H ευρυζωνικότητα δεν είναι μια στενή έννοια αλλά ένα δυναμικό πλαίσιο που αγγίζει ένα ευρύ φάσμα τεχνολογιών, υπηρεσιών και πολιτικοοικονομικών θεμάτων. Συνοπτικά θα λέγαμε ότι η ευρυζωνικότητα χαρακτηρίζει ένα περιβάλλον το οποίο συνίσταται: • Μια δικτυακή υποδομή που έχει τη δυνατότητα να αναβαθμίζεται συνεχώς με μικρό κόστος για να υποστηρίζει τις εκάστοτε ανάγκες των εφαρμογών σε εύρος ζώνης και διαθεσιμότητα • Γρήγορες, συνεχείς και με χαμηλό κόστος συνδέσεις χρηστών στην υποδομή αυτή για τις οποίες δεν τίθενται εγγενείς περιορισμοί που αφορούν τον τύπο τερματικού εξοπλισμού και συστημάτων μετάδοσης • Την ελευθερία επιλογής από το χρήστη της τεχνολογίας και του είδους της σύνδεσης, των υπηρεσιών και εφαρμογών και την δυνατότητα συμμετοχής στην παραγωγή περιεχομένου • Το κατάλληλο θεσμικό και νομικό πλαίσιο για την ενίσχυση της καινοτομίας και του ανταγωνισμού. Όσο αναφορά τις υποδομές και τις τεχνολογίες που χρησιμοποιούνται ευρέως στην σύγχρονη εποχή αυτές διαφοροποιούνται σε ενσύρματες και ασύρματες, και από εκεί και πέρα ποικίλουν. Χαρακτηριστικά αναφέρουμε την χρήση των καναλιών της καλωδιακής τηλεόρασης, των καλωδίων του ρεύματος, της οπτικής ίνας καθώς και την χρήση του wi-fi, του WiMAX και των δικτύων κινητής τηλεφωνίας. Θα κάνουμε μια πιο εκτενής ανάλυση της τεχνολογίας της οπτικής ίνας, οποία αποτελεί την βασικότερη υποδομή ενσύρματης δικτύωσης πλέον, περιγράφοντας τα χαρακτηριστικά της καθώς και τους διάφορους τρόπους δικτύωσης που συναντάμε σήμερα, κάνοντας ιδιαίτερη αναφορά στις τεχνολογίες FTTx. Η ανταγωνιστικότητα ενός κράτους στο νέο αυτό περιβάλλον υψηλής τεχνολογίας και ψηφιακής σύγκλισης, συσχετίζεται έντονα με την ύπαρξη προηγμένων δικτυακών υποδομών υψηλής ποιότητας, χωρητικότητας και απόδοσης, ορθολογικά ανεπτυγμένων και κοστολογημένων, οι οποίες προσφέρουν εύκολη, ασφαλή και αδιάλειπτη πρόσβαση στο διεθνές «ηλεκτρονικό πλέγμα» της γνώσης και του εμπορίου, με προσιτά τιμολόγια χωρίς τεχνητούς αποκλεισμούς. Παρά όμως την σχετικά γρήγορη διάχυση της ευρυζωνικότητας, προς το παρόν όλα τα κράτη είναι στα αρχικά βήματα στην εξάπλωση της. Ο ανταγωνισμός στην αγορά έχει παίξει μεγάλο ρόλο στην ανάπτυξη της ευρυζωνικότητας, δεν φαίνεται όμως να είναι αρκετός για την διασφάλιση της γρήγορης εφαρμογής της. Για το λόγο αυτό παγκοσμίως οι κυβερνήσεις διερευνούν και εφαρμόζουν τρόπους για την προώθηση των ευρυζωνικών υποδομών και των υπηρεσιών, την δημιουργία περιεχομένου και την διασφάλιση της δυνατότητας συμμετοχής στο περιβάλλον αυτό όλων των περιοχών και πολιτών. Καθώς όμως η ευρυζωνικότητα είναι ένα πολυσύνθετο θέμα, δεν φαίνεται να έχουν βρεθεί ευρέως αποδεκτές και ακολουθούμενες βέλτιστες πρακτικές. Αντίθετα κάθε κράτος ακολουθεί τις δικές του πρωτοβουλίες με βάση το θεσμικό του πλαίσιο, την πολιτική και την κουλτούρα του, τις οικονομικές και κοινωνικές συνθήκες που επικρατούν. Στα πλαίσια αυτής της εργασίας θα αναλύσουμε τους στόχους, τα σχέδια, τις πολιτικές και τις στρατηγικές των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών της Αμερικής για όλα αυτά που μόλις αναφέρθηκαν. Θα φανούν οι τρόποι με τους ποίους οι Η.Π.