The weathering of plastics and composites is a problem because of the loss of both physical and mechanical properties that it causes in these materials. But this weathering effect has been difficult, and in some cases, impossible to characterize without the destruction of the plastic or composite part. Clearly a rapid, reliable, and non-destructive test for the extent of the weathering damage is critically needed. A recent problem that arose at Superyacht Solutions, a boat repair company in Australia, required a solution to just this problem. Such a test was developed for Superyacht Solutions, and is being applied across a wide range of plastic materials. The chemical foundation upon which this solution rests is also being confirmed. The Superyacht Solutions problem was that a boat was brought in for repair which was yellowing dramatically. Surface erosion was confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) surface studies. A loss of mechanical properties was also suspected. A new spectroscopic method of analysis was developed that not only identified the problem as extensive oxidation, but was able to quantify the extent of damage that occurred through a non-destructive technique. This method has also been applied to other plastics with encouraging initial results. The method used and its theoretical basis are included in this thesis.

The objective of this research was to assess the condition of four decommissioned bridge decks treated with waterproofing membranes and asphalt overlays following the completion of their service lives. Large samples were cut from each of the bridge decks immediately prior to demolition and taken to the Brigham Young University Highway Materials Laboratory, where extensive sampling and testing was performed. Methods used to evaluate the condition of the bridge deck samples included visual inspection, hammer sounding, Schmidt rebound hammer testing, resistivity testing, half-cell potential testing, linear polarization testing, cover depth measurement, and chloride concentration measurement. The samples were removed from four concrete bridge decks along the Interstate 15 corridor in Provo, Utah. One bridge deck was constructed in 1937, two were constructed in 1964, and one was constructed in 1984. Each of the bridge decks was constructed using conventional cast-in-place methods. With the exception of the 1984 bridge deck, which had epoxy-coated rebar, all of the bridge decks were reinforced with black bar. A waterproofing membrane was installed on each of the bridge decks in 1984, meaning each waterproofing membrane had been in service for 26 or 27 years at the time of sampling. With the exception of one of the bridges, which was in good condition after 26 years of service, each of the bridge decks sampled had successfully served for at least 46 years. Aside from asphalt maintenance, no rehabilitation was needed on any of the bridge decks following installation of the waterproofing membranes. Without the application of the waterproofing membranes, the chloride concentrations in the bridge decks likely would have been much higher. Additional exposure to chloride ions from deicing salts would have quickly increased the chloride concentration in the concrete above critical levels, which would have led to significant corrosion and bridge deck deterioration, prematurely. While the application of membranes as a bridge deck maintenance procedure has mostly been replaced by the use of epoxy-based polymer overlays, many bridge decks protected with membrane systems are still in service today. The research findings suggest that application of waterproofing membranes and asphalt overlays in a timely manner, before the accumulation of excessive amounts of chlorides within a deck, can be an effective approach for concrete bridge deck preservation.

Anger is a significant human emotion, the management of which has far reaching implications for individual and relationship well-being. Yet there is a deficit in the clinical literature regarding the best ways to conceptualize and respond to anger (Saini, 2009). We offer a model of anger which therapists can use to help discriminate healing from harmful manifestations of anger, and which therapists can use in developing interventions for reshaping destructive anger toward constructive anger. We are specifically addressing anger in response to offense, or transactional anger which arises at points of friction in the interface between two people in a relational system. Persons perceiving a self-concept or attachment threat respond to the psychic or relational threat with physiological and emotional arousal. These reactions represent a biological signaling system informing our relationship experience. When offended, our experience of offense interacts with our view of self in relation to other. We propose that a person's view of self in relation to other is how one compares their own self-worth to other; it may be inflated, inadequate, or balanced. Either inflated or inadequate views of self in relation to other produce distinct manifestations of destructive anger. An inflated view of self in relation to other is seen as producing destructive-externalizing anger or anger turned outwards, and an inadequate view of self in relation to other is seen as producing destructive-internalizing anger, or anger turned inward. Both externalizing and internalizing anger are harmful to self (offended), other (perpetrator), and relationship well-being and healing. However, a balanced view of self in relation to other produces constructive anger, which is a healing and helpful indignation that promotes and even catalyzes self, other, and relationship healing and well-being. Use of the model in clinical settings is considered.

