In order to reduce the use of landfilling within waste management great emphasis is being placed on waste reduction and recycling. Each year in the UK approximately 2.5 Mt of waste glass is produced and approximately half of this waste is not recyclable. Therefore alternative ways need to be found for using waste glass and one possibility is to use it within concrete as a replacement for cement and/ or aggregate. In the research programme concrete mixes were tested which had 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% of the fine aggregate replaced by crushed waste glass. All glass was originally in bottle form and was crushed to produce ‘sand’ which had a grading curve more-orless identical to fine aggregate obtained from a commercial supplier. Three colours of glass were studied, i.e. flint (clear), amber and green. Concretes were also made which contained a mixture of colours (in proportion according to the weight of each type of waste glass produced annually within the UK) and also a mixture of unwashed waste glasses. The overall concrete mix adopted for investigation, i.e. 1:2:4, was selected because of its wide use within industry, and all concrete was made with a water:cement content of 0.6 without the addition of plasticiser or ASR-retarding agents. The suite of laboratory tests included; slump, flow, initial and final setting time, ultrasonic pulse velocity, water absorption by immersion and capillarity rise, ASR measurement (volumetric and linear), compression strength at ages from 7 days to 365 days. Techniques of developed digital imaging and processing have been applied to the glass aggregate to quantify various particle shape factors, i.e. aspect ratio, percentage concavity, Riley inscribed sphericity and surface texture index. Statistical analysis has been used to compare the distribution of particle forms present within the fine aggregate materials used in the experimental work. Dimensional changes (in three orthogonal directions) were measured as concrete cubes hardened over a period up to 365 days. The length changes of concrete prisms were also measured over the same period of time. The resultant data indicated that a fine aggregate which comprised 25% glass and 75% sand would be categorised as “non-expansive”, i.e. the same as the sand on its own. As the proportion of glass in the fine aggregate became greater than the aggregate became more expansive but it did not exceed recommended limits.

Atmosphärisches Aerosol kann den Strahlungstransport signifikant beeinflussen. Mineralstaub, der über der Sahara und anderen Wüsten in die Atmosphäre gelangt, ist das hinsichtlich der in letzterer dauerhaft verbleibenden Masse bedeutendste Aerosol. Darüber hinaus sind Saharamineralstaubpartikel nichtkugelförmig, und die Wirkungen dieser Partikeleigenschaft auf den Strahlungstransport in der Erdatmosphäre sind bislang nur ungenügend untersucht worden. Es werden die optischen Eigenschaften, Strahlungs- und Erwärmungseffekte von Saharamineralstaub unter Berücksichtigung der Nichtkugelförmigkeit seiner Partikel quantitativ untersucht, wobei der gesamte, im Hinblick auf den Strahlungshaushalt energetisch relevante Spektralbereich zugrunde gelegt wird. Zunächst werden auf Basis in-situ-gemessener Experimentaldaten die atmosphärischen Umgebungsbedingungen, Größenverteilungen, Brechungsindizes, Bodenalbedo und Partikelgestalt festgelegt, die in einem zweiten Schritt in ein Strahlungstransportmodell einfließen. Mit dessen Hilfe wird in umfangreichen numerischen Simulationen des Strahlungstransports in einer realistischen mineralstaubhaltigen Modellatmosphäre im Vergleich zu Messdaten beispielsweise geklärt, welche Partikelform und Größenäquivalenz angenommener sphäroidaler Modellpartikel am meisten realistisch sind. Des Weiteren werden im Zusammenhang mit der Partikelnichtkugelförmigkeit Sensitivitätsstudien zur Beantwortung der Fragen durchgeführt, inwieweit diese das Strahlungsfeld beeinflusst und zu veränderten Strahlungserwärmungswirkungen führt.

