Government Laboratories Research Articles

Quality of Municipal Solid Waste Compost Produced in Sri Lanka

Rapid urbanization has made solid waste management a serious problem for local authorities in Sri Lanka. The compost production with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and good quality assurance of compost produced by such is crucial in utilizing these problematic wastes as an agriculturally important product. This study was focused on evaluating the overall quality of Municipal Solid Waste Compost (MSWC) in Sri Lanka. Primary and secondary data of compost physicochemical and biological characters covering 45 composting sites representing 88% of functioning Pilisaru composting sites of SL were used for the study. A large set of secondary data on MSWC quality parameters were collected from well reputed government laboratories with the approval of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). Inadequate data were analyzed. Box plots were developed using data on color, moisture, odor, sand content, particle size, PH, conductivity, organic carbon, C:N ratio, total nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Zinc, Fecal coliform and Salmonella in MSWC samples. Central tendency, data distribution and deviations of each parameter were identified after eliminating outliers. The conformity percentage to Sri Lankan Standards (SLS) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) were calculated. The heavy metal contents were compared with Portugal, France and Italy standards for MSWC in addition to SLS and BIS. Normal probability plots of the residual were designed in order to identify the data distribution pattern. Spatial variability of data in each individual parameter was analyzed in district basis. Mean and median value of moisture content, sand content, MgO, Hg content and fecal coli form was not conformant with SLS and BIS. Although the mean value of particle size conformant with BIS it has exceeded the levels in SLS. Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni contents showed 100% conformity with SLS, BIS, France, Italy and Portugal standards. Cr and Pb contents showed more than 90% conformity to all the standards. Colour, odour, pH, organic carbon, total N, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn and salmonella resulted in more than 75% conformity to SLS. Sand content is the most deviated parameter from SLS. Significant special variability was reported for particular districts with regard to sand content, pH, total N, P2O5 and K2O. Thus, MSWC quality in SL could be improved via giving the emphasis on the parameters which are not conformant with the standards.Keywords: Municipal Solid Waste Compost (MSWC), Sri Lankan Standard (SLS), Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS)

For president-elect: Bonnie A. Charpentier

For president-elect: Bonnie A. Charpentier

Introduction to the Special Issue: 2016 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium

The 2016 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium was held in Tours, France, from September 18–21, 2016. Tours is in the heart of the French Chateau country and the Vinci Convention Center, a short walk from the Loire, provided an expansive venue for this conference. Sponsored by the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society, this symposium brings together technologists from academia, government labs, and industry to openly share their progress through posters, presentations, exhibits, short courses, and informal gatherings. The symposium strives for truly global representation and active involvement of students, early-career, and established practitioners.

Throwing computing into reverse

For More Than 50 Years, computers have made steady and dramatic improvements, all thanks to Moore's Law- the exponential increase over time in the number of transistors that can be fabricated on an integrated circuit of a given size. Moore's Law owed its success to the fact that as transistors were made smaller, they became simultaneously cheaper, faster, and more energy efficient. The payoff from this win-win-win scenario enabled reinvestment in semiconductor fabrication technology that could make even smaller, more densely packed transistors. And so this virtuous circle continued, decade after decade. . Now though, experts in industry, academia, and government laboratories anticipate that semiconductor miniaturization won't continue much longer-maybe 5 or 10 years. Making transistors smaller no longer yields the improvements it used to. The physical characteristics of small transistors caused clock speeds to stagnate more than a decade ago, which drove the industry to start building chips with multiple cores. But even multicore architectures must contend with increasing amounts of "dark silicon," areas of the chip that must be powered off to avoid overheating.

Open innovation reaches Japan

The Japanese dye, ink, and chemical producer DIC recently teamed up with Kyushu University to develop a new fluorinated polymer to create smoother photoresists for semiconductors and liquid-crystal displays. DIC came up with the polymer via a living polymerization technology that its researchers had jointly developed with academics from several departments at Kyushu. In living polymerization, polymer chains grow freely without termination, resulting in chains of similar length. The alliance would be prosaic in the West, but Japanese chemical companies are relatively new to the idea of collaborating with outside researchers. Making up for lost time, major Japanese companies are now busy setting up alliances with other companies, academia, and government labs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi, the chief executive officer of DIC, is among those backing the idea of open innovation, a method of conducting R&D in collaboration with outside partners including competitors, start-ups, universities, and research institutes. Not...

