This study sought to assess Gweru＇s water supply system from the source to the consumer to find out whether the water is safe for domestic purposes, mainly consumption. Water samples were taken from Gwenoro dam （raw...This study sought to assess Gweru＇s water supply system from the source to the consumer to find out whether the water is safe for domestic purposes, mainly consumption. Water samples were taken from Gwenoro dam （raw water）, Gwenoro treatment plant （treated water） as well as from GIS-generated random points of residential areas closest to Gwenoro and furthest from both the dam and the treatment plant. These were taken for laboratory testing where parameters like pH, hardness, turbidity and DO （dissolved oxygen） were tested. Questionnaires were used to solicit the views of the consumers on water quality and water service delivery from eight randomly selected residential suburbs. Interviews were also administered to Gwenoro Water Treatment Plant superintendent and deputy to get insight into the day to day challenges that they have to grapple with. Results generally show that treated water from Gwenoro treatment plant is relatively safe to drink for those who have access to it. However, some consumer points like Mkoba 13 and Mkoba 18 receive water whose DO is out of the recommended range. Suburbs which lie on higher ground like Mkoba 19 and Mkoba 14 however rarely receive water from Gwenoro with some residents of Mkoba 19 having had no water from their taps for more than three years now. The study recommends that new equipment be bought for the treatment plant so that treated water reaches all parts of the city. Newly resettled farmers in the Upper Runde Catchment must be resettled elsewhere while urban stream bank cultivation must be banned to reduce water pollution as well as possible sedimentation of Gwenoro dam.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to research museum audience and its expectations, experiences, and influence on museum＇s practices at the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Finland. The common idea is that museum pedagogy as a word...The aim of this paper is to research museum audience and its expectations, experiences, and influence on museum＇s practices at the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Finland. The common idea is that museum pedagogy as a word creates easily an image of dusty, silent, and serious moment when the audience is forced to follow a lecture or a guided tour The author＇s research questions are： （I） Museum as an institution--what are the limits and possibilities to create highlights for audience work？ （2） How to look and talk about art for different audiences--also for non-visitors？ And （3） How can museum combine the knowledge of results and new technology to create more interesting approach for its audiences？ Participants of the author＇s research are teachers, students, senior citizens, and colleagues from other museums. Besides the literature the author uses mixed methods by combining visitor questionnaires （made during last ten years） and qualitative research made by narrative methods. Interviews have been made by H4 recorder. The qualitative analysis is going to be made by Atlas.ti. The results will finally be analyzed in 2014. Until now, it has become clear that museum experience mostly starts from the web pages. What can we offer, how to give value to our museum audience？展开更多
The preservation/restoration of natural environment is frequently entailing excessive cost （paid by people through taxation） while it is a source of additional income for both, the State and the people, due to touri...The preservation/restoration of natural environment is frequently entailing excessive cost （paid by people through taxation） while it is a source of additional income for both, the State and the people, due to tourism. Since the evaluation of this good cannot be in market terms, it is applied here in a modified version of the CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）, which is used in experimental economics in order to investigate the significance that people put on this good and how much they might be WTP （Willing to Pay） for supporting activities concerning the preservation/restoration of Lake Kastoria. The WTP dependence on （i） external diseconomies; （ii） the expectations for property values＇ rise as a result of the restoration; （iii） the proximity of interviewees＇ residence to the lake; （iv） the opinion of the interviewee on the time and money spent to visit the lake; （v） the time and money the interviewees spent to visit the lake, as well as other dependencies （all taken as independent variables） are estimated by means oflogit, probit, logistic and linear regression models. The optimal concentration Copt of a pollutant in the environment can be determined as an equilibrium point in the tradeoff between （i） environmental cost, due to impact on man/ecosystem/economy; and （ii） economic cost for environmental protection, as it can be expressed by Pigouvian tax. These two conflict variables are internalized within the same techno-economic objective function of total cost, which is minimized. In this work, the first conflict variable is represented by a WTP index. A methodology is developed for the estimation of this index by using fuzzy sets to count for uncertainty. Implementation of this methodology is presented, concerning odor pollution of air round an olive pomace oil mill.展开更多
