Uncleaned Areas Research Articles

Motion design of a pipe cleaning snake robot with a long brush

ABSTRACT We present a snake robot that has a long brush and a movement of the robot to clean the entire inner pipe walls. The snake robot is composed of two parts; the cleaning part which touches the long brush to the pipe wall and the pulling part which pulls the brush while generating slips. The two parts are connected by a passive roll joint and the two parts are twisted at different velocities respectively. In order to clean the entire pipe wall, we estimate a condition in which uncleaned areas are most likely to occur through preliminary experiments and adjust the rolling velocities of the cleaning part and the pulling part so that the brush cleans the entire pipe wall. The effectiveness of the proposed method was verified by simulations and experiments using the robot. We confirmed that the robot moved while slipping in the pipe axis direction and the robot cleaned the pipe wall at a high cleaning rate.

Comparison of Image Data and Visually Confirmed Sketches to Evaluate the Technique of Handwashing

Hand hygiene is crucial in preventing healthcare-associated infections. In this study, we aimed to quantify the accuracy of subjective evaluation of hand washing through visual inspection and objective evaluation through images. The participants were 24 consenting nursing students, and the study used black light and fluorescent paint to generate sketches and captured images of the unwashed areas, which were processed. Handwashing training was conducted once a week for four consecutive weeks. We collected data in the first and fourth training sessions. We found that the percentage of the unwashed palmar areas was significantly higher in the images than in the sketches (p<0.05). The percentage of the uncleaned area as recognized visually significantly increased for sketches (p=0.01) and decreased for images (p=0.009) in the fourth session. The difference between the percentages of the image and sketch area notably decreased in the fourth session (p=0.002). When we checked the recognition percentage of the unwashed area by dividing the right-hand palmar side into six areas, the fingertips had the highest percentage, and the ball of the thumb had the lowest percentage. The recognition of the unwashed areas was low when comparing the subjective visual assessment with the objective imagery assessment. In addition, the percentage of the unwashed areas decreased with repeated training, indicating a decrease in the difference between the subjective and objective ratings.

Metode six sigma dalam pengendalian kualitas pada home industry tempe

Mr. Soyo's home industry tempe is a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) engaged in the tempe food production industry. In the Mr. Soyo’s home industry temp. has problems in the production process, causing defects in the tempe products produced by 1.5%. The goal of this research is to analyze quality control in the home industry Tempe, as well as the amount-of faults that occur and the underlying variables. The six-sigma approach is used in conjunction with the DMAIC sequence (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) to analyze secondary data from a production report from July to September 2021. Quality control in the home industry Tempe was good, according to the analysis of DPMO value (Defect Per Million Opportunity) which was 4,997 and sigma level 4.13, and the magnitude of the problem was within the boundaries of tolerance. Kind defects caused during the production process are broken packaging, imperfect shape and flaccid texture. The cause of the packaging is damaged and the shape is that fermentation rack in open and unclean areas, the causative factor of flaccid texture is that there is no yeast guide and no sign of leaven bought.

Initial effects of post-harvest ditch cleaning on greenhouse gas fluxes in a hemiboreal peatland forest

Ditch cleaning (DC) is a well-established forestry practice across Fennoscandia to lower water table levels (WTL) and thereby facilitate the establishment of tree seedlings following clear-cutting. However, the implications from these activities for ecosystem-atmosphere greenhouse gas (GHG) exchanges are poorly understood at present. We assessed the initial DC effects on the GHG fluxes in a forest clear-cut on a drained fertile peatland in hemiboreal Sweden, by comparing chamber measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soil and ditches in DC and uncleaned (UC) areas over the first two post-harvest years. We also evaluated spatial effects by comparing fluxes at 4 m and 40 m from ditches. We found that 2 years after DC, mean (±standard error) WTL of −65 ± 2 cm was significantly lower in the DC area compared to −56 ± 2 cm in the UC area. We further observed lower gross primary production and ecosystem respiration in the first year after DC which coincided with delayed development of herbaceous ground vegetation. We also found higher CH4 uptake but no difference in N2O fluxes after DC. Greater CH4 uptake occurred at 4 m compared to 40 m away from both cleaned and uncleaned ditches. Model extrapolation suggests that total annual GHG emissions in the second year were reduced from 49.4 ± 17.0 t-CO2-eq-ha−1-year−1 in the UC area to 27.8 ± 10.3 t-CO2-eq-ha−1-year−1 in the DC area. A flux partitioning approach suggested that this was likely caused by decreased heterotrophic respiration, possibly because of enhanced soil dryness following DC during the dry meteorological conditions. CH4 and N2O fluxes from clear-cut areas contributed <2 % to the total (soil, ditches) GHG budget. Similarly the area-weighted contributions by CO2 and CH4 emissions from both cleaned and uncleaned ditches were <2 %. Thus, our study highlights that DC may considerably alter the post-harvest GHG fluxes of drained peatland forests. However, long-term observations under various site conditions and forest rotation stages are warranted to better understand DC effects on the forest GHG balance.