IntroductionSelf-destructive behavior is categorized as mental illness and refers to when a person injureshimself without suicidal motives. Mental illness is a widespread public health disease that isoften hidden and taboo. There is a general increase in self-destructive behavior among theSwedish population. Nurses describe their experienced lack of knowledge about meeting andcaring for these people. Nurses and other healthcare staff are responsible for giving people theopportunity to improve, maintain or regain good health and alleviate suffering. AimThe aim was to describe how people with self-destructive behavior experience the treatmentwhen in contact with healthcare. MethodA literature study with descriptive design and qualitative approach. Quality review wascarried out based on SBU's template. The result analysis of ten qualitative articles was carriedout according to Friberg's analysis model. ResultsThe results showed that when people with self-destructive behavior sought care, they felt thatthey were deprived of their autonomy and met with a negative attitude from the care staff.Lack of time was considered a contributing factor to the experience. The care staff'sknowledge and competence regarding the behavior was perceived to be lacking and that thecare was rarely individually adapted. Some felt they were treated with care and participation.When the people shared what they believed would promote good treatment, openness,understanding, commitment and empathy were desired. The work resulted in five categories;experiences of feeling diminished, the importance of specialized care and the importance oftime constraints, experiences of feeling important, the staff's knowledge and competence, andthe conditions for a good care meeting. ConclusionPeople with self-destructive behavior experienced that healthcare professionals treated themwith a negative attitude. They felt minimized and not taken seriously. The experience was alack of knowledge and competence on the part of the nursing staff. There were experiences ofpositive treatment, but the negative treatment was predominant. Further education of healthcare is suggested for the development of treatment and nursing. / IntroduktionSjälvdestruktivt beteendet kategoriseras som psykisk ohälsa och avser när en person skadarsig själv utan självmordsmotiv. Psykisk ohälsa är en omfattande folkhälsosjukdom som oftadöljs och tabubeläggs. Det ses en generell ökning av självdestruktivt beteende bland Sverigesbefolkning. Sjuksköterskor beskriver att de upplevt brist i sin kunskap kring att bemöta ochvårda dessa personer. Sjuksköterskor och övrig vårdpersonal ansvarar för att ge människormöjlighet att förbättra, behålla eller återfå god hälsa samt lindra lidande. SyfteSyftet var att beskriva hur personer med självdestruktivt beteende upplever bemötandet vidkontakt med vården. MetodEn litteraturstudie med beskrivande design och kvalitativ ansats. Kvalitetsgranskning utfördesutifrån SBU:s mall. Resultatanalysen av tio kvalitativa artiklar genomfördes enligt Fribergsanalysmodell. ResultatResultatet visade att när personer med självdestruktivt beteende sökt vård upplevde de sigfråntagna sin autonomi och att de bemöttes med negativ attityd från vårdpersonalen. Tidsbristansågs vara en bidragande faktor till upplevelsen. Vårdpersonalens kunskap och kompetenskring beteendet upplevdes vara bristande samt att vården sällan var individanpassad. En delupplevde sig bli bemötta med omsorg och delaktighet. När personerna delgav vad de ansågskulle främja ett gott bemötande önskades öppenhet, förståelse, engagemang och empati.Arbetet resulterade slutligen i fem kategorier; upplevelser av att känna sig förminskad, viktenav specialiserad vård och tidsbristens betydelse, upplevelser av att känna sig betydelsefull,personalens kunskap och kompetens samt förutsättningar för ett gott vårdmöte. SlutsatsPersoner med självdestruktivt beteende upplevde att vårdpersonal bemötte dem med negativattityd. De upplevde sig bli förminskade och inte tas på allvar. Upplevelsen var en bristgällande kunskap och kompetens hos vårdpersonalen. Det fanns upplevelser av positivtbemötande men det negativa bemötandet var övervägande. Vidare utbildning av personalföreslås för utveckling av bemötandet och omvårdnaden.

