Excess Fluoride in drinking water is a cause for concern in several countries in the world. Various techniques have been developed to mitigate the harmful effects of fluoride. In the present work, a combined alum and activated alumina (AA) process has been investigated. Tap water with sodium fluoride dissolved in it to produce a solution having a fluoride concentration of 5 mg/L was used as the feed. It was found that pretreatment with alum extends the time required for the regeneration of the AA column. The volume of water treated increased by 89% compared to AA process alone. Though the regeneration of the AA column has been well documented, subtle issues have ot been reported. The disposal of regeneration effluent is a concern in adsorption-based processes. This study aims to examine some of the issues involved in the regeneration of the AA column such as disposal of effluent, and the quantity of acid and alkali required. The regeneration effluent from the combined process, which had a fluoride concentration of 10-16 mg/L was treated in a solar still. The distillate from the still had a fluoride concentration of 2-3 mg/L, which is much lower than the concentration of the regeneration effluent. The cost of treatment decreased with each regeneration cycle and after four regenerations the cost was Rs 0.5/L of treated water. The volume of water treated after four regenerations was 307 L/Kg of AA. Studies were also done using field water from Banavara, Hassan district, Karnataka, which had a fluoride concentration of 3,0-3.5 mg/L. The combined process successfully produced treated water having an acceptable fluoride concentration. After one regeneration cycle, the operating cost was Rs. 1/L of treated water. Studies have also been conducted on a point-of-use water filter containing a bed of AA pellets. The filter was provided by an organization called TIDE. The present results appear to suggest that a column with a smaller diameter than the TIDE filter has a better removal capacity. Ceramic candles are widely used for water filtration as they are readily available and inexpensive. Hence they are suitable for household water treatment purposes. In the present work, ceramic candles have been impregnated with nano-size alumina and nano-size magnesium oxide and tested for their defluoridation capacity. The nanoparticles were generated in situ in the pores of the candle by solution combustion synthesis. It has been found the candle impregnated with nano-size magnesium oxide has a higher defluoridation capacity than nano-size alumina. Estimation of the particle size in the samples of treated water did not give conclusive evidence for the presence or absence of nanoparticles. The volume of water treated was low and the cost of treatment was high (Rs. 12/L for the candle impregnated with MgO). Hence such candles are unsuitable for defluoridation. Batch adsorption has been employed to measure the adsorption capacity of adsorbents. A model to capture the overall picture of the batch adsorption process, obtaining the kinetic and transport parameters involved has been developed. The mathematical model takes into account external mass transfer resistance, intraparticle diffusion, adsorption, and desorption. The equilibrium adsorption data was fitted using the Langmuir isotherm. The governing equations were solved using a finite difference technique known as the Laasonen method. The parameters were estimated by fitting two sets of data using a MATLAB function. The values estimated suggest that the adsorption process may not be diffusion-limited, in contrast to the assumption commonly used in the literature. The estimated parameter values were used to predict the concentration profiles for the other data sets. It was found that predicted and measured profiles agreed reasonably well.

