The Integration of Refugees in Norway: Reflection from the Eritrean Refugees in Two Municipalities

The influx of refugees into Europe, Scandinavia, and Norway and the challenges that came along on how to integrate them into the host communities has been at the front-and-center of public and media debates in recent years. As part of that, this study initiated to explore the integration of Eritrean refugees in two municipalities in Norway and identify the challenges they have had during the process. To accomplish this objective; the study adopted a qualitative approach. Accordingly, an in-depth interview with the Eritrean refugees, local people, refugee guides and key informants has been carried out. Besides, focus group discussions were conducted with two groups of Eritrean refugees from the two Municipalities. The study revealed that the refugees have several barriers that hinder them from achieving the expected progress in the integration program. The main obstacles identified by the Eritrean refugees in their integration process include: inadequate personal efforts, language, cultural differences, inability to find employment, health issues, separation from their families and friends, traumas they experienced during their journeys, views expressed by right-wing politicians and the role of the media outlets, has been identified by the refugees as obstacles for their integration. However, from the response of the study participants, the author is fairly convinced that by far the most important barrier among those mentioned is the insufficient personal initiative on the part of individual refugees. Having said that, other studies about barriers to integration shows gaps in the literature, and therefore, each of the barriers identified in this research needs to be studied further

Slow pyrolysis of metal(loid)-rich biomass from phytoextraction: characterisation of biomass, biochar and bio-oil

Plants have successfully been used for phytoextraction of metal contaminated soils, however the use of these plants for energy production has been a subject of debates due to the potential conversion of the metals in the plants into airborne respirable particles. The aim of this study was to investigate the deportment of metal(loid)s during pyrolysis of a biomass cultivated in a highly contaminated soil in order to engineer best practice environmental approach for utilization of this biomass. A heavy metal(loid) contaminated mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) biomass was used as a feedstock in this study. The biomass was subjected to slow pyrolysis under the heating rate of 60 ℃/min and different pyrolysis temperatures. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were introduced to characterise the biomass, biochar and bio-oil samples. Results showed that biochar yield decreased from 57.4 % to 35.3 % with the increase in pyrolysis temperature from 300 to 700 ℃. Heavy metal(loid)s (chromium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, arsenic and lead) were mainly bound in the biochar produced at 300 ℃, while the recovery decreased substantially with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. Phenols, carboxylic acids and alcohols were the dominant compounds in all bio-oil samples. This study suggested further requirements of biochar quality and environmental risk assessment to provide a safe and value-added way of phytoextraction residual applications

Investigating the effect of Cu/zeolite on deoxygenation of bio-oil from pyrolysis of pine wood

Pyrolysis is one of the significant technologies that can utilize lignocellulose biomass to produce different bioenergy fuels, such as bio-oil, pyrolytic gases and bio-char. The application of pyrolysis has been extensively studied to produce bio-oil, which is foreseen as the potential transportation fuel in the near future. However, the presence of oxygenated compounds, such as phenols and alcohols in bio-oil makes it highly acidic and unstable for a suitable transportation fuel. These oxygenated compounds can be converted to refinable hydrocarbons by using different catalysts. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare a catalyst that is Cu10%-zeolite and investigated its deoxygenation activity for bio-oil produced from pyrolysis of pine wood sawdust. The catalyst was prepared by a wet-impregnation method. Subsequently, the catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, the catalyst was applied for in-situ (catalyst: biomass=5) and ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis (catalyst: biomass=3) and the results were compared with those from sole zeolite support. The pyrolysis process was carried out at a heating rate of 100 °C/min to a final temperature of 700 °C and the composition of bio-oil was examined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results revealed that Cu-zeolite showed significant deoxygenation activity for bio-oil as compared to zeolite or without any catalyst. Evidently, Cu-zeolite after in-situ pyrolysis produced bio-oil with 20.9% aromatic hydrocarbons and 7.5% aliphatic hydrocarbons, which were approximately 80% and several times higher than with only zeolite, respectively. Meanwhile the concentration of alcohols was reduced from 47.5% to 5%. On the other hand, bio-oil produced from ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis was enriched with 41.6% aromatic hydrocarbons while only 1% alcohols were present in bio-oil. This promising deoxygenation activity can be ascribed to Cu-zeolite’s catalytic activity that converted phenol and alcohols to refinable hydrocarbons via various reactions, such as dehydration, decarboxylation and decarbonylation

