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Over the last twenty years there has been a dramatic rise in subsidence claims for residential buildings. This has led to growing concern amongst insurance companies and the structural engineers who investigate these cases on their behalf. Their attention has begun to focus more on the engineering management of these cases. A review of the mechanism of subsidence damage to residential buildings and existing subsidence management procedures has shown that existing management procedures are often ad-hoc and uncoordinated, have been criticised for being inadequate, and have lead to solutions which have either been inappropriate or have failed to solve the problem. The review concludes that there is major scope for improving the decision-making process, by ensuring that it is based on a sound technical framework. This thesis describes an innovative approach to the engineering management of subsidence cases based on knowledge-based system (KBS) techniques. The Subsidence CAse Management System (SCAMS) is applicable to the multi-task domain and consists of three main components which address important facets of subsidence management. These are the diagnosis of a subsidence problem, the choice of an appropriate course of investigations, and the specification of effective remedial measures. SCAMS was developed using a KBS building shell- Kappa PC. The data structure adopted was object-oriented and incorporates production rules. The knowledge acquisition was based on multiple sources of knowledge using a variety of techniques. The system implementation was designed to result in a user-friendly system, and incorporates a highly graphical interface. Evaluation of the system was undertaken using test cases from industry. The system proved highly effective in all the tests and, in some cases, achieved more accurate results than the human expert. SCAMS represents a significant advance over existing approaches to the engmeenng management of subsidence cases. It provides many benefits to the construction industry including greater consistency in the evaluation of subsidence damage, improved quality of engineering judgement, reduced repair costs and specific guidance to -engineers for individual cases.

La Tesis trata, a nivel general, de hacer una aportación relevante para lograr una automatización del diseño funcional en su fase conceptual elaborando un modelo para modelar el conocimiento en la capa de comportamientos del marco FBS que permita llevar implícita una ontología, que será lo que permitirá integrarlo en un sistema basado en el conocimiento para la automatización de la toma de decisiones del diseño en su fase conceptual. Para ello se ha recurrido al campo de las taxonomías y las ontologías, separando el modelo en dos partes diferenciadas, pero relacionadas, en función de si se refiere al diseño de productos (comportamientos físicos) o diseño de procesos (comportamientos de rol o abstractos). Del mismo modo, puesto que el proyecto trata de asistir en el proceso de diseño de nuevos productos, en la Tesis se ha tratado de vincular el modelo elaborado con herramientas innovadoras, como las planteadas por TRIZ (Teoría de Resolución de Problemas Inventivos), y como complementación a este punto se han analizado diferentes herramientas de evaluación de la creatividad con el objeto de poder establecer vínculos con el modelo para analizar las diferentes salidas del sistema y seleccionar la másóptima. El modelo, que se detalla más específicamente a lo largo del proyecto de Tesis, se le ha denominado B-Cube o behaviour's Cube, esto es, cubo de comportamientos, dada su estructura tridimensional para organizar los términos que van a definir los comportamientos.

KBS-3 är den svenska modellen för hantering och förvaring av utbränt kärnbränsle. Tanken är att det utbrända bränslet kommer att förvaras i kopparkapslar 500 meter ner i berggrunden i minst 100 000 år. Valet av koppar beror på att koppar har ett högt motstånd mot korrosion. I framtiden kommer grundvattnet att stå i direkt kontakt med kopparkapseln med det starkt radioaktiva bränslet och en process kallad radiolys av vatten kommer att ske. Delar av gammastrålningen från det utbrända kärnbränslet kommer att gå rakt igenom kapseln och sönderdela vattnet och bilda bland annat väteperoxid. Väteperoxiden kommer i sin tur att sönderfalla på kopparytan och bilda syrgas. Syrgasen föreslogs nyligen vara den aktiva oxidanten för bildandet av kopparoxid. Processen har undersökts genom användandet av en radikalinfångare för att förhindra bildandet av syre och därmed även korrosionen av koppar.  Kopparbitar har exponerats i väteperoxid under en veckas tid och metanol har använts som radikalinfångare. Tjockleken på oxidskiktet bestämdes genom katodisk reduktion där kopparoxiden reducerades tillbaka till metallisk koppar. Det syntes tydligt att väteperoxid inducerar korrosion av koppar. Från användning av radikalinfångare syntes en liten trend där tjockleken på oxidskiktet ökade något under koncentrationer av 200 mM metanol och minskade vid högre koncentrationer. Försök gjordes endast upp till koncentrationer på 500mM, försök vid ännu högre koncentrationer behövs för att säkerställa att oxidskiktet fortsätter att minska. / KBS-3 is the Swedish model for processing and storage of spent nuclear fuel. The idea is that the spent fuel will be store in copper canisters 500 meters down in the bedrock for at least 100,000 years. The choice of copper is due to the fact that copper has a high resistance to corrosion. In the future the ground water will be in direct contact with the copper canister that contains the highly radioactive fuel and a process called radiolysis of water will occur. Part of the gamma radiation from the spent fuel will go straight trough the cannister, decomposing the water and forming hydrogen peroxide for example. The hydrogen peroxide is going to decompose on the copper surface and form oxygen. The oxygen was recently suggested to be the active oxidant for the formation of copper oxide. The process has been investigated using a radical scavenger to prevent the formation of oxygen and thus also the corrosion of copper.  Copper pieces have been exposed in hydrogen peroxide for a week and methanol has been used as a radical scavenger. The thickness of the oxide layer was determined by cathodic reduction where the copper oxide was reduced back to metallic copper. It was clear that hydrogen peroxide induces corrosion on copper. From the use of radical scavenger, a small trend was observed in which the thickness of the oxide layer increased slightly under concentrations of 200 mM methanol and decreased at higher concentrations. Experiments were only performed up to concentrations of 500 mM, experiments with higher concentrations are needed to ensure that the oxide layer continues to decrease.

