Women's most common menstrual product is sanitary pads. Most disposable sanitary pads are constructed of up to 90% non-biodegradable plastics and bleached wood pulp. Throughout the sanitary pad's life cycle, there is a risk of exposure to toxic emissions harmful to humans and ecosystems. In contrast, disposable sanitary pads' health and environmental consequences have received little attention due to cultural stigma associated with menstruation and a lack of information regarding the chemical components used in sanitary pads. A case study has been performed at the Hempur company in Stockholm, Sweden, to evaluate potential environmental impacts of a sanitary disposal pad made almost entirely of unbleached bamboo pulp and polylactic plastic (PLA). The study's objectives were accomplished using a comparative life cycle assessment methodology to identify potential trade-offs between Hempur disposable sanitary pads and a conventional disposable sanitary pad consisting of non-biodegradable polymers and bleached wood pulp. Thus, understanding the study's results allows the implementation of recommendations to improve the environmental performance of Hempur sanitary pads. The study results indicate that Hempur plant-based sanitary pads, even though shipped to Sweden from China, have lower adverse environmental impacts —on average 40% less than conventional sanitary pads created using traditional materials and manufacturing sites in European countries. More than 80% of the overall impacts of the conventional sanitary pad were attributed to bleached wood pulp and low-density polyethylene. The upstream operations of Hempur sanitary pads were identified as the least environmentally friendly phase of the product due to the use of unbleached wood pulp and polylactic plastic, which together account for between 40% and 80% of all impact categories, most notably water scarcity and abiotic element depletion. Other factors and assumptions identified during the sensitivity analysis suggested the potential for reducing the environmental footprint of Hempur sanitary pads. By transitioning from coal to hydropower to generate electricity for bamboo pulp manufacturing, Hempur's upstream operations will dramatically improve their environmental performance, resulting in a reduction in global warming and acidification. Finally, this study suggests that other alternatives for PLA and use bamboo in the core part of Hempur sanitary pad should be considered and assessed. In this study, however, parts of the life cycle inventory process were omitted due to a lack of data on the materials and process method, which may affect the precision of the results.

The masters thesis is about operational testing on selected constructions of a railway track „in situ“. There were selected two sections with and without under sleeper pads on a railway track for measurement. These measurements were evaluated then. The result is an assessment of the suitability or unsuitability for under sleeper pads for a rail transport.

Det overordnede målet med denne avhandling var å få en oversikt over ulike forstyrrelser i de nedre urinveier hos gamle. Dernest var målet å beskrive oppfatninger og barrierer som influerte på personalets muligheter for å gi riktig inkontinenspleie til beboere i sykehjem. Avhandlingen består av en kvantitativ studie (artikkel I, II, III), og en kvalitativ studie (artikkel IV). Artikkel I var en tverrsnittstudie. Artikkel II og III var en prospektiv tidsdesignstudie med en oppfølgingsperiode på ett år. 183 beboere fra seks sykehjem deltok i den kvantitative studien. I artikkel I ble prevalensen av urininkontinens hos norske sykehjembeboere evaluert. I tillegg ble det forsøkt å identifisere faktorer som var assosiert med urininkontinens i denne populasjonen. I artikkel II ble det undersøkt om residualurin var en risiko for å utvikle urinveisinfeksjon hos gamle på sykehjem. I artikkel III ble det undersøkt om bleiebruk per døgn er en pålitelig metode for å kvantifisere urininkontinens hos sykehjemsbeboere. Det ble også studert om det var sammenheng mellom urinveisinfeksjon, bleiebruk per døgn og væskeinntak. I den kvalitative studien var målet å identifisere oppfatninger og barrierer som influerte på pleiernes muligheter for å gi riktig inkontinenspleie. Fem avdelingsledere, fem sykepleiere og fem hjelpepleiere ble intervjuet i til sammen tre fokusgruppeintervjuer.Analysen i artikkel I viste at 122 beboere (69 %) var inkontinent for urin og 144 (83 %) brukte bleier. 