Microbial life and deposits in paper machine circuits

Väitöskirjani käsittele mikrobien ja erilaisten kemikaalien rooleja saostumien ja biofilmien muodostumisessa paperi- ja kartonkikoneilla. "Saostuma" tässä työssä tarkoittaa kiinteän aineen kertymää konepinnoille tai rajapinnoille konekierroissa, jotka on tarkoitettu massasulppujen, lietteiden, vesien tai ilman kuljetukseen. Saostumasta tulee "biofilmi" silloin kun sen oleellinen rakennekomponentti on mikrobisolut tai niiden tuotteet. Väitöstyöni työhypoteesina oli, että i. tietämys saostumien koostumuksesta, sekä ii. niiden rakenteesta, biologisista, fysikaalis-kemiallisista ja teknisistä ominaisuuksista ohjaavat tutkijaa löytämään ympäristöä säästäviä keinoja estää epätoivottujen saostumien muodostus tai purkaa jo muodostuneita saostumia. Selvittääkseni saostumien koostumista ja rakennetta käytin monia erilaisia analytiikan työkaluja, kuten elektronimikroskopiaa, konfokaali-laser mikroskopiaa (CLSM), energiadispersiivistä röntgenanalyysiä (EDX), pyrolyysi kaasukromatografiaa yhdistettynä massaspektrometriaan (Py-GCMS), joninvaihtokromatografiaa, kaasukromatografiaa ja mikrobiologisia analyysejä. Osallistuin aktiivisesti innovatiivisen, valon takaisinsirontaan perustuvan sensorin kehittämistyöhön, käytettäväksi biofilmin kasvun mittaukseen suoraan koneen vesikierroista ja säiliöistä. Työni osoitti, että monet paperinvalmistuksessa käytetyistä kemikaaleista reagoivat keskenään tuottaen orgaanisia tahmakerroksia konekiertojen teräspinnoille. Löysin myös kerrostumia, jotka valomikroskooppisessa tarkastelussa oli tulkittu mikrobeiksi, mutta jotka elektronimikroskopia paljasti alunasta syntyneiksi, alumiinihydroksidiksi joka saostui pH:ssa 6,8 kiertokuitua käyttävän koneen viiravesistä. Monet paperintekijät käyttävät vieläkin alunaa kiinnitysaineena vaikka prosessiolot ovat muuttuneet happamista neutraaleiksi. Sitä pidetään paperitekijän "aspiriinina", mutta väitöstutkimukseni osoitti sen riskit. Löysin myös orgaanisia saostumia, joiden alkuperä oli aineiden, kuten pihkan, saippuoituminen (kalsium saippuat) niin että muodostui tahmankasvua ylläpitävä alusta monilla paperi- ja kartonkikoneilla. Näin solumuodoiltaan Deinococcus geothermalista muistuttavia bakteereita kasvamassa lujasti teräskoepalojen pintaan kiinnittyneinä pesäkkeinä, kun koepaloja upotettiin paperikoneiden vesikiertoihin. Nämä deinokokkimaiset pesäkkeet voivat toimia jalustana, tarttumisalustana muiden mikrobien massoille, joka selittäisi miksi saostumat yleisesti sisältävät deinokokkeja pienenä, muttei koskaan pääasiallisena rakenneosana. Kun paperikoneiden käyttämien vesien (raakavedet, lämminvesi, biologisesti puhdistettu jätevesi) laatua tutkitaan, mittausmenetelmällä on suuri merkitys. Koepalan upotusmenetelmällä todettu biofilmikasvu ja viljelmenetelmällä mitattu bakteerisaastuneisuus korreloivat toisiinsa huonosti etenkin silloin kun likaantumisessa oli mukana rihmamaiseti kasvavia bakteereja. Huoli ympäristöstä on pakottanut paperi- ja kartonkikoneiden vesikiertojen sulkemiseen. Vesien kierrätys ja prosessivesien uudelleenkäyttö nostavat prosessilämpötilaa ja lisäävät koneella kiertävien kolloidisten ja liuenneiden aineiden määriä. Tutkin kiertovesien pitoisuuksia kolmessa eriasteisesti suljetussa tehtaassa, joiden päästöt olivat 0 m3, 0,5 m3 ja 4 m3 jätevettä tuotetonnia kohden, perustuen puhdistetun jäteveden uudelleen käyttöön. Nollapäästöisellä tehtaalla kiertovesiin kertyi paljon orgaanisesti sidottua hiiltä (> 10 g L-1), etenkin haihtuvina happoina (maito-, etikka-, propioni- ja voi-). Myös sulfaatteja, klorideja, natriumia ja kalsiumia kertyi paljon, > 1 g L-1 kutakin. Pääosa (>40%) kaikista bakteereista oli 16S rRNA geenisekvenssianalyysien tulosten perusteella sukua, joskin etäistä (< 96%) ainoastaan Enterococcus cecorum bakteerille. 4 m3 päästävältä tehtaalta löytyi lisäksi Bacillus thermoamylovorans ja Bacillus coagulans. Tehtaiden saostumat sisälsivät arkkeja suurina pitoisuuksina, ≥ 108 g-1, mutta tunnistukseen riittävää sekvenssisamanlaisuutta löytyi vain yhteen arkkisukuun, Methanothrix. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat että tehtaan vesikiertojen sulkeminen vähensi rajusti mikrobiston monimuotoisuutta, muttei estänyt liuenneen aineen ja kiintoaineen mineralisoitumista.

The UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-border Insolvency and its Potential Role in Upholding the Rule of Law

The rule of law is understood to be a core aspect in achieving a stable economy and an ordered society. Without the elements that are inherent in this principle the possibilities of anarchy, unfairness and uncertainty are amplified, which in turn can result in an economy with dramatic fluctuations. In this regard, commentators do not always agree that the rule of law is strictly adhered to in the international legal context. Therefore, this paper will explore one aspect of international regulation and consider whether the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-border Insolvency (1997) (‘Model Law’) and its associated Guide to Enactment and Interpretation (2013) contribute to the promotion of the key elements of the rule of law.

Optimum geometry for uniform deposits on a rotating substrate from a point source

The application of an algorithm shows that maximum uniformity of film thickness on a rotating substrate is achieved for a normalized source-to-substrate distance ratio, h/r =1.183.

Promoting law student well-being – A developing program and the use of animation

It is widely acknowledged that student mental well-being is a critical factor in the tertiary student learning experience and is important to student learning success. The issue of student mental well-being also has implications for effective student transition out of university and into the world of work. It is therefore vital that intentional strategies are adopted by universities both within the formal curriculum, and outside it, to promote student well-being. This paper describes the ongoing development of the ‘I Belong in the LLB’ program at the Queensland University of Technology Law School, and the use of animation to engage students with the importance of mental health.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Copyright Law and Education

There is much concern across the Pacific rim about the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) upon public education. The secretive trade agreement involves a dozen nations across the Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, and Indonesia may soon join. Although the text was finalised at the Atlanta talks in October 2015, the Agreement has not yet been made public. (The NTEU has joined with other unions and civil society organisations in calling for the agreement to be revealed to facilitate public debate before any decisions are made by Parliament.) So whilst we cannot examine all the text that may impact on public educations, WikiLeaks has published the final version of the Intellectual Property Chapter of the TPP. The Intellectual Property Chapter of the TPP alone, with its copyright term extension, limits on copyright exceptions, and enforcement measures, will have a significant impact for educators and public education.

Posted Workers and Free Movement of Services in the European Union – the Impact on National Employment and Immigration Law

This thesis examines posting of workers within the free movement of services in the European Union. The emphasis is on the case law of the European Court of Justice and in the role it has played in the liberalisation of the service sector in respect of posting of workers. The case law is examined from two different viewpoints: firstly, that of employment law and secondly, immigration law. The aim is to find out how active a role the Court has taken with regard these two fields of law and what are the implications of the Court’s judgments for the regulation on a national level. The first part of the thesis provides a general review of the Community law principles governing the freedom to provide services in the EU. The second part presents the Posted Workers’ Directive and the case law of the European Court of Justice before and after the enactment of the Directive from the viewpoint of employment law. Special attention is paid to a recent judgment in which the Court has taken a restrictive position with regard to a trade union’s right to take collective action against a service provider established in another Member State. The third part of the thesis concentrates, firstly, on the legal status of non-EU nationals lawfully resident in the EU. Secondly, it looks into the question of how the Court’s case law has affected the possibilities to use non-EU nationals as posted workers within the freedom to provide services. The final chapter includes a critical analysis of the Court’s case law on posted workers. The judgments of the European Court of Justice are the principal source of law for this thesis. In the primary legislation the focus is on Articles 49 EC and 50 EC that lay down the rules concerning the free movement of services. Within the secondary legislation, the present work principally concentrates on the Posted Workers’ Directive. It also examines proposals of the European Commission and directives that have been adopted in the field of immigration. The conclusions of the case study are twofold: while in the field of employment law, the European Court of Justice has based its judgments on a very literal interpretation of the Posted Workers’ Directive, in the field of immigration its conclusions have been much more innovative. In both fields of regulation the Court’s judgments have far-reaching implications for the rules concerning posting of workers leaving very little discretion for the Member States’ authorities.

