FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SEAWATER SOLUBILITY OF AEROSOL ASSOCIATED TRACE METALS

Recent recognition of the importance of trace metals in oceanic biogeochemical cycling and of the significance o f atmospheric trace metals inputs to marine waters, highlights the need to assess the dissolved trace metals inputs from atmospheric sources. Atmospheric inputs are important to the surface waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, due to the reduction of riverine inputs. High-volume aerosol samples were collected from Haifa, Israel and Erdemli, Turkey in 1996. These samples were characterised by air mass back trajectories, because contrasting aerosol sources (urban and crustal) are apparent in this region. Trace metal (Cu, Pb and Zn) seawater solubility studies were determined for selected samples, under carefully controlled conditions (seawater at pH 8.0 and 25.0 ± 1.0 °C; shaking rate 150 osc min"'). The average seawater solubilities o f Zn and Pb from the northern (predominantly European source) wind sector were statistically higher than the southern (mainly Sahartm and Arabian desert source) wind sector. The total dry deposition fluxes o f trace metals were estimated from the geometric air concentrations of both wind sectors, the wind sector weighting and assimiing a deposition velocity of 0.1 cm s'K Trace metal seawater soluble fluxes were calculated using mean seawater solubilities of the aerosols from the northern and southern wind sectors. The soluble trace metal fluxes, by dry deposition, to the Eastern Mediterranean were compared with soluble wet deposition and riverine fluxes. A novel experimental system was assembled and validated, in order to (i) enhance our knowledge of the physiochemical and biological factors that affect the seawater solubility of trace metals and (ii) to refine the soluble trace metal flux estimates. The experimental system was capable of monitoring trace metal desorption reactions at high temporal resolutions (> 45 s). It was initially applied to the measurement of the extent and rate of desorption of total dissolved and Mabile dissolved' Cu, Pb and Zn from Liverpool urban particulate material, then to the seawater solubility of trace metals associated with urban particulate standard reference material and Saharan dust. In order to increase our understanding of the fate of trace metals associated with aerosol particles after dry deposition into seawater, the effects of bacteria, proportional mbcing of end member aerosols, particle concentrations, mbcing rates, light and temperature on the desorption of aerosol associated trace metals were separately investigated. It was found that the presence of bacteria in seawater and seawater temperature enhanced the seawater solubility of Zn, Pb and Cu. In addition, natural light enhanced the solubility of Cu from Saharan dust. Conversely, increasing the particle concentrations and the mixing rate of the incubated seawater caused a decrease the observed seawater solubility of aerosol associated trace metals (the decrease was greater for Pb and Zn than Cd and Cu)

Hitting the Target: Developing High-quality Evidence for Proton Beam Therapy Through Randomised Controlled Trials

The National Health Service strategy for the delivery of proton beam therapy (PBT) in the UK provides a unique opportunity to deliver high-quality evidence for PBT through randomised controlled trials (RCTs). We present a summary of three UK PBT RCTs in progress, including consideration of their key design characteristics and outcome assessments, to inform and support future PBT trial development. The first three UK multicentre phase III PBT RCTs (TORPEdO, PARABLE and APPROACH), will compare PBT with photon radiotherapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, breast cancer and oligodendroglioma, respectively. All three studies were designed by multidisciplinary teams, which combined expertise from clinicians, clinical trialists and scientists with strong patient advocacy and guidance from national radiotherapy research networks and international collaborators. Consistent across all three studies is a focus on the reduction of long-term radiotherapy-related toxicities and an evaluation of patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life, which will address key uncertainties regarding the clinical benefits of PBT. Innovative translational components will provide insights into mechanisms of toxicity and help to frame the key future research questions regarding PBT. The UK radiotherapy research community is developing and delivering an internationally impactful PBT research portfolio. The combination of data from RCTs with prospectively collected data from a national PBT outcomes registry will provide an innovative, high-quality repository for PBT research and the platform to design and deliver future trials of PBT

Stepovers and Signal Detection: Response Sensitivity and Bias in the Differentiation of Genuine and Deceptive Football Actions

