Table Tops Research Articles

Molecular Detection of mecA Gene in Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Surfaces of some Public Hospitals in Katsina State, Nigeria

The increasing rate of antibiotic resistance demonstrated by bacterial pathogens is an emerging problem that is considered a major health concern globally, especially in low-and middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from hospital environment and to detect the presence of resistance genes in the MRSA isolates. One hundred and ninety-two (192) swab samples of doorknob, bedrail, table tops and drip stand were collected from 4 hospitals within Dutsin-Ma and Kurfi local government. Antibiotic Susceptibility testing and phenotypic detection of MRSA were conducted using disc diffusion method. MecA gene was detected using Polymerase Chain Reaction. One hundred and eleven 111(57.8%) out of 192 samples were positive for S. aureus. The result showed that cefoxitin was the most effective antibiotic (66.6%) against the isolates from all the four hospitals while erythromycin was the less effective against the isolates (35.1%). A total of six (5.40%) Methicillin Resistant S. aureus and MDR (12.61%) were detected from the four hospitals. In conclusion, all the four hospitals were found to be contaminated with Methicillin resistant S. aureus, with Kurfi General Hospital having the highest number of MRSA (3). Out of the 6 phenotypically detected isolates of MRSA screened, mecA gene was detected in five (5) isolates. It is recommended that, proper hygiene practice should be improved in the healthcare settings, and proper use of antibiotics should be highly encouraged among individuals in both community and hospital.

Wear behavior of bonded occlusal veneers constructed from machine milled glass and polymer infiltrated ceramics in contact with enamel: An in vitro study

Statement of problem: Occlusal veneer is considered an extra-coronal restoration with less invasive preparation. Yet there is a shortage of information as regards the wear behavior of materials from which occlusal veneers are manufactured and their opposing enamel. Purpose: Evaluate the wear of bonded occlusal veneers constructed from two dissimilar materials along with their opposing enamel following chewing simulation. Material and Methods: 16 table tops of two dissimilar materials

Automatic Illumination Control Method for Indoor Luminaires Based on Multichromatic Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Energy saving and visual comfort are two main considerations in designing of automatic illumination control systems. However, energy-saving-oriented illumination control always causes optical spectra drifting in light-conversion-material-based white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), which are conventionally used as artificial luminaires in indoor areas. In this study, we propose a method for InP quantum dot (QD)-based WLEDs to minimize optical energy consumption by considering the influence caused by the outdoor environment and neighboring WLED units. Factors of (a) dimensions of room window and WLED matrix, (b) distance between WLED units, lighting height, species of InP QDs, and (c) user distribution are taken into consideration in calculation. Parameters of correlated color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index (Ra) of the WLED matrix are optimized according to the lighting environment to improve user visual comfort level. By dynamically controlling the light ingredients and optical power of WLEDs, we optimize the received illuminance distribution of table tops, improve the lighting homogeneity of all users, and guarantee the lowest energy consumption of the WLED matrix. The proposed approach can be flexibly applied in large-scale WLED intelligent controlling systems for industrial workshops and office buildings.

Is there any health danger by radioactivity on the use of dimensional stones?

Natural building stones must be analysed according to a legally defined procedure to prove that the natural radioactivity they emit is below the so-called activity index given by European Commission. This applies in particular to rooms inside buildings or apartments that are used by people for longer periods of time. Gamma spectrometric measurements were determined for all nuclides involved, 40K, 226Ra and 232Th, which were finally summed up to a total dose for each sample. Measurements are prescribed to check whether the reference value of 1 milli-Sievert per year can be exceeded by radionuclides in the respective building materials. Natural stones, 82 in total from all over the world, such as various igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, which are currently used as building stones for interior and exterior finishing, as kitchen worktops, floor tiles, wall cladding, table tops, furniture cover plates, paving stones, terrace slabs, paving slabs, stairs, street furniture, etc., were selected. Additionally, Rn-222 and Rn-220 exhaled per unit mass were determined simultaneously on 54 selcted from the total 82 rocks by using the accumulation method. In addition, our results were statistically compared with literature data, according to which fesic igneous rocks, gneisses and clay mineral-rich rocks have the highest potential to be radiologically threatening. Limestones, marbles, quartzites, mafic igneous rocks and sandstones are generally less radiologically harmful, but even here there are exceptions depending on the geological formation history and mineralogical composition. The highest activity index of 1.87 was determined for the gneiss Giallo California. Model calculations to determine the expected radiation exposure for a human were used by applying two less complex approaches. Even with the extreme model “coffin”, which consists of the Gialo California, a human experiences only a maximum dose rate of 1.29 mSva−1, which is far below the maximum dose rate of 20 mSv a−1 allowed for occupational radiation exposure. The 220Rn and 222Rn are often neglected; however, their contribution to the dose rate received by the population may be significant. Model simulations for a room with 4 m × 3 m × 2.5 m where the walls and the floor coverd with tiles of 1 cm thickness show a maximum indoor radon concentration of less then 100 Bg m−3. With increase in thickness of the tiles up to 3 cm, 10 cm and 20 cm and for poorly ventilated rooms especially some granitoids, gneisses and the copper-rich shale are above the allowed limit of the European Commission.

