Nesta dissertação, são apresentados os processos de caracterização, classificação e de compartimentação geomecânica dos maciços rochosos, com a utilização dos dados pertinentes às fases de estudos nos projetos de engenharia. Como área de pesquisa analisou-se os dados referentes aos estudos da fundação da barragem, de uma Usina Hidroelétrica, localizada no Rio Pelotas, entre os estados do Rio Grande do Sul (Margem esquerda) e Santa Catarina (Margem Direita) em um sítio constituído por uma seqüência de derrames basálticos da Formação Serra Geral na Bacia do Paraná. Este maciço revela-se verticalmente heterogêneo, constituído por uma seqüência de 15 (quinze) derrames (relativamente pouco espessos) que possuem distintas características tanto sobre os aspectos geomecânicos, estruturais e tectônicos; quanto da diferenciação litológica de cada um - que compreende a seqüência de basalto denso, basalto vesículo amigdaloidal e brecha basáltica. O intuito da pesquisa foi mostrar a caracterização do maciço abrangendo aspectos estratigráficos, litológicos, estruturais, tectônicos e geomecânicos, para que fosse possível a formulação da compartimentação e dos modelos geológicos e geomecânicos do maciço. Na composição da base de dados foi realizado um levantamento de campo por meio de investigações de superfície e subsuperfície, para que posteriormente fossem realizados os trabalhos de gabinete e as análises laboratoriais. Para o estabelecimento do modelo geológico orientou-se pelos dados litoestratigráficos, estruturais e tectônicos obtidos através dos mapeamentos de superfície e das investigações de subsuperfície. A compartimentação geomecânica foi composta por informações oriundas dos itens de caracterização do maciço (alteração, fraturamento, Rock qualitiy designation - RQD, e permeabilidade); e pela classificação geomecânica, quanto a esta, empregaram-se as metodologia Rock Mass Rating - RMR, Quality - Q e Geological Strength Index - GSI. O propósito dessa classificação visava estabelecer um paralelo entre os parâmetros metodológicos utilizados e os resultados obtidos - em que se notou uma grande dependência da compartimentação geomecânica ao modelo geológico. / In this dissertation, the processes of characterization, classification and geomechanical compartmentation of the rocky mass range are investigated with the utilization of data resulting from the study phases in engineering projects. As a research area, the data referring to the studies of the foundation of a hydroelectric power plant dam, located on Rio Pelotas, between the states of Rio Grande do Sul (left bank) and Santa Catarina (right bank) on a site formed by a sequence of basaltic flood of Serra Geral formation at the Paraná Basin have been analyzed. This rock mass range, vertically heterogeneous, is formed by a sequence of 15 (fifteen) floods (relatively little solid) which possess distinct characteristics on the geomechanical, structural and tectonic aspects, as well as on the lithological differentiation of each one - which includes the sequence of dense basalt, vesicles-amygdaloidal basalt and basaltic breach. The intention of the research was to show the characterization of the mass range, embracing stratigraphic, lithological, structural, tectonic and geomechanical aspects, so that it would be possible the formulation of the compartmentation and geological and geomechanical models of the mass range. In the database composítion, a field survey was carried out through surface and subsurface investigations, so that afterwards the laboratorial analysis could be accomplished. For the establishment of the geological model, the lithostratigraphic, structural and tectonic data have been examined, which have been obtained through the mapping of the surface and subsurface investigations. The geomechanical compartmentation was put together by the information resulting from the characterization items of the mountain range (alteration, fracture, Rock quality designation - RQD and permeability); and by the geomechanical classification; for that matter, the Rock Mass Rating - RMR, Quality - Q and Geological Strength Index - GSI methodologies have been employed. The purpose of this classification was to establish a parallel between the methodological parameters used and the results obtained - where a large dependence of the geomechanical compartmentation on the geological model had been observed.

