Characterization of Silicon Crystals Grown from Melt in a Granulate Crucible

The growth of silicon crystals from a melt contained in a granulate crucible significantly differs from the classical growth techniques because of the granulate feedstock and the continuous growth process. We performed a systematic study of impurities and structural defects in several such crystals with diameters up to 60 mm. The possible origin of various defects is discussed and attributed to feedstock (concentration of transition metals), growth setup (carbon concentration), or growth process (dislocation density), showing the potential for further optimization. A distinct correlation between crystal defects and bulk carrier lifetime is observed. A bulk carrier lifetime with values up to 600 μs on passivated surfaces of dislocation-free parts of the crystal is currently achieved

Text and Context in the Discourses of the Third Way in Germany and the United Kingdom - A Comparative Study of the Language of ‘New Labour’ and ‘Die Neue Mitte’

This thesis undertakes a comparison of the discursive strategies of New Labour and the German SPD at the turn of the twenty-first century, when both parties engaged in a discourse of the Third Way in order to win over ‘the middle ground of the electorate’. Approaching the two discourses with an interdisciplinary set of analytical tools from linguistic discourse analysis (keyword analysis, metaphor analysis, argumentation analysis, genre analysis) and political science (political culture, comparative politics, morphology of ideologies), I demonstrate the similarities and differences between these discourses at a structural level. Germany and the UK differ widely in their political cultures and institutions as well as in their traditions of political discourse, and I analyse how far these differences manifest themselves in the linguistic strategies employed by the German SPD and the British Labour Party in order to change their ideological identity in the 1990s and early 2000s. In order to describe and compare central features of the discourse of the Third Way in Germany and the UK, the analysis begins at the crossing point of the two discourses: a policy paper that became known as the Schröder-Blair paper. The analysis is then enriched by evaluating three key publications by leading proponents of a Third Way (Giddens (1998) The Third Way, Mandelson and Liddle (1996) The Blair Revolution, Hombach (1998) Aufbruch). The second step focuses on two central party-political text types, ‘party conference speeches’ and ‘election manifestos’, to demonstrate how they differ in German and English, and which central features of the Third-Way discourse Labour and the SPD employ in these texts to convince the party members and the electorate of their new political orientation. The analysis of the election manifestos also adds a diachronic element, as it contains a corpus-assisted analysis of the election manifestos of Labour and the SPD between 1987 and 2002

Constructing collective identities and solidarity in premiers’ early speeches on COVID-19: a global perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a unique global experience, arousing both exclu-sionary nationalistic and inclusionary responses of solidarity. This article aims to explore thediscursive and linguistic means by which the COVID-19 pandemic, as a macro-event, hasbeen translated into local micro-events. The analysis studies the global pandemic through theinitial statements of 29 leading political actors across four continents. The aim is to examinediscursive constructions of solidarity and nationalism through the social representation ofinclusion/exclusion of in-, out-, and affiliated groups. The comparative analysis is based onthe theoretical and methodological framework of the socio-cognitive approach to criticaldiscourse analysis and is informed by argumentation theory and nationalism studies. Theresults of our analysis suggest that leaders have constructed the virus as the main outgroupthrough the metaphors of the pandemic-as-war and the pandemic-as-movement which haveentered the national space. Faced with this threat, these speeches have discursively con-structed the nation-as-a-team as the main in-group and prioritized (1) a vertical type ofsolidarity based on nationhood and according to governmental plans; (2) exclusionary soli-darity against rule-breakers; (3) horizontal solidarity that is both intergenerational and amongfamily members, and (4) transnational solidarity. It is not by chance that the world stands asa relevant affiliated group that needs to forcibly collaborate in order to face the main out-group, the virus itself. A major consensus has been found in constructing the out-group. Incontrast, the linguistic and discursive constructions of in-groups and their affiliates display agreater variation, depending upon the prevalent discursive practices and social context withindifferent countries

Odour emissions characterization from wastewater treatment plants by different measurement methods