The paper introduces the characteristics of a new type washing machine (mini washing machine) and analyzes the global problems solved by mini washing machines from the perspective of meeting different consumers'ne...The paper introduces the characteristics of a new type washing machine (mini washing machine) and analyzes the global problems solved by mini washing machines from the perspective of meeting different consumers'needs. On the basis of current performance specifications of IEC 60456, it explains how to improve the performance test method of mini washing machine in details, and points out the direction of standards research and test improvement. Meanwhile, the author briefs about other new type washing machines and the developmental trend of washing machines.展开更多
文摘This study sought to assess Gweru＇s water supply system from the source to the consumer to find out whether the water is safe for domestic purposes, mainly consumption. Water samples were taken from Gwenoro dam （raw water）, Gwenoro treatment plant （treated water） as well as from GIS-generated random points of residential areas closest to Gwenoro and furthest from both the dam and the treatment plant. These were taken for laboratory testing where parameters like pH, hardness, turbidity and DO （dissolved oxygen） were tested. Questionnaires were used to solicit the views of the consumers on water quality and water service delivery from eight randomly selected residential suburbs. Interviews were also administered to Gwenoro Water Treatment Plant superintendent and deputy to get insight into the day to day challenges that they have to grapple with. Results generally show that treated water from Gwenoro treatment plant is relatively safe to drink for those who have access to it. However, some consumer points like Mkoba 13 and Mkoba 18 receive water whose DO is out of the recommended range. Suburbs which lie on higher ground like Mkoba 19 and Mkoba 14 however rarely receive water from Gwenoro with some residents of Mkoba 19 having had no water from their taps for more than three years now. The study recommends that new equipment be bought for the treatment plant so that treated water reaches all parts of the city. Newly resettled farmers in the Upper Runde Catchment must be resettled elsewhere while urban stream bank cultivation must be banned to reduce water pollution as well as possible sedimentation of Gwenoro dam.
文摘The aim of this paper is to research museum audience and its expectations, experiences, and influence on museum＇s practices at the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Finland. The common idea is that museum pedagogy as a word creates easily an image of dusty, silent, and serious moment when the audience is forced to follow a lecture or a guided tour The author＇s research questions are： （I） Museum as an institution--what are the limits and possibilities to create highlights for audience work？ （2） How to look and talk about art for different audiences--also for non-visitors？ And （3） How can museum combine the knowledge of results and new technology to create more interesting approach for its audiences？ Participants of the author＇s research are teachers, students, senior citizens, and colleagues from other museums. Besides the literature the author uses mixed methods by combining visitor questionnaires （made during last ten years） and qualitative research made by narrative methods. Interviews have been made by H4 recorder. The qualitative analysis is going to be made by Atlas.ti. The results will finally be analyzed in 2014. Until now, it has become clear that museum experience mostly starts from the web pages. What can we offer, how to give value to our museum audience？
文摘The preservation/restoration of natural environment is frequently entailing excessive cost （paid by people through taxation） while it is a source of additional income for both, the State and the people, due to tourism. Since the evaluation of this good cannot be in market terms, it is applied here in a modified version of the CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）, which is used in experimental economics in order to investigate the significance that people put on this good and how much they might be WTP （Willing to Pay） for supporting activities concerning the preservation/restoration of Lake Kastoria. The WTP dependence on （i） external diseconomies; （ii） the expectations for property values＇ rise as a result of the restoration; （iii） the proximity of interviewees＇ residence to the lake; （iv） the opinion of the interviewee on the time and money spent to visit the lake; （v） the time and money the interviewees spent to visit the lake, as well as other dependencies （all taken as independent variables） are estimated by means oflogit, probit, logistic and linear regression models. The optimal concentration Copt of a pollutant in the environment can be determined as an equilibrium point in the tradeoff between （i） environmental cost, due to impact on man/ecosystem/economy; and （ii） economic cost for environmental protection, as it can be expressed by Pigouvian tax. These two conflict variables are internalized within the same techno-economic objective function of total cost, which is minimized. In this work, the first conflict variable is represented by a WTP index. A methodology is developed for the estimation of this index by using fuzzy sets to count for uncertainty. Implementation of this methodology is presented, concerning odor pollution of air round an olive pomace oil mill.
文摘The paper introduces the characteristics of a new type washing machine (mini washing machine) and analyzes the global problems solved by mini washing machines from the perspective of meeting different consumers'needs. On the basis of current performance specifications of IEC 60456, it explains how to improve the performance test method of mini washing machine in details, and points out the direction of standards research and test improvement. Meanwhile, the author briefs about other new type washing machines and the developmental trend of washing machines.
