Дисертації з теми "Active clay"

Two active mineral additives were selected in the investigation described in the dissertation: unground catalyst from the reactor of catalytic oil cracking (CAT) and unburned mullite wool (MW). The possibilities to utilise these raw materials in the production of the expanded-clay lightweight concrete are not analysed yet. Main topic of the research: influence of the active mineral additives (CAT and MW) on the main characteristics of the expanded-clay lightweight concrete.
Disertacijoje aprašytuose tyrimuose buvo pasirinkti du aktyvūs mineraliniai priedai: nemaltas katalizatorius iš katalitinio naftos krekingo reaktoriaus (KAT) ir nedegta mulitinė vata (MV). Galimybės šias atliekas naudoti keramzitbetonio gamyboje iki šiol netirtos. Pagrindinė tyrimo tematika – aktyviųjų mineralinių priedų (KAT ir MV) įtaka pagrindinėms keramzitbetonio charakteristikoms.

Insecticide treated mosquito bed nets, insecticide aerosol sprays, repellent lotions and creams, repellent candles, vaporizable repellent essential oils, mosquito mats and coils are some of the many malaria personal protection tools that are in use. The latter of these measures are the most accessible and affordable options for the rural population in sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore important to determine how effective these personal protection measures are by determining their ability to efficiently disperse an active ingredient when the protection measure is in use. In this study, a copper II oxide montmorillonite clay burner (CuOMontmorillonite clay burner) was created to vaporize repellent formulations containing various concentrations of p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) as the active ingredient with the aim of determining the percentage of the active ingredient that is released into the air and the rate of release. The performance of the CuO-Montmorillonite clay burner was also compared to that of the Lampe Berger fragrance burner (LBFB). In addition to this, the percentage of PMD released from 6 percentage wt PMD candles of diameters 40mm, 69mm and 83mm was determined and compared to that released when the CuO-Montmorillonite clay burner and Lampe Berger Fragrance burner where used to vaporize PMD repellent formulations. It was found that the rate of vaporization of the various PMD repellent formulations vaporized using the Lampe Berger fragrance burner is affected by the mass of PMD present in the repellent formulations. The 6 percentage wt PMD repellent candles released the least percentage of PMD as compared to that released when the CuO-Montmorillonite clay burner and the Lampe Berger fragrance burner were used to vaporize the PMD repellent formulations.

The organic-rich Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation is the major source rock for conventional oil and gas in the North Sea with a maximum thickness of 1,100 m. TOC values range from 2 wt.%-10 wt.% and predominantly Type II (bacterially-degraded algal, and a mix of Type I (mainly algal) kerogens. The δ13Corg values for the investigated samples range from -29.73 ‰ to -26. 88 ‰, these values are characteristic of marine organic matter with terrestrial input. Sixteen billion barrels of commercial reserves have been discovered in conventional reservoirs in the UK Viking Graben area with 29 billion barrels discovered in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. However, this principal UK conventional hydrocarbon province is reaching the maturity phase of field exploration, leading to a growing interest for unconventional hydrocarbons in the UK and some part of Europe. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the unconventional hydrocarbon potential of the Kimmeridge shale to identity sweet-spot areas using multidisciplinary analogues from successful unconventional resource plays in North American. Conventional and unconventional source rock analyses show that the Kimmeridge Clay Formation contains a significant amount of un-expelled residual oil both within the source rock and in the interbedded sandstone in the South Viking Graben area. As a consequence, this source rock and juxtaposed non-source lithofacies (sand interbeds) can form a hybrid shale resource system. Due to its high organic richness and favourable sweet-spot reservoir properties such as lithology, thickness, kerogen type, level of thermal maturity and hydrocarbon generative potential, the Kimmeridge Clay Formation could be the first offshore unconventional resource in the future. TOC, Rock-Eval S1, Tmax, mineralogical content and the formation of organic, interparticle and intraparticle porosities at peak oil maturity are all factors that have influenced the retention and drainage of the observed oil. The examination/analysis of their interrelationships provides a useful framework and signature for future prediction of sweet spot areas for viable unconventional resources.

Ácidos naftênicos correspondem à complexa mistura de ácidos carboxílicos presentes no petróleo, responsáveis diretamente pela sua acidez e pela sua corrosividade em fase líquida durante o refino. Tais compostos também estão presentes nas frações destiladas do petróleo, causando diversos problemas na qualidade final do produto. Uma possível forma de remover esses ácidos das frações destiladas é através da adsorção em materiais porosos. Contudo, os resultados até então apresentados indicam que resinas trocadoras de íons seriam os melhores adsorventes destes compostos, o que poderia aumentar o custo do processo e diminuir sua viabilidade. Neste trabalho, dois adsorventes comerciais (argila e alumina ativada) foram caracterizados por diversas técnicas físico-químicas e avaliados quanto à sua capacidade de remover os ácidos naftênicos de frações médias e pesadas de petróleo. Avaliou-se, ainda, para fins de comparação, o comportamento de ácidos naftênicos comerciais em óleos sintéticos preparados com óleo mineral. Em complementação, a corrosividade do aço carbono nos meios estudados foi também verificada. A argila apresentou maior afinidade com os ácidos naftênicos, tendo capacidade de adsorção superior e cinética de processo ligeiramente mais rápida às da alumina para as cargas sintéticas. No entanto, em virtude da maior concorrência pelos sítios de adsorção, apresentada pelos outros componentes presentes em óleos reais, observou-se uma perda na eficiência para estas amostras. Neste caso, a alumina apresentou melhores resultados. Embora ambos adsorventes tenham apresentado boa capacidade de remoção do soluto, a resina trocadora de íons ainda apresentou resultado mais eficaz para as amostras reais. Nas condições desse estudo, a taxa de corrosão do aço nas amostras sintéticas e em duas das reais não foi significativa e apenas uma delas apresentou-se corrosiva (Óleo 1). No entanto, a remoção dos ácidos naftênicos por adsorção conseguiu reduzir a taxa de corrosão neste meio em até 99%
Naphthenic acids comprise a complex mixture of carboxylic acids that are present in petroleum. They are directly responsible for the oil acidity and its corrosiveness in liquid phase during the refining process. Such compounds are also presents in the derivatives, causing several problems to product quality. A possible way of removing these acids from those oil fractions is using the adsorption process in porous solids. Nevertheless, results presented so far show that ion exchange resins would be the best adsorbent for these acids, which could make this process very expensive. In this work, two commercial adsorbents (clay and activated alumina) were characterized by several physical-chemistry techniques and evaluated concerning their capacity of removing naphthenic acids from average and heavy fractions of crude oil. For comparison the behavior of commercial naphthenic acids in synthetic commercial samples prepared with mineral oil was also evaluated. In addition, the carbon steel corrosiveness in the studied systems was verified. Clay adsorbent presented better affinity with the acids, showing a greater capacity and a faster kinetics than alumina for synthetic oils. However, because of the higher competition with the other components present in real oils for the adsorption sites, a loss of efficiency for these samples was observed. In that case, alumina showed better results. Although both adsorbents have showed good capacity of removal of acids, the ion exchange resin still presented the best results for real samples. At the conditions of this study, the steel corrosiveness in the synthetic oils, as well as the data obtained for two of the real ones, was not significant, and only one of the real samples (Oil 1) corroded the carbon steel coupon. However, the naphthenic acid removal was able to reduce the corrosiveness in this medium up to 99%