Α. σκοπεύουν να αναπτύξουν και να κάνουν προσβάσιμες τις ευρυζωνικές υπηρεσίες στους Αμερικανούς πολίτες, καθώς και τα οφέλη που οι ίδιοι αναμένουν να έχουν από τις υπηρεσίες αυτές σε πολλούς τομείς της καθημερινότητας όπως η εκπαίδευση, η υγεία, η ασφάλεια, η εργασία, η συμμετοχή στα κοινά. / Broadband is not a limited sense, but a dynamic framework that touches a broad range of technologies, services and political and economical issues. Synoptically the broadband features an environment that consists of the following: • A Web-based infrastructure which can be upgraded continuously with low cost due to support the needs of applications to bandwidth and the availability. • Fast, continuous and low cost of user connections to this infrastructure for which there are inherent limitations to the type of terminal equipment and transmission systems. • The user has the option of the technology and type of connection, services and applications and the ability to participate in content production. • The appropriate institutional and legal frame for fostering innovation and competition. The infrastructure and technologies which widely used in modern times are various, and they are divided into wired and wireless. In this point it should be mentioned the use of channels of cable television, cable current, the optical fiber and the use of Wi-Fi, the WiMAX and cellular networks. An extensive analysis of the optical fiber technology, which is the most basic infrastructure, where is now known as wired networking, with description of its characteristics and the various ways of networking in the modern world , with particular reference to technologies FTTx will be followed. The competitiveness of a country in this new environment of high technology and digital convergence correlates strongly with the presence of advanced network infrastructure quality, capacity and performance, rationally developed and costed, which offer easy, secure and uninterrupted access to the international "electronic network" of knowledge and commerce, with affordable rates without artificial exclusions. Despite the relatively rapid diffusion of broadband, currently all States are in the early steps in the spread. The market competition has strongly affected the development of broadband, but it is not sufficient to ensure the rapid implementation. For this reason, governments worldwide are investigating and implementing ways to promote broadband infrastructure and services, content creation and ensuring the participation of all regions and citizens in this environment. Due to the broadband is a complex issue, it seems that practises, which will be widely accepted and followed, are not established yet. Contrary each state follows its own initiatives under the institutional frames, policy and culture, economic and social conditions. As part of this thesis, it will analyze the targets, plans, policies and strategies of the United States of America for all those which were just mentioned. Providing the means that U.S. intend to develop in order to make accessible broadband services to all American citizens, and the expected benefits applying in many areas of daily life, such as education, health, safety, labor and citizenship, from the use of these services.

