383 research outputs found
Meanings and Visions of Healthy and Unhealthy Food in Flevoland, the Netherlands
No full textThis chapter turns attention to the Netherlands, precisely the province of Flevoland, to show the meanings of healthy and unhealthy food. The choice of Flevoland was because the province is on an agricultural polder in the Netherlands at the forefront of agricultural transformations. By combining photovoice and online surveys, findings show that meanings of healthy food are predominantly nutrition-based. This is determined by the government recommendation (Disc of five) promoting a nutrition-based understanding of healthy and unhealthy food. This chapter highlights the overemphasis on nutrition in meanings of healthy and unhealthy food. The chapter argues that although the nutrition-based discourse on healthy and unhealthy food is dominant amongst Dutch consumers, there also exist socio-culturally informed meanings of un/healthy which include the pleasure derived from the acts of sharing food experiences that positively contribute to consumers’ overall pleasure and satisfaction with consumer’s food consumption. These socio-culturally informed meanings of un/healthy food are equally important to consumers. Therefore, the author argues that the key to the future of healthy food is a middle ground where nutritionally rich food meets socially informed meanings of healthy food
Assessing natural resource management through integrated environmental and social-economic accounting: The case of a Namibian conservancy
No full textLocal natural resource management in its diverse manifestations holds core to its principles that the marginal and vulnerable households are empowered to manage valuable natural resources to improve social and economic equality and conserve biodiversity. Yet studies aiming to identify the impacts often show inconsistent results. Through constructing an integrated Environmental and Social Accounting Matrix (ESAM), we aim to assess how natural resources are used in different sectors and by different livelihoods, thus delivering different direct and indirect benefits to the community. The study was conducted in Namibia’s Sikunga Conservancy, which manages wildlife and fish resources in the Zambezi region. Our village-level ESAM shows an economic structure that strongly disadvantages remote households and identifies a small sector of the economy that benefits significantly from the use of natural resources. The ESAM approach is able to isolate undesirable socioeconomic developments such as unequal benefit sharing, which hinders community development. © 2016, © The Author(s) 2016
Analysis of bacterial communities in sponges and coral inhabiting Red Sea, using barcoded 454 pyrosequencing
No full textUnited States Citizens Detained as Enemy Combatants : The Right to Counsel as a Matter of Ethics
No full textThe Supreme Court will decide as a matter of law whether an American citizen detained as an enemy combatant has the right to counsel. The author argues that as a matter of ethics, the answer is clear - there is a right to counsel. In this Article, the author analyzes the cases regarding Jose Padilla and Yaser Esam Hamdi discusses ABA Model Rule 4.2, and its application, and proposes an amendment to Rule 4.2\u27s Comment
Dynamically cross-linked thermoplastic elastomeric network based on hairy nanoparticles (HNP), 2021
No full textChain-end furan functionalized hairy nanoparticles (HNPs) with hard polystyrene (PS) cores and soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) shells were synthesized by one-step anionic living polymerization. The synthesis of the functionalized HNPs was carried out by first preparing the living core through the copolymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene using sec-butyl lithium with tetrahydrofuran as the solvent, and next by adding the second monomer, hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3) to the living polystyrene core. Following polymerization of the D3, the living polymer was terminated with dimethylchlorosilane to obtain the HNPs terminated with Si-H functional end group. The furan functionalized HNPs were synthesized by the hydrosilylation of the HNPs with 2-vinylfuran. Additionally, furan end functionalized poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(styrene) were synthesized by anionic living. 1H NMR and FT-IR spectra confirm the successful synthesis of the structure. Differential scanning calorimetry shows the presence of two thermal transitions indicative of the presence of a poly(dimethysiloxane) soft phase and a poly(styrene) hard phase suggesting that the HNPs are a thermoplastic elastomer. A proof of principle for the use of Diels-Alder chemistry as a thermoreversible cross-linking tool for the network polymers is demonstrated. The furan functionalized HNPs forms thermoreversible elastomeric networks on cross-linking with bismaleimide (BMI) via a Diels-Alder coupling reaction. The kinetics of the forward Diels-Alder reaction between the functionalized polymer and BMI was studied at different temperatures 50, 60, and 70° C by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that the reaction rate constants increase when the temperature rises from 50 to 70° C and showed that the reaction followed second-order kinetics. The activation energy of the cross-linking reaction for the furan functionalized HNP, PS, and PDMS with BMI were determined. The formed Diels-Alder cross-links polymer dissociates at elevated temperatures around 140-154° C which was proven by DSC. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the morphological characterization and the particle size of a polystyrene core, HNP, functionalized HNP with diene, and BMI cross-linked HNP. The results suggest that because of the shape and size of the furan functionalized HNPs, they are a good candidate for preparing thermoreversible polymer networks
Computer simulation and practical evaluation of heavy vehicle performance and fuel economy
No full text© 1986 Dr. Esam Talib KhatibThis thesis develops and presents optimisation methodology for heavy vehicle performance and fuel economy. The nature of research undertaken involves both computer simulation and practical evaluation. It is believed that these research components will enable the formulation of proposals supportive to the implementation of a heavy vehicle fuel conservation programme.
