“‘Am I Sexy Yet?’: Contextualizing the Movement of Exotic Dance and Its Effects on Female Dancers’ Self-image and Sexual Expression” looks at exotic dancing in three contexts––a pole fitness studio, a strip club, and a college dance concert––and how the movement is experienced by the dancers in each space. It questions how the movement changes meaning for the dancers, audience, and mainstream culture based on the context and location, even with similar content. Specifically, it analyzes how the experiences of the dancers affect their self confidence, sexuality, and sexual expression. Then, it applies Audre Lorde's “Uses of the Erotic” to their experiences to show how this movement can be looked at through a different lens as deeper, more freeing, and more transgressive than it is usually thought to be.

Models, modelling and control design play important parts in automatic control. The contributions in this thesis concern topics in all three of these concepts. The poles are of fundamental importance when analyzing the behaviour of a system, and pole placement is an intuitive and natural approach for control design. A novel parameterization for state feedback gains for pole placement in the linear multiple input case is presented and analyzed. It is shown that when the open and closed loop poles are disjunct, every state feedback gain can be parameterized. Other properties are also investigated. Hammerstein models have a static non-linearity on the input. A method for exact compensation of such non-linearities, combined with introduction of integral action, is presented. Instead of inversion of the non-linearity the method utilizes differentiation, which in many cases is simpler. A partial differential equation (PDE) can be regarded as an infinite order model. Many model based control design techniques, like linear quadratic Gaussian control (LQG), require finite order models. Active damping of vibrations in a viscoelastic beam, modelled as a PDE, is considered. The beam is actuated by piezoelectric elements and its movements are measured by strain gauges. LQG design is used, for which different finite order models, approximating the PDE model, are constructed. The so obtained controllers are evaluated on the original PDE model. Minimization of the measured strain yields a satisfactory performance, but minimization of transversal deflection does not. The effect of the model accuracy of the finite order model approximations is also investigated. It turns out that a model with higher accuracy in a specified frequency interval gives controllers with better performance. The wave equation is another PDE. A PDE model, with one spatial dimension, is established. It describes wave propagation in a tube perforated with helical slots. The model describes waves of both extensional and torsional type, as well as the coupling between the two wave types. Experimental data are used for estimation of model parameters, and for assessment of the proposed model in two different cases. The model is found adequate when certain geometrical assumptions are valid.

This thesis presents novel series compensation schemes and adaptive control techniques to enhance power system dynamics through damping Subsynchronous Resonance (SSR) and low-frequency power oscillations: local and inter-area oscillations. Series capacitive compensation of transmission lines is used to improve power transfer capability of the transmission line and is economical compared to the addition of new lines. However, one of the impeding factors for the increased utilization of series capacitive compensation is the potential risk of SSR, where electrical energy is exchanged with turbine-generator shaft systems in a growing manner which can result in shaft damage. Furthermore, the fixed capacitor does not provide controllable reactance and does not aid in the low-frequency oscillations damping. The Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) controllers have the flexibility of controlling both real and reactive power which could provide an excellent capability for improving power system dynamics. Several studies have investigated the potential of using this capability in mitigating the low-frequency (electromechanical) as well as the subsynchronous resonance (SSR) oscillations. However, the practical implementations of FACTS devices are very limited due to their high cost. To address this issue, this thesis proposes a new series capacitive compensation concept capable of enhancing power system dynamics. The idea behind the concept is a series capacitive compensation which provides balanced compensation at the power frequency while it provides phase unbalance at other frequencies of oscillations. The compensation scheme is a combination of a single-phase Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC) or Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC) and a fixed series capacitors in series in one phase of the compensated transmission line and fixed capacitors on the other two phases. The proposed scheme is economical compared to a full three-phase FACTS counterpart and improves reliability of the device by reducing number of switching components. The phase unbalance during transients reduces the coupling strength between the mechanical and the electrical system at asynchronous oscillations, thus suppressing the build-up of torsional stresses on the generator shaft systems. The SSR oscillations damping capability of the schemes is validated through detailed time-domain electromagnetic transient simulation studies on the IEEE first and second benchmark models. Furthermore, as the proposed schemes provide controllable reactance through TCSC or SSSC, the supplementary controllers can be implemented to damp low-frequency power oscillations as well. The low-frequency damping capability of the schemes is validated through detail time-domain electromagnetic transient simulation studies on two machines systems connected to a very large system and a three-area, six-machine power system. The simulation studies are carried out using commercially available electromagnetic transient simulation tools (EMTP-RV and PSCAD/EMTDC). An adaptive controller consisting of a robust on-line identifier, namely a robust Recursive Least Square (RLS), and a Pole-Shift (PS) controller is also proposed to provide optimal damping over a wide range of power system operations. The proposed identifier penalizes large estimated errors and smooth-out the change in parameters during large power system disturbances. The PS control is ideal for its robustness and stability conditions. The combination results in a computationally efficient estimator and a controller suitable for optimal control over wider range of operations of a non-linear system such as power system. The most important aspect of the controller is that it can be designed with an approximate linearized model of the complete power system, and does not need to be re-tuned after it is commissioned. The damping capability of such controller is demonstrated through detail studies on a three-area test system and on an IEEE 12-bus test system. Finally, the adaptive control algorithm is developed on a Digital Signal Processing Board, and the performance is experimentally tested using hardware-in-the-loop studies. For this purpose, a Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) is used, which is capable of simulating power system in real-time at 50 µs simulation time step. The RTDS facilitates the performance evaluation of a controller just like testing on a real power system. The experimental results match closely with the simulation results; which demonstrated the practical applicability of the adaptive controller in power systems. The proposed controller is computationally efficient and simple to implement in DSP hardware.

