414 research outputs found
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR SHARED-SERVICES COOPERATIVES IN NORTH DAKOTA
No full textThe principal goal of shared-services cooperatives is to capture savings through lower administrative costs, quantity purchasing discounts, sharing fixed costs, and assured levels of business with vendors and suppliers. Although the idea of cooperation is not new in North Dakota, the question raised here is whether there is potential applications for non-agricultural shared-services cooperatives that provide services that are absent or inadequate in rural communities in the state. It is concluded that there is potential application for shared-services cooperatives in both public and private sectors in North Dakota based on opportunities to share fixed costs and to capitalize on pecuniary economies of size.shared-services cooperatives, non-agricultural cooperatives, North Dakota, Agribusiness,
Highly porous alkali activated foams for water and wastewater treatment
No full textAbstract
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have diverse applications in water and wastewater treatment. In this thesis, porous AAM foams were prepared with the goal to explore their potential use in new applications for water and wastewater treatment, namely adsorptive filters, point-of-use water disinfection, and separation of microplastics.
The adsorptive filters were prepared from blast furnace slag and optimized by comparing five different surfactants and doses of H2O2. Porous AAM exhibiting the highest mechanical strength was investigated for methylene blue adsorption. To further enhance the adsorption performance, a lignin-containing composite foam was prepared. In the dynamic adsorption experiments, the highest adsorption amount obtained with the lignin-composite foam was ~40 mg/g. Moreover, peracetic acid was investigated as an alternative foaming agent in the preparation of porous AAMs. During the investigation, lower volume expansion and faster reaction kinetics with reduced setting time were observed for peracetic acid-based porous AAM compared to H2O2-based porous AAM.
To develop material for point-of-use water disinfection, the first goal was to achieve comparable water permeability to traditional ceramic filters by varying the amount of hydrogen peroxide. An optimized foam was then treated with colloidal Ag solution to explore its potential use in disinfecting water for 10 weeks. The modified foam demonstrated a significant reduction (2.84 log10 units) in E. coli bacteria compared to an unmodified filter (1.57 log10 units). Additionally, the environmental impact of the porous AAM was analyzed through life cycle assessment and found to be lower than that of conventional ceramic filter.
Finally, to develop material capable of separating microplastics, porous AAM surface was modified with triethoxy(octyl)silane to render it superhydrophobic. The modified porous AAM demonstrated over 99% separation efficiency when treating 30 L of model water containing 5 mg/L of polyethylene microspheres (53-63 μm). Its performance was also evaluated in treating laundry effluent, where the modified porous AAM achieved approximately 84% separation compared to around 52% for the unmodified porous AAM. Original papers Bhuyan, M. A. H., Gebre, R. K., Finnilä, M. A. J., Illikainen, M., & Luukkonen, T. (2022). Preparation of filter by alkali activation of blast furnace slag and its application for dye removal. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10(1), 107051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.107051 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.107051 Self-archived version Bhuyan, M. A. H., & Luukkonen, T. (2024). Adsorption of methylene blue by composite foams containing alkali-activated blast furnace slag and lignin. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 21(4), 3789–3802. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05245-5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05245-5 Self-archived version Bhuyan, M. A. H., Kurtulus, C., Heponiemi, A., & Luukkonen, T. (2023). Peracetic acid as a novel blowing agent in the direct foaming of alkali-activated materials. Applied Clay Science, 231, 106727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2022.106727 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2022.106727 Self-archived version Bhuyan, M. A. H., Karkman, A., Prokkola, H., Chen, B., Perumal, P., & Luukkonen, T. (2024). Alkali-activated foams coated with colloidal Ag for point-of-use water disinfection. ACS ES&T Water, 4(2), 687–697. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00711 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00711 Self-archived version Bhuyan, M. A. H., Busquets, R., Campos, L. C., & Luukkonen, T. (2024). Separation of microplastics from water using superhydrophobic silane-coupling-agent-modified geopolymer foam. Separation and Purification Technology, 339, 126709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126709 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126709 Self-archived version Abstrakti
Alkaliaktivoiduilla materiaaleilla on runsaasti erilaisia sovelluksia veden ja jäteveden käsittelyssä. Tässä väitöskirjassa valmistettiin huokoisia alkaliaktivoituja vaahtoja tavoitteena selvittää niiden uusia hyödyntämismahdollisuuksia adsorboivina suodatinmateriaaleina, veden desinfioinnissa ja mikromuovin erottamisessa.
