One of the challenges for Airbus preparing a new freighter development process was the design of a solid freighter barrier, which separates the courier area from the cargo compartment. The major task of such a barrier is to protect the passengers against all risks caused due to cargo impact by a justifiable design. These risks may result from all kind of survivable incident and accident scenarios. Real aircraft crashes were analyzed to get away from a static book-case and come to a more realistic dynamic crash scenario. A reduced-order simulation model was built up to investigate and simulate the dynamic effects during crash. The simulation model considers the highly nonlinear stiffness and damping characteristics of all critical cargo types and also includes their energy absorption potentials. A series of full scale container crash tests have been performed at accredited car crash facilities. The test campaigns were complemented by numerous component tests to study also general crash principles. The critical simulation parameters were identified and implemented into the simulation model. The subsequent validation process showed a close agreement between simulation and test. The simulation environment has turned out to be a reliable basis to simulate all critical barrier loads with respect to the specific aircraft loading distributions. The essence of this investigation is an adequate understanding of the real crash effects. The proposed dynamic crash approach is more realistic than the static condition and results in an optimized safety barrier wall concept. This dynamic approach provides equivalent safety compared to the existing devices and is accepted by FAA and EASA.

We consider reduced Hsieh-Clough-Tocher basis functions with respect to a splitting into subtriangles at the barycenter of the original triangular element. This article gives a proof that the second derivatives of those functions, which in general may jump at the subtriangle boundaries, do not jump at the barycenter.

We consider reduced Hsieh-Clough-Tocher basis functions with respect to a splitting into subtriangles at an arbitrary interior point of the original triangular element. This article gives a proof that the second derivatives of those functions, which in general may jump at the subtriangle boundaries, do not jump at the splitting point.

Research on metamaterials has been growing ever since the first experimental realization of double negative media. The theory of transformation optics provides people with a perfect tool to make use of vast possibilities of the constitutive parameters for metamaterials. A lot of fascinating designs have been brought to us by transformation optics, with invisibility cloaks being the most intensely studied. The present thesis aims to develop the basic theory of transformation optics, and utilize it to design invisibility cloaks for various applications. After the background description of this field, the theory of transformation optics is first introduced. Formulas of transformation medium parameters and transformed fields are derived with every detail explained, so that the working knowledge of transformation optics can be grasped with minimal prerequisite mathematics. Proof of form invariance of full Maxwell’s equations with sources is presented. Design procedure of transformation optics is then demonstrated by creating perfect invisibility cloaks. The introduction to basic theory is followed by discussions on our works included in our published papers. As our first application, a method of designing two-dimensional reduced cloaks of complex shapes is proposed to relieve the difficulty of singularity occurring in perfect cloaks. The simple and intuitive method is the first way to design two-dimensional reduced cloaks of shapes other than cylindrical. Elliptical and bowtie shaped reduced cloaks are presented to verify the effectiveness of the method. Prominent scattering reduction is observed for both examples. Considering the practical realization, transformations continuous in the whole space must be the identity operation outside certain volume, and thus they can only manipulate fields locally. Discontinuous transformations are naturally considered to break the limitation. We study the possible reflections from such a transformation medium due to a discontinuous transformation by a new concept of inverse transformation. This way, the reflection falls into the framework of transformation optics as well. A necessary and sufficient condition for no reflection is derived as a special case. Unlike the invisibility realized by perfect cloaks, cloaking an object over a dielectric half-space has advantages in some particular applications. Starting from a perfect cloak, a half-space cloak is designed to achieve this. In our design, two matching strips embedded in the dielectric ground are used to induce proper reflection in the upper air space, so that the reflected field is the same as that from the bare dielectric ground. Cloaks obtained from singular transformations and even reduced models all have null principal value in their material parameters, making invisibility inherently very narrowband. In contrast, a carpet cloak designed by only coordinate deformation does not have the narrowband issue, and can perform well in a broad spectrum. The invisibility accomplished by the carpet cloak is also for the half-space case as our previous design. In this part, we extend the original version of a carpet cloak above a PEC sheet to a general dielectric ground. / QC 20110415