This thesis involves modeling, guidance, control, and flight simulations of a canard controlled guided missile. The autopilot is designed by a pole placement technique. Designed autopilot is used with the guidance systems considered in the thesis. Five different guidance methods are applied in the thesis, one of which is the famous proportional navigation guidance. The other four guidance methods are different fuzzy logic guidance systems designed considering different types of guidance inputs. Simulations are done against five different target types and the performances of the five guidance methods are compared and discussed.

The IceCube Neutrino Telescope is designed to detect high energy neutrinos with a large array of photomultiplier tubes placed deep within the Antarctic ice. The way that light propagates through the ice needs to be modelled accurately to enable the paths of charged particles to be reconstructed from the distribution of their Cerenkov radiation. Light travelling through even the purest of ice will undergo scattering and absorption processes, however the ice in which IceCube is embedded has optical properties that vary significantly with depth which need to be accurately modelled. Currently, simulation of the muon background using the current ice model is unable to fully replicate experimental data. In this thesis we investigate a potential method of improving on the current generation of ice models. We introduce thin, highly absorbing layers into the current description of the detection medium and investigate the effect on the simulation of muon tracks in IceCube. We find that better agreement between simulation and data can be seen in the occupancy of optical modules, through the introduction of such absorptive layers into the existing ice layers.

Σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η ανάλυση της λειτουργίας τριφασικής σύγχρονης γεννήτριας εκτύπων πόλων κατά την εκκίνηση, καθώς και την ηλεκτρομαγνητική μελέτη ενός συστήματος δύο βαθμών ελευθερίας (στρόβιλος-γεννήτρια). Τέλος, θα γίνει σχολιασμός των αποτελεσμάτων. / The aim of the thesis is to study and analyze the operation of three phase synchronous generators with salient poles at startup, and electromechanical advancement of a system of two degrees of freedom (turbinegenerator) which is oscillated. Comments of the findings will follow in the last chapter. The thesis is structured in five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the literature review where there is a general description of the basics of electric energy and the principles regarding the construction and operation of synchronous machines and in particular three-phase synchronous machines with salient poles. In chapter 2, a comprehensive analysis of oscillating systems is made of one and two degrees of freedom. A comparison is then made between linear and rotary motion. In the end the mathematical model of a rotating part with two degrees of freedom and the constant of twisted spring is presented. Chapter 3 shows the main steps followed during the design stage of the model and it includes images of the main parts of the generator and the control windows of the software Opera-2d. In Chapter 4 we make a reference to the PI-controller which was used to control the speed of the generator. Then we give the parameters of analysis. In Chapter 5 shows the presentation of the simulation results during the startup of the synchronous generator until the steady state.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-12-07Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:44:20Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 schoenlein_nc_dr_rcla.pdf: 708327 bytes, checksum: 8cde8b071e32b6d7c6b3ae6e75ecacae (MD5) / O solo do pólo cerâmico de Santa Gertrudes tem sido poluído há décadas por diversos elementos, como Pb, Zn e outros. Foram realizadas quatro coletas de solo (duas durante a época chuvosa e duas na seca), em cinco locais, entre novembro de 2002 a junho de 2003; mediram-se temperaturas, pH, teores de Pb, Zn e umidade. Os fungos foram isolados através do método de Warcup, modificado, com a utilização de meios de extrato de malte agar (MEA) a 2%, adicionados com doses crescentes de nitrato de Zn e de Pb, sendo as colônias purificadas e identificadas. Foram obtidos 70 táxons de fungos anamorfos com 70% de similaridade entre as micotas obtidas com os dois metais. Foram isolados 43 taxons dos meios de cultura com Pb, havendo predominância de isolamentos nos teores mais elevados (500 a 1000 mg Pb/dm3). Foram obtidos 63 táxons nos meios com Zn, com teores de 200 a 500 mg /dm3. Predominaram espécies de Trichoderma, Penicillium e outras usualmente associadas a substratos em decomposição. Estabelecida a diversidade dos fungos, estudou-se a tolerância do Aspergillus terreus e do Paecilomyces lilacinus a nitratos de Pb e Zn. Foi usado o meio Czapek, com a adição de 250; 500; 750 e 1000 mg de Pb por dm3 e 1.000; 2.000; 3.000; 4.000; 6.000; 8.000 e 10.000 mg de Zn por dm3 .Com os dados obtidos, foi possível cálcular o teor do metal que inibe 50% e 100% do crescimento da biomassa EC 50 e/ou EC100 .Para o A. terreus foram encontrados: EC 50 Pb= 489,05 mg/dm3 ; EC 100 Pb = 1.049,08 mg/dm3 ; EC50 Zn = 81,26 mg/dm3 ; EC100 Zn= 6.360,98 mg/dm3 . Para o P. lilacinus foram encontrados: EC 50 Pb = 1.147,89 mg/dm3; EC 100 Pb = 2.389,45 mg/dm3 ; EC 50 Zn= 8.323,75 mg/dm3; EC 100 Zn= 15.995,36 mg/dm3 . Em relação à sensibilidade a Pb e a Zn, o A. terreus apresentou sensibilidades maiores do que o P. lilacinus. Constatou-se também, que a sensibilidade do A . terreus a Zn foi maior do que ao Pb. / The soil of the ceramic pole, has been polluted since decades by several elements, mainly lead and zinc. Four soil sample collections were conducted (2 during the rainy and 2 in the dry season) at 5 sites, between november 2002 and june 2003, measuring the temperature, pH and the content of Pb, Zn and moisture in the soil. The fungi were obtained by the modified Warcup's soil plate method, using malt extract agar (2%), added of increasing dosis of Zn and Pb salts.The colonies were purified and identified .Seventy anamorphs were obtained, with 70% of similarity between the mycotas isolated from the culture media added with the metals. Fourty three taxa were isolated from the culture media with Pb, with predominance of isolations in higher Pb concentrations (500 to 1000 mg Pb per dm3). 63 taxa were obtained in the media with Zn, mainly in the concentrations between 200 and 500 mg Zn per dm3. Species of Trichoderma, Penicillium and several fungi usually found in decomposing plant debris prevailed. After determining the diversity of fungi in the ceramic pole, Aspergillus terreus and Paecilomyces lilacinus were submitted to tests of tolerance to Pb and Zn. A modified medium Czapek was used amended with 250; 500; 750 and 1000 mg of Pb per dm3 and 1000; 2000; 3000; 4000; 6000; 8000 and 10000 for Paecilomyces lilacinus mg of Zn per dm3 . Afterwards it was possible to calculate the effective concentrations inhibiting growth by 50% and 100% values ( EC50 and EC100 ). Values obtained for A terreus: EC 50 Pb = 489,05 mg/dm3 ; EC 100 Pb= 1.049,08 mg/dm3 ; EC 50 Zn= 81,26 mg/dm3; EC 100 Zn= 6.360,98 mg/dm3 .Values obtained for P. lilacinus; EC 50 Pb = 1.147,89 mg/dm3 ; EC 100 Pb = 2.389,45 mg/dm3 ; EC 50 Zn = 8.323,79 mg/dm3 ; EC 100 Zn = 15.995,36 mg/dm3 . With regards to the sensitivity to lead and zinc, A. terreus showed greater sensitivity than P. lilacinus. A greater sensitivity of A. terreus for zinc than lead was recorded.