Disertacijoje aprašytuose tyrimuose buvo pasirinkti du aktyvūs mineraliniai priedai: nemaltas katalizatorius iš katalitinio naftos krekingo reaktoriaus (KAT) ir nedegta mulitinė vata (MV). Galimybės šias atliekas naudoti keramzitbetonio gamyboje iki šiol netirtos. Pagrindinė tyrimo tematika – aktyviųjų mineralinių priedų (KAT ir MV) įtaka pagrindinėms keramzitbetonio charakteristikoms.
Two active mineral additives were selected in the investigation described in the dissertation: unground catalyst from the reactor of catalytic oil cracking (CAT) and unburned mullite wool (MW). The possibilities to utilise these raw materials in the production of the expanded-clay lightweight concrete are not analysed yet. Main topic of the research: influence of the active mineral additives (CAT and MW) on the main characteristics of the expanded-clay lightweight concrete.

High class mold is required for high quality castings. At present, the demands on molding materials are being extended by adding the strict requirement of environmentalists. A suitable variant that meets both demands are green sand molds. The goal of the thesis is to repeatedly cast experimental castings into molds made of 4 types of green sand mixtures. The technological properties of the molds will be compared, the degree of bentonite degradation will be assessed and the surface quality of castings will be assessed according to the amount of adherent molding mixture.

This thesis explored the potential of clay work and its symbolic representations as a means to facilitate the integration and individuation of the self in psychotherapy, using a Jungian theoretical framework. A case study methodology was used, to explore a long standing pattern of environmental failure and trauma in a 16 year old female. The Edward's clay work method was utilized to guide the use of the clay work and the discussion and exploration thereof. Central to the study was the importance of a search for meaning given to each clay piece, which was achieved through a dialectical interaction and mutual exploration between therapist and client.

This thesis presents an experimental investigation of the micromechanical behaviour of non-active clay, both in saturated and unsaturated states. For the case of saturated clays, 1-D compression tests on kaolin saturated with fluids having different dielectric permittivity (air, acetone, and water) and pH (acid and basic aqueous solutions) were performed. Based on the Pore-Size Distribution (PSD) of samples taken on both the virgin and the unloading curves, the electrochemical and mechanical forces controlling inter-particle interaction and the particle configuration along reversible and non-reversible compression paths were inferred. Ultimately, a conceptual micromechanical model was formulated and designed in such a way that it could be potentially implemented in a Discrete Element Model (DEM) for clay geomaterials. To show the capability of the conceptual micromechanical model, an ‘embryonic’ 1-D DEM model was developed. It was shown to be capable of capturing, at a qualitative level, the 1-D response of clay saturated with fluids of different dielectric permittivity. Moving to the unsaturated state, an observation was initially made that the mono-modal PSDs of kaolin in reconstituted and dry states fit quite well the pore-size distribution of the micro-pores and the macro-pores respectively in compacted samples. Based on this observation, an assumption was put forward that macro-pores are filled with air (‘air-saturated’) and micro-pores are filled with water (‘water-saturated’). The comparison of the PSD of samples compacted with water and acetone and the comparison of the PSDs of samples freeze-dried and oven-dried appeared to corroborate such an assumption. A particle-based microstructural conceptual model for unsaturated soils was then formulated. Such a model can explain the evolution of PSD observed at various compaction water contents. Besides, this microstructural conceptual model was proven to be as effective as the traditional aggregate-based microstructural model in interpreting some of the classical responses of unsaturated soils including volumetric collapse upon wetting. A particle-based microstructural model provides an alternative approach to the aggregate-based microstructural model that has (potentially) the advantage of facilitating the formulation of DEM models for unsaturated clays. Another advantage is that the conceptual microstructural model and, hence, any DEM models would remain essentially the same for saturated and unsaturated states. Following the idea that macro-pores are filled with air and micro-pores are filled with water, it was assumed that the response of unsaturated soils can be modelled by considering separately the response of the dry part (air-saturated) and wet part (water-saturated). To model 1-D compression, the void ratio of the dry part was read from the 1-D compression of dry kaolin and the void ratio of the wet part was read from the 1-D compression of the saturated reconstituted kaolin. This approach allowed modelling the water-undrained compression tests in Tarantino & De Col (2008) with excellent accuracy.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For decades black South Africans suffered under apartheid, being excluded from active participation in the South African economy. Following the first democratic election in 1994, which was won by the African National Congress, the new government immediately made clear its intentions to transform the economy by including all the South Africans citizens. In 2004 the government promulgated the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (BB-BEE), which aimed to redress the wrongs of the past and to realise the country's full economic potential whilst assisting the black majority to become part of the economic mainstream. The BB-BEE act focused primarily on the upliftment and empowerment of historically disadvantaged people, particularly black people, women, the youth and the disabled and on those living in rural communities; it aims to include these people in the management and ownership structures of South African companies. The clay brick industry, one of the oldest industries in the world, had been severely affected by the introduction of the legislation, as 75% of businesses were predominantly family owned, and 69.39% of them are predominantly white owned. The primary objective of this research assignment was to investigate the impact of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE) on the South African clay brick industry and to make recommendations to the various stakeholders regarding the management of the introduction of BB-BEE into the industry. The methodology followed a survey approach by using specific indicators to ascertain what the perceptions and experiences of the business owners were, regarding the implementation of BB-BEE in the industry. The study found that the business owners were concerned about losing control of their businesses, that there is very little support from government for businesses entering into BB-BEE deals and that it is difficult to find the “right” empowerment partner which “fits” the culture and management style of the business. The study concluded that much uncertainty, fear and anxiety exists amongst business owners regarding the introduction of BB-BEE. The study also makes practical recommendations to the various stakeholders who may assist with facilitating the introduction of BB-BEE in the industry.