The basidiomycete cereal pathogens Ustilago hordei and U. maydis are closely related and possess genomes with a high degree of homology and synteny. I report on the disparity of the RNAi phenomenon between U. hordei and U. maydis. Using an RNAi expression vector I targeted both a GUS transgene and an endogenous mating-type gene and confirmed the presence of double-stranded (ds)RNA in transgenic cells of both species. However, down-regulation of the GUS gene and production of siRNAs were seen only in U. hordei. The biological effect was a reduction in GUS protein and activity, and reduced mating only in U. hordei. In support of this experimental evidence, homologs to Dicer and Argonaute were found in the U. hordei genome but not in the published U. maydis genome. Interestingly, preliminary U. hordei sequences reveal conservation and synteny in U. maydis in the regions spanning these loci, with the only noticeable difference being the lack of Dicer and Argonaute genes in U. maydis. U. maydis also appears to differ from U. hordei with respect to genes presumed to be involved in transcriptional gene silencing and also has far fewer transposons in its genome. Efforts to clone the avirulent gene UhAvr1 led to a locus containing a large number of small proteins predicted to be secreted. This locus appears to be heterochromatic and is orthologous to the largest cluster of secreted proteins in U. maydis. Other laboratories have reported that deletion of this cluster in U. maydis results in a dramatic reduction in virulence. Genetic evidence for an avirulence gene at this locus in U. hordei suggests that the locus may also be important for U. hordei. Differences between these two smut fungi at this locus and at others identified in this study point to key differences in gene regulation and genome evolution. / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Graduate

An edge response characterization technique to predict the ITF of an interferometer using non- interferometric measurements has been shown to be effective. This technique eliminates the need for phase objects to be used in the characterization process. Using coherent imaging with an irradiance sensitive detector and an irradiance step as a characterization artifact to determine an interferometer's ITF was proven viable for diffraction limited, defocused, astigmatic, and spherically aberrated systems. Simulations and collected data demonstrated agreement between the interferometric edge response characterization technique results and coherent imaging edge response characterization technique results. The effect that aberrations have on ITF curves has been investigated in this thesis and an understanding of the system behavior under aberrated conditions was investigated.

A systematic research study was carried out in order to characterize the rheology of concentrated slurries prepared from eight nickel laterites. The experiments were carried out using a rotational viscometer, and the behavior of the laterites was evaluated in terms of the apparent viscosity and yield stress obtained through flow curve modeling. An attempt was made to correlate the results obtained for the laterite samples with data obtained for model single mineral systems as well as for model mixed mineral systems. In combination with detailed mineralogical characterization of the laterite samples, all the rheological results allowed a rheology-based laterite classification system to be proposed. Accordingly, the laterite samples gave the following responses: the SAPSIL samples (high-quartz) generally producedl ow yield stress values, the SAPFE samples (high-iron) were characterized by intermediate to high yield stress values, while the SAP samples (saprolite) gave the highest yield stress values. Interestingly, these dominant rheological responses of laterites could actually be predicted based on rheological tests carried out on model mineral suspensions (particularly goethite and quartz). Since the rheology of fine mineral suspensions is largely determined by the surface properties (surface charge) of the particles, a series of electro-acoustic measurements were also performed on model minerals and laterite samples to analyze the surface charge characteristics of the tested samples. It was demonstrated that the current electro-acoustic theory developed for single mineral systems can readily be used for modeling the behavior of mixed mineral systems. The modeling and experimental data agreed exceptionally well when constituent minerals were of the same surface charge under given pH. Clear but rather small deviations between experiment and theory were observed under conditions when the minerals were oppositely charged. This observation strongly suggested that inter-particle aggregation was most likely responsible for the observed discrepancies. Overall, the results of this thesis show that laterite slurries exhibit a wide range of rheological responses due to highly variable mineralogy, differences in particle size distributions, and difference in the surface properties of the many constituent minerals. It also shows that the surface properties of the minerals relates to rheology. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mining Engineering, Keevil Institute of / Graduate