Yes / Klüver-Bucy syndrome (KBS) is a rare clinical presentation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Symptoms include visual agnosia, placidity, hyperorality, sexual hyperactivity, changes in dietary behavior, and hypermetamorphosis. The purpose of this article was to identify and synthesize the available evidence from case reports and case series on the treatment profile of KBS among adolescents and adults after TBI. Four bibliographic databases (MEDLINE OVID, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS) were searched for relevant literature. No date or language restrictions were applied. All case reports containing original data on KBS following TBI among adolescents and adults were included. Articles were evaluated, and data were extracted according to predefined criteria. The literature search identified 24 case reports of KBS post-TBI published between 1968 and 2017. Most case subjects were male (70.1%), and the mean age at injury was 25.1 years (range, 13–67 years). Injury to one or both temporal lobes occurred in most cases. Inappropriate sexual hyperactivity was the most common KBS symptom, followed by a change in dietary behavior and hyperorality. Visual agnosia was the least reported. In 50% of cases, the patient fully recovered from KBS. One-half of all participants described pharmacological management; the most common medication prescribed was carbamazepine. Overall, there was a lack of data available on pharmacotherapy initiation and duration. The complex presentation of KBS presents challenges in terms of treatment options. Although overall individuals who were prescribed carbamazepine had positive outcomes, given the reliance on case reports, it is difficult to make a definitive recommendation to guide clinical practice. / Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, Monash University, Bionomics,Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, Servier

In SKB’s Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) a full scale test of a concrete plug,part of a sealing structure for the depository of spent nuclear fuel, has been carriedout. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the behavior of the concrete plug and howit corresponds to assumptions made during the design. The concrete plug is domeshaped, un-reinforced and casted in situ with low-pH concrete. It will be exposed tohigh water and swelling pressures and designed for a life span of 100 years. Duringthe first years it shall also prevent water leakage from the inside of the depositiontunnel. Before the pressure is applied, the concrete plug is assumed to de-bond fromthe rock due to autogenous and cooling shrinkage. The gap between the concrete androck is then grouted during cooling and the concrete plug will hence be prestressedwhen the cooling is stopped. The concrete plug is analyzed with the measurement data from the full scale testwith comparisons to results from finite element simulations. The performed measurementsinclude form pressure, internal strain and temperature, concrete plugdisplacements in the tunnel alignment, displacements relative to the rock and ambienttemperatures. Two assumptions have been made during the evaluation; fullbond to the rock or no bond to the rock. The results are also compared to twosimilar experiment that were previously performed. The results indicate that the concrete did de-bond from the rock before grouting tosome extent. It is plausible that a selective de-bonding was obtained. Due to highwater leakage, were cables for the measurement equipment are drawn out from theconcrete plug, the concrete plug was not exposed to the planed maximum pressureload. Results indicate that a water pressure is acting on the concrete plug frominside the rock slot which was not assumed during the design. / I SKB:s Äspölaboratoriet har ett fullskaleförsök på en betongplugg, del av ett pluggsystemför förvaret av kärnavfall, utförts. Syftet med denna uppsats var attutvärdera betongpluggens beteende under fullskaleförsöket och hur det förhållersig till gjorda antaganden under dess utformning. Betongpluggen är kupolformad,oarmerad och platsgjuten med låg-pH-betong. Höga vatten- och svälltryck kommerverka på betongpluggen som är utformad för en livstid på 100 år. Under deförsta åren ska den även motverka läckage från insidan av deponeringstunneln. Innantrycklasten läggs på är det antaget att betongpluggen släpper från berget till följd avautogen krympning och kylning. Utrymmet mellan betongen och berget injekterasoch betongpluggen kommer således vara förspänd efter att kylningen upphört. Betongpluggen är analyserad med mätdata från fullskaleförsöket som jämförts medresultat från finita element analyser. Mätningarna inkluderar formtryck, inre töjningaroch temperaturer, deformationer i tunnelriktningen, deformationer relativt bergetoch lufttemperatur utanför betongpluggen. Två antaganden har gjorts under utvärderingen;att betongen är fast i berget eller att den är fri från berget. Resultaten jämförsäven med två liknande fullskaleförsök som utförts tidigare. Resultaten tyder på att betongpluggen till viss del släppt från berget innan injekteringen.Det är troligt att den släppt på vissa ställen och på andra inte. På grundav för högt vattenläckage där de ingjutna mätinstrumentens kabelgenomföring utförts,kunde inte betongpluggen belastas till det maximala tryck som var planerat.Resultaten tyder på att ett vattentryck verkar på betongpluggen mellan berget ochbetongen vilket inte var antaget under konstruktionen.