L’étude multi-échelle d’un lit fluidisé gaz-particule est réalisée afin de comprendre les raisons de la mauvaise prédiction de la combustion dans ce type de réacteur. Dans un premier temps, des simulations numériques directes à l’échelle de quelques particules montrent le couplage entre la fraction volumique de particules et la fraction massique des espèces dans l’écoulement. Ensuite, une analyse des équations flitrées en LES montre qu’un terme de corrélation fluide-particule apparaît lorsque l’on explicite le taux de réaction gaz-particules. On comprend alors que si ce couplage n’est pas pris en compte correctement dans les simulations aux grandes échelles, le résultat ne peut pas être bon. Des simulations numériques à l’échelle du réacteur sont alors réalisées avec différents maillages pour tenter de mettre en évidence les effets de sous-maille liés à ce couplage à l’échelle des petites structures solides dans l’écoulement. / The multiscale study of a reactive gas-solid fluidized bed is performed to understand the reason of the bad prediction of the combustion in such a reactor. First, Direct Numerical Simulations at the particle array lenght scale show the dependency of the species mass fraction released in the gas phase on the solid volume fraction. Then, the analysis of the filtered continuity equations for the eulerian granular model highlights that a fluid-particle coupling term appears when expliciting the heterogeneous reaction rate. Therefore, we understand the need to take this coupling into account in large scales simulations to obtain good results. Computations at the lab-scale reactor are eventually performed using different grid refinements in order to try to highlight the subgrid terms due to this coupling at the small solid structure scale.

Submitted by Isaac Francisco de Souza Dias (isaac.souzadias@ufpe.br) on 2016-03-31T17:05:25Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese.pdf: 2148277 bytes, checksum: 3892221944b4474f09bb1f1dbb1f22b0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-31T17:05:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese.pdf: 2148277 bytes, checksum: 3892221944b4474f09bb1f1dbb1f22b0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-13 / Foi investigada a incerteza em modelos: discreto e continuo que descrevem a fluidodinâmica do riser na UPF - Unidade Piloto a Frio tipo FCC – Fluid Cracking Catalyst. O processo de refino de petróleo produz metade da gasolina consumida no mundo e se mantém competitivo com pesquisa e desenvolvimento em duas linhas básicas: a cinética e a fluidodinâmica. Na determinação dos parâmetros fluidodinâmicos a técnica da transmissão da radiação gama é competitiva por realizar medidas não intrusivas. Os sinais emitidos por fonte de radiação e detectados em sistema de aquisição são os utilizados para realizar a Tomografia Gama a mais confiável para analisar o processo de FCC. As medidas experimentais são requeridas para validar os modelos teóricos que simulam o escoamento do leito fluidizado bifásico. No processo de validação dos modelos fluidodinâmicos é necessário avaliar a incerteza dos dados experimentais. O método de avaliar incerteza baseado no GUM – Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, foi aplicado a um modelo discreto que descreve fração volumétrica de sólidos no riser, medida por meio da transmissão gama. Os resultados estão apresentados em gráficos e discutidos. A simulação estocástica para avaliação da incerteza, em modelo contínuo unidimensional que descreve o escoamento utilizando os parâmetros medidos experimentalmente, foi realizada e implementada em algoritmo computacional por meio de equações diferenciais estocásticas. / We investigated the uncertainty in models: discrete and continuous describing the fluid in the riser UPF - Unit Pilot Cold type FCC - Fluid Cracking Catalyst. The petroleum refining process produces half of the gasoline consumed in the world and remains competitive with research and development in two basic lines: the kinetics and fluid dynamics. In determining the fluid dynamic parameters of the transmission of gamma radiation technique is competitive to perform non-intrusive measures. The signals emitted by radiation source and detected in acquisition system are used to perform tomography range the most reliable to analyze the FCC process. The experimental measurements are required to validate the theoretical models that simulate the flow of two-phase fluidized bed. In the validation process of the fluid dynamic models is necessary to evaluate the uncertainty of the experimental data. The method of evaluating uncertainty based on GUM - Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, was applied to a discrete model that describes volume fraction of solids in the riser, measured by the transmission range. The results are shown in graphs and discussed. The stochastic simulation to evaluate the uncertainty in continuous one-dimensional model describing the flow using the experimentally measured parameters was carried out and implemented in computational algorithm using stochastic differential equations.