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The paucity of geochemical criteria for stratigraphic correlations and defining the styles of mineralisation pose serious problems in locating PGE-rich zones in the Platreef. This study is therefore aimed at identifying and appraising process-based mineralogical/geochemical criteria which may be useful in stratigraphic correlations and characterizing the nature and styles of PGE mineralisation. In addition, the work investigated the possible use of geochemical vectoring as a tool to locate the PGE-rich zones. Boreholes OY 482 and SS 330, drilled at the Overysel and Sandsloot farms respectively, were logged, and a total of 119 quarter cores were sampled for petrographic studies. The elemental contents in the rocks were determined by XRF and ICP-OES analyses and were evaluated using various statistical and mass balance techniques. In borehole OY 482, where the floor rock is Archaean granite, the Platreef consists of three feldspathic pyroxenite sills referred to as Lower, Middle and Upper Platreef units, from the bottom to the top, respectively. The results show that the Lower and Upper Platreef units have higher median values of Mg# (0.58 and 0.57) and Ni/Cu (0.68 and 0.75) when compared to the Middle Platreef (Mg#: 0.54 and Ni/Cu: 0.67) which may not be totally suggestive of two magmatic intrusive pulses. In borehole SS 330, where the floor rock is dolomite, the rocks consist of clinopyroxenites and olivine clinopyroxenites (variably serpentinised). These two units are intercalated with each other and are products resulting from the injection of Platreef magma sills within the dolomite floor rock. The hierarchical clustering and mass balance calculations show that when compared to the Platreef feldspathic pyroxenites, which have higher SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 median contents, the clinopyroxenites possess higher CaO median content whereas the olivine clinopyroxenites have higher MgO and LOI median contents. The PGE-rich zones (i.e. Pt+Pd) in clinopyroxenites are marked by low Ca/Mg median values, whereas in both, the olivine clinopyroxenites and the Platreef units, these zones are marked by high Mg/Fe median values. The suggested base metal index [(Cu/Zn) x (Ni/Co)] used to vector towards PGE-rich zones, which reflects the presence of the base metal sulphides (BMS), correlates with the Pt+Pd in the BMS-rich zones. This is not always the case in zones of low BMS contents which may reflect changes in the mineralogy of the BMS. In conclusion, the two boreholes studied show contrasting petrographic and geochemical attributes. This dissimilarity is mainly due to the fact that borehole OY 482 comprises Platreef magmatic rocks whereas borehole SS 330 intersected metamorphic/ metasomatic rocks.

This research was undertaken to improve the understanding of structure-property-performance relationships in crosslinked polyamide (PA) thin-film composite (TFC) membranes as characterized by liquid and gas permeation studies. The ultrathin PA selective layer formed by interfacial polymerization between meta-phenylene diamine and trimesoyl chloride was confirmed to contain dense polymer matrix regions and defective regions in both dry and hydrated states. The first part of this research studied the effect of non-selective convection through defective regions on water flux and solute flux in pressure-assisted forward osmosis (PAFO). Through systematic comparison with cellulose triacetate (CTA) and PEBAX-coated PA-TFC membranes, the existence of defects in pristine, hydrated PA-TFC membranes was verified, and their effects were quantified by experimental and modeling methods. In the membrane orientation of selective layer facing the draw solution, water flux increases of up to 10-fold were observed to result from application of low hydraulic pressure (1.25 bar). Convective water flux through the defects was low (< 1% of total water flux for PA-TFC membranes) and of little consequence in practical FO or reverse osmosis (RO) applications. However, it effectively mitigated the concentration polarization in PAFO and therefore greatly increased the diffusive flux through the dense regions. The second part of this research characterized the structures of the PA material and the PA selective layer by gas adsorption and gas permeation measurements. Gas adsorption isotherms (N2 at 77K, CO2 at 273K) confirmed the microporous nature of PA in comparison with dense CTA and polysulfone materials. Gas permeation through the commercial PA-TFC membranes tested occurred primarily in the defective regions, resulting in Knudsen gas selectivity for various gas pairs. Applying a Nafion coating layer effectively plugged the defects and allowed gas permeation through the dense PA regions, which significantly decreased gas permeance and increased gas selectivity. Specifically, high He and H2 selectivity against CO2 suggests the potential applications of this membrane in He recovery and CO2 capture in pre-combustion. Finally, the dense PA matrix was modified with two types of novel nanofiller to improve desalination performance in RO. A series of dense, nano-sized (1-3 nm) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) with different functional groups were systematically incorporated into the PA matrix by physical blending or chemical fixation. The free volume of the PA matrix increased with addition of POSS, leading to water flux increases of up to 67 %, while maintaining high NaCl rejections. The effects of adding microporous, hydrophobic zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles into PA are presented in the last chapter. A 162 % water flux increase was achieved without decreasing NaCl rejection. This interesting result can be attributed to a less crosslinked PA structure and to the intrinsic desalination properties of ZIF-8.

World-class outcrops of an outermost erg-margin can be observed within the Middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone near Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. These erg-margin deposits contain isolated reservoir quality sandstone bodies that transition into a muddy tidal flat facies. These high quality reservoirs are dominated by eolian-influenced facies interbedded with sandy interdune facies. They are sealed vertically by muddy and silty facies of associated tidal flat deposits that act as excellent stratigraphic traps in the subsurface. A variety of approaches were used to characterize these Entrada erg-margin reservoirs including: annotated panoramas of outcrops, measured sections, scintillometer measurements of field sections, facies analysis, 2D high-resolution shallow seismic surveys, porosity and permeability analysis, and sedimentary petrography. Logs from the North Hill Creek/Flat Rock gas field were analyzed and correlated to the outcrop study. Eolian dune facies, along with an upper ripple laminated facies representing interdune deposits, display the highest porosities and permeabilities and are volumetrically the most important facies of the reservoir quality sandstones. Baffles and possible barriers within the sandstone bodies are limited to quartz filled fractures, deformation bands, silty and muddy interdune facies, and first order bounding surfaces. Many of the sandstone bodies within the outcrop belt are genetically related and in communication with each other. This relationship results from dune complex migration to the south and up section over time. Stratigraphic climb can potentially be imaged seismically and may serve as a key indicator of eolian dune complexes in the subsurface. The volumetric size of one of these complexes is estimated around 470 million cubic feet. Smaller outcrop sandstone bodies were often found to be isolated from the large dune complexes and ranged down to 1 million cubic feet in size.