Melamine Detection in Milk and Dairy Products: Traditional Analytical Methods and Recent Developments

Melamine is a nitrogen-rich compound (about 66%) whose fraudulent addition to foods aims to increase the apparent protein content. In 2008, melamine adulteration incidents occurred in China caused several deaths in humans from kidney failure and other health problems. This issue prompted private as well as governmental laboratories to develop several analytical methods in order to determine melamine in foods. This review aims to provide an overview of the analytical techniques currently available in the literature for melamine detection and measurement in milk and dairy products, including a specific section related to sample preparation. Recent studies concerning conventional (both screening and confirmatory) methods are reported, and technical and critical issues are discussed for each technique (liquid and gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis). These techniques, very sensitive and specific but also time-consuming, may require tedious sample preparation, costly instrumentation, and skilled personnel. Therefore, new innovative detection methods are also provided, focusing attention on immunoassay, sensor technology, vibrational spectroscopy coupled to chemometrics, hyperspectral imaging, micellar liquid chromatography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and chemiluminescence.

Quality of communication between dentists and dental laboratory technicians for fixed prosthodontics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The fabrication of a clinically acceptable dental prosthesis requires proper communication between the dentist and the dental technician. Prosthodontic educators have been concerned with this interaction and communication. Fixed prosthodontics laboratories revealed that the technicians are often dissatisfied with the information provided in work authorizations.ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of communication between dentists and laboratory technicians via work authorizations for fixed prosthodontics in both governmental and private dental laboratories in Riyadh area from the technician’s perspective.MethodsA sample of 66 dental laboratories, including all government dental laboratories and a selected number of randomly chosen private dental laboratories from each district of Riyadh (40%), participated in the survey.A questionnaire was developed to include questions related to the following areas of work authorization: clarity and accuracy of instructions, patient information, type of prosthesis, choice of materials, design and shade of the prosthesis and type of porcelain glaze. The questionnaire was answered in a face-to-face interview by technicians who were qualified in fixed prosthetic work. Data were analyzed through parametric tests (T-test and one-way ANOVA) to identify significant values (P < 0.05).ResultsThis survey showed a lack of communication between dentists and dental laboratories regarding the following: marginal design, pontic design, staining diagram, type of porcelain and glaze needed for the prosthesis. Significant differences were observed between the government and private dental laboratories. There was a greater lack of communication between the dentists and government laboratory technicians in Riyadh.There was no statistically significant difference between private laboratories of different areas in Riyadh city (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe quality of communication between dentists and dental technicians in Riyadh can sometimes be inadequate, and governmental laboratories have a lower level of communication.

I'll Take My Science Spicy, Please.

The Task by William Cowper was published in 1785. This blank verse poem in 6 books helped spark the Romantic era, commented on social issues to encourage change and influenced English authors, notably Jane Austen. The Task still resonates in modern times with Cowper’s catchphrase “variety is the very spice of life,” reminding us to embrace and diversify our perspective through new experiences and dynamic relationships. Diversity is advantageous and preferred in nearly all aspects of life. Even in biology, heterogeneity of selected cell populations and single-cell molecular profile variations are essential for population-level function as “functional diversity facilitates collective behavior that otherwise would be inaccessible to a homogenous population.”1 Drawing from cellular biological diversity, we as scientists should incorporate diverse educational and experiential knowledge from ongoing personal and professional development. Training and mentoring the next generation of scientists requires blended career knowledge. I admire researchers with diverse educational experience and believe that from diversifying one’s knowledge and experience a broader range of working skills and professional network emerges. With having a diverse perspective, creative problem solving and a willingness to entertain and accept new or alternative viewpoints are gained. This is not to be interpreted that a scientist should not have a particular research theme rather there are experiences, skills, and training beyond STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to be successful in …

Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program - Science without Borders - Preliminary Results and Perspectives

The Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program - Science without Borders (SwB) - saw the concession of over 101 thousand scholarships for Brazilian STEM students and education professionals to attend universities worldwide. As the first phase of this program ends, it is time to take a first look at its impacts, mainly on the undergraduate student body (79% of total scholarships implemented). Benefits included a 6-month language course (optional), a one year undergraduate course and optional 2 month internship in a university, government laboratory or technology company. Positive impacts have been seen on entrance into post-graduate programs (>20% of SwB students compared to <5% of the overall student body of similar fields), as well as high representation of lower income families (>50% from families with less than 6 minimum wages per month). The impact of the program will need to be evaluated over the next years, but innovation on the part of the students is already apparent. Any new SwB program needs to take into account the lessons learned from this first experience and therefore recommendations are presented.

