Academic literature on the topic 'United Metile Company'

The background and history of the connection between the world's largest platinum producing group, the South African company Anglo American Platinum Corporation, and the United Kingdom company Johnson Matthey, is explained. The commitment of Amplats to meet the expected growth in demand for the six platinum group metals in the future and the role of Johnson Matthey in marketing these metals, and in contributing towards the development of advanced technological applications for them, will ensure that the needs of the industrial platinum users throughout the world will continue to be satisfied.

A exportação de banana, na América, foi constituída sob uma base genética extremamente limitada: ao longo de setenta anos, uma só variedade de banana, a Gros Michel, foi praticamente a única a ser vendida nos mercados norte-americanos. Esta variedade produzia grandes cachos, resistentes ao transporte, e dotados de um sabor e de uma casca que os consumidores norte-americanos identificavam como pertencentes a uma banana de qualidade. Entretanto, a Gros Michel também se mostrou muito suscetível a um grande número de patógenos fúngicos, incluindo o Mal do Panamá e a Sigatoka. A dinâmica histórica ocasionada, durante a primeira metade do século XX, pela propagação desse fungo, acelerou o aumentou dos índices de desmatamento, desestabilizou os sistemas de vida rural, aumentou os riscos à saúde dos trabalhadores do campo, e limitou os rendimentos das principais companhias de comércio de banana. Tais epidemias impeliram o governo britânico e a United Fruit Company a estabelecerem programas de fitomelhoramento, durante a década de 1920, tendo como meta o desenvolvimento de uma banana para exportação, que fosse resistente ao Mal do Panamá. Contudo, a criação de um híbrido que fosse capaz tanto de prosperar nas zonas tropicais, quanto de encontrar aceitação no mercado norte-americano, se mostrou uma tarefa de difícil realização. A história dos programas de melhoramento revela uma das principais contradições da agricultura do século XX: os mesmos processos de produção massificada, que tendem a reduzir a diversidade biológica a nível local e regional, permaneciam dependentes do acesso a de um banco genético "global", para manter níveis lucrativos de produção.

The opening of marriage to same-sex couples shifted the legal debate from whether that should be done to the extent to which individuals and organisations can lawfully refuse to engage with same-sex marriage or can continue to argue against such marriages. This raises the question of the level of respect that needs to be shown to anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) views in a democratic society, a question that ought to have been, but was not, the central issue in Lee v Ashers Baking Company Ltd. By focusing on the right not to express a view that the defendants in that case did not hold, the United Kingdom(UK) Supreme Court avoided examining the views that they did, in fact, hold. The defendants’ belief that LGBT people are sinful, manifested in their opposition to same-sex marriage, is in essence a belief in heterosexual superiority, which is a form of homophobia and therefore inconsistent with the values underlying the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), especially that of dignity. This article explores the level of respect such beliefs and their expression can expect to receive in the UK. It concludes that it should be no higher than ‘toleration’. It will identify as the central flaw in the Supreme Court’s approach that it afforded a higher level of respect than toleration, that it allowed the belief in heterosexual superiority to exempt the defendants from a legal obligation that would have to be met by those whose views on homosexuality were more in line with the values of the ECHR.