Concentration Levels of Heavy Metals and Selected Ions in the Irrigation Water: The Case of Little Akaki River, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Irrigable water resources have been challenged by the contamination of heavy metals and unwanted ions that impair plant growth and human health. It impaired the quality of edible fruit & vegetables. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu) and selected ions (chloride, Na, Mg, Ca), and to evaluate its suitability for irrigation use. Water samples were collected from three various locations (the upstream, middle stream, and downstream) of the river. Temperature (T), EC, pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS) were tested onsite using handheld multiparameter testing equipment, while the heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu) and selected ions (Chloride, Na, Mg, and Ca) of the water sample were analyzed using (ICP-OES). ANOVA test was conducted to examine the concentration variations of heavy metals and selected ions between the sampling locations along the river. The concentrations of (Pb and Cd) were found (2.5–3.9), (0.03–0.4) mg/L respectively, and (Cr and Cu) were below the detectible limit of the (ICP-OES) equipment. Cadmium (Cd) was found to be higher than the permissible limit of FAO (0.01mg/L) for irrigation water. There was no significant variation of heavy metals and selected ions between the sampling locations

Knowledge of preconception care and associated factors among maternal health care providers working in urban public health institutions of Eastern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Provision of preconception care is significantly affected by the health care provider's knowledge of preconception care. In Ethiopia, preconception care is rare, if even available, as part of maternal health care services. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of knowledge of preconception care and associated factors among health care providers working in public health facilities in Eastern Ethiopia. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 March to 1 April 2020. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a total of 415 maternal health care providers. We utilized a structured, pretested, and self-administered questionnaire to collect data. Data were entered into EpiData (version 3.1) and exported to STATA (version 16) for analysis. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. All covariates with a p value ⩽0.20 in bivariate logistic regression were entered into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to control the confounding variables; variables with a p value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Out of 410 respondents, 247 (60.2%; 95% confidence interval: 55.4-65.1) had good knowledge of preconception care. Having an educational level of Bachelor of Science degree and above (adjusted odds ratio: 6.97, 95% confidence interval: 3.85-12.60), 5 or more years work experience (adjusted odds ratio: 2.60, 95% confidence interval: 1.52-4.49), working in a hospital (adjusted odds ratio: 2.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.25-4.99), reading preconception care guidelines (adjusted odds ratio: 3.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.40-6.68), and training on preconception (adjusted odds ratio: 2.90, 95% confidence interval: 1.37-6.15) were significantly associated with good knowledge of preconception care. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Three out of five maternal health care providers in this study had good knowledge of preconception care. Facilitating continuous refreshment training and continuous professional development for health workers, preparing comprehensive preconception care guidelines for health institutions, and reading preconception care guidelines were highly recommended

Hallauer&apos;s Tusón: a decade of selection for tropical-to-temperate phenological adaptation in maize

Crop species exhibit an astounding capacity for environmental adaptation, but genetic bottlenecks resulting from intense selection for adaptation and productivity can lead to a genetically vulnerable crop. Improving the genetic resiliency of temperate maize depends upon the use of tropical germplasm, which harbors a rich source of natural allelic diversity. Here, the adaptation process was studied in a tropical maize population subjected to 10 recurrent generations of directional selection for early flowering in a single temperate environment in Iowa, USA. We evaluated the response to this selection across a geographical range spanning from 43.05°(WI) to 18.00°(PR) latitude. The capacity for an all-tropical maize population to become adapted to a temperate environment was revealed in a marked fashion: on average, families from generation 10 flowered 20 days earlier than families in generation 0, with a nine-day separation between the latest generation 10 family and the earliest generation 0 family. Results suggest that adaptation was primarily due to selection on genetic main effects tailored to temperature-dependent plasticity in flowering time. Genotype-by-environment interactions represented a relatively small component of the phenotypic variation in flowering time, but were sufficient to produce a signature of localized adaptation that radiated latitudinally, in partial association with daylength and temperature, from the original location of selection. Furthermore, the original population exhibited a maladaptive syndrome including excessive ear and plant heights along with later flowering; this was reduced in frequency by selection for flowering time

