Search

Pulverised biomass is being used in electric power generation, either co-fired with coal or increasingly as 100% biomass. However, there is minimal information in the literature on the mechanism of flame propagation in pulverised biomass. In the present work the explosion technique was used to obtain fundamental information on the rate of flame propagation, the lean limits of flame propagation and related explosion characteristics of coarse biomass. A large part of this research involved the modification of the ISO 1m3 method to enable it to be used with coarse fibrous biomass powders. The technique that worked was to follow the Hartmann method and place the dust inside the vessel using a hemispherical bowl and then disperse this dust with a blast of air. This was demonstrated to work with coarse woody biomass and the calibration was established using cornflour and referenced to the standard method. The MEC and Kst for dusts were shown to have a dependence on the particle size. However, very coarse particles still propagated a flame, with no evidence that this was due to preferentially burning of the finer particles. Biomass particles of 300-500µm were shown to be flammable, i.e. as large as kerosene mist and large than coal particles will propagate a flame. For coarse woody biomass the Kst values were very low

In this study a postcolonial and social historical framework was utilised to examine the development of mental handicap nursing in Ireland. The research derives from a historiographical study of documentary records for the period 1919-70 in Britain and Ireland to investigate the role played by key stakeholders in the development of what at the time of writing is known as intellectual disability nursing. Primary sources were examined to construct a narrative chronology of the role of specific Catholic religious orders, the Irish Division psychiatrists of the Roval Medico-Psychological Association (RMPA), the State and nursing regulatory bodies. The main argument of the thesis is that a confluence of medical, social, religious and nursing ideas about specialist care for people with intellectual disabilities in the nineteen-fifties led to the development of a new workforce i.e. mental handicap nurses. Mental handicap nursing emerged in the aftermath of Ireland's struggle for self-determination from postcolonial oppression. The Department of Local Government and General Nursing Council for Ireland (GNCI) opposed a mental deficiency colony solution to a legacy of workhouses and asylums. Training by a weak psychiatric establishment was distrusted because of the profession's links to Britain. The Irish Government as part of a policy to move growing numbers from Counts Homes, funded specialist residential schools developed by Catholic religious orders. Staffing needs during the nineteen-forties led one order to request the RMPA to train its psychiatric nurses for the mental deficiency register. Since the GNCI had closed its mental deficiency register in 1923 and opposed medical involvement in nursing education, nurses were trained under the RMPA scheme with approval of the General Nursing Council (GNC) for England and Wales. Encouraged by the Department of Health, a new nursing regulatory body introduced mental handicap nurse training in 1959. Though a Commission of Inquiry in 1965 endorsed the new workforce, divergent psychiatric and religious discourses on the nature of mental handicap led to enduring tensions as to the role of this practitioner thus underpinning a tenuous position within nursing.

Since the start of the 21st century the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is experiencing mass development, and this is accompanied by a growing attention to public sector organizations and their need for change. Linked to this need for change in the UAE higher education sector is the search for avenues that improve performance. This thesis is about 'champions' and 'championing' change in a UAE higher education institution. 'Champions' introduce change, fight for change, and defend others through change. In turn, the champion can be viewed as representing a cuase and conquering change. There has been a tendency to overlook the importance of championing in a UAE higher education context, despite the attention given to institutional change in recent years. In this thesis it will be argues that champions of change are a necessary and important part of higher education institutional change. A champion is somebody on whom others can rely during institutional change. While change may be implemented in the form of structured rationalisation and mission statements, it is the champions that secure institutional change. It will be argued that champions are the key to creating institutional change, and are also an integral part of an institution's wellbeing. The goal of the study was to understand and explain how change leadership works at one representative institution. Following a review of relevant literature, research questions were formulated. These were addressed through an interpretive case study undertaken at a particular UAE higher education institution. The study predominantly used ethnographic methods of data collection, which allowed a set of themes to be identified from interviews, focus groups and observation(s) at the case study institution. It will be argued that the themes show how champions emerge during institutional change.

