The Production of Activated Carbon from North Dakota Lignite

The feasibility of producing activated carbon from lignite using a fluid bed reactor was investigated. Steam was used as the activating agent and was- reacted with carbonized lignite at elevated temperatures. The reaction was performed in a fluidized bed type reactor 1 l/2 in diameter and 24 in length. Tests indicate that activated carbon with adsorptive properties equal to or better than commercial Darco activated carbon can be produced from lignite in a fluidized reactor. This conclusion was based on the results from heat of wetting and service time tests which were applied to both Darco activated carbon and the present product. These tests measure the adsorptive powers of an activated carbon. The heat of wetting and service time values for the present product were 1.24° c/gram and 11.61 minutes respectively. For the corresponding Darco activated carbon the values were 0.82° c/gram and 10.37 minutes respectively. The variables investigated were feed rates, particle size, temperature, and steam flow rate to determine optimum conditions for the activation process. No optimums were found for the temperature and particle size variables due to the effect of a changing residence time in each case. Investigation of the feed rate variable from 150 to 500 gram/hr indicated no significant change in the product. For the apparatus used in this investigation, the best product resulted at steam rates below 0.35 SCP*/min, at a temperature of 1750° F, a feed rate of 300 grams/hr, and 40 by 60 mesh particles

The State and Coordinated Capitalism: Contributions of the Public Sector to Social Solidarity in Post-Industrial Societies

This article investigates the politics of change in coordinated market econo\mies, and explores why some countries (well known for their highly cooperative arrangements) manage to sustain coordination when adjusting to economic transformation, while others fail. The authors argue that the broad category of “coordinated market economies” subsumes different types of cooperative engagement: macrocorporatut forms of coordination are characterized by national-level institutions for fostering cooperation and feature a strong role for the state, while forms of coordination associated with enterprise cooperation more typically occur at the level of sector or regional institutions and are often privately controlled. Although these diverse forms of coordination once appeared quite similar and functioned as structural equivalents, they now have radically different capacities for self-adjustment. The role of the state is at the heart of the divergence among European coordinated countries. A large public sector affects the political dynamics behind collective outcomes, through its impact both on the state's construction of its own policy interests and on private actors' goals. Although a large public sector has typically been written off as an inevitable drag on the economy, it can provide state actors with a crucial political tool for shoring up coordination in a postindustrial economy. The authors use the cases of Denmark and Germany to illustrate how uncontroversially coordinated market economies have evolved along two sharply divergent paths in the past two decades and to reflect on broader questions of stability and change in coordinated market economies. The two countries diverge most acutely with respect to the balance of power between state and society; indeed, the Danish state—far from being a constraint on adjustment (a central truism in neoliberal thought)—plays the role of facilitator in economic adjustment, policy change, and continued coordination

ENHANCING THE FINANCIAL AND MARKETING PERFORMANCE OF FIRMS IN THE SMOKED AND PROCESSED MEAT INDUSTRY

Small smoked and processed meat manufacturers constitute a unique cottage industry in Texas. This paper assesses ways for such firms to improve their financial performance through better marketing strategies. The results indicate that, on average, small firms tend to be the most profitable. This is true whether size is measured in terms of dollars, pounds, or number of employees. The more profitable firms tend to be those that are located in rural areas or in shopping centers; those that make the majority of their sales at their own stores; those that do less of their own distribution; and those that emphasize fresh meat sales and de-emphasize jerky sales.Agribusiness,

An 18 bit 50 kHz ADC for low earth orbit

A fourth order incremental analog to digital converter (ADC) is proposed which performs 18 bit conversions at a 50 kHz rate on sampled and held data. A new self calibration scheme is presented which eases the matching requirements of capacitors, and the performance of the operational amplifiers in the ADC by changing coefficients in the digital postprocessing

Polypharmacy in patients with Multiple Sclerosis: effects on fatigue, perceived cognition, and objective cognitive performance

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on June 24, 2013Thesis advisor: Jared M. BruceVitaIncludes bibliographic references (pages 60-82)Thesis (M.A.)--Dept. of Psychology. University of Missouri--Kansas City. 2013OBJECTIVE: Many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) take multiple medications on a regular basis, also referred to as polypharmacy. In other patient populations, polypharmacy has been associated with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. However, no study has examined polypharmacy in MS. We explored the association between polypharmacy, fatigue, and cognition in a group of participants with MS. METHODS: Data for this study were collected as part of a larger investigation examining medication adherence in MS. The sample included 86 patients with MS and 20 healthy controls. We assessed objective cognitive functioning, self-reported cognition, and self-reported fatigue. In addition, a list of patients' medications was obtained at the time of testing. Polypharmacy was classified using a cutoff of 5 or more daily medications. RESULTS: Approximately 33% of the MS sample had polypharmacy. After controlling for age, disease duration, and disability, MS patients with polypharmacy reported more memory problems, processing speed difficulties, and fatigue than MS patients without polypharmacy, F(1, 79) = 13.09, p = .001 and F(1, 79) = 7.33, p < .01, F(1, 79) = 10.45, p < .01, respectively. MS patients with polypharmacy also exhibited worse prospective memory performance than patients without polypharmacy, F(1, 77) = 12.67, p = .001. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to examine the association between fatigue, cognition, and polypharmacy in MS patients. Results suggest that researchers should account for polypharmacy and medication effects when conducting studies examining fatigue and cognition in MS. Similarly, clinicians and patients should carefully weigh the costs and benefits of prescribing multiple medications, as these may contribute to iatrogenic fatigue and cognitive problems.Overview -- Review of literature -- Method -- Results -- Discussion -- Appendi

ENHANCING THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF SMALL MEAT PROCESSORS

The small firms examined produce meats in the State of Texas and emphasize such products as sausage, jerky, brisket, and fresh meats. The authors test hypotheses with the intent to identify operational factors associated with firm financial success. A quartile model and an econometric model are both used for this purpose. Results generally suggest important factors for firms to be profitable include product selection, pricing strategies, special equipment, and location.Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance,

'She's like a daughter to me': insights into care, work and kinship from rural Russia

This article draws on ethnographic research into a state-funded homecare service in rural Russia. The article discusses intersections between care, work and kinship in the relationships between homecare workers and their elderly wards and explores the ways in which references to kinship, as a means of authenticating paid care and explaining its emotional content, reinforce public and private oppositions while doing little to relieve the tensions and conflicts of care work. The discussion brings together detailed empirical insights into local ideologies and practices as a way of generating new theoretical perspectives, which will be of relevance beyond the particular context of study