Rwanda Crisis and Genocide in Case Law of Rwanda Tribunal

After the Second World War the public was shocked to learn about the horrors perpetrated. As a response to the Holocaust, the newly established United Nations adopted the Genocide Convention of 1948 to prevent future genocides and to punish the perpetrators. The Convention remained, however, almost dead letter until the present day. In 1994, the long-lasted tension between the major groups of Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda erupted in mass scale violence towards the Tutsi ethnic group. The purpose was to eradicate the Tutsi population of Rwanda. The international community did not halt the genocide. It stood by idle, failing to follow the swearing-in of the past. The United Nations established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (the ICTR) to bring to justice persons responsible for the genocide. Ever since its creation the ICTR has delivered a wealth of judgements elucidating the legal ingredients of the crime of genocide. The case law on determining the membership of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups has gradually shifted from the objective to subjective position. The membership of a group is seen as a subjective rather than objective concept. However, a totally subjective approach is not accepted. Therefore, it is necessary to determine some objective existence of a group. The provision on the underlying offences is not so difficult to interpret compared to the corresponding one on the protected groups and the mental element of genocide. The case law examined, e.g., whether there is any difference between the words killing and meurtre, the nature of mental harm caused by the perpetrator and sexual violence in the conflict. The mental element of genocide or dolus specialis of genocide is not thoroughly examined in the case law of the ICTR. In this regard, reference in made, in addition, to the case law of the other ad hoc Tribunal. The ICTR has made a significant contribution to the law of genocide and international criminal justice in general. The corpus of procedural and substantive law constitutes a basis for subsequent trials in international and hybrid tribunals. For national jurisdictions the jurisprudence on substantive law is useful while prosecuting international crimes.

Doctors’ perspectives on law and life-sustaining treatment: Survey design and recruitment strategies for a challenging cohort

- Background Palliative medicine and other specialists play significant legal roles in decisions to withhold and withdraw life-sustaining treatment at the end of life. Yet little is known about their knowledge of or attitudes to the law, and the role they think it should play in medical practice. Consideration of doctors’ views is critical to optimizing patient outcomes at the end of life. However, doctors are difficult to engage as participants in empirical research, presenting challenges for researchers seeking to understand doctors’ experiences and perspectives. - Aims To determine how to engage doctors involved in end-of-life care in empirical research about knowledge of the law and the role it plays in medical practice at the end of life. - Methods Postal survey of all specialists in palliative medicine, emergency medicine, geriatric medicine, intensive care, medical oncology, renal medicine, and respiratory medicine in three Australian states: New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. The survey was sent in hard copy with two reminders and a follow up reminder letter was also sent to the directors of hospital emergency departments. Awareness was further promoted through engagement with the relevant medical colleges and publications in professional journals; various incentives to respond were also used. The key measure is the response rate of doctors to the survey. - Results Thirty-two percent of doctors in the main study completed their survey with response rate by specialty ranging from 52% (palliative care) to 24% (medical oncology). This overall response rate was twice that of the reweighted pilot study (16%). - Conclusions Doctors remain a difficult cohort to engage in survey research but strategic recruitment efforts can be effective in increasing response rate. Collaboration with doctors and their professional bodies in both the development of the survey instrument and recruitment of participants is essential.

Agreeable Agreement : An Examination into the Quest for a Solid Consensus in Light of Bilateral Doctrinal Dialogues among Anglicans, Lutherans and Roman Catholics