The research commences with a review of heavy vehicle travel and fuel usage statistics relative to those of other road users. Heavy vehicles are then categorised according to their configuration and area of operation. This categorisation, which is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 1982 motor vehicle survey, serves as the principle criterion for the development of driving cycles representative of heavy vehicle driving patterns in urban and non-urban areas.
Traffic data collection methods and various means for the translation of data into a representative speed-time trace (driving cycle) are reviewed and evaluated. Four comprehensive field surveys conducted over selected routes using an instrumented car to follow and record the driving patterns of targetted heavy vehicles are detailed.
Synthesis of four driving cycles follows. These cycles provide means for the study of vehicle performance and fuel economy by giving instructions to a driver or computer on how to operate a vehicle over a given distance or period of time. The application of TARCYC, a comprehensive software package, developed to support data acquisition and reduction, and to implement an enhanced microtrip accumulation technique, is described. It is shown that application of this package leads to the development of very realistic driving cycles with a minimal statistical similarity of 94% to the target data.
Vehicle proving ground and highway tests are described. The tests allowed the collection of a large data base for a vehicle with varying configurations. A test procedure providing fuel economy information for a baseline vehicle and for a modified configuration is developed and demonstrated. It is also shown that a repeatability band within 1% is achievable.
The equipment and instrumentation used and the computer programs developed for data reduction and processing and for the derivation of such vehicle component characteristics as aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance coefficients are described. An account is given of a novel approach which applies a simulation model in conjunction with curve fitting in coastdown analysis. The procedure and format used in archiving the collected data for future research work is also detailed.
Modelling of vehicle performance and fuel consumption, using computer programs, commences with a review of HEVSIM, the US Department of Transport model translated to Fortran 77 and adapted by the author for operation on the University of Melbourne VAX/VMS main-frame computer. The simulation capabilities and limitations of this model are assessed and a critical review of 10 other models is also undertaken.
Subsequently, the development of TABESAM, a multi -purpose simulation model which incorporates varying levels of complexity and requires only simple input to provide detailed output, is traced. This model can be used for driving cycle analysis, driver training and motivation, vehicle tests, engine mapping and vehicle component optimisation and has been subjected to experimental validation. When compared with transient and steady state test results, the model shows a prediction accuracy in excess of 95%. The model has been adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE-A) for deployment in showroom, point of sale decision making contexts and in the Society’s fuel conservation programme.
Finally, and as a result of the practical evaluation and computer simulation of heavy vehicle performance and fuel economy, it is concluded that driver training and motivation, vehicle configuration matching to duty cycle and vehicle component optimisation are essential to fuel conservation. It is also maintained that a heavy vehicle fuel conservation programme depends for its success on the involvement and contributions of government bodies, vehicle designers, city and urban planners and owner/operators
The effect of body acceleration on the generalized power law model of blood flow in a stenosed artery
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