Evaluation of Constructed Wetland Performance in New Mexico, 2007

Wastewater treatment wetlands, also referred to as constructed wetland systems (CWS), were installed in New Mexico and other states during the 1990s to provide low cost and low maintenance wastewater treatment options to small communities served by on-site treatment systems. An analysis completed in 1995 examined the design and performance of 18 subsurface flow constructed wetlands. At that time, most of the systems were relatively new and little information was obtained about their long term performance. This project examined the performance of 11 constructed wetlands built between 1990 and 1996, five of which were included in the 1995 study. The systems were analyzed to assess their overall performance. The analysis consisted of site visits, sampling of some systems, and evaluation of monitoring data submitted as required by ground water discharge permits where available. Four systems do not meet NMED permit requirements for total nitrogen, three systems consistently meet these requirements and four systems exhibit variable compliance. It was found that systems with some level of pretreatment beyond that provided by a septic tank were able to obtain sufficient nitrogen removal, whereas a wetland cell alone achieved poor nitrogen removal. The principal limiting factor appears to be the lack of aerobic zones which prevents the systems from achieving adequate levels of nitrification. Performance may be improved by incorporating components such as aeration within the cells, a trickling filter within the system, or nitrification tanks. Maintenance of all electrical, mechanical and plumbing equipment in a wetland system is critical as treatment rates were seen to drop drastically with the failure of electrical components such as pumps or aerators

Heftingsdalen søppelfyllplass i Arendal undersøkelser og overvåking i 2002

Vannkvaliteten i Mjåvann overvåkes årlig for å vurdere eventuell påvirkning fra Heftingsdalen søppelfyllplass til Songevassdraget ved Arendal. I tillegg samles og rapporteres data fra grunnvannsbrønner og sigevann fra fyllplassen. For 2002 er det foretatt en teoretisk beregning av vannbalanse for fyllplassen. Vannkvaliteten i Mjåvann er mindre god i følge SFTs tilstandsklasser, men en del av forklaringen er naturlig høye konsentrasjoner av løst organisk stoff. Det blir også påvist termostabile koliforme bakterier i vannet, og det egner seg derfor ikke til drikkevann, men tilfredsstilte hygieniske krav til godt badevann. Under kraftig flom 23. oktober 2002 ble det registrert overløp av sigevann og høye bakteriekonsentrasjoner i Mjåvann over flere dager. Pga overløpet av sigevann under denne flommen og ved tilsvarende situasjoner tidligere er det allerede gjennomført tiltak for å beskytte vassdraget nedstrøms fyllplassen. Det anbefales en nærmere vurdering av metallkonsentrasjonene i sigevannet, spesielt kvikksølv. Vannbalansen viser varierende overensstemmelse mellom beregnet og målt sigevannsmengde for årene 2000-2002

Driftskontroll av kalkdoseringsanlegg i Storelva, Vegårvasssdraget. Statusrapport for 2006

Driftskontroll av Hauglandsfossen kalkdoseringsanlegg i Storelva er et verktøy for å få bedre innsyn i kalkingen fra anlegget. Denne statusrapporten er en sammenfatning av hendelser i rapporteringsperioden som gir grunnlag for iverksetting av forbedringstiltak. Også 2006 var preget av relativt mange og til dels lange perioder med feil pH-signaler oppstrøms og nedstrøms Hauglandsfossen. Hovedårsaken til problemene var manglende vanngjennomstrømning (pumpesvikt) eller feil på elektrodene grunnet manglende vedlikehold eller for langt utskiftingsintervall. Det var særlig store problemer med pH-signalene på høsten, og dette kan lett medføre feildosering. På tross av disse problemene ble det ikke registrert nevneverdige avvik fra pH-målet som er satt for den anadrome strekningen av elva. Det er foreslått tiltak for å forbedre kvaliteten på pH-signalene oppstrøms og nedstrøms doserings­anlegget, samt den generelle driftskontrollen ved anlegget

Seabed minerals in Norway. An analysis of conflicts and sustainability issues.

