Lab measurements and Monte Carlo simulations have been carried out for the evaluation of the Straw-type detectors used in the NA62 experiment at CERN. In addition, analyses of experiment data was used in corrections to improve the reconstruction of particle tracks, ultimately leading to improved resolution of the detector system as a whole. 97.7 percent of the Straws were aligned to within 30 microns, quantified as the deviation from zero of the mean of the inherent residual distribution of each Straw. A drift time dependence on where along the Straw the particle ionized have been corrected for; before the correction the dependence was as big as 6 ns. A radius-drift time relation based on the leading edge timing distribution has been deduced and implemented. Upon implementation artifacts from the piecewise fits used became evident. An alternative approach using residuals has been put forward.

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / Nearly one-third of the world’s tortoises live in South Africa, but little is known about their habitat requirements and feeding ecology. Chersina angulata, the angulate tortoise, is endemic to southern Africa, with a wide distribution along the western and southern coasts. Because this tortoise occupies a number of different habitat types, it has always been considered a generalist herbivore, although little is known about its diet and other needs. This study evaluates the habitat characteristics and feeding ecology of C. angulata at two study sites in the southwestern Cape, the West Coast National Park (WCNP) and Dassen Island (DI). The WCNP is a large conserved area in the Fynbos biome, along the southwestern coast of South Africa, whereas DI is a small offshore island with low floral and faunal diversity, just south of the WCNP. The efficacy of three methods used to study the feeding ecology of herbivores, focal observations, macroscopic faecal analysis and histological analysis of scats, was evaluated. Plant cover, species diversity, and the variety of growth forms were substantially larger at the WCNP than on DI. In the WCNP, shrubs and grasses were the dominant growth forms but the vegetation also included herbs, succulents, restios, sedges and parasitic plants. A few perennial species such as the grass Ehrharta villosa, shrubs such as Helichrysum niveum, Nylandtia spinosa and Rhus spp., and succulents such as Carpobrotus edulis and Ruschia spp., provided most of the plant cover. DI had a depauperate flora, consisting of succulents and herbs, and ephemeral plants contributed more than perennials did to plant cover throughout the year. The succulents Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Tetragonia fruticosa provided most of the cover on DI. Angulate tortoises are herbivores and 72 diet plants in 32 plant families were identified to the species or genus level. Several diet species, however, could not be identified. In addition to angiosperms, the tortoises’ diet included mosses, mushrooms, insects,snails and animal faeces. The most important growth forms in the diet were herbs and grasses. The diet of the WCNP tortoises was more diverse than the diet of DI tortoises, but the number of principal food items in the diet did not differ between the two sites. Over an annual cycle, WCNP tortoises had four principal food plants while DI tortoises had five principal food plants. At both sites, principal food plants changed with the season and few plants remained principal food items in more than one season. Cynodon dactylon was a principal food item in three of the four seasons in the WCNP, whereas Trachyandra divaricata was a principal food plant each season on DI. Most principal food plants were grass or herb species but the sedge Ficinia nigrescens, and a succulent that could be identified only to the family level (Aizoaceae), featured strongly in the spring diets of DI and WCNP tortoises, respectively. The three study methods did not provide the same type or quality of information about the feeding ecology of angulate tortoises. The small size and wary nature of angulate tortoises compromised focal studies because it was often not possible to see what the tortoises ate. This method, however, provided the interesting observation that rabbit faecal pellets contributed nearly 30% to summer and autumn diets on DI when food was scarce. Rabbit faeces may not only provide a source of nutrients but may also supplement the microflora, required to digest cellulose, in the tortoises’ guts. Macroscopic evaluation of the tortoises’ scats appeared to be an ineffective method to identify diet plants, and the bulk of the scat mass could not be identified. This indicates that angulate tortoises either selected food low in fibrous content or that the digestive system of the tortoises dealt efficiently with tough plant material. The macroscopic method was the only method that highlighted the large contribution of fruits / seeds to the diet of angulate tortoises. Since the tortoises digested many seeds only partially, or not at all, C. angulata is potentially an important agent of seed dispersal in the southwestern Cape. The macroscopic study showed that on DI, sand made up 28% of the scat mass in spring, whereas sand never made a substantial contribution to the scat composition of WCNP tortoises. Lithophagy may be an important strategy in a depauperate habitat, such as DI, because the abrasive action of sand may help with the digestion of tough plants, or the sand may provide the tortoises with important minerals that are deficient in their food plants.The histological analysis of scats provided the most comprehensive diet list for C. angulata. Selection indices based on data from the histological analysis indicated that angulate tortoises were highly selective in their food choice. Most of the principal food items were selected out of proportion to their availability and the tortoises avoided the most abundant plants in their habitats. Several factors, such as palatability, accessibility and profitability, may have influenced their food choice. The proportional similarity indices for WCNP and DI tortoises, respectively, were 0.31 and 0.16, confirming that C. angulata is a food specialist and not a food generalist as was previously thought. This factor should be considered in the management of this species and in future conservation planning of its habitat. / South Africa

