Scaling in green liquor handling systems is a persistent problem in many kraft mills. Scaling is commonly believed to be the result of pirssonite (Na2Ca(CO3)2∙2H2O) deposition. In this work, scale characterization was performed by analyzing 12 scale samples obtained from 10 kraft mills. Only 4 samples were identified as pirssonite while the remaining consisted of CaCO3. The predominant presence of CaCO3 in the scale samples was found to be the result of selective dissolution of Na2CO3 from pirssonite scale, leaving CaCO3 behind. Experimental studies were also conducted to study pirssonite solubility under green liquor conditions. Results obtained from these studies were used to create and validate a database for pirssonite in the OLI Systems® software to predict its formation. This database was used to generate a family of pirssonite solubility curves that can be used by the kraft mills as operational guidelines to prevent pirssonite precipitation.

This thesis focuses on phylogenetic relationships among some of the major lineages in Silene subgenus Behenantha (Caryophyllaceae) using DNA sequences from multiple, potentially unlinked gene regions from a large taxonomic and geographic sample. Both traditional phylogenetic analyses and a strategy to infer species trees and gene trees in a joint approach are used. A new strategy to optimize species classifications, based on the likelihoods of the observed gene trees, is presented. Silene latifolia, S. dioica and the other dioecious species previously classified in section Elisanthe are not closely related to the type of the section (S. noctiflora). The correct name for the group of dioecious species is section Melandrium. The chloroplast DNA data presented indicate a geographic, rather than a taxonomic, structure in section Melandrium. The nuclear genes investigated correlate more to the current taxonomy, although hybridization has likely been influencing the relationships within section Melandrium. Incongruence between different parts of the gene SlXY1 in two Silene lineages is investigated, using phylogenetic methods and a novel probabilistic, multiple primer-pair PCR approach. The incongruence is best explained by ancient hybridization and recombination events. A survey of mitochondrial substitution rate variation in Sileneae is presented. Silene section Conoimorpha, S. noctiflora and the closely related S. turkestanica have elevated synonymous substitution rates in the mitochondrial genes investigated. Morphological and phylogenetic data reject that the Californian S. multinervia should be treated as a synonym to the Asian S. coniflora, as has previously been suggested. Furthermore, none of the genes investigated, or a chromosome count, support the inclusion of S. multinervia in section Conoimorpha. Data from multiple genes suggest that S. noctiflora and S. turkestanica form a sister group to section Conoimorpha. The calyx nervature, which is a potential synapomorphy for S. multinervia and section Conoimorpha, may be explained either by parallelism or by sorting effects.

本研究以Stroop中文叫色作業，測驗兒童和成人在Stroop作業之練習和刺激向度分離等情形下，其干擾效果的變化情形。共執行兩個實驗，實驗一中的受試者先接受中性刺激和不和諧刺激的測驗，然後對兩類作業練習8日，其後再測驗一次，探討受試者在練習前、後之干擾效果的變化情形。另一組受試接受實驗二中，中性刺激、整合性不和諧刺激和分離性不和諧刺激等作業的測驗，藉以比較整合性干擾和分離性干擾的差異。兩組受試者皆接受文字閱讀的速度測驗。 結果發現，小學二年級兒童的Stroop干擾效果最大，六年級兒童次之，成人最小，這與之前文獻上所載的研究一致，同時也證實，練習確能降低干擾效果，但仍不能使其完全消失，且練習後，三組受試間的干擾效果已無顯著差異。在實驗二的結果顯著，刺激向度分離的干擾效果仍然存在，但比整合性干擾效果小，且受試者間的分離性干擾也沒有顯著差異。而所有受試的閱讀速度均快於叫色速度。 / The study was used the Stroop Chinese task to examine the course of the Stroop interference among second, sixth grade children and adults. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment I, participants were tested with neutral and incongruent tasks and practiced with the same tasks for the following 8 days. They were tested neutral and incongruent tasks again. Then examined the course of the Stroop interference among children of second, sixth grade children and adults, they were test with neutral and incongruent tasks again. Then examine the course of the Stroop interference in between children and adult during before and after practice. The other group of participants took part in experiment II. They were presented with three tasks consist of neutral, integrated and separated incongruent tasks. Then examine the difference of the interference among children of second, sixth grade and adult during integrated and separated incongruent tasks. Two groups of participants were presented word reading speed of task. The finding of the study was Stroop interference increased from the adults through the sixth grade children and finally to the second grade children is in line with previous finding. We have confirmed that although interference decreases with practice, it is very resistant to eradication. After practice, the interference between children and adults is not significant difference. In the experiment II, it was that separated Stroop stimulus showed interference, and the amount was relatively small. The interference of separated Stroop task among children of second, sixth grade and adults were not significant difference. All participants took longer to name color than to read words.

Sr₃Ru₂O₇ is a quasi-two-dimensional metal and has a paramagnetic ground state that is heavily renormalised by electron-electron correlations and magnetic exchange interactions. Inextricably linked to this renormalisation is the metamagnetism of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ - a rapid rise in uniform magnetisation over a narrow range of applied magnetic field. Knowledge of the zero-field physics is essential to any description of the metamagnetism. Light may be shed on the enigmatic ground state of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ by doping the crystal lattice with foreign cations: this is the primary purpose of the original research referred to in this thesis, in which studies of some of the electronic properties of crystals of cation-doped Sr₃Ru₂O₇ are reported. Single crystals of Sr₃(Ru[subscript(1-x)]Ti[subscript(x)])₂O₇ and Sr₃(Ru[subscript(1-x)]Cr[subscript(x)])₂O₇ have been synthesised in an image furnace and some of the properties of these crystals have been measured. Evidence that indicates the emergence of a spin density wave as a function of Ti-doping in Sr₃(Ru[subscript(1-x)]Ti[subscript(x)])₂O₇ is presented. Time-dependent magnetic irreversibility has been observed in samples of Sr₃(Ru[subscript(1-x)]Cr[subscript(x)])₂O₇, thus hinting at the involvement of the RKKY mechanism in these materials. Regarding cation doping out of the conducting RuO₂ planes, samples of (Sr[subscript(1-y)]La[subscript(y)])₃Ru₂O₇ have been grown and investigated. Both the Sommerfeld coefficient and the Fermi liquid A coefficient of (Sr[subscript(1-y)]La[subscript(y)])₃Ru₂O₇ are found to decrease as a function of y (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.02); these observations point towards a reduction in the thermodynamic mass of the Landau quasiparticles. Results from magnetoresistance and magnetisation measurements indicate that the metamagnetism of the (Sr[subscript(1-y)]La[subscript(y)])₃Ru₂O₇ series probably cannot be explained by a rigid band-shift model. Also, some aspects of these data imply that the metamagnetism cannot be fully accounted for by a spin fluctuation extension to the Ginzburg-Landau theory of uniform magnetisation.