Master of Science / Department of Geology / Saugata Datta / Domestic and irrigation well water quality in south-central Kansas is threatened by multiple sources of contamination including CO₂-EOR activities, evaporite dissolution and oilfield brine release. This research identifies potential groundwater flow paths for contaminant migration in a concentrated area mixed with oil, injection, irrigation and domestic wells. Groundwater (GW) sampling took place before and after CO₂ injections into the Mississippian in to assess temporal changes in water quality in a ~2 mile radius around injection well KGS 2-32. Samples were analyzed for stable isotopes, rare earth elements (REE), major and trace ions, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with a select few analyzed for dissolved CO₂ and hydrocarbons. Results of major ion chemistry reveal an evaporite control on geochemistry in wells screened within the paleoterrace as opposed to the incised valley. Bedrock channeling due to erosional scouring of the paleovalley is speculated to have led to secondary porosity thereby increasing GW flow. Similar stable isotopic and Br/Cl mass ratios between SW-3, Shepherd and Zehr indicate water is similarly sourced; lower total dissolved solids within incised valley could result from dilution from infiltration through overburden sediments. Br/Cl, SO₄/Cl, Na/Cl and (Ca+Mg)/Na ratios indicate Shepherd, Zehr and SW-3 are possibly impacted by a recent salt plume movement through this portion of the shallow aquifer. An increase in total dissolved solids and Mg/Ca ratios with temperatures less than 25°C over a 25 to 200 ft. depth interval into the Permian Shale of the uplands could have resulted from increasing calcitization and reduction in effective porosity. Dissolved REEs showed most domestic and surface waters contain similar signatures, indicating similarly sourced water. Additionally, there was no CO₂ leakage found within the sampling timeframe and a future leaked plume may be impeded by decreasing porosity from current secondary mineralization processes taking place in the Permian Shale.

Objective: The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) currently infects over 30 million people worldwide. It uses one of two main co-receptors to infect cells. The primary objective of this thesis is to evaluate genotypic and phenotypic assays for co-receptor usage in the clinical setting and investigate approaches for improvement of these assays. Methods: The concordance of recombinant co-receptor phenotyping assays and the predictive ability of genotype-based methods including the ‘11/25’ rule, position specific scoring matrices (PSSMs), and support vector machines (SVMs) were evaluated in the clinical setting using patient-derived plasma samples. Samples and patient data were evaluated in cross-sectional analyses from a retrospective population-based cohort of HIV-infected individuals enrolled in the HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program in British Columbia, Canada. Results: Current implementations of HIV V3 region-based predictors for HIV co-receptor usage tested on patient derived samples are inadequate in the clinical setting, primarily due to low sensitivities as a result of difficult to detect minority species. Recombinant phenotype assays also show discordances when tested against each other on the same set of patient derived samples, raising doubts if any of these assays can truly be considered a ‘gold standard’. Significant associations between clinical progression, viral sequence-based predictors of co-receptor usage and the output of recombinant assays are observed, suggesting that sensitivity can be improved by incorporating CD4% into genotype-based predictors. This is verified with a SVM model which showed a 17% increase in sensitivity when CD4% was incorporated into training and testing. Conclusion: This work in this thesis has exposed the difficulty in determining the co-receptor phenotype in the clinical setting, primarily due to minority species. Although genotypic methods of screening for HIV co-receptor usage prior to the administration of CCR5 antagonists may reduce costs and increase turn-around time over phenotypic methods, they are currently inadequate for use in the clinical setting due to low sensitivities. Although the addition of clinical parameters such as CD4 count significantly increases the predictive ability of genotypic methods, the presence of low-levels of X4 virus continues to reduce the sensitivity of both genotypic and phenotypic methods. / Medicine, Faculty of / Medicine, Department of / Experimental Medicine, Division of / Graduate

