<p>The production of biodiesel (methyl esters) from vegetable oils represents analternative means of producing liquid fuels from biomass, and one which is growing rapidly in commercial importance and relevance due to increase in petroleum prices and the environmental advantages the process offers. Commercially, biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, as well as from waste cooking oils and animal fats. These oils are typically composed of C14-C20 fatty acid triglycerides. In order to produce a fuel that is suitable for use in diesel engines, these triglycerides are usually converted into the respective mono alkyl esters by base-catalyzed transesterification with short chain alcohol, usually methanol. In the first part of this study, the transesterification reactions of three different vegetable oils / sunflower (SFO), soybean (SBO) and waste cooking oil (WCO) with methanol was studied using potassium hydroxide as catalyst in a conventional batch process. The production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil was also studied via continuous operation systems (employing the use of low frequency ultrasonic technology and the jet loop reactor). The characterisation of the feedstock used and the methyl ester products were determined by different analytical techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). The effects of different reaction parameters (catalyst amount, methanol to oil ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time) on methyl ester/FAME yield were studied and the optimum reaction conditions of the different process systems were determined. The optimum reaction conditions for production of methyl esters via the batch process with the fresh oil samples (SFO and SBO) were established as follows: a reaction time of 60 min at 60 &ordm / C with a methanol: oil ratio of 6:1 and 1.0 KOH % wt/wt of oil / while the optimum reaction conditions for the used oil (WCO) was observed at a reaction time of 90 min at 60 &ordm / C, methanol: oil ratio of 6:1 and 1.5% KOH wt/wt of oil. The optimum reaction conditions for the transesterification of the WCO via ultrasound technology applied in a continuous system in this study were: a reaction time of 30 min, 30 &ordm / C, 6:1 methanol/oil ratio and a 0.75 wt% (KOH) catalyst concentration. The ultrasound assisted transesterification reactions performed at optimum conditions on the different oil samples led to higher yields of methyl esters (96.8, 98.32 and 97.65 % for WCO, SFO and SBO respectively) compared to methyl esters yields (90, 95 and 96 % for WCO, SFO and SBO respectively) obtained when using conventional batch procedures. A considerable increase in yields of the methyl esters in the ultrasound assisted reaction process were obtained at room temperature, in a remarkably short time span (completed in 30 min) and with a lower amount of catalyst (0.75 wt % KOH) while the results from the continuous jet loop process system showed even better results, at an optimum reaction condition of 25 min of reaction, a methanol: oil ratio of 4:1 and a catalyst amount of 0.5 wt%. This new jet loop process allowed an added advantage of intense agitation for an efficient separation and adequate purification of the methyl esters phase at a reduced time of 30 min. The use of homogeneous catalysts in conventional processes poses many disadvantages / heterogeneous catalysts on the other hand are attractive on the basis that their use could enable the biodiesel production to be more readily performed as a continuous process resulting in low production costs. Consequently, a solid base catalyst (KNO3/FA) prepared from fly ash (obtained from Arnot coal power station, South Africa) and a new zeolite, FA/Na-X synthesized from the same fly ash were used as solid base catalysts in the transesterification reactions in the conversion of a variety of oil feedstock with methanol to methyl esters. Since fly ash is a waste product generated from the combustion of coal for power generation, its utilization in this manner would allow for its beneficiation (as a catalytic support material and raw material for zeolite synthesis) in an environmentally friendly way aimed at making the transesterification process reasonably viable. Arnot fly ash (AFA) was loaded with potassium (using potassium nitrate as precursor) via a wet impregnation method while the synthesized zeolite FA/Na-X was ion exchanged with potassium (using potassium acetate as precursor) to obtain the KNO3/FA and FA/K-X catalysts respectively. Several analytical techniques were