Every organization should provide a safe and healthy workplace for all stakeholders by putting “people before profit”. Such a workplace must be consciously created, assessed, and internally examined through regular audits before the government conducts their inspections. Business owners, managers, and employees should know that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections do not always come with a warning, as inspectors can enter a business at any day or time without scheduling their arrival. As such, all employees must work safely and be prepared for an unannounced inspection. Every business should have a formal checklist for audits and daily usage on a periodic basis to ensure the safety of their workers in a healthy work environment. The benefits of implementing an effective safety and health program can be many, including higher optimism of the workforce, improved company reputation, and lower Workers’ Compensation Insurance rates. This paper provides an overview of common safety measures in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. Data, statistics, examples, checklist recommendations, and audit suggestions are provided for managers and human resource professionals to internally assess the organization on a periodic basis to proactively prevent accidents, injuries, and possible citations by the federal government or state health inspectors. Managers must pay even closer attention and provide additional training for underage school children that work part-time as they are more vulnerable and not allowed to use certain machines and heavy equipment in the workplace. Leaders and managers must develop and emphasize a “people before profit” mindset to create an organizational culture that is focused on safe work practices. It is important that all managers and human resources professionals understand that all USA companies must provide their employees with a safe and healthy work environment. Furthermore, these professionals must know the OSHA regulations and state laws which are applicable to their firms and industries so that the organization can be in full compliance with the requirements. Of course, we recommend that managers and firms go above and beyond the law to put “people before profit” in the organization’s culture. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, which is enforced by OSHA, has done an excellent job of getting managers and human resource professionals to make sure their places of work are as safe as possible. They have produced many great informational content and training materials that are freely available for all workers, managers, owners, and corporate executives to use in their pursuit of a safe and wholesome workplace. Consequently, OSHA standards and rules have become a part of corporate America, which has been a positive approach. A practical example that most American workers are familiar with is the “Fire Safety” procedures as all employers have a Fire Prevention Plan. Consequently, most firms and institutions in the United States regularly practice for fire safety drills; as such, it has become a part of their organization’s culture. And so should be the mindset of putting “people before profit”.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a heavy toll on public health. The adverse health outcomes have affected the public physically, mentally and emotionally. Waves during the pandemic have resulted in lockdowns that limited people’s ability to interact socially. Due to the novel nature of the disruptions the emotional effects of COVID related lock downs have not been adequately studied. This study assessed the effects of the Jan-Feb 2022 COVID wave related lockdown on young adults aged 18 to 25 in the 11counties that form the Detroit Metro area in the State of Michigan in the United States of America. Methods: A survey instrument was developed using well validated Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) along with other questions related to demographics, impact of COVID and methods used for obtaining advice. The survey was electronically shared with the target population in the Detroit Metro area with the help of Centiment, a market research company.

