328 research outputs found
Removal of Siloxanes from Biogas
Get PDFEconomic utilisation of biogas arising from sewage sludge is hampered by the
need to remove siloxanes, which damage gas engines upon combustion. This
thesis applies on-line Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to measure
siloxanes in biogas upstream and downstream of the activated carbon vessels
designed to adsorb siloxanes. On-line analysis provides accurate
measurement of siloxane concentrations with a detection limit below the
siloxane limits set by engine manufacturers, high data intensity and timely
identification of breakthrough. Cost savings of up to £0.007 kWh-
1
may be
realised compared to existing grab sampling. Using on-line analysis, the
performance of full-scale and bench-scale carbon vessels were measured.
Full-scale carbon contactors are typically operated at Reynold’s numbers close
to the boundary between the laminar and transitional regimes (Re = 40 - 55).
This thesis demonstrates, at full- and bench-scale, that increasing the Reynold’s
number to site the adsorption process in the transitional regime increases
media capacity, by 36% in dry gas and by 400% at 80% humidity. It is
postulated that the change in gas velocity profile which occurs as Reynold’s
number increases reduces the resistance to siloxane transport caused by gas
and water films around the carbon particles, and therefore increases the rate of
the overall adsorption process. In the laminar regime (Re = 31) increasing
humidity from zero to 80% led to the classical stepwise reduction in adsorption
capacity observed by other researchers, caused by the increasing thickness of
the water film, but in the transitional regime (Re = 73) increasing humidity had
no effect as no significant water film develops. It is therefore recommended that
siloxane adsorption vessels should be designed to operate at Reynold’s
numbers above 55. By choosing a high aspect ratio (tall and thin) both
Reynold’s number and contact time can be optimised
Social Movement Theory and the Prospects for Climate Change Activism in the United States
No full text The issue of climate change poses something of a puzzle. For all the attention accorded the issue, climate change/global warming has spawned surprisingly little grassroots activism in the contemporary United States. Drawing on social movement theory, the author seeks to explain this puzzle. The prevailing consensus among movement scholars is that the prospect for movement emergence is facilitated by the confluence of three factors: the expansion of political opportunities, the availability of mobilizing structures, and cognitive and affective mobilization through framing processes. The author then applies each of these factors to the case of climate change, arguing that (a) awareness of the issue developed during an especially inopportune period in American politics, (b) the organizations that arose to address the issue were ill suited to the kind of grassroots mobilization characteristic of successful movements, and (c) the amorphous nature of the issue played havoc with efforts at strategic framing. </jats:p
Clay mineral diversity and abundance in sedimentary rocks of Gale crater, Mars
Get PDFClay minerals provide indicators of the evolution of aqueous conditions and possible habitats for life on ancient Mars. Analyses by the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity show that ~3.5–billion year (Ga) fluvio-lacustrine mudstones in Gale crater contain up to ~28 weight % (wt %) clay minerals.Thomas F. Bristow, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Cherie N. Achilles, David F. Blake, Steve J. Chipera, Patricia Craig, Joy A. Crisp, David J. Des Marais, Robert T. Downs, Ralf Gellert, John P. Grotzinger, Sanjeev Gupta, Robert M. Hazen, Briony Horgan, Joanna V. Hogancamp, Nicolas Mangold, Paul R. Mahaffy, Amy C. McAdam, Doug W. Ming, John Michael Morookian, Richard V. Morris, Shaunna M. Morrison, Allan H. Treiman, David T. Vaniman, Ashwin R. Vasavada and Albert S. Ye
Characterization of water and wildlife strains as a subgroup of Campylobacter jejuni using DNA microarrays.
No full textCampylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, but source attribution of the organism is difficult. Previously, DNA microarrays were used to investigate isolate source, which suggested a non-livestock source of infection. In this study we analysed the genome content of 162 clinical, livestock and water and wildlife (WW) associated isolates combined with the previous study. Isolates were grouped by genotypes into nine clusters (C1 to C9). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data demonstrated that livestock associated clonal complexes dominated clusters C1-C6. The majority of WW isolates were present in the C9 cluster. Analysis of previously reported genomic variable regions demonstrated that these regions were linked to specific clusters. Two novel variable regions were identified. A six gene multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay, designed to effectively differentiated strains into clusters, was validated with 30 isolates. A further five WW isolates were tested by mPCR and were assigned to the C7-C9 group of clusters. The predictive mPCR test could be used to indicate if a clinical case has come from domesticated or WW sources. Our findings provide further evidence that WW C. jejuni subtypes show niche adaptation and may be important in causing human infection
Playing the (Policy) Fields: The Lesbian and Gay Movement and the Development of the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Bill
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Policy in Public Policy, University of Regina. viii, 124 p.The lesbian and gay rights movement in Canada has a rich history comprised of
numerous groups and individuals that worked tirelessly for decades to promote lesbian
and gay rights and champion for protections to the community at a number of levels. One
of the primary challenges that occurred was in relation to relationship recognition.
Throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s in Canada, the lesbian and gay movement worked to
achieve relationship recognition, challenging the criminal code, human rights protections,
and finally full relationship recognition through the Modernization of Benefits and
Obligations Act in 2000.
Using the theory of fields as outlined by Fligstein and McAdam (2012), this thesis
will provide a comprehensive view to understanding select challenges that occurred to
key policy fields in order to create the conditions which allowed for the passing of Bill C-
23 in Canada. I address the question of how the lesbian and gay community worked to
challenge the policies that supported the Criminal Code and Human Rights frameworks –
both of which inform understandings of ‘relationship politics’ – in order to re-define the
underlying logic within the strategic action field of ‘relationship politics’, leading to a
reconceptualization of it through the passing of Bill C-23 in 2000.
In Chapter One, I introduce the lesbian and gay movement in Canada, presenting
key achievements the movement made throughout the late-20th century. In Chapter Two,
I provide a comprehensive overview of the ‘theory of fields’ as conceptualized by
Fligstein and McAdam (2012), specifically how I will utilize their theory in order to
explain the ways in which challenger groups and incumbent groups worked to effect
change, or maintain the status quo, in relation to the various policy fields that were impacted leading to Bill C-23. In Chapter Three I introduce the field of ‘relationship
politics’ that will provide the overview of my primary analysis, situating it in the context
of the lesbian and gay movement.
In Chapter Four I explore the lesbian and gay movement as a challenger group to
‘relationship politics’, paying close attention to the community mobilization and specific
‘shocks’ to ‘relationship politics’ that the movement was able to take advantage of, which
opened up both the policy fields of the criminal code and human rights to lead to Bill C-
23. Finally, in Chapter Five I will focus on the incumbent group, Members of Parliament
who were most in control of those policy fields that served to reinforce ‘relationship
politics’. I will look at how the incumbent group worked to assert their views of
‘relationship politics’ when debating challenges that came forward, providing a deeper
analysis around the specific episodes of contention to the main fields within my analysis.
This analysis, while being somewhat unique to the lesbian and gay movement,
will provide a framework for understanding how other social movement groups, through
collective action and understanding the logic and composition of a variety of policy and
public fields, may be able to affect change on a broad scale. The challenge for
relationship recognition is somewhat unique in terms of the relative speed with which it
came to be implemented, happening within a period of about 30 years. Understanding the
numerous spaces through which change occurred, where challenges emerged, and how
both challengers and incumbents worked to assert their relative positions, can allow for
an understanding as to how other social movements may succeed – or, alternatively, fail –
to achieve substantive social and policy change.Studentye
Sulfur-Bearing Phases Detected by Evolved Gas Analysis of the Rocknest Aeolian Deposit, Gale Crater, Mars
No full textThe Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite detected SO2, H2S, OCS, and CS2 from approx.450 to 800 C during evolved gas analysis (EGA) of materials from the Rocknest aeolian deposit in Gale Crater, Mars. This was the first detection of evolved sulfur species from a Martian surface sample during in situ EGA. SO2(approx. 3-22 micro-mol) is consistent with the thermal decomposition of Fe sulfates or Ca sulfites, or evolution/desorption from sulfur-bearing amorphous phases. Reactions between reduced sulfur phases such as sulfides and evolved O2 or H2O in the SAM oven are another candidate SO2 source. H2S (approx.41-109 nmol) is consistent with interactions of H2O, H2 and/or HCl with reduced sulfur phases and/or SO2 in the SAM oven. OCS (approx.1-5 nmol) and CS2(approx.0.2-1 nmol) are likely derived from reactions between carbon-bearing compounds and reduced sulfur. Sulfates and sulfites indicate some aqueous interactions, although not necessarily at the Rocknest site; Fe sulfates imply interaction with acid solutions whereas Ca sulfites can form from acidic to near-neutral solutions. Sulfides in the Rocknest materials suggest input from materials originally deposited in a reducing environment or from detrital sulfides from an igneous source. The presence of sulfides also suggests that the materials have not been extensively altered by oxidative aqueous weathering. The possibility of both reduced and oxidized sulfur compounds in the deposit indicates a nonequilibrium assemblage. Understanding the sulfur mineralogy in Rocknest materials, which exhibit chemical similarities to basaltic fines analyzed elsewhere on Mars, can provide insight in to the origin and alteration history of Martian surface materials
Exploiting tacit knowledge through knowledge management technologies