The Graduate Program in Acoustics at the Pennsylvania State University

The Graduate Program in Acoustics at Penn State is the only program in the U.S. offering the Ph.D. degree in acoustics as well as M.S. and M.Eng. degrees in acoustics. An interdisciplinary program with faculty from a variety of academic disciplines, the Graduate Program in Acoustics is administratively aligned with the College of Engineering and closely affiliates with the Applied Research Laboratory. Research areas include structural acoustics, nonlinear acoustics, architectural acoustics, signal processing, aeroacoustics, biomedical ultrasound, transducers, computational acoustics, noise and vibration control, psychoacoustics, and underwater acoustics. Course offerings include fundamentals of acoustics and vibration, electroacoustic transducers, signal processing, acoustics in fluid media, sound and structure interaction, digital signal processing, experimental techniques, acoustic measurements and data analysis, ocean acoustics, architectural acoustics, noise control engineering, nonlinear acoustics, outdoor sound propagation, computational acoustics, flow induced noise, spatial sound and 3D audio, marine bioacoustics, and acoustics of musical instruments. Penn State Acoustics graduates serve widely throughout military and government labs, academic institutions, consulting firms and industry. This poster describes faculty research areas, laboratory facilities, student demographics, successful graduates, and recent enrollment and employment trends.

Ветеринарно-санітарна оцінка якості та безпеки харчових продуктів у Житомирському регіоні

The results of Veterinary Expertise of food according to Zhytomyr Regional State Veterinary Laboratory (2014–2015rr.) And state laboratories Veterinary Expertise of household markets. Zhytomyr and Zhytomyr region. The main reason for culling offal 2014–2015 gg. Were invasive disease, including 658 (3.45%) patients in the study Fasciolosis products of slaughter cattle, 5033 – echinococcosis (3.59%) and 413 (0.29%) – Metastrongillosis in pigs. In terms of safety and quality (content of toxic elements, pesticides, mycotoxins, antibiotics) sausage and cooked sausage highest, grade 1 and 2 met the regulatory requirements. For sanitary indicators in 4.4% of samples of meat products were isolated Escherichia coli in 11.1% – mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms. They can, under appropriate conditions, cause food poisoning, so sausage wares have been directed to disinfection by evaporation and translated into lower grades. We conducted bacteriological tests of meat samples availability of enterobacteria, MAFAnM (mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria) and bacteria of the genus Salmonella immediately after slaughter showed that the number of microorganisms on the surface of the ink was: kind of Enterobacteriaceae 28,5 ± 1,1 × 105 CFU/cm2, mesophilic aerobic and optionally anaerobic microorganisms (MAPANM) – 38.8 ± 1.05 CFU × 103/cm2. Salmonella from carcass was not detected. The dairy product safety guarantor in Ukraine remains a system for monitoring sanitary hazards and residual amounts of toxic substances. In order to eliminate the risk of dangers to the consumer of dairy products, it is necessary to improve the control system of raw materials used for manufacturing products, according to safety indicators at all stages of production. Therefore, we consider it appropriate to draw the attention of specialists of veterinary medicine in the veterinary and sanitary conditions of milk and dairy products, gain control in government laboratories vetsanekspertizy household markets using antibiotics and in slaughtered animals to prevent a realization of substandard products, improve the sanitary condition of the storage and implementation of animal Products, prevention of invasive and non-contagious diseases in cattle and pigs.

Chinese professors turn entrepreneurial

Jianmin Fang is a professor of molecular medicine at Shanghai’s Tongji University who for decades has been studying the mechanisms by which tumors develop. Fang also has two companies in Yantai in Northeast China. One, RemeGen, he founded in 2008 to develop biological drugs for cancers and other diseases. It now employs 250 people. The other provides manufacturing services to RemeGen and other drug firms. In Beijing, Xiaodong Wang is the founder of the National Institute of Biological Sciences, a government lab that conducts basic life sciences research and employs 700 people. On the side, Wang is founder and director of BeiGene, an oncology drug research firm he launched in 2010. BeiGene has several drug candidates being tested on patients in China and other countries. Fang and Wang are pioneers who started their companies before it was fashionable for Chinese academics to do so. China has long been fertile ground

Ultrafast gas chromatography method with direct injection for the quantitative determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in commercial gasoline.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes are some of the most hazardous constituents found in commercial gasoline samples; therefore, these components must be monitored to avoid toxicological problems. We propose a new routine method of ultrafast gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detection for the direct determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in commercial gasoline. This method is based on external standard calibration to quantify each compound, including the validation step of the study of linearity, detection and quantification limits, precision, and accuracy. The time of analysis was less than 3.2 min, with quantitative statements regarding the separation and quantification of all compounds in commercial gasoline samples. Ultrafast gas chromatography is a promising alternative method to official analytical techniques. Government laboratories could consider using this method for quality control.