Orientadores: Ana Maria Frattini Fileti, Florival Rodrigues de Carvalho / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-03T02:39:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vieira_WilliamGoncalves_D.pdf: 7050309 bytes, checksum: c1e288d81c3eebed686e86e3bcc5edda (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002 / Resumo: A unidade de Craqueamento Catalítico em Leito Fluido - FCC, modelo Kellogg Orthoflow F., representa um processo de refino de petróleo apresentando característica altamente não linear, possuindo fortes interaçães entre as variáveis de produção, e condições de operação extremamente severas. Essas unidades são constituídas basicamente de duas seções: uma de reação catalítica na qual ocorrem as reações de quebra de cadeia hidrocarbônica e também há formação de coque, desativando o catalisador; e outra seção onde ocorre a regeneração do catalisador desativado. O objetivo dessa unidade é transformar produtos de elevado peso molecu1ar, que apresentam baixo valor agregado, em compostos de elevado valor comercial. As unidades FCC, devido às condições severas de operação, necessitam de um controle rigoroso de determinadas variáveis operacionais. Apesar de existirem instalados controladores avançados baseados em modelos de convolução, fteqüentemente essas unidades são reguladas por meio de controladores PID padrões e também através de controle manual baseado no conhecimento de operadores das refinarias. O presente estudo tem como objetivo desenvolver um controlador preditivo multivariável (Multivariable Predictive Control - MPC) para ser implementado na unidade FCC, utilizando Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNA) como modelo interno do controlador. Inicialmente é previsto realizar a identificação do processo da FCC em RNA, obedecendo a seguinte estratégia: usando um modelo fenomenológico que representa a unidade industrial, e partindo de um estado inicial são aplicados diversos degraus nas variáveis manipuladas analisando as respostas nas variáveis controladas do processo. A partir destas simulações são gerados diversos conjuntos de dados divididos em grupos de treinamento, validação e teste. Diversas redes neurais do tipo multicamada feedforward são então criadas para representar o modelo fenomenológico, sendo selecionada aquela que apresenta melhor desempenho, quando comparada com o modelo. A configuração da RNA escolhida como modelo interno foi 8x15x4 (camadas de entrada, escondida e de saída, respectivamente) apresentando um erro relativo máximo de 1% quando comparado com os resultados do modelo rigoroso. Posteriormente, foi previsto desenvolver um controlador preditivo multivariável usando como modelo interno esta rede selecionada. Este controlador foi implementado dentro da rotina do modelo fenomenológico, sendo então realizados testes para verificar seu desempenho, comparando o resultado com o sistema aberto e também com o controlador DMC (Dynamic Matrix Contro!) existente. Diversos horizontes de predição e controle foram analisados, sendo selecionados aqueles que apresentaram melhor desempenho. Foi introduzido um ruído nos sinais do modelo fenomenológico para testar a robustez do controlador proposto. O controlador apresentou bom desempenho mesmo na presença de ruídos de 1,5%, levando sempre as variáveis controladas para seus valores de referência, o que comprova sua robustez. Baseados nestes resultados, conclui-se que um controlador preditivo multivariável baseado em RNA é perfeitamente capaz de controlar um sistema não linear de porte do FCC, onde elevada interação entre suas variáveis operacionais e fortes restrições estão presentes. Isto nos permite extrapolar que são boas as expectativas para uma futura utilização na unidade industrial, principalmente devido à sua simplicidade, robustez e facilidade de implementação, a despeito da dificuldade de sintonia do controlador / Abstract: The Fluid Cracking Catalytic unit - FCC, Kellogg Orthotlow F. model, represents a very strong nonlinear process, with severe interactions among the process variables, and extremely severe operation conditions. The unit is composed of two sections: one is the catalytic reaction, where the hydrocarbon breaks chain reactions and coke deposition take place becoming the catalyst inactive, and the other where the catalyst regeneration happens. The objective is to transform products derived ITom petroleum, with high molecular weight and low added value, into products with higher profit. Due to the severe operation conditions, rigorous control of some variable is needed. In spite of the existence of advanced control based on a convolution model, in practice, FCC units are ftequently regulated by standard PID controllers, and also through manual control actions based on the knowledge of the refinery operators. The objective of this study is to develop a Multivariable Predictive Control (MPC) to