Façade Cleaning Robot With Manipulating and Sensing Devices Equipped on a Gondola

Façade cleaning of high-rise buildings requires automation due to the risk and inefficiency of a fall accident for human workers. Recently, due to the need for automation, various types of façade cleaning robots have been developed. In our previous study, the gondola-mounted type cleaning robot was developed, and it showed several issues. In this article, we propose an improved design feature to solve the issues. First, we modularized the robot design for lightweight and maintainability. Second, we implemented passive obstacle overcoming mechanism with tri-star wheel and compliant manipulator for minimizing uncleaned area near obstacles. Third, we developed the position sensing device for measurement and compensation of lateral disturbance occurred by swinging gondola. To verify the cleaning performance of the robot, experiments were conducted with different scenarios of cleaning general plane surface, obstacle overcoming, and lateral disturbance applied and compensated. Experimental results of both lab test and field-test performed on a real-world building were analyzed and summarized in this article.

Colistin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Isolated From Process Waters and Wastewater From German Poultry and Pig Slaughterhouses.

Due to the high prevalence of colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in poultry and pigs, process waters and wastewater from slaughterhouses were considered as a hotspot for isolates carrying plasmid-encoded, mobilizable colistin resistances (mcr genes). Thus, questions on the effectiveness of wastewater treatment in in-house and municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as well as on the diversity of the prevailing isolates, plasmid types, and their transmissibility arise. Process waters and wastewater accruing in the delivery and unclean areas of two poultry and two pig slaughterhouses were screened for the presence of target colistin-resistant bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter cloacae complex). In-house and municipal WWTPs (mWWTPs) including receiving waterbodies were investigated as well. Samples taken in the poultry slaughterhouses yielded the highest occurrence of target colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (40.2%, 33/82), followed by mWWTPs (25.0%, 9/36) and pig slaughterhouses (14.9%, 10/67). Recovered isolates exhibited various resistance patterns. The resistance rates using epidemiological cut-off values were higher in comparison to those obtained with clinical breakpoints. Noteworthy, MCR-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli were detected in scalding waters and preflooders of mWWTPs. A total of 70.8% (46/65) of E. coli and 20.6% (7/34) of K. pneumoniae isolates carried mcr-1 on a variety of transferable plasmids with incompatibility groups IncI1, IncHI2, IncX4, IncF, and IncI2 ranging between 30 and 360 kb. The analyzed isolates carrying mcr-1 on transferable plasmids (n = 53) exhibited a broad diversity, as they were assigned to 25 different XbaI profiles. Interestingly, in the majority of colistin-resistant mcr-negative E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates non-synonymous polymorphisms in pmrAB were detected. Our findings demonstrated high occurrence of colistin-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae carrying mcr-1 on transferrable plasmids in poultry and pig slaughterhouses and indicate their dissemination into surface water.

The Infectious Disease Subsidiary Hospital of Rijeka

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a hospital for infectious diseases in the Zeniković area was operating in Rijeka as a hospital - subsidiary of the City Hospital of St. Spirit. After purchasing the property of the naval captain Dionysius Jakovčić, the existing buildings were adapted, and several other buildings, necessary for the organization of an infectious hospital, were constructed in the early eighties of the 19th century. The terrain and buildings were divided into clean and unclean areas. The main building was adapted to the main facilities for treatment and accommodation, while the smaller building was used for economic purposes. Due to the increase of the capacity at the turn of the century, further adaptations were made, larger wooden barracks and other temporary facilities were also constructed. The terrain of the hospital was linked to two ambitious projects of the hospitals in Rijeka, which were created at the beginning of the 20th century but were not realized.The hospital operated until the twenties of the 20th century when this department together with the City Hospital was moved to the former Naval Academy complex, while the hospital area was given a new purpose in the interwar and postwar periods.