Identity and publication in non-university settings: academic co-authorship and collaboration

Increased collaboration between researchers working in university, industry, and governmental settings is changing the landscape of academic science. Traditional models of the interaction between these sectors, such as the triple helix concept, draw clear distinctions between academic and non-academic settings and actors. This study surveyed scientists (n = 469) working outside of university settings who published articles indexed in the Web of Science about their modes of collaboration, perceptions about publishing, workplace characteristics, and information sources. We study the association between these variables, and use text analysis to examine the roles, duties, sites, topics, and workplace missions among non-university based authors. Our analysis shows that 72% of authors working in non-university settings who collaborate and publish with other scientists self-identify as academics. Furthermore, their work life resembles that of those working in university settings in that the majority report doing fundamental research in government research organizations and laboratories. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, this research suggests that peer-reviewed publications are much more dominated by non-university academics than we previously thought and that collaboration as co-authors on academic publications is not likely to be a primary conduit for the transfer of scientific knowledge between academe and industry.

Delivering on societal impacts through open innovation: a framework for government laboratories

Public research organizations and other government laboratories (PROs) around the world are being challenged to show how their research is contributing to public benefits and to commercialization in the private sector. At the same time, the private sector they are expected to connect with is challenged to define and further develop their business models in an increasingly open innovation environment. PROs have multi-dimensional ties with open innovation environments through their regulatory, policy, and program (e.g., research and innovation) activities. Thus, it can be expected that PROs not only affect and are affected by changes in business models among companies, but they also need to develop their own models to remain relevant and effective. As the equivalent of private sector business models, we propose six impact models for science-based government organizations. This framework provides a nuanced understanding of the contributions of PROs to open innovation environments. We illustrate its application and document a number of emerging impact models in a case study of Natural Resources Canada, a science-based department of the Canadian federal government involved in many industries and with numerous external contacts.

Report of the CCQM-K124: trace elements and chromium speciation in drinking water—part A: trace elements in drinking water, part B: chromium speciation in drinking water

CCQM-K124 was organized by the Inorganic Analysis Working Group (IAWG) of CCQM to assess and document the capabilities of the national metrology institutes (NMIs) or the designated institutes (DIs) to measure the mass fractions of trace elements (As, B, Cd, Ca, Cr, Hg and Mo) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in drinking water. The National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the Government Laboratory, Hong Kong SAR (GLHK) acted as the coordinating laboratories.This comparison is divided into two parts. Part A was organized by the NMIJ and the trace elements were the analytes, and Part B was organised by the GLHK and Cr(VI) was the analyte.In Part A, results were submitted by 14 NMIs and nine DIs. The participants used different measurement methods, though most of them used direct measurement using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and isotope dilution technique with ICP-MS. The results of As, B, Cd, Ca and Cr show good agreement with the exception of some outliers. Concerning Hg, instability was observed when the sample was stored in the light. And some participants observed instability of Mo. Therefore, it was agreed to abandon the Hg and Mo analysis as this sample was not satisfactory for KC. In Part B, results were submitted by six NMIs and one DI. The methods applied were direct measurement using 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) derivatisation UV-visible spectrophotometry, standard addition using ion chromatography-UV-visible spectrophotometry or HPLC—inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and isotope dilution technique with ion chromatography—ICP-MS. The results of all participants show good agreement.Accounting for relative expanded uncertainty, comparability of measurement results for each of As, B, Cd, Ca, Cr and Cr(VI) was successfully demonstrated by the participating NMIs or DIs.Main textTo reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

CCQM-K103 key comparison melanine in milk powder

Under the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM), a key comparison, CCQM-K103, was coordinated by the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) and Government Laboratory, Hong Kong, China (GLHK). The comparison was designed to demonstrate NMIs/DIs ability to analyze traces of melamine in milk and milk powder at concentration levels resulting from requirements for food safety. Seven NMIs or DIs participated in the comparison. Final reference value (KCRV) is 0.286 mg/kg, with standard uncertainty of the median as 0.011 mg/kg (3.8 %). The k-factor for the estimation of the expanded uncertainty was chosen as k = 2.57 ( t (0.05;5) ), thus the expanded uncertainty is 0.028 mg/kg (9.8%). The degrees of equivalence with melamine in milk powder KCRV for each participant were reported. The measurement results and degrees of equivalence should be indicative of the performance of a laboratory's measurement capability for IDMS in determining mass fractions in the range from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/kg of analytes with low molar mass (range 50-300 Da) with high polarity (pKow > -2.0) in milk and milk products. Extension to other analytes and matrices should be applied with care since there is a close linkage to other relevant parameters as e.g. sample preparation procedures (liquid/liquid extraction, SPE clean-up) and analytical separation techniques (e.g., GC-MS, LC-MS/MS etc).Main textTo reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Final report on CCQM-K125: elements in infant formula

