Features of Nickel-Cadmium Batteries Recycling

The issue of operated-off alkaline nickel-cadmium batteries recycling is currently relevant due to a number of aspects: economic, environmental and social. It is most acute across the national corporation JSC Russian Railways. The article deals with some technological features of operated-off alkaline nickel-cadmium batteries recycling with valuable components being extracted (from the example of nickel-cadmium storage batteries of JSC ”RZD” rolling equipment). The results of leaching in Trilon B synthetic oxides solution, the presence of which is possible in the raw material being processed, are presented in the study. Based on the study of leaching processes of CdO, NiO, FeO, Femet and Fe2O3 in Trilon B solution, the dependence of complexing on the pH of the solution was revealed. The experimental site of the hydrometallurgical processing of the research center (OCGP IC) in the GMO KhMC PJSC ”Uralelectromed” was selected as the testing one for the technology proposed. As a raw material for the tests, a lot of negative lamellae packed in alkaline storage batteries of two different types were used. They were obtained as a result of preliminary drying and cutting at OOO Kursk factory ”Accumulator”. The particle size is 90% - 0.1 mm. The results obtained during the research allowed the author to formulate a hypothesis about the practical use of Trilon B for the processing of operated-off alkaline nickel-cadmium batteries with the extraction of valuable components having greater economic, environmental and social benefits compared to methods based on pyro metallurgy. Keywords: nickel-cadmium batteries, recycling, Trilon B, Russian Railways, hydrometallurgica

Development of a novel tool to predict different water quality scenarios within a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Maltese Islands : the 2D SHYFEM-BFM model

Effective operational marine conservation and management is thwarted by a lack of financial and human resources. A coupled 2D hydrodynamic (SHYFEM) and ecological (BFM) model was developed in the current study as a Decision Support System (DSS) to spearhead good governance of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Dwejra (Maltese Islands) in the Central Mediterranean. Two scenarios were considered – one with the current levels of nutrient runoff from land and one in which such levels are increased as a result of a greater human activity within the area. Although the developed numerical modeling platform needs to be refined and to be run for a longer time -frame, its output suggests that it is a promising tool to assist in the operational management of an MPA.peer-reviewe

Extended axion electrodynamics: Optical activity induced by nonstationary dark matter

We establish a new self-consistent Einstein-Maxwell-axion model based on the Lagrangian, which is linear in the pseudoscalar (axion) field and its four-gradient and includes the four-vector of macroscopic velocity of the axion system as a whole. We consider extended equations of the axion electrodynamics, modified gravity field equations, and discuss nonstationary effects in the phenomenon of optical activity induced by axions.Comment: 6 pages, 0 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal Gravitation and Cosmology, reported at the 14th Russian Gravitational Conference (Ulyanovsk, 2011

Assessing the offshore wave energy potential for the Maltese islands

Direct wave observations using a Datawell buoy deployed to the west of Gozo, and a numerical wave modeling exercise targeted to map the spatial and temporal signatures of the wave fields around the Maltese Islands over a span of five years (1st January 2007 to 31st December 2011) have been conducted within the BLUE OCEAN ENERGY® project. This has provided a detailed characterization of local wave climates and an estimation of the available wave energy potentials in the coastal and offshore areas of the Maltese Islands. This data is essential to assess the overall feasibility of constructing wave energy production farms based on WECs, to test the most adequate devices to harvest wave energy, as well as to identify the best candidate sites for an optimal and most economically practical extraction. The study reveals that the best sites in the Maltese waters would be those located at the western approaches to the islands, given that these are more exposed to the prevailing North-Westerly winds. At these sites, maximum significant wave heights can exceed 7 m in winter, even in close proximity to the coast, and with a seasonal mean of 1.92 m as determined from direct measurements. The mean wave power transport during the winter season is estimated at 15 kW m-1; the wave resource is more than halved in spring and even weaker in autumn; it is under 2 kW m-1 during summer. Stronger wave fields occur at a few kilometres to the South West of Filfla Island where the modelled mean wave power reaches values of 13 kW m-1 in the winter months, but at less accessible sites and greater distances from shore.Alternative Technologies Ltd., Energy Investment Ltd, JMV Vibro Blocks Ltd., Solar Engineering Ltd. and Solar Solutions Ltd.peer-reviewe

Sensitivity studies on the photolysis rates calculation in Amazonian atmospheric chemistry ? Part I: The impact of the direct radiative effect of biomass burning aerosol particles

