Acoustic communication in anurans plays a critical role in species recognition, defending territories and resources, and finding a mate. Anurans use a number of different call note types to communicate, from which the most notable are advertisement- and aggression calls. Optimum weather conditions are a precursor to the commencement of the breeding season for all frog species and their calling behaviour is therefore readily influenced by atmospheric conditions. Male frogs within a chorus also tend to call from territories within a specific range of distances from one another. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine a possible context in which call note types are produced, 2) to determine the effect of atmospheric conditions on calling behaviour and 3) to determine the spacing distances between males and females in a chorus of Queckett’s River Frog (Amietia quecketti). Pre-recorded note types were used in a playback experiment to determine a context for elicited responses. A context was derived for six of the responses. Advertisement (clicks and whines), aggression (creaks), encounter (tonal notes), territorial (whine-tonal notes), and release calls (squeaks) were described. Calls and atmospheric conditions were recorded and correlated for an entire breeding season. Water temperature, wind speed, humidity and barometric pressure had a significant effect on calling intensity. As water temperature decreased calling intensity increased, while increased wind temperature led to increased calling intensity. Amietia quecketti calls from the water, explaining the effect while increased wind speed decreases water temperature and can carry sound further. Both humidity and barometric pressure showed increased calling intensity only at specific levels. Humidity and barometric pressure have a direct effect on one another, which most likely causes the correlation between calling intensity and both these variables. In this study A. quecketti was shown to have breeding ponds for males and resting ponds and positions for non-gravid females. This prevents unwanted or unnecessary amplexus. Males showed much smaller and less variable territory sizes than females. This is most likely because males have a small range of optimal spacing distance while females move towards and away from males. The presence of vegetation resulted in smaller territories. This is possibly because smaller males act as satellite males and cannot be seen by larger males in vegetation. The size of males did not affect territory size. Males have a specific inter-male spacing distance regardless of size. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Acoustic communication in anurans plays a critical role in species recognition, defending territories and resources, and finding a mate. Anurans use a number of different call note types to communicate, from which the most notable are advertisement- and aggression calls. Optimum weather conditions are a precursor to the commencement of the breeding season for all frog species and their calling behaviour is therefore readily influenced by atmospheric conditions. Male frogs within a chorus also tend to call from territories within a specific range of distances from one another. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine a possible context in which call note types are produced, 2) to determine the effect of atmospheric conditions on calling behaviour and 3) to determine the spacing distances between males and females in a chorus of Queckett’s River Frog (Amietia quecketti). Pre-recorded note types were used in a playback experiment to determine a context for elicited responses. A context was derived for six of the responses. Advertisement (clicks and whines), aggression (creaks), encounter (tonal notes), territorial (whine-tonal notes), and release calls (squeaks) were described. Calls and atmospheric conditions were recorded and correlated for an entire breeding season. Water temperature, wind speed, humidity and barometric pressure had a significant effect on calling intensity. As water temperature decreased calling intensity increased, while increased wind temperature led to increased calling intensity. Amietia quecketti calls from the water, explaining the effect while increased wind speed decreases water temperature and can carry sound further. Both humidity and barometric pressure showed increased calling intensity only at specific levels. Humidity and barometric pressure have a direct effect on one another, which most likely causes the correlation between calling intensity and both these variables. In this study A. quecketti was shown to have breeding ponds for males and resting ponds and positions for non-gravid females. This prevents unwanted or unnecessary amplexus. Males showed much smaller and less variable territory sizes than females. This is most likely because males have a small range of optimal spacing distance while females move towards and away from males. The presence of vegetation resulted in smaller territories. This is possibly because smaller males act as satellite males and cannot be seen by larger males in vegetation. The size of males did not affect territory size. Males have a specific inter-male spacing distance regardless of size. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

ITC/USA 2006 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Second Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 23-26, 2006 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / A rocket launch, as high dynamics target, was used to demonstrate X-band tracking and also to verify high bit rate frequency planning while demonstrating significant bandwidth reduction with IRIG standard advanced modulation methods. X-band tracking by a modified 8-foot mobile telemetry antenna was excellent. Three separate S-band transmitters with three separate wraparound antennas were launched as a piggyback payload on an Enhanced Orion sounding rocket at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) to compare the performance of 10 Mbs and 20 Mbs bit error rate (BER) pattern data transmission from CPFSK, FQPSK-JR and ARTM CPM modulation formats under high dynamic conditions. The test is more remarkable in that another S-band wideband spread spectrum signal was also transmitted with good success. These results show that all three modulation methods performed well during ignition and liftoff, low aspect angle (receiving through the rocket motor plume during ascent from a tracker near the launch pad), spin stabilization antenna lobe fades and payload tumbling. Spectrum pictures are provided to show the dramatic reduction in transmission bandwidth from CPFSK to FQPSK-JR to ARTM CPM. Confirmation of the preflight RF adjacent channel interference planning procedures from IRIG 106-05 is described by spectrum pictures and data quality measurements.