MESC / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology

Metal Insulator Metal (MIM) diodes that work on fast mechanism of tunneling have been used in a number of very high frequency applications such as (Infra-Red) IR detectors and optical Rectennas for energy harvesting. Their ability to operate under zero bias condition as well as the possibility of realizing them through printing makes them attractive for (Radio Frequency) RF applications. However, MIM diodes have not been explored much for RF applications. One reason preventing their widespread RF use is the requirement of a very thin oxide layer essential for the tunneling operation that requires sophisticated nano-fabrication processes. Another issue is that the reliability and stable performance of MIM diodes is highly dependent on the surface roughness of the metallic electrodes. Finally, comprehensive RF characterization has not been performed for MIM diodes reported in the literature, particularly from the perspective of their integration with antennas as well as their rectification abilities. In this thesis, various metal deposition methods such as sputtering, electron beam evaporation, and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) are compared in pursuit of achieving low surface roughness. It is worth mentioning here that MIM diodes realized through ALD method have been presented for the first time in this thesis. Amorphous metal alloy have also been investigated in terms of their low surface roughness. Zinc-oxide has been investigated for its suitability as a thin dielectric layer for MIM diodes. Finally, comprehensive RF characterization of MIM diodes has been performed in two ways: 1) by standard S-parameter methods, and 2) by investigating their rectification ability under zero bias operation. It is concluded from the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging that surface roughness as low as sub 1 nm can be achieved reliably from crystalline metals such as copper and platinum. This value is comparable to surface roughness achieved from amorphous alloys, which are non-crystalline structures and have orders of magnitude lower conductivities. Relatively lower resistances of the order of 1 k ohm with a sensitivity of 1.5 V-1 have been obtained through DC testing of these devices. Finally, RF characterization reveals that input impedances in the range of 300 Ω to 25 Ω can be achieved in the low GHz frequencies (from 1-10 GHz). From the rectification measurements at zero bias, a DC voltage of 4.7 mV has been obtained from an incoming RF signal of 0.4 W at 2.45 GHz, which indicates the suitability of these diodes for RF rectenna devices without providing any bias. It is believed that with further optimization, these devices can play an important role in RF energy harvesting without the need to bias them.

Masters of Art / This study is based on the comparison of six Xhosa radio dramas spanning the period 1987 and 1988. The main objective is to investigate the strengths and weaknesses which manifest themselves in the dramas. The dramas are compared with respect to the six structural elements of drama viz., theme, plot, characterization, time and space, and the techniques of production. Themes are studied to establish whether there have been any development~ as far as the choice of themes is concerned in Xhosa radio dramas or whether there has been stagnation. Also given is a brief literary history of the themes broadcast in the Xhosa radio. The analysis of the plot structure is also done to identify the areas where they met the requirements successfully as well as where they failed to. The dramas are analysed according to the traditional approach ie. the exposition, complication, climax and the denouement With regard to characterization, the characters are classified according to the function they perform viz., the protagonist, antagonist, tritagonist and confidante. They are also analysed according to their individual nature ie. whether they are static or dynamic, mono- or multidimensional etc. Techniques that the playwrights have used in the portrayal of their characters are also examined. Toe aspects of time and space are also discussed, to investigate the artistic skills of the different dramatists in handling the time and space relations. Time is viewed with respect to the following: order, duration, frequency, tempo and the presentation of the time structures. Space is discussed with respect to the following: type, function, and the techniques of localisation. A critical comparison of the production techniques used by these different playwrights is explored, the focus being on the microphone, sound effects and music. The examination conducted in the study basically revealed that there is little development in Xhosa radio dramas. The themes that are broadcast are mainly for entertainment and consequently have little intellectual depth. There is also a lack of innovation which is shown by the repetition of the same themes.