The diploma thesis includes an economic analysis of Kofola a.s. between 2009 and 2014. The aim of this work is to perform an economic analysis of the company, to assess its financial health and make a comparison with market developments. Own part of the work is divided into two main parts. The first is methodological section which describes used methods and models. In the practical part is applied methods from the theoretical part on observed enterprise. It is mainly based on financial reports. The financial analysis consists of an analysis of absolute indicators and ratios. Furthermore, the practical part contains rules of balance working capital analysis and DuPont analysis of ROE, cost and inventory analysis, comprehensive evaluation of business models and the intercompany comparison. In conclusion there are summarized and evaluated the results of practical part and deduced appropriate recommendations.

Orientador: Caio Lucidius Naberezny Azevedo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matemática Estatística e Computação Científica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T19:30:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_AnaRobertadosSantos_M.pdf: 4052475 bytes, checksum: 08fb6f3f7b4ed838df4eea2dbcf06a29 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Neste trabalho desenvolvemos a distribuição beta retangular aumentada em zero e um, bem como um correspondente modelo de regressão beta retangular aumentado em zero e um para analisar dados limitados-aumentados (representados por variáveis aleatórias mistas com suporte limitado), que apresentam valores discrepantes. Desenvolvemos ferramentas de inferência sob as abordagens bayesiana e frequentista. No que diz respeito à inferência bayesiana, devido à impossibilidade de obtenção analítica das posteriores de interesse, utilizou-se algoritmos MCMC. Com relação à estimação frequentista, utilizamos o algoritmo EM. Desenvolvemos técnicas de análise de resíduos, utilizando o resíduo quantil aleatorizado, tanto sob o enfoque frequentista quanto bayesiano. Desenvolvemos, também, medidas de influência, somente sob o enfoque bayesiano, utilizando a medida de Kullback Leibler. Além disso, adaptamos métodos de checagem preditiva à posteriori existentes na literatura, ao nosso modelo, utilizando medidas de discrepância apropriadas. Para a comparação de modelos, utilizamos os critérios usuais na literatura, como AIC, BIC e DIC. Realizamos diversos estudos de simulação, considerando algumas situações de interesse prático, com o intuito de comparar as estimativas bayesianas com as frequentistas, bem como avaliar o comportamento das ferramentas de diagnóstico desenvolvidas. Um conjunto de dados da área psicométrica foi analisado para ilustrar o potencial do ferramental desenvolvido / Abstract: In this work we developed the zero-one augmented rectangular beta distribution, as well as a correspondent zero-one augmented rectangular beta regression model to analyze limited-augmented data (represented by mixed random variables with limited support), which present outliers. We develop inference tools under the Bayesian and frequentist approaches. Regarding to the Bayesian inference, due the impossibility of obtaining analytically the posterior distributions of interest, we used MCMC algorithms. Concerning the frequentist estimation, we use the EM algorithm. We develop techniques of residual analysis, by using the randomized quantile residuals, under both frequentist and Bayesian approaches. We also developed influence measures, only under the Bayesian approach, by using the measure of Kullback Leibler. In addition, we adapt methods of posterior predictive checking available in the literature, to our model, using appropriate discrepancy measures. For model selection, we use the criteria commonly employed in the literature, such as AIC, BIC and DIC. We performed several simulation studies, considering some situations of practical interest, in order to compare the Bayesian and frequentist estimates, as well as to evaluate the behavior of the developed diagnostic tools. A psychometric real data set was analyzed to illustrate the performance of the developed tools / Mestrado / Estatistica / Mestra em Estatística