applied for characterization purposes. The results of the XRD and XRF showed that the AFA predominantly contained some mineral phases such as quartz, mullite, calcite and lime. The high concentration of CaO in AFA was apparent to be beneficial for the use of fresh fly ash as a support material in the heterogeneous catalysed transesterification reactions. XRD characterisation of KNO3/FA results indicated that the structure of KNO3/FA gradually changed with the increase in KNO3 loading. The catalyst function was retained until the loading of KNO3 was over 10 %. IR spectra showed that the KNO3 was decomposed to K2O on the fly ash support during preparation at a calcination temperature of 500 &ordm / C. The CO2-TPD of the KNO3/FA catalysts showed that two basic catalytic sites were generated which were responsible for high catalytic abilities observed in the transesterification reactions of sunflower oil to methyl esters. On the other hand, XRD results for the as- received zeolite synthesized from AFA showed typical diffraction peaks of zeolite NaX. SEM images of the FA /NaX showed nano platelets unique morphology different from well known pyramidal octahedral shaped crystal formation of faujasite zeolites and the morphology of the FA /KX zeolite did not show any significant difference after ion exchange. The fly ash derived zeolite NaX (FA /NaX) exhibited a high surface area of 320 m2/g. The application of the KNO3/FA catalysts in the conversion reactions to produce methyl esters (biodiesel) via transesterification reactions revealed methyl ester yield of 87.5 % with 10 wt% KNO3 at optimum reaction conditions of methanol: oil ratio of 15:1, 5 h reaction time, catalyst amount of 15 g and reaction temperature 160 &deg / C, while with the use of the zeolite FA/K-X catalyst, a FAME yield of 83.53 % was obtained for 8 h using the ion exchanged Arnot fly ash zeolite NaX catalyst (FA/KX) at reaction conditions of methanol: oil ratio of 6:1, catalyst amount of 3 % wt/wt of oil and reaction temperature of 65 &ordm / C. Several studies have been carried out on the production of biodiesel using different heterogeneous catalysts but this study has been able to uniquely demonstrate the utilization of South African Class F AFA both as a catalyst support and as a raw material for zeolite synthesis / these catalyst materials subsequently applied sucessfully as solid base catalysts in the production of biodiesel.</p>

In this study, 11 bacterial isolates from Salt Lake,Turkey were identified by using fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. They were screened for production of industrially important enzymes xylanase, cellulase, &amp / #945 / -amylase and protease. These enzymes were characterized in terms of enzyme activity, stability, optimum temperature and optimum pH. One of the isolates was identified as Bacillus pumilus, and two of them were identified as Bacillus subtilis. Other isolates were determined to be Bacillus licheniformis. All the isolates were determined to produce xylanase. Optimum temperatures and optimum pH values of xylanases were 50-55 &deg / C and pH 7.0-8.0. Xylanases were quite stable up to pH 8.0 and 70 &deg / C. Isolates were not significant cellulase producers. Four of the isolates did not produce any cellulase enzyme and the rest produced negligible amounts of cellulase. Therefore, xylanases from the isolates were promising for pulp and paper industry, which requires cellulase free and stable xylanases. All the isolates produced appreciable quantities of &amp / #945 / -amylase. Optimum temperatures and optimum pH values of &amp / #945 / -amylases 60-80 &deg / C and pH 7.0-8.0. &amp / #945 / -Amylases were quite stable up to pH 9.0 and 80 &deg / C. &amp / #945 / -Amylases from the isolates were promising for starch processing industry, which requires &amp / #945 / -amylases stable at high temperatures and for detergent industry, which requires &amp / #945 / -amylases stable at alkaline pH values. Considerable protease productions were achieved by all the isolates. TTG 2 was the best protease producer with 271 U/ml. Optimum temperatures and optimum pH values of proteases were 50-60 &deg / C and pH 7.0-7.4. Proteases were quite stable up to pH 9.0 and 80 &deg / C. Proteases from the isolates were promising for detergent and leather industry, in which proteases must be stable at alkaline pH values.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 2005. / Vita. Thesis advisor: Nancy Armstrong. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-190). Also available online.