Developmental Twists: Winter in Paris.

The cousinhood was in uproar. To have been ignored for so many years was bad enough, but the final humiliation was unforgiveable. An emergency meeting was organised. The entire cousinhood attended. Some thought we shouldn't rush into action – our hosts would come to realise their error and eventually give us the status we deserved. But most felt they should be taught a lesson. At an appointed time, we would all resign and move to Paris japonica, which was so spacious they'd never find us. Our hosts would recognise their mistake, correct the record, and we would return triumphant.About three months after our mass exodus, our hosts started to report anomalies in prenatal scans. When pregnancies reached full term, it was all over the headlines. The newborns were initially greeted with horror – monstrosities, Frankenstein babies. But parental instincts took over and quadribrachials were soon accepted. Babygrows had their toes cut off to allow hands of the newborns to poke through. At the toddler stage, the arrivals proved adept at walking on all fours or raising themselves up on their hindarms. Parents boasted of the doubling in manual dexterity and enhanced climbing abilities. The shoe industry repurposed to produce durable gloves. Commentators marvelled at goal punches in reconfigured football games, and three-armed backhands in tennis. The hundred-metre gallop entered Olympic arenas. The fashion industry paraded symmetrical clothing designs, while furniture-makers lowered their table tops. Yet, despite these differences, the new generation's lifestyle was not so different from that of their bipedal seniors. Laws were introduced banning discrimination either way.Host scientists soon identified the culprit. A locus, previously categorised as having a housekeeping function, was missing from quadribrachials. There had clearly been an error in earlier functional assignment. Expression patterns in embryonic mice and binding studies confirmed that it encoded a leg-specific transcription factor rather than a housekeeping protein. But how the regulatory locus had excised and where it had gone remained a mystery.One hundred years after our exodus, with only a few aging bipedals left in the host population, we decided it was time to return. Our hosts had learned their lesson and would now be fully appreciative of our rank. Several thousand of the cousinhood volunteered to be the first to reinsert. We never heard from them again. It seems our hosts, wanting to prevent any further disruptions to their lifestyle, had developed a prenatal screen that destroyed aberrant insertions or deletions.I have now been in Paris for more than three centuries. There's nothing for me to do here. My only diversion comes from conversations with my neighbour, a housekeeper. He's always working, except for a few hours before sunrise, which is when I try to catch him.How long will this winter last? It would only take a few damaging mutations to take me on the road to permanent frost, to a pseudo world of no return. But with the right substitutions I might find a new role here, live to see spring once more. What are the chances? Enough speculation, dawn approaches and I must get ready for my friend. Read other ‘Developmental Twists’ articles by Tsuku MogamiMogami, T. (2021). Developmental Twists: The Scan. Development148, dev200108. doi:10.1242/dev.200108Mogami, T. (2021). Developmental Twists: Only Human. Development148, dev200204. doi:10.1242/dev.200204Mogami, T. (2021). Developmental Twists: Back to Back. Development148, dev200268. doi:10.1242/dev.200268Mogami, T. (2021). Developmental Twists: A Colourful Character. Development148, dev200360. doi:10.1242/dev.200360Mogami, T. (2022). Developmental Twists: A Fateful Tour. Development149, dev200453. doi:10.1242/dev.200453Mogami, T. (2022). Developmental Twists: A Fertile Encounter. Development149, dev 200523. doi:10.1242/dev.200523