14 % brukte bleier for sikkerhets skyld. Lav ADL-skår, demens og urinveisinfeksjon var assosiert med urininkontinens (P = <0.01). I artikkel II hadde 98 beboere (63.3 %) residualurin mindre enn 100 ml, og 52 (34.7 %) hadde residualurin på 100 ml eller større. I løpet av oppfølgingsperioden hadde 51 beboere (34 %) utviklet en eller flere urinveisinfeksjoner. Forekomsten av urinveisinfeksjon var høyere hos kvinnene enn hos mennene (40.4 % versus 19.6 %; P = 0.02). Det ble ikke funnet noen signifikant forskjell i gjennomsnittlig residualurin mellom beboere som utviklet og som ikke utviklet urinveisinfeksjon (79 versus 97 ml, P = 0.26). Residualurin på 100 ml eller større var ikke assosiert med større risiko for utvikling av urinveisinfeksjon.I artikkel III brukte 118 (77 %) av beboerne bleier. Bleiebruk per døgn er et upålitelig mål på urininkontinens hos beboere i sykehjem. Beboere som brukte bleier hadde en økende risiko for å utvikle urinveisinfeksjon sammenlignet medvibeboere som ikke brukte bleier (41 versus 11 %; P = 0.001). Daglig væskeinntak var ikke assosiert med urinveisinfeksjoner (P = 0.46). Antall bleieskift viste ingen korrelasjon med risikoen for utvikling av urinveisinfeksjon (P = 0.62). Bleiene som beboerne brukte per døgn, viste stor variasjon i inkontinensvolum. I den kvalitative studien ledet innholdsanalysen fram til tre emner og åtte kategorier. Det første emnet, Oppfatninger og barrierer assosiert med beboerne, inneholdt en kategori ”fysiske og kognitive problemer”. Det andre emnet, Oppfatninger og barrierer assosiert med personalet, inneholdt tre kategorier: ”manglende kunnskaper”, ”holdninger og tro” og ”manglende tilgjengelighet”. Det tredje emnet, Oppfatninger og barrierer assosiert med den organisatoriske kulturen, inneholdt fire kategorier: ”rigide rutiner”, manglende ressurser”, ”manglede dokumentasjon” og ”svakt lederskap”. Resultatene i denne avhandlingen viser at forekomsten av urininkontinens i sykehjem er høy. Absorberende produkter er hyppig brukt uten en kjent historie av urininkontinens. Fysisk svekkelse, demens og urinveisinfeksjon er assosiert med urininkontinens. Residualurin er vanlig hos beboere i sykehjem. Det ble ikke funnet noen sammenheng mellom residualurin og urinveisinfeksjon. Bruk av absorberende bleier er assosiert med økt risiko for utvikling av urinveisinfeksjon. Bleiebruk per døgn og væskeinntak var ikke korrelert med økt risiko for utvikling av urinveisinfeksjon. Bleiebruk per døgn er et upålitelig mål på urininkontinens hos beboere i sykehjem. Funnene fra den kvalitative studien viser at det er mange barrierer som influerer på personalets evne til å gi riktig inkontinenspleie til beboere i sykehjem. Det kan likevel se ut som om personalets oppfatninger og holdninger, samt manglende kunnskaper om urininkontinens, er de viktigste barrierene for å gi riktig inkontinenspleie. / The overall aim of this thesis was to get an overview over different dysfunction in the lower urinary tract in the elderly. Also, we wanted to describe the perceptions and barriers that influence the nursing staff`’s ability to provide appropriate incontinence care in nursing home residents. The thesis includes one quantitative study (paper I, II, III), and one qualitative study (paper IV). Paper I was a cross-sectional study. Paper II and III were a prospective surveillance with a follow-up period of 1 year. 183 residents from six Norwegian nursing homes participated. In paper I, the prevalence of urinary incontinence in Norwegian nursing home residents was evaluated. The factors possibly associated with urinary incontinence were also studied. In paper II, we investigated whether residual urine was a risk factor for developing urinary tract infections in the elderly in nursing homes. In paper III, the objective was to determine whether pads per day usage is a reliable measure of urinary incontinence in nursing home residents. Furthermore, we wanted to study the association between urinary tract infections, pads per day usage and fluid intake. In the qualitative study, the aim was to identify perceptions and barriers that influence the ability of nursing staff to provide appropriate incontinence care. Five charge nurses, five registered nurses and five certified nursing assistants participated in the focus group interviews.The analysis in paper I, showed that 122 (69 %) of the resident were incontinent for urine and 144 used absorbent pads (83 %). 14 % of residents used absorbent pads ‘just to make sure’. They did not have a history of urinary incontinence. Low ADL score, dementia and urinary tract infection were significantly associated with incontinence for urine (P = <0.01). In paper II, 93 of the residents (65.3 %) had postvoid residual urine (PVR) < 100 mL and 52 residents (34.7 %) had a PVR 100 mL. During the follow-up period, 51 residents (34.0 %) had one or more urinary tract infections (UTI). The prevalence of UTI among females was higher than among men (40.4 % versus. 