Granular soils with different sizes and shapes are often used in many civil engineering structures. In different contexts, several researchers have emphasized that shape of particles play a pivotal role in influencing several engineering properties such as maximum and minimum packing densities, shear strength, permeability and compressibility. However, the complexities involved in obtaining the geometrical parameters necessary to adequately compute particle shape have hampered the clear understanding of the contribution of particle shape to such properties. Researchers have attempted to characterize the shape of the particles by many conventional and advanced image based methods in the past. However, these methods suffer from many criticisms; conventional methods of shape characterization include ocular inspection of particles based on visual reference charts, which are more prone to user dependent interpretations. The recently developed image based methods deviate from the conventional and most well accepted definitions formulated by researchers in the past due to the difficulties involved in automating them. The aim of this thesis is to address this shortcoming by developing a robust methodology for accurate and precise determination of particle shape in accordance with the most widely accepted formulae in literature, which can replace the existing methods based on manual measurements, approximate visual charts and non-robust imaging techniques. For this purpose, several computational algorithms are written and implemented in MATLAB and operations are performed on particle images. These methods are developed to precisely characterize the particles shape parameters observed at three levels of scales, which are adequate for complete shape characterization. According to Barrett (1980) the particle shape features can be observed independently at three different scales, viz. macro-scale, meso-scale and micro-scale, the shape parameters such as form, roundness and surface texture falls into these three scales respectively. The macro-scale component of form (sphericity) is quantified as per the formula used in the visual chart proposed by Krumbein & Sloss (1951). In light of its continuing popularity and wide usage, the roundness concept proposed by Wadell (1932) is chosen to be the appropriate parameter for meso-scale shape representation. The micro-scale component of surface texture or roughness is measured by the conventional and widely used root mean square definition, by incorporating the use of digital filtering techniques. The distinct concept of angularity as proposed by Lees (1964) is used for effective shape representation of crushed particles. Kinematic behaviour of particles such as sliding, rolling and interlocking are dependent on the geometrical features observed at meso-scale present along their boundaries, which consequently govern the material strength and deformation characteristics. Based on precise identification of such features (concavo-convex regions along particle boundary), a new classification chart is proposed in this thesis to comprehend the kinematics of particles. The effects of critical parameters such as scale, resolution and user defined cutoff values on the quantification of shape parameters are analyzed and eliminated. The proposed methodology is compared with standard visual charts provided by earlier researchers and is demonstrated on real soil particles falling across a wide range of sizes and shapes. Finally, the role of particle shape in governing packing behaviour of aggregates is quantified based on the precise particle shape characterization.

The performance of dental resin-based composites (RBCs) heavily depends on the characteristic properties of the individual filler fraction. As specific information regarding the properties of the filler fraction is often missing, the current study aims to characterize the filler fractions of several contemporary computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) RBCs from a material science point of view. The filler fractions of seven commercially available CAD/CAM RBCs featuring different translucency variants were analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Micro-X-ray Computed Tomography (µXCT), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG) and X-ray Diffractometry (XRD). All CAD/CAM RBCs investigated included midifill hybrid type filler fractions, and the size of the individual particles was clearly larger than the individual specifications of the manufacturer. The fillers in Shofu Block HC featured a sphericity of ≈0.8, while it was <0.7 in all other RBCs. All RBCs featured only X-ray amorphous phases. However, in Lava Ultimate, zircon crystals with low crystallinity were detected. In some CAD/CAM RBCs, inhomogeneities (X-ray opaque fillers or pores) with a size <80 µm were identified, but the effects were minor in relation to the total volume (<0.01 vol.%). The characteristic parameters of the filler fraction in RBCs are essential for the interpretation of the individual material’s mechanical and optical properties.