Evaluation of the inter- and intrafraction displacement for head patients treated at the particle therapy centre MedAustron based on the comparison of different commercial immobilisation devices

In December 2016 the clinical operation has started at the particle therapy centre MedAustron, Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Different commercial immobilisation devices are used for head patients. These immobilisation devices are a combination of table tops (Qfix BoS™ Headframe, Elekta HeadStep™), pillows (BoS™ Standard pillow, Moldcare®, HeadStep™ pillow) and thermoplastic masks (Klarity Green™, Qfix Fibreplast™, HeadStep™ iCAST double). For each patient image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is performed by acquiring orthogonal X-ray imaging and 2D3D registration and the application of the resulting 6-degree of freedom (DOF) position correction on the robotic couch.The inter- and intrafraction displacement of 101 adult head patients and 27 paediatric sedated head patients were evaluated and compared among each other regarding reproducibility during the entire treatment and stability during each fraction. For the comparison, statistical methods (Shapiro–Wilk test, Mann–Whitney U-test) were applied on the position corrections as well as on the position verifications. The actual planning target volume margins of 3mm (adults) and 2mm (children) were evaluated by applying the van Herk formula on the intrafraction displacement results and performing treatment plan robustness simulations of twelve different translational offset scenarios including a HU uncertainty of 3.5%.Statistically significant differences between the immobilisation devices were found, but they turned out to be clinically irrelevant. The margin calculation for adult head patients resulted in 0.8mm (lateral), 1.2mm (cranio-caudal) and 0.6mm (anterior–posterior), and for paediatric head patients under anaesthesia in 0.8mm (lateral), 0.5mm (cranio-caudal) and 0.9mm (anterior–posterior). Based on these values, robustness evaluations of selected adult head patients and sedated children showed the validity of the currently used PTV margins.

Viabilities for obtaining, manufacturing and applying composites using bamboo powders and ophthalmic lens waste

The objective of this research was to obtain composites using petioles bamboo and ophthalmic lens waste powders and polyester resin. Such materials have no defined application, they are produced in large quantities and their waste is discarded irregularly in landfills. Bamboo and ophthalmic lens rejects powders were produced, with particle sizes of 2.07 mm and 1.14 mm, respectively. Preliminary tests were carried out to determine the maximum quantities of each material to be mixed with the polyester resin matrix, in order to guarantee the good processability of the new material produced. The mass quantities used were 10 and 15% bamboo, 15 and 40% tailings and a hybrid composition with 5% bamboo and 20% tailings, to obtain the desired composites. The composite plates were manufactured by the cold compression wet molding process in closed mold. Several tests were carried out to characterize the composites that were produced. It was found a decrease in the mechanical strength of the composite in comparison to the matrix, concluding that the bamboo powders and ophthalmic lens waste had a filling load function in the composites produced. The most expressive result of the composites was in the impact resistance, corresponding to 0.55 J/cm2 for OLWP 40% higher in 39.6% in relation to the polyester resin matrix. As a practical application, table and bench tops were manufactured with the most economically and ecologically viable composite, 40% OLWP.

Scagliola Interiors in Vienna 1800–1900: Material, Development and Conservation

ABSTRACT In the Central European context the imitation of natural stone is called stucco marble or scagliola. During its manufacture, the mixture of gypsum, animal glue and pigments produces a marble-like structure and after several sanding and polishing processes it attains a glossy surface. Scagliola plays a significant role in the history of interior design in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in central Europe. Originally, it was used during the first half of the seventeenth century to imitate stone inlaid work, pietra dura, for table tops and as antependia. Scagliola interiors in the eighteenth century, the main period of use, have individual designs, colours and shapes. This technique was substituted for stone because coloured marble was expensive, and some types of natural stone have a limited colour range. In the first half of the nineteenth century, scagliola found little or no application, but it was rediscovered in the second half of the century. In Vienna, high-quality stucco marble was used extensively in public buildings or private palaces. Recent research is focusing on the interior of churches during the Baroque and Rococo periods in southern Germany. Studies on conservation methods for scagliola barely exist at an international level. In order to ensure the preservation of these valuable surfaces, a catalogue is being compiled of nineteenth-century scagliola works in Vienna, as well as an overview of recent and present conservation measures.