The purpose of this study is to analyse the development and understanding of the idea of consensus in bilateral dialogues among Anglicans, Lutherans and Roman Catholics. The source material consists of representative dialogue documents from the international, regional and national dialogues from the 1960s until 2006. In general, the dialogue documents argue for agreement/consensus based on commonality or compatibility. Each of the three dialogue processes has specific characteristics and formulates its argument in a unique way. The Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue has a particular interest in hermeneutical questions. In the early phases, the documents endeavoured to describe the interpretative principles that would allow the churches to together proclaim the Gospel and to identify the foundation on which the agreement in the church is based. This investigation ended up proposing a notion of basic consensus , which later developed into a form of consensus that seeks to embrace, not to dismiss differences (so-called differentiated consensus ). The Lutheran-Roman Catholic agreement is based on a perspectival understanding of doctrine. The Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue emphasises the correctness of interpretations. The documents consciously look towards a common future , not the separated past. The dialogue s primary interpretative concept is koinonia. The texts develop a hermeneutics of authoritative teaching that has been described as the rule of communion . The Anglican-Lutheran dialogue is characterised by an instrumental understanding of doctrine. Doctrinal agreement is facilitated by the ideas of coherence, continuity and substantial emphasis in doctrine. The Anglican-Lutheran dialogue proposes a form of sufficient consensus that considers a wide set of doctrinal statements and liturgical practices to determine whether an agreement has been reached to the degree that, although not complete , is sufficient for concrete steps towards unity. Chapter V discusses the current challenges of consensus as an ecumenically viable concept. In this part, I argue that the acceptability of consensus as an ecumenical goal is based not only the understanding of the church but more importantly on the understanding of the nature and function of the doctrine. The understanding of doctrine has undergone significant changes during the time of the ecumenical dialogues. The major shift has been from a modern paradigm towards a postmodern paradigm. I conclude with proposals towards a way to construct a form of consensus that would survive philosophical criticism, would be theologically valid and ecumenically acceptable.

Automatic phonetic transcription of Tamil in Roman script

Simple formalized rules are proposed for automatic phonetic transcription of Tamil words into Roman script. These rules are syntax-directed and require a one-symbol look-ahead facility and hence easily automated in a digital computer. Some suggestions are also put forth for the linearization of Tamil script for handling these by modern machinery.

Essays on Banking Crises

This thesis aims at finding the role of deposit insurance scheme and central bank (CB) in keeping the banking system safe. The thesis also studies the factors associated with long-lasting banking crises. The first essay analyzes the effect of using explicit deposit insurance scheme (EDIS), instead of using implicit deposit insurance scheme (IDIS), on banking crises. The panel data for the period of 1980-2003 includes all countries for which the data on EDIS or IDIS exist. 70% of the countries in the sample are less developed countries (LDCs). About 55% of the countries adopting EDIS also come from LDCs. The major finding is that the using of EDIS increases the crisis probability at a strong significance level. This probability is greater if the EDIS is inefficiently designed allowing higher scope of moral hazard problem. Specifically, the probability is greater if the EDIS provides higher coverage to deposits and if it is less powerful from the legal point of view. This study also finds that the less developed a country is to handle EDIS, the higher the chance of banking crisis. Once the underdevelopment of an economy handling the EDIS is controlled, the EDIS separately is no longer a significant factor of banking crises. The second essay aims at determining whether a country s powerful CB can lessen the instability of the banking sector by minimizing the likelihood of a banking crisis. The data used include indicators of the CB s autonomy for a set of countries over the period of 1980-89. The study finds that in aggregate a more powerful CB lessens the probability of banking crisis. When the CB s authority is disentangled with respect to its responsibilities, the study finds that the longer tenure of CB s chief executive officer and the greater power of CB in assigning interest rate on government loans are necessary for reducing the probability of banking crisis. The study also finds that the probability of crisis reduces more if an autonomous CB can perform its duties in a country with stronger law and order tradition. The costs of long-lasting banking crises are high because both the depositors and the investors lose confidence in the banking system. For a rapid recovery of a crisis, the government very often undertakes one or more crisis resolution policy (CRP) measures. The third essay examines the CRP and other explanatory variables correlated with the durations of banking crises. The major finding is that the CRP measure allowing the regulation forbearance to keep the insolvent banks operative and the public debt relief program are respectively strongly and weakly significant to increase the durations of crises. Some other explanatory variables, which were found by previous studies to be related with the probability of crises to occur, are also correlated with the durations of crises.

The doctrinal method: Incorporating interdisciplinary methods in reforming the law

The doctrinal methodology is in a period of change and transition. Realising that the scope of the doctrinal method is too constricting, academic lawyers are becoming eclectic in their use of research method. In this transitional time, legal scholars are increasingly infusing evidence (and methods) from other disciplines into their reasoning to bolster their reform recommendations. This article considers three examples of the interplay of the discipline of law with other disciplines in the pursuit of law reform. Firstly the article reviews studies on the extent of methodologies and reformist frameworks in PhD research in Australia. Secondly it analyses a ‘snapshot’ of recently published Australian journal articles on criminal law reform. Thirdly, it focuses on the law reform commissions, those independent government committees that play such an important role in law reform in common law jurisdictions. This examination demonstrates that while the doctrinal core of legal scholarship remains intact, legal scholars are endeavouring to accommodate statistics, comparative perspectives, social science evidence and methods, and theoretical analysis, within the legal research framework, in order to provide additional ballast to the recommendations for reform.