Ce travail de recherche s'intéresse à l'utilisation d'actionneur piézoélectrique à onde progressive dans le cadre d'un contexte de retour d'effort comme un choix alternatif par rapport à l'actionneur électromagnétique utilisé très souvent dans le domaine haptique. Ainsi, à partir d'une étude sur les caractéristiques dynamiques et mécaniques du moteur USR30, on a proposé un modèle global en GIC qui prend en compte les phénomènes non linéaires intrinsèques dans le moteur. En inversant ce modèle de GIC, on arrive à valider deux types de commande à retour d'effort, enfin, en présentant les résultats expérimentaux à base de la plateforme de 1ddl de digitracker, la réalisation d'un environnement virtuel qui comprend un ressort et un mur virtuels devient possible. / This research work is interested in the use of travelling wave ultrasonic motor within the framework of a context of force feedback as an alternative choice with regard to the electromagnetic motor which is often used in the haptic domain. So, from a study on the dynamic and mechanical characteristics of the motor USR30, we proposed a global model in GIC who takes into account the intrinsic not linear phenomena in the motor. By inverting this model of GIC, we manage to validate two types of control in force feedback; finally, by presenting the experimental results based of the platform of 1ddl of digitracker, the realization of a virtual environment which includes a virtual spring and a virtual wall becomes possible.

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Ziel dieser Studie war es, mögliche Veränderungen des psychischen Befindens sowie Ausprägungen der Persönlichkeitsdimensionen Extraversion und Neurotizismus im Verlauf der Übungen der Progressiven Muskelrelaxation zu untersuchen. Weiterhin sollte der Einfluss der Persönlichkeitsmerkmale auf die Veränderung des Befindens überprüft werden. Im theoretischen Teil der Arbeit wurde die Entstehung und Wirkungsweise der PR, Eysencks Theorien und die bisherige Literatur zum Thema dargestellt. Zum Einen konnte festgesellt werden, dass die PR als Teil unterschiedlicher Therapieintervention Einfluss auf das Befinden und die Persönlichkeitsmerkmale hat. Zum Anderen wurde deutlich, dass die Wirkung der PR auf das psychische Befinden und Persönlichkeitsausprägung durch verschiedene, sich gegenseitig bedingende Faktoren, beeinflusst wird. Folgende Hypothesen wurden aufgestellt: Im Verlauf eines Kurses der PR verbessert sich das psychische Befinden. Zugleich nimmt der Neurotizismuswert ab und der Extraversionswert zu. Außerdem hängt das Ausmaß der Veränderung des psychischen Befindens mit der Persönlichkeits-ausprägung zu Beginn der Durchführung der PR zusammen. Introvertierte und emotional Labile sollen deutlicher von der Wirkung der PR profitieren als Extrovertierte und emotional Stabile. 93 Probanden füllten zu vier Messzeitpunkten vor, während und nach der PR Fragebögen (Eysenck-Persönlichkeits-Inventar, Form A und Eigenschaftswörterliste, Normalform) aus. Die Ergebnisse zeigen keine Veränderung des Extraversionswertes, wohingegen es nach Beendigung der Übungen zu einer signifikanten Besserung der emotionalen Stabilität kam, was sich in einer Verringerung des Neurotizismuswertes äußerte. Es konnte während und nach Durchführung der PR eine signifikante Verringerung des negativen und Zunahme des positiven Befindens festgestellt werden. Eine Abhängigkeit der Veränderung des Befindens von den Persönlichkeitsdimensionen ließ sich nicht nachweisen. Die Annahme, dass vor allem emotional Labile und Introvertierte eine Verbesserung des Befindens zeigen, ließ sich nicht bestätigen. Unter Beachtung, dass die tatsächlich involvierten Daten etwa der Hälfte der insgesamt an der Studie teilgenommenen Probanden entsprechen sowie unter Berücksichtigung des Studiendesigns (Ein-Gruppen-Prä-Post-Studie ohne Kontrollgruppe), kann man abschließend formulieren, dass die PR zur Verbesserung der Stimmungslage und Erlangung einer psychischen Stabilität beiträgt, unabhängig von der Ausprägung des Extraversions- und Neurotizismusgrades. / The aim of this study was to examine possible changes of the psychic condition as well as stamping of the personality dimensions extra version and neuroticism in the course of the exercises of the progressive muscle-relaxation. Furthermore the influence of the personality signs on the change of the condition should be checked.In the theoretical part of the work the origin and impact of the PR, Eysencks theories and the present literature was shown on the subject. To the one could be joined that the PR has influence on the condition and the personality signs as a part of different therapy intervention. To the other became clear that the effect of the PR on the psychic condition and personality stamping is influenced by different, itself mutually conditional factors. The following hypotheses were made: During a course of the PR the psychic condition improves. At the same time decreases the value of neuroticism and increases the value of extra version. Moreover, the magnitude of the change of the psychic condition is related to the personality stamping at the beginning of the implementation of the PR. Introverted and emotionally unstable should profit more clearly from the effect of the PR than extrovert and emotionally stable. 93 test persons filled questionnaires (Eysenck Personality Inventory, form A and Eigenschaftswörterliste, normal form) at four measuring time points before, during and after the PR. The results show no change of the value of extra version, while it came after ending of the exercises for a significant improvement in emotional stability hich was expressed in a reduction of the value oft neuroticism. It was observed during and after implementation of the PR a significant reduction of the negative and increase of the positive condition. A dependence of the change of the condition of the personality dimensions cannot be proved. The assumption that mainly emotionally unstable and introverts show an improvement of state cannot be confirmed. Considering that the really involved data correspond approximately to half of the test persons taken part all together in the study and taking into account the study (single-group pre-post study without a control group), one can formulate finally that the PR contributes for mood enhancement and acquisition of a psychic stability, regardless of the stamping of the extraversion and neuroticism.