Long-term effects of rainwater conservation measure on improving yield, runoff use efficiency and soil properties of horti-pastoral system on the degraded ravine lands of India

Ravine lands are known for network of gullies and worst form of terrain deformation. These lands are often causes high runoff (11–22 % of monsoon season rainfall), severe soil erosion (4-20 Mg ha−1) and poor crop productivity. Low acceptance of cost-intensive conservation measures (e.g., levelling and terracing) in ravine lands system necessitates for developing low-cost conservation technologies like trenching. A long-term field experiment (2004–2014) was conducted to evaluate the impacts of staggered contour trenching (SCT) densities coupled with horti-pastoral system on various attributes of degraded ravine lands. The experimental setup was consist of four treatments: (i) control mini-watershed without trench (WC), (ii) mini-watershed treated with 139 trenches ha−1 (WT1), (3) mini-watershed treated with 278 trenches ha−1 (WT2), and (4) mini-watershed treated with 417 trenches ha−1(WT3). Results indicated that the yields of Phylanthus emblica fruit, Cenchrus ciliaris grass, and Dendrocalamus strictus were found to be the highest in WT3 over WC by 126.3, 28.9 and 86.9 %, respectively with B:C ratio of 1:3.05. However, corresponding yield increase in WT2 over WC was 50.0, 21.9 and 35.4 %, respectively with B:C ratio of 1:2.53. WT1 registered the lowest increase. The highest effective rainfall use efficiency was recorded in WT3 (47.5 %) followed by WT2 (17.1 %) and WT1 (7.5 %) over WC. The post-treatment values of hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity at table tops and gully beds of the control and treatment mini-watersheds were increased 1.6–2.6 and 1.3–1.6 times compared to pre-treatment values, respectively. The post-treatment values of the soil organic carbon was increased 0.8–2.2 folds than the pre-treatment values. Available-N, -P and -K content of the post-treatment at table tops and gully beds was also significantly increased by 18.3–25.5, 5.6–20.9 and 2.6–17.4 %, respectively. Overall, results highlighted that the SCT density of 417 trenches ha−1 was the best conservation practices under horti-pastoral land use system. However, the optimum and economical SCT density was found to be 375 trenches ha−1 by optimizing the net-profit per unit cost of the system. The findings of this study will be helpful to watershed managers and policy makers to reclaim and improve the sustaining productivity of degraded ravine lands.

Polyester/paper composites: study of manufacturing techniques for product development

Composite materials using vegetal fibers and industrial waste are being applied in different areas and structures, requiring, more and more, researches that highlight their characteristics. In this context, the study of manufacturing techniques becomes increasingly necessary in order to use the appropriate tools and obtain the best conditions of the materials. Thus, this article demonstrates the behavior of the materials, which used the polyester resin with ground paper residue to generate the two composites studied in this paper, Polyester/smaller paper (PO/ PME) and Polyester/large paper (PO/PMA). These two materials were molded by hot compression and subjected to manufacturing processes. Joinery equipment were chosen for the experimentation of cutting, drilling, screw insertion and sanding to analyze the performance of these composite materials. As a general result, it can be observed that the composites maintained their physical integrity, because the particles of the load remained well anchored in the matrix in the two composite materials tested, giving the finish an aspect without damages, cracks or imperfections after the operations. Therefore, it is concluded that the materials created can be submitted to the manufacturing techniques evaluated in this article, reinforcing previous studies that suggest its use in the development of products such as furniture, table tops, decorative objects and others. Thus, this study contributes to Designer has knowledge of the potential of the material and make the best use of it. Keywords: Composite, manufacturing techniques, cutting, finish.

