Orientador: Bernardino Ribeiro de Figueiredo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T05:25:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Boin_ElisaAuroraSantanaFerreira_M.pdf: 3244830 bytes, checksum: a92b7a7798b0192e575c0b345bbd5a3b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A exposição humana ao chumbo pode ser reduzida a partir de um controle de disponibilidade e mobilidade do mesmo por meio da aplicação de fertilizante fosfatado, induzindo a adsorção do chumbo e a formação de compostos insolúveis como a piromorfita. Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram caracterizar, física, química e mineralogicamente, o solo e os materiais fosfatados para otimização do tratamento de remediação e, a partir destas caracterizações, avaliar um método de remediação de solo adaptado para a região do CIEM/CPRM, em Apiaí (SP), baseado na imobilização do chumbo por fosfato. Nos experimentos em bancada foram analisados dois tipos de material: fosfato diamônico (DAP), na razão molar (P:Pb) 1:5, e rocha fosfática, na razão molar (P:Pb) 3:5, além da granulometria dos materiais fosfatados (comercial e moída) e o tempo de tratamento (3, 6 e 9 meses) em solo com 3,5% de chumbo. Experimentos in situ fora realizados em 3 locais com diferentes concentrações de chumbo (1204 mg.kg-1, 94 mg.kg-1 e 5191 mg.kg-1) utilizando rocha fosfática na razão molar (P:Pb) 4:1 e analisados em em períodos de 3 e 6 meses. Foram realizadas análises de concentração de Pb, Zn, Cu, As e Cd na fração solúvel em solo e em extrato parcial mediante ataque com acetato de amônio 1M a pH 4,5. O DAP não se mostrou um bom imobilizador de Pb pois teve a eficácia diminuída com o tempo e induziu a redução do pH, liberando Pb e outros elementos-traço para as frações estudadas nesta pesquisa. A aplicação de rocha fosfática elevou o pH e reduziu da concentração de Pb e outros elementos-traço: 37% na fração solúvel em solo e 20% no extrato parcial de solo após 9 meses de tratamento. Além disso, não foram observadas alterações nas concentrações de outros elementos-traço. Nestes ensaios não houve diferenças expressivas nos resultados em relação à granulometria da rocha fosfática. Nos experimentos in situ a aplicação de rocha fosfática resultou na imobilização de até 99% do chumbo disponível na fração solúvel em solo e de até 81% do chumbo disponível em extrato parcial e reduziu a concentração de outros elementos-traço nestas frações. Foi observada a ocorrência de piromorfita no solo tratado, porém os principais processos de imobilização do chumbo foram a adsorção por minerais de argila, óxidos e na superfície da rocha fosfática. A utilização de rocha fosfática, como imobilizador de chumbo, se mostrou eficiente para remediação do solo do CIEM/CPRM em Apiaí, independente da concentração de Pb. É recomendado que o planejamento de remediação do local contemple as seguintes ações: remover e isolar a escória em cápsulas de concreto no subsolo e cobri-las com solo não contaminado; revolver o solo contaminado com rocha fosfática (4:1 - P:Pb), cobrindo esses locais com uma nova camada de solo não contaminado; cobrir toda a área com grama e plantas e monitorar a qualidade do solo e a da água, visto que há possibilidade de lixiviação de outros elementos-traço como As e Cd / Abstract: Human exposure to lead can be reduced with a control of availability and mobility of lead through application of phosphatic fertilizers, inducing adsorption of lead and formation of insoluble compounds like pyromorphite. The goals of this research were to characterize physically, chemically and mineralogically the soil and the phosphate materials to optimize the remediation treatment based on immobilization of lead by phosphate in order to adapt a soil remediation method to the region studied. In the laboratorial experiments two types of material were analyzed: diammonium phosphate (DAP) at 1:5 molar ratio (P:Pb) and phosphate rock at 3:5 molar ratio (P:Pb), in addition to phosphate materials particle size (ungrounded and grounded) and the time of treatment (3, 6 and 9 months) in soil with 3.5% of lead contamination. In-situ experiments were carried out in 3 locations with different concentrations of lead (1,204 mg.kg-1, 94 mg.kg-1and 5,191mg.kg-1) using phosphate rock at 4:1 molar ratio (P:Pb) and collecting data at 3 and 6 months. Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd concentration analyses were carried out in water soluble fraction and partial extract of ammonium acetate at pH 4.5 1M. DAP was not effective as lead immobilizer as diminished effectiveness over time and induces pH decrease, releasing Pb and other metals to the fractions here studied. Phosphate rock increased pH and reduced lead and other metal concentrations in the water soluble fraction (37% reduction of metal after 9 months of treatment) and partial extract (20% reduction after 9 months of treatment). Besides, it did not alter the concentrations of metals in this fraction and increased its performance over time. There were no expressive alterations in the results when comparing phosphate rock particle sizes. In the experiments in-situ the application of phosphate rock immobilized up to 99% of the lead available in soluble fraction and up to 81% of the lead available in partial extract. It also reduced other metals concentrations in these fractions. Although formation of pyromorphite took place, the main mechanism was lead adsorption by clay minerals, oxides and the surface of the phosphate rock. The use of phosphate rock as lead immobilizer showed to be efficient for soil remediation in the region studied independently of the lead concentration. It is recommended that the site remediation planning contemplate the following actions: removal and isolation of the slag in concrete capsules in the underground covering them with uncontaminated soil; mixing contaminated soil with phosphate rock (4:1 - P:Pb) and depositing a new layer of uncontaminated soil on these spots; replanting all the area with grass and plants and monitoring soil and water quality, seeing that there is a possibility of lixiviation of other trace elements such as As and Cd / Mestrado / Geologia e Recursos Naturais / Mestre em Geociências

