Gays to convene at BCC next week

The fifth annual Maine Gay Symposium will be held at Bangor Community College Friday, March 31, through Sunday, April 2. The three day event, sponsored by the Wilde-Stein Club at UMO, the Gay People\u27s Alliance, Mainly Gay of Portland, and the Maine Lesbian-Feminists, will include about 20 workshops on a variety of gay issues

An assessment of oxygen availability, iron build-up and the relative significance of free and attached bacteria, as factors affecting bio-oxidation of refractory gold-bearing sulphides at high solids concentrations

Bibliography: pages 121-132.Bacterial oxidation is currently finding significant application for the oxidative pretreatment of refractory gold-bearing sulphides. Plants processing sulphide concentrates have commonly been operated at solids concentrations of between 18 and 20 per cent (m/v) (Le 180 and 200 kg.m-3). At higher concentrations, a decline in the bio-oxidation rate has been observed. Other metallurgical processes, such as chemical leaching and cyanidation, are performed at higher solids concentrations of between 40 and 50 per cent (400 and 500 kg.m-3), providing an incentive to increase the solids concentration at which bio-oxidation plants are operated. A review of literature indicated the following factors to be potential causes of reduced bio-oxidation rates at high solids concentrations: oxygen and carbon dioxide mass transfer; a low bacteria-to-solids ratio; mechanical damage of the bacte.ria; and the build-up of inhibitory oxidation products. Interaction of these factors in the completely-mixed reactors that are commonly used for biooxidation, has confounded the interpretation of the effects of individual factors. Analysis of literature data revealed a link between the sulphide grade of a particular material and the highest solids concentration at which the bacterial oxidation rate was maximal. The oxygen demand is directly proportional to the sulphide concentration in the reactor. Correlations were used to predict the oxygen transfer potential in the experimental reactors and it was found that as long as the oxygen transfer potential exceeded the oxygen demand, the biooxidation rate was proportional to the solids concentration for a specific material. Wh~n the oxygen demand equalled or exceeded the oxygen transfer potential, then the bacterial oxidation rate was limited by oxygen availability. The sulphide grade is characteristic of a particular ore or concentrate and from the data analysis oxygen availabiiity appeared to be the underlying reason why low grade materials could be oxidised at the maximum specific bio-oxidation rate at far higher solids concentrations than high-grade f!laterials. Abstract ii The experiments performed in this study were designed to further investigate the apparent relationship, identified by analysis of literature data, between sulphide grade and the solids concentration at which the bacterial oxidation rate was maximal. The effect of both solids concentration and sulphide grade on the biooxidation rate was investigated and related to the oxygen availability in the reactor

An exploratory investigation of crossflow microfiltration for solid/liquid separation in biological wastewater treatment

This thesis contains the results and discussion of an exploratory investigation into the application of Crossflow Microfiltration (CFMF) for solid/liquid separation in biological wastewater treatment systems. The principal objective of the study was to assess the influence of CFMF on the performance of identified biological wastewater treatment systems. It was not the objective to optimise filtration performance. A literature review indicated that the crossflow mode of filtration has been widely accepted as a unit operation in the fermentation industry. The filtration mode is now being applied not only for solid/liquid separation but also for separations on a molecular and ionic level. Very few applications of crossflow filtration in the context of biological wastewater treatment solid/liquid separation are reported in the literature. The reasons for this limited experience would appear to be the scale involved and the perceived high costs; separations in the fermentation industry are usually conducted at relatively small scale (laboratory or pilot-scale) and involve high-value products, justifying high capital and operating costs. Also, the high level of separation performance attained is perhaps not necessary for many wastewater treatment applications. No doubt these reservations are largely valid. However, these arguments cannot be applied equally to all filtration methods and wastewater treatment schemes. For example, the costs of microfiltration are substantially less than ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis, and in certain cases effluents with extremely low suspended solids contents may be required. In the light of these observations an investigation of CFMF for solid/liquid separation in biological wastewater treatment systems appears justified. Two biological treatment systems were selected for study: the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed (UASB) reactor and the Activated Sludge system. The envisaged benefits accruing from the application of CFMF were different in each case

The Role of Inoculum in the Primary and Secondary Infection of Certain Plant Pathogens