International audienceThe impact of the direct radiative effect of the aerosol particles on the calculation of the photolysis rates and consequently on the atmospheric chemistry in regional smoke clouds due to biomass burning over the Amazon basin is addressed in this work. It explores a case study for 19 September 2002 at LBA-RACCI-SMOCC (The Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere experiment in Amazonia ? Radiation, Cloud, and Climate Interactions ? Smoke, Aerosols, Clouds, Rainfall and Climate) pasture site in SW Amazonia. The Tropospheric Ultraviolet Visible radiation model (TUV) version 4.2, (Madronich et al., 1987) is used for the photolysis rates calculation considering the layer aerosol optical depth from the Coupled Aerosol Tracer Transport model to the Brazilian Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CATT-BRAMS) (Freitas et al., 2005). A dynamical aerosol model (Procópio et al., 2003) is included in the radiative transfer model to take into account the high temporal variability of the aerosol optical thickness. This methodology is tested by comparing modeled and measured clear sky solar irradiances. The results show a good agreement with measured PAR radiation values. The actinic flux attenuation, for AOT (500 nm) values around 1.94, decreases the photolysis rates by about 70% in the presence of near-ground smoke aerosol and above the smoke layer the photolysis process tends to increase by about 40%. A simulation of the ozone production is carried out using a one-dimensional photochemical box model and comparisons with observation are shown

Case report of hypotonic dehydration with outcome in cerebral edema in a child

Dehydration is one of the most common disorders of water and electrolyte metabolism in young children. The reasons leading to the lack of water in the child’s body are very diverse. In clinical practice, a correct assessment of the pathophysiological mechanisms in various types of dehydration is necessary, which will allow timely identification of changes in various organ systems and conduct rational rehydration therapy. Water losses in children occur in a certain sequence. First of all, the intravascular subsector of the extracellular sector is subjected to water losses (clinical manifestations of dehydration in the child in this case are absent). If the pathological process continues, the intercellular subsector of the extracellular sector loses water, and then the patient first presents clinical symptoms: loss of body weight, dryness and brightness of the mucous membranes, reduction of subcutaneous fiber turgor, shrinkage of the mole in children of the first year of life, reduction of diuresis. Last of all, the intracellular sector loses its volume. Depending on the osmolarity of the extracellular fluid, isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic dehydration are isolated. The most difficult in children is hypotonic dehydration, which is accompanied by a low osmolarity of the extracellular sector with predominant losses of sodium from the body. A retrospective analysis of a clinical case illustrates water-electrolyte disturbances in hypotonic dehydration. The child developed extracellular hypotonic dehydration because of sodium and water loss through the gastrointestinal tract. Hypotonic dehydration is characterized by an extreme degree of dissonance of the water-electrolyte balance, that is, the patient has severe extracellular dehydration and intracellular hyperhydration (edema, cell swelling). In this clinical case, violations of the waterelectrolyte balance led to the development of cerebral edema against the background of the existing cerebral deficiency, and death