The effect of artificial selection on phenotypic plasticity in maize

Remarkable productivity has been achieved in crop species through artificial selection and adaptation to modern agronomic practices. Whether intensive selection has changed the ability of improved cultivars to maintain high productivity across variable environments is unknown. Understanding the genetic control of phenotypic plasticity and genotype by environment (G × E) interaction will enhance crop performance predictions across diverse environments. Here we use data generated from the Genomes to Fields (G2F) Maize G × E project to assess the effect of selection on G × E variation and characterize polymorphisms associated with plasticity. Genomic regions putatively selected during modern temperate maize breeding explain less variability for yield G × E than unselected regions, indicating that improvement by breeding may have reduced G × E of modern temperate cultivars. Trends in genomic position of variants associated with stability reveal fewer genic associations and enrichment of variants 0–5000 base pairs upstream of genes, hypothetically due to control of plasticity by short-range regulatory elements

Design de matériaux poreux hybrides conducteurs des ions Li+ pour le développement d'électrolytes solides dans les batteries au lithium

Dans ce travail, des matériaux hybrides polymères-silice poreuse sous forme de poudre et de film mince ont été synthétisés et caractérisés. L'étude préliminaire de leurs conductivité ionique Li+ a également été réalisée. Les poudres hybrides ont été synthétisées par voie sol-gel en utilisant des triblocs classiques (Pluronic, P123) et des diblocs copolymères amphiphiles bifonctinels fabriqués en laboratoire comme agents dirigeant la structure (SDA). Dans le premier cas, la modification post-synthétique a été utilisée pour fonctionnaliser la surface des pores de la silice avec du PEO. Dans un second temps, la fonctionnalisation de la surface des pores avec le bloc hydrophile (PEO) a été réalisée par extraction du bloc hydrophobe. Des films de silice avec des mésocanaux ordonnés de manière hexagonale et orientés verticalement ont été synthétisés sur la surface de l'électrode via un procédé d'auto-assemblage électro-assisté dans des conditions hydrodynamiques. Les films formés sont mésoporeux (3 nm de diamètre) et entièrement accessibles. Un film de 660 nm d'épaisseur a été obtenu en 200 secondes. Ce film a été fonctionnalisé avec du PEO puis du sel de lithium par le biais d'une méthode d'imprégnation en solution. La conductivité ionique des matériaux hybrides a été étudiée après la mise en forme de la poudre sous forme de pastille ou de film directement formé à la surface de l'électrode. Les résultats montrent la conductivité des ions Li+ apportée aux matériaux. Les pastilles ont une porosité interparticulaire de 40% et le remplissage avec l’électrolyte polymère a un effet positif sur l’optimisation de la conductivité des pastillesIn this work, porous polymer-silica hybrid materials as a powder and thin film are synthesized and characterized. The preliminary study of their Li+ ionic conductivity properties are carried out as well. Here, the polymer electrolyte is embedded in silica matrix - polymer-in-ceramic approach. The hybrid powders are synthesized through sol-gel using conventional triblock (Pluronic, P123) and laboratory made bifunctional diblock amphiphilic copolymers as structure directing agents (SDA). In the first case, post-synthetic modification is used to functionalize the pore surface of silica with PEO. The second allowed to direct functionalization the pore surface with hydrophilic block (PEO) through extraction of hydrophobic block. Particle-free mesoporous silica films with hexagonally ordered and vertically oriented mesochannels are synthesized on electrode surface via electro-assisted self-assembly method under hydrodynamic condition. The resulting films are mesoporous (a diameter of 3 nm) and fully accessible. A film with thickness of 660 nm was grown in 200 s, and functionalized with PEO and then lithium salt through solution impregnation method. The ionic conductivity properties of hybrids were performed after shaping the powder as a pellet or with the hybrid film directly formed on the electrode surface. The results showed that the Li+ conductivity brought to the materials. The pellets have 40 % interparticle porosity and filling this with polymer electrolyte has positive effect on optimizing conductivity of the pellets (2.0 x 10-7 Scm-1 for 35 % filling and 6.8 x 10-7 Scm-1 for 100% filling at 25 °C