Vivim en un món dominat per la cultura visual. Les imatges formen part de la nostra existència i de les nostres experiències vitals. El llenguatge visual conforma la nostra realitat i l’hem de saber interpretar si volem conèixer, dominar i activar el nostre context de mercat. Ens submergim en l’àmbit de les imatges des d’una vessant estètica però hi afegim una valoració estratègica i tàctica amb la ferma voluntat de mesurar l’impacte que aquestes tenen a nivell comunicacional. Aprenem a llegir correctament les imatges i les etiquetem a partir de certs trets que les caracteritzen i les signifiquen: els atributs. Els atributs esdevenen una eina fonamental pels creatius i per a les marques ja que els permet alinear-se i satisfer, de manera adequada, els gustos, els hàbits, els desitjos i les preferències dels consumidors de la societat contemporània. L’activació correcta de cadascun dels set atributs analitzats, en determinades casuístiques concretes, permet impulsar i estimular les dinàmiques del mercat, atorgant rellevància i diferenciació a les propostes ofertades i millorant els seus resultats en termes de posicionament i d’amplificació.
Vivimos en un mundo dominado por la cultura visual. Las imágenes forman parte de nuestra existencia y de nuestras experiencias vitales. El lenguaje visual conforma nuestra realidad y debemos saber interpretarlo si queremos conocer, dominar y activar nuestro contexto de mercado. Nos sumergimos en el ámbito de las imágenes desde una vertiente estética pero, a la vez, damos prioridad a una valoración estratégica y táctica con la firme voluntad de medir el impacto que éstas tienen a nivel comunicacional. Aprendemos a leer correctamente las imágenes y las etiquetamos a partir de ciertos rasgos que las caracterizan y las significan: los atributos. Los atributos se convierten en una herramienta fundamental para los creativos y para las marcas ya que les permite alinearse y satisfacer, de manera adecuada, los gustos, los hábitos, los deseos y las preferencias de los consumidores de la sociedad contemporánea. La activación correcta de cada uno de los siete atributos analizados, en determinadas casuísticas concretas, permite impulsar y estimular las dinámicas del mercado, otorgando relevancia y diferenciación a las propuestas ofertadas y mejorando sus resultados en términos de posicionamiento y amplificación.
We live in a world dominated by visual culture. Images are part of our existence and our life experiences. Visual language shapes our reality and we must be able to interpret it if we want to make sense, control and engage with our market environment. We will delve in the world of images from an aesthetic perspective and, at the same time, we give priority to a strategic and tactical evaluation with a firm will to measure the impact they have on a communication level. We learn to correctly read images and we tag them based on certain aspects that characterise and explain then: attributes. Attributes turn into a fundamental tool for creatives and brand allowing them to align and satisfy, in an adequate manner, tastes, habits, wishes and preferences of today’s consumers. Activating each of the seven analysed attributes correctly, in certain designated cases, impulses and stimulates market’s dynamics, giving relevance and differentiation to proposals and improving its results in terms of positioning and amplification.

The current study investigated application of natural adsorbents in brine treatment. Brines are hypersaline waters generated in power stations and mining industries rich in Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Na+, SO4 2- , Cl- and traces of heavy metals, thus there is a need for these brines to be treated to recover potable water and remove problematic elements. Natural adsorbents have been successfully used in waste water treatment because of their high surface area and high adsorptive properties when they are conditioned with acid or base. The investigation of pH showed that natural adsorbents did not perform well at low pH of 4 and 6. The adsorbents were able to work efficiently at the natural pH of 8.52 of the brine solution. These results show that natural adsorbents hold great potential to remove cationic major components and selected heavy metal species from industrial brine wastewater. Heterogeneity of natural adsorbents samples, even when they have the same origin, could be a problem when wastewater treatment systems utilizing natural clinoptilolite and bentonite are planned to be developed. Therefore, it is very important to characterize the reserves fully in order to make them attractive in developing treatment technologies.

Cette recherche étudie, dans une démarche inductive, ce que sont devenus les lycéens passés par une structure scolaire différente dont les pratiques pédagogiques et le projet d'établissement inspirés par l'éducation nouvelle affichent l'ambition de « former des jeunes autonomes responsables, ouverts, créatifs, capables de s'adapter, d'évoluer et de travailler en équipe ». Le dispositif méthodologique de recueil des données est constitué de quarante-deux récits de vie d'anciens élèves sortis de l'établissement entre 1990 et 2005, d'analyses secondaires de questionnaires existants, de statistiques produites par l'institution scolaire et du suivi de 450 anciens élèves sur les réseaux sociaux numériques depuis 2008. Les résultats montrent comment les élèves ont construit leur identité dans une expérience scolaire singulière et en quoi cette scolarité a joué, d'après eux, sur ce qu'ils sont devenus. Plus loin, ils montrent aussi que ce qui a été déterminant sur le long terme dans le devenir des élèves et la réussite de leur insertion sociale et professionnelle se serait passé en dehors de la classe, dans les relations et les apprentissages autonomes entre pairs, entre jeunes et adultes, la construction de réseaux sociaux durables et dans le développement de compétences psychosociales où la dimension collective est centrale. Enfin, cette étude atteste que cet établissement n'est pas à l'écart du monde mais au contraire que la parole des anciens élèves renseigne sur ce que seront les lycéens français demain
This research based on an inductive approach, studies what the students became after having studied in a high school where different educational methods and an official school project inspired by the new education emphasize the ambition to train responsible and autonomous young students, open-minded as well as creative, who are able to adapt, evolve and work in a team. The methodological device of data collection consists of 42 accounts made by former students of this particular school who left the institution between 1990 and 2005, but also of secondary analyses of existing surveys, statistics produced by the school institution and the follow-up of 450 former students on social networks since 2008. The results show how these students built their identity thanks to a particular school experience and how according to them, their school years changed who they are today. They also show that what was decisive in the long run for their own personal success, their social and professional integration, happened outside their class, thanks to relationships and autonomous learning process between peers, but also between adults and themselves, or with the building of lasting social network and in the development of psychosocial skills where the collective dimension is central. This study also demonstrates that this school isn't aside the world but on the contrary that their words tell about what the future students will be