An essential ingredient in the generation of environmentally compatible pulp bleaching chemicals is sodium chlorate. Chlorate is produced in electrochemical cells, where the electrodes are the key components. In Sweden the so-called DSA !R electrodes with catalytic coatings have been produced for more than 35 years. The production of chlorate uses a large amount of electric energy, and a decrease of just five percent of this consumption would, globally, decrease the consumption of electrical energy corresponding to half a nuclear power reactor. The aim of this project is to improve the electrode design on the nanoscale to decrease the energy consumption. The success of the DSA!R depends on the large catalytic area of the coating, however, little is known about the actual structure at the nanometer level. To increase the understanding of the nanostructure of these coatings, we used a number of methods, including atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, porosimetry, and voltammetric charge. We found that the entire coating is built up of loosely packed rutile mono-crystalline 20 − 30 nm sized grains. The small grain sizes give a the large area, and consequently, lower cell-voltage and reduced energy consumption. A method to control the grain size would thus be a way to control the electrode efficiency. To alter the catalytically active area, we made changes in the coating process parameters. We found a dependency of the crystal-grain sizes on the choice of ruthenium precursor and processing temperature. The use of ruthenium nitrosyl nitrate resulted in smaller grains than ruthenium chloride and lowering the temperature tended to favour smaller grains. A more radical way would be to create a totally different type of electrode, manufactured in another way than using the 1965 DSA !R recipe. Such new types of electrodes based on, for example, nanowires or nanoimprint lithography, are discussed as future directions.

Dirvožemio fizikinės savybės yra svarbios dirvožemio drėgmės ir oro režimui, augalų apsirūpinimui maisto medžiagomis. Jos daro įtaką augalų biologinio potencialo formavimuisi, taigi ir derlingumui. Iki šiol Lietuvoje išlieka vyraujanti tradicinė žemės dirbimo sistema, paremta rudeniniu giliu dirvų arimu verstuviniais plūgais. Pastaraisiais metais Lietuvoje pastebimas vis didėjantis susidomėjimas supaprastintu žemės dirbimu. Daugiau nei 50 šalies ūkio subjektų jau taiko praktikoje supaprastintą žemės dirbimą ir, tikėtina, kad ateityje šis skaičius dar didės. Todėl moksliniai tyrimai, kuriuose būtų tiriamos alternatyvios įprastiniam žemės dirbimui sistemos, yra aktualūs. Naudojant vis intensyvesnes žemės dirbimo ir tręšimo technologijas dirvožemyje ima stigti organinių medžiagų, todėl sparčiai vyksta dirvožemio degradacija. Organinės medžiagos lėtina ir stabdo dirvožemyje vykstančius neigiamus procesus, todėl moksliniai tyrimai, susiję su žaliąja trąša bei šiaudų įterpimu į dirvą, tampa vis aktualesnė žemdirbių tarpe. Stacionarus dviejų faktorių lauko eksperimentas įrengtas LŽŪU bandymų stotyje. Bandymų vietos dirvožemis – giliau karbonatingas glėjiškas išplautžemis (Endocarcalic Endohipogleyc Luvisol), vidutinio sunkumo priemolis ant smėlingo lengvo priemolio. Bandymų metu tirta supaprastinto žemės dirbimo, šiaudų bei žaliosios trąšos įterpimo ir tiesioginės sėjos į neįdirbtą dirvą įtaka dirvos fizikinėms savybėms ir sliekų kiekiui. Gauti bandymų rezultatai patvirtina, kad... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Soil physical properties are significant for soil moisture and air movement treatment, providing nutrients for plants. They affect the biological potential formation of plants, and therefore fertility. So far, the traditional tillage system, based on deep mouldboard ploughing in autumn, is predominant in Lithuania. In these latter years, the interest in reduced soil tillage is increasing in Lithuania. More than 50 national agriculture subjects are already practising reduced soil tillage and it seems likely that this number would increase. So that scientific inquiries in alternatives of conventional tillage system are relevant. While using intensive soil tillage and fertilization technologies, begins the deficiency of organic matters and the degradation of soil is occuring rapidly. Organic matter slows down and stops the ongoing negative processes in the soil and therefore research related to green manure and straw incorporation becomes more and more important among farmers. Stationary two-factor field experiment is located at the Experimental Station of Lithuanian University of Agriculture. The soil of the experimental area (Endocarcalic Endohipogleyc Luvisol), medium weight loam over light sandy loam. The influence of reduced soil tillage systems or no-tillage (direct drilling) systems on soil physical properties and quantity of earthworms is analyzed in the experiment. The test results confirm that reduced soil tillage or no-tillage (direct drilling) systems are not... [to full text]