Masuunikuonasta valmistettujen adsorboivien suodattimien koostumus optimoitiin muuttamalla valmistuksessa käytetyn pinta-aktiivisen aineen tyyppiä sekä vaahdotinaineena toimivan vetyperoksidin lisäysmäärää. Optimoidulla materiaalilla tutkittiin metyleenisinisen adsorptiota vedestä. Adsorptiokyvyn lisäämiseksi valmistettiin ligniiniä sisältävää komposiittimateriaalia. Dynaamisessa metyleenisinisen adsorptiokokeessa suurin adsorptiomäärä ligniinikomposiitille oli ~40 mg/g. Lisäksi peretikkahappoa tutkittiin vaihtoehtoisena vaahdotusaineena. Peretikkahappoa käytettäessä havaittiin pienempi turpoaminen valmistuksen aikana ja lyhyempi kovettumisaika verrattuna vetyperoksidilla valmistettuihin vaahtoihin.
Tutkimuksen seuraavassa osassa tutkittiin veden desinfiointia. Alkaliaktivoituja vaahtoja valmistettiin metakaoliinista, masuunikuonasta ja niiden seoksista tavoitteena saavuttaa samanlainen veden läpäisevyys kuin keraamisilla suodattimilla. Tämän jälkeen optimoitua vaahtoa käsiteltiin kolloidisella hopealiuoksella ja sen käyttömahdollisuuksia veden desinfioinnissa tutkittiin 10 viikon ajan. Hopeaa sisältävä vaahto osoitti merkittävää E. coli -bakteerien vähenemistä (2,84 log10) verrattuna hopeaa sisältämättömään suodattimeen (1,57 log10). Lisäksi alkaliaktivoidun vaahdon ympäristövaikutuksia analysoitiin elinkaariarvioinnin avulla ja niiden todettiin olevan pienempiä kuin perinteisen keraamin.
Mikromuovien erottamiseksi alkaliaktivoituja vaahtoja käsiteltiin trietoksi(oktyyli)silaanilla superhydrofobisen pinnan luomiseksi. Käsitelty vaahto poisti yli 99 % mikromuovista kokeessa, jossa käsiteltiin 30 litraa vettä, joka sisälsi 5 mg/l polyetyleenipartikkeleita (koko 53–63 μm). Käsitellyn vaahdon suorituskykyä arvioitiin myös pyykinpesuveden käsittelyssä, jossa sen muovin poistokyky oli noin 84 % kun taas ei-käsitelty vaahto poisti vain 52 %. Osajulkaisut Bhuyan, M. A. H., Gebre, R. K., Finnilä, M. A. J., Illikainen, M., & Luukkonen, T. (2022). Preparation of filter by alkali activation of blast furnace slag and its application for dye removal. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10(1), 107051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.107051 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.107051 Rinnakkaistallennettu versio Bhuyan, M. A. H., & Luukkonen, T. (2024). Adsorption of methylene blue by composite foams containing alkali-activated blast furnace slag and lignin. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 21(4), 3789–3802. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05245-5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05245-5 Rinnakkaistallennettu versio Bhuyan, M. A. H., Kurtulus, C., Heponiemi, A., & Luukkonen, T. (2023). Peracetic acid as a novel blowing agent in the direct foaming of alkali-activated materials. Applied Clay Science, 231, 106727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2022.106727 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2022.106727 Rinnakkaistallennettu versio Bhuyan, M. A. H., Karkman, A., Prokkola, H., Chen, B., Perumal, P., & Luukkonen, T. (2024). Alkali-activated foams coated with colloidal Ag for point-of-use water disinfection. ACS ES&T Water, 4(2), 687–697. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00711 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00711 Rinnakkaistallennettu versio Bhuyan, M. A. H., Busquets, R., Campos, L. C., & Luukkonen, T. (2024). Separation of microplastics from water using superhydrophobic silane-coupling-agent-modified geopolymer foam. Separation and Purification Technology, 339, 126709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126709 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126709 Rinnakkaistallennettu versio Academic dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Doctoral Programme Committee of Technology and Natural Sciences of the University of Oulu for public defence in the Arina auditorium (TA105), Linnanmaa, on 3 May 2024, at 12 noonAbstract
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have diverse applications in water and wastewater treatment. In this thesis, porous AAM foams were prepared with the goal to explore their potential use in new applications for water and wastewater treatment, namely adsorptive filters, point-of-use water disinfection, and separation of microplastics.
