Inland sand dunes supporting Grey Hair-grass Corynephorus canescens are a declining European habitat designated for conservation under the EU’s Habitats Directive. In Britain they are confined to a handful of sites in East Anglia and the West Midlands. This study investigated the relationships of the British populations to each other and to populations on five sites in Poland, where C. canescens is still widespread. It also conducted exploratory investigations into factors relevant to the conservation of this ecosystem, particularly in the West Midlands. Data were collected chiefly from 1m2 quadrat samples and direct sampling, which recorded the plants and animals present together with parameters such as vigour and fecundity in C. canescens, amounts of bare sand and litter, and measures of erosion and grazing. These data were variously analysed including by CANOCO multivariate analysis and, for the vegetation, TWINSPAN analysis. 153 taxa of plants and 251 of invertebrates were identified. Though strongly distributed on a regional basis, both flora and invertebrate fauna showed relationships particularly between Polish and West Midlands sites. Analysis of the vegetation suggested that West Midlands vegetation had some associations with C. canescens habitats in Europe and that East Anglian vegetation had links with British coastal C. canescens habitats. The invertebrate fauna showed some complex community relationships in Poland and the West Midlands but less so in East Anglia, while assemblages of invertebrates were associated with various vegetational and abiotic factors. Rabbits and hares were the only vertebrates regularly exploiting C. canescens habitats, which they grazed and, in the former case, produced sand disturbances for colonisation by C. canescens. Ants and to a lesser degree some other invertebrates also produced sand disturbances. Observations made in a preliminary cultivation study in the West Midlands suggested that C. canescens may have a biennial phenology, high fecundity, low germination rates and limited dispersal powers in that region. A trampling investigation suggested that C. canescens may be very sensitive to heavy uncontrolled trampling and to vegetational succession under protection. Stages in succession of the C. canescens community were identified, and suggestions for further study and the conservation of C. canescens were drawn up.

Increasing use of engineered nanomaterials presents concerns as some nanoparticles appear to be harmful to both human health and the environment. Effective treatment methods are required to remove problematic nanoparticles from (waste)water streams. Porous media filtration, commonly used for the removal of particulate matter, shows promise for nanoparticle treatment. The goal of this work is to investigate the potential of porous media filtration for the abatement of nanoparticles from aqueous waste streams. To this end, an automated method was developed that allows real-time and in-situ monitoring of nanoparticle transport and retention in porous media using online measurement of UV-visible absorbance or fluorescence. Development of fluorescent-core nano-silica (n-SiO₂) in controllable sizes provided an excellent tracer for nanoparticle transport in porous media. Measurement of n-SiO₂ by destructive techniques is complicated by high natural Si background levels. Fluorescence monitoring enables real-time measurement, facilitating rapid evaluation of n-SiO₂ transport. Synthesized n-SiO₂ remain in their primary sizes making an evaluation of the behavioral change of particles due to transition into the "nano" range possible. A comparison of the role of particle size on transport in porous media displayed the importance of particle number concentration as the dominance of site-specific adsorption may be obscured by simple mass concentration evaluation.T he effectiveness of different bed materials, namely, sand, activated carbon (AC), and diatomaceous earth (DE), for the removal of TiO₂ nanoparticles (n-TiO₂) from aqueous streams was investigated. DE proved promising for n-TiO₂ capture shown by its high bed capacity (33.8 mg TiO₂ g⁻¹(medium)) compared to AC (0.23 mg TiO₂ g⁻¹(medium)) or sand (0.004 mg TiO₂ g⁻¹(medium)). The presence of organic and synthetic contaminants produced varying effects on n-TiO₂ retention, mostly due to either enhanced electrostatic or steric interactions. Application of a process simulator combining physical straining with site-specific interactions, delineating physisorption from chemisorption and diffusion limited interactions, enabled the accurate fit of n-TiO₂ transport in sand, AC and DE. The fitting process revealed the advantage of DE due to increased physisorption and physical straining of n-TiO₂. Modeling of this system afforded the elucidation of controlling retention mechanisms and provides a basis for future scaling and system design.