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O gênero Cuphea, popularmente conhecido no Brasil por “sete-sangrias”, tem seu uso medicinal reconhecido devido aos efeitos diurético, hipotensor e cardioprotetor. No sul do Brasil, em região característica do bioma Pampa, foi encontrada a espécie Cuphea glutinosa Cham. & Schltdl. Embora o uso popular, esta espécie é pouco descrita na literatura. O presente trabalho tem como objetivos o estudo da composição química dos extratos de C. glutinosa e a avaliação das atividades antifúngica e anti-hipertensiva. O material vegetal foi coletado na cidade de Uruguaiana (RS, Brasil), identificado e depositado em herbário. Após secagem e trituração do material vegetal, foram obtidos os extratos hidroetanólicos através de maceração exaustiva com etanol 40% (v/v) para folhas e etanol 70% (v/v) para raízes. Para a infusão, utilizou-se água a 80oC. As análises cromatográficas foram realizadas em equipamento cromatógrafo a líquido Prominence Shimadzu, em técnica por CLAE e CLUE. Utilizou-se sistema de fase reversa, eluição por gradiente com fase móvel composta por acetonitrila:metanol (4:1) e ácido fórmico 0,1% pH 3,0, coluna C18 analítica e fast, e detecção por UV-DAD e ESI-MS. Os teores de polifenóis totais e de flavonóides foram determinados por método colorimétrico, seguindo metodologia padronizada. A atividade antifúngica in vitro foi realizada utilizando o método de microdiluição em caldo, determinando-se a CIM, in-vitro, contra diferentes isolados clínicos. Para avaliação do potencial anti-hipertensivo in vivo, foram realizadas medições da pressão sanguínea pelo método de monitoramento hemodinâmico invasivo, através da inserção de cateter na artéria carótida. Os resultados de teor de fenólicos totais indicaram predominância destes componentes em extratos obtidos de folhas e por maceração, conforme os valores obtidos: 1,8501 mg EAG/mL (folhas) e 0,8467 mg EAG/mL (raízes) para infusão, e 3,7284 mgEAG/mL (folhas) e 2,6266 mg EAG/mL (raízes) para maceração. Quanto ao teor de flavonóides, os resultados quantitativos foram: 7,0959 mg/g (folhas) e 0,5664 mg/g (raízes) para a infusão, e 7,9511 mg/g (folhas) e 0,5994 mg/g (raízes) para maceração. Na análise cromatográfica, os extratos obtidos das folhas de C. glutinosa apresentaram picos cromatográficos bem separados, em perfil reprodutível. Na determinação por CLUE-MS, os dados de íon molecular e fragmentos de massa indicaram a composição predominante em flavonóides, sugerindo-se os componentes quercetina-3-O-glicosídeo, quercetina-3- arabinosídeo, quercetina-3-glicuronídeo, isoramnetina e quercetina-5-O-β-glicopiranosídeo. Para o potencial antifúngico, os extratos das folhas e raízes apresentaram atividade in vitro contra Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis e Trichosporon asahii, com CIM variando na faixa de 1,9-62,5 μg/mL. Nos testes hemodinâmicos realizados, os extratos das folhas não apresentaram efeito significativo sobre a pressão arterial. A identificação dos componentes em C. glutinosa, derivados de quercetina, torna promissora novas investigações a fim de aprofundar o conhecimento a respeito desta espécie, em especial na busca de respostas para a relatada ação anti-hipertensiva.
The Cuphea genus, popularly known in Brazil as "sete-sangrias", is used traditionally due the diuretic, hypotensive and cardioprotective effects. In southern Brazil, in characteristic region of Pampa biome, it was found the species Cuphea glutinosa Cham. & Schltdl. Although used popularly, this species is few reported in the literature. The present work aimed to study the chemical composition of extracts from C. glutinosa and to evaluate the antifungal and anti -hypertensive activities. The plant material was collected in the city of Uruguaiana (RS, Brazil), identified and deposited in a herbarium. After dryness and milling, the hydroethanolic extracts were obtained through exhaustive maceration using ethanol 40% (v/v) for leaves and ethanol 70% (v/v) for roots. The infusions were prepared using water at 80 °C. The chromatographic analyses were performed in liquid chromatography Prominence Shimadzu, for HPLC and UPLC assays. The method was conducted using reverse phase system, gradient elution with mobile phase composed by acetonitrile:methanol (4:1) and formic acid 0.1% pH 3.0, C18 analytical and fast column, and detection by UV-DAD and MS. The polyphenols and flavonoids contents were determined by colorimetric method. The in vitro antifungal activity was conducted by using the broth microdilution method, determining the MIC against different clinical isolates. For evaluation of in vivo anti-hypertensive potential, the blood pressure was measured by the method of invasive hemodynamic monitoring, through of insertion the catheter into the carotid artery. The results of phenolic content indicated the high concentration of these compounds in leaves extracts obtained by maceration: 1.8501 mgEAG/mL (leaves) and 0.8467 mgEAG/mL (roots) for infusion, and 3.7284 mgEAG/mL (leaves) and 2.6266 mgEAG/mL (roots) for maceration. For flavonoids, the contents were: 7.0959 mg/g (leaves) and 0.5664 mg/g (roots) for infusion, and 7.9511 mg/g (leaves) and 0.5994mg/g (roots) for maceration. In the chromatographic analyses, the leaf extracts from C. glutinosa presented chromatographic peaks well separated and reproducible. In the determination by UPLC-MS, the molecular ion and mass fragments indicated the predominant composition in flavonoids, suggesting the compounds quercetin-3- O-glucoside, quercetin-3-arabinoside, quercetin-3-glucuronide, isorhamnetin and quercetin-5- O-β-glucopiranoside. For the antifungal potential, the leaf and roots extracts presented activity against Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis e Trichosporon asahii, with MIC values ranging 1,9-62,5 μg/mL. In the hemodynamic tests performed, the leaves extracts did not present significant effect in the arterial pressure, although a tendency in pressure reduction could be observed. The identification of quercetin derivatives in C. glutinosa becomes promisor further investigations about this species, mainly in respect to the anti-hypertensive action.