The recent enlargements of the European Union brought about a strategic shift in the EU’s approach to conflict management and security in the eastern neighbourhood. The Partnership and Co-operation Agreements between the EU and Moldova contained no mention of the Transnistrian dispute, while the agreement between the EU and Geor gia included a vague phrase regarding political dialogue which may include the issue of conflict resolution. The addition of new members to the Union, however, expanded the EU into its neighbourhood and brought closer the unresolved territorial disputes. Concerns that were once further away are now right next door. While the former accession states might have served as buffers to these concerns, they can no longer, as members of the Union, be seen as such. Therefore, there is a greater need to address security issues, such as the ‘frozen conflicts’ bordering the EU. This thesis will examine the evolution of the EU’s responses to security chal lenges in the Eastern neighbourhood, and assess the role the EU plays in addressing these ‘frozen conflicts’ through the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Fur ther, this thesis will argue that the EU has thus far exerted limited direct pressure towards direct resolution of these conflicts and has instead approached regional stability through a variety of other indirect and long term means, such as the pursuit of economic growth and political stability. In particular, the research will look at the security sector reform (SSR) and will focus on the EU’s impact, or Europeanization, in the rule of law and border management sectors of Moldova and Georgia. It will be shown that these two sectors are related to promoting political stability and economic growth, which is in line with the EU’s effort to support development in Moldova and Georgia, and thus indirectly address ‘frozen conflict’ resolution by. altering the incentive structures. This thesis will conclude that the EU does have an impact on the rule of law and border management sectors and subsequently some impact on the ‘frozen conflict’ in Moldova but less so on the conflicts in Georgia. / Arts, Faculty of / Central Eastern Northern European Studies, Department of / Graduate

In this work the combustion characteristics of coal, charcoal, microalgae biomass and blends between these three components were evaluated by means of non-isothermal thermogravimetry. Blends between coal, charcoal and microalgae biomass were made according to the specifications of a D-optimal mixture design so as to be able to model interactions between the three components with maximum precision despite multiple constraints built into the design. These constraints specified that coal can have a minimum value of 70 mass percent in any blend, while microalgae can have a maximum value of 20 mass percent. While coal and charcoal were blended by mixing the two respective dry components, microalgae biomass was incorporated into the blends by first absorbing microalgae onto fine coal from concentrated slurry of the microalgae in water. The microalgae in these blends were therefore intimately associated with the coal. This approach differed substantially from the normal practice of preparing coal – biomass blends (which are usually dry-mixed as for coal – charcoal blends). Proximate analyses of the starting materials showed that the microalgae biomass has a significantly higher volatile matter: fixed carbon content than both coal and charcoal, which should improve the combustion of these materials by providing a more stable combustion flame. Analyses of the thermogravimetric data obtained showed that coal and charcoal have much simpler combustion profiles than microalgae biomass for which five different thermal events could be observed in the DTG combustion profile. Qualitative kinetic analyses showed that the combustion of coal and charcoal follows first-order kinetics, but for microalgae biomass combustion, the first two combustion stages appear to follow first-order kinetics. The TG and DTG profiles for coal, charcoal, microalgae and blends of these three components were used to derive values for the so-called comprehensive combustion property index (S-value), which provides a combined measure of the ease of ignition, rate of combustion, and burn-out temperature. The S-values so obtained were used as response variable for the construction of a response surface model in the experimental domain investigated. Following statistical validation of the response surface model, the model was used to predict an optimum S-value or a blend that would display optimum combustion behaviour. Two optimum blends were obtained from the optimisation process, one in which only charcoal is added to coal, and one in which only microalgae is added to coal. Adding both charcoal and microalgae produced an antagonistic effect compared to when only one of these are used. Qualitative kinetic analyses of the combustion data of blends indicate that blends of coal and charcoal combust in a manner similar to the individual components (hence following first-order kinetics), but blends of coal and microalgae follow more complex kinetics despite the fact that the combustion profile is visibly more simple compared to the combustion profile for microalgae alone.

No description available.

