UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS STORAGE: AN EXAMINATION OF PROPERTY VALUES IN INDIANA

Recent years have seen increased discussion of issues related to natural gas, generally focusing on perceived risks associated with natural gas extraction. One aspect of natural gas extraction that has received little attention is the impact of natural gas storage on surrounding areas. Further, recent advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing extraction techniques have greatly increased production of natural gas wells, and will likely increase demand for natural gas storage. Like other natural gas wells, underground storage wells have the potential for environmental and amenity impacts. The impacts of these risks may be reflected by a reduction in the values of nearby properties. This thesis tests the hypothesis that properties located on or near natural gas storage fields have relatively lower values, holding everything else constant. To test the hypothesis that natural gas storage facilities bear statistically significant environmental and amenity risks, this analysis uses a semi-log hedonic property model through which to assess the impact of natural gas storage proximity and intensity on property values. The model also explores interaction effects of natural gas storage with public water, and allows for nonlinear effects. The dataset consists of a sample of 1,512 single-family residential property sales in 16 counties across the State of Indiana from 2004 to 2013. In addition to property sales data, the dataset includes housing characteristics such as size of the house, size of the property, year of construction, measures of building quality, distance to the nearest street, census block demographics, and in particular public water. Results indicate that both distance to the nearest natural gas storage well and distance to the nearest observation well have significantly nonlinear impacts on housing values, both indicating that housing values generally increase by approximately 9.2 to 10.03 percent with further distance from storage activity. The results also indicate housing values decrease by approximately 0.43 percent with increased intensity of storage activities. Additionally, the results demonstrate that homes without access to public water see statistically significant impacts of larger magnitude than homes with public water due to increased intensity of underground natural gas storage activities

The eschatology of the psalter: a study in the religious development of Israel as reflected in the book of pslams, with special reference to the destinies of the individual and the nation

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Quantifying Produced and Injected Water Volumes in Southeastern Saskatchewan

Large volumes of often saline formation water are both produced from and injected into sedimentary basins as a by-product of oil and gas production. Despite this, the distribution and interactions of water production and injection wells have not been studied in detail, and the effects of long-term water injection on reservoir pressures and groundwater quality remain uncertain. Even where injection and production volumes are equal at the basin scale, local changes in hydraulic head can occur due to the distribution of production and injection wells. These changes in hydraulic head are important in understanding induced seismicity and can potentially act as drivers of saline fluid flow, possibly leading to contamination of overlying potable groundwater resources where high permeability pathways are present. Across the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), approximately 29 km3 of water has been co-produced with oil and gas, and 30 km3 of water has been injected into the subsurface for saltwater disposal or enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This study evaluates the effects of production and injection wells on deep groundwater resources by examining wells within the southeastern WCSB. A comprehensive fluid budget was created for each formation, as well as maps of the spatial distribution of produced and injected water within each formation. By comparing spatial distributions and formation fluid budgets, it was possible to locate areas where high levels of injection pose the most substantial risk of contamination. In the Midale Member, areas with high injection volumes were found to be injecting at rates up to 6,000 times that of the estimated natural formational flow rate. Modelled pressures changes in the Midale Member were found to exceed >8 MPa at up to 250 m away from the injection well, and 2 MPa at up to 1.5 km away, which translates to hydraulic head values above the ground surface and may potentially lead to upward leakage of fluids in the presence of permeable pathways. Increased formation pressures due to injection are not unique to the southeastern WCSB and have been recorded in several other regions including Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas, in some cases leading to induced seismicity. While many of these settings have small changes in the overall fluid budgets, the distribution of production and injection wells can cause substantial changes to fluid pressures locally

The U.S. Navy Won the Battle of Jutland

Over the course of the half-year from the battle of Jutland to the end of 1916, Williams S. Sims and his associates set the course that led to the U.S. Navy of the twenty-first century