This diploma thesis deals with the identification of aroma active compounds in medicinal herbs. The group consists of 5 types of herbs: lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), clary sage (Salvia sclarea), milk thistle (Silybum marianum), goat’s rue (Galega officinalis). These plants are known for their positive effects in folk medicine. The SPME-GC-MS method was chosen to characterize the fragrances. During the identification of volatile compounds, emphasis was put on suspected fragrance allergens listed in EC Regulation 1223/2009 in Annex III. Overall 106 compounds were identified together with 8 allergens in lemon balm, pot marigold contained 104 compounds with 7 allergens included, 82 compounds including 5 allergens in clary sage, 73 compounds were identified in milk thistle including 6 allergens and 110 compounds with 9 allergens included in goat’s rue.

Amelioration des performances de catalyseurs kaoliniques ligniteux, par preparation de montmorillinites et de laponites a piliers. Etude de l'activite et de la selectivite de ceux-ci dans la synthese d'olefines. Explication des proprietes des materiaux par la creation d'interactions fortes entre al et fe et par la distribution laterale des piliers

Le rôle clef du fer dans le cycle biogéochimique du carbone et de l’azote dans l’océan a été mis en évidence au cours de la dernière décennie. Une des découvertes majeures récentes en océanographie biologique est la limitation de la croissance du phytoplancton par la disponibilité en fer dans au moins 40% de l’océan mondial. Or, la chimie de cet élément dans l’océan est particulièrement complexe et la forme sous laquelle il est disponible pour le phytoplancton reste encore mal connue. Plusieurs mécanismes sont utilisés par le phytoplancton marin pour améliorer la solubilité du fer en eau de mer et parvenir à absorber les quantités suffisantes en fer nécessaires à leur survie. Un de ces mécanismes implique la production de radicaux superoxyde en milieu extracellulaire, ce qui accroît la bio-disponibilité du fer en eau de mer en réduisant la forme Fe(III) sous forme Fe(II), plus bio-disponible aux cellules de phytoplancton. Les objectifs principaux de ce travail étaient de i) développer une méthode appropriée pour détecter la production de superoxyde en milieu extracellular par n’importe quelle cellule de phytoplancton marin, et ii) examiner la relation entre la production extracellulaire de superoxyde et l’absorption du fer par la cyanobactérie Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101. Une méthode de détection du superoxyde a été développée, qui utilise du red-CLA ou du MCLA, deux sondes chimiluminescentes spécifiques à la détection du superoxyde, qui ont donné des résultats fiables, même sur de très faibles quantités d’échantillons. En effet, comparée aux autres méthodes employées, la détection de la production du superoxyde par microplaques permet de réduire le volume d’échantillon par 10, et de réduire le temps d’analyse de tréplicats d’un échantillon, d’un blanc et de trois standards à 10 minutes. De plus, cette méthode présente une large gamme de travail avec une limite de détection de 0,076 pmol/s, ce qui lui confère un grand avantage pour le travail sur le phytoplancton marin. Les taux de production de superoxyde en milieu extracellulaire par la cyanobatérie Trichodesmium erythraeum ont été mesurés en condition de laboratoire et allaient de 0,93 à 16,21 pmol/trichome/h. La limitation en fer des cellules de Trichodesmium résultat en une augmentation de ce taux de production, qui a été multiplié par un facteur 2,9 entre les cellules non limitées et les cellules limitées en fer. Il a aussi été montré que la production de superoxyde suivait un rythme diurne avec une forte augmentation du taux de production en milieu du cycle « jour», spécialement marqué pour les cultures maintenues en milieu pauvre en fer. Les taux de production extracellulaire de superoxyde et d’absorption du fer par Trichodesmium ont été mesurés simultanément sur des cultures pré-limitées ou non limitées en fer. Les taux d’absorption étaient 10 fois plus élevés pour les cultures non limitées, sauf lorsqu’un composé réducteur (acide ascorbique) était ajouté. Dans ce cas, les taux d’absorption des deux cultures étaient similaires. De plus, les deux cultures ont montré une plus grande aptitude à absorber le fer lié à des ligands faibles comme le citrate. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats ont montré une relation entre la production de superoxyde et l’absorption de fer par Trichodesmium, mais aucune influence directe entre ces deux processus n’a pu être démontrée. La méthode de détection du superoxyde par microplaque a été utilisée lors de campagnes sur la Grande Barrière de corail en Australie. L’analyse de deux blooms de Trichodesmium a montré de forts taux de production de superoxyde, en cohérence avec les analyses effectuées au laboratoire. De plus, l’utilisation de cette méthode (entre autres) a permis de démontrer une accumulation d’espèces Fe(II) en concentrations biologiquement significatives, quand la concentration en superoxyde dans l’eau de mer était inférieure à 1 nM. Par contre, lorsque cette concentration se trouvait supérieure à 1nM, la plupart des espèces réduites (Fe(II)) étaient réoxidées, ce qui résultait en un fort taux de production de peroxyde d’hydrogène du à la dismutation du superoxyde. Dans l’ensemble, cette étude a permis le développement d’une méthode de détection de la production de superoxyde par le phytoplancton marin en milieu extracellulaire qui peut être utilisée au laboratoire ou en conditions d’étude sur le terrain. Nous avons aussi démontré que les cellules de Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101 produisent de grandes quantités de superoxyde, en particulier lorsqu’elles sont limitées en fer. L’étude des taux d’absorption du fer par ces même cellules a démontré une forte relation entre ce processus et la production de superoxyde par les cellules: ces résultats sont en accord avec l’hypothèse que le modèle d’absorption du fer par le phytoplancton marin «Fe’» serait fortement influencé par ce type d’organisme capable de modifier l’équilibre redox du milieu présent à la surface des cellules
It is hypothesised that, under iron limitation, phytoplankton cells develop biochemical mechanisms to increase their iron uptake efficiency with one of these mechanisms involving the production of superoxide in the extracellular environment that increases the bioavailability of iron in seawater by reducing Fe(III) to the more soluble Fe(II). The main objectives of this work were 1) to develop an appropriate method to detect extracellular production of superoxide by marine phytoplankton, and 2) to examine the relationship between extracellular production of superoxide and iron acquisition by Trichodesmium erythraeum. A method to measure superoxyde production is described using red-CLA and MCLA probes, yielding considerable improvement for analysis compared to other available methods. Extracellular superoxide production and iron uptake rates were measured simultaneously on iron replete and iron deplete Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS 101 laboratory cultures : iron starvation leads to a 2. 9-fold increase in superoxide production rate and 10-fold decrease in the iron uptake rate (except when a reducing compound was added) compared to iron replete cultures. Extracellular superoxide production shows a pronounced circadian rythm in iron deplete cultures, but less so in iron replete cultures. Overall, no direct impact of extracellular superoxide production by Trichodesmium is observed, but both processes are shown to be related. Both iron deplete and iron replete cultures demonstrate greater ability to uptake iron bound to weaker iron-binding ligands such as citrate. Application of the method to field studies in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon showed an accumulation of biologically significant concentrations of reduced trace metals including Fe(II) when the concentration of superoxide was lower than 1 nM. When the concentration of superoxide was higher than 1 nM, most of the reduced species were oxidised resulting in high rates of hudrogen peroxide production rates, consistent with laboratory studies. Overall, this thesis permitted the development of a method to detect superoxide production rates by marine phytoplankton cells that could be used routinely in field studies. The observations are in accord with the conclusion that fit the ongoing hypothesis that the extablished Fe' uptake model for phytoplankton would be strongly influenced by such organisms that are able to modify the redox equilibrium of the solution at their cells surface