There has been an urge for increasing the efficiency in advanced gas turbine engines. To fulfill these needs the inlet gas temperatures should be increased in the gas turbine engines, thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have gained significant applications in increasing the gas inlet temperatures. Insulating characteristics of ceramic TBCs allow the operation at up to 150~250 ˚C higher gas temperatures. Because of the severe turbine engine operating conditions that include high temperature, steep temperature gradient, thermal cycling, oxidation and hot-corrosion, TBCs can fail by spallation at the interface between the metal and ceramic. The lack of understanding in failure mechanisms and their prediction warrant a development of non-destructive evaluation technique that can monitor the quality and degradation of TBCs. In addition, the development of NDE technique must be based on a robust correlation to the characteristics of TBC failure. The objective of this study is to develop electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technology for application to TBCs. To have a better understanding of the multilayer TBCs using EIS they were divided into individual layers and EIS were performed on them. The individual layers included polycrystalline ZrO2-7~8 wt.%Y2O3 (YSZ) (topcoat) of two different densities were subjected to sintering by varying the sintering temperature and holding time for three different thickness and hot extruded NiAl alloy buttons which were subjected to isothermal oxidation with varying temperature and time. NiAl is as similar to the available commercial bondcoats used in TBCs. Then degradation monitoring with electrolyte penetration was carried out on electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB PVD) TBCs as a function of isothermal exposure. Quality control for air plasma sprayed TBCs were carried out as a function of density, thickness and microstructure. Dense vertically cracked TBCs were tested as a function of vertical crack density and thickness. Electrochemical impedance response was acquired from all specimens at room temperature and analyzed with an AC equivalent circuit based on the impedance response as well as multi-layered structure and micro-constituents of specimens. Physical and microstructural features of these specimens were also examined by optical and electron microscopy. The EIS measurement was carried out in a three-electrode system using a standard Flat Cell (K0235) from Princeton Applied Research™ and IM6e BAS ZAHNER™ frequency response analyzer. The electrolyte employed in this investigation was 0.01M (molar) potassium Ferri/Ferro Cyanide {(K3Fe(CN)6/K4Fe(CN)6·3H2O)}. The thickness and density were directly related to the resistance and capacitance of the polycrystalline YSZ with varying thickness and open pores. As the effective thickness of the YSZ increased with sintering time and temperature, the resistance of the YSZ (RYSZ) increased proportionally. The variation in capacitance of YSZ (CYSZ) with respect to the change in porosity/density and thickness was clearly detected by EIS. The samples with high porosity (less dense) exhibited large capacitance, CYSZ, compared to those with less porosity (high density), given similar thickness. Cracking in the YSZ monoliths resulted in decrease of resistance and increase in capacitance and this was related to the electrolyte penetration. Growth and spallation of TGO scale on NiAl alloys during isothermal oxidation at various temperatures and holding time was also correlated with resistance and capacitance of the TGO scale. With an increase in the TGO thickness, the resistance of the TGO (RTGO) increased and capacitance of the TGO (CTGO) decreased. This trend in the resistance and capacitance of the TGO changed after prolonged heat treatment. This is because of the spallation of the TGO scale from the metal surface. The parabolic growth of TGO during high temperature oxidation was inversely proportional to the capacitance of TGO, excluding the abrupt changes associated with the failure. As a function of isothermal exposure for EB-PVD TBCs, initial increase in the resistance of YSZ with thermal exposure was observed perhaps due to the high temperature sintering of YSZ. The parabolic growth of TGO during high temperature oxidation was inversely proportional to the capacitance of TGO. An explanation based on electrolyte penetration into sub-critical damage is proposed for the gradual decrease in the resistances of YSZ and TGO with prolonged thermal exposure. Observation of exposed metallic bond coat surface on the fracture surface, which readily provides conduction, was related to the abrupt and large increase in the capacitance of YSZ and TGO. A direct relation between the resistance of the YSZ (RYSZ) and density of the YSZ was observed for APS TBCs with varying topcoat density. APS TBCs with varying topcoat chemistry and thickness were tested and directly related to resistance of topcoat. With the increase in the topcoat thickness, the capacitance decreased and the resistance increased. The higher values of CCAT and RCAT compared to that of CYSZ and RYSZ were related to the higher dielectric constant and resistivity of CaTiO3. Dense vertically cracked TBCs were tested with varying crack density were tested and the variation in the resistance was related indirectly to the cracks and directly to the difference in the thickness of the topcoat. EB-PVD TBCs with varying density (dense and columnar) were tested and the variation in resistance was attributed to the dense structure and columnar structure of the topcoat with columnar structure having lower resistance because of more electrolyte penetration through the columnar structure. From this study, EIS showed a potential as a NDE technique for quality assurance and lifetime remain assessment of TBCs. Future work should continue on developing a mathematical model to study the impedance curves and come up with a model for individual layers of TBC and then sum them up to get the multilayered TBC response. The flexible instrument probe of EIS needs to be designed and tested for field evaluation of TBCs.