The purpose of this study was to explore solution strategies that can enhance the achievement of low-performing Grade 12 learners in the following mathematical aspects: finding the general term of a quadratic sequence, factorising third degree polynomials, determining the centre and radius of a circle, and calculating the angle between two lines. A convenience sample of twenty-five low-performing Grade 12 learners from a secondary school in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province participated in the study which adopted a repeated-measures research design. Learners were exposed to multiple solution strategies and data were collected using achievement tests. Findings indicated significant differences in learners‟ average scores due to the solution strategies used. In determining the general term of a quadratic sequence, learners‟ scores were significantly higher when they used formula and the table method than with the method of residues and solving simultaneous equations. Synthetic division made learners to achieve better scores than long division and equating coefficients in factorising third degree polynomials. The use of formulae to find the centre and radius of a circle made learners to have better achievement scores than completing the square. In calculating the angle between two lines learners‟ scores were better using formula and the cosine rule than using theorems. It was concluded that exposing low-performing Grade 12 learners to multiple solution strategies would enhance their achievement in the mathematical aspects explored in the study. Some of the solution strategies that made learners to achieve better results were not in the prescribed mathematics textbooks. The study therefore recommends that mathematics teaching should not be textbook-driven and that low-performing Grade 12 learners should not be regarded as beyond redemption. / Mathematics Education / M.Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

The purpose of this study was to explore solution strategies that can enhance the achievement of low-performing Grade 12 learners in the following mathematical aspects: finding the general term of a quadratic sequence, factorising third degree polynomials, determining the centre and radius of a circle, and calculating the angle between two lines. A convenience sample of twenty-five low-performing Grade 12 learners from a secondary school in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province participated in the study which adopted a repeated-measures research design. Learners were exposed to multiple solution strategies and data were collected using achievement tests. Findings indicated significant differences in learners‟ average scores due to the solution strategies used. In determining the general term of a quadratic sequence, learners‟ scores were significantly higher when they used formula and the table method than with the method of residues and solving simultaneous equations. Synthetic division made learners to achieve better scores than long division and equating coefficients in factorising third degree polynomials. The use of formulae to find the centre and radius of a circle made learners to have better achievement scores than completing the square. In calculating the angle between two lines learners‟ scores were better using formula and the cosine rule than using theorems. It was concluded that exposing low-performing Grade 12 learners to multiple solution strategies would enhance their achievement in the mathematical aspects explored in the study. Some of the solution strategies that made learners to achieve better results were not in the prescribed mathematics textbooks. The study therefore recommends that mathematics teaching should not be textbook-driven and that low-performing Grade 12 learners should not be regarded as beyond redemption. / Mathematics Education / M.Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Hypothyroidism, in both its clinical and subclinical manifestations, is a highly prevalent endocrinopathy among pregnant women. Given the high fetal dependency on maternal thyroid hormones (TH), a shortage of these hormones can be related to long-term effects on organisms, as TH have ubiquitous actions. Particularly, effects of gestational hypothyroidism on kidneys could cause an elevation of blood pressure later in life. An indicator of fetal programming can be the somatic growth of an organism, which, in rats, is hard to be modelled due to persistent growth post-puberty. With this purpose, use of body weight in analysis of variance (ANOVA), taking animal age as repeated measures factor (RMF), can cause nonsphericity in this statistical model. A goal was to evaluate, on adult offspring, the influence of maternal TH deficiency on renal function and on somatic growth, as well the relationship between renal function and systolic arterial pressure (SAP). Additionally, we sought an adequate method of analysis for body weight curves of rats and investigated consequences of using ANOVA as usual for this purpose. Female Wistar rats were divided in three main experimental groups: control euthyroid; hypothyroid by addition of methimazole (0.02%) in drinking water; and euthyroid by hormonal replacement, receiving both methimazole (0.02%) and levothyroxine (T4, 100 μg/L) in drinking water. Treatment was given between gestational days (GD) 9 and 21. On offspring, either nephrectomy or sham-surgery was done at post-coitus day (PCD) 26. Blood pressure was evaluated at around postnatal day (PND) 90, through