Photoperiod is an important signal involved in the timing and co-ordination of many processes such as growth and reproduction in salmonids. Both growth and reproduction appear to be controlled by endogenous rhythms, which under natural conditions, is entrained by the seasonal changes in daylength, that is accurately reflected by the diel pattern of melatonin. This thesis investigates the influence of photoperiod on growth and reproduction in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and examines the effect on plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). These studies aim to further our scientific understanding of the endocrine mechanisms controlling growth and reproduction and transfer this knowledge to commercial trout farming practices. Studies at fry (25g) stages investigated the effect of exposure to constant long-days (LD18:6) and constant light (LL) on growth performance. In all experiments, there was a significant growth enhancing effect following exposure to extended light regimes relative to those under ambient or constant short-day photoperiods. Growth enhancement appeared to be caused through direct photo-stimulation or a phaseshift in an underlying endogenous rhythm dependent on the timing of photoperiod application. Measurement of plasma IGF-I accurately reflected growth rate during juvenile development. Furthermore, a clear autumnal increase in IGF-I was observed that was apparently up-regulated by long-day photoperiods. Additionally, it was shown that melatonin implants significantly reduced growth rate below that of unimplanted controls irrespective of photoperiod, but did not reduce circulating IGF-I levels suggesting that elevated melatonin levels masked the perception of daylength but did not act directly on the somatotropic axis to control growth. As size or one of its correlates (growth rate, energy balance or nutritional status) is regarded as an important determinant of the ability to undergo puberty, the interaction of natural (SNP) and advancing (ADV: long-short day) photoperiods with growth, IGF-I and reproduction was investigated in virgin female broodstock. Under SNP 63% of the population attained maturity while only 29% spawned in the ADV regime. Under SNP both size and growth rate in late spring/early summer appeared to determine whether an individual may initiate maturation. Conversely, under ADV, condition factor appeared to be a better predictor. A complete seasonal relationship between plasma IGF-I, daylength and temperature was demonstrated for the first time in rainbow trout under natural conditions, and provides direct evidence for the relationship between maturation and IGF-I. IGF-I levels showed a negative correlation with testosterone as fish initiated maturation. Furthermore, IGF-I levels accurately reflected growth rate prior to the initiation of vitellogenesis, suggesting that IGF-I may provide an endocrine signal between the somatotropic and reproductive axes that nutritional status, growth rate and/or size is sufficient to initiate maturation. In addition, maturing individuals under both photoperiods typically expressed higher circulating IGF-I levels than those that remained immature and may reflect a greater opportunity for IGF-I to act on the pituitary to stimulate gonadotropin production. In this sense, the observation of elevated levels for 3 months under SNP compared to only 1 month under ADV may reflect a reduction in the window of opportunity to initiate maturation under advancing photoperiods and hence explain the reduction in fish spawning. Finally, using a commercially available ELISA kit provided evidence of a possible detection method for measurement of a leptin-like peptide as absolute levels differed significantly between mature and immature fish. This provides preliminary evidence for a possible involvement of a leptin-like peptide in rainbow trout reproduction and energy homeostasis. Given the above evidence of a growth enhancing effect of photoperiod in covered systems, the transfer of constant light (LL) regimes to uncovered commercial trout farming practices was also examined. The application of LL regimes during either fry grow-out in tanks using floating lights or ongrowing to harvest size during winter in cages using submersible lights was investigated. In all trials conducted, the exposure to LL in autumn significantly enhanced winter growth rate and feeding efficiency by up to 30% and 25% respectively relative to those maintained under ambient light. Furthermore, the effect of light intensity was clearly shown to be an important requirement in successfully applying photoperiod regimes onto the ambient photoperiod in order to enhance commercial production in "uncovered systems". These studies clearly indicate the importance of photoperiod in influencing growth and reproduction in rainbow trout. Furthermore, the use of plasma IGF-I as an indicator of growth provides a practical tool for studying growth-photoperiod-reproduction interactions in this species. However, further studies are necessary to further our understanding of the endocrine pathways governing physiological mechanisms, especially growth and reproduction. Overall, this work has provided important information to improve both scientific understanding and commercial development although it is clear that substantial research is still required.

The R. Jan LeCroy Center for Educational Telecommunications of the Dallas County Community College District is a leading producer of telecourses for credit at the college level. In addition, the center is becoming involved with other kinds of electronic communication for educational purposes, including the Community College Satellite Network (CCSN), the State of Texas Academic Resources Link (STARLINK), and Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS). This study chronicles the DCCCD's progress in electronic distance learning from the time of its first telecourse in 1972 to the present time. This study also describes the center's purposes, the reasons for its growth, the problems that have been encountered, the people who provided its leadership, and the telecourses that have been offered and produced by the DCCCD.

The epidemic of whooping cough investigated began in July, 1905. It was mild in character and the schools being closed, attracted little attention so that it was not till the beginning of September, 1905, that the first cases came under my observation. I was asked to see two cases which happened to be rather more severe than the others--from curiosity I took a blood count, and in both cases was sur- prised to find a high le?slocytosis. On inquiring into the literature of the subject I found it very scanty, and entirely foreign or American. I then decided to investigate the subject further, and the results of my researches are embodied in this thesis. Unfortunately by this time the epidemic had nearly run its course, and I was not able to investigate as many cases in the early stages as I would have wished. As it is well known that a leucocytosis is common among ill nourished and delicate children, I ought to state that all the cases were healthy, strong children with two exceptions (Mos. IV and XIS and all resided in North Berwick, and the country round about. They were children of artisans &c, all well fed and looked after, in contradistinction to the children of the outpatient Department of a hospital, or the slums of large towns from whom I think most of the figures published are obtained.