Thesis (MComm) – Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Global interest in responsible investing has grown in recent years. To make effective decisions, responsible investors require listed companies to report on financial and nonfinancial performance, giving particular attention to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations. This study was undertaken to address the paucity of academic research on ESG reporting in South Africa. A number of local studies had focused on environmental and governance reporting, but no studies had taken a holistic view of ESG reporting. Nor had any studies focused on the metals and mining industry in particular. This is a very important industry from an economic and ESG perspective, both in South Africa and internationally. The primary objective of this study was two-fold. Firstly, it was to investigate the extent of ESG reporting (both in South Africa and in a sample of international Metals and Mining companies). The second objective was to evaluate the factors that could potentially influence ESG reporting in these two samples. A positivistic research methodology was adopted as this approach allowed the researcher to test the stated research hypotheses. Quantitative secondary data were thus collected and analysed. The data collection process consisted of three phases: the first phase involved an extensive literature review of the key constructs; the second phase dealt with the collection of data for the dependent variable (Overall ESG score) from MSCI ESG Research’s database; and the third phase entailed collecting data for the 12 independent variables from Bureau van Dijk and selected websites. MSCI ESG Research’s universe was used to establish the two samples used in this study. The JSE sample consisted of 110 listed companies, whereas the international Metals and Mining sample consisted of 173 companies. Because MSCI ESG Research had completed only one year of ESG research when this study commenced, only data for 2012 were available. Descriptive and inferential statistics were completed to analyse the data. The empirical findings of the JSE sample show that the Governance pillar mean score was significantly higher than the Social pillar mean score and the Environmental pillar mean score. ESG reporting was found to be positively associated with companies which were included in the Nedbank Green Index. Companies included in the JSE Socially Responsible Index produced significantly better ESG reports than those excluded from the index. Significant differences were also noted in the Overall ESG score based on the nature of the industry in which a company operated. In the international Metals and Mining sample, two statistically significant relationships were found: larger companies had higher ESG score than smaller companies; and the greater the ownership concentration in a company, the better the ESG reporting on average. Four statistically significant differences were observed. Companies included in the FTSE4Good Index Series had better ESG scores than companies excluded from the index. Companies in developed countries had better ESG reporting than companies in emerging markets. The third difference related to companies which used the Global Reporting Initiative’s guidelines. These companies had higher Overall ESG scores than those which did not use the guidelines. The same applies to companies which were participants of the UN Global Compact and those who were not. It was concluded that investors who favour sound ESG reporting (and hence ESG management) should ideally focus on larger companies, those which are included in an responsible investing index, use the Global Reporting Initiative’s guidelines, and are participants of the UN Global Compact. Listed companies, particularly those in the Metals and Mining industry, should give more attention to environmental and social considerations, to the overall quality of their ESG reports, and should make more use of available initiatives to aid non-financial reporting.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die afgelope jare het belangstelling in verantwoordelike beleggings wêreldwyd toegeneem. Ten einde verantwoordelike beleggers in staat te stel om doeltreffende besluite te neem, moet genoteerde maatskappye oor hul finansiële én nie-finansiële prestasie verslag doen, met bepaalde klem op omgewings-, maatskaplike en korporatiewe beheer (OMB) kwessies. Hierdie studie is onderneem om ’n leemte in akademiese navorsing oor verslagdoening in Suid-Afrika te vul. ’n Aantal plaaslike studies het al op omgewings- en beheerverslagdoening gekonsentreer, maar geen navorsing tot dusver het OMB-verslagdoening holisties beskou nie. Ook het geen studies nog die soeklig op die metaal- en mynboubedryf in die besonder gewerp nie. Hierdie is ’n baie belangrike bedryf uit ’n ekonomiese en OMB-oogpunt, in Suid-Afrika sowel as internasionaal. Die hoofoogmerk van hierdie studie was tweeledig. Eerstens wou die studie ondersoek instel na die omvang van OMB-verslagdoening (by ’n Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef sowel as ’n steekproef van internasionale metaal- en mynboumaatskappye). Tweedens wou die navorsing die faktore bepaal wat ’n moontlike invloed op die OMB-verslagdoening van hierdie twee steekproewe kan hê. ’n Positivistiese navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik, aangesien hierdie benadering die navorser in staat gestel het om die navorsingshipoteses te toets. Kwantitatiewe sekondêre data was dus ingesamel en ontleed. Die data-insamelingsproses het uit drie fases bestaan: In die eerste fase was ’n omvattende literatuurstudie oor die hoofkonstrukte onderneem; die tweede fase het uit data-insameling oor die afhanklike veranderlike (algehele OMB-telling) uit die databasis van MSCI ESG Research bestaan, terwyl die derde fase data-insameling oor die 12 onafhanklike veranderlikes uit Bureau van Dijk en op uitgesoekte webtuistes behels het. Die universum van MSCI ESG Research is gebruik om die twee steekproewe in hierdie studie te bepaal. Die Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef het uit 110 genoteerde maatskappye bestaan, terwyl die steekproef van internasionale metaal- en mynboumaatskappye 173 entiteite ingesluit het. Aangesien MSCI ESG Research met die aanvang van hierdie studie nog net een jaar van OMB-navorsing onderneem het, was data slegs vir 2012 beskikbaar. Beskrywende en inferensiële statistieke is ontwikkel om die data te ontleed. Die empiriese bevindinge van die Suid-Afrikaanse-steekproef lewer ’n beduidend hoër gemiddelde telling vir beheerverslagdoening as vir maatskaplike en omgewingsverslagdoening op. OMB-verslagdoening blyk ’n positiewe korrelasie te toon met maatskappye wat by Nedbank se groen-indeks ingesluit is. Maatskappye wat ingesluit was in die Johannesburg Effektebeurs se indeks vir maatskaplike verantwoordelikheid het op hulle beurt aansienlik beter OMB-verslae opgestel as dié buite die indeks. Beduidende verskille in algehele OMB-tellings is ook opgemerk op grond van die aard van die bedryf waarin ’n maatskappy funksioneer. In die internasionale metaal- en mynbousteekproef is twee statisties beduidende verwantskappe aangetref: Groter maatskappye het ’n hoër OMB-telling as kleiner maatskappye getoon, en hoe hoër die eienaarskapskonsentrasie in ’n maatskappy, hoe beter die OMB-verslagdoening oor die algemeen. Vier statisties beduidende verskille is boonop waargeneem. Maatskappye wat deel was van die FTSE4Good-indeksreeks het beter OMBtellings opgelewer as maatskappye buite die indeks, en maatskappye in ontwikkelde lande het beter gevaar met OMB-verslagdoening as dié in ontluikende markte. Die derde verskil hou verband met maatskappye wat die riglyne van die Globale Verslagdoeningsinisiatief (GRI) volg, wat algeheel hoër OMB-tellings gehad het as diegene wat nié die riglyne gebruik nie. Dieselfde geld vir maatskappye wat aan die Verenigde Nasies (VN) se wêreldverdrag (“Global Compact”) deelneem en diegene wat nie deelneem nie. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat beleggers wat goeie OMB-verslagdoening (en dus goeie OMB-bestuur) verkies, behoort te konsentreer op groter maatskappye, maatskappye wat by ’n indeks vir verantwoordelike belegging ingesluit is, wat die riglyne van die Internasionale Verslagdoeningsinisiatief volg, en wat aan die VN se wêreldverdrag deelneem. Genoteerde maatskappye, veral dié in die metaal- en mynboubedryf, behoort ook meer aandag te skenk aan omgewings- en maatskaplike sake sowel as die algehele gehalte van hul verslae, en behoort meer gebruik te maak van beskikbare inisiatiewe om nie-finansiële verslagdoening te ondersteun.

