title: Carbonisation of biomass-derived chars and the thermal reduction of a graphene oxide sample studied using Raman spectroscopy

authors: McDonald-Wharry, John

subjects: chars

abstract: Chars and carbonised chars were produced from three different oxygen-rich precursors (Pinus radiata wood, Phormium tenax leaf fibres, and sucrose crystals). These non-graphitisable carbons were analysed with Raman spectroscopy in order to study the nanostructural development which occurs with increasingly severe heat treatments up to approximately 1000 °C. The thermal reduction of a graphene oxide sample was similarly studied, as this is considered to involve the development of nanometre-scale graphene-like domains within a different oxygen-rich precursor. Increasing the heat treatment temperatures used in the charring and carbonisation processes, led to significant changes in a number of parameters measured in the Raman spectra. Correlations based on these parameter changes could have future applications in evaluating various char samples and estimating the heat treatment temperatures employed during their manufacture. After production heat treatment temperatures exceeded 700 °C, the Raman spectra of the carbonised chars appeared to be largely precursor independent. The spectra of these carbonised chars were similar to the spectra obtained from thermally-reduced graphene oxides, especially when compared to a wide range of other carbonaceous materials analysed using this particular methodology. Partial reduction of a graphene oxide sample due to reasonably mild laser exposures during Raman analysis was also observed.

text: Carbonisation of biomass-derived chars and the thermal reduction of a graphene oxide sample studied using Raman spectroscopy Chars and carbonised chars were produced from three different oxygen-rich precursors (Pinus radiata wood, Phormium tenax leaf fibres, and sucrose crystals). These non-graphitisable carbons were analysed with Raman spectroscopy in order to study the nanostructural development which occurs with increasingly severe heat treatments up to approximately 1000 °C. The thermal reduction of a graphene oxide sample was similarly studied, as this is considered to involve the development of nanometre-scale graphene-like domains within a different oxygen-rich precursor. Increasing the heat treatment temperatures used in the charring and carbonisation processes, led to significant changes in a number of parameters measured in the Raman spectra. Correlations based on these parameter changes could have future applications in evaluating various char samples and estimating the heat treatment temperatures employed during their manufacture. After production heat treatment temperatures exceeded 700 °C, the Raman spectra of the carbonised chars appeared to be largely precursor independent. The spectra of these carbonised chars were similar to the spectra obtained from thermally-reduced graphene oxides, especially when compared to a wide range of other carbonaceous materials analysed using this particular methodology. Partial reduction of a graphene oxide sample due to reasonably mild laser exposures during Raman analysis was also observed.

year: 2013

title: PIMP Your Stride: Preferred Running Form to Guide Individualized Injury Rehabilitation

authors: Gindre, Cyrille

abstract: Despite the wealth of research on injury prevention and biomechanical risk factors for running related injuries, their incidence remains high. It was suggested that injury prevention and reconditioning strategies should consider spontaneous running forms in a more holistic view and not only the injury location or specific biomechanical patterns. Therefore, we propose an approach using the preferred running form assessed through the Volodalen  method to guide injury prevention, rehabilitation, and retraining exercise prescription. This approach follows three steps encapsulated by the PIMP acronym. The first step (P) refers to the preferred running form assessment. The second step (I) is the identification of inefficiency in the vertical load management. The third step (MP) refers to the movement plan individualization. The answers to these three questions are guidelines to create individualized exercise pathways based on our clinical experience, biomechanical data, strength conditioning knowledge, and empirical findings in uninjured and injured runners. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that further scientific justifications with appropriate clinical trials and mechanistic research are required to substantiate the approach.

text: PIMP Your Stride: Preferred Running Form to Guide Individualized Injury Rehabilitation Despite the wealth of research on injury prevention and biomechanical risk factors for running related injuries, their incidence remains high. It was suggested that injury prevention and reconditioning strategies should consider spontaneous running forms in a more holistic view and not only the injury location or specific biomechanical patterns. Therefore, we propose an approach using the preferred running form assessed through the Volodalen  method to guide injury prevention, rehabilitation, and retraining exercise prescription. This approach follows three steps encapsulated by the PIMP acronym. The first step (P) refers to the preferred running form assessment. The second step (I) is the identification of inefficiency in the vertical load management. The third step (MP) refers to the movement plan individualization. The answers to these three questions are guidelines to create individualized exercise pathways based on our clinical experience, biomechanical data, strength conditioning knowledge, and empirical findings in uninjured and injured runners. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that further scientific justifications with appropriate clinical trials and mechanistic research are required to substantiate the approach.

year: 2022-05-31

title: “This is not a riot, it is a protest”: A discourse analysis of prison violence in New Zealand news media

authors: Membery, Liam

subjects: Prison Violence

abstract: This thesis examines the discourses of prison violence in the New Zealand news media. Prison violence is a pressing social issue that harms those involved and has permeating consequences for the institution. Prison riots, specifically, involve serious instances of disorder and violence that incur physical, psychological, social and economic harm. Despite prisons being private institutions, prison riots are public events that amass large social responses through news media coverage. The public often use news media to co-construct their perceptions of social phenomena, and policymakers use both public opinion and the news media to guide their decisions when shaping policy. Subsequently, the ways in which the news media discursively construct prison riots will have direct consequences for public attitudes and policy relating to prison violence, a phenomenon that exists outside of the public eye. However, there is currently no research that has examined discourses of prison violence and, further, what the consequences of these discourses may be. Therefore, using a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, this study examined the discourses in the news media representations of the large-scale prison violence at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility (2013) and Waikeria Prison (2020-2021). The results uncovered three discourses: the riot discourse, the gang discourse, and the protest discourse. The riot discourse was identified as dominant and constructed prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by inherently violent prisoners. The gang discourse worked in conjunction with the riot discourse, constructing prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by gang members. The protest discourse was identified as a counter-discourse and constructed the unrest at both facilities as protests against living conditions and inhumane treatment. Each discourse has consequences for public attitudes and in turn, penal policy and practice.

text: “This is not a riot, it is a protest”: A discourse analysis of prison violence in New Zealand news media This thesis examines the discourses of prison violence in the New Zealand news media. Prison violence is a pressing social issue that harms those involved and has permeating consequences for the institution. Prison riots, specifically, involve serious instances of disorder and violence that incur physical, psychological, social and economic harm. Despite prisons being private institutions, prison riots are public events that amass large social responses through news media coverage. The public often use news media to co-construct their perceptions of social phenomena, and policymakers use both public opinion and the news media to guide their decisions when shaping policy. Subsequently, the ways in which the news media discursively construct prison riots will have direct consequences for public attitudes and policy relating to prison violence, a phenomenon that exists outside of the public eye. However, there is currently no research that has examined discourses of prison violence and, further, what the consequences of these discourses may be. Therefore, using a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, this study examined the discourses in the news media representations of the large-scale prison violence at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility (2013) and Waikeria Prison (2020-2021). The results uncovered three discourses: the riot discourse, the gang discourse, and the protest discourse. The riot discourse was identified as dominant and constructed prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by inherently violent prisoners. The gang discourse worked in conjunction with the riot discourse, constructing prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by gang members. The protest discourse was identified as a counter-discourse and constructed the unrest at both facilities as protests against living conditions and inhumane treatment. Each discourse has consequences for public attitudes and in turn, penal policy and practice.

year: 2022