19.6 %; P = 0.015). There was no significant difference in mean PVR among residents that did or did not develop UTI (79 mL versus 97mL; P = 0.26). A PVR 100 mL was not associated with an increased risk of developing UTI`s (P = 0.59).In paper III, 118 (77 %) used absorbent pads. Residents that used absorbent pads were at increased risk of developing UTIs compared to residents that did notviiiuse pads (41 % versus 11 %; P = 0.001). Daily fluid intake was not associated with UTIs (P = 0.46). The number of pad shifts had no relation with the risk of developing UTIs (P = 0.62). Residents with a given pad per day (PPD) presented a wide range of incontinence volumes.In paper IV, three topics and eight categories were identified. The first topic, Perceptions and barriers associated with residents, consisted of one category: ‘physical and cognitive problems’. The second topic, Perceptions and barriers associated with nursing staff, consisted of three categories: ‘lack of knowledge’, ‘attitudes and beliefs’ and ‘lack of accessibility’. The third topic, Perceptions and barriers associated with organizational culture, consisted of four categories: ‘rigid routines’, ‘lack of resource’, ‘lack of documentation’ and ‘lack of leadership’.The results of the thesis show that the prevalence of urinary incontinence in nursing homes is high. Absorbent products are frequently used without a history of urinary incontinence. Physical impairment, dementia and urinary tract infections are associated with urinary incontinence. is common in nursing home residents. No association between PVR and UTI was found. The use of absorbent pads is associated with an increased risk of developing UTIs. PPD and daily fluid intake are not correlated with the risk of developing UTIs. PPD is an unreliable measure of urinary incontinence in nursing home residents. The findings from the qualitative study shows that there are many barriers that might influence the possibilities of nursing staff to provide appropriate incontinence care to residents in nursing homes. However, it can nevertheless seem like opinions and the attitude of nursing staff, together with a lack of knowledge about urinary incontince, are the most important barriers to provide appropriate incontinence care.

La prédiction du bruit de roulement ferroviaire est en enjeu majeur pour la maitrise des nuisances sonores. Au point de contact roue/rail, la roue et la voie sont excités de manière dynamique, ce qui enclenche le rayonnement du bruit de roulement. Les réponses vibratoires au point de contact ainsi que les taux de décroissance des ondes sont des données primordiales pour simuler de manière précise le bruit de roulement. Or, la dimension infinie de la voie ferrée conduit bien souvent à des modèles éléments finis coûteux et non adaptés à la recherche de solutions innovantes. La thèse a pour objectifs de proposer un modèle vibratoire de voie en éléments finis qui prenne en compte la dimension infinie périodique de la voie, mais aussi d’inclure une portion de voie non-périodique sur laquelle des solutions anti-vibratiles peuvent être testées. La propagation des vibrations est exprimée sous la forme d’une décomposition en ondes par la méthode WFE (Wave Finite Element). Le calcul de la réponse vibratoire de la voie périodique infinie est obtenu à partir du déplacement d’une cellule physique longue d’environ 0.6 m. Pour réduire les temps de calcul nécessaires à sa condensation dynamique, une méthode de bi-périodisation est proposée. Le couplage entre les méthodes éléments finis et WFE est développé pour prendre en considération les supports élastiques dans cette cellule. Les comparaisons avec des mobilités expérimentales ainsi que des taux de décroissance montrent un très bon accord calculs-mesures. Enfin, le modèle développé dans cette thèse a permis de tester l’efficacité d’une solution anti-vibratile innovante développée au sein du projet CERVIFER. Celle-ci offre un comportement bi-mode, elle assouplit les supports autour de la roue préservant ainsi l’infrastructure, mais elle rigidifie les supports loin de la roue pour augmenter les taux de décroissance. Les résultats numériques se révèlent prometteurs en termes d’efficacité du dispositif et entrevoient une poursuite du développement de cette solution anti-vibratile. / Railway noise is a critical issue concerning environmental noise. At the wheel/rail contact point, both the wheel and the track are dynamically excited and vibrate together to emit the well known rolling noise. The point receptance of the rail and the track decay rates are important quantities to accurately predict wheel-rail noise emission. However, the infinite dimension of the track leads to cumbersome numerical finite-element (FE) models and not adapted to assist the research of innovative solutions. The goals of this thesis are to build an efficient numerical model for calculating the vibration from an infinite railway track, but also to include a central non-periodic part with the aim of testing anti-vibration solutions. The vibration propagation along the track is expressed as a sum of different waves using the WFEM (Wave