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are carboxylated alkanes and cycloalkanes concentrated in wastewater during oil sands processing. The general chemical formula is C{n}H{n+Z}O{2}, where n represents the number of carbon atoms and Z specifies a homologous family with 0-6 rings (Z=0 to Z=-12). The wastewater is acutely toxic to surface water organisms and is stored in tailings ponds with over 230 million m?? of fines tailings and free water. The purpose of this thesis was to provide a preliminary evaluation of the potential attenuation of NAs during groundwater flow from the ponds. Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate possible attenuation mechanisms. Aerobes from aquifer material degraded 60% of the NAs over 20 weeks in laboratory microcosms. The greatest decrease occurred in the low molecular weight bicyclic homologues with 12 to 16 carbons. The microbial activity confirms that aerobic naphthenate-degrading bacteria occur naturally in the glacial aquifer near Suncor's Pond 2/3. These results support the hypothesis that limited aerobic biodegradation of the smaller components of NAs could occur relatively rapidly under field conditions. There was no measurable decrease in NA concentration over six months in anaerobic microcosms, although microbial activity did lead to sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. The theoretical retardation in glacio-fluvial sands was calculated using soil-water partitioning coefficients (K{d}) determined by batch equilibration experiments using a mixture of naturally occurring naphthenic acids as well as the nine surrogates. The retardation (porosity of 0. 3, bulk density of 1. 5 g/mL) ranged from 1. 2 to 2. 6. However, no measurable sorption was seen at the field sites. Detailed characterization allows us to examine how the proportions of homologue, or groups of molecules with the same molecular weight and number of cycloalkane rings, vary. Aerobic biodegradation favoured removal of low molecular weight NAs. A 15% mass loss attributed to sorption caused no changes in the 3D signature. Thus, changes in NA "signature" in groundwater systems were then attributed to aerobic biodegradation. Three plumes were examined for evidence of attenuation of NAs via biodegradation. First, the individual samples were classified as background, possibly process-affected or process-affected using a combination of Piper diagrams, the stable isotopes oxygen-18 and deuterium, dissolved chloride and sodium, as well as the total naphthenic acids concentration. Second, in order to estimate attenuation due to dispersive dilution, a linear correlation line was drawn between various conservative tracers and the naphthenic acids concentration. This allowed the identification of certain samples as possibly having a lower concentration of NAs than could be expected from simple dispersive dilution. Third, the 3D signature of certain samples were examined for the presence of the aerobic biodegradation 3D signature. One site showed good evidence for aerobic biodegradation of naphthenic acids. A second site showed some evidence for biodegradation under methanogenic conditions but the evidence was not definitive. The evidence at the third site was contradictory and no conclusions could be drawn from it. This research suggests some attenuation of NAs by biodegradation may be possible during groundwater flow.

