Project Omoverhi : a thermal storage solution

One principal energy source that is underutilized in the world today is solar energy. While the United States has tried to make a push for reusable and \u27green\u27 energy sources, these sources are frequently overlooked in developing nations. While the set up costs of solar energy may be expensive due to installation and the high cost of certain parts, the savings over time is well worth the initial cost. In many developing nations large areas of the country are off of the power grid or have inconsistent power. One way to help people living in these areas is by introducing the use of solar power. Unfortunately one major drawback to using solar energy is the difficulty of storing it. While photovoltaic panels can store energy in batteries, they are extremely expensive and inefficient. Using solar collectors that are either manufactured or handmade rather than PV panels can be more than four times as efficient and cost much less. The one negative issue with solar collectors is that they will only work when the sun is out. The 2011 to 2012 Project Omoverhi team\u27s goal was to utilize this energy from solar collectors and store it in a thermal storage container. The stored energy could then be used when direct sunlight was not available. Using paraffin wax as a phase change material because of its melting temperature and excellent storage properties, Project Omoverhi was able to achieve this goal and create an affordable, easy to use system that can be attached to a solar collector. The system was tested to determine if it would enable an incubator to keep a steady temperature that would meet the requirements of a premature infant or successfully hatch chicken eggs. Data collected showed that Project Omoverhi\u27s design is an effective way to store heat and energy from a solar collector so that it can be utilized as needed