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamajame darbe pateikiami ilgalaikio supaprastinto žemės dirbimo ir tiesioginės sėjos įtaka žieminių kviečių agrocenozei tyrimo rezultatai. Darbo objektas – pagrindinio žemės dirbimo būdai žieminiams kviečiams. Darbo metodai: buvo tirti tokie žemės dirbimo būdai: 1) įprastinis arimas 23–25 cm gyliu; 2) seklusis arimas 12–14 cm gyliu; 3) gilusis purenimas 23–25 cm gyliu; 4) seklusis purenimas 12–15 cm gyliu; 5) tiesioginė sėja į neįdirbtą dirvą. Atlikti šie stebėjimai: Dirvos agrocheminių savybių nustatymas, piktžolėtumo nustatymas, žieminių kviečių daigų tankumas, sliekų kiekis dirvoje, produktyvių stiebų tankumas, derliaus apskaita, bei 1000 grūdų masė. Darbo rezultatai. Nustatyta, kad tiesioginė sėja, bei gilusis purenimas esmingai padidino trumpaamžių piktžolių daigų tankumą žieminių kviečių pasėlyje, o taikant seklaus purenimo būdą esmingai padidėjo daugiamečių piktžolių daigų tankumas lyginant su įprastai suarta dirva. Žieminių kviečių vegetacijos pabaigoje esmingai padidėjo daugiamečių piktžolių masė sekliai artuose, giliai purentuose ir sekliai purentuose laukeliuose, lyginant su įprastiniu arimu. Įprastinį arimą pakeitus giliu purenimu, sekliu purenimu ir tiesiogine sėja į neįdirbtą dirvą, atsinaujinus žieminių kviečių vegetacijai nustatyta esmingai didesnis dirvinio garstuko daigų tankumas. Taikant ilgalaikę tiesioginę sėją žieminių kviečių vegetacijos pabaigoje nustatyta esmingai didesnis paprastosios rietmenės daigų skaičius ir masė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Master's thesis presents the results of the investigation of effects of long-term reduced tillage and direct seeding on winter wheat agrocenoses. Object of work – are the main methods of tillage for winter wheat. Research methods: the following tillage methods were investigated: 1) conventional ploughing at the depth of 23–25 cm, 2) shallow ploughing at the depth of 12–14 cm, 3) deep loosening at the depth of 23–25 cm, 4) shallow loosening at the depth of 12–15 cm; 5) direct seeding into uncultivated soil. The following sampling were performed: soil agrochemical properties, weed abundance, winter wheat seedling density, quantity of earthworms in soil, productive stems density, yield and 1000 grain weight. Results. It was found that direct seeding and deep loosening substantially increased the annual weed seedling density of winter wheat crop, while the shallow method of loosening significantly increased weed seedling density compared to normal ploughing soil. The mass of perennial weeds has increased substantially at the end of the winter wheat growing season in shallow ploughing, deeply loosened and shallow ploughing plots compared to conventional ploughing. When normal ploughing was replaced with deep loosening, shallow loosening and direct seeding in the uncultivated soil after the recurrence of winter wheat vegetation, the density of Sinapis arvensis L. shoots increased significantly. When applying long-term direct seeding at the end of winter wheat growing season, the... [to full text]