Este trabalho foi concebido inicialmente através de projeto, montagem e ensaios preliminares de uma unidade analógica, para propósito didático, composta de um servomecanismo controlado pelas clássicas estratégias Proporcional, Integral e Derivativa (PID). Com este equipamento foi demonstrado os conceitos fundamentais da engenharia de controle com seus ensaios e medidas que permitem exemplificar, de forma simples e bastante pedagógica, o funcionamento e os limites operacionais de um controlador prático. Os valores medidos em experimento foram comparados com valores obtidos pela simulação numérica de um modelo equivalente implementado no software MatLab. Utilizando-se da tecnologia PIC (Controlador de Interface Programável), o hardware analógico foi substituído, com a intenção de comparar os resultados para melhor ilustrar os abstratos conceitos da ação PID sobre um dispositivo eletromecânico razoavelmente linear. A unidade desenvolvida permite estabelecer um elo valioso à aprendizagem, buscando unir a teoria clássica, a simulação numérica, a aplicação digital e o comportamento real em uma situação física. Tivemos êxito nos resultados, conseguindo comprovar as modelagens matemáticas em aplicações práticas, além de poder comparar os desempenhos dos resultados analógicos com os resultados digitais. / This work was initially conceived by design, assembly and preliminary tests of an analogic unit, for didactic purpose, composed of a servomechanism controlled by the classic strategies Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID). With this device was demonstrated the fundamental concepts of control engineering and its trials and measures allow exemplify, in a simple and very interactive way, the functioning and the operational limits of a practical controller. The values measured in assay were compared with values obtained by numerical simulation of an equivalent model implemented in MatLab. By using the technology PIC (Programmable Interface Controller), the analogical hardware will be substituted, in order to compare the results to better explain the abstract concepts of the PID action over a sufficiently linear electromechanical device. The developed unit enables a valuable link to the learning, seeking to unite the classical theory, numerical simulation, digital application and real performance in a physical case. We were successful in results, obtaining proof of the mathematical models in practical applications, besides being able to compare the performances of analogic results with digital ones.

Les rails de Chemins de fer sont soumis à de la fatigue de roulement due au passage répété des roues de train, ce qui induit différents types de fissures, telles que les Squats. Ces fissures sont soumises à un chargement de mode mixte non-proportionnel I + II + III, dans des proportions variables le long du front, avec des phases de compression, ce qui rend la prédiction de leur trajet et de leur vitesse délicate.La cinétique de fissuration en mode I a été déterminée dans de l’acier à rail R260, pour des rapports R positifs et négatifs, ainsi que la cinétique de mode mixte II & III corrigée des effets de frottement. Les Facteurs d’Intensité des Contraintes (FICs) effectifs ont été obtenus à partir des sauts de déplacements dans le plan et hors plan mesurés en surface, le long de la fissure. De ces lois cinétiques, il ressort que ni le mode I seul, ni les modes de cisaillement seuls ne peuvent expliquer la fissuration des rails. C’est donc la combinaison des trois modes, suivant des trajets de chargement complexes, qui en est responsable.Des essais de fissuration par fatigue en mode mixte non-proportionnel I + II ont ensuite été réalisés, suivant des trajets de chargement représentatifs de ceux subis par les squats. La stéréo corrélation d’images a été utilisée pour obtenir les champs de déplacements en pointe de fissure. Les méthodes classiques de mesure des FICs à partir de champs de déplacements n’étant pas adaptées, du fait des efforts de contact et frottement entre les lèvres de fissure, de nouvelles méthodes ont été développées. Les trajets et vitesses de fissuration ont été étudiés au regard de ces FICs effectifs. Il apparait que la prédiction du trajet à partir du critère de la contrainte tangentielle maximale n’est pas très fiable, mais peut être améliorée par la prise en compte de la plasticité en pointe de fissure ainsi que des efforts de contact/frottement entre les lèvres de fissure. Les vitesses de propagation obtenues se corrélèrent bien avec une combinaison des trois FICs effectifs dans une loi de type « Paris ».De ces essais, il ressort que du fait de la rugosité de la fissure, l’enchevêtrement d’aspérités et le frottement réduisent considérablement les FICs effectifs. Et cela même en l’absence de compression normale, ce qui ne peut être modélisé par une simple loi de Coulomb. De plus, l’usure des lèvres de fissure a aussi une forte influence sur les FICs effectifs. Le challenge pour les applications structurelles est donc non seulement de choisir le critère de bifurcation et la loi cinétique les plus appropriés, mais également de prendre en compte la rugosité et l’usure des lèvres de fissure, afin d’estimer correctement les FICs effectifs à utiliser dans ces modèles.Pour les applications industrielles, une approche d’ingénieur, simplifiée, a été proposée afin de prendre en compte le frottement induit par la rugosité dans l’estimation des trajets de chargements effectifs à partir des trajets nominaux. Cette approche a été validée sur des essais de mode mixte séquentiel I + II & III. / Rails are submitted to Rolling Contact Fatigue due to repeated passages of train wheels, which induces several types of cracks, such as Squat-type cracks. Those cracks undergo non-proportional mixed-mode I + II + III loading, including compression phases, in variable proportions along the crack front, making the prediction of their paths and growth rates a challenge.Mode I crack growth kinetics, for positive and negative R ratios, were first determined in R260 steel, as well as friction-corrected crack growth kinetics for fully-reversed combined mode II and III. The effective Stress Intensity Factors (SIFs) were deduced from the measured in-plane and out-of-plane crack face sliding displacements. From those kinetic laws, it was deduced that neither pure mode I, nor pure shear mode loadings can explain the crack growth rates observed in rails. A combination of those three loading modes, according to complex loading paths had thus to be prospected.Non-proportional mixed-mode I + II fatigue crack growth tests were then performed, following representative loading paths. Stereo digital image correlation was used to measure the near-tip displacement field. Post-treatment methods generally used to deduce the effective SIFs from these fields were inappropriate because of contact and friction stresses along the crack face. New methods were thus developed. The crack paths and growth rates were analyzed, using the effective SIFs. Crack path prediction by the maximum tangential stress criterion was found not to be very reliable, but substantially improved when crack tip plasticity and the presence of contact and friction stresses along the crack faces were taken into account. The measured crack growth rates correlated well with a combination of the three effective SIFs in a Paris-type law.From these experiments, it appears that due to crack face roughness, asperities interlocking and friction substantially reduce the effective SIFs, even without any normal compression, which cannot be captured by a simple Coulomb’s law. Besides, crack faces wear also has a large influence on the effective SIFs. The challenge for structural applications is thus not only to choose the most appropriate bifurcation criterion and crack growth law, but also to take crack face roughness and wear into account, in order to estimate the correct effective SIFS to use in these models.For industrial applications, a simple engineering approach was proposed to integrate roughness-induced friction in the estimation of the effective loading path from the nominal one. This approach was validated on sequential mixed-mode I + II & III experiments.