<p>The aim of this thesis was to examine how newspaper journalism represented the celebrity Anna Anka. Which roles and qualities did the media ascribe Anna Anka and in what way did the media frame her as a woman.</p><p>We examined texts and photographs from two Swedish newspapers, Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter, 16 texts were analysed. The method we used were discourse analysis with focus on relations, identities and representation.</p><p>The result showed that Anna Anka was represented in an essentially equal way in both newspapers. The image of Anna Anka seems to be multifaceted. In the texts Anna Anka becomes a symbol for conflicts that emerge in discourses regarding gender, celebrity and Swedish values. As a woman she is both portrayed as controversial and appearance-fixated. As a wife she is traditional, a woman who takes care of house and family and lets her husband be the provider. On the other hand she is described as a woman who does not follow the traditional norm, she is independent and has a possibility to support herself.</p><p>As a celebrity, Anna Anka is framed as fairly new in the public appearance. But in some texts the newspapers define her as a woman who does not deserve to be the celebrity she is. Anna Anka is well aware of how the celebrity culture works, what the media finds interesting. As a Swede Anna Anka is framed as a person who no longer quite belongs in Sweden, and therefore is allowed to criticize Sweden and the Swedish values.</p>

Este trabalho tem por objetivo compreender como ocorre o processo de celebrificação – isto é, a transformação de uma pessoa em celebridade – na internet. Para investigar este fenômeno, optou-se pelo estudo do caso da cantora de forró Stefhany do CrossFox, cujo clipe amador da música “Eu Sou Stefhany”, disponibilizado no YouTube, foi reproduzido e comentado amplamente em sites, blogs e redes sociais após ser postado no Papel Pop, em 2009. Neste blog, de 5 de fevereiro de 2009 (primeira postagem) a 9 de novembro de 2011 (última postagem), foram publicadas 24 notas sobre a trajetória da carreira da jovem, de onde foram coletados todos os 2.611 comentários feitos nestes posts. Estes comentários compuseram o corpus da pesquisa, ao qual foi aplicada a técnica da análise de conteúdo para mapear dados sobre o processo de celebrificação pelo qual Stefhany passou. Para a análise das informações coletadas neste mapeamento, foram utilizadas quatro categorias. A primeira categoria – que trata da descentralização midiática da internet e seus canais de publicação, o que possibilita a circulação de conteúdos e personagens amadores – apresenta como Stefhany despertou interesse a partir da primeira nota postada a seu respeito na rede pelo Papel Pop. Na segunda categoria, analisa-se como Stefhany chamou a atenção dos leitores pela sua performance neste vídeo (coreografias, roupas, locações, a letra da música e outros elementos da gravação), o que fez com que ela se tornasse assunto das conversações. Na terceira etapa, examina-se a atuação do blog como plataforma midiática que deu grande visibilidade à cantora e a popularidade do blogueiro neste processo. Relata-se também como o digital trash – linguagem com que o blog e Stefhany são identificados – funciona como atrativo para a leitura do Papel Pop e na mobilização em torno dos personagens e produções nele expostas. Na quarta categoria, sob a perspectiva performática, é analisado como o posicionamento dos leitores (ao discutirem entre si a performance da cantora e dados referentes à jovem) fez com que Stefhany fosse situada no centro das atenções. Os resultados deste estudo apontam para a internet e seus canais de publicação como plataformas de visibilidade onde personagens anônimos – a partir do interesse, da mobilização e das conversações que despertam em torno de si pelas suas performances – são transformados em celebridades do meio, como ocorreu com Stefhany do CrossFox. / This work aims to understand how the process of internet celebrification occurs – that is, the transformation of a person in a celebrity in the internet. To investigate this phenomenon, was chosen the case study on the forró singer Stefhany do CrossFox (Stefhany of CrossFox), whose amateur video clip of the song “Eu Sou Stefhany” (I Am Stefhany), available on YouTube, was widely reproduced and commented on websites, blogs and social networks after being posted on Papel Pop in 2009. In this blog, from February 5, 2009 (the first post) to November 9, 2011 (the last post), 24 notes were published on the career trajectory of the young woman, from where were collected all the 2.611 comments of these posts. These comments are the research corpus, on which was applied the content analysis technique to map data on the celebrification process through which Stefhany went. For the analysis of information collected on this mapping, we used four categories. The first category - that deals with the media decentralization of the Internet and its publishing channels, allowing the movement of amateur content and characters – presents how Stefhany has sparked interest from the first note about her posted on web by Papel Pop. In the second category, was analyzed how Stefhany caught the attention of readers from her performance in this video (choreography, clothes, locations, the lyrics and other elements), what made her to become the conversations subject. In the third step, was examined the role of the blog as a media platform which gave great visibility to the singer, as well as the popularity of the blogger in this process. It was also reported how the digital trash - language with which the blog and Stefhany are identified - works as an attraction for the reading of the Papel Pop and the mobilization around the characters and products exposed on the blog. In the fourth category, under the performative perspective was analyzed how the players positioning (when discussing among themselves about the singer's performance and related information on the young woman) have situated Stefhany in the center of attention. The results of this study point to the internet and its publishing channels as visibility platforms where anonymous characters – from the interest, the mobilization and the conversations they create around themselves because of their performances – are turned into celebrities of that medium, as it happened with Stefhany do CrossFox.