AbstractAlthough continuous casting became the state of the art for the casting of ordinary steel grades, ingot casting by bottom teeming still has relevance in the steelmaking industry, especially for the manufacturing of specialty and alloy steels. As for every casting process, the ever-increasing quality requirements by customers lead to increased demand for new technologies to increase the purity of the cast steel melt regarding its inclusion content. Due to the special design of the bottom-teeming ingot casting facility and the discontinuous operation as batch process, the application of filters is a promising approach. Tailored foam geometries were prepared based on additive manufacturing via selective laser sintering (SLS) and transformed into filters via modified replication techniques and flame spraying. Additionally to filter application, the functionalization and quality improvement of applied hollowware refractories has high potential to remove existing inclusions from the steel melt and avoid the formation of new inclusions during casting. The investigated hollowware components were manufactured by pressure slip casting on the basis of coarse-grained alumina compositions and subsequent functionalization by spray coating based on carbon-bonded alumina slurries. Simultaneous application of functionalized, “reactive” refractory components and flame-sprayed, “active” filters enables a combined filtration system which unites the advantages of the distinct filtration mechanisms. In the continuous casting of specialty steels, the conditions are more severe resulting in additional challenges regarding the application of filters. An approach investigated in this subproject is the use of extruded filter starter casting tubes above the tundish outlet. To achieve this, extrusion mixes based on cellulose derivatives and materials of the system Al2O3-ZrO2-C (AZC) were investigated for their suitability. The new concepts were tested in industrial casting trials in cooperation with the company Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steels Europe GmbH (DEW). Post-mortem, the former melt-refractory interface of the applied components was investigated and steel samples from the ladle, the gating system and the ingot were analyzed in comparison to untreated samples.

Abstract All over the United States, phone companies have planted artificial trees. An old-growth, imitation pine went up a few years ago in the community of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, where it towers one hundred feet over barns and fields. Holes in its synthetic brown bark admit bundles of black cables that travel up through the hollow metal trunk to the wireless digital phone antennas hidden among the plastic pine branches high above. In the desert near Phoenix, Arizona, where pines are scarce, another phone company conceals its antennas inside agiant, imitation saguaro cactus. Evidently some large corporations are finally beginning to realize that the destruction of nature by their business activities is not acceptable.

This chapter mentions the MetLife insurance company, which developed Peter Cooper Village at the same time as Stuyvesant Town covered the area from 20th to 23rd Streets. It details how the two communities operated as a united whole, with the same security and maintenance staff serving them, except the apartments in the Peter Cooper buildings were a little bigger than those in Stuy Town. It also elaborates the perception of Stuy Town' tenants about the management as they seem to pay more attention to Peter Cooper. The chapter talks about the second burst of real activism by Stuy Town tenants that was led by Charles Lyman, who decided to get together to explore ways to protect themselves and their community after 1974. It discusses the meetings of Lyman's group of tenants, which called themselves assembly the Stuyvesant Town Tenants Association.