Vision-Based Dirt Detection and Adaptive Tiling Scheme for Selective Area Coverage

This paper proposes a visual dirt detection algorithm and a novel adaptive tiling-based selective dirt area coverage scheme for reconfigurable morphology robot. The visual dirt detection technique utilizes a three-layer filtering framework which includes a periodic pattern detection filter, edge detection, and noise filtering to effectively detect and segment out the dirt area from the complex floor backgrounds. Then adaptive tiling-based area coverage scheme has been employed to generate the tetromino morphology to cover the segmented dirt area. The proposed algorithms have been validated in Matlab environment with real captured dirt images and simulated tetrominoes tile set. Experimental results show that the proposed three-stage filtering significantly enhances the dirt detection ratio in the incoming images with complex floors with different backgrounds. Further, the selective dirt area coverage is performed by excluding the already cleaned area from the unclean area on the floor map by incorporating the tiling pattern generated by adaptive tetromino tiling algorithm.

Adaptive Path Planning for Cleaning Robots Considering Dust Distribution

Path-planning algorithms for cleaning robots typically focus on how the robots can cover an entire space while minimizing overlapping or uncleaned areas. However, when considering actual environments, the distribution of dust and dirt is not uniform and has some specific features according to the shape of the environment and human behaviors. Therefore, if a cleaning robot plans its path while taking this distribution into consideration, it can clean the area more efficiently. In this paper, we present a novel path-planning algorithm for cleaning robots that prioritizes regions with large quantities of dirt and sorts them. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was examined through experimental simulations.

Surface sedimentation at permeable pavement systems: implications for planning and design

Newly installed permeable pavement (PP) systems provide high surface infiltration capacity, but the accumulation of sediments causes a decrease in capacity over time, eventually leading to surface clogging. With the aim of investigating local sedimentation processes and the importance of restorative cleaning (RC), nine recently built PP systems were tested for their infiltration capacity with and without restorative cleaning (RC) over an interval of 12–14.5 months. The results were related to each site’s unique history of sedimentation. RC significantly improved permeability, but when revisited after approximately one year, the permeability of cleaned surfaces was not significantly better for the RC spots than from their uncleaned neighbouring areas. Relating permeability to the contextual issues revealed that PP perimeter, adjacent bare soil and mismanagement strongly affected the sedimentation process. At two of the sites, sedimentation processes were so advanced that surface permeability was below the level of service (five-year design storm).

Ergonomic Design and Development of Poultry Dressing Table for Hygienic Processing

Traditional manual poultry processing accounts for approximately 95% of all poultry meat consumed in India. Indian poultry processing sector almost operates as a live-bird market. Poultry processing in these markets is characterized by poorly designed dressing table, floor dressing, non-separation of clean and unclean area, improper carcass washing leading to unhygienic meat processing. An arc shaped table was designed taking into consideration both ergonomics and hygiene requirements for the dressing of poultry carcasses. The workspace envelope and reach of a person influenced the design in terms of shape, height, length and width of the table. The height of table was adjustable in the range of 910±100 mm at the table top to accommodate the variation in human height. The width of the table was variable, and at the centre it was 490 mm while at both ends it was 640 mm. The length of arc of the table at the outer and inner edge was 2220 mm and 900 mm, respectively. The main utilities fixed on the table were a sink, water tap, dicing board, temporary meat holding bowl, weighing balance, and money box. Two dressing hooks were provided over the sink for dressing poultry in hanging position.

An in situ multi-analytical approach in the restoration of bronze artefacts

A multi-analytical approach was adopted to compare different cleaning methods during the conservation works on two bronze artefacts: the Brera's Napoleon by A. Canova and the Florence Baptistery's North Door by L. Ghiberti. An appropriate number of surface areas were identified, and their properties and homogeneity were characterised in situ by means of colorimetry, Eddy Current patina thickness measurements, FTIR spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). On the Napoleon statue, three sets of laser cleaning parameters were adopted on distinct selected areas. On the North Door, a mechanical and two chemical cleaning methods were applied on two separate areas; both chemical methods were based on Agar gel. The results on surface composition, appearance and corrosion rate of the different cleaning methods were compared with the properties of the uncleaned area with the same set of in situ analytical techniques. Measurements results were statistically analysed to take into account the lack of homogeneity typical of outdoor bronze surfaces.Based on the results obtained on the two bronze artefacts analysed, the role of the analytical techniques adopted is discussed. The effectiveness of the described in situ multi-analytical approach towards a better conservation–restoration methodology for outdoor bronzes is enlightened.