abstract: Toward the ambitious long-term goal of a fleet of cooperating Flexible Autonomous Machines operating in an uncertain Environment (FAME), this thesis addresses several critical modeling, design and control objectives for ground vehicles. One central objective is formation of multi-robot systems, particularly, longitudinal control of platoon of ground vehicle. In this thesis, the author use low-cost ground robot platform shows that with leader information, the platoon controller can have better performance than one without it. Based on measurement from multiple vehicles, motor-wheel system dynamic model considering gearbox transmission has been developed. Noticing the difference between on ground vehicle behavior and off-ground vehicle behavior, on ground vehicle-motor model considering friction and battery internal resistance has been put forward and experimentally validated by multiple same type of vehicles. Then simplified longitudinal platoon model based on on-ground test were used as basis for platoon controller design. Hardware and software has been updated to facilitate the goal of control a platoon of ground vehicles. Based on previous work of Lin on low-cost differential-drive (DD) RC vehicles called Thunder Tumbler, new robot platform named Enhanced Thunder Tumbler (ETT 2) has been developed with following improvement: (1) optical wheel-encoder which has 2.5 times higher resolution than magnetic based one, (2) BNO055 IMU can read out orientation directly that LSM9DS0 IMU could not, (3) TL-WN722N Wifi USB Adapter with external antenna which can support more stable communication compared to Edimax adapter, (4) duplex serial communication between Pi and Arduino than single direction communication from Pi to Arduino, (5) inter-vehicle communication based on UDP protocol. All demonstrations presented using ETT vehicles. The following summarizes key hardware demonstrations: (1) cruise-control along line, (2) longitudinal platoon control based on local information (ultrasonic sensor) without inter-vehicle communication, (3) longitudinal platoon control based on local information (ultrasonic sensor) and leader information (speed). Hardware data/video is compared with, and corroborated by, model-based simulations. Platoon simulation and hardware data reveals that with necessary information from platoon leader, the control effort will be reduced and space deviation be diminished among propagation along the fleet of vehicles. In short, many capabilities that are critical for reaching the longer-term FAME goal are demonstrated. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Electrical Engineering 2016

Este trabalho tem por objetivo compreender como ocorre o processo de celebrificação – isto é, a transformação de uma pessoa em celebridade – na internet. Para investigar este fenômeno, optou-se pelo estudo do caso da cantora de forró Stefhany do CrossFox, cujo clipe amador da música “Eu Sou Stefhany”, disponibilizado no YouTube, foi reproduzido e comentado amplamente em sites, blogs e redes sociais após ser postado no Papel Pop, em 2009. Neste blog, de 5 de fevereiro de 2009 (primeira postagem) a 9 de novembro de 2011 (última postagem), foram publicadas 24 notas sobre a trajetória da carreira da jovem, de onde foram coletados todos os 2.611 comentários feitos nestes posts. Estes comentários compuseram o corpus da pesquisa, ao qual foi aplicada a técnica da análise de conteúdo para mapear dados sobre o processo de celebrificação pelo qual Stefhany passou. Para a análise das informações coletadas neste mapeamento, foram utilizadas quatro categorias. A primeira categoria – que trata da descentralização midiática da internet e seus canais de publicação, o que possibilita a circulação de conteúdos e personagens amadores – apresenta como Stefhany despertou interesse a partir da primeira nota postada a seu respeito na rede pelo Papel Pop. Na segunda categoria, analisa-se como Stefhany chamou a atenção dos leitores pela sua performance neste vídeo (coreografias, roupas, locações, a letra da música e outros elementos da gravação), o que fez com que ela se tornasse assunto das conversações. Na terceira etapa, examina-se a atuação do blog como plataforma midiática que deu grande visibilidade à cantora e a popularidade do blogueiro neste processo. Relata-se também como o digital trash – linguagem com que o blog e Stefhany são identificados – funciona como atrativo para a leitura do Papel Pop e na mobilização em torno dos personagens e produções nele expostas. Na quarta categoria, sob a perspectiva performática, é analisado como o posicionamento dos leitores (ao discutirem entre si a performance da cantora e dados referentes à jovem) fez com que Stefhany fosse situada no centro das atenções. Os resultados deste estudo apontam