Performance Evaluation of an Anaerobic Stabilization Pond System for Meat Processing Wastes

The meat packing industry is decentralizing its processing operations. Many of the large metropolitan packing houses are being abandoned because they cannot readily assimilate the newer, more efficient processing methods due to the high cost of providing such improvements. These plants are being replaced by small, rural installations which are relatively inexpensive to modify. Shorter livestock haul distance are an additional economic advantage to the small plants. The advent of the stabilization pond into the meat processing waste treatment field has been due, in part, to the desire for low cost waste treatment. Also, the new, small abattoirs and packinghouses are locating in rural communities where sufficient land is available for this type of waste treatment. The use of the anaerobic stabilization pond facilities for treating these high strength wastes is rapidly increasing. Furthermore, research on anaerobic fermentation, coupled with recent data regarding theory, design and performance of the anaerobic treatment with those of the stabilization pond

Consumption and Preference for Butter and Margarine in Two South Dakota Cities

Most of the butter manufactured by South Dakota creameries is Grade B or under as determined by our present Federal grading system. A recent South Dakota study showed that 81 per cent of the butter was Grade B and 19 per cent Grade C, The same study found that about 80 per cent of South Dakota Butter was shipped to markets where a large amount of the other butter was of a higher grade and premiums were paid for higher quality. Present quality standards for butter are based to a large extent on taste preferences of consumers which were assumed to exist a number of years ago. This study endeavored to gather additional evidence regarding consumer preferences for various flavors, texture and color qualities found in butter and the other fats and oils. This study also attempted to determine what influences personal characteristics (such as occupation, annual family income, or factors associated with place of birth, national origin, rural or urban background, religious preferences, and age of respondent) had upon consumption of various spreads, especially butter and margarine. The major objectives of this study were; (l) to determine present and past consumption patterns of fats and oils used in the survey homes, (2) to determine the range and intensity of consumer preferences for butter and other spreads, and (3) to determine whether taste preferences of consumers coincided with the present Federal grading system for graded butter

Aqueous Electrode Processing for High Energy Density Lithium-Ion Batteries

Widespread use of electric vehicles is hinged on the advancement of energy storage technologies such as lithium-ion batteries. Current research and development endeavors in energy storage for electric vehicles are focused on increasing the energy density of a battery while simultaneously reducing manufacturing costs. Energy density can be improved by minimizing the number of inactive components in a cell with the implementation of thicker electrodes. Furthermore, cost can be significantly reduced with aqueous electrode processing. Unlike conventional electrode processing which uses the expensive and highly toxic organic solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), aqueous processing employs deionized water. Aqueous processing of thick electrodes offers the opportunity to produce relatively inexpensive, high energy density lithium-ion batteries. However, thick aqueous processed cathodes have been found to crack as they dry. In an effort to avoid cracking and enable aqueous processing for thick LiNi1-y-zMnyCozO2 (NMC) cathodes, the influence of two processing parameters on cracking were investigated in this work. They include solvent surface tension and electrode drying temperature. Small weight percentages of isopropanol (IPA) mixed in water were tested as novel composite solvents in aqueous processing. It was found that the addition of 20 wt.% IPA produced an aqueous solvent with a surface tension low enough to avoid any cracking in thick cathodes. When paired with a graphite anode in a single unit pouch cell, thick cathodes processed with 20 wt.% IPA as solvent performed comparably to an electrode processed with the conventional solvent, NMP. Separate experiments with electrode drying temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 70 °C revealed cracking worsens at elevated drying temperatures. Images of electrode surfaces were processed to quantify crack dimensions and crack intensity factor (CIF). Average crack length and width increased with drying temperature and electrode thickness. The CIF also increased with drying temperature and electrode thickness, the most dramatic increase being from 0.68% for thick electrodes dried at 20 °C to 15.8% when thick electrodes were dried at 70 °C

Consumption and Preference Patterns for Butter and Margarine in Two South Dakota Cities

Present quality standards for butter are based to a large extent on taste preferences of consumers which were assumed to exist a number of years ago. This study endeavored to gather additional evidence regarding consumer preferences for various flavors, texture and color qualities found in butter and the other fats and oils. This study also attempted to determine what influences personal characteristics (such as occupation, annual family income or factors associated with place of birth, national origin, rural or urban background, religious preferences, and age of respondent) had upon consumption of various spreads, especially butter and margarine. The major objectives of this study were: (1) to determine present and past consumption patterns of fats and oils used in the survey homes, (2) to determine the range and intensity of consumer preferences for butter and other spreads, and (3) to determine whether taste preferences of consumers coincided with the present Federal grading system for graded butter

Intervalley Scattering Rates in Tellurium Observed via Time-Resolved Terahertz Spectroscopy

We conducted time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy measurements on the elemental semiconductor tellurium. Pump-probe measurements were used to find the conductivity as a function of time in single crystalline tellurium samples. It was found that the excitation dynamics in tellurium changes for photon energies of 1.03 eV and 1.55 eV. The change in these excitation dynamics was attributed to intervalley scattering effects. A model using intervalley scattering and Auger recombination was fit to the data, giving a value of 2.28 ps for the intervalley scattering time constant in tellurium