The Swedish group contribution rules do not include a right to deduction for cross-border group contributions unless the receiving company is taxable in Sweden. There has been much discussion regarding whether the rules are compatible with EC law. On 11 March 2009 the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court ruled ten cases concerning the right to deduction for cross-border group contributions. In three of these judgments deduction for a group contribution from a Swedish parent company to a foreign subsidiary within the EEA was allowed, despite that the subsidiary was not taxable in Sweden. The main purpose of this master thesis is to analyse whether the interpretation of the Supreme Administrative Court concerning the right to deduction for cross-border group contributions is compatible with EC law. In order to achieve this purpose an extensive analysis of EC case law concerning cross-border loss relief as well as of the judgements of the Supreme Administrative Court is undertaken. The results of the thesis show that the interpretation of the case law of the European Court of Justice concerning cross-border loss relief is far from obvious. Taken together the Marks & Spencer and Oy AA cases imply that deduction for cross-border group contributions to a parent company can be refused, irrespective of the existence of final losses. However EC law seems to include a right to deduction for cross-border group contributions to a subsidiary, provided that the subsidiary has final losses. A final loss exists if the subsidiary has exhausted all possibilities of having the losses taken into account in its state of residence. The Supreme Administrative Court allowed deduction for cross-border group contributions from a Swedish parent company to a foreign subsidiary within the EEA if the subsidiary was to be liquidated. Despite that deduction was allowed, some uncertainties remain regarding how this should be achieved in practice. On the contrary, deduction was refused for cross-border group contributions to both parent companies and between subsidiaries. With respect to Marks & Spencer and Oy AA the interpretation of the Supreme Administrative Court so far seems compatible with EC law. Regarding the cases in which deduction for cross-border group contributions to foreign subsidiaries within the EEA was refused because the losses had been lost after some time according to internal tax rules in the subsidiary’s state of residence, it could however be questioned if this interpretation is compatible with EC law. Such losses should be considered final in the sense of Marks & Spencer. In the light of EC case law as well as the case law of the Supreme Administrative Court at least the wording of the group contribution rules should be considered contrary to EC law. Even if the application of the rules in practice should turn out to be fully compatible with EC law, it is nonetheless unacceptable from a perspective of rule of law and predictability to leave the Swedish group contribution rules in their present wording. / De svenska koncernbidragsreglerna innefattar inte någon rätt till avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag om det mottagande bolaget inte är skattskyldigt i Sverige. Diskussion har förts kring reglernas förenlighet med EG-rätten. Den 11 mars 2009 avgjorde Regeringsrätten tio mål beträffande rätten till avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag (fortsättningsvis koncernbidragsmålen). I tre av dessa mål medgavs avdrag för koncernbidrag från svenskt moderbolag till utländskt dotterbolag inom EES, trots att dotterbolaget inte var skattskyldigt i Sverige. Det huvudsakliga syftet med denna uppsats är att utifrån koncernbidragsmålen analysera huruvida Regeringsrättens tolkning beträffande rätten till avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag är förenlig med EG-rätten. För att uppfylla syftet företas en omfattande analys av såväl EG-rättslig praxis beträffande gränsöverskridande förlustutjämning som Regeringsrättens domar i koncernbidragsmålen. Uppsatsens resultat visar att tolkningen av EG-domstolen praxis beträffande gränsöver-skridande förlustutjämning inte på något sätt är självklar. Sammantaget tyder dock domarna i målen Marks & Spencer och Oy AA på att avdrag inte måste medges för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag till moderbolag. Däremot synes EG-rätten inkludera en rätt till avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag till dotterbolag, förutsatt att dotterbolaget har slutliga förluster. En slutlig förlust föreligger om dotterbolaget uttömt möjligheterna att utnyttja förlusten i hemviststaten. Regeringsrätten medgav i koncernbidragsmålen avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag från svenskt moderbolag till ett utländskt dotterbolag inom EES om dotterbolaget skulle likvideras. Trots att avdrag medgavs i denna situation kvarstår vissa oklarheter med avseende på hur detta ska uppnås i praktiken. Däremot vägrades avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag till såväl moder- som systerbolag. Mot bakgrund av Marks & Spencer och Oy AA synes Regeringsrättens tolkning så långt som huvudregel vara förenlig med EG-rätten. Beträffande de mål där avdrag för gränsöverskridande koncernbidrag till dotterbolag vägrades då förlusterna i dotterbolaget hade gått förlorade efter viss tid enligt interna skatteregler i dotterbolagets hemviststat, kan emellertid ifrågasättas om denna tolkning är förenlig med EG-rätten. Sådana förluster bör nämligen vara att betrakta som slutliga i den meningen som avsågs i Marks & Spencer. Mot bakgrund av både EG-domstolens praxis och Regeringsrättens domar i koncernbidragsmålen får anses att åtminstone koncernbidragsreglernas ordalydelse står i strid med EG-rätten. Även om tillämpningen av koncernbidragsreglerna till fullo skulle visa sig vara förenlig med EG-rätten, är det oacceptabelt ur ett rättssäkerhets- och förutsebarhetsperspektiv att utan andra åtgärder lämna de svenska koncernbidragsreglerna i deras nuvarande utformning.

A better understanding of the brine-rock- supercritical CO2 interaction is needed to evaluate the risks of geologic CO2 sequestration. The geochemical effects of brine and supercritical CO2 were examined via laboratory modeling of in situ conditions on two reservoir caprocks in the Black Warrior River Basin, the Pottsville and Parkwood Formations. The clay fraction was extracted and treated at ~ 100 bar and 363 K (90 °C) over periods of up to 70 hours. Supercritical CO2 was introduced as dry ice in a pressurized vessel. Samples were observed using XRD, WD-XRF, AA, SEM, and EDS. Clay fractions contained Fe-chlorite, illite, kaolinite, and quartz. Results show the dissolution of illite, CO2-brine induced cation exchange ok K+, and the dissolution of silicate minerals. Steady-state K/Si ratios in the fluid suggest quartz re-precipitation. These interactions could adversely affect the long-term storativity of the caprock and point to a need for further study.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

<p>The understanding and practice of leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa, in all spheres, is at the heart beat of this work. Questions and concerns over the quality of leadership in most countries in this particular region are reasons which have led to revisit and investigate the formative training of the current cohort of African leadership with a special focus on the ethical aspect of leadership. It is an assumption, in this thesis, that the contemporary cohort of African leadership received their formative training especially in the 1960s and 1970s and that they were deeply influenced by the black consciousness movement and, in association with that, by the emergence of black theology. In this respect, this research project explores the notions of ethics and leadership with a view to determine ways in which an appropriate leadership ethos was portrayed and articulated in the writings of selected exponents of the black theology movement, namely ML King (Jr), Desmond Tutu and Allan Boesak. The purpose of this work is therefore mainly descriptive: to map discourse on a leadership ethos in the context especially of black theology.</p>

