Search Results (7)

The aim of the circular economy is to treat waste as a valuable raw material, reintegrating it into the industrial economy and extending the lifecycle of subsequent products. Efforts to reduce the production of hard-to-recycle waste are becoming increasingly important to manufacturers, not only of consumer goods but also of specialized items that are difficult to manufacture, such as medical supplies, which have now become a priority for the European Union. The purpose of the study is to manufacture a novel human-purified type I collagen membrane from bone remnants typically discarded during the processing of cortico-cancellous bones in tissue banks and to evaluate its mechanical properties and effectiveness in regenerating bone-critical mandibular defects in rabbits. To prepare the novel membrane, cortico-cancellous bone chip samples from a local tissue bank were processed to isolate collagen by demineralization under agitation in HCl, cast into a silicone mold, and air-dried at room temperature and UV irradiation. The average thickness of the four batches analyzed by SEM was 37.3 μm. The average value of Young’s modulus and tensile strength obtained from the specimens was 2.56 GPa and 65.43 Mpa, respectively. The membrane’s efficacy was tested by creating a critical bicortical and bilateral osteoperiosteal defect in rabbit mandibles. The right-side defects were covered with the collagen membrane, while the left-side defects were left untreated as a control. Nine weeks post-surgery, clinical, radiological, and histological analyses demonstrated new bone formation in the treated areas, whereas the control sites showed no bone regeneration. This innovative approach not only contributes to sustainability in healthcare by optimizing biological waste but also exemplifies efficient resource use in line with the circular economy, offering a cost-effective, biocompatible option that could benefit national health systems. Full article

The subject of this paper stems from the potential threat to the development of tourism functions in coastal destinations, which carries significant consequences for the tourism labor market in these areas. This study examines the state and variability of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) and their potential impact on tourism, focusing on the Gdańsk agglomeration as a tourist hub in Northern Poland. Specifically, the research endeavors to explore the attitudes and career inclinations of prospective professionals in the tourism and hospitality (T&H) sector—students enrolled in higher educational institutions within the studied locale—toward the issue of cyanoHABs and its impact on their post-graduation employment aspirations within the T&H industry. The research employs both desk research methods and a structured questionnaire. The key findings reveal that despite the significant presence of cyanoHABs, particularly in July–August, there is also a peak in tourist flows. Thus, it is not definitively established that tourists select destinations based on the quality of water and beaches. Moreover, T&H students exhibit a comprehensive understanding of the cyanoHAB phenomenon and its detrimental effects on the perceived allure of tourist destinations and the employment market. Specifically, students predominantly acknowledged that cyanoHABs could diminish the tourist attractiveness of coastal regions, decrease tourist traffic, and foster negative opinions of the affected destination. Moreover, the findings confirm that, in students’ perceptions, cyanoHABs in seaside regions could detrimentally affect tourism-related businesses. Thus, it is not surprising that T&H students would not consider their future career in tourism within regions of high cyanoHAB risk. This study represents one of the pioneering efforts to examine the connections between cyanoHABs and students’ perceptions of their impact on tourism and career advancement in the T&H industry, which is directly linked with the environmental quality. The novelty of this research lies in its emphasis on students’ perspectives, offering insight into the future qualified workforce in the T&H sector. This approach may shed new light on a better understanding of how cyanoHABs may affect tourism and its labor market, influencing young people’s attitudes toward their future careers in T&H. Full article

This paper explores the views of a group of young men aged 16–18, studying towards a Level 1 diploma in music in the North East area of England. It uses the conceptualization of “social haunting” to focus our discussions about how Level 1 learners articulated their experiences in the context of their learning journeys and perceived marginalization. The research took place at a large Further Education (FE) college and included a series of five “research encounters” with the group of Level 1 learners. These encounters included a range of activities, resulting in a variety of data being collected, including several activity worksheets, structured and unstructured focus group interviews, and questionnaires. This paper focusses on the outcomes of a single research activity that focused on exploring the topic of marginalization. We present a discussion on social haunting as one of the emerging findings from this research encounter, outlining how the reality of the social and cultural legacy of the UK’s industrial past can shape today’s youth and their futures. We will talk about the young men’s views of marginalization, their school-to-work transitions, the formation of masculinity in post-industrial communities and the role of Further Education in it. The paper concludes by discussing some insights for practice and future research. Full article