Earth pressure balance (EPB) tunnelling machines are commonly used for the construction of tunnels in soft soils. These machines use the excavated soil in a pressurised head chamber to apply a support pressure to the tunnel face during excavation. How well an unstable face is supported in an EPB machine depends on effectively transferring a constant pressure from the support medium to the surface of the face. If the support pressure is not constant, but instead changes, the varying pressure inevitably leads to collapse of the face or heave on the surface ground. A machine may be designed to work in “Ideal ground” conditions. However, natural soils rarely have these properties, and conditioning of the soil is usually necessary to change its properties to suit the machine. Effective soil conditioning significantly improves the machine performance and control of the soil flow through the screw conveyor. However, for soil conditioning as commonly used in practice, the effects of different conditioning treatments on soil properties and the machine performance are not clearly understood, and problems with EPB machine operations related to the soil properties are often encountered. This thesis presents experimental investigations of direct shear box tests on conditioned sands, compressibility tests on conditioned sands and a model EPB screw conveyor operating with sandy soils. Index tests were performed to investigate effects of foam and polymer conditioning treatments on the plastic fluidity of different Leighton Buzzard (L.B.) sands and Thanet sand. The index tests allowed assessment of conditioning treatments for sandy soils, and optimum ranges of treatments for Leighton Buzzard sand and Thanet sand are suggested. In the series of shear box tests, performed on conditioned Thanet sand and conditioned L.B. sands, one of the most important findings was that the pore water pressure controls the strength of the sand foam mixtures. An increase in foam injection ratio (FIR) might produce an increase of pore water pressure and a decrease of shear stress. In the series of compressibility tests, performed on conditioned Thanet sand and conditioned L.B. fine sand, one of the most important findings was that increasing FIR does not increase maximum gas expelled. The FIR and the initial relative density of the specimen have to be related to the capability of the specimen to retain the gas and establish a coexistence between grains of soil, water and gas bubbles. Finally, from the series of model (1:10 scale), screw conveyor tests, performed on conditioned Thanet sand, conditioned L.B. fine sand and conditioned Garside sand, it can be concluded that the Oxford screw conveyor model can be used as a trial machine to study the effects of different operating conditions on conditioned sand specimens similar to those used on site. This can allow choice of conditioning methods to improve the performance of an EPB machine at a given site.

Suction caissons are a new foundation option for offshore wind turbines. This thesis is focussed on the behaviour of suction caisson foundations in sand and in clay during installation, and under subsequent vertical and combined moment-lateral loadings. The research is based on extensive experimental work carried out using model scaled caissons. The analysis of the results allowed the determination of parameters for hyperplasticity models. Model caissons were vertically loaded in loose and dense sands to study in service states and plastic behaviour. Bearing capacity increased with the length of the caisson skirt. The bearing capacity formulation showed that the angle of friction mobilised was close to the critical state value for loose sands and close to those of peak values due to dilation for dense sands. The vertical load increased, though at a lower rate than during initial penetration, after large plastic displacements occurred. A hardening law formulation including this observed behaviour is suggested. In sand the installation of caissons by suction showed a drastic reduction in the net vertical load required to penetrate the caisson into the ground compared with that required to install caissons by pushing. This occurred due to the hydraulic gradients created by the suction. The theoretical formulations of the yield surface and flow rule were calibrated from the results of moment loading tests under low constant vertical loads. The fact that caissons exhibit moment capacity under tension loads was considered in the yield surface formulation. Results from symmetric and non symmetric cyclic moment loading tests showed that Masing’s rules were obeyed. Fully drained conditions, partially drained and undrained conditions were studied. Caisson rotation velocities scaled in the laboratory to represent those in the field induced undrained response for relevant periods of wave loading, a wide range of seabed permeabilities and prototype caisson dimensions. Under undrained conditions and low constant vertical loads the moment capacity of suction caissons was very small. Under partially drained conditions the moment capacity decreased with the increase of excess pore pressure. In clay, vertical cyclic loading around a mean vertical load of zero showed that in the short term the negative excess pore pressures generated during suction installation reduced vertical displacements. The yield surface and the flow rule were determined from moment swipe and constant vertical load tests. The moment capacity was found to depend on the ratio between the preload Vo and the ultimate bearing capacity Vu. Gapping response was observed during cyclic moment loading tests, but starting at smaller normalised rotations than in the field. The hysteresis loop shape obtained during gapping cannot be reproduced by means of the Masing’s rules.

