The breakup of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991 has had a variety of significant repercussions on Chinese politics, foreign policy, and other aspects. This doctoral project examines the evolution of Chinese intellectual perceptions of the Soviet Union in the 1980s and 1990s, before and after the collapse. Relying on a larger body of updated Chinese sources, this thesis will offer re-evaluations of many key issues in post-Mao Chinese Sovietology. The following topics will be explored or re-examined: Chinese views of Soviet policies in the early 1980s prior to Mikhail Gorbachev’s assumption of power; Chinese perceptions of Gorbachev’s political reform from the mid-1980s onward, before the outbreak of the Tiananmen Incident in 1989; Chinese scholars’ evolving views on Gorbachev from the 1980s to 1990s; the Chinese use of Vladimir Lenin and his policies in the early 1980s and early 1990s for bolstering and legitimizing the CCP regime after the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Incident, respectively; and the re-evaluations of Leonid Brezhnev and Joseph Stalin since the mid-1990s. First, the thesis argues that the changing Chinese views on the USSR were not only shaped by the ups-and-downs of Sino-Soviet (and later Sino-Russian) relations, China’s domestic political climate, and the political developments in Moscow. Even more importantly, views changed in response to the earth-shaking event of the rise and fall of world communism in the last two decades of the 20th century. Second, by researching the country of the Soviet Union, Chinese Soviet-watchers did not focus on the USSR alone, but mostly attempted to confirm and legitimize the Chinese state policies of reform and open door in both decades. By examining the Soviet past, Chinese scholars not only demonstrated concern for the survival of the CCP regime, but also attempted to envision the future direction and position of China in the post-communist world. This included analysis of how China could rise to be a powerful nation under the authoritarian one-party rule, without succumbing to Western democracy and the sort of collapse that doomed the USSR. In short, Chinese research on Soviet socialism has primarily served to trace the current problems of Chinese socialism, in order to legitimize their solutions – rather than a truth-seeking process devoted to knowledge of the Soviet Union.

A utilização do frio e calor superficial, com propósitos terapêuticos é antiga, e seus efeitos ainda apresentam inúmeras controvérsias. Este experimento objetivou determinar as variações de temperatura em planos musculares profundos durante e após aplicação de frio e calor superficial na região cutânea adjacente.Foram usados 5 cães mestiços submetidos à implantação cirúrgica (músculo longo do tronco) de sensor térmico (PT100), em profundidade de 3 cm. Foi aplicado frio na pele adjacente, durante 30 min, em 3 dias consecutivos, em área delimitada,usando bolsa de gelo triturado, verificando temperatura a cada 5 min durante a aplicação e 30 min após cessar a aplicação. No 4º dia (pós-operatório) foram iniciadas as aplicações de calor superficial, durante 20 min (bolsa de gel a 55ºC), por 3 dias, verificando temperatura a cada 5 min durante a aplicação e mais 20 min após cessar a aplicação. Os dados de temperatura x tempo foram analisados descritivamente. Durante a aplicação de frio houve uma queda rápida da temperatura na interface com variação média de 23ºC, com tempo médio de alcance da temperatura mínima em 24 min. A região intramuscular apresentou variação lenta (média de 4,30ºC), com tempo médio de alcance da temperatura mínima em 27 min. Durante a aplicação de calor superficial no sensor da interface houve aumento brusco da temperatura média de 8,8ºC, com o tempo de alcance de temperatura máxima em 9 min. Na região intramuscular houve discreto aumento da temperatura média de 1,75ºC com tempo médio de alcance da temperatura em 8 min. A partir destes resultados foi concluído que existem modificações reais da temperatura em planos musculares profundos com aplicação de frio e calor superficial, na superfície cutânea. / The utilization of cold and superficial heat with therapeutical purposes is ancient and its effects are still controversial. This experiment aimed to determine the temperature variations in deep muscle plans during and after cold and superficial heat applications on the adjacent skin region. Five half-breed dogs were used and undergone surgical implantantion (trunk long muscle) of thermal sensor (PT 100) three centimeter deep. Cold was applied on the adjacent skin for three consecutive days, in a delimited area, during 30 minutes, using a plastic bag with grinded ice checking the temperature each 5 minutes and 30 minutes after finishing the application. On the 4 th day (after surgery) superficial heat applications (55ºC gel bag) were performed for three days, during 20 minutes, checking temperature each 5 minutes and 20 minutes after finishing the application. Data about temperature x time were analyzed descriptively. During cold application there was rapid temperature decrease in the interface 23ºC average variation with average reaching time of the minimum temperature in 24 minutes. The intramuscular region presented slow decrease (4,3ºC average) with average reaching time of minimum temperature in 27 minutes. During superficial heat application in the interface sensor there was a sudden increase of 8,8ºC average temperature, with maximum temperature reaching time in 9 minutes. In the intramuscular region there was a discrete increase of average temperature of 1,75ºC with average reaching time of temperature in 8 minutes. Considering the results above it was concluded that there are actual temperature variations in deep muscle plans with the use of cold and superficial heat therapies.