This chapter delves into the environmental assault on Akwesasne as well as the tribe’s resistance. In the 1950s, Canada and the United States started building the St. Lawrence Seaway, a system of canals, locks, and channels that enabled ships to launch in the Great Lakes and sail clear to the Atlantic Ocean. One of its many regional side projects entailed a massive hydroelectric dam that straddled the international borderline. Its construction drowned out six villages and virtually all of the area’s beaver hutches, displacing some 6,500 people—many of whom were Mohawk—and decimating the trapping industry. The dam also lured businesses into the area, including General Motors, Reynolds Metals, and the Aluminum Company of America, all three of which opened factories on the outskirts of Akwesasne and slowly began to poison the area’s air and rivers. The Environmental Protection Agency has done little to help, and many Mohawks resent them for it. The author interviews activists who have taken matters into their own hands with direct action against the corporations—and have been sued as a result.

In the first chapter we described several clusters of childhood cancers discovered by concerned residents of Woburn, Massachusetts, of Toms River, New Jersey, and of the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, New York City. The residents in Pelham Bay blamed the cluster on a landfill nearby, in which hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals, including waste oil sludges, metal plating wastes, lacquer, cyanides, ethyl benzene, toluene, and other organic solvents had been illegally dumped. This had been reported by an employee of the chemical company responsible, in testimony before a Congressional investigation of crime, and was never directly confirmed. Residents of the community had obtained a court order that stopped dumping in 1978, before the testimony about toxic wastes had been given. The story of this cancer cluster—both how it was discovered and what conclusions were reached about its causes—is typical of thousands of clusters reported each year to health authorities throughout the United States. After the alarm in Pelham Bay was sounded by the mother of a child with leukemia, ten years after dumping ceased, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) made measurements of hazardous chemicals in the air around the landfill, but found no significant amounts. The drinking water of the community came from the general New York City water supply system, so seepage from the landfill into the groundwater was not a possible route of exposure. It was concluded that by the time the measurements were made the landfill was no longer a threat to health. What the situation may have been in the past, during the time of dumping and just after, could no longer be known. After dumping had been stopped in 1978, the NYCDEP had covered the 150-foot-high mound of garbage, refuse, street sweepings, construction debris, and household and commercial waste, along with whatever may have been illegally dumped there, with a thin layer of soil. It was a hasty job, and it did not last. The soil cover cracked and eroded, washing away all the faster because of the steep slopes of the mound.

All over the United States, phone companies are planting artificial trees. An old-growth, imitation pine has just gone up in the community of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, where it towers 100 feet over barns and fields. Holes in its synthetic brown bark admit bundles of black cables that travel up through the hollow metal trunk to the wireless digital phone antennas hidden among the plastic pine branches high above. In the desert near Phoenix, Arizona, where pines are scarce, another phone company plans to conceal its antennas inside a giant, imitation saguaro cactus. Evidently some large corporations are finally beginning to realize that the destruction of nature by their business activities is not accept-able. To improve public relations, they are now providing facsimiles of the nature they eliminate. This solves many annoying problems, but, alas, other difficulties have arisen. Copying nature is not as easy as it looks—it’s not like using a photocopier. If the phone companies don’t know this, somebody ought to tell them. I first became aware of the downside of artificial nature when I was living in Middlesex, New Jersey. To get to work at the university I had to drive through South Bound Brook, a down-at-the-heels little town nestled cozily between American Cyanamid’s huge organic chemical factory on one side and GAF and Union Carbide—also cooking up organics—on the other. True, the Raritan River runs alongside of South Bound Brook, and George Washington, an experienced surveyor who had seen many rivers, once described the Raritan as the most beautiful of all. But the river’s magic seemed to work feebly in South Bound Brook; my memories are only of floods, brown mud, and the occasional corpse of carp or sucker floating belly up past the dirty red brick of the aged factory walls. Then one day as I made my daily commute, I noticed an unexpected splash of color in the town. A popular saloon along the road I travelled had erected a very large plastic palm tree on the sidewalk next to the entrance.