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to examine the contributions and suitability of the available knowledge management (KM) technologies, including the Web 2.0 for exploiting tacit knowledge. It proposes an integrated framework for extracting tacit knowledge in organisations, which includes Web 2.0 technologies, KM tools, organisational learning (OL) and Community of Practice (CoP). It reviews a comprehensive literature covering overview of KM theories, KM technologies and OL and identifies the current state of knowledge relating to tacit knowledge exploitation. The outcomes of the paper indicate that Internet and Web 2.0 technologies have stunning prospects for creating learning communities where tacit knowledge can be extracted from people. The author recommends that organisations should design procedures and embed them in their Web 2.0 collaborative platforms persuading employees to record their ideas and share them with other members. It is also recommended that no idea should be taken for granted in a learning community where tacit knowledge exploitation is pursued. It is envisaged that future research should adopt empirical approach involving Complex Adaptive Model for Tacit Knowledge Exploitation (CAMTaKE) and the Theory of Deferred Action in examining the effectiveness of KM technologies including Web 2.0 tools for tacit knowledge exploitation
Perpetuating Social Movements amid Declining Opportunity: The Survival Strategies of Two Argentine Piquetero Groups
No full textThis article examines the recent behaviour in Argentina of two national protest groups of socalled ‘piqueteros’ or picketers (impoverished unemployed individuals who used the blockage of strategic roads and bridges to force government concessions) that emerged politically in the buildup to the crisis of 2001-2002. Using theoretical concepts developed by McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly in understanding social movements, the author analyses what he calls the ‘survival strategy’ adopted by their leaders as the political opportunities that produced their initial growth gave way to a more hostile environment with the normalization of Argentine politics under the Kirchner administration. While the two piquetero groups studied differ considerably in terms of their politics and ideology, both ended up depending on the same traditional tactic of utilizing important government contacts to obtain the resources necessary for organizational maintenance, despite their nominal identity as radical protesters against the present political system.Resumen: Perpetuando movimientos sociales y oportunidades decrecientes: las estrategias de sobrevivencia de dos grupos de piqueteros argentinesEste artículo examina el comportamiento reciente de dos grupos nacionales de protesta argentinos llamados ‘piqueteros’ (desempleados empobrecidos que usaron el bloqueo de calles y puentes estratégicos para forzar concesiones gubernamentales) que aparecieron durante la crisis de 2001- 2002. Utilizando conceptos teóricos creados por McAdam, Tarrow, y Tilly en su discusión sobre los movimientos sociales, el autor analiza lo que describe como ‘estrategias de sobrevivencia’ adoptadas por sus dirigentes cuando las oportunidades que ocasionaron su crecimiento inicial cedieron ante un ambiente más hostil en el contexto de la normalización de la política argentina durante la administración de Kirchner. Aunque los dos grupos piqueteros estudiados se diferencian mucho en términos de su política e ideología, ambos terminaron dependiendo de la misma táctica tradicional consistente en el recurso a contactos políticos oficiales indispensables para lograr los recursos necesarios para el mantenimiento organizacional del grupo, pese a su identidad nominal como radicales detractores del sistema político imperante
Clinical and histological discrepancies in diagnosis of ENL reactions classified by assessment of acute phase proteins SAA and CRP1
No full textSixteen out of 45 (36%) leprosy patients with clinical features of acute erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) did not show the characteristic presence of neutrophils (polymorphs) in histology of the ENL lesion. The acute-phase reactants, serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) which are systemic markers of inflammation, and IgM and IgG antibody to Mycobacterium leprae were determined in these patients in order to understand the differences in histological diagnosis. Both SAA and CRP were elevated in ENL patients, irrespective of the presence of polymorph infiltrates, as compared to nonreactional lepromatous patients, patients with histologically confirmed reversal reactions and endemic controls, indicating that all clinically diagnosed ENL patients had ongoing inflammatory reactions. On the other hand, IgM and IgG antibodies were significantly lower (> 70%) in ENL patients as compared to nonreactional lepromatous patients. When the two ENL groups [ENL-PMN + ve (positive for neutrophils) and ENL-PMN -ve (negative for neutrophils)] were compared, there were no significant differences in the mean SAA, IgM or IgG antibody concentrations, but CRP was eightfold lower in ENL-PMN-ve as compared to the ENL-PMN+ve group. This may indicate that the timing or modulation of the reaction was different in the two ENL groups. Thus, measurement of the acute-phase response and the ratio of SAA/ CRP in particular are helpful in the clinical diagnosis of ENL reactions in leprosy.Peer reviewedfinal article publishe
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