Evaluation of the cleaning efficiency of the isthmus using different rotary instrumentation techniques (In vitro study)

Background: The aims of the study were to evaluate the unclean/clean root canal surface areas with a histopathological cross section view of the root canal and the isthmus and to evaluate the efficiency of instrumentation to the isthmus using different rotary instrumentation techniques. Materials and Methods:The mesial roots of thirty human mandibular molars were divided into six groups, each group was composed of five roots (10 root canals)which prepared and irrigated as: Group one A: Protaper system to size F2 and hypodermic syringe, Group one B: Protaper system to size F2 and endoactivator system, Group two A:Wave One small then primary file and hypodermic syringe, Group two B:Wave One small then primary file and endoactivator system, Group three A: step back technique to size 25 file as MAFand hypodermic syringe, Group three B: step back technique to size 25 file as MAFand endoactivator system . All the roots were sectioned at 2mm, 6mm ,12mm from the apex and studied by histopathological cross section. The degree of cleaning of each section was measured by the use of Autocade 2004 software system. Result :the least uncleaned isthmus surface area at coronal, middle and apical section was found by the Protaper system with endoactivator which represented the mean of the percentage of uncleaned surface area of 16.87%, 14.32% and 9.55% respectively. The system that produced least uncleaned canal wall was by Protaper system with endoactivator at coronal ,middle ,and apical sections of 12.21%, 9.14% and 18.55% respectively . The mean of highest percentage of increased canal diameter which was Protaper system, Wave One system and then step back. The comparison between the groups in the means which showed that the highest percentage of decrease in isthmus area was with the Protaper system, Wave One system and lastly the step back. Conclusions:The Protaper system with endoactivator was the best system in canal and isthmus cleaning.

In vitro cleaning potential of three different implant debridement methods

To assess the cleaning potential of three different instrumentation methods commonly used for implant surface decontamination in vitro, using a bone defect-simulating model. Dental implants were stained with indelible ink and mounted in resin models, which represented standardized peri-implantitis defects with different bone defect angulations (30, 60 and 90°). Cleaning procedures were performed by either an experienced dental hygienist or a 2nd-year postgraduate student. The treatment was repeated 20 times for each instrumentation, that is, with a Gracey curette, an ultrasonic device and an air powder abrasive device (PAD) with glycine powder. After each run, implants were removed and images were taken to detect color remnants in order to measure planimetrically the cumulative uncleaned surface area. SEM images were taken to assess micromorphologic surface changes (magnification 10,000 ×). Results were tested for statistical differences using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni correction. The areas of uncleaned surfaces (%, mean ± standard deviations) for curettes, ultrasonic tips, and airflow accounted for 24.1 ± 4.8%, 18.5 ± 3.8%, and 11.3 ± 5.4%, respectively. These results were statistically significantly different (P < 0.0001). The cleaning potential of the airflow device increased with wider defects. SEM evaluation displayed distinct surface alterations after instrumentation with steel tips, whereas glycine powder instrumentation had only a minute effect on the surface topography. Within the limitations of the present in vitro model, airflow devices using glycine powders seem to constitute an efficient therapeutic option for the debridement of implants in peri-implantitis defects. Still, some uncleaned areas remained. In wide defects, differences between instruments are more accentuated.

Cleaning potential of glycine air‐flow application in an in vitro peri‐implantitis model

The study aimed to assess the accessibility of a glycine powder blasting device to implant surfaces in models imitating different peri-implantitis defects. The null hypothesis was that the device allows for complete surface decontamination in all defect types. Eighteen implants were dip-coated and placed in resin blocks with different defect morphologies. Vertical bone angulations of 90°, 60°, 30° and 15° were chosen and the implants were treated for 10s using an air-flow device employing glycine powder. Once removed, photographs from the implants were taken in three directions: perpendicularly (90°) to the implant axis and with an angulation of 60° and 120°, the latter ones to assess the coronal and apical thread areas. The area with residual color represented areas, which were not accessible to the powder. This area was planimetrically assessed. Medians and inter-quartile ranges (IQR) of the percentage of uncleaned surfaces were calculated and nonparametric paired and unpaired statistical analyses were performed. The median percentages (IQR in brackets) of uncleaned areas in the 90°, 60°, 30° and 15° defects were of 3%(A) (6), 8%(A) (4), 24%(B) (8), and 51%(C) (13), respectively (different superscript capital letters represent statistically significant differences; P<0.0001). The upper aspects of the threads (coronal faces) were significantly better cleaned than the lower ones (P<0.001). This finding was more pronounced in narrower defects. Although a complete surface decontamination could not be performed in any of the defects, the biggest part of the surface could be cleaned in the larger defects. Especially in narrow defects and under the threads, residually stained areas remain on the implant surfaces.