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a cognitive and metacognitive intervention program (Caribbean Quest; CQ), on improving cognitive and social self-concepts (i.e., evaluative self-perceptions, including self-efficacy beliefs), executive function (EF), and attention. The effect of motivation on cognitive training derived benefits also was assessed. Motivation was examined both in terms of motivation specific to engagement in the CQ intervention (i.e., state motivation) and children’s intrinsic motivation for learning situations in general. In addition, the relationship between age, motivation, and self-concept was investigated. Participants included fifty-five male children, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years, with teacher reported deficits in EF and attention (29 controls, M = 8.38 years; 26 intervention, M = 8.35 years). The CQ intervention was delivered to children at school by trained educational assistants (EAs). On average, children completed 12 hours of intervention over 6 weeks. During CQ training sessions, EAs provided support to children in their game play, helping them to monitor their performance and utilize cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Each participant completed a battery of tests before and after the intervention, including measures of cognitive function, self-concept, working memory (WM), sustained attention, and intrinsic motivation. Teachers also provided ratings of children’s intrinsic motivation. Following CQ sessions, children’s state motivation was assessed. Pre- and post-test analyses did not reveal significant intervention effects for self-concept. However, given known developmental differences in self-evaluations for children less than eight years of age as compared to children aged eight years and older, self-concept was analyzed separately within younger and older age groups. Results indicated that children younger than eight years of age showed significant improvements on cognitive and social self-concept compared to the control group, suggesting that self-concept may be more amenable to change in younger children. Transfer effects of cognitive training to neuropsychological measures of WM and attention were not significant, although findings trended in the direction of higher benefit for the intervention group. For participants in the intervention group, child-reported intrinsic motivation, but not teacher-reported or state motivation, predicted the extent of change on the self-concept questionnaire and the sustained attention task. Results indicated cognitive self-concept and state motivation increased with age for the younger group of children; for the older group of children, state motivation decreased with age. In sum, results support the use of a cognitive and metacognitive training intervention for improving cognitive and social self-concepts in younger boys with EF and attention deficits. These findings highlight the importance of motivation as a key determinant of change and training derived gains. Future studies should further explore the relationship between motivation and training derived gains to better understand factors that might limit or enhance the effectiveness of cognitive intervention, as well as examine the value of concurrently targeting motivational factors in cognitive intervention. / Graduate

Introduction: An increased incidence of schizophrenia among migrant and ethnic minority groups has been established. Ethnic minorities have poorer access to and outcomes from evidence based psychosocial interventions compared to the majority population. The overall aims of this thesis was to explore culturally adapted psychosocial interventions for migrant and ethnic minority schizophrenia sufferers, and use the results of these investigations to develop culturally adapted cognitive remediation (CR) to meet the needs of South Asian first episode sufferers. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of previous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigated the quality, methods and effectiveness of culturally adapted psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia. Interviews, analysed using framework analysis, explored the acceptability, and perceived accessibility, of CR to the target population. CR for first episode psychosis was then adapted to target South Asian sufferers' needs and participants' satisfaction and engagement measured in a feasibility study. Results: The systematic review identified 17 RCTs of culturally adapted psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia. Meta-analysis of culturally adapted Family Intervention (caFI) compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU) showed no reduction in relapse risk. There were non-significant reductions in risk and number of hospitalisations during the intervention and significant shortening of total time in hospital. Meta-analysis of culturally adapted Social Skills Training (caSST), compared to TAU showed improvements in medication and symptom management but no effects when compared to a time-matched psychosocial intervention. Results must be interpreted with caution due to the small number of trials included and limitations in their analyses. Cultural adaptations made to the interventions were similar across trials. This allowed for the development of a measure systematically recording the methods used in culturally adapting interventions. Scale items included: language, therapeutic alliance, teaching style, manual content, family, treatment goals, explanatory models of illness, help seeking behaviour, delivery, stigma, societal context and cultural tenets. Emergent themes from qualitative interviews with ten South Asian first episode schizophrenia sufferers included: help seeking for psychosis, sociocultural influences on help seeking, experience of cognitive deficits, and recommended cultural adaptations to CR. CR was well received by all respondents. Level of acculturation and the influence of family and illness beliefs were associated with distinct pathways to care. A feasibility study of culturally adapted cognitive remediation (caCR) for first episode South Asian psychosis patients resulted in high levels of service user satisfaction, therapeutic alliance and participant retention rates. The majority (87.5%) reported cognitive benefits and a boost in self-esteem. Conclusions: The scale of cultural adaptations for psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia will provide a framework for those developing culturally adapted interventions for migrant or ethnic minority communities and a means to record the degree and type of adaptation. CaCR was acceptable to first episode South Asian psychosis sufferers. A larger trial is required to investigate this intervention's efficacy in terms of cognitive and global functioning.