A presente tese é uma pesquisa composta de duas partes. A primeira e principal é constituída do ensaio em economia aplicada denominado “Emprego e investimentos no Polo Naval de Rio Grande”. O estudo analisa a atividade econômica e o emprego no setor naval dos municípios do Polo Naval de Rio Grande, correspondente aos investimentos de produção nos estaleiros, e estima seus efeitos sobre o emprego agregado desses municípios. Documenta diversas características e fatos do emprego naquele setor e procede a uma investigação minuciosa da sua sazonalidade. Importantes correlações deste com o de outros setores selecionados também foram identificadas. Na análise do impacto sobre o emprego agregado, utiliza-se uma especificação diferenciada do modelo diff-in-diff e estima-se um efeito médio ponderado significativo, heterogêneo no tempo e entre os municípios. Já a segunda parte da tese, complementar à primeira, é composta de dois ensaios: um em teoria econômica e outro em economia aplicada. Ambos estão relacionados ao conceito e medida de credibilidade. Em economia monetária o termo credibilidade tem sido interpretado com distintos significados e predicados. Como consequência, as confusões e perda de eficiência acabam retardando o avanço teórico e empírico de questões importantes. O ensaio “Credibilidade: o conceito” busca organizar a interpretação e a medida de credibilidade, principalmente no contexto monetário. Nele propõe-se um conceito abrangente, baseado na linguagem natural e que aninha diversas interpretações, formalizando-o matematicamente na estrutura da Teoria da Probabilidade, na qual também construi-se a medida. No outro ensaio, denominado “Credibilidade: aplicação empírica”, realiza-se uma aplicação do conceito e da medida de credibilidade construídos no anterior. Utilizando dados de um survey de expectativas de inflação (pontuais e probabilísticas) para a economia dos Estados Unidos, estima-se diversas credibilidades para variados horizontes temporais e focos. Emprega-se métodos não-paramétricos para as estimações (spline e kernel), com especificações adaptadas à particularidade dos dados. / The present thesis is a research composed of two parts. The first and main consists of the essay in applied economy called “Emprego e investimentos no Polo Naval de Rio Grande”. The study analyzes the employment in the naval sector of the Rio Grande Naval Pole municipalities, correspondent to the production investments in the shipyards, and estimates their effects on the aggregate employment of these municipalities. It documents various characteristics and facts of employment in that sector and proceeds to a thorough investigation of its seasonality. Moreover, important correlations between this and other selected sectors were identified. In the analysis of impact on aggregate employment we used a differentiated specification of the model diff-in-diff, and estimated a weighted average effect, which is heterogeneous in time and between municipalities. Now, the second part of the thesis, complementary to the first one, is composed of two essays: one in economic theory and the other in applied economics. Both are related to the concept and measure of credibility. In monetary economics the term credibility has been interpreted with different meanings and predicates. Consequently, the confusions and loss of efficiency slow down the theoretical and empirical advancement of important issues. The essay “Credibilidade: o conceito” seeks to organize the interpretation and measurement of credibility, especially in the monetary context. In that essay are proposed a comprehensive concept, based on natural language and that nestles diverse interpretations, formalizing it mathematically in the framework of Probability Theory, in which the measure was also constructed. In the other essay, called “Credibilidade: aplicação empírica”, we apply the concept and measure of credibility built in the previous one. Using data from a survey of inflation expectations (both point and probabilistic) for the US economy, we estimate various credibilities for various time horizons and focus. We use non-parametric methods (spline and kernel) to estimate, with specifications adapted to the particularity of the data.

Dissertation was worked on the theme " Project and surveying of the network for planimetry and hight points in the area of the river Jenín using several methods". Target of this dissertation was building of point field, their planimetry and altitude destination like basis for another telemetry in range. On the basis of geodetic and map data was effected reconnaissance of the area, estimation of current point field, their completion to required density and locating new points by geodetic and GPS methods. It was built net of 16 points of the detailed planimetry point field and eight of them was subjekt of my dissertation. For planimetry and altitude survey by GPS method was used Trimble 4600LS device. By geodetic method points was located by electronic total station Leica TCR 407 power. Altitude of the three points was determined by the technical levelling using levelling machine Topcon AT {--} 22A and the other hights of points was calculated trigonometrically. Part of dissertation was processing of surveyed data, execution of graphic enclosure and comparing both methods.

The use of conformal transformation as a method for generating solutions of Einstein's equations has been mainly studied in the cases where the original spacetime is vacuum. The generated spacetimes then frequently belong to the class of pp-waves. In the present work, the electrovacuum spacetimes are stud- ied, i.e the solutions of coupled Einstein's and Maxwell's equations. By using the conformal transformation, it is possible to circumvent solving the later equa- tions. This method is concretely studied for null Einstein-Maxwell fields and it turns out that the admissible spacetimes are pp-waves again. However, if the method is generalized, it is possible to enlarge the class of conformal null Einstein-Maxwell fields to a wider family of Kundt spacetimes. 1