be implemented in the FCC unit, using the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as internal model. Initially, the process identification in ANN of the FCC was done by the following strategy: an initial state was fust achieved using numerical simulations based on the phenomenological mo deI. Then, several steps changes were applied to the manipulated variables and the response in the controlled variables were monitored and recorded. From these simulations, several groups of data were generated for training, validation and testing. The Neural Network of multilayer feedforward type were created to represent the phenomenological model, being selected the one that better represents the phenomenological model. The ANN configuration chosen to be the internal model was 8x15x4 (Input x Hidden x Output) architecture, with a maximum relative error below 1 % when comparing the results with the phenomenological model results. Later on, it was developed a multivariable predictive control based on this internal model. This control was implemented inside the routine of the phenomenological model. The performance tests were evaluated comparing the results with the open system and with the Dynamics Matrix Control (DMC). Several prediction and control horizons were analyzed. The ANN control presented good performance even in the presence of noise of 1,5% of intensity, taking back the controlled variables to its setpoints, proving its robustness. Based on these results, a multivariable predictive control based on ANN showed be perfectly able to control a nonlinear system like a FCC unit, where high interactions among process variables, and strong restriction conditions exists. This allows us to have good expectations for a future use in the industrial unit, mainly due to its simplicity, robustness and facility ofuse, in spite ofthe difliculty oftune control / Doutorado / Sistemas de Processos Quimicos e Informatica / Doutor em Engenharia Química

The body centered cubic grid (BCC) and face centered cubic grid (FCC) offer improved sampling properties when compared to the cartesian grid. Despite this there is little software and hardware support for volume rendering of data stored in one of these grids. This project is a continuation of a project adding support for such grids to the volume rendering engine Voreen. This project has three aims. Firstly, to implement new interpolation methods capable of rendering at interactive frame rates. Secondly, to improve the software by adding an alternate volume storage format offering improved frame rates for BCC methods. And thirdly, because of the issues when comparing image quality between different grid types due to aliasing, to implement a method unbiased in terms of post-aliasing. The existing methods are compared to the newly implemented ones in terms of frame rate and image quality and the results show that the new volume format improve the frame rate significantly, that the new BCC interpolation method offers similar image quality at better performance compared to existing methods and that the unbiased method produces images of good quality at the expense of speed.

Understanding the relationships between microstructures and properties of materials is a key to developing new materials with more suitable qualities or employing the appropriate materials in special uses. In the present world of material research, the main focus is on microstructural control to cost-effectively enhance properties and meet performance specifications. This present work is directed towards improving the fundamental understanding of the microscale deformation mechanisms and mechanical behavior of metallic alloys, particularly focusing on face centered cubic (FCC) structured metals through a unique computational methodology called three-dimensional dislocation dynamics (3D-DD). In these simulations, the equations of motion for dislocations are mathematically solved to determine the evolution and interaction of dislocations. Microstructure details and stress-strain curves are a direct observation in the simulation and can be used to validate experimental results. The effect of initial dislocation microstructure on the yield strength has been studied. It has been shown that dislocation density based crystal plasticity formulations only work when dislocation densities/numbers are sufficiently large so that a statistically accurate description of the microstructure can be obtainable. The evolution of the flow stress for grain sizes ranging from 0.5 to 10 µm under uniaxial tension was simulated using an improvised model by integrating dislocation pile-up mechanism at grain boundaries has been performed. This study showed that for a same initial dislocation density, the Hall–Petch relationship holds well at small grain sizes (0.5–2 µm), beyond which the yield strength remains constant as the grain size increases.