The adsorptive filters were prepared from blast furnace slag and optimized by comparing five different surfactants and doses of H2O2. Porous AAM exhibiting the highest mechanical strength was investigated for methylene blue adsorption. To further enhance the adsorption performance, a lignin-containing composite foam was prepared. In the dynamic adsorption experiments, the highest adsorption amount obtained with the lignin-composite foam was ~40 mg/g. Moreover, peracetic acid was investigated as an alternative foaming agent in the preparation of porous AAMs. During the investigation, lower volume expansion and faster reaction kinetics with reduced setting time were observed for peracetic acid-based porous AAM compared to H2O2-based porous AAM.
To develop material for point-of-use water disinfection, the first goal was to achieve comparable water permeability to traditional ceramic filters by varying the amount of hydrogen peroxide. An optimized foam was then treated with colloidal Ag solution to explore its potential use in disinfecting water for 10 weeks. The modified foam demonstrated a significant reduction (2.84 log10 units) in E. coli bacteria compared to an unmodified filter (1.57 log10 units). Additionally, the environmental impact of the porous AAM was analyzed through life cycle assessment and found to be lower than that of conventional ceramic filter.
Finally, to develop material capable of separating microplastics, porous AAM surface was modified with triethoxy(octyl)silane to render it superhydrophobic. The modified porous AAM demonstrated over 99% separation efficiency when treating 30 L of model water containing 5 mg/L of polyethylene microspheres (53-63 μm). Its performance was also evaluated in treating laundry effluent, where the modified porous AAM achieved approximately 84% separation compared to around 52% for the unmodified porous AAM.Abstrakti
Alkaliaktivoiduilla materiaaleilla on runsaasti erilaisia sovelluksia veden ja jäteveden käsittelyssä. Tässä väitöskirjassa valmistettiin huokoisia alkaliaktivoituja vaahtoja tavoitteena selvittää niiden uusia hyödyntämismahdollisuuksia adsorboivina suodatinmateriaaleina, veden desinfioinnissa ja mikromuovin erottamisessa.
Masuunikuonasta valmistettujen adsorboivien suodattimien koostumus optimoitiin muuttamalla valmistuksessa käytetyn pinta-aktiivisen aineen tyyppiä sekä vaahdotinaineena toimivan vetyperoksidin lisäysmäärää. Optimoidulla materiaalilla tutkittiin metyleenisinisen adsorptiota vedestä. Adsorptiokyvyn lisäämiseksi valmistettiin ligniiniä sisältävää komposiittimateriaalia. Dynaamisessa metyleenisinisen adsorptiokokeessa suurin adsorptiomäärä ligniinikomposiitille oli ~40 mg/g. Lisäksi peretikkahappoa tutkittiin vaihtoehtoisena vaahdotusaineena. Peretikkahappoa käytettäessä havaittiin pienempi turpoaminen valmistuksen aikana ja lyhyempi kovettumisaika verrattuna vetyperoksidilla valmistettuihin vaahtoihin.
