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No description available.

The aim of this thesis is to achieve both a theoretical and empirical understanding of the local public inquiry system in the context of controversial North Sea oil and gas onshore developments. Part one develops a theoretical framework within which an analytical vocabulary is generated to describe the case studies in part two. it is argued that a concept of the political process which acknowledges that power and participation are inextricably bound together in public institutions is particularly appropriate for studying an institution such as a local public inquiry because it is both an instrument of government and a means of ensuring the fulfillment of 'natural justice' to individuals affected by planning and development issues. Part one develops this idea first through an historical examination of the concept of 'natural justice1 as a conflict between 'common-sense' notions of justice and 'formal' legal and administrative interpretations of what is 'fair', and then as a theoretical debate between the critical theory of Jurgen Habermas and the systems theory of Nicklas Luhmann. Part one concludes by arguing that the essence of the tension between Habermas and Luhmann articulates the tension between 'common-sense' notions of justice and 'formal legal' notions and that by using the vocabulary of 'classification and framing of knowledge' developed within educational sociology by Basil Bernstein, the Habermas-Luhmann debate can be condensed into an analytical tool enclosed within one theoretical structure. Power and participation as inter-connected forms of political engagement are expressed within the concept of the 'classification and framing of knowledge' as conflicting patterns in the relationship between knowledge and information and the institutional procedures that process that knowledge and information. Part two explicitly seeks to use the concept of the 'classification and framing' of knowledge to make visible the principles of power and social control that operate in large public inquiries. Attention is focused on local public inquiries into North Sea oil and gas onshore development; the case studies of the Cromarty Firth, Dunnet Bay and Drumbuie are described to illustrate how the 'classification and framing1 of knowledge operated in the Highlands in the 1970's. The case of Shell/Esso's petrochemical development in Fife is examined in detail to describe, first, the nature of participation and discontent within the local public inquiry system, and secondly, the relationship between the formation of local opposition in the form of an action group and the nature of the constraints imposed upon that organisation by the local public inquiry system. Part three attempts to clarify the theoretical and practical problems involved in reforming the local public inquiry system within the terms established by this thesis. The work of Jurgen Habermas is considered pivotal for developing a critical sociology of the public sphere. It is tentatively suggested that the new social movements rooted in ecology and opposition to nuclear power could be the bearers of an emerging critical theory of society and technology which might the grounding for a unified theory and practice which could lead to institutional change in society generally and in the planning sphere in particular.

Although the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acid in reducing the risk of various of human diseases, such as hypertriglyceridemia and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, have been demonstrated in clinical and pre-clinical studies, the mechanism of its action is poorly understood. several studies has been reported that Dietary supplementation with fish oil induces many changes in plasma TG profile. N-3 fatty acid found in fish oil has been reported that reduce plasma TG and VLDL lev- els. Intercellular lipid droplets is the key regulator of plasma fatty acids and lipoproteins level. Here we show that n-3 fatty acid supplementation triggers intercellular lipid droplets degradation independent from known fatty acid mobilization pathways namely lipophagy and lipolysis . ATGL and HSL are consider as two major lipolysis enzymes.SiRNA study of these two lipolysis enzymes did not attenuate lipid droplets degradation. Lipophagy has been reported as a selective mechanism for degradation of lipid droplets during the starvation condition. Knock down of autophagy (macroautophagy) related pro- teins, could not block degradation of intercellular lipids by EPA. Degradation of lipid droplets is lysosomes dependent and requires lysosomal motility machinery. Lysosomes are interacting directly with lipid droplets during the process that is similar to kiss and run pattern. The morphological examination of this process by electron microscopy indicated its re- semblance to microautophagy like structure. Importantly, (over expression) Arl8b which has been shown that play a role in peripheral distribution of lysosomes along with FYCO1, specifically accelerates the effect of EPA on degradation of intercellular lipid droplets independent from its role in engagement of lysosomal plus end distribution. in particular, Arl8b recruited HOPS protein complex in EPA dependent fashion and si- lencing of HOPS complex interfered with normal lysosomal degradation of lipid droplets. Thus, this finding reveals new mechanism for intercellular lipid mobilization and offer an explanation for the therapeutic benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston University

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Understanding mineralogy and surface properties of fine solids is vital in oil sands processing and tailings management. Fine solids in oil sands are often contaminated by tightly bound organic matter (OM) originally or during hydrocarbon removal, thereby increasing surface hydrophobicity and making its characterization problematic. The surface properties of solids affect the entire process cycle of obtaining synthetic crude oil from surface-mined oil sands using a water-based extraction process, and managing produced tailings. In this study, low temperature ashing (LTA) was found to be a more suitable method than hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for OM removal from clay sized minerals (CSM) because of its selectivity for decomposing only organics. The mineralogy and cation exchange capacity of the CSM remained unaffected after treatment with LTA as opposed to H2O2 treatment. To comprehend the organo-mineral interactions in oil sands, solids isolated from weathered and oil sands having low- and high-fine solids content were examined. Low-fines ore possessed the lowest amount of organic coated solids and highest bitumen recovery. The solids in the bitumen froth from these ores were of less quartz, more carbonates, transition metals and carbon than the solids in the corresponding tailings. Infrared spectra showed a likely association between OM and carbonates in the organic coated solids isolated from bitumen froth. Weathered ores were found to contain more organic coated solids which were observed to reduce bitumen recovery from these oil sands ores. A further study of weathered ores was undertaken to understand the reason for its poor processability from a mineralogical perspective. A higher amount of divalent cations was found in weathered ores than in high- and low-fines ores. The low-fines ore was found to exhibit the highest kaolinitic to illitic mineral ratio, while the high-fines ore displayed the lowest ratio. Siderite and pyrite were observed in the solids isolated from weathered and high-fines ores, but were absent in low-fines ores. In addition to wettability, the poor processability of weathered ores appeared to be related to the interactions between the divalent cations and illite, and the cementation effect of the siderite concretions on the oil sand grains, which inhibited bitumen liberation. Corrensite, a mixed-layer chlorite-vermiculite, was detected for the first time in weathered ores. / Chemical Engineering

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The probe permeameter is a recently developed device providing a small scale measurement of permeability. About 15,000 probe permeameter measurements were acquired for analysis during this study. These data were acquired by Statoil from cores in two North Sea wells. These cores are from the Middle Iurassic Rannoch Formation of the Brent Group. This reservoir unit was selected for this study because of its laminated nature and challenge to conventional description and simulation practice. All aspects of probe permearnetry are investigated in this study; the volume of investigation, the compatibility with measurements at larger scales, the measurement statistics. the optimum sample spacing. the relationship of the measurements to the geological description and the scale-up of data for two-phase numerical reservoir simulation. Careful analysis of probe and traditional plug data shows that the measurements are compatible. Systematic differences could be accounted for by different treatment effects of the material. The probe measurements show that the permeability distribution in the Rannoch Formation is closely related to the primary depositional structure of the sediment at a hierarchy of scales. This observation is used in combination with conventional simulation techniques to build a more geologically-realistic numerical model of the Rannoch Formation. The scale-up of the small scale measurements is achieved by generation of effective properties for geologically representative elements at various scales and is called the "geopseudo" method. The scale of the natural building blocks within the sediment were determined with the aid of an appropriate outcrop analogue. The model results compare favourably with field production data. This work demonstrates. for the first time. a systematic method for the scale-up of small scale petrophysical properties associated with lamination in sedimentary rocks. as measured by the probe permeameter. Laminated reservoirs are widely encountered and this work. therefore. makes a significant contribution to reservoir engineering practice.