Finite Element Method). The displacements of a 0.6 m unit cell lead to the computation of the whole track. To reduce the dynamic condensation of this cell, a bi-periodic method is proposed in this thesis. The FEM - WFEM coupling is proposed to easily include elastic supports inside the unit cell. Results show a good correlation between test and calculation. Finally, the model proposed in this thesis was used to test the efficiency of an innovative anti-vibration solution developed within the CERVIFER project. It is a dual mode device which makes the supports softer around the wheel to protect the infrastructure, and stiffer away from the wheel to increase the track decay rates. The numerical results revealed to be really promising, and they will permit to pursue the development of this anti-vibration solution.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-26T14:53:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 VanderCarbonari.pdf: 3927736 bytes, checksum: bc7822e37fb860c0f2387cee7269086f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-26 / This work aims at performing the inventory of predator and parasitic wasps fauna in different forest formations of Bodoquena Range Mountain National Park (PNSB). The collections were made in the municipalities of Bodoquena, Bonito, Jardim and Porto Murtinho, covering the two parts (North and South) of PNSB, within a discontinuous period of 35 days of collecting, between february/2007 to december/2008. Seven expeditions were undertaken in the field, seven days each, in areas with predominance of deciduous and semideciduous seasonal forest. The data collection techniques employed in faunal inventory were active collection with entomological net, Malaise traps, yellow pads and mini-Winkler extractors. Three-hundred fifty one specimens Aculeata group, represented by 105 species in 57 genera, distributed in the following families: Vespidae, Pompilidae, Mutillidae; Tiphiidae; Scoliidae. The total number of individuals of the Hymenoptera Parasitica series in Bodoquena Mountain Range was 1243, following the percentage: Ichneumonoidea: Ichneumonidae (16%); Braconidae (9%); Platygastroidea: Scelionidae (18%), Platygastridae (1%); Proctotrupoidea: Diapriidae (11%), Chrysidoidea: Bethylidae (14%), Dryinidae (2%), Chrysididae (1%); Ceraphronoidea:Ceraphronidae (4%), Megaspilidae (1%); Evanioidea: Evaniidae (2%); Trigonalioidea: Trigonalidae (1%); and the superfamilies Chalcidoidea (19%) and Cynipoidea (1%). It was not possible to identify the families yet, for these two superfamilies, and all families of Parasitica were not possible to identify at the genera level. Some groups were sampled by one of the techniques employed, showing that the use of various techniques is essential to surveying wasps. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge of the richness of the wasps fauna and their geographical distribution and provide subsidies for insects fauna conservation in these forests / Este trabalho tem como objetivo inventariar a fauna de vespas predadoras e parasíticas nas diferentes formações florestais do Parque Nacional da Serra da Bodoquena (PNSB). As coletas foram realizadas nos municípios de Bodoquena, Bonito, Jardim e Porto Murtinho, cobrindo as duas porções (Norte e Sul) do PNSB, em um período descontínuo de 35 dias de amostragens, entre fevereiro/2007 a dezembro/2008. Foram realizadas sete expedições de campo, de sete dias cada, em áreas com predomínio de Floresta Estacional Decidual e Semidecidual. As técnicas de coleta empregadas no inventário faunístico foram: coleta ativa com rede entomológica, armadilhas de Malaise, bandejas amarelas e extratores de mini-Winkler. Foram capturados 351 exemplares do grupo Aculeata representados por 105 espécies em 57 gêneros, distribuídos nas seguintes famílias: Vespidae, Pompilidae, Mutillidae; Tiphiidae; Scoliidae. O número total de exemplares de Hymenoptera da série Parasitica na Serra da Bodoquena foi 1.243, sendo a porcentagem: Ichneumonoidea:Ichneumonidae (16%), Braconidae (9%); Platygastroidea: Scelionidae (18%), Platygastridae (1%); Proctotrupoidea: Diapriidae (11%); Chrysidoidea: Bethylidae (14%), Dryinidae (2%), Chrysididae (1%); Ceraphronoidea; Ceraphronidae (4%), Megaspilidae (1%); Evanioidea: Evaniidae (2%) Trigonalioidea: Trigonalidae (1%); e as superfamílias Chalcidoidea (19%) e Cynipoidea (1%), para estas duas superfamílias ainda não foi possível a identificação das famílias, e para todas as famílias de parasítica não foi possível a identificação dos gêneros. Alguns grupos foram amostrados por apenas uma das técnicas empregadas, mostrando que a utilização de técnicas variadas é fundamental para se fazer inventários faunísticos de vespas. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo contribuem para o conhecimento da riqueza da fauna de vespas e sua distribuição geográfica e fornece subsídios para a conservação da entomofauna dessas florestas

