Application and Development of Hydrocyclones for Clarification in Synthetic Kitchen Waste Water Treatment

Bioenvironmental Engineerin

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Benthic Cyanobacteria, Oscillatoriales USR 001 and Nostoc sp. MBR 210, Isolated from Tropical Freshwater Lakes

Genomes of two filamentous benthic cyanobacteria were obtained from cocultures obtained from two freshwater lakes. The cultures were obtained by first growing cyanobacterial trichome on solid medium, followed by subculturing in freshwater media. Subsequent shotgun sequencing, de novo assembly, and genomic binning yielded almost complete genomes of Oscillatoriales USR 001 and Nostoc sp. MBR 210.Singapore. National Research FoundationSingapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. Center for Environmental Sensing and Modelin

Draft Genome Sequence of a Tropical Freshwater Cyanobacterium, Limnothrix sp. Strain P13C2

A nonaxenic unialgal culture of Limnothrix sp. strain P13C2 was obtained through multiple subculturing of an inoculum obtained from a tropical freshwater lake. Here, we report the genome of P13C2 of 4.6 Mbp, extracted from the metagenome of this coculture.Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)Singapore. National Research Foundation (NRF, 1102-IRIS-14-02

Insights from the draft genome of the subsection V (Stigonematales) cyanobacterium Hapalosiphon sp. Strain MRB220 associated with 2-MIB production

A non-axenic unialgal culture containing a Subsection V (Stigonematales) cyanobacterium, Hapalosiphon strain MRB 220, was obtained from a benthic freshwater algal mat through multiple transfers following growth in sterile media. Physiological characterization demonstrated the culture was capable of nitrogen-fixation and production of the off flavor compound 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB). Total DNA isolated from this culture was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq and de novo assembled into contigs. The genome of MRB 220 was separated from co-occurring heterotrophic bacteria using sequence homology and compositional approaches, and its purity was confirmed based on best BLAST hit classification and principle component analysis of the tetranucleotide frequencies of fragmented contigs. The genome of ~7.4 Mbp contains 6,345 protein coding genes with 4,320 of these having functional prediction including predicted pathways for biosynthesis of the secondary metabolite welwitindolinone. Analyses of 16S rRNA gene and whole genome sequence average nucleotide identity indicated close relatedness of MRB 220 to the genera Hapalosiphon and Fischerella within the order Stigonematales. Microscopic examination showed that MRB 220 formed heterocystous branched filaments, thereby supporting identification of strain MRB 220 as a morphospecies of Hapalosiphon. Availability of the draft genome of Hapalosiphon strain MRB 220 enables future work to elucidate the pathway and dynamics for biosynthesis of 2-MIB and other secondary metabolites and understand the ecology and physiology of Stigonematales cyanobacteria in tropical freshwaters.Singapore. National Research Foundation (under its Environmental & Water Technologies Strategic Research Programme and administered by the Environment & Water Industry Programme Office (EWI) of the PUB (Grant number: 1102-IRIS-14-02))Singapore. National Research Foundation (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology’s (SMART) Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling (CENSAM) research program

Examining resilience in local adaptation policies – pilot studies in Taipei and Tainan, Taiwan

Resilience has gained considerable attention over recent years in both theories and decision-making practices. In Taiwan, the term resilience is generally considered as a synonym for adaptation. This may limit the use of the notion. By understanding resilience in terms of adaptation and mitigation, we identify six attributes for assessment. The assessment is addressed in local level climate change adaptation policies in two selected cities. The city of Taipei represents places where local adaptation policies were directed mainly by the national government. The city of Tainan represents places where the municipal government plays a more critical role in framing these policies. This can result in different policymaking considerations. The assessment points out that the proposed actions of these policies are broader than a general understanding of adaptation. Mitigation strategies are addressed and sometimes highly recommended. Because of this, we can interpret these actions as resilience strategies covered under the use of the term adaptation. The notion of resilience does not stay on the rhetorical level alone. It is happening in shaping decisions – without using the terminology directly. The broadness of the resilience notion, in spite of being abstract, can provide a more general framework for cross-sectorial discussion and collaboration in policy-making. This is particularly important for dealing with complex issues, such as climate-related disturbances, which cannot be managed by a single group of professions

Characterisation and disposability assessment of multi-waste stream in-container vitrified products for higher activity radioactive waste

Materials from GeoMelt® In-Container Vitrification (ICV)™ of simulant UK nuclear wastes were characterised to understand the partitioning of elements, including inactive surrogates for radionuclide species of interest, within the heterogeneous products. Aqueous durability analysis was performed to assess the potential disposability of the resulting wasteforms. The vitrification trial aimed to immobilise a variety of simulant legacy waste streams representative of decommissioning operations in the UK, including plutonium contaminated material, Magnox sludges and ion-exchange materials, which were vitrified upon the addition of glass forming additives. Two trials with different wastes were characterised, with the resultant vitreous wasteforms comprising olivine and pyroxene crystalline minerals within glassy matrices. Plutonium surrogate elements were immobilised within the glassy fraction rather than partitioning into crystalline phases. All vitrified products exhibited comparable or improved durability to existing UK high level waste vitrified nuclear wasteforms over a 28 day period

Buckling of composite beams with two enveloped delaminations: Lower and upper bounds

Lower and upper bounds of the buckling load of a composite beam with two enveloped delaminations are obtained from newly developed analytical models. The characteristic equation, governing the delamination buckling is derived by using Euler–Bernoulli beam and classical lamination theory, performing proper linearization and by imposing the appropriate continuity and boundary conditions. Linear and non-linear finite element analyses carried out to verify the accuracy of the developed model. S-shaped buckling mode dominates more than a single hump buckling mode in the case of upper bounds, whereas, for lower bounds of the buckling load, mixed and/or local buckling modes are observed

Examining Committee: Date Approved

ii Clothes and fashion open a secondary i.e. non-verbal communication channel that allows individuals to make connections with each other. Our work proposes the concept of Digital Fashion, which uses technology to connect people in close proximity by enhancing a visual secondary communication channel. Non-private profile information known as shared knowledge is communicated via an online poll system that activates poll questions periodically. Our Digital Fashion implementation utilizes a handheld computer connected to a wireless radio network to drive a public wearable display worn on the user’s body. The wearable display system consists of flexible electroluminescent wire and a light controller responsive to wireless communications. Shared knowledge is stored as answers to poll questions. As poll questions become active, the wearable display changes colours to reflect the wearers ’ answer to the active poll question. Several user studies were conducted to evaluate this technology with data from field observations, questionnaires and interviews. The results from our user studies revealed that technology could play a useful role within social settings if designed appropriately. We found the choice of fashion as a secondary communication channel very appropriate because of its unobtrusiveness. Our system did not appear to hinder interactions but rather helped to create richer social interactions. ii