Abstract. Due to economic and ecological framework conditions, a resource-saving utilization of raw materials and energy is becoming increasingly important in particular in the mobility sector. For the reduction of moving masses and the resources consumed, lightweight construction technologies are part of modern production processes in vehicle manufacturing, for example in the form of multi-material systems. Challenging in the manufacture of multi-material systems especially in view of changing supply chains is the variety of materials and geometries that bring conventional joining processes to their limits. Therefore, new processes are required, which can react versatile to process and disturbance variables. A widely used industrial joining process is semi-tubular self-piercing riveting, which is however a rigid process. To increase the versatility, the two newly established processes multi-range self-piercing riveting and tumbling self-piercing riveting are combined and the capabilities for targeted material flow control are united. Therefore, an innovative two-stage process based on the combination is introduced in this paper. The rivet is set with the multi-range self-piercing riveting process with an overlap of the rivet head and then formed by a tumbling process. Further, a specific adaptation of the tumbling strategy is used to investigate the possibility of reducing cracks in the rivet head. Thereby, different tumbling strategies are used and similar geometric joint formations are achieved to compare the results.

Abstract This paper covers the introduction of a new fit for purpose design consisting of a unitized wellhead (Unihead) that has been introduced to satisfy both drilling and well stimulation requirements while optimizing the capital cost, reducing the flat time, and enhancing both rig and rig-less operations. Cost management is paramount to ensure the success for all project specifically for unconventional wells. Optimizations in casing design, drilling fluids and completion have been implemented heavily and around the globe. However, wellhead design optimization remains to be an area of improvement. Prior to presented optimization, the existing wellhead system used in subject wells was originally designed for conventional wells. That system had two major drawbacks. First, it increased the rig flat time since it required waiting for cement to set before removing the Blow Out Preventer (BOP) to install the casing hanger. After that, the next wellhead spool is installed followed by installing the BOP. Second, the system used metal seals to isolate the annuli and also used a production tree to suspend the well after the drilling phase, which was costly. The new system consists of utilizing a Unihead body and mandrel hangers to suspend both the production and long string casings. The annuli between the Unihead and the casing hangers are sealed by a seal assembly (Packoff) utilizing elastomer seals. After completing the drilling phase, the system will also facilitate rig-less well stimulation operations. Furthermore, the system will enable the installation of downhole completion and a velocity string after well stimulation. Finally, the well will be produced through the velocity production tree. The new system was successfully installed with outstanding results and offered several advantages. This includes the time optimization, capital cost reduction and significantly reduced flat time. The system achieved these benefits through the proper system design that is fit for purpose for both rig and rig-less operations and eliminated the challenges usually encountered with conventional system design.

Glass-to-metal seals are widely used in engineering applications, but are often plagued by cracking and loss of hermeticity despite design efforts to avoid these problems. Standard computational approaches typically rely on under-refined meshes and rule-of-thumb approaches that are not always effective. This paper investigates improvements to current practice in glass-to-metal seal design. First, material models with more extensive temperature dependence are used to enhance the accuracy of residual stress prediction. Second, a Weibull-statistics approach is adopted for the prediction of the likelihood of failure. These approaches are then applied to a simplified seal geometry. The paper demonstrates that the application of these methods, especially the Weibull-statistics approach, have difficulties that need to be addressed before this proposed set of approaches can be effectively used for seal design. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

This paper examines the influence on modern architecture of the R.S. Reynolds Memorial Prize, which bestowed $25,000 and an original work of aluminum sculpture to an architect from 1957 to 1993. Established by Reynolds Metals, once the second largest aluminum producer in the United States, the purpose of the prize was stated publicly: “The Award is conferred annually on an architect who, in the judgement of his profession, has designed a significant work of architecture, in the creation of which aluminum has been an important contributing factor.” Investigating the prize in the context of the competitive postwar aluminum cladding industry, however, reveals a commitment only conveyed privately in company communications: The Reynolds award was largely a tool of competition between industry titans such as rival Alcoa, whereby architects and their projects were appropriated as a marketing medium. Furthermore, to compete with Alcoa, Reynolds even celebrated works of architecture employing Alcoa-sourced aluminum in their own publications and advertisements, blurring the line of authorship between the architect on the one hand and competing producers on the other.

Abstract It is determined that for metal-induced laterally crystallized (MILC) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si), the mechanical and etch properties compare favorably with and the sensing and electrical properties are better than those of conventional low-pressure chemical vapor deposited (LPCVD) poly-Si. The etching characteristics of MILC poly-Si in tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution have been studied. A unified model based on preferential grain boundary (GB) etching has been proposed to explain the etching behavior of poly-Si in TMAH.