博士
國立臺灣大學
土木工程學研究所
102
This study explores the mechanism of the active lateral force in undrained clay when there is a spatial variability in the clay. It is shown that the effect of such spatial variability cannot be fully explained by the pure spatial averaging over a prescribed area or line; the tendency to seek the weak path for the critical slip curve is also important. Ignoring this important mechanism is risky, rendering the active lateral force estimate smaller than the actual value. Furthermore, pure spatial averaging cannot capture the phenomenon of the critical scale of fluctuation (critical SOF). However, it is found that the phenomenon of the critical SOF is connected to the nature of the spatial averages. The line averaging effect is significantly weaker than the area averaging effect, so the tendency for the critical slip curve to seek for a favorable location is stronger. Hence, the phenomenon of the critical SOF is more pronounced. It implies that if a strong pure spatial averaging is mistaken, the critical SOF can probably be ignored. This makes pure spatial averaging methods unconservative. Pure spatial averaging cannot capture this phenomenon of the critical SOF, because it cannot quantify the tendency of seeking the weak path. Therefore, the mechanism of seeking the weak path is explored in this study, and a probability distribution model for the active lateral force is proposed to characterize this sophisticated mechanism. Furthermore, a simplified procedure based on the distribution model is proposed to simulate the active lateral force samples without the use of the random finite element method or limit equilibrium method.

碩士
國立中興大學
化學工程學系所
102
We use DOPO、4-hydroxyacetophenone、4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and phenol novolac to synthesize phosphinated epoxy curing agents. The resulting thermosets achieved high glass transition temperature. However, in order to satisfy the needs in electrical industry, we further introduced active ester linkages into them, and then cured with DGEBA and HP7200. The thermal properties, dielectric properties, flammability, and moisture absorption were investigated. The active ester-containing thermosets achieved great thermal properties and thermal stability. From data of dielectric properties, the dielectric constants and dissipation factors were decreased because of the modification with active ester linkages. The moisture absorption also trended to decreasing. Finally, the phosphinated thermosets achieved UL-94 V-0 grade because of the flame-retardancy of DOPO.

碩士
國立中山大學
通訊工程研究所
98
With the escalating demands for optical communication network system, the need for broadband gain medium in optical communication has increased. Among them, Cr4+:YAG crystal has shown an exceptionally successful broadband amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light source that fully cover 1.2-1.6 μm range (3-dB bandwidth up to 265 nm). More recently, we demonstrated the realization of a waveguiding, low-loss, and low-threshold Cr4+:YAG double-clad crystal fiber (DCF) based ultra-broadband ASE light source, optical amplifier, and laser grown by the co-drawing laser-heated pedestal growth technique. These results demonstrate the potential of the Cr4+:YAG DCF for the replacement of the erbium doped fiber in future optical communications. To further improve the efficiency of Cr4+:YAG DCF based active devices, here we show the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between a YAG core and an inner cladding creates a significant localized strain field by near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM), which can result in optical confinement and provide the possibility to simultaneously alter the Cr3+ and Cr4+ fluorescence lifetime with varied core dimensions. The results indicate that There exists a nearly zero strain across the entire core with a diameter of ~20 μm, which is beneficial the higher Cr4+ fluorescence lifetime (+6.43%) and emission cross section (+19.17%) as compared with 11-μm core. In addition, we have successfully investigated the near-field modal characteristics of Cr4+:YAG DCF laser and ASE by NSOM. The results demonstrate that the Cr4+:YAG DCF laser produced nearly a single-mode (LP01) output with diffraction-limited beam quality of M2 ~1.1; for ASE, the modal weighting of LP01 decreases from 26% to 15% as the number of modes increases from 4 to 7. The results offer a guideline not only for further fabricating Cr4+:YAG DCF tunable lasers, but for efficiently coupling a broadband ASE light source into a single-mode fiber.

abstract: The prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens has increased since the introduction of penicillin in the 1940s. Insufficient development of novel antibacterial agents is leaving us with a failing arsenal of therapies to combat these pathogenic organisms. We have identified a clay mineral mixture (designated CB) that exhibits in vitro antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of bacterial pathogens, yet the antibacterial mechanism of action remains unknown. Antibacterial susceptibility testing of four different clay samples collected from the same source revealed that these natural clays had markedly different antibacterial activity. X-ray diffraction analyses of these minerals revealed minor mineralogical differences across the samples; however, ICP analyses demonstrated that the concentrations of many elements, Fe, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn in particular, vary greatly across the four clay mixture leachates. Supplementation of a non-antibacterial leachate containing lower concentrations of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn to final ion concentrations and a pH equivalent to that of the antibacterial leachate resulted in antibacterial activity against E. coli and MRSA, confirming the role of these ions in the in vitro antibacterial clay mixture leachates. The prevailing hypothesis is that metal ions participate in redox cycling and produce ROS, leading to oxidative damage to macromolecules and resulting in cellular death. However, E. coli cells showed no increase in DNA or protein oxidative lesions and a slight increase in lipid peroxidation following exposure to CB-L. Supplementation of CB-L with ROS scavengers eliminated oxidative damage in E. coli, but did not rescue the cells from killing, indicating that in vitro killing is due to direct metal toxicity and not to indirect oxidative damage. Finally, we ion-exchanged non-antibacterial clays with Fe, Co, Cu, and Zn and established antibacterial activity in these samples. Treatment of MRSA skin infections with both natural and ion-exchanged clays significantly decreased the bacterial load after 7 days of treatment. We conclude that 1) in vitro clay-mediated killing is due to toxicity associated directly with released metal ions and not to indirect oxidative damage and 2) that in vivo killing is due to the physical properties of the clays rather than metal ion toxicity.
Dissertation/Thesis
Ph.D. Microbiology 2014

