Computational fluid dynamics simulations in aerosol and nucleation studies

Nucleation is the first step in the formation of a new phase inside a mother phase. Two main forms of nucleation can be distinguished. In homogeneous nucleation, the new phase is formed in a uniform substance. In heterogeneous nucleation, on the other hand, the new phase emerges on a pre-existing surface (nucleation site). Nucleation is the source of about 30% of all atmospheric aerosol which in turn has noticeable health effects and a significant impact on climate. Nucleation can be observed in the atmosphere, studied experimentally in the laboratory and is the subject of ongoing theoretical research. This thesis attempts to be a link between experiment and theory. By comparing simulation results to experimental data, the aim is to (i) better understand the experiments and (ii) determine where the theory needs improvement. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools were used to simulate homogeneous onecomponent nucleation of n-alcohols in argon and helium as carrier gases, homogeneous nucleation in the water-sulfuric acid-system, and heterogeneous nucleation of water vapor on silver particles. In the nucleation of n-alcohols, vapor depletion, carrier gas effect and carrier gas pressure effect were evaluated, with a special focus on the pressure effect whose dependence on vapor and carrier gas properties could be specified. The investigation of nucleation in the water-sulfuric acid-system included a thorough analysis of the experimental setup, determining flow conditions, vapor losses, and nucleation zone. Experimental nucleation rates were compared to various theoretical approaches. We found that none of the considered theoretical descriptions of nucleation captured the role of water in the process at all relative humidities. Heterogeneous nucleation was studied in the activation of silver particles in a TSI 3785 particle counter which uses water as its working fluid. The role of the contact angle was investigated and the influence of incoming particle concentrations and homogeneous nucleation on counting efficiency determined.

Classificação étnico-racial e ações afirmativas no contexto do vestibular

Os conceitos de raça e etnia são basilares para a antropologia desde o seu surgimento como área do conhecimento humano e, ainda hoje, são fundamentais para diversos debates nas esferas política, social e das ciências humanas em geral. No pensamento social brasileiro muitos foram os autores de diversas áreas a se debruçarem sobre a questão racial. A instituição do sistema de cotas para o ingresso em universidades acalorou e expandiu o debate tanto no senso comum como na academia e nos meios de comunicação em geral. Essa pesquisa partiu da intenção de investigar a relação entre as ações afirmativas e as identidades de cor/raça. Como metodologia, utilizamos os recursos tanto dos instrumentos quantitativos como qualitativos. Nosso foco foram estudantes do cursinho pré-vestibular Grupo Perspectiva Integral (GPI). Buscamos acessar o ponto de vista dos vestibulandos, seus significados e associações acerca de suas identidades étnico-raciais, opiniões e sentimentos sobre a questão racial no Brasil e, em especial referente às ações afirmativas no contexto da educação e investigar a relação entre quem sou eu e qual é a minha cor/raça no universo proposto. Para tanto, foram aplicados cento e vinte e um questionários e realizadas doze entrevistas. A intenção não era estabelecer uma relação direta e causal entre as ações afirmativas e as identidades de cor/raça e, sim, traçar um perfil geral e racial da população estudada, perceber e analisar diversos elementos referentes às classificações de cor/raça e opiniões e sentimentos acerca das ações afirmativas, do racismo e das expectativas profissionais dos vestibulandos.

Educação permanente em saúde: entre o passado e o futuro.

Este trabalho parte do reconhecimento de que a educação permanente em saúde tem sido investida como noção a embasar diferentes referenciais teórico-conceituais para a produção de políticas voltadas à educação de profissionais de saúde, particularmente no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Nesse sentido, o trabalho buscou apreender os diferentes usos dessa noção e seus sentidos para a produção de políticas. Assim, buscou delimitar o surgimento dessa noção no campo da educação e sua posterior apropriação no campo da saúde, inicialmente a partir da produção institucional da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde e em seguida ressignificada no Brasil no âmbito da Política Nacional de Educação Permanente em Saúde (Pneps). A análise dos textos e documentos institucionais da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (Opas) responsáveis por desenvolver esses referenciais redundou na construção de duas matrizes conceituais, tendo sido a primeira desenvolvida entre 1974 e 1984-5; e a segunda, entre 1984-5 e 2002. Atualmente essas matrizes conceituais costumam ser denominadas respectivamente por educação continuada em saúde e educação permanente em saúde, ainda que esta última noção seja utilizada por ambas, fato discutido pelo autor ao longo do trabalho. A terceira matriz conceitual foi construída a partir da análise dos textos e documentos publicados no bojo da criação da Pneps. A partir da construção dessas três matrizes conceituais foi realizado um breve histórico das ações voltadas à educação de profissionais de saúde promovidas pela Secretaria de Gestão do Trabalho e da Educação na Saúde (SGTES), especificamente o Departamento de Gestão da Educação na Saúde (Deges), órgão criado em 2003 para se dedicar ao tema da formação de profissionais para o SUS. Nesse particular, foi proposta uma periodização das ações do Deges, relacionando cada período às diferentes matrizes conceituais construídas. A noção de educação permanente em saúde é então interrogada a partir da discussão sobre educação de adultos proposta por Arendt e de sua contextualização no referencial do capitalismo pós-industrial e das sociedades de controle, conforme delimitado por Deleuze. O conjunto dessas reflexões embasa a discussão sobre novos usos possíveis para a educação permanente em saúde e novas configurações para a política de saúde que adota essa noção, discutindo possíveis inovações para esse campo a partir da articulação com a discussão sobre inteligência coletiva. Por fim, propõe-se repensar a política de educação permanente em saúde, endereçando-a no sentido de promover o protagonismo das práticas de saúde como espaços de aprendizagem, buscando novas possibilidades no diálogo com a experiência dos pontos de cultura do Ministério da Cultura.