para a internet e seus canais de publicação como plataformas de visibilidade onde personagens anônimos – a partir do interesse, da mobilização e das conversações que despertam em torno de si pelas suas performances – são transformados em celebridades do meio, como ocorreu com Stefhany do CrossFox. / This work aims to understand how the process of internet celebrification occurs – that is, the transformation of a person in a celebrity in the internet. To investigate this phenomenon, was chosen the case study on the forró singer Stefhany do CrossFox (Stefhany of CrossFox), whose amateur video clip of the song “Eu Sou Stefhany” (I Am Stefhany), available on YouTube, was widely reproduced and commented on websites, blogs and social networks after being posted on Papel Pop in 2009. In this blog, from February 5, 2009 (the first post) to November 9, 2011 (the last post), 24 notes were published on the career trajectory of the young woman, from where were collected all the 2.611 comments of these posts. These comments are the research corpus, on which was applied the content analysis technique to map data on the celebrification process through which Stefhany went. For the analysis of information collected on this mapping, we used four categories. The first category - that deals with the media decentralization of the Internet and its publishing channels, allowing the movement of amateur content and characters – presents how Stefhany has sparked interest from the first note about her posted on web by Papel Pop. In the second category, was analyzed how Stefhany caught the attention of readers from her performance in this video (choreography, clothes, locations, the lyrics and other elements), what made her to become the conversations subject. In the third step, was examined the role of the blog as a media platform which gave great visibility to the singer, as well as the popularity of the blogger in this process. It was also reported how the digital trash - language with which the blog and Stefhany are identified - works as an attraction for the reading of the Papel Pop and the mobilization around the characters and products exposed on the blog. In the fourth category, under the performative perspective was analyzed how the players positioning (when discussing among themselves about the singer's performance and related information on the young woman) have situated Stefhany in the center of attention. The results of this study point to the internet and its publishing channels as visibility platforms where anonymous characters – from the interest, the mobilization and the conversations they create around themselves because of their performances – are turned into celebrities of that medium, as it happened with Stefhany do CrossFox.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo compreender como ocorre o processo de celebrificação – isto é, a transformação de uma pessoa em celebridade – na internet. Para investigar este fenômeno, optou-se pelo estudo do caso da cantora de forró Stefhany do CrossFox, cujo clipe amador da música “Eu Sou Stefhany”, disponibilizado no YouTube, foi reproduzido e comentado amplamente em sites, blogs e redes sociais após ser postado no Papel Pop, em 2009. Neste blog, de 5 de fevereiro de 2009 (primeira postagem) a 9 de novembro de 2011 (última postagem), foram publicadas 24 notas sobre a trajetória da carreira da jovem, de onde foram coletados todos os 2.611 comentários feitos nestes posts. Estes comentários compuseram o corpus da pesquisa, ao qual foi aplicada a técnica da análise de conteúdo para mapear dados sobre o processo de celebrificação pelo qual Stefhany passou. Para a análise das informações coletadas neste mapeamento, foram utilizadas quatro categorias. A primeira categoria – que trata da descentralização midiática da internet e seus canais de publicação, o que possibilita a circulação de conteúdos e personagens amadores – apresenta como Stefhany despertou interesse a partir da primeira nota postada a seu respeito na rede pelo Papel Pop. Na segunda categoria, analisa-se como Stefhany chamou a atenção dos leitores pela sua performance neste vídeo (coreografias, roupas, locações, a letra da música e outros elementos da gravação), o que fez com que ela se tornasse assunto das conversações. Na terceira etapa, examina-se a atuação do blog como plataforma midiática que deu grande visibilidade à cantora e a popularidade do blogueiro neste processo. Relata-se também como o digital trash – linguagem com que o blog e Stefhany são identificados – funciona como atrativo para a leitura do Papel Pop e na mobilização em torno dos personagens e produções nele expostas. Na quarta categoria, sob a perspectiva performática, é analisado como o posicionamento dos leitores (ao discutirem entre si a performance da cantora e dados referentes à jovem) fez com que Stefhany fosse situada no centro das atenções. Os resultados deste estudo apontam para a internet e seus canais de publicação como plataformas de visibilidade onde personagens anônimos – a partir do interesse, da mobilização e das conversações que despertam em torno de si pelas suas performances – são transformados em celebridades do meio, como ocorreu com Stefhany do CrossFox. / This work aims to understand how the process of internet celebrification occurs – that is, the transformation of a person in a celebrity in the internet. To investigate this phenomenon, was chosen the case study on the forró singer Stefhany do CrossFox (Stefhany of CrossFox), whose amateur video clip of the song “Eu Sou Stefhany” (I Am Stefhany), available on YouTube, was widely reproduced and commented on websites, blogs and social networks after being posted on Papel Pop in 2009. In this blog, from February 5, 2009 (the first post) to November 9, 2011 (the last post), 24 notes were published on the career trajectory of the young woman, from where were collected all the 2.611 comments of these posts. These comments are the research corpus, on which was applied the content analysis technique to map data on the celebrification process through which Stefhany went. For the analysis of information collected on this mapping, we used four categories. The first category - that deals with the media decentralization of the Internet and its publishing channels, allowing the movement of amateur content and characters – presents how Stefhany has sparked interest from the first note about her posted on web by Papel Pop. In the second category, was analyzed how Stefhany caught the attention of readers from her performance in this video (choreography, clothes, locations, the lyrics and other elements), what made her to become the conversations subject. In the third step, was examined the role of the blog as a media platform which gave great visibility to the singer, as well as the popularity of the blogger in this process. It was also reported how the digital trash - language with which the blog and Stefhany are identified - works as an attraction for the reading of the Papel Pop and the mobilization around the characters and products exposed on the blog. In the fourth category, under the performative perspective was analyzed how the players positioning (when discussing among themselves about the singer's performance and related information on the young woman) have situated Stefhany in the center of attention. The results of this study point to the internet and its publishing channels as visibility platforms where anonymous characters – from the interest, the mobilization and the conversations they create around themselves because of their performances – are turned into celebrities of that medium, as it happened with Stefhany do CrossFox.

Orientador: Néri de Barros Almeida / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T20:59:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Guaragna_AlessandraWink_M.pdf: 880977 bytes, checksum: c8a202681de3c9d1aa4706a438c558fe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: A presente pesquisa visa abordar os termos `honra¿, `honor¿ e `fama¿ em Las Siete Partidas, com o objetivo de compreender sua função no quadro jurídico dado pela obra. Escritas sob a direção do monarca castelhano Alfonso X, o Sábio (1252 ¿ 1284), as Partidas, ao realizarem um tratado doutrinal sobre a justiça, incluindo grande referência à tradição legal romana, representaram um marco jurídico importante no período medieval hispânico. Além de serem recorrentes na literatura do período, os preceitos de `honra¿, `honor¿ e `fama¿ apresentaram-se atrelados a um teor jurídico e social. O estudo será procedido considerando a presença dos termos em questão nos quadros de resolução de delitos e crimes que se sucedem de modo particular na Sétima Partida. Buscou-se compreender, a partir das Partidas, como a sociedade castelhana do século XIII entendia juridicamente os termos `honra¿, `honor¿ e `fama¿ e de que maneira esses preceitos se refletiram em termos criminais e penais segundo o código selecionado. Para isso realizou-se uma apreciação geral do reinado de Alfonso X de Castela, observando seu papel ativo na tradução e produção de obras literárias, cientificas e jurídicas, dando ênfase especial à produção da Las Siete Partidas. Analisaram-se as principais características e formulações dos termos `honra¿, `honor¿ e `fama¿ tomando como fonte tanto documentos literários consagrados do reino no período como também fontes jurídicas ¿ legais castelhanas precedentes do código alfonsino. E por fim, avaliou-se o destaque conferido aos termos nos quesitos relacionados a delinquência e a afronta social, observando as diversas modalidades criminais e penais que invocaram a honra, o honor e a fama. Constatou-se que tais termos se apresentaram como referenciais sociais simbólicos que desempenhavam um papel importante nas praticas sociais cotidianas da sociedade castelhana do século XIII. Observou-se que os termos apresentaram uma forte invocação e importância na esfera criminal a partir da análise do código jurídico alfonsino / Abstract: This research aims to address the terms ' honour ', ' honor ' and ' fame ' in Las Siete Partidas , aiming to understand their function within the legal framework provided by the work . Written under the direction of the Castilian monarch Alfonso X the Wise (1252 - 1284) , Las Partidas , to conduct a doctrinal treatise on justice , including extensive reference to the Roman legal tradition , represented an important milestone in the legal hispanic medieval period . Besides being recurrent in the literature of the period , the precepts of ' honour ', ' honor ' and 'fame' presented themselves tied to a legal and social content . The study will be undertaken considering the presence of the terms in question in cases of resolution of offenses and crimes which happen in particular the Setima Partida . We sought to understand , from Las Partidas , as the thirteenth-century Castilian society legally understood the terms ' honour ', ' honor ' and ' fame' and how these principles are reflected in criminal and penal terms on the selected code . To this there was a general appreciation of the reign of Alfonso X of Castile , watching his active role in the translation and production of literary , scientific and legal works , with special emphasis on the production of Las Siete Partidas . We analyzed the main features and formulations of the terms ' honour ', ' honor ' and 'fame' taking as a source of both literary documents established in the kingdom in the period as well as legal sources - legal precedents of the Castilian alfonsino code. Finally , we assessed the importance attached to the terms in the questions related to delinquency and social outrage, noting the various criminal and criminal procedure that invoked the honour, honor and fame . It was found that such terms are presented as symbolic social references that played an important role in everyday social practices of the spanish society of the thirteenth century . It was observed that the terms had a strong invocation and importance in the criminal sphere from the analysis of the legal code alfonsino / Mestrado / Historia Cultural / Mestra em História

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The production of biodiesel (methyl esters) from vegetable oils represents analternative means of producing liquid fuels from biomass, and one which is growing rapidly in commercial importance and relevance due to increase in petroleum prices and the environmental advantages the process offers. Commercially, biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, as well as from waste cooking oils and animal fats. These oils are typically composed of C14-C20 fatty acid triglycerides. In order to produce a fuel that is suitable for use in diesel engines, these triglycerides are usually converted into the respective mono alkyl esters by base-catalyzed transesterification with short chain alcohol, usually methanol. In the first part of this study, the transesterification reactions of three different vegetable oils; sunflower (SFO), soybean (SBO) and waste cooking oil (WCO) with methanol was studied using potassium hydroxide as catalyst in a conventional batch process. The production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil was also studied via continuous operation systems (employing the use of low frequency ultrasonic technology and the jet loop reactor). The characterisation of the feedstock used and the methyl ester products were determined by different analytical techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). The effects of different reaction parameters (catalyst amount, methanol to oil ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time) on methyl ester/FAME yield were studied and the optimum reaction conditions of the different process systems were determined. The optimum reaction conditions for production of methyl esters via the batch process with the fresh oil samples (SFO and SBO) were established as follows: a reaction time of 60 min at 60 ºC with a methanol: oil ratio of 6:1 and 1.0 KOH % wt/wt of oil; while the optimum reaction conditions for the used oil (WCO) was observed at a reaction time of 90 min at 60 ºC, methanol: oil ratio of 6:1 and 1.5% KOH wt/wt of oil. The optimum reaction conditions for the transesterification of the WCO via ultrasound technology applied in a continuous system in this study were: a reaction time of 30 min, 30 ºC, 6:1 methanol/oil ratio and a 0.75 wt% (KOH) catalyst concentration. The ultrasound assisted transesterification reactions performed at optimum conditions on the different oil samples led to higher yields of methyl esters (96.8, 98.32 and 97.65 % for WCO, SFO and SBO respectively) compared to methyl esters yields (90, 95 and 96 % for WCO, SFO and SBO respectively) obtained when using conventional batch procedures. A considerable increase in yields of the methyl esters in the ultrasound assisted reaction process were obtained at room temperature, in a remarkably short time span (completed in 30 min) and with a lower amount of catalyst (0.75 wt % KOH) while the results from the continuous jet loop process system showed even better results, at an optimum reaction condition of 25 min of reaction, a methanol: oil ratio of 4:1 and a catalyst amount of 0.5 wt%. This new jet loop process allowed an added advantage of intense agitation for an efficient separation and adequate purification of the methyl esters phase at a reduced time of 30 min. The use of homogeneous catalysts in conventional processes poses many disadvantages; heterogeneous catalysts on the other hand are attractive on the basis that their use could enable the biodiesel production to be more readily performed as a continuous process resulting in low production costs. Consequently, a solid base catalyst (KNO3/FA) prepared from fly ash (obtained from Arnot coal power station, South Africa) and a new zeolite, FA/Na-X synthesized from the same fly ash were used as solid base catalysts in the transesterification reactions in the conversion of a variety of oil feedstock with methanol to methyl esters. Since fly ash is a waste product generated from the combustion of coal for power generation, its utilization in this manner would allow for its beneficiation (as a catalytic support material and raw material for zeolite synthesis) in an environmentally friendly way aimed at making the transesterification process reasonably viable. Arnot fly ash (AFA) was loaded with potassium (using potassium nitrate as precursor) via a wet impregnation method while the synthesized zeolite FA/Na-X was ion exchanged with potassium (using potassium acetate as precursor) to obtain the KNO3/FA and FA/K-X catalysts respectively. Several analytical techniques were applied for characterization purposes. The results of the XRD and XRF showed that the AFA predominantly contained some mineral phases such as quartz, mullite, calcite and lime. The high concentration of CaO in AFA was apparent to be beneficial for the use of fresh fly ash as a support material in the heterogeneous catalysed transesterification reactions. XRD characterisation of KNO3/FA results indicated that the structure of KNO3/FA gradually changed with the increase in KNO3 loading. The catalyst function was retained until the loading of KNO3 was over 10 %. IR spectra showed that the KNO3 was decomposed to K2O on the fly ash support during preparation at a calcination temperature of 500 ºC. The CO2-TPD of the KNO3/FA catalysts showed that two basic catalytic sites were generated which were responsible for high catalytic abilities observed in the transesterification reactions of sunflower oil to methyl esters. On the other hand, XRD results for the as- received zeolite synthesized from AFA showed typical diffraction peaks of zeolite NaX. SEM images of the FA /NaX showed nano platelets unique morphology different from well known pyramidal octahedral shaped crystal formation of faujasite zeolites and the morphology of the FA /KX zeolite did not show any significant difference after ion exchange. The fly ash derived zeolite NaX (FA /NaX) exhibited a high surface area of 320 m2/g. The application of the KNO3/FA catalysts in the conversion reactions to produce methyl esters (biodiesel) via transesterification reactions revealed methyl ester yield of 87.5 % with 10 wt% KNO3 at optimum reaction conditions of methanol: oil ratio of 15:1, 5 h reaction time, catalyst amount of 15 g and reaction temperature 160 °C, while with the use of the zeolite FA/K-X catalyst, a FAME yield of 83.53 % was obtained for 8 h using the ion exchanged Arnot fly ash zeolite NaX catalyst (FA/KX) at reaction conditions of methanol: oil ratio of 6:1, catalyst amount of 3 % wt/wt of oil and reaction temperature of 65 ºC. Several studies have been carried out on the production of biodiesel using different heterogeneous catalysts but this study has been able to uniquely demonstrate the utilization of South African Class F AFA both as a catalyst support and as a raw material for zeolite synthesis; these catalyst materials subsequently applied sucessfully as solid base catalysts in the production of biodiesel. / South Africa