Image-based techniques are a promising non-destructive approach for road pavement condition evaluation. The main objective of this study is to extract, quantify and evaluate important surface defects, such as cracks, using an automated computer vision-based system to provide a better understanding of the pavement deterioration process. To achieve this objective, an automated crack-recognition software was developed, employing a series of image processing algorithms of crack extraction, crack grouping, and crack detection. Bottom-hat morphological technique was used to remove the random background of pavement images and extract cracks, selectively based on their shapes, sizes, and intensities using a relatively small number of user-defined parameters. A technical challenge with crack extraction algorithms, including the Bottom-hat transform, is that extracted crack pixels are usually fragmented along crack paths. For de-fragmenting those crack pixels, a novel crack-grouping algorithm is proposed as an image segmentation method, so called MorphLink-C. Statistical validation of this method using flexible pavement images indicated that MorphLink-C not only improves crack-detection accuracy but also reduces crack detection time. Crack characterization was performed by analysing imagerial features of the extracted crack image components. A comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted using filter feature subset selection (FSS) methods, including Fischer score, Gini index, information gain, ReliefF, mRmR, and FCBF to understand the statistical characteristics of cracks in different deterioration stages. Statistical significance of crack features was ranked based on their relevancy and redundancy. The statistical method used in this study can be employed to avoid subjective crack rating based on human visual inspection. Moreover, the statistical information can be used as fundamental data to justify rehabilitation policies in pavement maintenance. Finally, the application of four classification algorithms, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Decision Tree (DT), k-Nearest Neighbours (kNN) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is investigated for the crack detection framework. The classifiers were evaluated in the following five criteria: 1) prediction performance, 2) computation time, 3) stability of results for highly imbalanced datasets in which, the number of crack objects are significantly smaller than the number of non-crack objects, 4) stability of the classifiers performance for pavements in different deterioration stages, and 5) interpretability of results and clarity of the procedure. Comparison results indicate the advantages of white-box classification methods for computer vision based pavement evaluation. Although black-box methods, such as ANN provide superior classification performance, white-box methods, such as ANFIS, provide useful information about the logic of classification and the effect of feature values on detection results. Such information can provide further insight for the image-based pavement crack detection application.

