for thermal diffusivity, an optimized output signals at a frequency of 50 Hz with time interval of 150 s was applied. It showed good measurment results. As a conclusion, the grain-to-grain contact in model calculations should be taken into account by a dimensionless shape factor of 2.5 to 3.5. Local conductometry combined with temperature measurement allowed to measure simultaueously the electrical conductivity and the local temperature in a melting batch. The measurement of the local thermal diffusivity was performed by an evaluation of the runtime of a periodically generated heat pulse. Thirdly, for the heating microscope, a new way to present the effect of gas release from glass batches prior to refining was developed. It was found that minor batch additions additions have a large influence. Fourthly, the BFT results show that the reaction behavior of container flint and green glass batches was more sluggish than that of crystal glass batches. By observation through a silica tube furnace, the beginning of batch reactions with cullets at the surface deep into the glass melt were observed. After 2 minutes foam was formed and decreaed within 10 minutes. Finally, weight loss determination for samples up 200 g was developed. It was found that the mass loss of soda ash detected in a vertical tube furnace started at a lower temperature and was completed at a higher temperature than suggested by the results measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These new characterization methods not only open concepts for the presentation and interpretation of batch reactions, but also close the experimental gap between conventional lab scale characterization and the behavior actually observed in industrial production

Development of methods for the characterization of melting batches

Glass batch melting has been studied by many researchers on various scales and under various conditions but no comprehensive understanding has been reached. In view of this situation, a major part of this work was devoted to the improvement of five new experimental methods suitable for the investigation of batch melting. These are: conductometry, thermal diffusivity, heating microsopy, batch free time (BFT) and weight loss measurement. Firstly, as for the development of conductometry, three meaningful ways to present batch reactions in terms of "DTA", "voltage drop", and "electrical conductivity" were concluded. It was also possible to determine the duration of stages characterized by foaming. Secondly, for thermal diffusivity, an optimized output signals at a frequency of 50 Hz with time interval of 150 s was applied. It showed good measurment results. As a conclusion, the grain-to-grain contact in model calculations should be taken into account by a dimensionless shape factor of 2.5 to 3.5. Local conductometry combined with temperature measurement allowed to measure simultaueously the electrical conductivity and the local temperature in a melting batch. The measurement of the local thermal diffusivity was performed by an evaluation of the runtime of a periodically generated heat pulse. Thirdly, for the heating microscope, a new way to present the effect of gas release from glass batches prior to refining was developed. It was found that minor batch additions additions have a large influence. Fourthly, the BFT results show that the reaction behavior of container flint and green glass batches was more sluggish than that of crystal glass batches. By observation through a silica tube furnace, the beginning of batch reactions with cullets at the surface deep into the glass melt were observed. After 2 minutes foam was formed and decreaed within 10 minutes. Finally, weight loss determination for samples up 200 g was developed. It was found that the mass loss of soda ash detected in a vertical tube furnace started at a lower temperature and was completed at a higher temperature than suggested by the results measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These new characterization methods not only open concepts for the presentation and interpretation of batch reactions, but also close the experimental gap between conventional lab scale characterization and the behavior actually observed in industrial production

THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL FINANCING IN MYANMAR

Agricultural financing plays an important role in increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries such as Myanmar. Access to financing is a great challenge for most farmers. The lack of access to financing is an important barrier for farmers to improve the efficiency of their production. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the financing of agriculture to stimulate investment in the agricultural sector and increase food production. The main objective of the study is to analyze the relationship of agricultural financing on agriculture productivity in Myanmar. This study used qualitative method through both primary and secondary sources to analyze macroeconomic variable such as agricultural loans and agricultural productivity. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the qualitative data while Pearson’ correlation and regression were done to examine the relationship between the agricultural loan and agricultural production. This study found that when the amount of agricultural loan increases, the amount of agricultural production also increases. This study concluded that there is a positive relationship between agricultural loan and agricultural production but not very strong relationship. The study suggested on government should find potential options such as strengthen agricultural credit scheme and increase MFIs coverage to increase farmer accessible to agricultural loan for more agricultural productivity

Epidemiology and Clinical Management of Traumatic Spine Injuries at a Major Government Hospital in Cambodia

Study Design Cross sectional study. Purpose To characterize the pattern of injury, describe the current clinical management, and determine the outcomes in traumatic spine injury (TSI) patients presenting to a major government hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Overview of Literature There is a paucity of literature on epidemiology or current clinical practices for TSIs in Cambodia. The findings from this study can thus serve as a valuable resource for future progress in treating TSIs in low-income countries. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study of TSI patients admitted to Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Demographics, cause of spinal injury, spinal level of injury, surgical procedures and techniques, complications, and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grades were recorded and analyzed. Results: Eighty patients were admitted with TSI between October 2013 and June 2014. Falls from heights were the most common cause of TSI, followed by road traffic accidents. 78% of the admitted patients underwent at least one surgical procedure. Without intraoperative imaging, 4 patients (6%) had wrong level surgery, and 1 patient (2%) had misplacement of pedicle screws. Sacral decubitus ulcers were the most common non-surgically related complication. Antibiotics were administered to >90% of patients. There were no in-hospital mortalities. Of the 60 spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, 32% (19/60) showed improvement in their ASIA grade at the time of discharge, and 52% (31/60) showed no change. At follow-up, 32% (19/60) of SCI patients reported improvement, and 8% (5/60) reported no change. However, 36 SCI patients (60%) were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: Despite technological limitations, outcomes of TSI patients in Cambodia appear favorable with evidence of clinical improvement and low mortality

A Systematic Literature Review of Sport and Physical Activity Participation in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Migrant Populations

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants face significant health risks as they adapt to new cultures. These risks are exacerbated by their limited participation in preventative behaviours such as sports and physical activity. The review aimed to identify studies that examined the correlates of sport and physical activity participation in migrants. The systematic review identified 72 papers, including 6 interventions, 18 qualitative and 48 quantitative studies. The 44 identified correlates highlight the complexities involved in working with migrants. The correlates were grouped in four themes using the social ecological model; acculturation, demographic, psychosocial and environmental/organisational. The social ecological model identified general correlates such as social support and safety. However, there were unique correlates relating to individuals who are facing cultural changes such as acculturation and language. Overall, there is a lack of contextualisation of CALD migrants’ sport and physical activity experiences because many studies fail to consider acculturation comprehensively. Initially titled: A review of sport and physical activity in culturally and linguistically diverse migrant