Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-79).

abstract: The experience base of practitioners with expansive soils is largely devoid of directly measured soil suction. This historical lack of soil suction measurement represents an impediment to adoption of modern unsaturated soil engineering to problems of expansive soils. Most notably, soil suction-based analyses are paramount to proper design of foundations in expansive soils. Naturally, the best method to obtain design suction profiles is to perform an appropriate geotechnical investigation that involves soil moisture change-appropriate drilling depths, sampling intervals, and requisite laboratory testing, including suction measurement. However, as practitioners are slow to embrace changes in methodology, specifically regarding the adoption of even relatively simple suction measurement techniques, it has become imperative to develop a method by which the routine geotechnical procedures currently employed can be used to arrive at acceptable approximations of soil suction profiles. Herein, a substitute, or surrogate, for soil suction is presented, such that the surrogate agrees with observed field soil suction patterns and provides estimates of soil suction that are acceptable for use in practice. Field investigations with extensive laboratory testing, including direct suction measurement, are used in development of the soil suction surrogate. This surrogate, a function of water content and routinely measured soil index properties, is then used in estimation of field expansive soil suction values. The suction surrogate, together with existing geotechnical engineering reports, is used to augment the limited existing database of field soil suction profiles. This augmented soil suction profile database is used in development of recommendations for design suction envelopes and design suction profiles. Using the suction surrogate, it is possible to proceed from the beginning to the end of the Suction-Oedometer soil heave/shrinkage analysis without directly measuring soil suction. The magnitude of suction surrogate-based heave estimates is essentially the same as heave estimates obtained using direct soil suction measurements. The soil suction surrogate-based approach, which uses a complete-stress-state approach, considering both net normal stress and soil suction, is an intermediate step towards the adoption of unsaturated soil engineering in expansive soils analyses, wherein direct soil suction measurements are routinely made. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2019

The material presented in this thesis falls into three main sections: 1) The measurement of nebulizer suction and its applications. Three methods of measurement of nebulizer suction were evaluated. The potential and limitations of each method was assessed. The most reliable and generally applicable method was measurement with a mercury manometer via a T-piece during aspiration, but after correction for suction drops along all the nebulizer capillaries and across connections. The measurement of suction was then applied to practical problems in AAS, i.e. the lack of dependence of signal on sample solution temperature, and to provide immediate warning of drift in aspiration rate. 2) Observations and causes of deposition in spray chambers. The deposition patterns of aerosol lost in the spray chamber was studied using a lithium tracer. Areas of high turbulence were identified and their positions related to the deposition patterns. The nebulizer/spray chamber system was considered to fulfill a sub-sampling role and the dual roles of pneumatic nebulizer as pumps and sub-samplers were critically discussed. 3) Observations on impactors in flame AAS. Five techniques for the evaluation of the effects of impact beads and other impactors were evaluated, i) aerosol droplet size distributions ii) aspiration of dye solutions iii) aerosol sizing with a second species introduced through the bead iv) effects on linear absorbance range v) effects on the extent of chemical interference The advantages and disadvantages of each technique were considered and the value of impactors critically appraised. An assessment was then made of the extent to which an impact cup or bead may be used to regulate sensitivity in flame AAS with a view to increasing the useful working ranges of calibration graphs.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1984. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-29).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1985. / Typescript (photocopy). eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-103).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-57).