L’image des ruines est quasi absente dans l’art traditionnel en Chine. Mais l’usine abandonnée et le bâtiment démoli sont régulièrement présents dans le cinéma chinois contemporain depuis la des années 90. À plusieurs reprises, Jia Zhang-ke s’est inspiré du champ de ruines tandis que Wang Bing a exprimé la nostalgie pour le vieux quartier à Shenyang dans une interview à propos d’À l’Ouest des rails. De leur côté, Wang Quan’an, Wang Chao, Lou Ye, Zhang Yang racontent souvent les histoires dans le contexte de la grande vague d’urbanisation du pays. L’image des ruines, comme symptôme, est surdéterminée dans leurs films.Ce travail tente d’analyser l’esthétique des ruines par la pensée de l’anachronisme. Dans l’image filmique, le champ de ruines et le chantier ne sont ni les simples fétiches intemporels, ni les simples chroniques figuratives. Ils sont des montages de temporalités différentes par lesquels on peut entrevoir l’écheveau de notions hétérogènes, des symptômes qui font apparaître le pouvoir impérial de la Chine ancienne, des désirs de la fuite hors du monde quotidien. / The image of the ruins is almost absent in the traditional Chinese art. But the demolished building and the abandoned factory have become the most important urban landscape in the contemporary Chinese cinema since the late 1990s. The field of ruins inspired Jia Zhang-ke to write screenplays for films and Wang Bing expressed nostalgia about the old district of Shenyang during an interview. On their side, lots of filmmakers are interested in social realty in the context of urbanization. So the image of the ruins is overdetermined as a symptom in their films. This thesis is trying to analyse the esthetic value of the ruins by using the idea of anachronism. In the image of film, the field of ruins and the construction site are neither the timeless simple fetishes nor the figurative chronicles. They are some montages of different time zones, through which a mixture of ideas can be seen. They are some symptoms which can show the imperial power of the old China. They are finally some desires for escape from the concrete life-world.

No description available.

The subject of the diploma thesis is new stand-alone hotel with a catering service and a relaxation zone including a fitness room, a table tennis room, massages and a solarium. The individual functional parts are separated and can be operated independently of each other. The Building consists of three floors. The ground floor will serve to run a restaurant with a background and a for relaxation zone, the remaining two floors will be used to accommodate guests and the necessary facilities. The maximum capacity for the accommodation is 59 people and requires four employees to operate it. The restaurant is designed for 81 guests and a total of 7 employees. The relaxation part is for guests only and is not accessible to other people. The structure is based on strip foundations from plain concrete and reinforced concrete foundation footing. Peripheral vertical load-bearing structures of the first above-ground floor are designed from permanent formwork system, all others loadbearing walls will be walled-up from vertically perforated block laid on thin-film adhesive. The floor structures are designed as an assembly of prestressed hollow core slabs. Roofing of the building will be made as a flat vegetation roof.

The subject of the Diploma thesis was to design and prepare a documentation for the construction of a spa hotel. The building is situated in the village of Lipno nad Vltavou. This area is famous for a ski resort and the Lipno Dam which can be seen from the hotel. The hotel consists of three operating parts - spa, restaurant, accommodation and recreation area. The whole complex is designed as two rectangular plans. The spa part is a one-storey building with a flat green roof. The hotel with restaurant is a three-storey building with a pitched roof and metal roofing. The main entrance is oriented to the north. In front of the building there is a parking space for hotel guests. The spa structural system is a mix of a reinforced concrete frame with beam and a wall system made of clay blocks Porotherm. The hotel and restaurant is a wall structural system made of clay blocks Porotherm. The floor structure is designed as reinforced concrete slabs. The whole building is insulated to meet all the requirements of energy consumption of buildings.

Master´s project solve design of Mountain Pension With Restaurant . The construction system is wood column forming frame, the 2by4 system. The building has three floors and roofed by sadlle roof with dormers. The roof has two levels. There is also green roof in building. The structure is based on pads foundations. Something extra is using of gabion wall to ventilate the space around pads.