The ability to differentiate genuine and deceptive actions was examined using a combination of spatial and temporal occlusion to examine sensitivity to lower body, upper body, and full body sources of visual information. High-skilled and low-skilled association football players judged whether a player genuinely intended to take the ball to the participant’s left or right or intended to step over the ball then take it in the other direction. Signal detection analysis was used to calculate measures of sensitivity (d′) in differentiating genuine and deceptive actions and bias (c) toward judging an action to be genuine or deceptive. Analysis revealed that high-skilled players had higher sensitivity than low-skilled players and this was consistent across all spatial occlusion conditions. Low-skilled players were more biased toward judging actions to be genuine. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that accuracy on deceptive trials in the lower body and full body conditions most accurately classified participants as high-skilled or low-skilled. The results highlight the value of using signal detection analysis in studies of deceptive actions. They suggest that information from the lower body or upper body was sufficient for differentiating genuine and deceptive actions and that global information concurrently derived from these sources was not necessary to support the expert advantage

Deviant Bodies and Pathologised Subjectivities: A Sociological Critique of Exercise Dependence

Exercise dependence is described as " ... psychological and/or physiological dependence upon a regular regime of physical activity . .. and is characterised by recognisable withdrawal symptoms when the need to exercise remains unfulfilled after 24-36 hours ... " (Sachs & Pargman, 1979 p. 143). The study of exercise dependence has been a focus for consideration by researchers from the disciplines of physiology and psychology for approximately 30 years. Throughout this time, researchers have sought to measure, treat and prevent exercise dependence. A disease-based model has, therefore, dominated research and an extreme form of exercise behaviour has been medicalised. This study challenges the notion of the disease concept of exercise dependence and offers an alternative conceptualisation based on situation, time (Peele, 1985) and identity. It suggests that this medicalised concept of exercise dependence arises through a process of labelling certain types of participation for which there are only individual societal rewards. In interviews (n=27) with individuals and their significant others over three phases of data collection, life history analysis of the participants' subjective experiences of exercise dependence indicates that there is no evidence of 'negative addiction' (Hailey & Bailey, 1982). There is also no evidence of a negative impact on significant other relationships, although intense commitment to exercise sometimes causes temporary periods of conflict. Significant others accommodate their partners' exercise participation within the relationship and participants accommodate relationship demands within their exercise regime. The analysis also indicates that dependent participants, 'exercisers', have a changing attitude to exercise throughout their life history. It is proposed that the participants in this study construct one element of their self-identity through their exercise participation and that is subdivided into the physical self, the critical self and the social sel£ The thesis offers nine Propositions in an attempt to establish the basis for a sociological understanding of exercise dependence

La logique du non-sens

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2017ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Franco-American author, Jonathan Littell, published his first literary work entitled Les Bienveillantes in 2006. The controversial novel which has a “fictional nazi officer” as its protagonist and narrator, who is moreover an intellectual, raises important questions surrounding the nature and the genesis of Evil. Through the narration of the main character the reader is guided towards a “logical” understanding of the Jewish Question and the Final Solution. In this dissertation we primarily enquire about the formulation of this logic and furthermore about the reliability thereof. This study is based on the philosophical conception of the logic of absurdity. The analysis of Les Bienveillantes is centered on questions regarding the reasons for which the genocide of more than 6 million European Jews was possible and for which the unspeakable task of wanting to eradicate an entire people was almost achieved. In this dissertation the questions surrounding guilt and responsibility are also a point of discussion. For this analysis, the concept of the banality of evil developed by Hannah Arendt is the point of departure.FRENCH ABSTRACT : L’auteur franco-américain, Jonathan Littell, a publié en 2006, Les Bienveillantes, qui fut sa première œuvre littéraire. Le roman controversé qui a comme protagoniste et narrateur un bourreau nazi fictionnel qui est en outre un intellectuel soulève des questions importantes quant à la nature et la naissance du Mal. À travers la narration du personnage principal le lecteur est guidé vers une compréhension « logique » de la soi-disant Question juive et de la Solution finale. Dans ce mémoire nous nous interrogeons principalement sur la formation de cette logique et par ailleurs sur la fiabilité de celle-ci. Cette étude est fondée sur la notion philosophique de la logique de l’absurde. Cette analyse des Bienveillantes se concentrera sur des questionnements autour des raisons pour lesquelles le génocide de plus de 6 millions de juifs d’Europe a été rendu possible et pour lesquelles l’innommable tâche de vouloir éliminer tout un peuple a presque réussi. Dans ce mémoire les questions de la culpabilité et la responsabilité sont également un point de discussion. Pour étayer cette analyse, le concept de Hannah Arendt, la banalité du mal, est le point de départ

