The shielding effectiveness (SE) of the novel multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) plastic composites is studied for the purpose of the electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection and the electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) improvement in the application of the optical transmitter and receiver modules. The experimental results showed that the liquid crystal polymer (LCP) based MWCNT composites can exhibit a high SE of 38 dB ~ 45 dB within the frequency range of 1 GHz ~ 3 GHz. The shielding capability was demonstrated by examining the electromagnetic susceptibility performance of the optical transmitter and receiver modules, which were packaged by the MWCNT-LCP composites. The EMS performance was evaluated by eye diagram and bit-error-rate test in a 2.5 Gbps lightwave transmission system. The results showed that the MWCNT-LCP composite packaged modules with more weight percentage of the MWCNTs can exhibit a higher SE, and hence showed effective EMS performance, a better mask margin, and a lower power penalty. A novel polyimide (PI) plastic consisting of finely ionic liquid (IL) dispersed MWCNTs was also demonstrated to have high SE under a lower MWCNT loading. The experimental results showed that the IL dispersed MWCNT-PI composite can exhibit a high SE of 40 dB ~ 46 dB within the frequency range of 1 GHz ~ 3 GHz. By comparison, the composite fabricated by non-dispersed process required a higher loading of MWCNTs than the dispersed one. To understand the detailed intermolecular forces among MWCNTs, the dispersion mechanism of the MWCNTs is studied qualitatively. The aggregation of MWCNTs is from van der Waals forces among MWCNTs, and it can be dispersed by using IL dispersant. This is due to the predominant cation-

Diss.--Technische Universität Dresden, 1998. / Bibliogr. p. 255-281.

Texte remanié de: Habil-Schr.--Philosophische Fakultät--München--Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 2000. / Bibliogr. p. 332-347. Index.

Riksbyggen, one of Sweden’s largest real estate companies, are planning to build a new residential area outside Uppsala, Sweden. Adjacent to the houses in the area, Riksbyggen are considering installing a 137 kWp photovoltaic (PV) system to supply the residents with renewable energy. In the first part of this study, the proposed PV system is analyzed based on benefits and profitability for the residents, using the software HOMER. Possibilities for including 3 kWp roof-mounted PV systems with varying azimuth as a complement to the larger system are evaluated. In the second part, options for implementing an Energy Management System (EMS) with battery storage or load shifting in the distribution grid using MATLAB. The system uses forecasting of PV generation, electricity prices and electricity demand to optimize the system control strategies. The results from the study indicate that installation of the 137 kWp PV system could lead to reduced average electricity costs of 21,1 % for the residents. If the system is completed with roof-mounted PV modules of varying azimuth for 12 % of the households in the area, the average electricity cost is reduced by 29,4 %in total. Implementing an EMS with energy storage in the distribution grid was not found to be an economically viable option, mainly due to high energy storage costs. The system control strategies can be improved by using forecasting. The economic benefits of load shifting for a single household were found to be too low to give incentive for system investment.

Purpose: This purpose of this thesis is to investigate a company’s understanding of ‘sustainability’ and how this concept is integrated into organisational processes and decision making. Firstly, the internal sustainability systems which lead up to external social and environmental reporting will be examined. Secondly, the role of reputation management and legitimacy in driving company response behaviours around short-term and long-term environmental issues will be explored. Prior research is mainly limited to studies on external social and environmental reporting. The present study adds to the literature by exploring the internal mechanisms and behaviours which underlie external reporting practice. New theoretical insights are provided into legitimacy theory by presenting a framework linking aspects of reputation, resource dependence theory, and stakeholder theory. Design and methodology: Research is conducted through an in-depth case study at a wholly-owned foreign affiliate of a large multinational organisation involved in an environmentally sensitive industry. Data collection was extensive, including semi-structured interviews and non-structured talks with 26 participants from top management executives through to production workers. Access was also granted to confidential reports, participation in the company’s annual environmental seminar and a stakeholder engagement meeting. Analysis was conducted in a number of phases, framed around research questions and themes drawn from prior literature. Findings: Findings and discussion are presented on three major research questions. Findings on the first research question about internal sustainability systems in the company suggest that senior management are incorporating sustainability issues into strategic planning. However, concerns over the environment have not fully cascaded down to the lower levels of the firm. Although Management Control and Environmental Management Systems are well integrated, these systems are relatively decoupled from the external reporting process. The second and third research questions focus on the distinction between the concepts of “reputation” and “legitimacy” in the case company. Three short-term issues and a long-term strategic decision in the company are outlined to illustrate how company response behaviours change according to: 1) the visibility of the issue, 2) stakeholder salience, and 3) the interconnectedness of stakeholders around the problem. The case company prefers direct action to contain problems where possible, and external reporting only features in some scenarios. Ultimately, it is proposed that reputation and legitimacy must be understood in terms of behaviours as well as external reporting outcomes. Originality/value: There has been a considerable focus on external reporting in corporate sustainability research, particularly in the accounting literature. The work that has been done on internal systems has been largely limited to case study work focused on characteristics and preconditions of sustainability processes together with limitations in current practice. The purpose of this research is to produce an in-depth case study looking at company responses to sustainability issues. It provides some new perspectives on the well researched concept of legitimacy along with some potential avenues for further theory development.

Zugl.: Osnabrück, University, Diss., 2005.

Thesis--Freie Universität Berlin. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 8-16).

Inaug.-diss.--Greifswald. / Lebenslauf.

Inaug.-diss.--Greifswald. / Lebenslauf.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF JOSHUA GUNTHER, for the Masters of Science degree in Plant, Soil and Agricultural Systems, presented on November 2nd, 2015, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: DEVELOPING CHEMICALLY MUTAGENIZED EMS FORREST SOYBEAN POPULATION FOR HIGH OIL PROFILE. MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Khalid Meksem SUPERVISOR: Dr. Naoufal Lakhssassi Soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) are the most important crop that provides a sustainable source of oil and protein worldwide. Five major fatty acids are known, Palmetic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic and Linolenic acid, and each is essential for both nutrition and biodiesel. Oil demand for biodiesel production is constantly on the rise both because of high crude oil prices and because of the search for a sustainable fuel source. In biodiesel production a high level of Oleic Acid is ideal. Commodity soybean oil usually contains around 20% oleic acid. The objective of this research is to increase the Oleic acid content to increase the quantity of biodiesel that can be produced from one bushel of soybeans. With the process of chemical mutagenesis using Ethyl Methanesulfonate (EMS), soybean populations can be produced with varying fatty acid levels. Once these populations are isolated and tested they can be bred into a new cultivar with higher percentages of Oleic acid and grown on a large scale for biodiesel production. From the ‘Forrest’ cultivar that was used in the chemical mutagenesis process, there was one mutant line (FM3 2014-2031) that produced 43.26% Oleic Acid. This was almost twice the concentration of the Forrest wild type that was used as a control which had an Oleic Acid concentration of 23.17%.