Ett sedan länge betraktat problem inom politisk ekonomi är om, och i så fall i vilken utsträckning, politiska partier påverkar ekonomiska policyutfall. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om det rådande politiska majoritetsförhållandet i kommunfullmäktige har en effekt på kostnaderna för och kvaliteten inom en verksamhet som kommit att hamna allt högre på den politiska dagordningen under coronapandemin – äldreomsorgen. Studien tar avstamp i teoretiska utgångspunkter i form av medianväljarteoremet och citizen candidate-modellen. I syfte att estimera effekten av den politiska majoriteten på äldreomsorgen tillämpas en skarp regression discontinuity (RD) design för två kostnadsmått och två kvalitetsmått; antalet fallskador bland personer 80 år och äldre per 1 000 invånare samt brukarbedömning avseende äldreomsorg i särskilt boende. Resultatet visar att en vänsterblocksmajoritet är associerad med drygt 23 procent högre kostnader för äldreomsorg i kronor per invånare samt drygt sex procentenheters lägre nivå i fråga om brukarbedömning än jämfört med andra partikonstellationer. Resultaten är dock inte stabila över olika ekonometriska specifikationer och ytterligare studier skulle därmed behövas för att säkrare kunna belägga ett eventuellt samband.

Goal of this thesis is to verify functions of hydraulic manifolds from new supplier, measure characteristics of pressure loss relative to flow rate and for proportional blocks also characteristics of flow rate relative to control voltage at constant inlet pressure. Verification will be carried out with proportional manifolds and on/off manifolds with different failure functions.

Předmětem diplomové práce je implementace teoretických poznatků s cílem ověřit relevantnost zdrojů informací sloužících pro výpočty ukazatelů finanční analýzy. První část je zaměřena ne teoretické poznatky finanční analýzy zejména u výrobních podniků a služeb. V této části je věnována velká pozornost poměrovým ukazatelům a jejich výpočtům. Teoretická část je zakončena specifiky finanční analýzy pro komernčí pojišťovnu. Výstupem práce je pak ověření relevance dat a poměrových ukazatelů finanční analýzy pro specifické odvětví pojišťoven z hledsika vývoje v čase a faktorů ovlivňujích jejich vývoj.