This research focuses on improvements and application of 1D finite elements for nonlinear dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete frames under extreme loadings. The concept of force interpolation is adopted for the element formulation and a solution scheme developed based on a total secant stiffness approach that provides good convergence characteristics. The geometrical nonlinearities including 2nd order P-Delta effects as well as catenary action are considered in the element formulation. It is shown that geometrical nonlinearities may have a significant effect on member (structure) response within extreme loading scenarios. In the analysis of structures subjected to extreme loadings, accurately modelling of the post peak response is vital and, in this respect, the objectivity of the solution with softening must be maintained. The softening of concrete under compression is taken into account, and the objectivity preserved, by adopting a nonlocal damage model for the compressive concrete. The capability of nonlocal flexibility-based formulation for capturing the post-peak response of reinforced concrete beam-columns is demonstrated by numerical examples. The 1D frame element model is extended for the modelling of 3D framed structures using a simplified torque-twist model that is developed to take account of interaction between normal and tangential forces at the section level. This simplified model can capture the variation of element torsional stiffness due to presence of axial force, bending moment and shear and is efficient and is shown to provide a reasonable degree of accuracy for the analysis of 3D reinforced concrete frames. The formulations and solution algorithms developed are tested for static and dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete framed structures with examples on impact analysis of beams, dynamic analysis of frames and progressive collapse assessment of frames taken from the literature. The verification shows that the formulation is very efficient and is capable of modelling of large scale framed structures, under extreme loads, quickly and with accuracy.

This thesis characterises the cortical pattern of degeneration in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and its consequences. Global atrophy was first examined using a recently developed staging scheme in pathologically-proven PSP cases compared with other tauopathies: gross atrophy was not observed in PSP. Quantification of regional volume loss throughout the brain was then used to determine the magnitude of more focal tissue atrophy in PSP, cortical dysfunction was investigated by measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes, and several cortical cellular pathologies were analysed. Any changes observed were related to each other and clinical assessments of motor, cognitive and behavioural abnormalities. At mid-stage PSP, frontal and subcortical atrophy related to decreased CBF in the frontal cortex and cognitive decline. Parietocerebellar CBF increases were also identified (related to frontal CBF deficits) and related to motor and non-motor deficits. By end-stage PSP, focal atrophy had advanced from frontal and subcortical structures to include atrophy in the parietal lobe. Parietal lobe atrophy related to behavioural abnormalities. Histopathological analysis at end-stage revealed that the cortical atrophy and cell loss does not relate to tau deposition. The focal cortical cell loss related exclusively to motor deficits whilst the more widespread cortical tau deposition related to cognitive and behavioural impairments. Both the tau deposition and these non-motor impairments increased in severity over time. The results show that frontal atrophy and dysfunction occurs rapidly and early in PSP and relate to increasing cognitive deficits. Such deficits appear to cause compensatory CBF enhancement in parietocerebellar regions which then also undergo rapid and severe neurodegeneration. These later changes occur in concert with the more classic PSP symptoms, such as oculomotor features. Throughout the disease, the progressive increase in frontotemporal tau deposition contributes to cognitive and behavioural deficits which become most marked late in the disease. The findings strongly suggest that progressive clinical dysfunction in PSP is directly related to progressive cortical degeneration. Cortical degeneration appears to occur in two independent functional networks. Increased CBF in PSP may be a useful early indicator for future neurodegeneration, although the cellular mechanism leading to cell death requires further investigation.

It is common for an oil well to produce a mixture of hydrocarbons that flash when exposed to atmospheric pressure. The separation of oil and gas mixtures on site may prove expensive and lead to higher infrastructure and maintenance costs as well. A multiphase pump offers a good alternative with a lower capital cost and increased overall production. A Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP) is a positive displacement pump type that can be used to pump a wide range of multiphase mixtures, including high viscosity fluids with entrained gas and solid particles in suspension. Despite its advantages, a PCP has a reduced ability to handle high gas-liquid ratios due to limitations of its elastomeric stator material required to overcome thermo and mechanical effects. Also the efficiency decreases significantly with increases in gas volume fractions and reduced differential pressures. The current study focuses on studying the behavior of this unique pump in a wide range of GVFs and studying the effect of this ratio on overall efficiency, temperature and pressure distribution on the stator. The pump exhibits vibration issues at specific differential pressures and they have been studied in this work. This can be of critical value as severe vibration issues can damage the pump components such as couplings and bearings leading to high maintenance costs. Another important issue addressed by this research is the behavior of this pump in transient conditions. Oil well production is highly unpredictable with unexpected rises and drops in GVFs. These transient conditions have been simulated by varying the GVF over wide ranges and studying the pump's behavior in terms of load, temperature rises and instantaneous pressure profiles on the pump stator. This thesis provides a comprehensive study of this pump, its operating ranges and behavior in off-design conditions to assist oil and gas exploration ventures in making an informed choice in pump selection for their applications based on field conditions.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 400-482). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

The effectiveness of progressive relaxation training in decreasing the severity of neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia (TD) was examined in the current study. Three residents at a county-owned nursing home who had been receiving neuroleptic medications for a number of years to treat severe mental illness participated in this study. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used to evaluate the effect of progressive relaxation training on the participant's orofacial TD symptomatology. The severity of each participant's orofacial TD was observed to improve when the intervention was introduced. Treatment integrity and IOA data that were collected indicate that the intervention was implemented at a high level of fidelity and that data were reliable. Thus, a clear functional relationship was established between progressive relaxation training and severity of orofacial TD in this study. Although the present study was preliminary in nature, the results that were obtained provide a basis upon which to develop a behavioral treatment protocol for managing TD.