• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 2007

The prevalence of liver and intestinal fluke infections was surveyed on residents of Savannakhet Province, Laos. Fecal specimens were collected from a total of 981 residents in 4 Mekong riverside villages and examined by the Kato-Katz thick smear technique. The results revealed that the overall helminth egg positive rate was 84.2%, and the positive rate for small trematode eggs, including Opisthorchis viverrini, heterophyids, or lecithodendriids, was 67.1 %. To obtain adult flukes, 38 small trematode egg positive cases were treated with a 20-30 mg/kg single dose of praziquantel and purged. Diarrheic stools were then collected from 29 people and searched for helminth parasites using stereomicroscopes. Mixed infections with O. viverrini and 6 kinds of intestinal flukes were found, namely, Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchis pumilio, Haplorchis yokogawai, Prosthodendrium molenkampi, Phaneropsolus bonnei, and echinostomes. The total number of flukes collected was 7,693 specimens (av. no. per treated person; 265.3). The most common species was O. viverrini, followed by H. taichui, P. molenkampi, echinostomes, H. pumilio, P. bonnei, and H. yokogawai. The results indicate that foodborne liver and intestinal fluke infections are prevalent among residents of Savannakhet Province, Laos.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.301-322
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• 2013

Recent major post-hurricane damage assessments in the United States have reported that the most common damages result from the loss of building roof coverings and subsequent wind driven rain intrusion. In an effort to look further into this problem, this paper presents a full-scale (Wall of Wind --WoW--) investigation of external and underneath wind pressures on roof tiles installed on a low-rise building model with various gable roofs. The optimal dimensions for the low-rise building that was tested with the WOW are 2.74 m (9 ft) long, 2.13 m (7 ft) wide, and 2.13 m (7 ft) high. The building is tested with interchangeable gable roofs at three different slopes (2:12; 5:12 and 7:12). The field tiles of these gable roofs are considered with three different tile profiles namely high (HP), medium (MP), and low profiles (LP) in accordance with Florida practice. For the ridge, two different types namely rounded and three-sided tiles were considered. The effect of weather block on the "underneath" pressure that develops between the tiles and the roof deck was also examined. These tests revealed the following: high pressure coefficients for the ridge tile compared to the field tiles, including those located at the corners; considerably higher pressure on the gable end ridge tiles compared to ridge tiles at the middle of the ridge line; and marginally higher pressure on barrel type tiles compared to the three-sided ridge tiles. The weather blocking of clay tiles, while useful in preventing water intrusion, it doesn't have significant effect on the wind loads of the field tiles. The case with weather blocking produces positive mean underneath pressure on the field tiles on the windward side thus reducing the net pressures on the windward surface of the roof. On the leeward side, reductions in net pressure to a non-significant level were observed due to the opposite direction of the internal and external pressures. The effect of the weather blocking on the external pressure on the ridge tile was negligible.

• Clean Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.124-133
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• 2011

In addition to six substances regulated in EU RoHS including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), priority substances are identified in new RoHS II as hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). In this study, 20 plastic samples were collected from 12 domestic electrotechnical companies and levels of four restricted substances were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Among 20 parts that compose washer, refrigerator or microwave oven, HBCDD was detected in three samples of NBR material with the amount of 42~381 mg/kg while DBP and BBP was not detected in any samples collected respectively, implying that these substance may not be used widely in plastic materials for EEE. However, DEHP was detected in all samples of NBR, PP, PBT, EPDM and PVC materials with the amount of 42 up to 59,400 mg/kg that exceeds the limit value of 0.1 wt% (1,000 mg/kg). Presence of a restricted substance in polymer material makes a great negative influence on a number of final product. To cope with coming RoHS II as well as REACH, action not to use DEHP in plastic material or the relevant notification in case of REACH seems to be needed. Screening test of Arsenic compounds such as diarsenic pentaoxide, diarsenic trioxide, lead hydrogen arsenate, triethyl arsenate that are included in REACH SVHC was done by ICP measurement Arsenium was detected in four samples made of NBR and PBT materials in the level of 15~700 mg/kg. By considering the screening method used in this study, the amount of arsenium compounds in the thermistor made of PBT material has a high chance of exceeding the regulated limit value.