Production of fuels and chemicals from a solar driven pyrolysis of animal and agricultural wastes

Thesis by publication.Includes bibliographical references.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Review of solar energy for biofuel extraction -- Chapter 3. Performance evaluation of absorber reactors for solar fuel production -- Chapter 4. Waste to energy conversion of chicken litter through solar-driven pyrolysis process -- Chapter 5. Production and analysis of fuels and chemicals obtained from rice husk pyrolysis with concentrated solar radiation -- Chapter 6. Solar assisted catalytic pyrolysis of chicken-litter waste with in-situ and ex-situ loading of CaO and char -- Chapter 7. Distribution of solar pyrolysis products and product gas composition produced from agricultural residues at different operating parameters -- Chapter 8. Energy conversion efficiency of pyrolysis of chicken litter and rice husk biomass -- Chapter 9. Conclusions and recommendations -- References -- Appendices.Energy is very important in meeting our basic needs. It is also one of the fundamental requirements in the industrial, transportation and agricultural sectors which determine the overall economic development of nations. In this work pyrolysis of different types of wastes, mainly chicken litter and rice husk, was performed at different heating rates and ranges of temperature obtained from a concentrated solar radiation.Review of solar based technologies and their applications to solar-assisted biomass utilization and conversion technologies were performed to identify the gaps and study the type of bio-fuels that can be produced from solar driven biomass pyrolysis. Prospective solar concentrators were assessed for their efficiency, maximum temperature and applications. Based on the information obtained from the literature and the gaps identified in the review, parabolic dish was selected as a prospective solar concentrator that can achieve higher temperatures at relatively better concentration ratio. Thus a parabolic dish of 1.8 m aperture diameter and a focal length at 0.655 m was designed and manufactured at Macquarie University. The dish was laminated with an 88% reflective aluminium polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and mounted on a rotating structure for adjusting the height and azimuth angles of the sun. Experiments were conducted to measure the maximum achievable temperature and select reactors from different types of materials which should be placed at the focal region. Quartz glass and stainless steel tubes were the best performing reactors, achieving maximum temperature of 1100°C at 900 to 1000 W/m².The feedstock (chicken litter and rice husk) were collected from Carlingford, Sydney then dried and crushed to a sieve size of 280 μm and then packed separately in the quartz glass reactor for the solar pyrolysis experiments which were conducted at different solar temperatures (500 to 900°C).Gases were the main products obtained from the pyrolysis of the chicken-litter waste, generated in the range of 45-59 wt% followed by bio-char (16-40 wt%) and bio-oils (14-36 wt%). The pyrolysis gas was composed of CO2, CO, CH4, H2 and other light weight hydrocarbons, while the bio-oils which contained phenols, acids and N-containing compounds can be applied to produce solvents, cleaning agents, paint removers, detergents as well as in the synthesis of dyes, aspirin and plastics. Bio-oil and bio-char were the dominant yields in solar pyrolysis, reaching up to 44 wt.% and 43 wt.%, respectively. The bio-char had large glass-like cylindrical holes with many porous and loose structures which are the required properties for the bio-char to be a candidate material for contaminant adsorbent in waste water treatment.The quality of the solar pyrolysis products was further upgraded using CaO and char catalysts. The catalysts were separately applied in different proportions in an in-situ and ex-situ modes with the chicken litter, and subjected to the solar pyrolysis at 500 to 800°C. In all cases there was substantial decrease in CO2 accompanied by an increase in the formation of CO from 10 to 63 wt% and H2 from 1 to 15 wt%. Similarly, addition of CaO exhibited considerable deoxygenation performance of the fatty acids up to 3%.Solar pyrolysis experiments performed on the chicken litter and rice husk biomass at higher temperatures (800 to 1600°C) and heating rates (10 to 500°C/min) produced highly combustible gases with higher heating values of 7255 ± 566 kJ/kg.Overall, the obtained results revealed that solar-assisted pyrolysis of biomass could be a promising technology for fuel and chemical production.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xv, 173 pages) diagrams, graphs, table