Overvågning af aviær influenza i vilde fugle i Danmark 2014

Overvågningen af aviær influenza (AI) virus i vilde fugle i Danmark i 2014 blev udført i samarbejde mellem Veterinærinstituttet, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU-VET), Fødevarestyrelsen (FVST) og Statens Naturhistoriske Museum, Københavns Universitet (SNM) i henhold til ” Projektplan vedr. overvågningen af aviær influenza i vilde fugle i Danmark i 2014” (bilag 4). Overvågning af AI på EU niveau går tilbage til 2002, og Danmark er underlagt EU kommissionens bestemmelser for udformning af overvågningen, der dog har skiftet gennem årene i takt med indhøstede erfaringer. I 2014 blev der udført passiv overvågning af døde vilde fugle, der blev fundet i naturen. Der blev testet 10 fugle, og ingen af disse var positive for AI virus. Fem blev indsendt af Veterinærenhederne (FVST), de øvrige var indsendt faldvildt fra private indsamlere. I den aktive overvågning af levende vilde fugle blev der i alt testet 1012 fugle som 286 pools eller enkeltdyrsprøver af kloaksvabere fra så vidt muligt op til 5 fugle af samme art, fundet på samme sted og på samme tid. I modsætning til 2011 og 2012, men ligesom i 2013, blev prøverne udtaget fra enkeltdyr og sendt til laboratoriet, hvor de blev poolet inden test. Prøverne blev indsamlet i Jylland, på Fyn, Lolland, Sjælland og i Hovedstadsregionen. Frekvensen af positive prøver var højst i Sydvestjylland og meget lav i Hovedstadsområdet. FVST varetog udtagelse af prøver fra nedlagte ænder og gæs, der var indleveret på vildthåndteringsvirksomhederne Kivan Food (199 fugle), Alpevej Vildtbehandling (150 fugle) og Klosterheden Vildt (150 fugle). SNM udtog prøver fra 502 vildtlevende fugle. Derudover indgik 10 kloaksvaberprøver fra skarver skudt på Anholt. Prøverne blev testet for AI virus på DTU-VET. I alt 50 (17 %) af prøverne blev fundet positive for AI virus ved PCR. Af de positive prøver var 5 (2 %) LPAI H5 og 3 (1 %) LPAI H7. Andelen og antallet af positive prøver i 2014 var på niveau med 2013, men andelen af H5 positive prøver var markant lavere. Til gengæld blev der fundet flere H7 positive prøver end tidligere. AI virus kunne dyrkes fra 13 (5 %) af de 286 prøver, svarende til 26 % af de PCR positive prøver, og på niveau med de tidligere år. De oftest identificerede danske AI virusisolat-subtyper i perioden 2003-2011 var H3N8, H4N6 og H6N2 fundet i andefugle. Ved subtypning af AI virusisolaterne fra 2014 blev der fundet virus med følgende subtyper: H3N1 (n=4), H3N8 (n=4), H7N3 (n=1), H7N7 (n=1), H6N2(n=1) og H16N3(n=2). Alle isolaterne var fra svømmeænder, bortset fra H16N3 isolaterne som var fra en måge og en blishøne. H3N1 og H7N3 subtypekombinationerne er ikke før fundet i Danmark, men de enkelte H og N subtyper er fundet før. Prøverne blev ikke screenet for tilstedeværelsen af paramyxovirus (PMV), men ved dyrkning i æg for at isolere AI virus fra AI PCR positive prøver, blev der isoleret PMV isolater fra 10 prøver. Alle PMV isolaterne var fra andefugle (gråand og krikand). To var avirulente PMV1 isolater, 3 var PMV4 og 4 var PMV6, mens et enkelt PMV isolat ikke kunne types nærmere end til at det ikke var PMV1. Resultatet antyder at andefuglene ofte har paramyxovirus, og ænder betragtes da også som naturlig vært for de fundne PMV typer. Samme gjorde sig gældende ved overvågningen i 2012 og 2013. Mange af prøverne viste sig at indeholde en blanding af flere virus (flere AI virus eller AI og PMV virus). Som et nyt tiltag blev der i 2014 udført subtypning af AI virus på primærmaterialet i udvalgte prøver ved fuldlængde sekventering af HA og NA generne. Tidligere er der kun screenet for H5/H7 på primærmaterialet og subtypet på virusisolater, men da det kun er ca. 10 % af prøverne der kan isoleres virus fra i æg (virusisolater) vil der være mange AI virus positive prøver, hvor subtypen ikke kendes. To og tyve prøver blevet analyseret ved sekvensanalyse på primærmaterialet samt alle 13 AI virusisolater. Følgende subtyper blev påvist: H2N3, H3N1, H3N3, H3N8, H4N2, H5, H5N2, H6N2, H9N2, H7N3, H7N7, H8N2, H8N4, H9N2, H11, H11N9, H12N5, H16N3. Alle havde som forventet størst lighed med euroasiatiske virus. Fylogenetisk analyse af H5 generne fra 2 prøver viste at disse var nært beslægtede med H5 gener fra virus i prøver fra vilde fugle, der er indsamlet i Danmark i 2012. De er ikke beslægtet med H5N8 HPAI fundet i Europa i 2014. Fylogenetisk analyse af H7 fra de 3 H7 positive prøver viste, at de var beslægtet med H7 gener fra europæiske virus. En prøve, H7N7, havde et HA gen, der var meget nært beslægtet med HA fra det H7N7 virus, der var årsag til udbrud af LPAI i en slagtekyllingebesætning i England i januar 2015, hvorimod NA genet var mere forskelligt. Der er altså ikke tale om det samme virus, men 2 virus der måske har deres HA gen fra en fælles kilde. Analysen viste også, at de danske virus ikke var tæt beslægtet med H7N9 virus fra Kina. Endnu et nyt tiltag var etablering af et PCR assay, til screening af AI virus positive prøver specifikt for H9 subtypen. Der er en stigende bevågenhed overfor netop denne subtype af virus, da det har opnået enzootisk udbredelse i flere dele af verden, herunder Kina og Mellemøsten Der blev påvist H9N2 virus i 5 prøver, indsamlet på samme lokalitet. Sekvens- og fylogenetisk analyse viste, at de danske H9N2 virus var beslægtet med virus fundet i vilde fugle i vores nabolande. Som supplement til overvågningen gennemførtes i 2014 en indsamling af tørsvabere parallelt med almindelige ”våde” svabere udtaget i kloakmedie. De opnåede resultater var meget lovende, og PCR resultaterne var enslydende uanset om analyserne blev kørt på tørsvabere eller almindelige våde svabere. Formålet med den aktive overvågning var at foretage en screening for LPAI virus og at karakterisere de identificerede virus. Som de foregående år, viste resultaterne fra overvågningen i 2014, at fuglearten er den mest betydende faktor for, at en given prøve er positiv. Næsten alle positive prøver var fra gråænder. Overvågningen var i forhold til tidligere udvidet i 2014 med en molekylær karakterisering af de virus, der blev påvist både i vilde fugle og i fjerkræ, og dette bidrog til en dybere og mere præcis karakterisering af virus, så vi ret præcist ved hvilke virus varianter, vi har påvist. Dermed er opnået en god indikation af hvilke AI virus, der cirkulerer i Danmark, og en viden om at disse virus pt. ikke udgør en øget trussel mod den humane sundhed. Overvågningen viser dog, at der til stadighed cirkulerer LPAI H5 og H7 virus i den vilde fauna, som potentielt kan true dyresundheden, så der er behov for at overvåge forekomsten af AI virus i fjerkræflokke. Karakterisering af virus fra gentagne indsendelser af opdrættet fjervildt understregede nødvendigheden af en løbende test af gråandebesætninger, da virus kan persistere i længere tid i besætningerne, hvilken er en velkendt risikofaktor for udvikling af HPAI fra LPAI med subtyperne H5 og H7

A new methodology to simulate subglacial deformation of water-saturated granular material