Higher Education as a Set of Elements for Building the Future of Modern Youth

Современный университет все больше ориентируется на студенческую субъектность, т.е. его деятельность направлена на конструирование не будущего студентов, а субъекта, который сам способен определять и формировать свое будущее. Но связывают ли студенты свое настоящее обучение с последующей жизнью и трудовой деятельностью? В статье рассматривается, как современная студенческая молодежь оценивает тот набор условий, возможностей и инструментов, которые дает им вуз для конструирования будущего. Цель статьи – выделить факторы, детерминирующие в сознании молодежи связь между обучением в настоящем моменте и тем, что ожидается после его завершения в будущем. Эмпирической базой работы послужили данные VIII этапа мониторинга студенчества Свердловской области, представляющие собой результаты анкетного опроса 2000 студентов из 13 вузов региона. В ходе исследования изучалось отношение к учебе, удовлетворенность качеством подготовки, применением различных форм обучения и возможностями, предлагаемыми вузом. Врезультате анализа выделены две группы факторов: объективные (набор возможностей, предоставляемых вузом) и субъективные (личная ответственность и осознанность студентов). От их сочетания зависит, воспринимает ли студенческая молодежь обучение как актуальное для своего будущего, т.е. отмечает ли наличие связи получаемых знаний, навыков и компетенций с последующей жизнью и работой. Сделан вывод о том, что университет должен не только предоставлять новые образовательные возможности для студентов, но и заниматься формированием осознанности и ответственности студентов в плане конструирования их будущего. Представленные в работе результаты и выводы будут полезны менеджменту университетов в проектировании различных практик, форм и методов работы со студентами. Также статья может представлять интерес для исследователей и широкой общественности.The modern university is increasingly focused on student subjectivity, that is, the activity is aimed not at constructing the future of students, but at constructing a subject that can determine and shape its future. But do students connect their current studies with their future life and work? The article examines how modern students evaluate the set of conditions, opportunities and tools that the university gives them to design their future. The purpose of the article is to identify the factors that determine in the minds of young people the connection between learning in the present and what is expected after completing training in the future. The empirical basis of the work was the data of the VIII stage of monitoring the students of the Sverdlovsk region, which are the results of a questionnaire survey of 2000 students from 13 universities of the Sverdlovsk region. The study examined the attitude to study, satisfaction with the quality of training, the use of various forms of education, and the opportunities offered by the university. As a result of the analysis, two groups of factors were identified: objective (a set of opportunities provided by the university) and subjective (personal responsibility and awareness of students). Their combination determines whether students perceive their studies as relevant for their future and whether they note the connection of the acquired knowledge, skills, and competencies with future life and work. It is concluded that the university should not only provide new educational opportunities for students but also engage in the formation of awareness and responsibility of students in designing their future. The results and conclusions presented in the paper will be useful to university management in designing various practices, forms, and methods of working with students. The article may also be of interest to researchers and the general public.Подготовлено в рамках госзадания вузу, шифр проекта FEUZ‑2022-0026.Prepared as a part of the state assignment to the university, the code of the project is FEUZ‑2022-0026 project

Awareness and utilization of HIV testing and prevention services among female sex workers in Dnipro, Ukraine: implications for prevention program strengthening from the dynamics study

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 240,000 people live with HIV in Ukraine, concentrated among key populations, including sex workers. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in the funding and delivery of HIV testing and prevention services in Ukraine. These services are set within the context of national healthcare reforms as well as ongoing armed conflict. This study seeks to describe and understand the usage of HIV testing and prevention services among sex workers in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro. METHODS: A cross-sectional bio-behavioral survey was administered in September 2017-March 2018 among 560 sex workers working in Dnipro. Descriptive analyses of survey data are presented alongside multivariable logistic regression models identifying factors associated with NGO awareness and HIV testing in the past 12 months; adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) are reported. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of respondents were aware of NGOs offering HIV services. Sixty-eight percent had tested for HIV in the past 12 months, and 51% of those who reported the location of their most recent test were tested at an NGO. Those with 5-9 years in sex work had greater odds of being aware of NGOs (AOR = 5.5, 95%CI: 3.2-9.7) and testing for HIV (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 2.0-6.0) compared to those new to the profession. Contact with outreach workers was strongly associated with increased odds of testing (AOR = 13.0, 95%CI: 7.0-24.0). Sex workers in "offices" (brothel-like venues) reported higher odds of testing than all other workplaces, while those in entertainment venues (AOR = 0.3, 95%CI: 0.2-0.5) and public places (AOR = 0.2, 95%CI: 0.1-0.3) reported lower rates. Receiving prevention services, such as free condoms, was associated with increased testing (AOR = 16.9, 95%CI: 9.7-29.3). DISCUSSION: NGOs in Dnipro, Ukraine play an important role in HIV testing and prevention for women involved in sex work. However, focused efforts should be placed on supporting access to these services for women that are newer to sex work, and those working in entertainment venues or public places. Outreach workers appear to support access to HIV prevention information and supplies and facilitate linkages to HIV testing for sex workers

Genotoxic effects of metabolic derivatives of the new drug phosphabenzide

Genotoxic action of four possible metabolites of the new tranquilizer phosphabenzide (acetylphosphabenzide, diphenylphosphinylacetic acid, phosphabenzide hydrazone with pyruvic acid, bis-1,2-(diphenylphosphinylacetyl)hydrazine) has been studied. These metabolites belong to slightly toxic phosphororganic compounds. The Ames Salmonella/microsomes tests performed on strains TA100 and TA98 showed that of these compounds only acetylphosphabenzide possessed mutagenic action. Metabolic activation of liver microsomes decreased the mutagenic effect. The mechanism of action of acetylphosphabenzide is likely to involve the formation of acetylhydrazine, capable of producing active electrophiles attacking DNA