Attenuation correction of a flat table top for radiation therapy in hybrid PET/MR using CT- and 68Ge/68Ga transmission scan-based μ-maps

Hybrid PET/MR offers new opportunities in radiation oncology for tissue/tumour characterisation and response assessment. Attenuation correction (AC) is an important issue especially in the presence of immobilization devices and flat table tops (FTT). The goal of this study was to compare two methods of AC using CT- and 68Ge/68Ga transmission scan-based attenuation maps (μ-maps) for a custom-designed FTT. Measurements were performed in the mMR PET/MR and TrueV PET/CT Biograph Siemens scanners with three different phantoms, namely the Siemens MR-QA, a cubic canister and the NEMA IEC body phantom. The study revealed that the MR image quality is not hampered by the presence of the FTT. For cubic canister applying the scanner’s inherent AC alone resulted in inaccuracies in PET images, with up to −4.0% underestimation of the activity. The mean NEMA sphere activity measurements without FTT, agreed within 3.5% with the respective inserted activity. Placing the FTT in the PET/MR scanner resulted in a difference to the injected activity of 4.5% when the table was not corrected for. By introducing the μ-maps the discrepancy between the used activity and the measurements decreased down to 2.6%. To improve the AC of the FTT the creation of a dedicated μ-map was necessary while the CT-based μ-map performed equally good as the source transmission scan-based one.

The Potential Use of Oyster Shell Waste in New Value-Added By-Product

Calcium carbonate is one of the most used raw materials in various industries, such as construction materials, food supplement, pharmaceutics, animal feed, plastic production, and others. Calcium carbonate can derive from marine wastes, like crustaceans and bivalve’s shells. The worldwide demand for new sources of food has increased exponentially, and following that tendency, the mariculture—especially the oyster culture—has been increasingly resorting to farming techniques. In 2016, 438 billion tons of oysters were produced. The majority of the shells were unduly discarded, presenting a public health problem. This article offers a solution based on the reuse and recycling of oyster shell residues in the production region of Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. The presented solution is an oyster shell by-product developed by a local company which produces artificial stone. The main component of the artificial stone is a composite material made of oyster shells incorporated in a polymeric resin. The mechanical properties, such as its flexural strength, hardness, Weibull modulus, and fracture analysis, were held in the artificial stone. The mechanical results of the new artificial stone were compared with other natural stones, such as granite and marble, and other commercial artificial stones. This material owns suitable mechanical properties for table tops and workbenches. Using this product as an artificial stone represents an innovation in the development of a new product and adds commercial value to local waste. This product is an excellent example of a circular economy for local producers who care about the environment, and it encourages the reduction of extraction of natural stone, such as granite and marble.

Table top surface appraisal by school children under different lighting conditions tested in the Senselab

To find out whether a surface finishing was preferred under different lighting conditions by school children, in the light test chamber of the SenseLab, 335 children from previous studied schools were asked to assess a desk surface during different light conditions. A two-way randomized design was used to test children’s assessments for six school desks table tops (brown, yellow and grey wood, and, normal, matt and reflective white), under three different light conditions: energizing, calming, and focusing. A statistically relevant relationship was found for the three wooden surfaces, but none for the white ones. Such results may be due to the fact that better contrast between the participants’ form and the surface appeared with the wooden-like surfaces, as opposed to that with the white surfaces. Similarly, white surfaces’ characteristics seemed to be more difficult to assess (mattness, reflectiveness, opacity) as opposed to those for the wooden-like surfaces (colour yellow, brown, grey).

Fracture Strength of Ceramic Posterior Occlusal Veneers for Functional Rehabilitation of an Abrasive Dentition.

To evaluate the load at fracture and influence of artificial aging of posterior teeth occlusal veneers ("table tops") made of two different ceramics. A total of 80 table tops were produced from feldspathic ceramic (VM) and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramic (CD) using computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM). Half of the specimens from each ceramic were aged prior to the load test. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) load at fracture was significantly higher for CD (1,571.1 N ± 297.0 N) than for VM (573.6 N ± 86.4 N) (P < .001). After aging, load at fracture increased significantly to 1,819.0 N (± 310.6 N) for CD and to 745.2 N (± 168.3 N) for VM. The use of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramic for molar nonprep table tops should be uncomplicated according to the high load-at-fracture values. Mechanical stability of either ceramic is not compromised by aging.