Effects of small tree retention and logging slash on snow blight growth on Scots pine regeneration

Inoculation experiments were performed to compare the growth of snow blight ( Phacidium infestans Karst.) mycelium on Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings on sites with or without undergrowth and green logging slash. Inoculations were performed on Scots pine seedlings planted within undergrowth of Scots pine, Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and birch ( Betula sp.). Snow depth and temperature were recorded in uncleaned and cleaned environments. No significant effect of retained undergrowth was found. However, snow blight growth was enhanced by artificially added birch stems, mimicking an uncleaned environment. There were no differences in snow depth between cleaned and uncleaned areas. Mean daily snow temperature did not differ between treatments. However, the snow temperature variation was significantly higher in an uncleaned area. Occasions with temperatures above 0 °C were equally frequent in uncleaned and cleaned environments. Temperatures above the lower limit for mycelial growth (−5 °C) were more frequent in the cleaned environment. Fresh logging slash of Scots pine enhanced snow blight infection. It is concluded that the practice to leave 1–3 m high undergrowth after harvest (in order to increase biodiversity) will probably not result in dramatically enhanced snow blight growth in Scots pine regenerations.

An investigation into the effect of wavelength in the laser cleaning of parchment

An investigation has been undertaken into the effect of wavelength in the laser cleaning of parchment. Tests have been carried out using the fundamental (1 064 nm), second harmonic (532 nm) and fourth harmonic (266 nm) outputs from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (pulse length 10 ns). Initial testing was carried out on new parchment to characterise the damage caused by overcleaning. The fluence and wavelength of the laser beam were then optimised so that any damage to the parchment or loss of ink during dirt removal from a late eighteenth century parchment document were minimised. The cleaned surfaces were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy and analysed by measurement of the shrinkage temperature of cleaned collagen fibres. The laser-cleaned areas were compared with uncleaned areas and areas cleaned by traditional techniques.

歯冠豊隆量と辺縁歯肉の厚さがそしゃく時の食塊と歯頚部歯面との接触に及ぼす影響

At the coronal cervix, the so-called uncleaned area, the path of the food bolus and its rubbing effect are said to be regulated by the coronal and gingival contours. However, it has not been ascertained whether such regulation really exists. So, the force which was generated by a food bolus rubbing on the buccal surface was measured at the height of the cervical third of the lower first molar with a load cell inserted into the denture. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Cervixward forces were observed in the closing phase and cuspward forces, in the opening phase during mastication. The intensity of cervixward forces was stronger than that of the cuspward ones. And the occurrence of the former was more frequent than that of the latter. 2. The intensity and frequency of cervixward forces differed according to the kind of food. 3. Cervixward force under the degree of convexity of 0 mm was stronger in intensity and more frequent than that under the degree of convexity of 0.5 mm. 4. Cervixward force under the marginal gingiva thickness of 1 mm was stronger in intensity and more frequent than that under the marginal gingiva thickness of 2 mm.

Macroinvertebrate and periphyton response to streambed agitation for release of substrate-trapped hydrocarbons

Following a spill of more than 94.4 m3 of unleaded gasoline into Wolf Lodge Creek in northern Idaho, impacted areas were mechanically agitated to release substrate-trapped hydrocarbons by dragging a bulldozer blade with a tightly wound chainlink fence attached to it backward over the substrate. Portions of two riffles were left unagitated to determine if differential recovery of benthic macroinvertebrates and periphyton in cleaned vs uncleaned areas of the stream would occur. Chlorophyll a concentrations and densities of most macroinvertebrates were significantly lower (P ⩽ 0.05) in raked areas 12 days after stream cleaning. However, macroinvertebrate and periphyton community compositions were very similar 1 month after stream cleaning and for the remainder of the study. In spite of similar recovery times of macroinvertebrates and periphyton in raked and nonraked areas, the cleaning process is viewed as beneficial because it minimized possible chronic effects on the biota without causing substantial additional impact.

Moray Firth marine fouling communities

SynopsisFouling communities typical of shallow water inshore sites were found at three locations in the Moray Firth. At each, an initial background cover of solitary tubeworms and barnacles was overgrown by secondary fouling organisms. On the piles of Nigg jetty, overgrowth consisted of mussels in the depth range 0–6 m and hydroids, sponges, soft corals and anemones from 6–26 m. Buoys in the approaches to Cromarty Firth were completely covered by a mixture of algae and mussels. Sunlit areas of the float cleaned annually bore a diverse algal cover, whereas uncleaned shaded areas and the freely hanging chain had three-year-old mussels up to 7 cm long. Mussel fouling extended down the chain to within 1 m of the seabed at 26 m depth. Concrete anchor blocks on the seabed were covered with solitary tubeworms and hydroids. Steel piled platforms in the Beatrice Field were completely fouled after four years. Mussels and seaweeds were abundant from 0–5 m. In the depth range 8–35 m the background calcareous layer was overgrown by soft corals up to 10 cm long and hydroids. From 35 m to the seabed at 46 m, soft overgrowth was provided mainly by hydroids and ascidians, with only a few small corals.