Tackling malnutrition in residential aged care (RAC) with a new compact oral nutritional supplement (ONS) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Background: Malnutrition has several negative health consequences for older adults. Nutrition interventions using oral nutritional supplements (ONSs) are part of the solution and outcomes may be enhanced with the Medication Pass Nutrition Supplement Program (Med Pass). Aim: To determine whether 60 ml of a new compact ONS consumed four times daily with the medication round (Med Pass protocol) for 18-weeks is effective in improving nutrition status, physical strength (hand grip strength) and quality of life (QoL) measures. A secondary aim was to determine levels of compliance to the compact ONS following the Med Pass protocol. Methods: An 18-week, pilot intervention study was undertaken among 20 residential aged care (RAC) residents (mean age: 86.65 ± 6.8 y; 50 % female) assessed as being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-short form (MNA-SF). Residents received 4x60 ml ONS (576 kcal/ml and 35 g protein) daily with the medication round. ONS intake and participant compliance were recorded daily. BMI, fat, and muscle mass (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis [BIA]), grip strength (handgrip dynamometer), nutrition risk (MNA-SF), QoL (SF-12 tool) and depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS-15]) were assessed at baseline and at post intervention. Results: Median overall compliance was 98.6%. Median nutrition status (MNA-SF scores) improved by 10% (+1 [-1 , 1], p=0.197, d=0.288) along with a mean increase in body weight (1.5 ± 5.9 kg , p=0.259, d=0.260) and muscle mass (0.8 ± 2.2 kg, p=0.137 , d=0.390). Improved scores for SF-12 physical (+ 5.9 ± 11.1) and mental (2.8 ± 12.0) components and depressive symptoms (-1 [-3.5, 1.0]) were also observed. Conclusion: We found compliance to a new nutrient- and energy dense ONS using the Med Pass protocol was 98.6 %, demonstrating its acceptability among RAC residents. We observed an improvement in nutrition risk status, weight, muscle mass, GDS-15 score and SF-12 score. Providing nutrient and energy dense ONS using the Med Pass protocol may be an effective method of improving nutrition status in RAC residents and warrants further investigation among a larger group of RAC residents

Vision social TV:towards personalised media experience and community atmosphere

The traditional TV viewing experience is being greatly influenced by the emerging social medias and online content distribution technologies. Social TV is becoming a hot topic in the media industry. The demo introduces a social TV platform, which enables the research and experimentation of personalised media experience and community atmosphere

Structural Controls and Deformation History of the Orogenic Island Gold Deposit, Michipicoten Greenstone Belt, Ontario

Island Gold is a currently producing mine on the high-grade orogenic Island Gold deposit in northern Ontario. It is located within the southern domain of the regional Goudreau Lake Deformation Zone (GLDZ), which trends east-west through the Michipicoten greenstone belt of the Wawa-Abitibi terrane. The study area encompasses the Island Gold deposit and is located along the northern limb of the Goudreau Anticline, a regional-scale fold attributed to D1 deformation. D2 consists of regional greenschist-facies metamorphism, camp-scale F2 folds, associated steep axial-planar foliation S2, moderately to steeply east-plunging stretching lineation L2a, and sub-horizontal slickenside striations L2b. D3 structures are camp- and outcrop-scale F3 folding, which deforms S2 foliation into shallowly-plunging Z-folds, weakly developed axial-planar cleavage S3, and brittle reverse faults. The Island Gold deposit forms a mineralized corridor south of the trondhjemitic Webb Lake Stock intrusion. The main Lochalsh, Island, Island Deep, and Extension 1 and 2 Zones consist of steeply dipping, subparallel ore zones of laminated V1 quartz veins and V2 veinlets within a silicic-sericitic alteration package. V3 conjugate quartz-carbonate extensional veins cross-cut V1 and V2 ore veins. Offset to the north of the main zones is the Goudreau Zone, which contains both sub-vertical and sub-horizontal ore zones with VGD ore veins. All pre-existing vein sets and structures were overprinted by V4 tourmaline veins. U-Pb zircon geochronology analyses from this study place the age of the mineralized Webb Lake Stock at 2724.1±4.3 Ma and the age of the post-mineralization I2M intrusion at 2672.2±3.5 Ma, which constrain the upper and lower absolute limits on timing of mineralization. Youngest detrital zircon ages from the overlying Doré metasedimentary rocks, which show D2 greenschist-facies metamorphism, further constrain this timing to between 2680±3 Ma and 2672.2±3.5 Ma. The GLDZ formed during D2 deformation along a major lithologic contact. The Island Gold deposit V1 and V2 ore veins were emplaced sub-parallel to S2 foliation along a strain shadow created by the Webb Lake Stock during D2 north-side-up, sinistral transpression. Subsequent D3 deformation folded and sheared the ore zones and V3 veins were emplaced in areas of high competency contrast

Measuring Undergraduates’ Gains in Learning and Evaluative Judgement; a Self-Regulated Learning Theory Approach.