A five-year research project started in FY2005 to develop a code based on the Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method for detailed analysis of core disruptive accidents (CDAs) in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). The code is named COMPASS (Computer Code with Moving Particle Semi-implicit for Reactor Safety Analysis). Separated phenomena in CDAs are focused on. Both mixed-oxide (MOX) and metal fuels are considered. Eutectic reactions between the metal fuel and the cladding material are investigated by phase diagram calculation, classical and first-principles molecular dynamics. Basic studies concerning the numerical methods are performed to support the code development of COMPASS. In the validation process of COMPASS, calculations using SIMMER-III are carried out to give boundary conditions and to provide reference results. In this paper, the overall status of the project in FY2007 is provided. Two basic studies for the particle method are also described. One is the development of a unified algorithm for compressible and incompressible flow. The developed algorithm is tested by a benchmark problem of a shock tube. The result agrees well with the analytical solution. The other is the development of a turbulence model for the particle method. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is selected. We developed a wall boundary condition to reproduce the log law near the wall with a coarse spatial resolution. Flow over a backward facing step is calculated by the present model. The result agrees with an experimental data.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The impending emission regulations in both China (CN7) and the United States (Tier 4) are set to impose more stringent emission limits on hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM). CN7 places particular emphasis on reducing particulate number (PN) thresholds, while the forthcoming United States Tier 4 legislation is primarily concerned with reducing the allowable particulate matter (PM) to an assumed limit of 0.5 mg/mile. Given the more stringent constraints on both PN and PM emissions, the development of enhanced aftertreatment solutions becomes imperative to comply with these new regulatory demands. Coated Gasoline Particulate Filters (cGPFs) play a pivotal role as essential components for effective PN and PM abatement. These filters are typically deployed in one of two configurations: close-coupled to the turbocharger positioned downstream of a primary three-way catalyst (TWC) or located further downstream of the exhaust system in an underfloor configuration. Each application imposes distinct technical requirements and specifications on cGPFs, necessitating tailored solutions for both close-coupled and underfloor applications. This research introduces a novel generation of particulate filters optimized for pressure drop and underfloor applications, which exhibit improved performance in terms of light-off and hot conversion efficiency while maintaining comparable backpressure levels to its predecessors. Moreover, a suite of advanced technologies for close-coupled applications is presented, featuring improved three-way conversion efficiency and enhanced thermal durability compared to previous iterations. Significantly, these new technologies demonstrate equivalent three-way conversion capabilities, irrespective of whether employing bi-metallic Pd/Rh or tri-metallic Pt/Pd/Rh Platinum-group-metal (PGM) architectures. Lastly, the study undertakes an analysis of the trade-off between backpressure and the gain in three-way conversion activity provided by these innovative technologies.</div></div>

Abstract Requirements for plant license renewal require the evaluation and management of time limited aging analyses for the period of extended operation. These include metal fatigue analyses, with additional consideration for the effects of the reactor water environment. Current license renewal requirements for evaluation of time limited aging analyses for fatigue have extended environmentally assisted fatigue (EAF) considerations to additional locations beyond the originally prescribed NUREG/CR-6260 locations. These requirements have resulted in implementation of a screening process to identify locations that are potentially more limiting for further evaluation of EAF. The screening process includes comparisons of fatigue locations within common bases, including consideration of applicable system transients, rigor of analysis methods, and material types. To date, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has only accepted EAF screening evaluation results based on comparisons within similar material types. However, there are conditions under which a comparison of locations with different material types is valid. This paper presents a basis to compare locations having different material types, to potentially reduce the number of leading (“sentinel”) locations in EAF screening evaluations. The methodology is described through a systematic approach and basis to determine when locations are more limiting with respect to EAF when different material types are compared.