A missense variant (P10L) of the melanopsin (OPN4) gene in seasonal affective disorder

Background: Melanopsin, a non-visual photopigment, may play a role in aberrant responses to low winter light levels in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). We hypothesize that functional sequence variation in the melanopsin gene could contribute to increasing the light needed for normal functioning during winter in SAD. Methods: Associations between alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes of melanopsin in SAD participants (n = 130) were performed relative to controls with no history of psychopathology (n = 90). Results: SAD participants had a higher frequency of the homozygous minor genotype (T/T) for the missense variant rs2675703 (P10L) than controls, compared to the combined frequencies of C/C and C/T. Individuals with the T/T genotype were 5.6 times more likely to be in the SAD group than the control group, and all 7 (5%) of individuals with the T/T genotype at P10L were in the SAD group. Limitations: The study examined only one molecular component of the non-visual light input pathway, and recruitment methods for the comparison groups differed. Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that melanopsin variants may predispose some individuals to SAD. Characterizing the genetic basis for deficits in the non-visual light input pathway has the potential to define mechanisms underlying the pathological response to light in SAD, which may improve treatment. © 2008 Elsevier B.V

Aqueous Electrode Processing for High Energy Density Lithium-Ion Batteries

Widespread use of electric vehicles is hinged on the advancement of energy storage technologies such as lithium-ion batteries. Current research and development endeavors in energy storage for electric vehicles are focused on increasing the energy density of a battery while simultaneously reducing manufacturing costs. Energy density can be improved by minimizing the number of inactive components in a cell with the implementation of thicker electrodes. Furthermore, cost can be significantly reduced with aqueous electrode processing. Unlike conventional electrode processing which uses the expensive and highly toxic organic solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), aqueous processing employs deionized water. Aqueous processing of thick electrodes offers the opportunity to produce relatively inexpensive, high energy density lithium-ion batteries. However, thick aqueous processed cathodes have been found to crack as they dry. In an effort to avoid cracking and enable aqueous processing for thick LiNi1-y-zMnyCozO2 (NMC) cathodes, the influence of two processing parameters on cracking were investigated in this work. They include solvent surface tension and electrode drying temperature. Small weight percentages of isopropanol (IPA) mixed in water were tested as novel composite solvents in aqueous processing. It was found that the addition of 20 wt.% IPA produced an aqueous solvent with a surface tension low enough to avoid any cracking in thick cathodes. When paired with a graphite anode in a single unit pouch cell, thick cathodes processed with 20 wt.% IPA as solvent performed comparably to an electrode processed with the conventional solvent, NMP. Separate experiments with electrode drying temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 70 °C revealed cracking worsens at elevated drying temperatures. Images of electrode surfaces were processed to quantify crack dimensions and crack intensity factor (CIF). Average crack length and width increased with drying temperature and electrode thickness. The CIF also increased with drying temperature and electrode thickness, the most dramatic increase being from 0.68% for thick electrodes dried at 20 °C to 15.8% when thick electrodes were dried at 70 °C

Hvorfor skal innsatte i fengsel lære spansk? : En kvalitativ undersøkelse om innsattes opplevelse av fengselsundervisning som ikke gir formell kompetanse