En este trabajo se ha evaluado la viabilidad de la utilización de reactores convencionales de craqueo catalítico en lecho fluidizado (FCC) para el reciclado de los plásticos presentes en los residuos sólidos urbanos. Se ha diseñado y puesto a punto una unidad de FCC a escala de planta piloto, con un reactor tipo “riser” operando en condiciones similares a las que se encuentran en las instalaciones comerciales de FCC. La unidad construida permite el craqueo, separación y recogida de los productos sólidos, líquidos y gaseosos generados en los ensayos llevados a cabo. El diseño de la planta involucra, entre otros aspectos, el diseño y construcción del reactor de craqueo catalítico fluidizado por arrastre de sólidos y de las conducciones entre el reactor y los equipos de separación; el diseño y construcción del sistema para la recogida de las diferentes fracciones de productos; el diseño, construcción e instalación de los instrumentos de medida y control necesarios, y el estudio y optimización de las condiciones de operación y fluidodinámica de la planta (temperatura del reactor, velocidad de fluidización y arrastre, caudal de alimentación, etc.). Se ha estudiado el comportamiento reológico de las mezclas de residuo de vacío y plásticos, determinando la influencia de la composición y la temperatura sobre su comportamiento reológico, lo que ha permitido analizar la problemática de introducción del residuo plástico en este tipo de reactores de FCC. Se ha estudiado en profundidad el sistema gasóleo+PE (10%)+catalizador FCC como alimento de la unidad construida, trabajando con distintas relaciones catalizador/alimento (5:1, 7:1, 10:1) a distintas temperaturas (500, 600 y 700ºC). Se ha analizado la influencia de las condiciones de operación sobre los productos de pirólisis, centrándose en la búsqueda de sistemas que favorecen la obtención de productos con valor como combustible (dentro del rango de las gasolinas) y de gases ricos en olefinas que puedan ser utilizadas como materias primas en distintos procesos. Finalmente, se han estudiado diferentes sistemas gasóleo+polímero (EVA y PP)+catalizador (HZSM-5, HBeta) para comprobar la versatilidad y las limitaciones de la planta. El resultado del estudio llevado a cabo pone de manifiesto la viabilidad del reciclado de residuos poliméricos en las unidades de FCC de las instalaciones comerciales, convirtiendo dichos residuos en combustibles y compuestos petroquímicos de interés.

The presented project explores the current theoretical and experimental tools available within the study group for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) with focus on the electron-positron collider. The aim of the study is to evaluate the current frameworks used for simulation, and investigate the possibility of simulating long-lived particles, that could be dark matter candidates, through them. Pythia cards were run through the framework of Delphes and several different software packages were studied on the journey through the work. It was found that the current framework reconstructs the masses of a Z bosons and Higgs bosons accurately from the ZH signal, which is central for the analysis at the FCC-ee. When the same analysis was applied for the new physics case of a dark matter particle included in the new card for study, a ROOT file was produced indicating that the framework was able to handle the new case. When this card was run through the analysis software however, difficulties arose and a final output could not be achieved. Conclusively, it can be said that the current framework has the possibilities of handling new physics cases but further study is required to be able to run certain software packages on these cases.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The deliberate and sometimes unwitting complicity of psychology with apartheid social formations has received little attention in the psycho-historical literature. This, study in an attempt to break the silence, offers a descriptive characterization of South African psychology by tracing its origins, evolution, formalization and development to its ethnoscientific, colonial and apartheid roots. The study begins with an examination of the globalization of Euro-American psychology. The proliferation and domination of Euro-American psychology closely correlates with the emergence and globalization of colonial power that is intimately connected to the missionary discourses of conquest and conversion and to the doctrines of scientific racism. Western explorers, soldiers, missionaries, and social scientists are among the figures who participated in the occupation and conversion of the 'Dark Continent' of Africa. Within the context of colonialism, psychology became an enterprise of conquest and conversion that endeavoured to understand how people of colour, 'marginal beings', could be transformed into active subjects The history of South African psychology provides an illuminating illustration of how psychological discourse and practice may be employed for the purposes of oppressive social engineering. Besides projecting psychological intervention as vital to the alleviation of economic, social and industrial problems, psychologists utilized their expert roles in the Carnegie Poor White Study, in the Air-force and in industry and objects of Western racial and economic exploitation. The