The relationship between local and non-local interactions is important in understanding the folding mechanisms of β-sheet proteins due to the challenges of cooperative structure formation involving non-contiguous β-strands. Cellular retinoic acid binding protein I (CRABP I), a member of the intracellular lipid binding protein (iLBP) family was used as a model to investigate how local interactions in β-turns relate to the cooperative formation of global contacts in CRABP I folding. A review on several peptide and protein engineering studies explored the active and passive roles of β-turns in folding. Evolutionarily conserved networks in the iLBPs were identified through statistical coupling analysis (SCA). The SCA method revealed coupled positions that define a ligand-binding cluster and a hydrophobic cluster, which were used to correlate β-turn interactions in context of their global contacts found in CRABP I. Previous work in our laboratory showed that short peptides corresponding to turns III and IV of CRABP I have propensities for native-like conformations. (Rotondi, K.S. and Gierasch, L.M. Biochemistry, 42, 7976-85, [2003].) Alanine-scanning mutagenesis on each of the turns, in conjunction with equilibrium and kinetic free energies of folding/unfolding measurements of the turn mutants were performed to delineate the contribution of each of the turn residues in the folding mechanism of the intact protein. Turn IV forms early and may actively form a nucleation region for folding; while turn III forms at later stages, passively allowing other regions of the protein to direct folding. These results point to a model in which turn IV contacts form concurrently with the initial hydrophobic collapse and serves as a nucleation point where subsequent native contacts in CRABP I are stabilized by other structural elements such as turn III. The roles of β-turns in folding are defined by their conservation, turn propensity and proximity to topological features of the protein. ^

碩士
國立臺中科技大學
商業設計系碩士班
102
Sensory integration dysfunction problems were rarely mentioned in the past because people last generation often grew up playing. In the early childhood development, the tactual sensation is the most basic and influential system; at the age of three, the tactual interest moves from the body to hands, so that the children are excited by colorful vision and try to understand the surrounding people, things and environment by touching with hands. Among all materials, clay is easy to shape and may better stimulate the body''s sensory development due to the unique plasticity touch. The purpose of the study is to design a creative thinking teaching model for preschool children aged four to six with children clay courses and to facilitate the development of children''s tactual sensation through discussion and analysis after teaching activities. The study carried out two teaching activities for an action research. Before that, it discussed literature of theories of sensory integration, children cognition development, children painting development and creative thinking education and compiled cognition and children painting development theories suggested by Piaget, Lowenfeld and Eisner, according to which it designed a set of clay teaching model and performed teaching activities based on the creative thinking. The first teaching activity, research tools and data collecting methods were reviewed and inspected according to the principles of creativity-oriented teaching, for the amendment reference for the second teaching activity. Tests were done with a "scale of sensory integration capabilities" before and after implementing the second teaching activity; after the teaching activity is over, the measurement is used as the main basis for the discussion about tactile and other sensory development, supplemented by teachers'' journals, lesson learning sheets, recordings, videos, students'' works, etc. After the teaching activities of the study, the test result and analysis showed that: 80% of the students progressed in the result of sensory action sequence on both sides, while 13% regressed and 7% remained the same; 67% of the students progressed in the sensory adaptation result, while 33% regressed and 0% remained the same; and 46% of the students progressed in the sensory searching result, while 47% regressed and 7% remained the same. Based on the said data and the support of other research tools, the researchers discovered that more than 50% of the data confirmed that the clay material may facilitate the development of children’s'' tactual sensation after four weeks of the course.

碩士
華梵大學
工業設計學系碩士班
98
Abstract This research was applicable to children with developmental delays. The influence of clay-teaching on such children and the changed on their concentration spans. Method used: Action research Two developmental delayed individuals together with four ordinary students were placed in a 3 months program. Thereafter subjects were placed in the same environment to be observed and educated. The Program was conducted twice a week, 15~20 minutes per session and the program was only 3 months. Thereafter, children were placed in the same class environment for the observations and records. The research records the thought process notes (hand notes), discussions, interviews and concentration capability assessments. The raw data were analyzed and decrypted. Information revealed are as follows: (一) 6 steps to put clay-teaching in practice: 1. finding volunteers who are willing to participate (subject) 2. class schedule arrangement 3. target setting 4. design unit topics 5. work allotment 6. lesson plan and assessment preparation The course comes in various forms, in total there are 24 topics. Recognition, appreciation and creative abilities are the main pillars of the course.（二）Art and special education can be collaborated. Clay teaching in the special class can bring out the abilities of individuals such as combination recognition, appreciation and creativity. Simultaneously, it could also be upgraded into a systematic art course design.(三)Two subjects has benefited from the course by increasing their attention- span from below 3 minutes to over 15 minutes, clearly there is an improvement. (四)After the implementation of the clay teaching program, subjects has improved on issues such as delicate actions, oral presentation, social interactive behavior, acknowledgement, understanding and the ability to put things in order. Finally, the information concluded above may serve as a reference for individuals or departments concerned.