This thesis describes the metallurgical and environmental factors that influence hydrogen embrittlement of super duplex stainless steels and presents a model to predict the rate at which embrittlement occurs. Super duplex stainless steel has an austenite and ferrite microstructure with an average fraction of each phase of approximately 50%. An investigation was carried out on the metallurgical and environmental factors that influence hydrogen embrittlement of super duplex stainless steels. Tensile specimens of super duplex stainless steel were pre-charged with hydrogen for two weeks in 3.5% NaCl solution at 50º C at a range of applied potentials to simulate the conditions that exist when subsea oilfield components are cathodically protected in seawater. The pre-charged specimens were then tested in a slow strain rate tensile test and their susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement was assessed by the failure time, reduction in cross-sectional area and examination of the fracture surface. The ferrite and austenite in the duplex microstructures were identified by analysing their Cr, Ni, Mo and N contents in an electron microscope, as these elements partition in different concentrations in the two phases. It was shown that hydrogen embrittlement occurred in the ferrite phase, whereas the austenite failed in a ductile manner. An embrittled region existed around the circumference of each fracture surface and the depth of this embrittlement depended on the hydrogen charging time and the potential at which the charging had been carried out. The depth of embrittlement was shown to correlate with the rate of hydrogen diffusion in the alloy, which was measured electrochemically using hydrogen permeation and galvanostatic methods. A two-dimensional diffusion model was used to calculate the hydrogen distribution profiles for each experimental condition and the model could be employed to provide predictions of expected failure times in stressed engineering components.

M.Ing. (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) / Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is proposed to assist drivers tedious manual acceleration or braking of the vehicle, as well as with maintaining a safe headway time gap. This thesis proposes, simulates, and implements a vision-based ACC system which uses a single camera to obtain the clearance distance between the preceding vehicle and the ACC vehicle. A three-step vehicle detection framework is used to obtain the position of the lead vehicle in the image. The vehicle coordinates are used in conjunction with the lane width at that point to estimate the longitudinal clearance range. A Kalman filter filters this range signal and tracks the vehicle’s longitudinal position. Since image processing algorithms are computationally intensive, this document addresses how adaptive image cropping improves the update frequency of the vision-based range sensor. A basic model of a vehicle is then derived for which a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller with gain scheduling is used for ACC. A simulation of the system determines whether the ACC algorithm will work on an actual vehicle.

Fifty-one subjects each performed two trials which consisted of traversing a horizontal ladder. Film records were made of each trial using a high-speed camera. Absolute and relative temporal and kinematic parameters were obtained from the film records. The conclusions were that there was no age related interaction or differences in preferred rung spacing or contact/airborne times. A Chi-Square analysis did show a preference for a specific gait pattern for the six year old age group.