Este trabalho visa o estudo de colisões atômicas mediadas por fótons. Devido à presença da luz ressonante consideramos em nosso sistema os processos de excitação e decaimento atômicos. Em particular, o decaimento atômico tem sua importância no estudo das armadilhas magneto-ópticas, pois este decaimento poder ser um dos fatores que limita a permanência dos átomos confinados neste tipo de armadilha. Apresentaremos uma formulação inédita para a resolução numérica das equações de populações e coerências que descrevem o processo colisional para um par atômico de átomos de dois níveis. Nesta formulação, não utilizamos aproximação, com isso foi possível também, neste trabalho, checarmos a validade da teoria semi-clássica, uma vez que esta é elaborada por um método aproximativo. Comparando nossa formulação, ao qual batizamos de formalismo quântico, com o formalismo semi-clássico, verificamos que a validade deste último restringe-se quando atribuímos determinados valores para o momentum e largura do pacote de ondas, associado à partícula reduzida. Baseado nas redes-ópticas, apresentaremos também um modelo de experimento que possibilite a preparação de um estado inicial para dois átomos colidentes na presença de um feixe laser de prova. Um outro estudo consiste em verificarmos a existência de um potencial efetivo que possibilite descrever o mesmo resultado, assintoticamente, utilizando os formalismos quântico e o Liouvilliano clássico / We study atomic collisions mediated by photons. Due to the presence of remnant light, we consider atomic decay and excitation processes. In particular, the atomic decay is important to the study of magneto-optical traps, because this process is one of the factors limiting the time of atomic confinement in these devices. We present a new formulation to solve numerically the equations describing the populations and coherences involved in the collision process of a pair of two-level atoms. This is a numerically exact approach; hence we have been able to check the semi-classical results. We verify that the validity of this approximation is restricted to certain ranges of momentum and wave-packet width, both associated with the reduced particle. Based on current optical-lattice technology, we also present a thought experiment in which it is possible to prepare an initial state of the two colliding atoms in the presence of a probe laser beam. Another study concerns the verification of the existent of an effective potential which gives the correct asymptotic quantum collision output in a classical Liouvillian framework