碩士
華梵大學
工業設計學系碩士班
103
In 2008, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, R.O.C. reformed the special education expecting to promote the inclusive education in the framework of the Grade1-9 Curriculum and the principles of Special Education New Curriculum Guideline. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education carrying out the Aesthetic Education Plan recently, the researchers was induced to design a suitable visual arts curriculum for children with mild mental retardation by reference to the Arts and Humanities Area of the Grade 1-9 Curriculum Guidelines. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the feasibility and the specifications of implementing and designing a multi-material clay arts curriculum for the children with mild mental retardation; by multi-sensory method, to design a suitable visual art curriculum used clay as the main teaching mediums with other materials for the children, then after excuting the courses, to investigate the learning effectiveness of children with mild mental retardation. In this study, the researcher used the action research method to record and observe the courses by videos, records of classroom observations, individualized education program and interviewing experts and parents to get qualitative analysis. The conclusions of this research included: (1) In accordance with the Grade 1-9 Curriculum Guidelines combined with special education teaching strategies and principles to design the clay art courses for mild mental retardation children is feasible and has the effectiveness of teaching; (2) Multi-sensory teaching method is adapted for children with mild mental retardation which can effectively enhance their learning; (3) The study courses really can effectively upgrade the performance of children with mild mental retardation in color perceptions, such as primary colours and lightness; (4) The use of aid tools-measuring spoons can effectively enhance the quality of clay techniques and works for children with mild mental retardation .

碩士
華梵大學
工業設計學系碩士班
104
With curricular development as the center of active research, this research aims to integrate clay creation into life curriculum, probing the effect on the creation of elementary school students. The procedure is conducted on 18 elementary school students in Keelung City in 5 weeks, 3 periods a week, 40 minutes a period, altogether 15 periods. This research applies pretest-posttest design to testify the creational performance of the subjects with quantified results. Taking Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking as a tool, this research analyzes the test results with t-test, which were taken before and after the courses with version A and version B of Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. With a view to understanding the creational performances of subjects after the implementation of the course, learning feedback sheet, analysis of students' work and teachers' logs are inspected, which would offer multi-dimensional response and verification. The conclusion includes the following three. First of all, clay creation course suits elementary school students' life curriculum as it is easier and multi-dimensional for junior students to learn. Besides, clay creation course shows great effect on the creation of the second-graders in elementary school. Based on Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, students make good progress on the indexes of “Fluency”, “Originality”, “Abstractness of Title”, “Elaboration”, and “Creativity index”. Thirdly, according to the creation analysis of students' works, clay creation course does help improve students' creation. This research aims to be a reference for the future studies and teachers who might integrate clay creation course into the elementary school curriculum.

abstract: Amazonia, inhabited and investigated for millennia, continues to astonish scientists with its cultural and natural diversity. Although Amazonia is rapidly changing, its vast and varied landscape still contains a complex natural pharmacopeia. The Amazonian tribes have accrued valuable environmental and geological knowledge that can be studied. This dissertation demonstrates that Indigenous Knowledge considered alongside Western Science can enhance our understanding of the relationship of people to geological materials and hydrological resources, and reveal mineral medicines with practical applications. I used methods from anthropology and geology to explore the geological knowledge of the Uitoto, a tribe of the Colombian Amazon. The Uitoto use two metaphors to describe Earth systems: 1. the earth is a body, and 2. the Amazon is a tree. I found that they classify surface-water systems according to observable characteristics and use mineral clays to treat various maladies. I argue that Uitoto knowledge about Amazonian mineral resources and surface water is practical, empirically–based and, in many cases, more nuanced than mainstream scientific knowledge. I studied the mode of action of a natural antibacterial clay from the Colombian Amazon (AMZ) to discover whether the Uitoto’s claims about the clay’s medicinal values was verifiable using the methods of Western Science. Natural antibacterial clays can inhibit the growth of human pathogens. Methods from microbiology and geochemistry were combined to evaluate the mineral-microbe interactions that inhibit growth of model Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) bacteria. The AMZ antibacterial clay contains 45 % kaolinites and 30 % smectites. Its high surface area maintains an acidic environment (pH 4.5) and releases high concentrations of aluminum. Aluminum accumulates in the outer membrane of E. coli by binding to phospholipids. Furthermore, the membrane’s permeability increases due to synergistic effects between aluminum and transition metals released from the AMZ (i.e. Fe, Cu). The changes in the membrane may compromise its function as a barrier. Understanding the antibacterial mechanism of AMZ is key for its safe use as a natural product. These findings can help us harness the capabilities of antibacterial clays more efficiently. Lastly, I integrated the results of this work in place-based, cross-cultural educational materials tailored for the tribal schools in the Colombian Amazon. The design of the units was informed by principles of curriculum design and successful pedagogic approaches for Native American students. The purpose of these educational materials is to return the results of research, enhance learning and participation of indigenous peoples in geosciences, and respond to the multicultural and plurilingual educational needs in countries such as Colombia.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2016

碩士
國立臺中教育大學
體育學系碩士班
102
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a compound that contains eighteen carbons and unsaturated fatty acids with two double bonds. CLA has been shown to enhance the fatty acid oxidation and reduce the body fat in animal studies. However, there were adverse effects on glucose uptake were found in obese human studies. Little study was found regarding to whether short term CLA administration is expected to influence glucose homeostasis and reducing insulin action in health humans. Therefore, the present study was to examined that effect of eight weeks oral CLA supplementation on whole body glucose and insulin response in health human study. Twelve male subjects (21.58 ± 0.53 yrs) completed eight weeks CLA supplementation (4.0 g per day). Before (baseline) and at the 4th week and the 8th week after CLA supplementation, all subject accepted OGTT test (oral glucose tolerance test, OGTT) and calculated AUC of glucose and insulin. Simultaneously, ISI (insulin sensitivity index) was calculated for represented the insulin action. No significant change in body composition was found in the present study. However, the AUC in glucose and insulin level after OGTT test were higher compared to baseline. In addition, ISI value was decreased significantly from 4th week to 8th week CLA supplementation compared to baseline. The results in this study implied that there was no change in body composition after eight weeks CLA supplementation. In addition, the CLA supplementation influenced glucose homeostasis and reduced insulin action in health humans. Keywords: CLA, OGTT, insulin sensitivity

The objectives of this study were: 
To review and understand flow and transport processes in unsaturated zones. In this study, particular emphasis is placed on understanding mechanisms that cause non-uniform (preferential) flow for two casestudies, namely the Cape Flats sandy environment and the Mpumalanga Highveld fractured rock environment. 
To evaluate the adequacy of models, in particular MACRO 5.0, in simulating flow and transport in the vadose zone, by making use of two case study sites (Cape Flats and Mpumalanga Highveld). Of particular importance is the evaluation of transfer coefficients to represent fluid and solute exchange between macropores and matrix. 
To run a sensitivity analysis with MACRO 5.0 in order determine which input model parameters are the most relevant in describing the effects of preferential flow in water and solute transport.