The phenomenon of retranslation (the repeated translation of a given work into a given target language) is widespread in practice, and yet its motivations remain relatively underexplored. One very prevalent justification for this repetitive act is encapsulated in the work of Antoine Berman who claims that an initial translation is necessarily 'aveugle et hésitante' (1990: 5), while retranslation alone can ensure 'la « révélation » dřune oeuvre étrangère dans son être propre à la culture réceptrice' (1995: 57). This dynamic from deficient initial translation to accomplished retranslation has been consolidated into the Retranslation Hypothesis, namely that 'later translations tend to be closer to the source text' (Chesterman, 2004: 8, my emphasis). In order to investigate the validity of the hypothesis, this thesis undertakes a case study of the British retranslations of Flaubert's Madame Bovary and Sand's La Mare au diable. A methodology is proposed which allows the key notion of closeness to be measured on both a linguistic and a cultural axis. Given Flaubert's famous insistence on 'le mot juste', Madame Bovary serves as a basis for an examination of linguistic closeness which is guided by narratology and stylistics, and underpinned by Halliday's (2004) Systemic Functional Grammar. On the other hand, Sand's ethnographical concerns facilitate a study of cultural closeness: here, narrativity (Baker, 2006) informs an analysis of how Berrichon cultural identity is mediated through retranslation. In both cases, the thesis draws on paratextual material (Genette, 1987) such as prefaces and advertisements, and on extra-textual material, namely journal articles and reviews, in order to locate specific socio-cultural influences on retranslation, as well as highlighting the type and extent of interactions between the retranslations themselves. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the Retranslation Hypothesis is untenable when confronted with the polymorphous behaviour of retranslation, both within and without the text.

Sand and gravel are compounds that are directly needed in the fine fraction of making concrete. Concrete is used as a foundation in 90 % of the cases when establishing new buildings in Sweden. Usually, sand and gravel are taken from land based areas. These land based areas with sand and gravel are also needed for the cleaning of the groundwater. Groundwater is the source of drinking water in big parts of Sweden and should therefore not be jeopardized. In the marine environment, there are areas that possess sand and gravel that could be used instead of land based material, and therefore will not jeopardize the quality of drinking water. By learning how the law is regulated in marine sand and gravel extraction cases, looking at existing maps of the marine geology’s structure, learning about the environmental impacts and by looking at the technique that are used for extracting the material of the bottom of the ocean - this report shows the possibilities of marine sand and gravel extraction of the ocean floor outside of Umeå’s coastline. The result shows that there are a few areas that have the right material and lies on the right depth of the ocean floor, but these areas did not have the right thickness. Therefore, an extraction of marine sand and gravel at these areas (Area A and B) would affect the volume percentage. This could lead to a change of the bottom structure that destroys the recovery after the extraction and damage the marine environment.

Master of Science / Department of Entomology / Marcelo Ramalho-Ortigao / Sand flies (Diptera:Psychodidae) are vectors of parasites if the genus Leishmania, the causative agent of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease in several countries around the world. Sand flies transmit Leishmania to suitable vertebrates during the blood meal and following a complex development parasites undergo within the fly. Many aspects of the Leishmania development within the sand fly vector are well known, however details about how sand fly molecules affect the parasite are still not yet known. Our group previously identified that RNAi knockdown of PpChit1, a midgut specific chitinase from the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi, led to a significant decrease in the load of Le. major. In this study, we assessed potential fitness effects of antisera anti-PpChit1 on three laboratory-reared sand fly species (P. papatasi, Phlebotomus duboscqi, and Lutzomyia longipalpis). Our results suggest that feeding sand flies with anti-PpChit1 sera led to a one day delay in the onset of oviposition, and also suggested that anti-PpChit1-fed flies survived on average up to three days longer that control flies. Analyses of the peritrophic matrix (PM) indicated a significant increase in thickness 72 hours post anti-PpChit1 feeding compared to control sera. Altogether the results suggest that feeding sand flies with anti-PpChit1 likely affects the kinetics of sand PM, which in turn affects the flow of nutrients and certain aspects of sand fly fitness. In the course of this study, we also evaluated the ability of American Foxhounds naturally infected with Leishmania infantum to transmit these parasites via bites of phlebotomine sand flies to suitable vertebrates. Since 1999, an outbreak of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) has been reported in the U.S especially among Foxhounds. The ability of sand flies to pick up and transmit this pathogen represents an important health risk for companion dogs and humans. Our results indicate that Foxhounds naturally infected with Le. infantum are highly infectious to sand flies and that the parasites are able to fully develop within these vectors and de successfully transmitted during blood feeding. Thus, the risk exists for these parasites to become endemic in North America where sand flies are also known to occur.