With a number of advantages hitherto unrecognized, nanoparticle-stabilized emulsions and foams have recently been proposed for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications. Long-distance transport of nanoparticles is a prerequisite for any such EOR applications. The transport of the particles is limited by the degree to which the particles are retained by the porous medium. In this work, experiments that quantify the retention and provide insight into the mechanisms for nanoparticle retention in porous media are described. Sedimentary rock samples (Boise sandstone and Texas Cream limestone) were crushed into single grains and sieved into narrow grain size fractions. In some cases, clay (kaolinite or illite) was added to the Boise sandstone samples. These grain samples were packed into long (1 ft – 15 ft) slim tubes (ID = 0.93 cm) to create unconsolidated sandpack columns. The columns were injected with aqueous dispersions of silica-cored nanoparticle (with and without surface coating) and flushed with brine. The nanoparticle effluent concentration history was measured and the nanoparticle recovery was calculated as a percentage of the injected nanoparticle dispersion. Fifty experiments were performed in this fashion, varying different experimental parameters while maintaining others constant to allow direct comparisons between experiments. The parameters analyzed in this thesis are: specific surface area of the porous medium, lithology, brine salinity, interstitial velocity, residence time, column length, and temperature. Our results indicate that retention is not severe, with an 8% average of the injected amount, for all our experiments. From the parameters analyzed, specific surface area was the most influential variable, with a linear effect on nanoparticle retention independently of lithology. Salinity increased nanoparticle retention slightly and delayed nanoparticle arrival. Velocity, residence time and length are coupled parameters and were studied jointly; they had a minor effect on retention. Temperature had a marginal effect, as we observed an approximate 2% increase in retention at 80°C compared to 21°C. Both surface coated and bare silica nanoparticles were successfully transported, so surface coating does not appear to be a prerequisite for transport for the particle and rock systems studied. / text

<p>Many financial organisations are working hard to design a skills management strategy that reflects the overarching national skills need for an institution, in the process of attracting highly skilled Information Technology (IT) specialists. But there are many organisations that are less concerned about mobility across nations and more concerned about the need to retain highly skilled IT staff. The pace and ubiquity of the information technologies&rsquo / (IT) progress means that organisations need to improve on their technologies, and so the skills needed to operate and utilise these technologies. The need for a highly IT skilled workforce is rising and, therefore, organisations will have to move beyond their traditional policies and practices to retain highly skilled IT staff. Organisations are employing and utilising various models, frameworks and strategies to nurture and address the retention of skilled IT staff. Even though these methods are well implemented and coordinated within organisations, skilled IT staff still leave organisations and minimises the level of retaining skilled IT staff. This is a functional shortfall at a management level, since a coherent lack to monitor the impact of external factors on retention strategies are overlooked. The same holds for the financial sector in South Africa. Therefore the aim of this research was to propose effective retention strategies for employers within the financial environment, to retain their skilled IT workforce. In order to fulfil the objectives of this study, the literature review had been performed followed by the empirical field research. The field data were gathered by using twofold data collection technique: disseminating a questionnaire and interviewing participants in this study. The fieldwork followed the University of the Western Cape guidelines on research ethics. The outcomes of the study showed that there is a strong correlation between having good HR retention policies and procedures, and the management of these policies and procedures. The findings suggested the importance of involving employees at all employment levels to provide input on the development of these policies and procedures so that the retention process is well understood across the firm Apart from contributing to the existing academic knowledge area, the study outcomes can beneficially contribute to organisations&rsquo / advantage and ability to retain skilled IT staff on a long-term basis. From a financial services sector perspective, this study will possibly contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field of Staff Retention especially the area of Information Technology.</p>