Com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento fenológico, morfológico e produtivo de cultivares de algodoeiro com diferentes arquiteturas de plantas em diferentes espaçamentos, através do manejo com regulador de crescimento, foi realizado o presente trabalho, na área experimental da ESALQ/USP, no município de Piracicaba, Estado de São Paulo, no ano agrícola de 2000/01. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso com parcelas sub-subdivididas e 4 repetições. As parcelas constituíram-se dos espaçamentos de 0,76 e 1,01 m, as subparcelas das três cultivares (IAC 23, DeltaOpal e CD 401) e as sub-subparcelas em presença ou ausência de regulador de crescimento. Em seis plantas marcadas de cada parcela foram analisados os seguintes parâmetros: acompanhamento das fases fenológicas (emergência, aparecimento do primeiro botão floral, antese da primeira flor e abertura do primeiro capulho) e caracteres agronômicos de campo (altura de planta, diâmetro do caule, número de ramos vegetativos e frutíferos, conformação da planta, número de capulhos por planta e altura de inserção do primeiro ramo frutífero). Na área útil de cada parcela foi determinada, a produção de algodão em caroço por hectare e a precocidade de colheita. Em amostras de 20 capulhos tomadas aleatoriamente em cada parcela foram realizadas as análises dos caracteres agronômicos de laboratório (massa de 100 sementes, porcentagem de fibras e massa média de um capulho) e das características tecnológicas da fibra (comprimento, uniformidade de comprimento, maturidade, tenacidade e índice micronaire). Os resultados obtidos permitem concluir que não houve interações significativas para as cultivares x espaçamentos x regulador de crescimento, para a produção de algodão em caroço, precocidade de colheita, caracteres agronômicos de laboratório e características tecnológicas das fibras, com exceção da tenacidade. Desta forma, as cultivares avaliadas, independente da arquitetura da planta, apresentaram capacidade de ajustar-se às variações dos espaçamentos testados e aplicação de regulador de crescimento com relação a estas características. Os caracteres agronômicos de campo como: a altura das plantas e o diâmetro de caule, de modo geral, apresentaram médias reduzidas com a redução do espaçamento e aplicação do regulador de crescimento, para as cultivares de desenvolvimento mais vigoroso (IAC 23 e DeltaOpal), não influenciando, porém, a cultivar de plantas morfologicamente mais compactas (CD 401). / The purpose of this work was to study the phenological, morphological and productive behavior of cotton cultivars presenting different plant shapes under different spacing layouts managed with the use of plant growth regulator. The experiment was established in the experimental field of ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, during the 2000/01 growing season and was arranged in a randomized block experimental design with subdivided plots and 4 replications. The plots represented spacing layouts of 0.76 and 1.01 m, subplots consisted of the IAC 23, DeltaOpal and CD 401 cultivars, while the sub-subplots were characterized by the use or absence of growth regulator. Six plants per plot were labeled and analyzed for the phenological phases (emergence, appearance of the first flower bud, anthesis of the first flower, opening of the first cotton boll) and field agronomical characteristics (plant height, stem diameter, number of vegetative and fruit branches, plant shape, number of cotton boll per plant and insertion height of the first fruit branch). The harvest early and raw cotton yield per hectare were determined considering the effective plot area. The agronomical lab characteristics (mass of 100 seeds, fiber percentage and cotton boll mass), as well as the fiber technological characteristics (length, length uniformity, maturity, strength, and micronaire) were analyzed using a sample of 20 bolls taken at random. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that there were no significant interactions among cultivars x spacing x growth regulator, as to cotton yield, harvest early, agronomical lab characteristics and fiber technological characteristics, except for stremgth. The analyzed cultivars, regardless of the plant shape, showed good adaptation to the variation in spacing layouts, as well as to the application of growth regulator, considering the analyzed characteristics. The field agronomical characteristics, such as plant height and stem diameter, generally decreased with the reduction in spacing and with the application of growth regulator, considering the most vigorous cultivars (IAC 23 and DeltaOpal). On the other hand, the cultivar presenting a more compact plant (CD 401) pattern was not influenced by spacing or use of growth regulator.