<p> This thesis presents solutions to several inverse problems m electromagnetism and microwave engineering. In general, these inverse problems belong to two applications: breast cancer diagnosis using microwave imaging and defect characterization in metallic structures using magnetic flux leakage (MFL). </p> <p> Our contribution in microwave imaging for breast tumor detection can be divided into three parts. First, we propose a novel ultra-wide band (UWB) antenna that can operate in direct contact with the breast without the need for coupling liquids. This antenna is designed such that more than 90% of the radiated power is directed toward the tissue from its front aperture over the UWB. The performance of the antenna is investigated via simulation and measurement of the following parameters: return loss, near-field directivity, efficiency, fidelity, and group velocity. Overall, the results show that the antenna is a good candidate for frequency and time-domain imaging techniques. </p> <p> Second, we have proposed an aperture raster scanning setup that benefits from the features of our novel antenna. In this scanning setup, the breast tissue is compressed between two rectangular plates (apertures) while two antennas perform two-dimensional (2-D) scan by moving together on both sides of the compressed tissue. For each scanning step, the transmission S-parameter between the two antennas is recorded at several frequencies within UWB. Then, the modulus of the calibrated transmission S-parameter is plotted at each frequency to provide a 2-D image of the interior of the breast. The images are enhanced using a de-blurring technique based on blind de-convolution. This setup provides real time images of strong scatterers inside the normal tissue. </p> <p> Third, we propose 2-D and three-dimensional (3-D) holography algorithms to further improve the quality of the images obtained from the proposed planar scanning setup. These techniques are based on the Fourier transforms of the collected data to provide an image of a 2-D target (when collecting data at a single frequency) or a 3-D target (when collecting wide-band data). These techniques are fast and very robust to noise. The capability of the 2D and 3-D holographic imaging techniques is examined via simulation results. </p> <p> For defect characterization in metallic structures using MFL technique, we propose fast and reliable methodologies to invert the measured MFL response to the defect's shape parameters. First, we present a procedure to estimate the shape parameters of rectangular cracks which are the most common type of defects in the metallic structures. The procedure consists of estimating orientation, length, and depth of the cracks, consecutively. We validate this procedure via estimating the shape parameters of pre-known cracks from the simulated and measured MFL responses. Then, we present a methodology based on space mapping (SM) optimization for defect characterization. We examme the efficiency of this methodology for two types of defects: rectangular cracks and cylindrical pits. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第13520号 / 論農博第2908号 / 新制||農||1096(附属図書館) / 学位論文||R4||N5420(農学部図書室) / 京都府立医科大学 / (主査)教授 中﨑 鉄也, 教授 土井 元章, 教授 及川 彰, 准教授 田中 朋之 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Genocide is conventionally seen through the mutually exclusive characterisations of perpetrators and victims. Attempts to understand this phenomenon in the 1990s postcolonial African Great Lakes region suffer from this same limitation. This dissertation critiques the limiting binary of perpetrator and victim identities. By examining the messy formation of identities in genocide, this research demonstrates that the latter are layered and fluid. Using relational sociology, identities are examined through the narrative analysis of interviews with Banyamulenge soldiers who participated in the early 1990s Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and the short-lived Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo (AFDL). These soldiers witnessed first-hand the violence and devastation of the Rwandan civil war and 1994 genocide. The AFDL, under Rwandan leadership, went on to obliterate 233,000 Rwandan refugees spread across Zaïre form 1996 to 1997. A heuristic device of a vortex is used to conceptualise a process of identity formation framed by three features of genocide, namely narratives of insecurity, destructive crises, and intermediate space. RPF and Banyamulenge narratives, power relations, and relational journeys are traced through an exploration of the networks and histories of these features. Banyamulenge soldier identities are formed in movements through this vortex with each experience of genocide. Such movements resulted in violence against the refugees. A specific relation to the idea of the enemy as a guilty genocidaire was constructed through the deployment of multiple narratives. The genocidaire was essential to Banyamulenge identities as they went on to perpetrate genocide against the Rwandan refugees. / The full text will be available at the end of the embargo: 1st Dec 2027

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a novel fabrication technique capable of producing highly complex parts. Nevertheless, a major challenge is improving the quality of the fabricated parts. While there are several ways of approaching this problem, developing data-driven methods that use AM process signatures to identify these part anomalies can be rapidly applied to improve the overall part quality during the build. The objective of this dissertation is to model multiple processes within the AM to quantify the quality of the parts and reduced the uncertainty due to variation in input process parameters. The objective of first study is to build a new layer-wise process signature model to characterize the thermal-defect relationship. Based on melt pool images, we propose novel layer-wise key process signatures, which are calculated using multilinear principal component analysis (MPCA) and are directly correlated with layer-wise quality of the part. Second study broadens the spectrum of the dissertation to include mechanical properties, where a novel two-phase modeling methodology is proposed for fatigue life prediction based on in-situ monitoring of thermal history. In final study, our objective is to pave the way toward a better understanding of the uncertainty in the process-defect-structures relationship using an inverse robust design exploration method. The method involves two steps. In the first step, mathematical models are developed to characterize and model the forward flow of information in the intended additive manufacturing process. In the second step, inverse robust design exploration is carried out to investigate satisfying design solutions that meet multiple AM goals.