<p>Many financial organisations are working hard to design a skills management strategy that reflects the overarching national skills need for an institution, in the process of attracting highly skilled Information Technology (IT) specialists. But there are many organisations that are less concerned about mobility across nations and more concerned about the need to retain highly skilled IT staff. The pace and ubiquity of the information technologies&rsquo / (IT) progress means that organisations need to improve on their technologies, and so the skills needed to operate and utilise these technologies. The need for a highly IT skilled workforce is rising and, therefore, organisations will have to move beyond their traditional policies and practices to retain highly skilled IT staff. Organisations are employing and utilising various models, frameworks and strategies to nurture and address the retention of skilled IT staff. Even though these methods are well implemented and coordinated within organisations, skilled IT staff still leave organisations and minimises the level of retaining skilled IT staff. This is a functional shortfall at a management level, since a coherent lack to monitor the impact of external factors on retention strategies are overlooked. The same holds for the financial sector in South Africa. Therefore the aim of this research was to propose effective retention strategies for employers within the financial environment, to retain their skilled IT workforce. In order to fulfil the objectives of this study, the literature review had been performed followed by the empirical field research. The field data were gathered by using twofold data collection technique: disseminating a questionnaire and interviewing participants in this study. The fieldwork followed the University of the Western Cape guidelines on research ethics. The outcomes of the study showed that there is a strong correlation between having good HR retention policies and procedures, and the management of these policies and procedures. The findings suggested the importance of involving employees at all employment levels to provide input on the development of these policies and procedures so that the retention process is well understood across the firm Apart from contributing to the existing academic knowledge area, the study outcomes can beneficially contribute to organisations&rsquo / advantage and ability to retain skilled IT staff on a long-term basis. From a financial services sector perspective, this study will possibly contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field of Staff Retention especially the area of Information Technology.</p>

Thesis (M.S. - Renewable Natural Resources)--University of Arizona, 1984. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 69).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Globe University/Minnesota School of Business, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-41).

abstract: V(D)J recombination is responsible for generating an enormous repertoire of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors, therefore it is a centerpiece to the formation of the adaptive immune system. The V(D)J recombination process proceeds through two steps, site-specific cleavage at RSS (Recombination Signal Sequence) site mediated by the RAG recombinase (RAG1/2) and the subsequent imprecise resolution of the DNA ends, which is carried out by the ubiquitous non-homologous end joining pathway (NHEJ). The V(D)J recombination reaction is obliged to be tightly controlled under all circumstances, as it involves generations of DNA double strand breaks, which are considered the most dangerous lesion to a cell. Multifaceted regulatory mechanisms have been evolved to create great diversity of the antigen receptor repertoire while ensuring genome stability. The RAG-mediated cleavage reaction is stringently regulated at both the pre-cleavage stage and the post-cleavage stage. Specifically, RAG1/2 first forms a pre-cleavage complex assembled at the boarder of RSS and coding flank, which ensures the appropriate DNA targeting. Subsequently, this complex initiates site-specific cleavage, generating two types of double stranded DNA breaks, hairpin-ended coding ends (HP-CEs) and blunt signal ends (SEs). After the cleavage, RAG1/2 proteins bind and retain the recombination ends to form post-cleavage complexes (PCC), which collaborates with the NHEJ machinery for appropriate transfer of recombination ends to NHEJ for proper end resolution. However, little is known about the molecular basis of this collaboration, partly attributed to the lack of sensitive assays to reveal the interaction of PCC with HP-CEs. Here, for the first time, by using two complementary fluorescence-based techniques, fluorescence anisotropy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), I managed to monitor the RAG1/2-catalyzed cleavage reaction in real time, from the pre-cleavage to the post-cleavage stages. By examining the dynamic fluorescence changes during the RAG-mediated cleavage reactions, and by manipulating the reaction conditions, I was able to characterize some fundamental properties of RAG-DNA interactions before and after cleavage. Firstly, Mg2+, known as a physiological cofactor at the excision step, also promotes the HP-CEs retention in the RAG complex after cleavage. Secondly, the structure of pre-cleavage complex may affect the subsequent collaborations with NHEJ for end resolution. Thirdly, the non-core region of RAG2 may have differential influences on the PCC retention of HP-CEs and SEs. Furthermore, I also provide the first evidence of RAG1-mediated regulation of RAG2. Our study provides important insights into the multilayered regulatory mechanisms, in modulating recombination events in developing lymphocytes and paves the way for possible development of detection and diagnotic markers for defective recombination events that are often associated immunodeficiency and/or lymphoid malignancy. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Molecular and Cellular Biology 2012