This study examines the KBS-3 method for nuclear waste management developed by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Company (SKB). This report strives to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the future development of KBS-3. The study is relevant because the Swedish government is investing in nuclear power where waste must be safely stored to protect the environment from radiation. From a technical perspective, the results indicate a difficult balance between developing the method in line with new research and realising the project. A possible method for the future is reprocessing, but even here the need for KBS-3 would remain as a smaller amount of waste still needs to be stored. Furthermore, from a social perspective, there does not seem to be a clear consensus between researchers and the industry, particularly regarding corrosion risks. Although these discussions can improve the method, there is a risk that they may negatively impact public trust in KBS-3. Similarly, regarding the commercialisation of stakeholder management: it is important that social acceptance is earned through genuine engagement rather than something being sold. From a cost perspective, small improvements are crucial for KBS-3. Saving money within the value chain without compromising safety is vital, but SKB must communicate such changes openly to ensure continued social acceptance. Balancing conflicting goals: technology, social acceptance, and costs seem to reflect a broader societal challenge where different interests often oppose each other. While some may be satisfied with KBS-3 for final disposal even in the future, others may want to continue striving for a solution that does not burden future generations at all. Regardless, KBS-3 can continue to develop as a solution for nuclear waste management in Sweden until a more sustainable method emerges.