Increased urbanization leads to an increasing amount of impervious surfaces and a decrease ofthe natural hydrological function. Urban stormwater does thus risk to create high surface flows which could damage the receiving water bodies (e.g. erosion) or the urban area itself (flooding). Integrating more nature-based systems into the urban area increases the natural hydrological function and the risks for high surface flows are lowered. One way of implementing nature-based systems in the urban environment is to install green roofs. Most of the research and development done on green roofs have been focusing on the conditions of central Europe. Installing green roofs with the same vegetation in the subarctic climate of northern Sweden would expose it to a climate it might not be suited for, and growth would be limited. The vegetation helps increase the retaining and detaining capabilities of the green roofs and therefore the purpose of this thesis was to examine if planting native vegetation would help increase thegreen roofs performance in a subarctic climate. Conventional green roofs vegetated with sedum was hypothesized to have lessened retaining and detaining capabilities when placed in cold climates since the vegetation was exposed to a climate it probably was not suited for. It was examined whether planting more native vegetation could help increase green roofs performance. The vegetation was chosen based on Grime´s “universal adaptive strategy theory”, which describes competitors, stress tolerators and ruderals as three different vegetation groups with different survival strategies. Different species from each strategy were selected and planted on the roofs. There were five roofs per survival strategy and five roofs where all strategies were mixed. Conventional sedum vegetation was planted on five roofs to be able to compare green roofs performance. Five control roofs with substrate only and one reference roof made of steel were installed as well. In total, seven rainfall events were analyzed, and few significant differences could be found between the competitors, stress tolerators, ruderals and the vegetation mix. A conclusion is that stress tolerators may help to increase green roof performance the most, but due to the relatively short study period, continued measurements are recommended to draw further conclusions. The survival strategies did improve retention and detention relatively to using sedum vegetation and substrate only. The extent of vegetation coverage does not affect the retention or detention from the green roofs. The competitors, stress tolerators, ruderals and vegetation mix had larger plant mass than the sedum and the increased plant mass is probably the reason for their improved retention.

The aerospace industry is constantly looking for methods to reduce the cost of flying their airplanes. These savings can come in many forms, one of them being cost savings attributed to fuel savings by either reducing the weight of the airplane or reducing the drag. Friction stir welding (FSW) was introduced as a means of joining previously unweldable Al 7075, a high-strength aluminum alloy commonly used in aerospace for its high specific strength. This eliminated the need for costly and time consuming rivets to be installed, firstly reducing the production cost of the airplane and secondly reducing the overall weight of the airplane therefore improving fuel consumption. There are many factors at play in the process of producing FSW Al 7075, but the result of this process creates a weld joint that is more susceptible to corrosion than the rest of the panel. For this reason, FSW Al 7075 panel fail prematurely and must be replaced too often. The main goal of this project is, using cold gas dynamic spray, to create a metallic layer on top of an Al 7075 FSW joint to protect it against corrosion. A series of 3 corrosion tests indicated that pure Al, among coatings of pure Al, Al 5038 and Al 7075, offered the best protection against corrosion. Al 5083 would also be a suitable material and should be used in applications where high bond strengths are required. Al 7075, although of the same alloy as the parent material, is not recommended for corrosion protection as it offered little advantage over the parent material. In order to better understand the interaction of creating a coating after a hot welding process, several analyses were performed. These included deposition at multiple substrate temperatures as well as hardness and velocity measurements. Results indicate that some aluminum alloys are very sensitive to temperature, yielding better coatings at high substrate temperatures. Individual particle deposition tests reveal that these improvements do not occur at the substrate-coating interface. Another portion of this project was dedicated to creating tensile specimens composed entirely of pure Al cold sprayed coatings. Several sets of samples were produced. Results indicate that pulling in the direction of nozzle travel direction yields UTS values 50% higher than pulling in the direction perpendicular to the direction of nozzle travel during coating deposition. Results after annealing seem to converge towards the same value. Finally, a new nozzle design was performed which should create a more efficient spraying process, resulting in cost savings for the industry.

This is a study of regional security in the Middle East from a Critical Security Studies perspective. The main aim of the thesis is to provide an account of the pasts, presents and futures of regional security in the Middle East cognisant of the relationships between the three in one's thinking as well as practices. This is achieved through the threefold structure of the thesis, which looks at Cold War pasts (Part I), post-Cold War presents (Part II) and possible futures (Part III). The thesis also has a set of more specific aims. First, it aims to present a critique of prevailing security discourses in theory and practice with reference to regional security in the Middle East and point to unfulfilled potential immanent in regional politics. Second, the thesis aims to explore the mutually constitutive relationship between (inventing) regions and theories and practices of security. And finally, it aims to show how Critical Security Studies might allow one to think differently about the futures of regional security in the Middle East. The overall thesis is that the Critical Security Studies perspective presents a fuller account of regional security in the Middle East; it offers a comprehensive framework recognising the dynamic relationships between various dimensions and levels of security, as voiced by multiple referents.