This research programme investigated the incremental development of knowledge, skills and attitudes underpinning self-regulated learning gains. Findings propose tools enabling learners, educators, and researchers to measure and understand self-regulated changes during learning. These marginal gains support the evaluative judgement that is necessary within, and beyond, Higher Education (Ajjawi, Tai, Dawson, & Boud, 2018). In support of a first aim, two behaviourally anchored rating scales were developed and validated to bolster understanding of goal setting, and feedback integration in tertiary learners. A second aim considered how self-efficacy supported integration of feedback during post-task appraisal, and further how such evaluations contribute to goal setting. Third, the role of achievement goal theory perspectives, mindsets and goal orientations, in supporting incremental gains was also examined. A fourth aim examined the contribution of self-regulatory factors including mindsets, self-efficacy, and goal setting to medium and longer term outcomes, including grades, and employability perceptions. Supporting the first aim, a linear path through five learner endorsed factors underpinned feedback integration. Learners who accepted feedback reported that the source of feedback provided credible challenge. Information from a credible source led to learners reporting greater awareness, and in turn increased motivational intentions. Motives led to learners reporting behavioural changes and developmental actions. The GLS established two learner endorsed goal setting factors, goal clarity and goal difficulty; factors reported moderate covariance. In a second aim, as in the first, the same linear path was seen to motivational intentions. In later analysis paths diverged with motives also predicting higher levels of self-efficacy. Efficacy beliefs in turn predicted clearer goals. Clear goals led to greater feedback awareness in learners. Findings support the cyclical nature of self-regulated learning. A growth mindset, mastery approach goal orientations, and to some extent performance approach orientations contributed in unique ways to self-regulation. Findings also largely supported an earlier approach and the third aim. For the fourth aim, self-regulatory variables did not predict grades. However, mindsets, self-efficacy, and goal setting were related to, and supported, aspects of longer term perceptions of employability. The self-regulatory factors indicated may therefore act as a useful proxy of developing confidence in undergraduate learners, beyond grades. In conclusion, findings from the current programme support self-efficacy and goal setting as key variables to track in developing self- regulated learning. For example, self-efficacy supports clear goals and increasing levels of awareness in responding to feedback. Additionally, goal setting and self-efficacy support learner perceptions of employability. Mindsets and goal orientations strengthened learner development in nuanced ways. Learners, educators and researchers should utilise these findings and supporting methods to identify and intervene in sub-optimal learning approaches. Replication in larger samples, and in other educational domains and geographies should be undertaken to bolster support for the approach reported here

Predicting gainful learning in higher education; a goal-orientation approach

We present data that may not only provide direction to those who are interested in developing a measure of learning gain, but also provide a route for those wishing to directly enhance student performance through gainful learning. Richardson found that student performance showed moderate correlations with only three self-regulatory variables academic self-efficacy, grade goal and effort regulation. We examine how student self-regulatory behaviours and predict these predict feedback engagement and behavioural change. Data provide converging evidence suggesting that mastery approach goal orientations, challenging interventions from feedback, and motivational intentions are essential personal constructs linked to behavioural change. These tentative findings support the suggestion that measures of gainful learning could be operationalised as ‘self-reported behaviours that suggest the productive acquisition of beneficial skills, knowledge and attitudes through study and experience’. Evidence is also offered indicating that more research is necessary to understand the measurement of mindset.Published versio

Introducing open book examinations in clinical education: A case study

During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, in common with educators across the Higher Education sector, the School of Dentistry at the University of Liverpool reimagined the learning and assessment strategy by moving from proctored closed-book assessment to largely unmonitored open-book examinations (OBE). This article discusses understandings from an educator perspective following our implementation of OBE. The educator perspective discussed here indicates that OBE have the potential to be an authentic and acceptable form of assessment, but that some reframing of attitudes towards assessment from all stakeholders and their approaches to assessment is necessary when developing these innovative types of assessment