Abstract TGF-βs are cytokines that signal through the receptor complex of type I and type II receptors. Hemidesmosome (BP180, BP230, plectin/HD1, α6β4 integrin), anchoring filaments (laminin 5), and anchoring fibrils (collagen VII) form a hemidesmosomal adhesion complex that provides stable adherence of keratinocytes to the epidermal basement membrane. Nidogen, collagen IV, and laminins are components of the basement membrane, integrins are cell adhesion molecules, and tenascin-C is a matrix protein. The expression of TGF-β receptors I and II was studied in normal epidermis and lesional and non-lesional psoriatic epidermis by immunohistochemistry. TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 in suction blister fluid and serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Suction blister fluid and serum samples were obtained from acne patients before and after oral isotretinoin treatment. Suction blister fluid samples were also obtained from healthy volunteers in two age groups from a control site and a betamethasone-pretreated site. The expression of BP180, BP230, plectin/HD1, α6 integrin, β4 integrin, laminin 5, collagen VII, collagen IV, nidogen, laminin α3 chain, and laminin β1g1 chains was studied in uninvolved dermatitis herpetiformis skin by the immunofluorescence technique. The ultrastructure of the hemidesmosomal inner plaque was studied in uninvolved dermatitis herpetiformis skin by electron microscopy. The suction blister method was used to study intact blisters, open wounds (=blister roofs removed right after blister induction) and calcipotriol-pretreated open wounds in healthy volunteers. The reepithelialization rate and the expression of BP180, BP230, plectin/HD1, β4 integrin, laminin 5, collagen VII, laminin α5 chain, laminin β1 chain, tenascin-C, αvβ5 integrin, β5 integrin, α5 integrin, and α9 integrin during reepithelialization were studied by haematoxylin and eosin stainings and the immunofluorescence technique. BP180, BP230, and plectin/HD1 expression were analyzed by body site to exclude regional variation. In normal epidermis, TGF-β receptors I and II were detected in the basal epidermis. Diffusion calculations suggest that circulation is likely to be a major source of TGF-β for TGF-β receptors in the basal epidermis. Downregulation of TGF-β receptors I and II was seen in lesional psoriatic epidermis, suggesting that hyperproliferating lesional epidermis may have lost TGF-β-mediated growth inhibition. Isotretinoin did not affect the serum TGF-β1 or TGF-β2 levels, but caused a 19% local increase in suction blister fluid TGF-β1. Betamethasone caused a 17% decrease in suction blister fluid TGF-β1, presumably due to glucocorticoid-induced vasoconstriction. Modulation of the interstitial fluid TGF-β1 concentration may be one mechanism by which isotretinoin and betamethasone mediate their effects in skin. Immunoreactivity for BP230 and plectin/HD1 was decreased in the basement membrane zone in uninvolved dermatitis herpetiformis skin in a significant proportion of the patients, suggesting distinct molecular changes in BP230 and plectin/HD1. This may be a factor contributing to blister formation. Reepithelialization rate was considerably slower in intact blisters than in open wounds and was not affected by calcipotriol. BP230 and plectin/HD1 appeared earlier in intact blisters than in open wounds. Reepithelialization took place on a continuous laminin sheath in intact blisters, but the laminin sheath in open wounds was partially discontinuous. It was a novel finding that integrin αvβ5 and integrin β5 antibodies showed divergent distributions in regenerating epidermis. The present results suggest that, in some bullous diseases, removal of the blister roof could accelerate blister healing, calcipotriol treatment does not delay wound epithelialization, a continuous laminin sheath may inhibit reepithelialization, and the formation of the hemidesmosomal inner plaque at the leading edge takes place earlier in the more slowly reepithelializing intact blisters than in open wounds.

Petroleum exploration and production in recent years have moved into increasingly deeper water off the continental shelf. Some of these facilities are anchored in water depths in excess of 1000 meters. Exploration and production in deep water present new technological challenges where traditional fixed platforms have given way to floating structures. Today suction caissons are the most commonly used anchorage system for permanent offshore oil production facility. The objective of this study is to numerically predict the ultimate capacity of suction caissons in normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays. Representative soil profile from the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea are taken and analyzed for suction caissons with length over diameter ratios of 2, 4, 6 & 8. Normalized failure load interaction diagrams are generated for each of the cases. The location of optimum attachment point is also reported for each of the cases. General purpose finite element computer program ABAQUS is used for the numerical prediction. The finite element study is carried out with three-dimensional models using hybrid elements. A simplified elastic perfectly plastic model with von-Mises yield criterion is used for the study. The saturated clay is treated as an incompressible material. Results of the study compares well with existing simplified method for estimating load capacity of suction caisson anchors.

Petroleum exploration and production in recent years have moved into increasingly deeper water off the continental shelf. Some of these facilities are anchored in water depths in excess of 1000 meters. Exploration and production in deep water present new technological challenges where traditional fixed platforms have given way to floating structures. Today suction caissons are the most commonly used anchorage system for permanent offshore oil production facility. The objective of this study is to numerically predict the ultimate capacity of suction caissons in normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays. Representative soil profile from the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea are taken and analyzed for suction caissons with length over diameter ratios of 2, 4, 6 & 8. Normalized failure load interaction diagrams are generated for each of the cases. The location of optimum attachment point is also reported for each of the cases. General purpose finite element computer program ABAQUS is used for the numerical prediction. The finite element study is carried out with three-dimensional models using hybrid elements. A simplified elastic perfectly plastic model with von-Mises yield criterion is used for the study. The saturated clay is treated as an incompressible material. Results of the study compares well with existing simplified method for estimating load capacity of suction caisson anchors.

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are a composite material commonly used as hydraulic barriers in landfill liners. Due to their dependence on hydration for proper function, the water retention curve (WRC) of a GCL is important. The inherent difficulty in obtaining the WRC, including the range of suction and composite material, has limited the number of GCL WRCs in the literature. In order to quantify the large range of suctions, a dual testing technique was developed, which uses a high capacity tensiometer to measure suctions for the low suction range (0 - 500 kPa) and a relative humidity sensor for the high suction range (3,000 - 1,000,000 kPa). In total, four different GCL products were tested, varying in both materials (woven and nonwoven geotextiles) and construction methods (thermal treatment and needle punching). The dual technique method was used to establish both wetting and drying curves that were presented as gravimetric, volumetric and bulk GCL void ratio WRCs. The WRCs of the different GCL products showed significant variation between their wetting and drying curves indicating that both needle punching and thermal treatment have a significant effect on the swelling behaviour of the GCL and its WRC. Theoretical equations were fit to the experimental data establishing the parameters that can be used for numerical modeling of these four GCL products. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-22 14:37:55.196