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-25T19:29:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marina Senger.pdf: 672810 bytes, checksum: 4349ab10f1f5d2436d6c99566564a482 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-22 / The arrangement of plants spaced paired is one of the management practices being used in some cultures and has resulted in increased yield. Aiming to evaluate the arrangements and plant density on agronomic characteristics, yield components and yield of two cultivars of wheat and barley, there were four experiments, differing in culture and farming in the city of PontaGrossa, PR, 2012. The experimental design used in was randomized blocks in a 2x4 factorial design with four replications. The treatments consisted of two plant arrangements (single spaced and paired) and four plant densities (45, 60, 75 and90plantsm-1). Treatments were applied in two wheat cultivars (BRS-Tangará and Marfim) and two barley (BRSCauêandMN-743). Increasing plant density reduced the number of tillers, stem diameter and number of spikelets per spikein wheat and barley, promoted height increaseonly inBRSCauêand lowerthousand grain weightin cultivarsBRS-Tangará e Marfim. In bothwheat cultivarsspacingpairedpromotedfewerspikeper square meter, higherthousand grain weightandlower yield. In the twobarley cultivarsin the spacing paired occurred fewer spikes persquare meter.On BRS-Cauê pacingpairedincreasedyieldandMN-743 pairedspacinghigher yieldsin the density of90plantsper meter. / O arranjo de plantas em espaçamento pareado é uma das práticas de manejo que está sendo utilizada em algumas culturas e tem resultado em aumento de produtividade. Com o objetivo de avaliar arranjos e densidades de plantas em características agronômicas, componentes de produção e produtividade de duas cultivares de trigo e de cevada, realizaram-se quatro experimentos, diferindo pela cultura e cultivar, no município de Ponta Grossa, PR, no ano de 2012. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2x4 com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos constaram de dois arranjos de plantas (espaçamento simples e pareado) e quatro densidades de plantas (45, 60, 75 e 90 plantas.m-1). Os tratamentos foram aplicados em duas cultivares de trigo (BRS-Tangará e Marfim) e em duas de cevada (BRSCâue e MN-743). O aumento da densidade de plantas reduziu o número de perfilhos, o diâmetro do caule e o número de espiguetas por espiga no trigo e na cevada,promoveu aumento da altura apenas na cultivar BRS-Câue e menor massa de mil grãos nas cultivares Marfim e BRS-Tangará. Nas duas cultivares de trigo o espaçamento pareado promoveu menor número de espiga por metro quadrado, maior massa de mil grãos e menor produtividade. Nas duas cultivares de cevada no espaçamento pareado ocorreu menor número de espigas por metro quadrado. Na cultivar BRS-Câue o espaçamento pareado aumentou a produtividade e para MN-743 o espaçamento pareado promoveu maior produtividade na densidade de 90 plantas por metro.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-25T19:30:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mario Drehmer.pdf: 1462702 bytes, checksum: 7907dd5e2b6ced42d2e8deb5d0c94bd3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-21 / The bean crop yield can be substantially affected by row spacing and sowing density. Aiming to evaluate the effect of different plant populations and row spacing in the yield components and bean crop yield, there were four experiments, differing by cultivars type and sowing time in the city of Ponta Grossa, PR, in the years 2013 and 2014. The experimental design in both sowing time (water and dry) and two cultivars (IPR-Uirapuru and IPR-Tangara) was a randomized block in a factorial scheme (2 x 5), two spacing (22 and 45 cm between rows) with five densities (5, 8, 11, 14, 17 plants per row meter). It was evaluated the components of yield and yield of crop. In the first sowing time in both cultivars it was observed that the reduction of row spacing resulted in reducing the number of pods per plant and number of grains per pod, while the thousand grain weight was little affected by variations in arrangements population. In both cultivars yield differences were observed between seeding rates, however, only the cultivar IPR-Uirapuru had difference between the spacings. The yield was lower in the spacing of 45 cm between rows only in 5 plants per meter density. In the second sowing time the yield components and crop yield were affected by plant spacing, and this influence was less about the weight of a thousand grains. In the second sowing time was not observed yield differences for cultivars depending on the row spacing. At this time, only the IPR-Tangara showed yield differences between the plant densities. For both cultivars, in the first and the second sowing time, 11-14 plants per meter, which is the recommendation for culture, obtained the best yields, while reducing the spacing