Mitigating crosslinking reactions through preconversion strategies. Final report

The primary objective of this project was to determine the effect of reductive pretreatments of low-rank coals through the use of electron-transfer agents. This potential was explored in laboratory studies through determination of the impact on the evolution of oxygen functions, crosslinking, and conversion. The pretreatments explored include treatment with CO/water/base and hydroquinones or other electron-transfer agents in various combinations. The effects of these pretreatments on functional group distribution, macromolecular structure, and liquefaction were compared with those of pretreatments that have in the past shown promise for improved conversions, such as simple hydrothermal pretreatment, mild hydrogenation with dispersed catalysts, and demineralization. Additional objectives were to improve test procedures for assessing the effect of the pretreatment on subsequent liquefaction and to achieve some understanding of the chemical origins of the effects observed. These tests are: (1) proton magnetic resonance thermal analysis, (PMRTA) for determining the effect of pretreatment on fluidity as liquefaction conditions (temperature, pressure) are approached and (2) a thermogravimetric assay (TGA)-based simulated distillation for convenient measurement of product volatility following small-scale batch-liquefaction experiments. The purpose of the PMRTA test is to gain additional insight into whether beneficial pretreatments primarily affect pre-existing crosslinks in the coals or primarily limit additional crosslinking during liquefaction. The TGA-based simulated distillation test is being developed so that the authors can obtain conversion data and also assess the nature of the product (distillation profile) instead of only a single-point measure of conversion such as wt% conversion to THF-solubles or the yield of 975 F-distillates

Exploratory study of coal conversion chemistry. Quarterly report No. 10, August 19-November 18, 1983

Work has continued to focus this quarter on Subtask A.3, Derivation of an Improved Correlation Between Coal-Conversion Effectiveness and Donor-Solvent Structure. We are taking two new approaches to test the hypothesis that the critical class of reactions, which distinguishes between good donor and poor donor solvents, is bimolecular transfer of hydrogen atoms from solvent radicals to the ipso positions of substituted aromatics Ar-X, resulting in solvent-mediated hydrogenolysis. In the first approach, experiments in which real coal liquefaction mixtures were doped with specific model compounds showed that hydrogen-transfer reactions promoted by the coal do engender bond scission in the dinaphthylmethane to an extent that the half-life for cleavage at 400/sup 0/C in tetralin is decreased from 200 hours to about 4 hours. This result greatly strengthens our suggestion that the cleavage of phenyl-alkyl bonds, formerly considered to be very refractory under liquefaction conditions, may play an important role in coal liquefaction. In the second approach to testing our liquefaction mechanism hypothesis, we have constructed a simplified numerical model for liquefaction of some coal-like structures, incorporating some of the rate constants for bond cleavage measured in this work to determine whether the calculated relative bond cleavage rate with various hydroaromatic contents successfully mimics the relative model compound and coal conversion rates measured in the laboratory. Our efforts in Task B were concentrated on Subtask B.1 Development and Evaluation of CO/H/sub 2/O Catalyst Systems. The study of conversion behavior of an Illinois No. 6 coal was extended to different reaction times and lower pH's. The results reveal that the primary reaction parameter that controls coal conversion at 400/sup 0/C is the amount of CO that is allowed to enter the reaction pathway. 24 references, 8 tables

“I make non-artworks” – a case study on meaning potential in the visual expression by an elementary-school aged child