Possibility of water and nutrient retention increase in agricultural landscape on example of Třeboňsko area is subject of PhD thesis presented here by Mgr. Richard Lhotský. PhD thesis is divided into three main chapters that try to answer three basic questions: 1. How far is possible to increase landscape water retention using fishponds? 2. Large amount of nutrient and soil leach arable land, both causing surface water euthrophication and a bigger sedimentation in fishponds. Is it possible to moderate these harmful effects? 3. If wetlands became a part of landscape features how to utilize plant biomass from these areas. Fishponds or even whole fishpond system is a specific component of czech rural landscape and fulfill several important functions. Water accumulation and retention are the most important considering the thesis ? fishponds collect water from a catchment area and also collect floodwaves. Current agriculture based on originally steppe crop needs amelioration. In spite lot of positive features we have to bear in mind that water drainage systems increase mineralization of an organic matter in soil and nutrient loss which might be economically important as well as decrease of surface water quality due to the euthphication. Wetlands and small water bodies (fishponds) may play important role as a nutrient trap in agricultural catchment areas, reuse them and prevent their loss from a landscape and whole Czech Republic. It is necessary to solve a utilization of plant biomass from nutrient and water retention areas and use that in biogas plants seems to be one of the most promising.

No description available.

Magister Commercii - MCom / Many financial organisations are working hard to design a skills management strategy that reflects the overarching national skills need for an institution, in the process of attracting highly skilled Information Technology (IT) specialists. But there are many organisations that are less concerned about mobility across nations and more concerned about the need to retain highly skilled IT staff. The pace and ubiquity of the information technologies’ (IT) progress means that organisations need to improve on their technologies, and so the skills needed to operate and utilise these technologies. The need for a highly IT skilled workforce is rising and, therefore, organisations will have to move beyond their traditional policies and practices to retain highly skilled IT staff.Organisations are employing and utilising various models, frameworks and strategies to nurture and address the retention of skilled IT staff. Even though these methods are well implemented and coordinated within organisations, skilled IT staff still leave organisations and minimises the level of retaining skilled IT staff. This is a functional shortfall at a management level, since a coherent lack to monitor the impact of external factors on retention strategies are overlooked. The same holds for the financial sector in South Africa. Therefore the aim of this research was to propose effective retention strategies for employers within the financial environment, to retain their skilled IT workforce. In order to fulfil the objectives of this study, the literature review had been performed followed by the empirical field research. The field data were gathered by using twofold data collection technique: disseminating a questionnaire and interviewing participants in this study. The fieldwork followed the University of the Western Cape guidelines on research ethics.The outcomes of the study showed that there is a strong correlation between having good HR retention policies and procedures, and the management of these policies and procedures. The findings suggested the importance of involving employees at all employment levels to provide input on the development of these policies and procedures so that the retention process is well understood across the firm Apart from contributing to the existing academic knowledge area, the study outcomes can beneficially contribute to organisations’ advantage and ability to retain skilled IT staff on a long-term basis.From a financial services sector perspective, this study will possibly contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field of Staff Retention especially the area of Information Technology.

Background Contemporary business faces many challenges in constantly adapting to the ever-changing nature of the market. One of the most important challenges is obtaining the best workforce available in order to create competitive advantages and retain competence in the organization. In order to succeed with this task it is imperative to improve retention in the organization since it is very ineffective to lose employees with high competence and very costly to replace that competence. One business highly influenced by these changes is Call centers and it is important to assess the possible ways they can improve retention. Purpose The purpose of the thesis is to explore and elaborate upon how motivational factors induces turnover intention in employees in a Call center. It aims to discover the interplay between different factors and to facilitate the factors in order to improve retention. Methodology The study is of inductive nature and uses a qualitative method. The execution of the empirical gathering is with interviews in order to provide a deeper understanding of the motivational features influencing turnover intention. The interviewees are employees that recently left an organization operating in the Call center context. Conclusions The findings shed some light of the wide range of features influencing turnover intention as well as providing some insight to which one is of particular importance in the specific context. Other findings in the study argues that the different features influencing turnover intention compensate for each other. Which provides some further practical use in the strategical work to improve retention trough motivational aspects. It also provides some suggestion that will aid to decrease turnover intention.