Alloys with good toughness and elevated temperature properties like A201 are expensive and can be more difficult to process. This results in the use of heavier but less expensive alternatives in many applications where toughness is of concern, such as steels. Common alloys such as A356 and E357 are relatively cheap and easy to work with. However, these alloys have considerably lower toughness than premium alloys. This research aims to investigate surface modification treatments that could yield better toughness at a low cost in a common aluminum alloy. The process must show significant improvement in said properties, be cost effective, and easily adaptable in a common foundry. Diffusion of coating material into the substrate was investigated with a variety of coating metals. The diffusion process was facilitated in the solutionizing step for the given substrate aluminum in order to strengthen the sub-surface region of the parts. This research aims to provide a platform for further research into the practical effects of the coating and tempering on impact and toughness properties. These samples were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, EDS, impact testing, and tensile testing.

Drawing on primary sources in Chinese, Japanese, and English, my doctoral dissertation investigates the structure and development of maritime order in East Asia against the backdrop of the Cold War. It covers the period from the collapse of the Japanese empire in East Asia in 1945 through to the point when the United States broke off its official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979. By shifting the spotlight from land to sea, my dissertation challenges the conventional understanding of the Cold War in East Asia by illustrating the relationship between the geopolitical value of the sea and decision makers' strategic deliberations. I present the sea as a historical platform to examine US maritime policy in East Asia in three broad contexts: military, international law, and exploration for natural resources. In terms of the military dimension, my study argues that the US shifted its maritime strategic focus from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the 1950s. This development was symbolised by the establishment of the Pacific Command in 1947 as well as changes in its organisational structure for maintaining sea routes during the crises of the 1950s - including the Korean War and the 1954-1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis. To supplement my argument about the military dimension of US maritime policy, I further investigate the establishment of international maritime law and the exploration of underwater natural resources, to depict the dynamic role that seas played in grand strategic thinking when crafting US policy in East Asia. My research argues that the clashes over maritime sovereignty between East Asian allies such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea led the US to refrain from taking a dominant stance in areas such as the demarcation of maritime boundaries and offshore oil development. This formed a crucial part of US strategy in balancing conflicting interests within its hub-and-spoke alliance system in East Asia. However, US-China rapprochement during the 1970s led to a change in Washington's maritime policy. For US decision-makers, the sea temporarily ceased to be a strategic space for containing China, but rather served as a platform for signalling goodwill.

This thesis deals with Britain's attitude towards European security under the Callaghan government from 1976 to 1979. That period saw Cold War tensions grow and détente lose its momentum as Britain struggled with economic weakness while trying to maintain its international influence. Concentrating on Cold War Europe, this thesis asks two questions: what policy did the Callaghan government adopt towards European security, and what role did Britain play in the Atlantic Alliance? It draws three conclusions. First, under Callaghan, Britain sought to maintain a traditionally influential role in Europe. To achieve that goal, it attempted to sustain a major military contribution to NATO and to foster good US-UK relations. Nevertheless, this policy was complicated by acute economic crisis and defence expenditure cuts. Britain's credibility in the Alliance was seriously diminished and policymakers had to offset reductions in British hardware contributions with diplomatic contributions. Secondly, Britain's role as a mediator in the Alliance contributed to its stability during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. Carter's inconsistent foreign policy and lack of consultation with allies caused confusion and tensions soon after his inauguration. This gave the British room to work for the maintenance of Alliance unity and, as a result, the US-UK special relationship was strengthened. Thirdly, regardless of Britain's response to its economic trails, and its collaboration with the US, Callaghan's preference for status quo, and his lack of strategy towards European security other than the maintenance of the stability of the Alliance under American leadership, hampered Britain's attempts to retain influence. As Britain's power waned, West Germany's rose as German leaders gained status in the defence policy making process of the Alliance by arguing for a new response to the changing East-West military balance and the decline of détente.

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