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Dunja Peric / The main objective of this study was to experimentally investigate the Mohr-Coulomb strength parameters of masonry sand mixed with varying amounts of water and lignin. Lignin is a plant-derived biomass, which is a co-product of bio-fuel production. It exhibits binding qualities when mixed with water thus making it an ideal candidate for sustainable non-traditional sand stabilization. An experimental program was devised and carried out to quantify the compaction and early age stress-strain and dilatancy responses of sand-lignin mixes. The program included sieve analysis, Atterberg limit tests, standard Proctor tests, and direct shear tests. The experimental results were used to find the cohesion and the angle of internal friction of the tested material, therefore determining the influence of the amount of lignin and water on the strength of the samples. An extensive data analysis was subsequently completed to gain deeper understanding of the underlying strength gain mechanism. It was found that the normalized cohesion benefit due to lignin is controlled by two variables; water to lignin ratio and void ratio. The lignin and water create a paste, which provides particle bonding at the contacts of sand particles, thus increasing the stress-bearing cross sectional area. Increase in the portion of cross-sectional area occupied by water and lignin normalized by gravimetric lignin content, increases the normalized cohesion up to a point, while the cohesion per gravimetric lignin content decreases with the increasing area ratio. This in turn indicates that cohesion increases only up to 6% of lignin, beyond which it starts to decrease due to the presence of too much fine material within the pores. The presence of lignin in the pores consistently decreases the angle of internal friction. However, for all configurations with lignin tested herein, cohesion was larger than for dry sand, thus indicating strength benefits at low confining pressures or at normal stresses below the so-called limiting normal stress.

Master of Science / Department of Entomology / Marcelo Ramalho-Ortigao / Sand flies (Diptera:Psychodidae) are vectors of parasites of the genus Leishmania transmitted to suitable vertebrate host during blood feeding. For blood feeding arthropods, including sand flies, blood meal digestion requires the secretion of inhibitory molecules, such as Kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors that are involved in preventing the blood from coagulating within the mouthparts and the midgut. Previous studies have identified such molecules in mosquitoes, ticks, and triatomine bugs. Following studies of the midgut transcriptome of Phlebotomus papatasi, the principal vector of Leishmania major, two non-classical Kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors were identified (PpKzl1 and PpKzl2). We are interested in the role of these proteins as inhibitors of coagulation cascades, in addition to their potential effects on blood digestion in P. papatasi. Ppkzl1 is similar to thrombin and trypsin inhibitors in triatomines and mosquitoes and Ppkzl2 is similar to Kazal-type inhibitors in mosquitoes with unknown function. Analyses of expression profiles indicated that although both transcripts are expressed prior to blood feeding in the midgut of P. papatasi they are tightly regulated by the blood meal. Reverse genetics studies using RNAi-targeted knockdown of PpKzl1 and PpKzl2 by dsRNA injection did not result in a detectable effect on mRNA expression levels. Thus, we expressed a recombinant PpKzl2 in a mammalian expression system (CHO-S free style cells) that was applied to in vitro studies to assess activity against various serine proteinases. Recombinant PpKzl2 inhibited chymotrypsin at nanomolar levels and also inhibited thrombin and trypsin at micromolar levels, suggesting that native PpKzl2 is an active serine proteinase inhibitor and may regulate digestive enzymes and thrombin in the midgut. Leishmania development within the sand fly midgut is faced with several barriers that can severely impact the parasites. For transmission to occur, parasites must be able to overcome these barriers including digestive proteinases, escape from the peritrophic matrix, and midgut attachment. Early stages of Leishmania are susceptible to killing by digestive proteinases in the sand fly midgut. Thus, targeting serine proteinase inhibitors may provide a new strategy to prevent transmission of Leishmania.