Tutkimuksen seuraavassa osassa tutkittiin veden desinfiointia. Alkaliaktivoituja vaahtoja valmistettiin metakaoliinista, masuunikuonasta ja niiden seoksista tavoitteena saavuttaa samanlainen veden läpäisevyys kuin keraamisilla suodattimilla. Tämän jälkeen optimoitua vaahtoa käsiteltiin kolloidisella hopealiuoksella ja sen käyttömahdollisuuksia veden desinfioinnissa tutkittiin 10 viikon ajan. Hopeaa sisältävä vaahto osoitti merkittävää E. coli -bakteerien vähenemistä (2,84 log10) verrattuna hopeaa sisältämättömään suodattimeen (1,57 log10). Lisäksi alkaliaktivoidun vaahdon ympäristövaikutuksia analysoitiin elinkaariarvioinnin avulla ja niiden todettiin olevan pienempiä kuin perinteisen keraamin.
Mikromuovien erottamiseksi alkaliaktivoituja vaahtoja käsiteltiin trietoksi(oktyyli)silaanilla superhydrofobisen pinnan luomiseksi. Käsitelty vaahto poisti yli 99 % mikromuovista kokeessa, jossa käsiteltiin 30 litraa vettä, joka sisälsi 5 mg/l polyetyleenipartikkeleita (koko 53–63 μm). Käsitellyn vaahdon suorituskykyä arvioitiin myös pyykinpesuveden käsittelyssä, jossa sen muovin poistokyky oli noin 84 % kun taas ei-käsitelty vaahto poisti vain 52 %
Negotiating Citizenship on the Frontlines: How the Devolution of Canadian Immigration Policy Shapes Service Delivery to Women Fleeing Abuse
No full textAuthor Posting. © Bhuyan 2012. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Law & Policy, 34(2): 211-236. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1467-9930.2011.00361.xFrom publisher: This article examines how nongovernmental service providers navigate devolutionary trends in Canada, in both immigration control and integration policy, when responding to migrants who come to them for help and support. Drawing upon conceptualizations of citizenship as a “negotiated relationship” (Stasiulis and Bakan 2003), I explore how social service providers, who work amidst a complex interplay of federal, provincial, and local policies, can influence both who is deemed worthy of social membership and what rights an individual can successfully claim from the state. Empirically, this article focuses on observation of community meetings and conversational interviews with service providers in violence against women shelters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada's most populous and diverse city. While service providers navigate different levels of government to advocate for women's rights to seek safety from abuse, I argue that both individual service providers and the organizations in which they work monitor and constrain the degree to which they openly challenge state authority to restrict immigrants' “right to have rights” (Arendt 1951 [1979], 296).This work was generously supported by CERIS—The Ontario Metropolis Centre
Multivariate analysis methods for veterinary diagnostics using SIFT-MS
No full textSelected ion flow tube mass spectroscopy (SIFT-MS) is an analytical method for the
investigation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It produces mass to charge (m/z) ratio
ion counts with a range of 10-200 m/z. Current data analysis involves sifting through the
spectra files one at a time looking for peaks of interest. This is time consuming and requires
expert knowledge. This thesis proposes, implements and demonstrates a novel approach to
the analysis of SIFT-MS data using multivariate techniques similar to those employed to
analyse electronic nose and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS) data. The
methodology was developed using a set of samples created in the laboratory that belonged
to two groups which contained different VOCs found in biological samples. The
methodology requires the removal of the m/z peaks associated with the precursors, then
principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis
(PLSDA) methods were evaluated for biomarker discovery and sample classification. Both
methods produced excellent results, identifying the volatiles in the mixtures and being able
to classify samples with 100% accuracy. This methodology was then tested using a variety
of samples. Ammonia was found as a possible marker for bovine TB (Mycobacterium
bovis) infection using serum samples taken from wild badgers. Discrimination results of an
accuracy of 67%±6% were acquired. The number of sample needed to build the best
performing model from this dataset was empirically shown to be 120. It was shown to be
effective for the discrimination of serum samples from cattle taken before and after