A probabilistic risk assessment model using GOLDSIM software was developed to evaluate the uncertainty of selected hydrological and soil parameters on mercury releases from a mercury containment system, which will be constructed within the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility in the Bear Creek Valley at the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. The main objective was to determine the concentrations and risk of exceeding the drinking water standard of mercury in a selected receptor well. A series of simulations were then conducted for various design periods, with emphasis on 10,000 years to determine those concentrations and risks. Experimental data for selected parameters such as dry bulk density, partition coefficient, and porosity and infiltration rate were represented by Probability Density Functions in support of Monte Carlo analyses. A sensitivity analysis showed that concentrations and risk are, for instance, most sensitive to porosity in the unsaturated zone. The simulations suggest that all herein estimates of concentrations and risks of mercury in drinking water should be well below established limits.

The objective of the thesis is to demonstrate the use of valuation methods as a support for managerial decisions of enterprise liquidation. The thesis includes traditional parts of valuations such as strategic and financial analysis, value drivers analysis, which allow us to confirm or disprove going concern assumption and future liquidation. Finally, we will use valuation methods to determine the optimal timing of enterprise liquidation or possibility of business remediation.

An integrated flow and transport model using MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 software was developed to predict the flow and transport of mercury, Hg(II), under varying environmental conditions. The model analyzed the impact of remediation scenarios within the East Fork Poplar Creek watershed of the Oak Ridge Reservation with respect to downstream concentration of mercury. The numerical simulations included the entire hydrological cycle: flow in rivers, overland flow, groundwater flow in the saturated and unsaturated zones, and evapotranspiration and precipitation time series. Stochastic parameters and hydrologic conditions over a five year period of historical hydrological data were used to analyze the hydrological cycle and to determine the prevailing mercury transport mechanism within the watershed. Simulations of remediation scenarios revealed that reduction of the highly contaminated point sources, rather than general remediation of the contaminant plume, has a more direct impact on downstream mercury concentrations.

Coastal areas around the world have been recognized as largely impacted by anthropogenic activities resulting in pollution of marine sediments. In Sweden, surveys conducted along the coastline of the Bothnian Bay have identified a total area of about 29 km2 as fiber rich sediments. In the Bureå sea area near Skellefteå vicinity, Västerbotten county, elevated levels of mercury (Hg), methyl-Hg, arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have been classified and believed to be mainly affected by emissions from a pulp and paper industry formerly active on a nearby headland.  Contaminants in sediments are of concern as continuous dispersion can adversely affect the benthic community. To isolate contaminants and reduce their bioavailability, in-situ thin-layer capping using an active material is one suitable approach. This type of remediation method, using biochar mixed with bentonite clay will be implemented on a pilot scale in the sea area outside of Bureå in the spring of 2021. However, bentonite is a relatively expensive material yielding a need to further develop the selection of capping materials suitable to aid in the deposition of biochar in an active thin-layer cap. In this thesis, biochar-based thin layer caps mixed with bentonite clay, rock dust of two grain sizes and a concrete-based slurry was evaluated on their physicochemical properties and efficiency for preventing release of trace elements from sediment to the overlying water. This was conducted by a laboratory column experiment where four set ups were performed: (1) no capping for sediment control, (2) only capping material for material control, (3) sediment mixed with biochar and (4) sediment capped with each material mixed with biochar. Three times during an 8-week test period, 60 mL of the overlying water in the columns was extracted and sent for trace element analysis.  The experimental set up revealed that the capping layers effectively prevent release of trace elements trough the sediment to the overlying water. The concrete slurry showed suitable settling properties and negligible loss of biochar in the set-up of the columns. Also, the biochar+concrete slurry thin-layer cap displayed the highest efficiency for preventing and/or delaying release of As, P, Cu, Fe, Mn and SO4.