The dynamics of glaciers are to a large degree governed by processes operating at the ice–bed interface, and one of the primary mechanisms of glacier flow over soft unconsolidated sediments is subglacial deformation. However, it has proven difficult to constrain the mechanical response of subglacial sediment to the shear stress of an overriding glacier. In this study, we present a new methodology designed to simulate subglacial deformation using a coupled numerical model for computational experiments on grain-fluid mixtures. The granular phase is simulated on a per-grain basis by the discrete element method. The pore water is modeled as a compressible Newtonian fluid without inertia. The numerical approach allows close monitoring of the internal behavior under a range of conditions. <br><br> Our computational experiments support the findings of previous studies where the rheology of a slowly deforming water-saturated granular bed in the steady state generally conforms to the rate-independent plastic rheology. Before this so-called critical state, deformation is in many cases accompanied by volumetric changes as grain rearrangement in active shear zones changes the local porosity. For previously consolidated beds porosity increases can cause local pore-pressure decline, dependent on till permeability and shear rate. We observe that the pore-water pressure reduction strengthens inter-granular contacts, which results in increased shear strength of the granular material. In contrast, weakening takes place when shear deformation causes consolidation of dilated sediments or during rapid fabric development. Both processes of strengthening and weakening depend inversely on the sediment permeability and are transient phenomena tied to the porosity changes during the early stages of shear. <br><br> We find that the transient strengthening and weakening in turn influences the distribution of shear strain in the granular bed. Dilatant strengthening has the ability to distribute strain during early deformation to large depths, if sediment dilatancy causes the water pressure at the ice–bed interface to decline. Oppositely, if the ice–bed interface is hydrologically stable the strengthening process is minimal and instead causes shallow deformation. The depth of deformation in subglacial beds thus seems to be governed by not only local grain and pore-water feedbacks but also larger-scale hydrological properties at the ice base

Dealing with a traumatic past: the victim hearings of the South African truth and reconciliation commission and their reconciliation discourse

In the final years of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first century, there has been a worldwide tendency to approach conflict resolution from a restorative rather than from a retributive perspective. The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), with its principle of 'amnesty for truth' was a turning point. Based on my discursive research of the TRC victim hearings, I would argue that it was on a discursive level in particular that the Truth Commission has exerted/is still exerting a long-lasting impact on South African society. In this article, three of these features will be highlighted and illustrated: firstly, the TRC provided a discursive forum for thousands of ordinary citizens. Secondly, by means of testimonies from apartheid victims and perpetrators, the TRC composed an officially recognised archive of the apartheid past. Thirdly, the reconciliation discourse created at the TRC victim hearings formed a template for talking about a traumatic past, and it opened up the debate on reconciliation. By discussing these three features and their social impact, it will become clear that the way in which the apartheid past was remembered at the victim hearings seemed to have been determined, not so much by political concerns, but mainly by social needs

Water Solubilization Using Nonionic Surfactants from Renewable Sources in Microemulsion Systems

In this study the effect of temperature, NaCl and oils (hydrocarbons: C8–C16) on the formation and solubilization capacity of the systems of oil/monoacylglycerols (MAG):ethoxylated fatty alcohols (CEO20)/propylene glycol (PG)/water was investigated. The effects of the surfactant mixture on the phase behavior and the concentration of water or oil in the systems were studied at three temperatures (50, 55, 60 °C) and with varied NaCl solutions (0.5; 2; 11%). Electrical conductivity measurement, FTIR spectroscopy and the DSC method were applied to determine the structure and type of the microemulsions formed. The dimension of the microemulsion droplets was characterized by dynamic light scattering. It has been stated that the concentration of CEO20 has a strong influence on the shape and extent of the microemulsion areas. Addition of a nonionic surfactant to the mixture with MAG promotes an increase in the area of microemulsion formation in the phase diagrams, and these areas of isotropic region did not change considerably depending on the temperature, NaCl solution and oil type. It was found that, depending on the concentration of the surfactant mixture, it was possible to obtain U-type microemulsions with dispersed particles size distribution ranging from 25 to 50 nm and consisting of about 30–32% of the water phase in the systems. The conditions under which the microemulsion region was found (electrolyte and temperature—insensitive, comparatively low oil and surfactant concentration) could be highly useful in detergency

The quiet editor: Ivan Vladislavić and South African cultural production

This article examines the literary and sociological significance of Ivan Vladislavić’s "double life” (Lahire, 2010: n.p.) as both editor and writer. With reference to a number of his editorial roles as well as the joint projects he has worked on with writers and visual artists, the article considers how Vladislavić’s work with others spreads symbolic value. Described by one of his clients as the “quiet editor”, Vladislavić can be read as a new kind of author; what he terms “creative editing” (Steyn, 2012: n.p.) as a new kind of writing, through which more traditional models of authorship and literary production are thrown into question — less Bourdieu’s (1984) “field of literary production” or Casanova’s (2004: 82) “world literary space”, red in tooth and claw, amd more Howard Becker’s “art world”: a convivial “network of cooperating people, all of whose work is essential to the final outcome” (1982: 25)

The racist bodily imaginary: the image of the body-in-pieces in (post)apartheid culture

This paper outlines a reoccurring motif within the racist imaginary of (post)apartheid culture: the black body-in-pieces. This disturbing visual idiom is approached from three conceptual perspectives. By linking ideas prevalent in Frantz Fanon’s description of colonial racism with psychoanalytic concepts such as Lacan’s notion of the corps morcelé, the paper offers, firstly, an account of the black body-in-pieces as fantasmatic preoccupation of the (post)apartheid imaginary. The role of such images is approached, secondly, through the lens of affect theory which eschews a representational ‘reading’ of such images in favour of attention to their asignifying intensities and the role they play in effectively constituting such bodies. Lastly, Judith Butler’s discussion of war photography and the conditions of grievability introduces an ethical dimension to the discussion and helps draw attention to the unsavory relations of enjoyment occasioned by such images