The CANDU Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactor’s extreme operating conditions and single-loop design have fuelled a need for better understanding of hydrothermal chemistry. This thesis reports the thermal stability and decomposition kinetics of perchloric acid in quartz and Pyrex® cells. HClO4 is an appropriate internal standard for Raman measurements of nickel(II) chloro complexes in quartz cells up to 200 ºC Raman spectroscopy. This thesis also reports the first Raman spectra for Ni2+, NiCl+ and NiCl2 from 8 to 120 ºC. Due to very weak bands and overlap of the contributing species, a thermodynamic speciation model, principle component analysis, and quantum mechanical predictions of the nickel(II) chloro Raman spectra were required to assign peaks. The assignment was confirmed by calculating temperature independent scattering coefficients from the spectra. This is the first study to obtain a spectrum for NiCl2 below 100 ºC. / University of Guelph, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Bruce Power, University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Natural Resources Canada, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Canada Foundation for Innovation

iv ABSTRACT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF REDUCED SIZE PLANAR SPIRAL ANTENNA IN THE 0.5-18 GHz FREQUENCY RANGE YILDIZ, 5nan&ccedil / M.S., Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Altunkan HIZAL October 2004, 106 pages In this thesis, theoretical and practical evaluation of usual spiral antenna is revised. Working principles of both types of planar spiral antennas as Equiangular and Archimedean are introduced. A predesigned microstrip tapered balun used for feeding section of a spiral antenna is simulated on Ansoft HFSS software. Successful simulation results are obtained and measurements of implemented balun structure are made by using an HP 8722 D vector network analyzer. Antenna measurement techniques used in this study are introduced. Measurement set-ups are defined and some preliminary knowledge is given on these. As the main matter of thesis, reduced size planar spiral antennas are designed and implemented. Return loss, gain / radiation and polarization patterns of antennas are measured. Datasets of measurements are compared with each other and with reference spiral antenna. Quite promising results are obtained and size reduction of spiral antenna is achieved in many aspects.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease in which the motor neurons die in a progressive manner, leading to paralysis and muscle wasting. ALS is always fatal, usually through respiratory failure when the disease reaches muscles needed for breathing. Most cases are sporadic, but approximately 5–10% are familial. The first gene to be linked to familial ALS encodes the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1). Today, more than 160 different mutations in SOD1 have been found in ALS patients.  The mutant SOD1 proteins cause ALS by gain of a toxic property that should be common to all. Aggregates of SOD1 in motor neurons are hallmarks of ALS patients and transgenic models carrying mutant SOD1s, suggesting that misfolding, oligomerization, and aggregation of the protein may be involved in the pathogenesis. SOD1 is normally a very stable enzyme, but the structure has several components that make SOD1 sensitive to misfolding. The aim of the work in this thesis was to study misfolded SOD1 in vivo. Small amounts of soluble misfolded SOD1 were identified as a common denominator in transgenic ALS models expressing widely different forms of mutant SOD1, as well as wild-type SOD1. The highest levels of misfolded SOD1 were found in the vulnerable spinal cord. The amounts of misfolded SOD1 were similar in all the different models and showed a broad correlation with the lifespan of the different mouse strains. The misfolded SOD1 lacked the C57-C146 intrasubunit disulfide bond and the stabilizing zinc and copper ions, and was prinsipally monomeric. Forms with higher apparent molecular weights were also found, some of which might be oligomers. Misfolding-prone monomeric SOD1 appeared to be the principal source of misfolded SOD1 in the CNS. Misfolded SOD1 in the spinal cord was found to interact mainly with chaperones, with Hsc70 being the most important. Only a minor proportion of the Hsc70 was sequestered by SOD1, however, suggesting that chaperone depletion is not involved in ALS.  SOD1 is normally found in the cytoplasm but can be secreted. Extracellular mutant SOD1 has been found to be toxic to motor neurons and glial cells. Misfolded SOD1 in the extracellular space could be involved in the spread of the disease between different areas of the CNS and activate glial cells known to be important in ALS. The best way to study the interstitium of the CNS is through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 30% of which is derived from the interstitial fluid. Antibodies specific for misfolded SOD1 were used to probe CSF from ALS patients and controls for misfolded SOD1. We did find misfolded SOD1 in CSF, but at very low levels, and there was no difference between ALS patients and controls. This argues against there being a direct toxic effect of extracellular SOD1 in ALS pathogenesis. In conclusion, soluble misfolded SOD1 is a common denominator for transgenic ALS model mice expressing widely different mutant SOD1 proteins. The misfolded SOD1 is mainly monomeric, but also bound to chaperones, and possibly exists in oligomeric forms also. Misfolded SOD1 in the interstitium might promote spread of aggregation and activate glial cells, but it is too scarce to directly cause cytotoxicity.