The increasing demand for metals for use in renewable technologies and electronics has led to a surge in the interest in the minerals found on the seabed. The demand is driven by the need for green technologies to reach climate goals, population growth, and environmental, social, and economic challenges with today’s mining methods on land. Deep-sea mining is an industry still in its infancy, and there is currently no commercial exploitation taking place, but several countries are looking to exploit marine minerals either within their jurisdictional zones or in the Area, the common heritage of mankind. There has been significant opposition to the marine minerals industry due to environmental, social, and legal challenges, which led to several countries signing an international moratorium in the fall of 2021. Norway is one of few countries that voted against the moratorium and has initiated an opening process for deep-sea mining on the Norwegian continental shelf.This thesis analyzes the drivers and motivations for deep-sea mining, how a marine mineral industry aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, why Norway has decided to take a different approach to seabed mining than most other countries, and the sustainability issues raised in the impact assessment program related to the opening process on the Norwegian continental shelf. Questions of sustainability, the Precautionary Principle, risk, and decision-making under uncertainty are considered. The study uses both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected through three semi-structured interviews. The secondary data used for this thesis were public consultation documents, White Papers, UN reports, and peer-reviewed scientific literature. Based on the analysis, the thesis suggests that ultimately, the society must make choices if we are to succeed with both the transition to a low- carbon emission future and in meeting the needs of a growing population. However, making decisions under uncertainty is challenging, deciding how much risk one is willing to take and how much weight to give precautionary measures. This decision is likely to not rely entirely on scientific knowledge, but also on political interests, social values, and technological development

The 25-hour Moment: How Pathologic 2 Facilitates Presentness and Constructs Its Ludonarrative

This thesis investigates how interactivity, one of digital games’ most prominent and productive aspects, can be leveraged to produce particular experiences within games. I demonstrate how Pathologic 2 is designed to leverage interactivity in order to immerse the player within its fiction and world, primarily by the player’s own continuous interaction with the game system as represented in the game’s fictional world. This interactivity, made meaningful through its systemic context, is shown to also be crucial in the construction of the game’s ludonarrative, during which the player engages in continuous embodied thinking. This ludonarrative is made legible through the game’s consistent representation and allows for interpretation and a deeper analysis of the game’s fiction as well as the embodied player’s role within it. The concept of “difficulty,” a prominent device in games, is also accounted for and discussed. This “difficulty,” encompassing both the game system as stress-inducing and the fictional world’s as informationally ambiguous, motivates player action and is key in the further facilitation of immersion and, especially, the facilitation and nuancing of the player’s embodied thinking. The cohesive and uncompromising design of Pathologic 2 becomes a complex system of mutual reinforcement, with the player’s actions, guided by the game’s design, as its primary and ever-present driving force

Entry into nursing: An ethnographic study of newly qualified nurses taking on the nursing role in a hospital setting

The transition from student to working nurse has long been recognized as challenging. This paper presents the findings of research into the opportunities and limitations encountered by newly qualified nurses when taking on the nursing role. The study had an ethnographic design. Observation, interviews, and document analysis were used to gain insight into nurses' daily work from the perspective of recently graduated nurses. Thirteen nurses were monitored closely during their first year in a hospital setting in Norway. These new nurses generally entered the field with empathy for their patients, enthusiasm for the profession, and readiness to learn more about being a good nurse. However, their more experienced colleagues seemed to neither respect nor nurture this attitude. The new nurses experienced heavier responsibilities than expected, fragmentation of patient care, and stressful interactions with colleagues. The lack of a supportive work environment and role models increased the new nurses' experience of overwhelming responsibility in their daily work situations. The nurses learned to cope the hard way, despite the organizational culture, not because of it. Adjusting the profession's expectations of new nurses, and offering good role models and more comprehensive support programmes, would markedly ease the transition for new nurse