Postharvest Management Condition and Contaminant Degree in Handling of Cut Rose Flowers for Export

To improve the practices of the cultivation and agricultural association corporation stages of exported cut rose flowers, we surveyed the management practices of the rose (Rosa hybrida L.) cultivars ‘Beast’ and ‘Cappucino’ for export. We examined the level of bacterial contamination of tools and sorting surfaces used in a production greenhouse and sorting facility for rose export to Japan, and detected more than 300 CFU･mL-1 on scissors, gloves, and table tops. Samples of water containing cut rose stems in storage at the production greenhouse had 2.8 × 105 CFU･mL-1, and samples from the sorting facility storage water containing 1% Chrysal RVB Clear Intensive Solution (Chrysal International, Naarden, The Netherlands) had 4.7 × 105 CFU･mL-1. Although preservatives with TW of 500 mL (Al2O3, pH 4.5) were used, the number of bacteria in export box with 30 stems at agricultural association corporation of Paju-si was 2.7 × 104 CFU･mL-1 before export. As a result, to study the effect of vase life extension on Florallife-Clear 200 (Oasisfloral, Japan), vase l ife of ‘Beast’ on preservation treatment was longer by 3 days than that control. However, the vase life on Magic rose as processing flower of ‘Beast’ was not significantly different between TW and preservatives. The number of bacteria in TW and preserves was 8.1 × 104 and 2.0 × 103 CFU･mL-1 in ‘Beast’ and 9.9 × 104 and 1.0 × 103 CFU･mL-1 in Magic rose, respectively. As a result of investigating the vase life ‘Cappuccino’, vase life of domestic stage was 8 days, but export stage was 12 days. The vase life termination symptoms were 50% for the bent neck and the petal secession in the domestic distribution, respectively, whereas the export treatment was 72.7% for petal secession, 18.2% for bent neck, and 9.1% for gray mold.

Assessment of possible healthcare associated infection pathogens at a military hospital, Lagos State, Nigeria, November, 2015

Introduction : healthcare associated infection (HCAI) are infections among patients in hospital setting that become manifest only after 48hrs of hospital stay, which are caused by pathogens acquired in healthcare settings. Usually, HCAI are infections of urinary tract, surgical wounds, and the lower respiratory tract. They are a major cause of death and increased morbidity in hospitalized patients. In November, 2015, we assessed the prevalence of possible nosocomial pathogens at a military hospital in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods : hospital areas such as theatre, treatment room, nurses’ station, male surgical ward, vital signs room, accident and emergency room, labour room, and post-natal ward were randomly sampled for the survey. We collected swabs specimens from specific sites such as table tops, faucets, door handles, beddings and equipment using sterile swab sticks. The swabs were inoculated on nutrient, chocolate and McConkey agar plates and incubated at 37⁰C for 24hrs. We characterized isolates by Gram reaction and biochemical methods. Results : out of the 83 sites cultured, 31(37.3%) yielded significant growth. Organisms isolated include Staphylococcus epidermidis (32.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (22.6%), Escherichia coli (12.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.7%), Streptococcus pyrogenes (9.7%), Aspergillus spp. (9.7%) and Proteus mirabilis (3.2%) were isolated. These isolates were from sterile and non-sterile sites, fomites and hospital equipment. Non-sterile sites were less likely to have microbial growth when compared with sterile sites; (Odds ratio: 0.78, CI: 0.20 - 3.03). However, this association was not statistically significant. Conclusion : possible pathogens for HCAI were isolated from vital sections of the hospital. Organisms isolated pose risk to sterile procedures and patients care with attendant burden on their recovery. We educated the hospital community on the importance of hand washing with soap and recommended adherence to regular sterilization and disinfection procedures of relevant sites where patient care is administered towards reduction of healthcare associated pathogens.

