Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaf : 39).

This report estimates the steady-state, non-point source bacteria pollution along the international river system of the Lower Rio Grande / Río Bravo between Falcón Reservoir and the Gulf of Mexico. The results from this report may be used by environmental agencies in the United States and México in order to develop a steady-state water quality model of the bacterial load in this river system. This report creates a GIS-based estimation of the steady-state, non-point source pollution from sources such as failing septic tanks, untreated sewage, grazing animals, and wildlife in the watershed. This report also provides recommendations for environmental agencies when developing the water quality model. The results and methodology developed for this report may be used as part of the Lower Rio Grande / Río Bravo Watershed Initiative, a binational pilot project to develop a plan to restore and protect the quality of the Rio Grande/Río Bravo. / text

Chloramines are used for disinfection in many water treatment facilities because of their ability to provide residual protection of water supplies while minimizing the formation of disinfection-by-products. However, chloramines can impart taste and odor to the water, which can lead to customer complaints. Furthermore, the removal of monochloramine from water is essential for certain industries. Previous research at the University of Texas at Austin has demonstrated the potential of several granular activated carbons (GAC) for removal of monochloramine under conditions typical of water treatment plants. The goal of this research project is to further quantify steady-state monochloramine reduction in fixed bed reactors (FBR) with three commercially available GACs, and improve the understanding of the physical and chemical properties that influence removal. The research was divided into 3 phases: 1. A laboratory scale fixed bed reactor experiment was used to quantify steady state monochloramine removal over time. City of Austin tap water viii was used for three GAC types (Jacobi CAT, Norit CAT, Nority CNS) at pH 8 and 9. 2. Physical characterization of each GAC was performed using analysis of nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Specific surface area, pore volume, and pore distribution were determined. Chemical characterization was performed quantitatively using Boehm titrations. Qualitative analysis was performed by analyzing FTIR spectra of untreated activated carbon samples. 3. The Monochloramine Catalysis (MCAT) model was calibrated using results from the Phase 1 and 2 experiments. Simulations of full scale point of use drinking water filters were run for various empty bed contact times and influent monochloramine concentrations. These results were compared against National Sanitation Foundation monochloramine reduction certification criteria. Results show that steady state removal was achieved for all of the activated carbons tested and this removal efficiency can reach nearly 90% using a 0.75-minute empty bed contact time. This steady state performance indicated that catalysis of the monochloramine was occurring, and removal could theoretically occur for very long periods of time. The second stage of the research shows correlation between chemical characteristics (acidity and basicity) and removal efficiency. Furthermore, physical characteristics, mainly micro-porosity, were shown to largely impact performance. Finally, the MCAT model provides a reasonable estimate of steady state removal, and is used to predict full scale point of use performance. / text

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Three solution models: ideal, regular, and quasi- regular, were used to predict the melting point of eutectic mixtures containing Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 400 and PEG 4000 with nine poorly water- soluble drugs: 1-naphthoic acid, estrone, griseofulvin, indomethacin, phenobarbital, paracetamol, salicylic acid, salicylamide and naproxen. PEG 400 was physically mixed with drug at different weight percentages to determine the melting points of the pure drugs and the melting point depression using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The PEG 4000 eutectic mixtures were processed by the solvent evaporation method. In both the PEG 400 and PEG 4000 study, the quasi-regular solution model accounted for the most realistic conditions of entropy and enthalpy of the mixtures compared to ideal and regular solution models.

Denna uppsats är skriven på avancerad nivå inom socialt arbete. Dess syfte är att belysa turning points från kriminalitet och utgår från intervjuer med personer som tidigare haft en kriminell karriär. Intervjuerna har varit semistrukturerade och berört orsaken till turning points och motivationskällor till upprätthållandet av beslutet. Analysen har genomförts med hjälp av symbolisk interaktionism och teorier om stämpling, stigma och strain. Resultatet visar nätverkets betydelse för processen kring en turning point samt vikten av individens egna vilja till förändring. I resultatet går det även att utläsa hur personligt engagemang från omgivningen påverkar individen positivt vid en turning point. I diskussionen lyfter författaren resultatet och diskuterar även samhällets insatser utifrån uppsatsens resultat. Efter analys och diskussion framkommer författaren med slutsatsen att en turning point sker först när individen själv vill genomgå en förändring. När individen har tagit det beslutet fungerar nätverket både motiverande samt som en resurskälla. Med personligt engagemang från omgivningen så kan individen stå fast vid sitt beslut om en turning point och motiveras till ett liv utan kriminalitet.

Background: Tobacco marketing has been established as the main motivator for tobacco use among youth. A proliferation of tobacco promotional activities in retail stores has been observed yet little is known about its impact on adolescent smoking behaviours. The purpose of this study is to use secondary data to describe the prevalence of retail tobacco point-of-purchase (PoP) activities, examine its associations with adolescent smoking behaviours, and determine what ecological factors moderate the relationship between PoP activities and student smoking behaviours in British Columbia. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed grade 10-11 students from 22 randomly-selected schools in BC on student smoking behaviour and conducted observations in 57 retail stores on tobacco PoP activities located within a 1 km radius of these schools. Descriptive analysis was conducted on retail tobacco PoP variables. Individual data on smoking behaviour and school level data on retailers were linked to analyse the association between retail tobacco PoP activities and student smoking behaviour using logistic regression. Moderating effects of contextual factors were also examined. GIS maps were generated to illustrate study findings. Result: A moderate to strong presence of tobacco PoP activities was observed in all tobacco retail stores located in BC school neighbourhoods. Nearly all stores displayed cigarette products in a visible manner (98.25%) and posted tobacco control signage (94.74%). In this model, proportion of stores in the school neighbourhood with presence of tobacco advertising increased the odds of a student being a smoker (OR = 1.28-3.27). Proportion of stores in the school neighbourhood with presence of tobacco control signage decreased the odds of a student being a smoker (OR = 0.11-0.66). The odds of a student being a smoker increased if they resided on the island compared to living in the lower mainland (OR = 1.11-1.75). Discussion: Convenience stores exhibited more tobacco PoP activities than other store types. Retailers in the school neighbourhood that had tobacco advertisements and tobacco control signage exhibited both detrimental and protective effects on student smoking. This provides supportive evidence to ban tobacco advertising in retail stores and increase efforts for creating an anti-tobacco environment in neighbourhood retail stores. Maps generated served descriptive and hypothesis generating purposes.