Report of the final workshop on education, capacity development and monitoring in support of Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary (BRMS) management, Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka, 23 May, 2015

Objectives of the workshop included: presentation of research to stakeholders; briefing of stakeholders on project objectives, contents and activities; to get stakeholder perceptions and suggestions.

Graduate education for leadership and organisational change in sustainable development

This paper reflects on the motivation, method and effectiveness of teaching leadership and organisational change to graduate engineers. Delivering progress towards sustainable development requires engineers who are aware of pressing global issues (such as resource depletion, climate change, social inequity and an interdependent economy) since it is they who deliver the goods and services that underpin society within these constraints. They also must understand how to implement change in the organisations within which they will work. In recognition of this fact the Cambridge University MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development has focussed on educating engineers to become effective change agents in their professional field with the confidence to challenge orthodoxy in adopting traditional engineering solutions. This paper reflects on ten years of delivering a special module to review how teaching change management and leadership aspects of the programme have evolved and progressed over that time. As the students who embark on this professional practice have often extensive experience as practising engineers and scientists, many have already learned the limitations of their technical background when solving complex problems. Students often join the course recognising their need to broaden their knowledge of relevant cross-disciplinary skills. The programme offers an opportunity for these early to mid-career engineers to explore an ethical and value-based approach to bringing about effective change in their particular sectors and organisations. This is achieved through action learning assignments in combination with reflections on the theory of change to enable students to equip themselves with tools that help them to be effective in making their professional and personal life choices. This paper draws on feedback gathered from students during their participation on the programme and augments this with alumni reflections gathered some years after their graduation. These professionals are able to look back on their experience of the taught components and reflect on how they have been able to apply this key learning in their subsequent careers. Copyright © 2012 September.

40 years of library and information studies education in Wales

Tedd, L.A. (2005). 40 years of library and information studies education in Wales. Education for Information, 23(1/2), 1-8.

Studies on equine milk and comparative studies on equine and bovine milk systems

The composition of equine milk differs considerably from that of the milk of the principal dairying species, i.e., the cow, buffalo, goat and sheep. Because equine milk resembles human milk in many respects and is claimed to have special therapeutic properties, it is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe, where it is produced on large farms in several countries. Equine milk is considered to be highly digestible, rich in essential nutrients and to possess an optimum whey protein:casein ratio, making it very suitable as a substitute for bovine milk in paediatric dietetics. There is some scientific basis for the special nutritional and health-giving properties of equine milk but this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the composition and physico-chemical properties of equine milk which is required to fully exploit its potential in human nutrition. Quantification and distribution of the nitrogenous components and principal salts of equine milk are reported. The effects of the high concentration of ionic calcium, large casein micelles (~ 260 nm), low protein, lack of a sulphydryl group in equine β-lactoglobulin and a very low level of κ-casein on the physico-chemical properties of equine milk are reported. This thesis provides an insight into the stability of equine casein micelles to heat, ethanol, high pressure, rennet or acid. Differences in rennet- and acid-induced coagulation between equine and bovine milk are attributed not only to the low casein content of equine milk but also to differences in the mechanism by which the respective micelles are stabilized. It has been reported that β-casein plays a role in the stabilization of equine casein micelles and proteomic techniques support this view. In this study, equine κ-casein appeared to be resistant to hydrolysis by calf chymosin but equine β-casein was readily hydrolysed. Resolution of equine milk proteins by urea-PAGE showed the multi-phosphorylated isoforms of equine αs- and β-caseins and capillary zone electrophoresis showed 3 to 7 phosphorylated residues in equine β-casein. In vitro digestion of equine β-casein by pepsin and Corolase PP™ did not produce casomorphins BCM-5 or BCM-7, believed to be harmful to human health. Electron microscopy provided very clear, detailed images of equine casein micelles in their native state and when renneted or acidified. Equine milk formed flocs rather then a gel when renneted or acidified which is supported by dynamic oscillatory analysis. The results presented in this thesis will assist in the development of new products from equine milk for human consumption which will retain some of its unique compositional and health-giving properties.

Numerical and experimental studies of a substructural identification strategy

For structural health monitoring it is impractical to identify a large structure with complete measurement due to limited number of sensors and difficulty in field instrumentation. Furthermore, it is not desirable to identify a large number of unknown parameters in a full system because of numerical difficulty in convergence. A novel substructural strategy was presented for identification of stiffness matrices and damage assessment with incomplete measurement. The substructural approach was employed to identify large systems in a divide-and-conquer manner. In addition, the concept of model condensation was invoked to avoid the need for complete measurement, and the recovery process to obtain the full set of parameters was formulated. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated numerically through multi-storey shear buildings subjected to random force. A fairly large structural system with 50 DOFs was identified with good results, taking into consideration the effects of noisy signals and the limited number of sensors. Two variations of the method were applied, depending on whether the sensor could be repositioned. The proposed strategy was further substantiated experimentally using an eight-storey steel plane frame model subjected to shaker and impulse hammer excitations. Both numerical and experimental results have shown that the proposed substructural strategy gave reasonably accurate identification in terms of locating and quantifying structural damage.

Community Relations in Northern Ireland: a shift in Attitudes?

The paper presents an analysis of Northern Ireland Social Attitudes data available at the time of writing. Its significance lay in emerging disparities in the responses, over time, of Protestants and Catholics to key social issues such as integrated education. The data, made public just one year after the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, generated intense media interest. Findings were reported in 400 outlets worldwide (UU media monitoring). Hughes was also interviewed for local and national news programmes (including BBC World Service). The data informed a decision by Government to undertake a major review of community relations policy, and Hughes was invited to advise the Head of the Northern Ireland review team. She was also invited to Chair the Community Relations Panel of the ESRC Devolution