introduction of bovine TB (Mycobacterium bovis) bacteria in a clinical trial (accuracy of
85% achieved). A similar dataset pertaining to infection by Mannheimia haemolytica failed
to produce models that performed as well as the others - this is suspect to be due to a poor
experimental design. Finally, discrimination accuracies of 88% for urine samples collected
from cattle from herds infected with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and 90% for urine
samples collected in the same bovine TB trial as above were achieved. The novel
multivariate approach to SIFT-MS data analysis has been shown to be effective with a
number of datasets but it is sensitive to the experimental design. Recommendation for the
consideration required for analysis using this method have been made
Qualitative assessment of sediment from River Meghna, Bangladesh
No full textThe present study was conducted to find the status of different soil quality variables of the Meghna River during the period from September, 2015 to March, 2016. The values of different soil quality parameters such as silt, sand, clay, bulk density, pH, EC and organic matter fluctuated between 13.33-58.33%, 29.25-88.42%, 4.92-17.42%, 1.43-1.71g/cm3, 6.86-8.06, 43-942.67µs/cm and 0.24-3.1% respectively. The heavy metals were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The observed order of heavy metals mean concentration in sediments Fe> Pb >Cr > Co > Cd in mg/kg, respectively. Significant differences (p<0.05) was found in the values of soil organic matter of the Meghna river in terms of sites. But the value of silt, sand, clay, bulk density, pH and EC exhibited no significant variation with sites. The concentration of silt, sand, clay, bulk density, pH, EC and organic matter showed no significant variation with seasons (p>0.05). Very strong positive correlation between Cr vs EC (0.965), Cd vs EC (0.962), Cd vs Cr (0.959) and bulk density vs % sand (0.951) was observed at the significance level 0.01. Fe vs % sand (0.944), Cd vs Fe (0.824), Pb vs % O.M (0.823) and bulk density vs Fe (0.822) showed very strong positive correlations at 0.05 level of significance. The concentration of the soil parameters indicate that the river is being polluted and the statistical analysis proved that anthropogenic sources are the main contributor.Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res.53(2), 89-98, 2018</jats:p
APTAC-AAc hydrogel supportive Materials SEM, DSC FTIR and ICP-MS data
No full textFTIR, DCS, SEM, ICP-MS data of Metal Adsorption.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV
Towards Sub-regional cooperation: India’s Northeast and Bangladesh
No full textThe South Asian countries have a shared past based on deep-rooted common cultural heritage and historical legacy. The region has demographic and geographical advantages young labour force and a contiguous border. The spatial dimension of regional integration of Northeast India and Bangladesh can be inferred from the historical fact that economic growth of Northeast during the British rule flourished essentially on the strength of its integrated transport network through East Bengal. Inland-water trade between India and Bangladesh is important in linking not only Assam but the region as a whole to Bangladesh. Cost effective trade routes through water ways is more important than land routes for India’s Northeast through the corridors of Bangladesh. Notwithstanding the importance of waterways, the land routes continue to be the safe transit for informal trade between both the countries.Regional cooperation; Northeast India
Seasonal variation of trace elements in water and sediment of the Turag and Balu Rivers, Bangladesh
No full textThe Turag and Balu Rivers are heavily polluted due to the large quantities of untreated municipal sewage and industrial wastewater received from Dhaka City, the capital of Bangladesh. Thus, this study aimed to assess the pollution in trace metal levels in water and sediment over time and space. Trace elements were found in the following descending order: Fe>Ca>Mn>Mg>Zn>Pb>Cu>Cd in Turag River water. Trace elements were found in the following descending order: Fe>Mn>Ca>Mg>Zn> Pb>Cu>Cd in Balu River water. In the Turag River and the Balu River, trace metals were measured in the following descending order in the sediment: Fe>Mn>Pb>Zn>Cu>Ca>Cd>Mg and Fe>Mn>Cu>Zn>Ca> Pb> Mg> Cd, respectively. Metals