Imaging Studies Resources

The NIHR Statistics Imaging Group created this forum for the sharing of commonly used resources for studies that include imaging

Coloured in - investigating the challenges of an 'othered' identity within spaces of learning

Thesis (MA(VA))--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The challenges that have occurred within the South African education context could be ascribed to the country’s political history. This is a history that includes more than three hundred and fifty years of colonialism, which has had a direct influence on the more recent Apartheid regime. Colonial and apartheid history have remained deeply ingrained in the mind-sets of South African citizens, where a sense of strict binary and hierarchal thinking is present. Feeding on the ideologies of the past, it manifests and perpetuates itself specifically within spaces of learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate how 'Othered' identity is described and experienced within spaces of learning at the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University. The study is approached from a qualitative perspective, utilizing an interpretative process of collecting and analyzing data. A case study was conducted and the process involved interviews with four lecturers and eight students at the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University. The investigation of ‘Othering’ within spaces of learning at the Visual Arts Department highlighted themes of ‘Othering’ and social and economic circumstances; ‘Othering’ and feelings of discomfort and pretence; ‘Othering’ and language; and ‘Othering’ and culture. Strategies regarding ‘Othering’ also emerged from the data highlighting two themes, bridging courses and diversity within spaces of learning. My findings include that ‘Othering’ is still prevalent within spaces of learning at the Visual Arts Department. Most lecturers and students seemed to be in agreement that ‘Othering’ should be addressed. It is suggested that promoting and combining processes of critical citizenship and reflective thinking within spaces of learning may encourage a necessary dialogue between lecturers and students. By improving the dialogue between lecturers and students, it may facilitate a relationship founded on mutual trust necessary for personal growth and growth within spaces of learning. It is further suggested that creating spaces of learning that are more diverse could contribute to this and provide enriching learning experiences for both lecturers and students.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die uitdagings binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks kan toegeskryf word aan die land se politieke geskiedenis. Dit is ‘n geskiedenis wat bestaan uit meer as driehonderd en vyftig jaar van kolonialisme, wat ‘n direkte invloed op die meer onlangse Apartheid regering gehad het. Koloniale en apartheids geskiedenis is diep gewortel binne die denkwyses van Suid-Afrikaners, waar streng binêre denkwyses en hierargie heers. Na aanleiding van die verskeie ideologieë van die verlede, word hierdie denkwyse spesifiek manifisteer en herhaal binne leerruimtes. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te ondersoek hoe ‘Othered’ identiteit beskryf en ervaar word binne leerruimtes by die Visuele Kunste Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die studie is vanaf ‘n kwalitatiewe hoek benader en maak gebruik van ‘n interpretatiewe proses deur data versameling en analise. ‘n Gevallestudie was as navorsingsmetode gebruik en die proses het bestaan uit onderhoude met vier dosente en ag studente by die Visuele Kunste Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die ondersoek van ‘Othering’ binne leerruimtes by die Visuele Kunste Departement het temas van ‘Othering’ en sosiale en ekonomiese omstandighede, ‘Othering’ en gevoelens van ongemak en voorgee; ‘Othering’ en taal; en ‘Othering’ en kultuur identifiseer. Strategieë ten opsigte van ‘Othering’ is ook vanaf die data identifiseer, waarvan twee temas spruit, naamlik oorbruggings kursusse en diversiteit binne leerruimtes. My bevindings sluit in dat ‘Othering’ nogsteeds binne die leerruimtes van die Visuele Kunste Departement ondervind word. ‘n Groot aantal dosente en studente stem ooreen dat dit baie voordelig sou wees om ‘n kombinasie van kritiese en refleksiewe denk prosesse binne leerruimtes in te sluit, soos ‘n nodige dialoog tussen dosente en studente. Deur die dialoë tussen dosente en studente te verbeter, kan dit ‘n verhouding fasiliteer wat gevestig is op gemeenskaplike vertroue, nodig vir persoonlike groei en groei binne leerruimtes. Dit word verder aangeraai dat leerruimtes wat meer divers is, ‘n bydrae kan maak tot verrykende leer ervarings vir beide dosente en studente