During last decades several techniques were proposed for the measurement of odours in environmental field but until now no one was applied and diffused between worldwide countries. These due to the presence of a large number of variables correlated to fast and continuous variability of odours, their low concentration in environment, the meteorological conditions, the difficulty to sampling a representative volume of air. In Europe the dynamic olfactometry method was standardized in 2003 by EN 13725 and was proposed for the measurement of odour emissions. At same time several Countries have specific guidelines that norm in different way the assessment of odours. The scope of this study is to compare and evaluate the principal odour measurement methods (GC-MS, dynamic olfactometry, and electronic nose), nowadays applied in technical practices and reported in current scientific literature, used to identify and characterize the odour emissions from a wastewater treatment plant, with the aim of analysing the weaknesses and strengths of the different techniques. The study of the correlation between odour concentrations measured by different methods was also presented. The evaluation and analyses of the different odour measurement techniques have been carried out at the ISWA Institute of the Department of Civil Engineering, Stuttgart University. The investigated samples, collected at the different odour sources at wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) LFKW located at Stuttgart University Campus (Northern Germany), are analysed by dynamic olfactometry, electronic nose (eNose) and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results obtained highlight the various data on the odour concentrations between different measurement methods at each sampling source of WWTP. Odour indexes were proposed to compare and evaluate the different sensorial and analytical techniques. Copyrigh

Instrumental characterization of odour: A combination of olfactory and analytical methods

Odour emissions are a major environmental issue in wastewater treatment plants and are considered to be the main cause of disturbance noticed by the exposed population. Odour measurement is carried out using analytical or sensorial methods. Sensorial analysis, being assigned to the "human sensor", is the cause of a considerable uncertainty. In this study a correlation between analytical and sensorial methods was investigated. A novel tool was used to both define odour indexes and characterise the odour sources and the volatile substances that cause annoyance in a wastewater treatment plant, with the aim to remove the subjective component in the measure of the odours and define the induced impact. The sources and the main chemical substances responsible for the olfactory annoyances were identified. Around 36 different substances were detected, with more than half being smell relevant components as well as responsible. Dimethyl disulphide was identified as key compound. Results highlight the applicability of highly correlation between analytical and sensorial methods in odour emission monitoring

A comparative and Critical Evaluation of Different Sampling Materials in the Measurement of Odour Concentration by Dynamic Olfactometry

The selection of an odour sampling device and relative materials may influence the composition of the resulting odour sample. Current literature is limited to discussing how the measurement of emission rates derived from the same odour source could be related to materials and methods. There is therefore compelling evidence that current odour sampling practices should have greater regard for the fundamental physical and chemical principles, the nature of the odour source and the conditions created by the sampling device. Additional studies are necessary to identify the most appropriate situations under which the use of these devices may or may not be correct. The scope of this study is to investigate the influence on the determination of odour concentration with dynamic olfactometry, according to EN 13725 (2003) standards, applying different initial sampling condition, with the objective to define the optimal criteria to evaluate the odour concentration and obtain the highest repeatability and accuracy of the sensorial measure. A critical evaluation was carried out in relation to the same odour source with the comparison of sampling bag materials (Nalophantm, Tediar®TeflonTM) and intervals of time elapsed between the sampling and analysis phase (3, 7, 14, 30, 48 h). The results obtained show that the selection of an odour sampling materials may influence the composition of the resulting odour sample. There is therefore compelling evidence that current odour sampling practices should have regard for these factors and identify the situations under which these material and methods may be used appropriatel

Odour monitoring of small wastewater treatment plant located in sensitive environment

Small wastewater treatment plants are often localized nearby tourist areas. Odour emissions are a major environmental issue in these plants and are considered to be the main cause of disturbance noticed by the exposed population. Odour measurement is carried out using analytical or sensorial methods. Sensorial analysis, being assigned to the "human sensor", is the cause of a considerable uncertainty. In this study, a novel procedure based on highly innovative analytical tool was used to identify and characterise the odour sources and the volatile substances that cause annoyance in a SWWTP located in a sensitive area, with the aim to remove the subjective component in the measure of the odours and define the induced impact. At the same time key odour compounds are detected, and the relationship between their concentration and the performances of the plant are investigated. The sources and the main chemical substances responsible for the olfactory annoyances were identified. Results highlight the applicability of the highly innovative tool in odour emission monitoring. Around 39 different substances were detected, with almost half being smell relevant components as well as responsible. Dimethyl disulphide was identified as key compound connected to the efficiency of the process

Health and safety in quarries A hundred years of law

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:GPD/0893 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo