Leishmaniasis is a disease affecting more than 12 million people worldwide. It is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania, which is transmitted to humans and dog hosts through bites of infected sand flies belonging to genus Phlebotomine. Several studies have shown Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to be effective for the diagnosis of VL in clinical samples compared to the classical methods. The aims of this study were first to compare four different sample preparation methods for the PCR diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using peripheral blood samples and furthermore to find a method that is sensitive, rapid, cost benefit, simple and easy to perform. Two preparation methods were compared for the isolation of leukocytes (with Ficoll and Tris –EDTA buffer) and two DNA isolation methods (with Proteinase K and QIAgen kit). From the methods that were compared, lysis of erythrocytes with TE and the QIAgen kit seems to be the most suitable to use.

I Sverige ökar förbränningen av avfall som inte är ett helt definierbart bränsle. Detta är i mångt och mycket ekonomiskt och miljömässigt försvarbart genom den höga kvalitén på rökasreningen, som garanterar att en mycket liten del av föroreningar når atmosfären, utan dessa koncentreras i askorna. Avfallsaskor går till stor del till deponier och används där för sluttäckning eller för att deponeras, samt att en stor mängd flygaska transporteras till Langöya. Inom en tioårsperiod kommer deponierna vara sluttäckta och Langöya uppfyllt, samtidigt som mängden avfallsaskor ökar, vilket innebär krav på nya lösningar. Orsaken till att framförallt flygaskan klassas som farligt avfall är koncentrationen av tungmetaller och föroreningar som härrör från bränslet. Det har forskat i åratal om metoder som ger miljöriktig användning och metoder för att minska miljöpåverkan från askor, men ytterligare forskning krävs för att få svar på den långsiktiga miljöpåverkan samt alternativa användningsområden. Är avfallsaskorna farligt avfall eller en framtida resurs, en svår fråga att besvara, eftersom det är mycket arbete som behövs ifrån politiker, myndigheter, branschen, forskningen och gemene mans inställning till sopsortering för att lyckas förvandla ett farligt avfall till en resurs. / The combustion of waste is increasing in Sweden and the waste is not an entirely definable fuel. This is very much economically and environmentally defensible by the high quality of smoke purification, which ensures that a very small percentage of pollutants reaching the atmosphere, but on the other hand they are concentrated in the ash. Ashes from the incineration of waste go largely to landfills and are used to cap or to be deposited, and that a large amount of fly ash is transported to Langöya. Within a decade, the landfill will be completed covered and Langöya fulfilled, while the amount of ashes from the incineration are increasing, which would require new solutions. The reason for the particular fly ash as hazardous waste is the concentration of heavy metals and pollutions emanating from the fuel. It has been researched for years about the methods that provide environmentally sound use and methods to reduce the environmental impact of ashes, but further research is needed to find answer to the long-term environmental impact and alternative uses. Are ashes from waste hazardous waste or a future resource, a difficult question to answer, because there is much work needed from politicians, government agencies, industry, research and the general public attitude towards waste separation to successfully transform a hazardous waste into a resource.

ABSTRACT Key words: PCDD/FS , aromatic precursor compounds , transition metal catalysts , chlorine donor , surface of fly ash particles In the last 20 years , increasing concern has focused on the environmental chemicals that mimic hormone functions , some of them toxic , which producing cancer , suppression of the immune system , and death from undefined causes . These chemicals are not made intentionally , but are formed as contaminants in combustion sources , including PCDD/FS of dioxin-like compounds that emitted from municipal solid waste incinerators (MWSI) and hazardous waste incinerators (HWI) . This study investigated the role that fly-ash plays in the formation of PCDD/FS using a commercial scale fluidized bed waste incinerators (FBWI) , which rated capacity at 3750000 kcal/hr (LHV) . In this design , a lay of sand is placed on the bottom of the combustion chamber. During combustion, the hot gases are channeled through the sand and crushed solid waste at relatively high velocity . This generated about eight times more mass of fly-ash will be produced from combustion zone than the others, and also makes much greater of PCDD/FS through the air pollutants control devices(APCD) to emission stack . The general reaction in this formation pathway is an interaction between an aromatic precursor compound and chlorine promoted by a transition metal catalyst on a reactive fly-ash surface. Since these reactions involve heterogenous chemistry , the rate of emissions is less depended on reactant concentration than conditions that promote formation such as temperature , retention time , transition metal catalysts (e , g,. Cu , Fe , Pb , Zn , Sn) and availability on catalytic surfaces of fly ash particle . These forming conditions will be proceeding a series of well study and experiment on fly-ashes from 4 zones (F1 , F2 ,F3 , F4) of FBWI . PCDD/FS synthesis from combustion of FBWI can potentially be explained by three principal mechanisms that results can be divided into several major parts as follows¡G 1. The fly-ash from zone F3 generated about 47 times more mass of PCDD/FS than zone F1 . 2. The F3 fly-ash proved to be the most active catalytic (Cu , Zn) medium , despite similarities with respect to specific surface area and average pore diameters . In addition , there are up to 75.9 percent by weight of Zn and 97.6 percent of Cu has been found in F3 of overall ashes. 3. In both fly- ash and transition metal catalysts in formation mechanisms are the dominant controlling factor for rates of PCDD/FS.

To fulfill the requirements of the operation in a wide power range, a parallel configuration with modular power factor correctors (PFCs) is proposed. Each PFC module is composed of a bridge-rectifier, a fly-back converter and associated passive filters. The fly-back converter is independently operated at a fixed frequency with a discontinuous inductor current. This allows the modules to achieve a high power factor and to regulate the output power with simple control. With the same duty-ratio and frequency, the total current will be distributed equally to each operating module without complex current sharing control. The operating modules are equally phase-shifted to take the advantages of the continuous current mode when operated at a higher power. Experiments were conducted to achieve a power rating of 1 kVA by operating 10 PFC modules in parallel. The duty-ratio of the operating modules is controlled by a micro-controller to regulate the output power in accordance with the load requirement. A complex programmable logic device (CPLD) is used for phase-shifting. All modules are operated in turn to share the operating cycles in a more equal manner. Experimental results demonstrate the parallel configuration can achieve the expected performances.

This research studies the properties of self-compacting concrete by applying bamboo-charcoal to improve the fresh concrete property, physical property and micro-scale property.Conventionally, the Pozzolanic materials used in the self-compacting concrete are fly ash and slag. They are used to replace part of the cement such that the flowing property and compacting property can reach the requirement of the self-compacting concrete. According to previous research the bamboo-charcoal can absorb part of water, and enhance the early strength of concrete. In this study, we use bamboo-charcoal to replace parts of the fine-aggregate in the mixture of self-compacting concrete. The replacement ratio is designed as 0‰,2‰,3‰,3.5‰,4‰ and 5‰. From the experimental test of fresh concrete property, we can evaluate whether the concrete mix design can achieve the requirements of self-compacting concrete. Test for the compressive strength development, water absorption and rapid chloride penetration test are performed to evaluate the physical property of concrete. In addition, the scanning electronic microscope photos are taken to examine the microstructure of the concrete. In our results, it is found that the best proportion of replacement is 3‰. The requirements of self-compacting concrete can be satisfied, and the development of strength is also good.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Sydney, 1980. / Includes diagrams, graphs, tables. Bibliography: leaves 136-157. Also available in print form.

Concrete structures are often exposed to sulfates, which are typically found in groundwater and soils, in agricultural run-off, in industrial facilities, and in other source points. These sulfates may attack concrete and significantly shorten the service life of concrete due to reactions between sulfate ions and concrete constituents. These reactions form expansive and deleterious compounds that lead to cracking and spalling of the concrete. This reaction is a function of the sulfate solution but also the physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of the cement and supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs). It is widely understood that the addition of some fly ashes, by-products of coal combustion power plants, improve the sulfate resistance of the concrete but some fly ash additions actually reduce the sulfate resistance. This project aims to understand this relationship between fly ash and sulfate resistance. Using sulfate testing results on mortar previously obtained at The University of Texas at Austin, this research evaluated the mineralogical, chemical, and physical characteristics of fly ash and attempted to link these measured characteristics (or combinations thereof) to sulfate resistance of concrete. / text

Chancey, Ryan / text

Fly ash has been used extensively to control deleterious alkali-silica reaction in concrete. The majority of fly ashes can be used to control ASR induced expansion. Fly ashes with high CaO contents are less effective at reducing expansion and fly ashes with high alkali contents can be counter active. Class C fly ashes are less effective at reducing the pH of the pore solution because they are less pozzolanic. The pozzolanic reaction in Class F fly ashes enhances the ability for the hydration products to bind alkalis. This prevents the availability of these alkalis for ASR. This project aims to characterize fly ash in a way that best predicts how it will perform in concrete with an emphasis on ASR. Fly ashes with a variety of chemical compositions were evaluated using a range of analytical and characterization techniques. Research data from several universities were used to correlate their long term data with this project’s accelerated tests. This research aimed at evaluating the mineralogical, chemical, and physical characteristics that most affect the ability of a given fly ash to prevent ASR-induced expansion and cracking. / text

Geopolymer cements present a unique opportunity to make concrete binders almost entirely out of waste stream materials. Geopolymers made from fly ash, a waste product of coal power generation, as the aluminosilicate source and caustic activating solution were the focus of this study. However, the use of waste stream materials presents many challenges. One major stumbling block is that fly ash is inherently variable in composition and difficult to comprehensively characterize. The purpose of this work was to clarify the relationship between fly ash composition and reactivity in geopolymer cements. Ten fly ashes comprising a wide compositional spectrum were selected for the study and were characterized using quantitative x-ray diffraction and multispectral image analysis (MSIA) of x-ray maps coupled with point compositional analysis. The fly ashes were mixed into geopolymer mortars to determine their reactivity when activated as geopolymers. I hypothesized that the fly ashes that performed well under geopolymer formation conditions would have similarities in the glassy phases identified in them. The fly ashes that resulted in geopolymers with high compressive strengths did have several glassy phases in common. The phases were typically high in calcium, high in silicon, and somewhat low in aluminum. To determine whether the common phases were soluble and therefore likely to be dissolved, a dissolution method was used in which fly ash was mixed with concentrated caustic solution and continuously agitated; after 7 d and 28 d, the solid residues from the dissolution were studied using MSIA. The results showed that most of the glassy phases hypothesized to react were reactive, although the results were somewhat complex due to the heterogeneity of fly ash. The MSIA method proposed in previous work was further developed through this study, and a new way of selecting the training classes for phase composition assignment in the images was proposed. / text