Denne masteroppgaven undersøker hvilken betydning fengselsundervisning som ikke gir formell kompetanse har for dem som deltar i den. Den type opplæring det kan handle om, er det som ofte omtales som livsmestringskurs (matlaging, renhold, personlig økonomi etc.), kurs i praktisk-estetiske fag, eller mer arbeidsrettede kurs innen f eks IKT eller byggfag. Det kan også dreie seg om opplæring innen tradisjonelle skolefag, som de innsatte deltar i den tiden de sitter i fengsel, men som ikke gir dem formell kompetanse fordi de soner for kort tid til å rekke å få en standpunktkarakter eller gå opp til eksamen. Prosjektets problemstilling er: Hvilken verdi opplever innsatte i fengsel at den opplæringen som ikke genererer eksamenskarakterer, kompetansebevis eller sertifikater har? Bakgrunnen for å gjennomføre denne undersøkelsen er at mye av den undervisningen som foregår i fengsler der innsatte med korte dommer soner (for det meste fengsler med lavere sikkerhetsgrad), er av denne typen, og med det rådende kunnskapssyn som er i vårt samfunn i dag, kan det være legitimt å spørre om slik undervisning har noe for seg. I studien er det innledningsvis gjort rede for innsattes utdanningsbakgrunn, lærevansker og motivasjon for utdanning, slik det er undersøkt av forskningsgruppen for kognisjon og læring ved Universitetet i Bergen og framstilt i rapporter utgitt av Fylkesmannen i Hordaland, Utdanningsavdelinga. Dette er gjort for å belyse hvilke behov denne gruppen elever kan ha, og si noe om hvorvidt disse behovene dekkes gjennom fengselsundervisningen. Deltakerne i undersøkelsen har også gitt noe informasjon om sin skolebakgrunn og motivasjon for å delta på opplæring i regi av skolen i fengslet. I denne undersøkelsen er det foretatt kvalitative gruppeintervju med to små grupper innsatte ved et fengsel med lavere sikkerhetsgrad på Østlandet. Til sammen seks personer deltok i undersøkelsen. I utvalget er det en som ikke har skolegang fra før, fire som er født og oppvokst i Norge og har norsk skolegang delvis inn i videregående nivå, og en som har fullført videregående i sitt hjemland. Deltakerne er mellom 26 og 44 år. De ble valgt ut til å være med i undersøkelsen ut fra to kriterier: de skulle sone korte dommer, og de skulle delta på opplæring som ikke ga formell kompetanse eller sertifikat av noe slag (f eks truckførerbevis). De hadde deltatt i følgende opplæring: norsk for fremmedspråklige, datakurs, matlagingskurs, brannvernkurs og kunstkurs (prosjekt over to måneder). Når denne opplæringen ikke gir formell kompetanse, kan det være på sin plass å spørre om den fører til noe annet, for eksempel om den har noe å si for de innsattes selvoppfatning. I teoridelen av oppgaven redegjøres det derfor for to tradisjoner, eller retninger, for forståelsen av hvordan selvoppfatningen påvirkes. Det er selvvurderingstradisjonen, representert ved Morris Rosenbergs forskning, og forventningstradisjonen, representert ved Albert Banduras forskning. Rosenberg er opptatt av at selvoppfatningen påvirkes gjennom det miljøet vi er en del av, og hvordan vi sammenlikner oss med andre. Bandura er opptatt av det kognitive, og hvordan mestringsopplevelser gir forventninger om framtidig mestring. Resultatene fra intervjuene er analysert i lys av de to teoriene for påvirkning av selvoppfatningen. Fordi de innsatte selv var opptatt av skolens betydning for forandring og forbedring, noe jeg setter i forbindelse med dannelse, redegjøres det for ulike dannelsessyn, og resultatene fra undersøkelsen analyseres i lys av dem. Studien konkluderer med at den fengselsundervisningen som ikke gir formell kompetanse til en viss grad bidrar til å styrke de innsattes selvoppfatning, både ut fra de momentene som selvvurderingstradisjonen framhever, og ut fra forventningstradisjonen. Ikke alle innsatte opplever like sterkt at undervisningen har betydning for deres selvoppfatning, men det intervjupersonene forteller bekrefter teoriene på mange punkter. Studien tar ikke for seg i hvor stor grad selvoppfatningen påvirkes. Videre konkluderes det med at fengselsundervisningen har en dannende effekt, ved at den bidrar til å sette deltakerne bedre i stand til å møte og delta i samfunnet de skal tilbake til etter soning. Dette innebærer både at undervisningen har en nytteeffekt som gjelder for både arbeidsliv og privatliv, men også at den bidrar til en indre utvikling og selvstendiggjøring av deltakerne. Man kan si at opplæringen, til tross for at den ikke har ført til noen karakterer, har bidratt til «ei karakterdanning som gir den einskilde kraft til å ta hand om eige liv, pliktkjensle for samfunnslivet og omsorg for livsmiljøet», som det uttrykkes i den generelle delen av læreplanen

Connecting through Composition: Critical Intersections in Middle School Multimodal Writing

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2019. Major: Education, Curriculum and Instruction. Advisor: Cynthia Lewis. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 228 pages.Classroom writing practices exist in a complex social environment where students present identities to each other through the texts they create and their interactions (Pandya, Z., 2015; Dyson, 2018; Snaza & Lensmire, 2006). Recognizing this complexity, writing practices in schools have changed over time. Practices have shifted from a traditional focus on technical skills of writing, to a writing workshop model, emphasizing student choice of topics and opportunities to share. Critical writing pedagogy emerged in response to the workshop model’s perspective of students bringing a single identity to a neutral writing process. However, traditional writing practices are pervasive in schools and there is a need for research that draws attention to classrooms where teachers implement critical writing pedagogy (Furman, 2017). This yearlong critical ethnographic study describes seventh grade students’ writing processes at the intersection of critical writing pedagogy and multimodality, and considers how students’ social identities as writers and peer relations around writing are mediated by literacy practices within the classroom. Drawing on mediated discourse analysis (MDA) (Scollon & Scollon, 2004; Norris & Jones, 2005) to examine moment-to-moment actions and interactions, this study traces a routine journal writing practice where students regularly enter into critical dialogue. An analysis focused on resemiotization (Norris & Jones, 2005) highlights how students’ learning and interactions shift throughout this classroom practice. In addition, this study utilizes trajectories and timescales (Scollon & Scollon, 2004) to look at how two literacy events draw on this journal practice in similar ways while unfolding differently in relation to the specific surroundings of each moment. Finally, this study draws on MDA’s view of agency to consider the ways the classroom teacher navigates intersecting discourses in order to implement these critical and multimodal writing practices in the classroom. This work has implications for how we view writing practices and students as they engage in composing and sharing. It calls for a view of students as writers who are making choices about when and how they write and engage in dialogue based on the complex surroundings of a moment. This view shifts attention away from an idea that students either have or lack abilities and instead focuses on the possibilities of teachers to create and reflect on spaces where students choose to engage in meaningful writing and dialogue