Hemiarthroplasty is a surgical procedure that replaces the injured half of a diarthrodial joint (such as the hip or shoulder) with a smooth impermeable metal surface, leaving the apposing healthy cartilage layer intact. In 2006, more than 260,000 hip and shoulder hemiarthroplasties were performed in the United States alone [1]. Hemiarthroplasties are often revised to total arthroplasties, due in part to premature erosion of the intact, initially healthy cartilage [2]. Recent theoretical and experimental studies [3, 4] have shown that the low friction and wear of healthy diarthrodial joints depend critically upon sustained, elevated pressure of the interstitial water within the porous cartilage. Because this fluid pressure is continuous across the porous-permeable cartilage contact interface, the impermeable bearing surface implanted in hemiarthroplasty may substantially disrupt the natural lubrication of the apposing healthy cartilage [5]. Motivated by the established clinical success of implanting glutaraldehyde-treated porcine and bovine heart valves and pericardial grafts in humans, the objective of this study was to investigate whether a novel bioprosthetic hemiarthroplasty, utilizing a glutaraldehyde-treated cartilage xenograft, can reproduce the sustained low friction of a healthy natural diarthrodial joint. The specific aim of this study was to measure and compare the 24 h in-vitro frictional response of a bovine shoulder joint with that of a bioprosthetic hemiarthroplasty consisting of a glutaraldehyde-treated humeral head and an untreated, native cartilage glenoid.

Water-quality monitoring in National Park Service units of the Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) is made possible through partnerships between the National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring Division, individual park units, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Utah Division of Water Quality. This report evaluates data from site visits at 62 different locations on streams, rivers, and reservoirs in or near ten NCPN park units between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2018. Data are compared to state water-quality standards for the purpose of providing information to park managers about potential water-quality problems. The National Park Service does not determine the regulatory status of surface waters; state water quality agencies determine whether waters comply with the Clean Water Act. Evaluation of water-quality parameters relative to state water-quality standards indicated that 17,997 (96.8%) of the 18,583 total designated beneficial-use evaluations completed for the period covered in this report met state water-quality standards. The most common exceedances or indications of impairment, in order of abundance, were due to elevated nutrients, elevated bacteria (E. coli), elevated water temperature, elevated trace metals, elevated total dissolved solids (and sulfate), elevated pH, and low dissolved oxygen. While some exceedances were recurring and may have been caused by human activities in the watersheds, many were due to naturally occurring conditions characteristic of the geographic setting. This is most apparent with phosphorus, which can be introduced into surface water bodies at elevated levels by natural weathering of the geologic strata found throughout the Colorado Plateau. Higher phosphorus concentrations could also be attributed to anthropogenic activities that can accelerate erosion and transport of phosphorus. Some activities that can increase erosional processes include grazing, logging, mining, pasture irrigation, and off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. Exceedances for total phosphorus were common occurrences at nine out of ten NCPN park units, where at least one site in each of these parks had elevated phosphorus concentrations. At these sites, high levels of nutrients have not led to algal blooms or other signs of eutrophication. Sites monitored in Arches National Park (NP), Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (BLCA), Bryce Canyon NP (BRCA), Capitol Reef NP (CARE), Curecanti National Recreation Area (CURE), Dinosaur National Monument (DINO), and Zion NP (ZION) all had E. coli ex-ceedances that could be addressed by management actions. While many of these sites already have management actions underway, some of the actions necessary to bring these waters into compliance are beyond the control of the National Park Service. Changes to agricultural practices to improve water quality involves voluntary participation by landowners and/or grazing permittees and their respective states. This could be the case with lands upstream of several parks with E. coli contamination issues, including Red Rock Canyon (BLCA); Sul-phur, Oak, and Pleasant creeks (CARE); Blue Creek and Cimarron River (CURE); Brush and Pot creeks (DINO); and North Fork Virgin River (ZION). Issues with E. coli contamination at Yellow Creek (BRCA) seemed to be resolved after the park boundary fence downstream of the site was repaired, keeping cattle out of the park. At North Fork Virgin River, E. coli exceedances have been less frequent since the State of Utah worked with landowners and grazing permittees to modify agricultural practices. Continued coordination between the National Park Service, state agencies, and local landowners will be necessary to further re-duce E. coli exceedances and, in turn, improve public health and safety in these streams. Selenium concentrations in Red Rock Canyon (BLCA) continued to exceed the state aquat-ic-life standard at both the upstream and downstream sites. Although selenium weathers naturally from bedrock and...