17-4PH Stainless Steel is a mechanically high-performing alloy that is widely used across chemical and mechanical processing industries. The alloy is conventionally fabricated by cast methods, but emerging additive manufacturing techniques are presently offering an economic, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative. Bound Powder Extrusion (BPE) is a relatively new additive manufacturing technique that is used to fabricate three-dimensional, free-form components. Investigation into the mechanical properties and behavior of 17-4PH stainless steel fabricated by BPE is vital to understanding whether this technique proposes a competitive substitute to the cast alloy within industry. Published literature has investigated the as-fabricated mechanical properties, microstructure, porosity, and post-processing heat treatment of the BPE alloy, with limited comparison evident among the papers. This paper, therefore, aims to review published findings on the mechanical properties of 17-4PH stainless steel produced by additive manufacturing techniques, with a key focus on BPE. It is important to highlight that this review study focuses on the MetalX^TM 3D printer, manufactured by Markforged. This printer is among the widely utilized BPE 3D printers available in the market. The key results, together with the impact of post-heat treatments, were discussed and compared to provide a more comprehensive picture of the patterns that this alloy presents in terms of its microstructure and mechanical properties. This enables the manufacture of components relative to desired material performance, improving overall functionality. A comparison of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), Young’s modulus, ductility, and hardness was made relative to microstructure, porosity, and density of published literature for the as-fabricated and post-heat-treated states, identifying areas for further research. Full article

Due to deindustrialisation, young industrial landscapes (YILs), stemming roughly from the 1930s to the 1970s and located in the suburbs of Copenhagen, are partly abandoned, partly in use, and partly used for non-industrial purposes. By virtue of their location, size, and unused and underused subareas, YILs can potentially meet major urbanisation aims, such as densification and mixed-use development, yet the redevelopment of YILs often happens from a hypothetical virgin land position, disregarding the existing features of these sites. In this paper, we aim to introduce value-sustaining strategies for a more site-informed transformation of YILs. The specific objective is to investigate and understand the landscape-based transformation of young industrial landscapes by making explicit use of their site features in what we label the landscape. Based on a literature study of the emerging phenomenon, a screening of landscape-based projects and a case study, we present a set of qualifying strategies to guide future landscape-based transformations: porosity, reuse, re-naturing, and open-endedness. The complimentary spatial, multi-scalar, and temporal strategies were demonstrated through the study of the five European cases: Alter Flugplatz Kalbach, Hersted Industripark, IBA Emscher Park, Louvre Lens Museum Park, and Parc aux Angéliques, to exemplify how the strategies could guide the landscape-based transformation of YILs or similar types of large-scale landscapes. Although apparently straight forward, the formulation of the four strategies linking ethics and transformation practices provides a much needed set of values and tools in the current, and also historical, redevelopment of YILs, which are a significant part of our urbanised landscapes, to better address societal challenges. Full article

The increasing role of the tourism industry in the global economy and the growing competition makes it necessary to ensure constant performance and continually improve quality. The paper draws attention to the necessity of conducting research on tourist attraction quality also in post-industrial areas which have become attractive tourist sites. It is emphasised that industrial tourism is a new yet quickly developing phenomenon in Poland, which compels managers to differentiate their service range and improve quality standards. The paper employs the SERVQUAL (SERvice QUALity) method to assess the quality of tourist services as a theoretical instrument to measure overall visitor satisfaction. The subject of the research was the Silesian Museum, which is result of reclamation and revitalisation of the inactive “Katowice” Hard Coal Mine. The article presents an empirical verification of the methodology which was modified for the purposes of the research subject. The Museum is considered to be one of the most important cultural centres and a crucial element of the social life of the Silesia region where mining activity has been carried out for centuries. Thirty young people from different continents participated in the survey. The results demonstrated that the expectations of the visitors were not met in three cases only which suggests a very high quality of the Silesian Museum. Moreover, the presented results show increasing capabilities and opportunities to maintain a high quality of services in the studied facility. The findings indicate that the appropriately modified SERVQUAL methodology is a valuable and simple tool to evaluate visitor satisfaction. The results of the evaluation of the Silesian Museum services will be presented to the facility managers. Further research will be carried out after the improvement and implementation of the next stage of the Museum’s development. Full article

Recurrent inland urban flooding is an understudied phenomenon that warrants greater attention, particularly in post-industrial cities where aging infrastructure, disinvestment, and climate change threaten public health. We conducted semi-structured interviews in 2017–2018 with 18 Detroit residents experiencing recurrent household flooding. We used standard qualitative coding analysis to generate 30 theoretically- and in vivo- derived themes related to flood experience, socioeconomic and health factors, and household, community, and policy interventions for reducing environmental exposures before, during, and after flood events. Snowball sampling yielded interviewees across both high- and low-risk areas for flood events, indicating vulnerability may be widespread and undocumented in formal ways. Residents described exposure to diverse risk factors for chronic and infectious diseases, particularly for seniors and young children, and emphasized stressors associated with repeated economic loss and uncertainty. Opinions varied on the adequacy, responsibility, and equity of local and federal relief funding and programs. We expand knowledge of flood-related vulnerability, offer innovative suggestions for risk communication based on residents’ experiences, and recommend additional research for documenting patterns of recurrent flooding and response, even for precipitation events that are not characterized as extreme or disaster-level in the media or by agencies. These findings should guide local public health, emergency preparedness, sustainability, water and sewage, and community leaders in post-industrial cities. Full article