Tämä maisterin opinnäyte on tapaustutkimus, joka koskee merkityspotentiaalin ilmentymistä lasten kuvallisessa ilmaisussa. Opinnäytteen tavoitteena on tutkia, millaista merkityspotentiaalia lasten kuvallinen ilmaisu sisältää, ja pohtia, miten merkityspotentiaalista saatua tietoa voisi hyödyntää koulun kuvataideopetuksessa, sekä testata valitun teoreettisen ja metodologisen viitekehyksen soveltuvuutta lasten visuaalisen ilmaisun tutkimiseen. Opinnäytteen teoreettinen viitekehys koostuu lasten kuvallisen ilmaisun ja kuvataidekasvatuksen tutkimuksesta, M.A.K. Hallidayn (esim. 1978; 1985) sosiosemioottiseen ajatteluun perustuvasta systeemis-funktionaalisesta teoriasta ja genreteoriasta. Analyysimetodeina sovelletaan Gunther Kressin ja Theo van Leeuwenin (2006) visuaalisen kieliopin mallia ja genreanalyysia. Opinnäytteen aineistona on yhden alakouluikäisen, tekijän oman lapsen, vapaa-ajallaan tekemiä visuaalisia tuotoksia. Monet näistä tuotoksista eivät vastaa kuvaa siitä, mitä on perinteisesti pidetty ”arvokkaana” kuvallisena ilmaisuna koulun kuvataideopetuksen kontekstissa. Lapsen kuvallista toimijuutta ja ilmaisua varhaislapsuudesta kouluikään saakka taustoitetaan erillisessä tapausta kuvaavassa luvussa. Kuvallisia tuotoksia analysoidaan erittelevästi valitun metodin keinoin. Lisäksi kuvien analyysia täydennetään erilaisin kontekstia kartoittavin tavoin, mm. lapsen kanssa käydyin keskusteluin. Analyysien tuloksena syntyy käsitys monipuolisesta merkityspotentiaalista ja genretietoisuudesta, joita lapsen kuvallinen ilmaisu ilmentää. Lapsen kuvissa näkyy myös monipuolista populaarikulttuurin ja mediakuvastojen tuntemusta. Näitä kuvastoja lapsi yhdistelee omaan kokemusmaailmaansa ja muokkaa niistä uusia visuaalisia tuotoksia ja merkityksiä. Lisäksi analyysi nostaa esiin sen, kuinka lapsi käyttää kuvallista viestintää sosiaalisten suhteidensa ja oman identiteettinsä rakentamiseen. Analyysin perusteella vaikuttaa siltä, että ehdotettu teoreettinen ja metodologinen viitekehys soveltuu hyvin lasten kuvallisen ilmaisun tutkimiseen. Lisäksi systeemis-funktionaalinen ja genreperustainen näkökulma olisi käyttökelpoinen tuki koulun kuvataidekasvatukselle, niin päivittäisissä opetustilanteissa kuin arvioinnissakin.This Master’s thesis is a case study on meaning potential in children’s visual expression. The aim of the thesis is to investigate what kind of meaning potential children’s visual expression has; to discuss how the information obtained on children’s meaning potential could be used in art education; and to test the applicability of the chosen theoretical and methodological framework to the analysis of children’s visual expression. The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on research into children’s visual expression and art education; the socio-semiotic thinking and systemic-functional theory of M.A.K. Halliday (e.g. 1978; 1985); and genre theory. The methods of analysis applied are Gunther Kress’ & Theo van Leeuwen’s (2006) visual grammar and genre analysis. The data analysed consist of visual creations made by one elementary-school aged child – the author’s own son – in his free time. Many of these creations do not meet the criteria of what has traditionally been considered “valuable” visual creations in the context of school art education. The visual agency and expression of the child, from the early childhood to school age, is described to provide contextual information, in a separate chapter concerning the case. The visual creations are analysed in detail, using the chosen method. Further, the visual analysis is supplemented through various means to investigate the context, e.g., through discussions with the child. The analyses show that the child has rich meaning potential and genre awareness, which are realised in the child’s visual creations. The child’s creations also reflect rich versatile knowledge of the visuals of popular culture and the media. He combines these visuals with his own experiences and turns them into new visual creations and meanings. Furthermore, the analyses show how the child uses visual communications to build social relations and his personal identity. Based on the analysis, it is found that the proposed theoretical and methodological framework is well suited for the study of children’s visual expression. The results also indicate that a perspective based on the systemic-functional theory and genre could provide worthwhile support for art education in school, both in everyday classroom situations and in evaluation

Small islands, valuable insights: systems of customary resource use and resilience to climate change in the Pacific

Understanding how social-ecological systems are and can be resilient to climate change is one of the world's most crucial problems today. It requires knowledge at local and global scales, the integration of natural and social sciences, and a focus on biocultural diversity. Small Pacific Islands and the knowledge-practice-belief systems of their peoples have a long history of resilience to environmental variability and unpredictability, including in areas with marginal habitats and with periodic, severe disturbance (e.g., drought, flood, storms, and tsunami). We review the state of research on these knowledge systems as it pertains to resilience and adaptation, and we highlight critical research needs to address the interrelated areas of: (1) local-scale expertise and observations of change with regard to weather, life-history cycles, and ecological processes; (2) customary resource management institutions and practices (i.e., with agroforests and the nearshore marine environment); and (3) the roles of leaders, social institutions, and social networks in the context of disturbance and change. We conclude that these knowledge systems can contribute high-resolution observations, benchmark data, and insights into practices that enhance resilience and adaptive capacity in integrated terrestrial and marine systems. Community-based and participatory approaches can complement and ground-truth climate models and direct culturally appropriate resource management, research, and adaptation measures. Although most islands in the Pacific are small, their knowledge systems include valuable insights on seasonal cycles, ecological processes, and the management of biocultural diversity that are relevant at a broad scale for understanding resilience and adaptability to the social-ecological effects of climate change

Coal liquefaction process streams characterization and evaluation:

SRI International evaluated two analytical methods for application to coal liquefaction. These included field ionization mass spectrometry and a technique employing iodotrimethylsilane for the derivatization of oxygen bound to alkyl carbon (alkyl ethers). The full report authored by the SRI researchers is presented here. The following assessment briefly highlights the major findings of the project, and evaluates the potential of the methods for application to coal-derived materials. These results will be incorporated by Consol into a general overview of the application of novel analytical techniques to coal-derived materials at the conclusion of this contract. (VC