history of South African psychology provides an illuminating illustration of how psychological discourse and practice may be employed for the purposes of oppressive social engineering. Besides projecting psychological intervention as vital to the alleviation of economic, social and industrial problems, psychologists utilized their expert roles in the Carnegie Poor White Study, in the Air-force and in industry to rationalize and bolster White economic and political hegemony. The racial overtones that characterized the establishment of a professional association represents a startling example of how apartheid ideology was reproduced within the profession itself Unfortunately, oppressive discourse appears to continue to inform the research agenda, practices and theoretical concerns of many South African psychologists, thereby creating the impetus for the present crisis within the discipline. The crisis relates to, among other issues, the failure of Euro-American psychology to represent the psychological experiences of people of colour. Attempts at resolving the crisis are stymied by the production and reproduction of conceptual paradoxes within the fields of family therapy, community psychology and cross-cultural psychology, fields that are often portrayed as the solution to the crisis. Despite the increasing levels of theoretical complexity and ideological scrutiny each of these fields offer, South African psychology still faces various epistemological challenges and communieentric biases. A content analysis of 977 articles that appear in the South African Journal of Psychology, Psychologia Africana, the Journal of Behavioural Science, Psychology in Society, Humanitas. Psygram and the South African Psychologist confirms that the crisis in psychology continues. Details obtained from the analytical review show South African psychology, between 1948 and 1988, to be characterized by five features. First, Whites and males affiliated to the open liberal universities and Afrikaans universities dominate knowledge-production in the discipline. Blacks and women authors, especially those affiliated to the historically Black universities, tend to occupy mainly co-authorship positions at the level of publication. Second, the majority of articles reviewed are written in English. Third, whereas the bulk of articles analysed are empirical in nature, there is an increasing trend towards theoretical articles that examine the ideological and philosophical premises of the discipline. Fourth, empirical studies tend -to select subjects from both male and female gender groups, who are mainly White, and mostly affiliated to institutional settings. Fifth, research is dominated by an emphasis on conventional areas such as psychometrics, research methodology, industrial psychology and educational psychology. The more recently evolved fields such as community psychology and the psychology of oppression receive little attention. By moving to a point beyond critique and characterizations, the study concludes with an exploration of the dynamic quest for liberatory psychology, central to which is the formulation of an emancipatory agenda. An emancipatory agenda may well propel progressive psychologists towards systematically addressing the silences within the field, securing the centralization of Blacks and women at the levels of knowledge production and political representation and creating liberatory epistemologies.

Yes / Fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) is regarded one of the most significant operations in the oil refining industries to convert feedstock (mainly vacuum gasoil) to valuable products (namely gasoline and diesel). The behavior of the fluidized catalytic cracking process is playing a main part on the overall benefits of refinery units and improving in process or control of fluidized catalytic cracking plants will result in exciting benefits economically. According to these highlights, this study is aimed to develop a new mathematical model for the FCC process taking into account the complex hydrodynamics of the reactor regenerator system with a new six lumps kinetic model for the riser. The mathematical model, simulation and optimization have done utilizing vacuum gas oil (VGO) as a feedstock and zeolite as a catalyst under the following operating conditions: temperature (733K, 783K, and 813K), weight hourly space velocity (5, 20 and 30hr−1) and catalyst to oil ratio (4, 7 and 10). The best kinetic parameters of the relevant reactions are estimated using the optimization technique based on the experimental results taken from literature. The effect of operating condition (mainly, reaction temp (T), catalyst to oil ratio (CTO) and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) on the product composition has also been discussed. The optimal kinetic parameters obtained from the pilot plant scale have been employed to develop an industrial FCC process, where optimal operating condition based on maximum conversion of VGO with minimum cost in addition to maximizing the octane number of gasoline (GLN), have been studied. Minimum coke content deposition the catalyst within the regenerator is also investigated here. New results (the highest conversion and octane number, and the lowest coke content) have obtained in comparison with those reported in the literature.