In the Swedish concept for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, referred to as KBS-3, a three-layered protection system is used. The system consists of a copper canister holding the spent nuclear fuel deposited 500 meters in a repository built in groundwater saturated granitic rock. The copper canisters are placed in deposition holes, buffered and backfilled by bentonite clay. One of the challenges associated with this system is the long-term exposure of the engineered barriers i.e. the canister including the spent fuel and the cast iron insert as well as the bentonite buffer to ionizing radiation. The possible effects of radiation on the materials in the engineered barriers have been studied not only by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Co (SKB), but also by academia nationally and internationally. In this work, literature studies have been carried out to investigate whether all possible/potential effects of ionizing radiation from the spent nuclear fuel on the engineered barriers have been considered by SKB. Apart from a general summary of the relevant issues in chapter one, regions within the KBS-3 design where enhanced radiation may occur have been identified and the related radiation induced processes have been summarized in chapter two. These issues include effects of water-radiolysis on the spent fuel, the cast-iron insert and other ferrous materials, the copper shell and the bentonite buffer. Three types of possible damages have been identified: the microstructural defects in the ferrous materials by direct radiation, the radiation-induced microstructural alterations of the spent fuel and the bentonite and radiation-induced oxidation i.e. dissolution of the fuel and corrosion of the ferrous metals and the copper. The relevant SKB documents have been identified (in chapter 3) to be the SR-Site main report, the underlying Process reports and reports of FUD-programs. Apart from these documents, other SKB technical reports and open literature are used as basis for assessing whether all the issues mentioned in chapter two of this study have been considered by SKB.  According to the assessment, most of the significant issues mentioned in chapter two have been mentioned and discussed in the identified SKB documents. In the main safety assessment, i.e. the SR-Site project, the significance of most of the radiation processes has been based on dose levels expected at the different regions within the KBS-3 design. Irrespective of the assessments in SR-Site though, the current understanding of the relevant issues and plans for future research efforts summarized in FUD-programs reflect the research developments. However, the recent developments in understanding of radiation-induced effects on montmorillonite and the corrosion of copper in argon atmosphere need to be given due importance in coming FUD-programs. A separate investigation of radiation effects on FSW-joints may contribute to removal of the remaining uncertainties. In addition, mechanism involved in radiation-induced fuel dissolution and copper corrosion may require more research efforts than those planned. / Det svenska konceptet för slutförvar av använt kärnbränsle, KBS-3, består av tre barriärer som är tänkt att skydda omgivningen mot joniserande strålning från använt kärnbränsle. Systemet består av specialtillverkade kopparkapslar som innehåller det använda kärnbränslet. Kapslarna förvaras i deponeringshål 500 meter ner i berggrunden och är inneslutna i bentonitlera. En av frågeställningarna associerade med djupt geologiskt förvar av kärnbränsle är hur de konstruerade barriärna, alltså kopparhöljen som omsluter gjutjärninsatsen och det använda kärnbränslet samt bentonitleran, kan påverkas av joniserande strålning från det använda kärnbränslet. Möjliga strålningseffekter på de skyddande barriärna har studerats nationellt och internationellt. Syftet med denna studie var att utvärdera huruvida SKB har i sina säkerhetsanalyser av slutförvaret tagit tillräcklig hänsyn till effekter av joniserande strålning på de konstruerade barriärna. Studien består av tre kapitel där kapitel 1 utgör en generell sammanfattning av frågeställningar kopplade till KBS-3 barriärer. I kapitel 2 har områden i och omkring de konstruerade barriärna där joniserande strålning från använt kärnbränsle kan förekomma identifierats och möjliga strålningsinducerade processer i dessa områden sammanfattats. Tre typer av möjliga strålningsinducerade skador har identifierats: 1) strålningsinducerade mikrostrukturella defekter i metaller som förekommer i systemet, 2) strålningsinducerade mikrostrukturella förändringar i använt kärnbränsle och i bentonitleran samt 3) strålningsinducerad oxidation, dvs. upplösning av det använda kärnbränslet och korrosion av metaller som förekommer i systemet. SKB-dokumenten som identifierats (i kapital 3) som relevanta för utvärderingen i denna studie är följande: Säkerhetsanalysen (SR-Site), tekniska rapporter som ligger till grund för SR-Site och FUD-programmen. Enligt bedömningen i denna studie har SKB tagit hänsyn till de flesta relevanta frågeställningarna kopplade till strålningsinducerade effekterna på de konstruerade barriärna. I SR-Site har de flesta bedömningar relaterade till och om signifikansen hos de strålningsinducerade processerna baserats på doser och dosrater som förväntas förekomma i och omkring de konstruerade barriärna. Oavsett bedömningarna i SR-Site har dock de mest relevanta frågeställningarna tagits upp i FUD-programmen och framtida forskningsinsatser i enlighet med det som av SKB har uttryckts som behov av en utökad processförståelse. Dessa frågeställningar reflekterar väl de mest signifikanta utvecklingarna som rapporterats i öppna vetenskapliga studier om strålningsinducerade processer som kan förekomma i ett djupt geologiskt förvar för använt kärnbränsle. De senaste rapporterade observationerna om strålningseffekter på montmorillonit och kopperkorrosion i argonatmosfär måste dock tas upp och diskuteras i de kommande FUD-programmen. Separata studier av strålningseffekter på koppardelar som har behandlats med FSW-teknik rekommenderas. För att uppnå en bättre och djupare förståelse för de förekommande mekanismerna i strålningsinducerad upplösning av använt kärnbränsle krävs sannolikt mera forskningsinsatser än de planerade.

Yes / The current healthcare systems have numerous gaps that need to be filled to reach the best practice. This paper presents a novel approach to design and validate a hybrid knowledge-based system (KBS) to evaluate QM of healthcare environment (QMHE) using a hybrid system that has not been used before. It will be combined with gauge absence perquisite (GAP) method to sustain a successful operation of the large number of key performance indicators (KPIs) that involved in QMHE and to detect the gap between each KPI and the anticipated point. Out of 354 KB rules answered, the system has categorised 225 as GPs and the remaining 128 as BPs. The 128 bad points are categorised into different problem categories (20 PC-1, 34 PC-2, 34 PC-3, 40 PC-4, and 0 PC-5) where they represent the actions that need to be enhanced to reach the desired level of quality management.

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