Since 1968, the federally funded TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program has assisted students who are either low income, first-generation, or have disabilities with services designed to improve the success of these participants in college. To achieve this goal, the services offered, such as the tutoring services at a participating 2-year college in the southeastern United States, must be effective. Guided by Tinto’s theory of academic integration, the purpose of this retrospective prediction study was to ascertain whether the amount of documented time receiving tutorial services, college placement test scores, race/ethnicity, gender, and age were predictive of student success as measured by grades in 2 levels of remedial math courses and 1 remedial English course. Nonprobability sampling of remedial course tutoring recipients produced samples for Level 1 math n = 43, Level 2 math n = 49, and English n = 25. Ordinal logistic regression analyses indicated that time spent in SSS tutoring during the first 5 weeks of a semester positively predicted grades for all 3 remedial courses. In addition, female gender was negatively correlated with grades for the Level 1 remedial math course, and college placement scores were predictive of success for both remedial math courses. Age and race/ethnicity were not significant predictors of student success for any of the courses. Based on these findings, a recommendation to implement a remedial summer bridge program was developed for the local college to provide recent high school graduates with the opportunity to get a head start on their remedial education and aid them with their transition into higher education. The summer bridge program will influence positive social change by strengthening the services of TRIO SSS at the local college, thus positively affecting the education and lives of students who take part in these services.

South Africa is one of the leading countries globally when it comes to mining and extracting minerals from the Landscape. Mining companies in South Africa are not satisfying their legal responsibilities by effectively “closing down” mines. Derelict mine sites occur all over the country and are not rehabilitated or reused at all. These mines leave behind a trail of idle landscapes, influencing the environmental and social structure of its context. This dissertation investigates the role of the landscape architect in the revival of an abandoned dumping site on the Johannesburg mining belt, in the south of the city, within the proposed Corridors of Freedom Framework. It seeks ways of transforming derelict mining spaces into spaces for opportunity as proposed by the Johannesburg Spatial Development Framework and the Urban Framework for Turffontein. The two main issues caused by the derelict mining sites in Turffontein are that of unemployment and environmental pollution. The hypothesis states that landscape design can respond to the site’s socio-environmental issues through a: didactic landscape intervention that creates awareness of the unemployment and environmental pollution; and a programme that focuses on skills development, material generation and rehabilitation. In order to test the hypothesis, research was done on key contextual and site-specific issues through on site mapping and available desktop information. Existing urban frameworks and Spatial Development Frameworks regarding the future plans of the Turffontein precinct were consulted, along with a literature review and precedent study in order to identify made use of informal interviews to solutions and opportunities at a wide range of scales. The author gather insight on the site and context related matters. In conclusion, it is argued that a didactic landscape intervention, focused on skills development, remediation, and material generation can address the key social and environmental issues of the Turffontein area. The design programme directly responds to the contextual needs, while the experience of the site design is educational. By respecting the genius loci of the place, didactic moments are created along a route in the landscape to create awareness with the users of the socio-environmental constraints challenges of the site and context. The aim is to allow future generations to experience and learn through the design intervention that confronts them with the immediate challenges and creates opportunity for growth and change. / Mini Dissertation ML(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Architecture / ML(Prof) / Unrestricted

In the wake of Eric Garner’s 2014 public execution at the hands of NYPD officers, online spaces such as Twitter saw an influx of remediated imagery referencing Ramsey Orta’s bystander cell phone video of Garner’s death. These images often explicitly reference the chokehold that killed Garner and/or they reappropriate Garner’s last words: “I can’t breathe.” To what formal dimensions in Orta’s video are these remediated images responding? What broader cultural work is the creation of these images doing? In this project, I regard Orta’s video as the point of entry for considering the cultural work of remediating images from it, as understanding its formal dimensions are necessary to recognizing the ways in which the remediated images attend to Garner’s body. I read this video using Scott Richmond’s revision of Christian Metz’s theory of cinematic identification to identify the concerning and compelling tension between over and under-identifying with onscreen subjects in Orta’s video, ultimately asserting that aligning with any body onscreen is ultimately a choice. Further, the remediated images attending to Garner’s body signal viewer’s chosen alignment with him or Orta, and claim Garner’s death as a socially constructed cultural trauma. These claims not only signal collective identification around the trauma on behalf of those who did not initially witness it, but also express belief in Garner’s experience despite a public discourse that continually emphasized his (and other black men’s) perceived violent potential.