The infection cycle of some economically important soil-borne plant pathogens involves a combination of primary infection from particulate inoculum residing in the soil and secondary infection as disease is spread from infected to susceptible hosts. This study examines the role of the two types of inoculum in the primary and secondary infection of soil-home plant disease using a combination of experimentation and mathematical modelling. The infectivity of inoculum can be quantified by the pathozone profile which measures changes in the probability of infection when inoculum occurs at different distances from the host. The study showed that the germinability of inoculum, the growth of the mycelial colony and the infectivity of mycelium at the surface of the host combine to dictate the shape of the pathozone profile for Rhizoctonia solani on radish. The ultimate shape of the pathozone depended on inoculum type and was particularly sensitive to changes in the density and distribution of the mycelium in the fungal colony. Mycelium from an infected radish plant grew much further and at a higher density than that from particulate inoculum (mycelial discs). This resulted in pathozone profiles that differed in shape. For particulate inoculum the profile rose and fell with distance whilst for an infected plant the decay was sigmoidal. The characteristic shape of the pathozone for different inoculum types of Rhizoctonia solani was summarised using simple, non-linear models in which certain parameters were allowed to vary with time. Thus, the pathozone behaviour of single plants could be used to predict the progress of disease at the population level both in an unprotected crop and in a crop protected with the biological control agent Trichoderma viride. Predictions were particularly accurate for an epidemic restricted to primary infection or for an epidemic dominated by secondary infection in the absence of biological control. The model underestimated the extent of secondary infection in the protected crop. The contribution of inoculum type to the spread of disease was examined in a contrasting host-pathogen system involving the infection of wheat roots by the take-all fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis var tritici. Two phases of disease progress were identified, an initial phase dominated by primary infection during which particulate inoculum decayed, and a subsequent phase involving an increase in secondary infection driven by the availability of susceptible host tissue. From a low density of initial inoculum this resulted in a disease progress curve which rose monotonically to an initial plateau and was sigmoidal thereafter. These results were consistent with observations from field data. The biological control agent. Pseudomonas corrugata, reduced the probability of infection on the seminal roots of a wheat plant from particulate inoculum. However, suppression of primary infection alone is not considered adequate for control of take-all over an entire season

Autogenic regulation training (ART), sickness absence, personal problems, time and the emotional-physical stress of student nurses in general training : a report of a longitudinal field investigation

A field investigation was carried out with student nurses entering General Training in a School of Nursing.  Autogenic Regulation Training (ART), sickness absence, personal problems, time and their emotional physical  experience was evaluated. Measures used in the study included:The Sickness Absence Record (SAR)The Mooney Problem Checklist (MPC)The Crown-Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI)and The Personal Observations Inventory (POI)Data was collected at different time periods early in their nurse education. The study was carried out to  investigate the effectiveness of ART in providing a method of coping with individual stress. Analyses were made  between and within an ART group of student nurses and a comparison group who did not receive training in  ART. Consideration was also given to individual differences of student nurses in each group.Particular attention was paid to the hypotheses that 1) ART is associated with reduced sickness absence in  student nurses when analysed against a comparison group' of student nurses not trained in ART; and 2) ART is  associated with reduced stress in student nurses when compared with student nurses not trained in ART. 'It  is generally concluded that student nurses trained in ART may reduce their level of sickness absence and can  alleviate stress for some student nurses. However, examination of individual student nurse reports of ART and  its usefulness and practice within these group data, suggest more complex interpretations of the study. Despite  the study limitations, implications for methods of stress control for nurses, curriculum development and  cost-effective savings for nursing administrations are suggested, and possibilities for the development of  comprehensive counselling services for nurses are raised. These issues it is suggested, should be examined within a broader programme of research into coping with stress amongst nurses

“What? That’s for Old People, that.” Home Adaptations, Ageing and Stigmatisation: A Qualitative Inquiry

Older people, even those living with long-term conditions or poor mobility, can be supported to live well at home, through adapting their home to meet changing need. Installing home adaptations, from grab rails to walk in shower rooms, is cost effective, may prevent falls, reduce social isolation and improve self confidence. Despite austerity cuts to public spending, the UK government increased home adaptations’ funding. However, not much is known about older people’s experiences and understanding of acquiring and living with home adaptations and uptake of home adaptations could be improved. Using wearable camera and face to face interview data, this qualitative study explored a diverse group of older people’s retrospective experiences (n = 30). Focus group discussions were also carried out with a wide range of professionals involved in the provision of home adaptations (n = 39). Findings suggest people may delay having adaptations, because of perceived stigmatising associations with decline and vulnerability. As delaying the installation of home adaptations until crisis point is known to reduce their effectiveness, such associations need to be challenged

Moving Interpreter Education Online: A Conversation With Sherry Shaw

In this Open Forum conversation between Doug Bowen-Bailey, a signed language interpreter educator and resource developer, and Sherry Shaw, a signed-language-interpreter educator, Sherry shares her experience of establishing and teaching an online master’s program in interpreting at the University of North Florida. The conversation shares insights into the structure of the online program, as well as the benefits and challenges of teaching in an online environment. These include issues of time management for both students and faculty, faculty recruitment and retention, choices in technology, and establishing a program within an institutional environment