Les couches de conversion actuellement utilisées dans l'industrie aéronautique, pour protéger le métal de la corrosion et favoriser l'adhérence de la peinture, contiennent du chrome hexavalent, composé toxique et cancérigène dont l'utilisation va prochainement être interdite par la réglementation européenne REACh. L'une des pistes envisagée pour remplacer ces couches chromatées est l'utilisation de couches de conversion TCP (Trivalent Chromium Protection). Ces travaux portent sur l'étude des couches de TCP et s'attachent à caractériser chaque étape du traitement de surface industriel, incluant les étapes de prétraitement et de post-traitement. Des techniques d'analyse de surface (XPS, ToF-SIMS, AFM, MEB et PM-IRRAS) ont été utilisées pour analyser la composition chimique et la morphologie de la surface après chaque étape du traitement. Cette étude a été réalisée sur un alliage d'aluminium AA 2024-T3, très utilisé en aéronautique pour ses propriétés mécanique, mais présentant une faible résistance à la corrosion. Les résultats obtenus ont notamment mis en évidence que la couche de TCP se forme sur toute la surface de l'alliage (composés intermétalliques et cavités), et ont permis de comprendre comment le post-traitement permet d'améliorer la résistance à la corrosion de la couche de TCP. Ces travaux s'intéressent également à des couches de conversion sans chrome, à base de zirconium, étudiées ici pour servir de point de départ au développement d'une conversion sans chrome qui respecterait les exigences de résistance à la corrosion. / Conversion coatings are used in aerospace industry to protect the metal from corrosion and to promote paint adhesion. Currently, chromate conversion coatings are used, but chromate is toxic and carcinogenic and its use will be forbidden by the European REACh regulation. TCP (Trivalent Chromium Protection) conversion coatings, are considered as a promising alternative to replace chromate conversion coating. This work focuses on the characterisation of the TCP layer and considers each step of the industrial surface treatment, including pre-treatment and post-treatment steps. Surface analytical techniques (XPS, ToF-SIMS, AFM, SEM and PM-IRRAS) were used to analyse the chemical composition and morphology of the surface after each step in the process. This work was done on an aluminium alloy AA 2024-T3, commonly used in the aerospace industry for its good mechanical properties, but poorly resistant to corrosion. The results obtained demonstrate, among other things, that the TCP layer totally covers the surface (intermetallic compounds and cavities) and enable to understand how the post-treatment can improve the corrosion resistance of the TCP coating. This work also focuses on conversion coating based on zirconium, which are studied here to be used as a starting point to develop a new conversion coating without chromium, meeting the corrosion resistance requirement.

Magister Theologiae - MTh / The understanding and practice of leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa, in all spheres, is at the heart beat of this work. Questions and concerns over the quality of leadership in most countries in this particular region are reasons which have led to revisit and investigate the formative training of the current cohort of African leadership with a special focus on the ethical aspect of leadership. It is an assumption, in this thesis, that the contemporary cohort of African leadership received their formative training especially in the 1960s and 1970s and that they were deeply influenced by the black consciousness movement and, in association with that, by the emergence of black theology. In this respect, this research project explores the notions of ethics and leadership with a view to determine ways in which an appropriate leadership ethos was portrayed and articulated in the writings of selected exponents of the black theology movement, namely ML King (Jr), Desmond Tutu and Allan Boesak. The purpose of this work is therefore mainly descriptive: to map discourse on a leadership ethos in the context especially of black theology. / South Africa

The thesis deals with the Corporate Social Responsibility concept (CSR) in the theoretical part. It describes particular steps within the implementation of the concept. The practical part concentrates on applying the concept in a company; the proposal of various CSR activities has been worked out taking into consideration financial situation of the company.

The protein folding problem is examined. Specifically, the problem of predicting protein secondary structure from the amino acid sequence is investigated. A literature study is presented into the protein folding process and the different techniques that currently exist to predict protein secondary structures. These techniques include the use of expert rules, statistics, information theory and various computational intelligence techniques, such as neural networks, nearest neighbour methods, Hidden Markov Models and Support Vector Machines. A pattern recognition technique based on statistical analysis is developed to predict protein secondary structure from the amino acid sequence. The technique can be applied to any problem where an input pattern is associated with an output pattern and each element in both the input and output patterns can take its value from a set with finite cardinality. The technique is applied to discover the role that small sequences of amino acids play in the formation of protein secondary structures. By applying the technique, a performance score of Q8 = 59:2% is achieved, with a corresponding Q3 score of 69.7%. This compares well with state of the art techniques, such as OSS-HMM and PSIPRED, which achieve Q3 scores of 67.9% and 66.8% respectively, when predictions on single sequences are made. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

The starting point of Corporate Social Responsibility is the understanding and the acceptance of fact, that organization is a part of the society, in which it develops its activities. There are many companies, which are conducting in accordance to superior performance of the obligations in the area of social responsibility. These organizations truly think about their surroundings. The problem can occur in the measuring the social responsibility level of each CSR pillars, consisting of economic, social and environment areas. Measurement and evaluation of CSR could be conducted by some exact methods (i.e. standards and norms). In organization is needed to set up measurement mechanisms of all the areas of corporate social responsibility. The organization could use for reporting “structures” of already existing standarts, however the complexity of these standarts is the reason why it is not easy to apply them in the Czech Republic. The following project presents the metodology of measuring Corporate Social Responsibility