CCQM-K125 was organized by the Inorganic Analysis Working Group (IAWG) of CCQM to assess and document the capabilities of the national metrology institutes (NMIs) or the designated institutes (DIs) to measure the mass fractions of trace elements (K, Cu and I) in infant formula. Government Laboratory, Hong Kong SAR (GLHK) acted as the coordinating laboratory.In CCQM-K125, 25 institutes submitted the results for potassium, 24 institutes submitted the results for copper and 8 institutes submitted the results for iodine.For examination of potassium and copper, most of the participants used microwave-assisted acid digestion methods for sample dissolution. A variety of instrumental techniques including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), flame atomic emission spectrometry (FAES) and microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) were employed by the participants for determination. For analysis of iodine, most of the participants used alkaline extraction methods for sample preparation. ICP-MS and ID-ICP-MS were used by the participants for the determination.Generally, the participants' results of CCQM-K125 were found consistent for all measurands according to their equivalence statements. Except with some extreme values, most of the participants obtained the values of di /U(di ) within ± 1 for the measurands.Main textTo reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Reassessing SERS enhancement factors: using thermodynamics to drive substrate design.

Over the past 40 years fundamental and application research into Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has been explored by academia, industry, and government laboratories. To date however, SERS has achieved little commercial success as an analytical technique. Researchers are tackling a variety of paths to help break through the commercial barrier by addressing the reproducibility in both the SERS substrates and SERS signals as well as continuing to explore the underlying mechanisms. To this end, investigators use a variety of methodologies, typically studying strongly binding analytes such as aromatic thiols and azarenes, and report SERS enhancement factor calculations. However a drawback of the traditional SERS enhancement factor calculation is that it does not yield enough information to understand substrate reproducibility, application potential with another analyte, or the driving factors behind the molecule-metal interaction. Our work at the US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center has focused on these questions and we have shown that thermodynamic principles play a key role in the SERS response and are an essential factor in future designs of substrates and applications. This work will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various experimental techniques used to report SERS enhancement with planar SERS substrates and present our alternative SERS enhancement value. We will report on three types of analysis scenarios that all yield different information concerning the effectiveness of the SERS substrate, practical application of the substrate, and finally the thermodynamic properties of the substrate. We believe that through this work a greater understanding for designing substrates will be achieved, one that is based on both thermodynamic and plasmonic properties as opposed to just plasmonic properties. This new understanding and potential change in substrate design will enable more applications for SERS based methodologies including targeting molecules that are traditionally not easily detected with SERS due to the perceived weak molecule-metal interaction of substrates.

BUSINESS PROCESSES OPTIMIZATION WITHIN UKRAINIAN AUTOMOBILE ENTERPRISES IN TERMS OF EU ENTERING PERIOD

The purpose of the paper is to summarize and present the most common principles and management methods to seek the most efficient and profitable exit way for automobile enterprises during the period of economic recovery in Ukraine. In the course of the research, we have analysed what is SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and advantages of its implementation, the differences between BPMs and IBPMs (Intelligent Business Process Management Suite) and other. Methodology. The survey is based on a comparison of different business and management approaches whereby the efficiency of business process sufficiently increases. In total, more than 30 methods are precisely analysed, around 15 most frequent management systems considered, which led us to identify 5 main recommendations. Results of the survey showed that Ukraine has very ignorant social and political environment, human capital is undeveloped and less meritocratic than our neighbours in EU have. A shortage in domestic car manufacturing, lack of new plants and technologies, as the resulting amount of workplaces remains the same or going down because of emigration, all that conduce to the growth of a number of imported cars. Trying to recognize the most recent threatens, we have detected there are no government programs, grants, laboratories, and science-plants for the young generation. Practical implications. Since Ukraine become in war, the economic and political crisis, downturn with national currency etc., domestic households faced with the huge amount of problems: inflation, collapsing currency rate, political uncertainty. All of that drives domestic business to a corner, where the growth of management efficiency and organizational transformation were the only way out. Value/originality. An Agile is a method when the company's management comes in touch with the latest business process optimization Apps like IBM, SoftwareAG, Pegasystems.