The value of an investment project is a function of the magnitude and the distribution over time of the current capital outlay and future cash benefits pertaining to the project. Three basic problems must be resolved in capital budgeting and decision-making during project implementation: 1) It is difficult to estimate capital costs and cash benefits. 2) The realization of future benefits is uncertain. 3) Future benefits must be compared with current capital costs. Generally, risk and uncertainty associated with an investment project are given implicit consideration by basing decisions on the most likely single-valued estimates of capital cost and cash flow. However, recent developments in investment management techniques enable risk and uncertainty to be given explicit consideration by assignment of a priori probability distributions to capital cost and cash flow estimates. These methods are enabled by the introduction of Monte Carlo computer simulation. The problem of comparing current capital costs with future benefits can be resolved by discounted cash flow (dcf) or net present value (npv) analysis. Both methods enable the distribution over time of the cash flow to be explicitly taken into account. The minimum acceptable yield for a project is dependent upon the firm's cost of capital. The decision to undertake a project included in the set of viable projects available to the firm is constrained by the availability of resources, particularly financial and managerial resources. A normative model of a large industrial capital project can be divided into seven reasonably distinct phases: 1) Idea Generation, 2) Preliminary Analysis, 3) Comprehensive Feasibility Study, 4) Project Development, 5) Project Implementation, 6) Start-Up, and 7), Post-Completion Audit. A decision to proceed with a project is generally made at the completion of the feasibility study phase; however, the decision can reasonably be reviewed and revoked at the completion of the project development phase. Beyond this point the implementation process is essentially irreversible, as cash outlays accelerate for fixed and intangible assets which have little or no salvage value. To ensure optimization of the project's value to the firm, a competent and sufficient management team must be provided to direct the implementation. For a large single undertaking, definable in terms of a specific end result which is unique, complex and involves a high degree of interdependence of task accomplishment, a project or task force organization is invariably utilized. The uniqueness, frequency, and critical importance of project decision-points demand a high degree of senior executive attention and control. Modern network methods (PERT/CPM) enable the separation of the planning and scheduling functions and aid in the establishment of an efficient, coordinated work flow. Network diagrams provide an explicit means of considering dependencies between events, even for large projects which include several thousand or more significant activities. Network analysis enables critical activities to be distinguished from non-critical activities, and thus project durations can be controlled or minimized by application of resources to specific key areas. Established computer routines are available to systematically 'crash' projects and to aid in schedule formulation which facilitates stabilization of resource input levels. A case study of a hypothetical industrial project is used to illustrate the comprehensive feasibility study, project development, and project implementation phases. Although confidential requirements prevented the use of a specific project, the case is realistic in that the data base was synthesized from several actual projects of corresponding scope. Examination of the methodology of capital project management on an overall basis indicates that the integrated systems concept approach is required for maximum efficiency of resource utilization. The future will undoubtedly see rationalization of the fragmented approach to problems in economics, finance, engineering and administration; as well as more widespread application of modern techniques in data processing, management science and information system design. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

This thesis deals with co-operatives, especially with housing co-operatives. The aim of the thesis is to show legal, tax and accounting regulation of the co-operatives. Thesis at first shows short history of the co-operative system, next it holds forth on contemporary legal and tax regulation and the last part pays attention to accounting of the co-operatives, especially to accounting of the housing co-operatives.

This research investigates the institutional implications of co-production as a strategy for development. The study is located within international debates on global development targets beyond 2015 and how cities of the Global South meet the challenges of urbanisation and informality. With forecasts indicating the continuing growth of urban populations, there is an urgent need to consider how governments, working collaboratively with communities, meet the burgeoning demand for housing and basic services and create the institutions necessary for sustainable urban development. Co-production is examined empirically through an embedded case study with the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation, its partner NGO Dialogue on Shelter Trust and the City of Harare Council. The research traces how co-productive relations have evolved between these stakeholders over the period 1997 to 2013. Co-production is considered as a mediating function that supports the creation of spaces for dialogue and problem-solving in complex urban environments. Drawing on sociological institutional theory, the thesis examines the implications of co-productive working on the discursive representation of people in poverty and the institutionalised practices of the state toward low income communities. The research finds that the organisational and deliberative processes associated with co-production are formative: contributing to the efficacy of low income communities and the state to address housing and basic service needs. The thesis reports firstly that community mobilisation has a significant role in bringing together the financial and human resources needed to contribute to co-production. More importantly mobilisation provides the social infrastructure needed to create agential communities. Secondly, where organised communities are involved in the governance of development projects, there is an enhanced capacity to problem solve, which galvanises state support for progressive policies. Thirdly, the research in Harare identified that processes and practices of co-production stimulate adaptation of institutional arrangements. These gain significance over time as they accumulate to affect discourse, epistemic practice and lead to small scale institutional change. The research confirms the potential significance of co-production for sustainable urban development. For communities, co-production serves to shift their subjectivity within existing institutional configurations; creating the potential to act outside of normatively defined roles. For the state, co-production creates an opportunity to establish spaces of deliberation that provide an infusion of resources and can bolster failing legitimacy. However, evidence from Harare also underlines that co-production is contextually defined and adaptive change is fragile in the face of stronger forces of politics and elite interests.