A longitudinal study on diarrhoea and vomiting in young dogs of four large breeds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prospective studies to document the occurrence of canine diarrhoea and vomiting are relatively scarce in dogs, and the majority of published studies are based on information from clinical records. This study investigates the incidence risk of diarrhoea and vomiting as well as potential risk factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cohort study of 585 privately owned dogs of four breeds: Newfoundland, Labrador retriever, Leonberger, and Irish wolfhound. The owners maintained a continuous log regarding housing, exercise, nutrition, and health of their dogs. Episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting were recorded in a consecutive manner in a booklet. The owners completed the questionnaires and reported information at three, four, six, 12, 18, and 24/25 months of age, called observational ages.</p> <p>Associations with potential risk factors for diarrhoea and vomiting were investigated in separate generalized estimating equation analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of both diarrhoea and vomiting was influenced by breed. Both diarrhoea and vomiting were relatively common in young dogs, occurring most frequently during the first months of life. After three months of age, the odds of diarrhoea were significantly lower when compared to the observational period seven weeks to three months (OR ranging from 0.31 to 0.70 depending on the period). More males than females suffered from diarrhoea (OR = 1.42). The occurrence of diarrhoea was more common in dogs that also experienced episode(s) of vomiting during the study period (OR = 5.43) and <it>vice versa </it>(OR = 5.50). In the majority of dogs episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting did not occur at the same time. Dogs in urban areas had higher odds (OR = 1.88) of getting diarrhoea compared to dogs living in rural areas. The occurrence of both diarrhoea and vomiting demonstrated a seasonal variation with higher incidence during the summer months.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both diarrhoea and vomiting occurred most frequently during the first months of life. The incidence of diarrhoea and vomiting was significantly different between breeds. Diarrhoea occurred more frequently in males and in dogs living in urban areas. Also, a positive association between the occurrence of diarrhoea and vomiting in the same dog was found.</p

Driftskontroll av kalkdoseringsanlegg i Lygna. Statusrapport for 2007

Driftskontroll av Gysland kalkdoseringsanlegg i Lygna er et verktøy for å få bedre innsyn i kalkingen fra anlegget. Denne statusrapporten gir en dokumentasjon på driften i rapporteringsperioden (2007) og inneholder samtidig en fortegnelse over hendelser og avvik som kan danne grunnlag for forbedringstiltak knyttet til driftsrutiner, installasjoner eller kalkingsstrategi. Doseringsanlegget har generelt god driftssikkerhet, men pH-signalet oppstrøms anlegget var ute av drift store deler av 2007 på grunn av problemer med vanninntaket. Dette medførte økt risiko for feildosering og forsuringsepisoder på den lakse- og sjøaure­førende strekningen av vassdraget. Det ble identifisert i alt 5 perioder av varighet på over 8 timer, hvor en ikke greide å kalke elva opp til ønsket målnivå for den lakseførende strekningen. Ingen av disse hendelsene inntraff i perioden april-mai, som er den mest kritiske perioden for laksesmolt. Flere av tiltakene som er anbefalt i tidligere årsrapporter er nå gjennomført, bl.a. omlegging av inntak for pH-måling oppstrøms og nedstrøms anlegget, samt opprusting av pH-stasjonen ved Vegge. I tillegg til dette anbefaler vi som tidligere at det etableres en ekstra pH-overvåkingsstasjon ved Rom, i nedre del av elva

Medelevvurdering i design- og håndverksfag

Pedagogisk utviklingsarbeid, PPU-deltid Høgskulen i Sogn og Fjordane 201

A Case Report of Successful Management of Clostridium Difficile Colitis with Antegrade Fidaxomicin Through A Mucous Fistula Obviating the Need for Subtotal Colectomy.

Introduction Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of healthcare-associated infections and can have devastating morbidity and mortality. Traditional treatment algorithms involve intravenous metronidazole and enteric metronidazole or vancomycin. Fidaxomicin (DificidR) targets “switch regions” within RNA polymerases and effectively kills clostridium difficile bacteria and is typically administered orally primarily or through a naso/oro-gastric conduit. Presentation of case 55-year-old with a recent elective surgical procedure was hospitalized with multifocal pneumonia and subsequently developed clostridium difficile colitis. This patient failed the standard medical therapy for clostridium difficile colitis, decompensated and required surgical exploration, partial colectomy and mucous fistula creation. Following her surgery, her clinical condition improved and her colitis resolved with the antegrade administration of fidaxomicin through her mucous fistula. Discussion Fidaxomicin is a newer to market therapeutic agent that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of clostridium difficile colitis. Previously studies have shown benefit of oral fidaxomicin therapy for fulminant clostridium difficile but our study case report describes the index case of topical fidaxomicin through a mucous fistula. Conclusion In our case of fulminant clostridium difficile colitis, Fidaxomicin administered in an antegrade fashion through a mucous fistula may have reduced the need for total colectomy in the treatment of fulminant clostridium difficile colitis