3D Reconstruction of Furniture Fragments from the Ancient Town of Karanis

Furniture is the most personalized component of architectural space. It reflects or even determines the use of space, but also the standard of living, the gender, and age of the user. Heirlooms, furthermore, are retainers of memory and social relationships. The raw materials used and the level of skill and craftsmanship to produce furniture speak to the availability of such items for the community. Import of wood, techniques, or entire pieces of furniture show connectedness with other production centers. Furniture fragments are abundant among the well-preserved archaeological finds from the ancient Greco-Roman Town of Karanis, a site located on the arid desert edge of the Fayum basin, Egypt. Objects include furniture legs, boxes, reading tables, and table tops. The University of Michigan mission which worked on the site for about ten years (1924-1934), had as its main focus the architecture of Karanis. The furnishings of these structure do, however, provide important information and a study of the woodworking and composition of the pieces has now been undertaken, together with an attempt to place these remains back in their virtual context. The reconstruction of the Karanis furniture provides a major challenge because the fragments belong to various time periods and combine Egyptian, Greek, and Roman influences and tastes. This research is a next phase of the project “Reviving Karanis in 3D”, which we started in 2013. In this research, we aim at using state-of-the-art digital technologies to create multiple interpretations of 3D reconstruction of a selection of furniture pieces based on analysis and photogrammetric models of wood furniture fragments from the Karanis collection of the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ACRYLIC ARTIFICIAL STONE PROPERTIES

The article is devoted to the research of the acrylic artificial stone properties, which has wide application in the production of furniture, in particular for the bathroom (sinks, baths), kitchens (sinks, countertops, bar counters, table tops for dining tables) and decorative interior elements (window sills, wall panels). In the Ukrainian market there are products of well-known world producers of acrylic artificial stone TM "Corian" (DuPont, USA), "Polystone" (China), LG Chem (South Korea), "Staron" and "Tempest" (Samsung Cheil Industries Inc , South Korea), HI-MACS (LG, South Korea), GetaCore (Westag &amp; Getalit AG, Germany), and unknown trademarks, whose quality of goods is doubtful for the consumer. Therefore, it became necessary to study the acrylic artificial stone properties of those producers whose products are most in demand in the domestic market. For the research, samples of five manufacturers of acrylic artificial stone TM Tristone (South Korea) Bitto Dongguan (China), Corian (USA), Polystone (China) and LG Ni-macs (South Korea) were selected. These samples of acrylic artificial stone were tested by standard methods for the following parameters: density, water absorption, compressive strength, flexural strength, impact resistance, wear resistance, Mohs hardness, chemical resistance and compared with standards. Based on the research results, samples of acrylic artificial stone have been determined that do not meet the requirements of regulatory documentation, and recommendations have been made on the use of the investigated materials, taking into account their intended use, providing high performance, reliability and durability

ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION DOSE AND EXCESSIVE LIFE-TIME CANCER RISK FROM THE BUNAIR GRANITE, NORTHERN PAKISTAN.

Natural radioactivity was measured in Bunair Granite using high purity germanium gamma-ray spectrometer and compared to world's granites and building materials to access its suitability for the construction purpose. Average gamma-activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to be 52.41, 58.41 and 1130.12 Bq kg-1, respectively. The Indoor and outdoor radiation indices including excessive life-time cancer risk (ELCR) were calculated. The average indoor ELCR was estimated as 3.49 × 10-3. The average outdoor ELCR was assessed as 0.46 × 10-3. As a basic building material Bunair Granite should be on low propriety. For flooring, facing the buildings and as Table tops, in kitchens and other utilities it is safe.

Innovation in Granite Industry: Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh

Business innovation is possible through waste management. The main objective of waste management system is to maximise economic benefits and, at the same time, to protect environment. Granite processing industry generates a large quantities of wastes mainly in the form of stone powder during sawing and polishing processes, which pollute and damage the environment. The present study focuses on granite waste recycling and depends on participant observation method. It aims to characterise and evaluate the possibilities of using the granite wastes generated by the processing enterprises and quarries in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, as alternative raw materials in the production of bricks, chips, road metals, seating sheets, base stones, close to wells, landscaping pavers, split stone veneer tiles, mosaics, backsplashes, paper weights, table tops, pen and land phone stands, and a wide variety of hand-crafted products. If the available granite waste is re-used by producing the above items through advanced technology machines, it would provide employment, increase gross domestic product, increase foreign currency, reduce environmental problems, reduce poverty, etc. Hence the government should encourage prospective entrepreneurs who want to establish granite waste recycling enterprises not only in Chittoor district but anywhere in India.