a tail-plethysmograph. Blood and urine were collected at around PND 110 to evaluate creatinine clearance. To evaluate somatic growth, animals were weighed once to thrice weekly after weaning. Analysis of weight data was done by fitting a modified tetraparametric sigmoid curve to weight data and reducing its parameters by principal component analysis, whereby two principal components were able to retain 92% of original variance of parameters. Experimental gestational hypothyroidism (EGH) had no effect on SAP (p* > 0,200), except through its interaction with estrous cycle. There was a third order interaction concerning estrous phase, nephrectomy and T4 replacement, where the luteal SAP drop was intensified (p* = 0,039). Body weight at PCD 26 did not show any correlation with SAP (p* = 0,716). There was no correlation between SAP and creatinine clearance (p* = 0,803). EGH had no significant effect on creatinine clearance nor on weight curve principal components (p* > 0,200). Thus, given current approach, it was not possible to detect any EGH effect on SAP, neither on renal function, nor on somatic growth. Analysis of body weight curves allowed a precise definition of the beginning of adulthood of animals regarding their somatic growth and elaboration of a simplified model of somatic growth of rats. Also, it was possible to establish an empirical maximum for the coefficient of sphericity of studies which use repeated measures ANOVA to model continuous variables which have been discretized and used as RMF; this can be useful for both experimental planning and previous results reevaluation. / O hipotireoidismo, em suas formas clínica e subclínica, é endocrinopatia de prevalência significativa em mulheres gestantes. Dada a dependência fetal de hormônios tireoideanos (HT) maternos, a sua carência pode estar relacionada a efeitos duradouros no organismo, tendo-se em vista a ação ubíqua dos HT. Em particular, efeitos do hipotireoidismo gestacional no desenvolvimento renal têm o potencial de levar a uma elevação da pressão arterial (PA) na vida adulta. Um indicador da programação fetal pode ser o crescimento somático do organismo, que, em ratos, é difícil de ser modelado devido ao crescimento persistente pós-puberal. Nesse sentido, o uso do peso corporal em análises de variância (ANOVA), tomando-se como fator de medidas repetidas (FMR) a idade do animal, é capaz de violar a premissa de esfericidade do modelo estatístico. Um dos objetivos do estudo foi avaliar, na vida adulta da prole de ratas, a influência da carência dos HT maternos na função renal e no crescimento somático, bem como a relação da função renal com a PA sistólica (PAS). Além disso, buscou-se caracterizar um método adequado de análise de curvas de peso corporal de ratos e investigar as consequências do uso de ANOVA em sua forma tradicional para esse propósito. Ratas Wistar prenhas foram divididas em três grupos experimentais principais: eutireoideanas controle; hipotireoideanas por adição de metimazol (0,02%) na água de beber; e eutireoideanas por reposição hormonal, recebendo tanto metimazol (0,02%) quanto levotiroxina (T4, 100 μg/L) na água de beber. Os tratamentos foram realizados do 9º ao 21º dia de gestação. Com as proles das ratas, foram feitas: cirurgias de nefrectomia ou pseudocirurgia equivalente no 26º dia pós-cópula (DPC); medidas de PAS com cerca de 90 dias pós-natal (DPN) através de um pletismógrafo de cauda; e, coletas de sangue e urina para avaliação do clearance de creatinina com cerca de 110 DPN. Para a avaliação do crescimento somático, os animais foram pesados entre 1 e 3 vezes por semana após o desmame. A análise de curvas de peso corporal foi feita por ajuste de sigmoide de quatro parâmetros, reduzidos a dois componentes principais, mantendo-se 92% da variância original dos parâmetros. O hipotireoidismo gestacional experimental (HGE) não teve efeito significativo sobre a PAS (p* > 0,200), exceto em sua interação com o ciclo estral: houve interação do ciclo estral com a reposição de T4 da mãe e nefrectomia, em que a queda de PAS da fase lútea foi acentuada (p* = 0,039). O peso corporal no 26º DPC não apresentou correlação com a PAS (p* = 0,716). Também não houve correlação entre a PAS e o clearance de creatinina (p* = 0,803). O HGE não teve efeito significativo sobre o clearance de creatinina nem sobre os componentes principais das curvas de peso corporal (p* > 0,200). Portanto, não foi possível verificar, com a abordagem utilizada, qualquer efeito do HGE sobre a PA da prole adulta, nem sobre a função renal e tampouco sobre o crescimento somático. A análise do peso corporal permitiu uma definição precisa do início da vida adulta dos animais quanto ao seu crescimento somático e a elaboração de um modelo conceitual simplificado do crescimento somático de ratos. Além disso, foi possível estabelecer um máximo empírico para o coeficiente de esfericidade de estudos que usam ANOVA de medidas repetidas para modelar variáveis contínuas que tenham sido discretizadas e usadas como FMR; isso pode ser útil tanto no planejamento experimental quanto na reavaliação de achados anteriores. / São Cristóvão, SE

Solving of this diploma thesis is evaluation porosity in sequence on mechanical properties from different Al alloys. Castings were made by gravity casting to the iron-mould or gravity casting to the sand. Measurements (mechanical properties, porosity, DAS - dendrite arm spacing, shape factors and sphericity) were statistically analysed and dependencies which were detected were processed to the graphs.