between rows did not offer benefits because it did not increase cultivars yields and require greater investment in seeds and possible machine adaptations for reduced spacing. The spacing and density of recommendations can be used in both sowing time. / A produtividade da cultura do feijão pode ser substancialmente afetada pelo espaçamento entre fileiras e a densidade de semeadura. Com o objetivo de avaliar a influência de diferentes densidades de semeadura e espaçamentos entre fileiras nos componentes de produção e na produtividade da cultura do feijão, realizaram-se quatro experimentos, diferindo pela cultivar e época de semeadura, no município de Ponta Grossa, PR, nos anos de 2013 e 2014. O delineamento experimental utilizado nas duas épocas (águas e secas) e nas duas cultivares (IPR-Uirapuru e IPR-Tangará) foi de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial (2 X 5),espaçamentos de 22,0 e 45,0 cm entre fileiras com densidades de 5, 8, 11, 14 e 17 plantas por metro de fileira. Foram avaliados os componentes da produção e a produtividade de grãos da cultura. Na primeira época de semeadura, em ambas as cultivares observou-se que a diminuição do espaçamento entre fileiras resultou na redução do número de vagens por planta e número de grãos por vagem, enquanto que a massa de mil grãos foi pouco afetada pelas variações de arranjos populacionais. Nas duas cultivares foram observadas diferenças de produtividade entre as densidades de semeadura, entretanto, somente na cultivar IPRUirapuru ocorreu diferença entre os espaçamentos, em que, a produtividade foi menor no espaçamento de 45 cm entre fileiras somente na densidade de cinco plantas por metro linear. Na segunda época de semeadura os componentes da produção e a produtividade foram afetados pelo arranjo de plantas, sendo que esta influência foi menor sobre a massa de mil grãos. Na segunda época de semeadura não foram observadas diferenças de produtividade para as cultivares em função do espaçamento entre fileiras. Nesta época, somente a cultivar IPR-Tangará apresentou diferença de produtividade entre as densidades de semeadura. Para as duas cultivares semeadas tanto na primeira quanto na segunda época, densidades de 11 a 14 plantas por metro linear, que é a recomendação para a cultura obtiveram as melhores produtividades, enquanto que a redução do espaçamento entre fileiras não ofereceu benefícios, pois não aumentou a produtividade das cultivares e exigiria um maior investimento em sementes e possíveis adaptações de máquinas para o espaçamento reduzido. As recomendações de espaçamento e densidade podem ser utilizadas tanto na primeira como na segunda época de cultivo.

A pesquisa relativa ao transporte ferroviário no Brasil tem se intensificado nos últimos anos visando principalmente a melhoria no desempenho do par rodatrilho. Isso se deve à demanda de se transportar cada vez mais carga por eixo com a finalidade de reduzir o custo de transporte. Através de mudanças na microestrutura do material ou de mudanças na composição das ligas utilizadas na fabricação pode se aumentar a resistência do par roda-trilho. Neste trabalho foi analisada a influência de diferentes microestruturas (puramente perlíticas e perlíticas-bainíticas), obtidas por meio de tratamento térmico por dilatometria, nas propriedades de um aço alto carbono similar ao utilizado em rodas convencionais classe C AAR destinadas ao transporte de carga pesada. As análises empregaram técnicas metalográficas (identificação de fases presentes e distância interlamelar da perlita), ensaios magnéticos (saturação magnética e ruído magnético de Barkhausen), ensaio mecânico de dureza e ensaio tribológico de resistência ao desgaste por deslizamento. Foram caracterizadas rodas ferroviárias classe C AAR em quatro condições distintas: usadas e novas, fundidas e forjadas. / Research about rail transport in Brazil has been intensified recently due the need to improve the wheel-rail performance, considering the demand of increasing axle load aiming for transportation cost reduction. Changes in the material microstructure or in the alloys composition can improve the wheel-rail resistance. A eutectoid steel similar to that used in conventional class C AAR wheels (designed to heavy haul transportation - high loads and low speeds) was submitted to isothermal heat treatments applying dilatometry techniques at ten different cycles. Different microstructures (totally pearlitic and pearlitic-bainitic) were obtained and their influence on the mechanical and magnetic properties was analyzed. The analysis included metallographic techniques (identification of phases and pearlite interlamellar spacing), magnetic testing (magnetic saturation and magnetic Barkhausen noise) and mechanical testing (hardness and pin-ondisc tests). Railway wheels Class C ARR were characterized in four different conditions: new and used, cast and forged.