The thesis argues that the distribution formats can be significant strategic communication and differentiation tools for luxury brand and that the intangible determinants within the space can provide balancing link between company trying to manage its brand expression and consumers search for the meaningful experiences. The dissertation uses a luxury retail setting, as the highest in distribution hierarchy to analyze these relations. This ensures a level of diversification from mass retail approach. In addition, this brings back to the store as source of value creation and experiences that one should expect from a luxury brand. The aim: To explore conceptually the nature of value creation and how the relationship gets between a retailer and customer translated and communicated by a means of store, also to identify the key determinants for the value creation within the formats while looking at which levels it brings to ability to co - create the experiential value with consumer. Method: The two primary methods used are: in-depth, semi-structured interview with professionals or key informants and field notes in ethnographic context with a sample of 52 international marketing students. The secondary data collection draws upon extensive, relevant and significant academic literature review including books, professional journals, online resources, etc. Findings: The work identified two value drivers: Symbolic Desire and Exclusive Excitement. Excitement and Desire were found to be the main emotions to trigger the consumer within the luxury setting and to translate a product into service or experience of a kind. Second, research identified the two experiential prospects of: Become and Belong. These show all the way the interaction builds and develops to immerse the customers in a branded world and experiences. As a result the thesis suggests two new approaches; Experiential Value Co-Creation and In - Store Typology. Such orientation offers an outline for adjusting the service and mapping the generic groups of luxury consumers. Moreover, in-store experiential typology offers four types of spaces and/or segments within the setting: Expertise, Exclusivize, Aspirational and Popularize.

Introduction: Biomarkers of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment response in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are a necessity to ensure early diagnosis and adequate monitoring of TB treatment response. We conducted 3 sub-studies: study 1 was a bioavailability study; study 2 was a PK study in HIV-TB co-infected persons, and study 3 evaluated a WHO-recommended treatment algorithm in TB-HIV co-infected persons. Study 1 and 2 contributed to the study of 2 (NAT2) polymorphisms. Study 1 was leveraged to evaluate Quantiferon Gold in tube (QFT-GIT) and a quality of life instrument as a longitudinal biomarker in smear and culture positive TB-HIV co-infected patients. Study 3 was leveraged to study urine lipoarabinomannan (LAM) as a diagnostic adjunct in smear-negative HIV-infected patients treated for TB. Methods: Blood was collected from participants with HIV-infection only and TB-HIV coinfection for NAT2 polymorphisms at baseline, and for QFT-GIT at baseline, month 3, 6 and 12; a health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) instrument was applied at the same timepoints to monitor treatment response in Study 1. An additional 40 TB-HIV co-infected participants (Study 2) were included in the analysis for the assessment of NAT2 polymorphisms and its effect on isoniazid plasma levels and hepatotoxicity. Urine was collected from seriously ill HIV-infected patients with confirmed smear-negative presumptive-TB (Study 3) prior to anti-TB treatment and tested using a commercially available LAM-ELISA. Blood and sputum were collected and processed for TB culture. Results: One hundred and twenty participants (100 TB-HIV co-infected and 20 non-TB but HIVinfected) from Study 1 and Study 2 with genotype results and were evaluated. Percentage of metabolisers in each category were: slow 52.5% (63/120), (NAT2*5/*5); intermediate 35.8% (43/120), (NAT2*4/*5 and NAT2*5/12); and rapid 11.7% (14/120), (NAT2*4/*11, NAT2*11/12 and NAT2*12/12). In general, isoniazid area under the concentration curve (AUC)0-∞ and maximum concentration (Cmax) were lower amongst the study 1 compared to study 2 participants. INH and AcINH PK parameters across genotypes were not statistically significantly different within each study. The log AcINH: log INH ratio, calculated as a measure of acetylation at two and four hours post-dose, showed no statistically significant difference between genotypes.