exhibited no significant differences (p>0.05), except for Ca (p < 0.05) in both the Turag and Balu Rivers. The correlation matrix (CM) demonstrated a sizeable anthropogenic metal influx in the water and sediment of the rivers. Ca, Mg, Cu, and Cd showed significant seasonal fluctuations (P<0.05) in Turag River water, whereas Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Cd showed noteworthy differences (P<0.05) in the Balu River water. Ca vs Mg (r=0.963) revealed a very high linear solid relationship in Turag River water. A solid linear relationship was determined for Ca vs Fe (r=0.981) in Balu River water and for Cd vs Pb (r=0.977). A solid linear relationship was observed between Cd and Pb (r=0.870) in Turag River sediment. The water and sediment quality of the rivers have deteriorated due to anthropogenic sources of industrial, household and irrigation discharges. The present research can be beneficially used for the management and protection plan of the river for environmental monitoring and assessment.Full Tex
Acoustic diagnostic of On-Load Tap Changers (OLTC) and Investigation of the Arcing Phenomenon
No full textPower transformers are inseparable parts of the power system and the tap changer is an equally necessary part of the transformer. In order to keep the availability of power systems high, the reliability of the transformers must be improved. This can be done by improving the reliability of the tap changer, as tap changer failures are the cause for the majority of the power transformer failures. This thesis focuses on the development of acoustic diagnostics of tap changers and the tap changer that is investigated for defects in this thesis is the selector switch type tap changer. The reason for choosing acoustic diagnostics is that this is a method which can be used online and can be used with the least disturbance to the normal operation of the power transformer. Special emphasis has been laid on recreating the arcing conditions in the tap changer. Arcing inside the tap changer chamber is unavoidable but excessive arcing leads to a multitude of problems, so efforts have been made to acoustically detect the arcing phenomenon. In order to have both flexibility and control over the experimental parameters, the experiments in the following chapters are conducted on three sets of test objects. Furthermore, the type of defects that pose the most imminent threat to the operation of the tap changer are focused upon and the most appropriate methods of signal acquisition and processing are determined for these experimental setups.Intelligent Electrical Power GridsElectrical Power EngineeringElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Economic Integration in South Asia: An Exploratory Study. By Ayubur Rahman Bhuyan. Dacca: The University of Dacca. 1979. Appendix; Bibliography; Index. xi + 224 pp.US S 12.00 or Bangladesh Taka 125.00.
No full textIn the book under review, Dr. Ayubur Rahman Bhuyan has made a
commendable effort to analyse some of the economic effects of a
"possible" customs union among the South Asian countries: India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. While an attempt has been made to
quantify the static effects of integration, the rest of the analysis is
mostly qualitative. In spite of the limitations imposed by the paucity
of data, Dr. Bhuyan's scholarly discussion goes a long way to bring the
relevant issues to light. Before going into empirical estimation of the
gains and losses of a customs union among the South Asian countries, the
author provides a rationale for economic integration among developing
countries in terms of the theory of customs unions. He bases his case
for economic integration on the need for industrialization. In line with
the argument advanced by Johnson as well as by Cooper and Massell, he
considers industrial production to be a "public good" which yields to
the community satisfaction over and above that obtained through private
consumption of industrial products. Industrialization of an
underdeveloped country is believed to be virtually impossible in the
face of an open competition with developed countries. Hence the need for
protection. However, protection has a cost to the economy. Integration
is likely to reduce this cost by making available benefits of economies
of scale and external economies, thereby bringing about an improvement
in productive efficiency
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