Studies in Reinforced Concrete involving transference of stresses by bond from steel to concrete require a method for strain measurement in concrete reinforcement which is reliable and free from local effects. A very simple and economical method based on a technique first used by Brice⁶, has been developed using ordinary etched foil electrical resistance strain gauges, applied to the interior of a split pipe, which is joined together by a room-temperature epoxy adhesive, before embedment in concrete as reinforcement. Experiments performed to prove the reliability of the Technique have given indications that stress transference by bond is affected by the volume of concrete surrounding the reinforcement. Some supporting evidence from the results obtained by previous investigators⁴'¹² is presented. Also observed during the "proving experiments" is the pronounced effect of cracks on strain measurements, and the regular spacing of cracks in tensile specimens. A cast-in-situ joint between precast and prestressed members has been studied with the help of the modified technique, and the results point to the formation of micro-cracks detected by local variations in strain measurements which precede visible cracking. These variations, however, tend to disappear on higher or cyclic loading. Also observed during the joint test is the composite action even after complete horizontal slip between the cast-in-situ and precast concrete, provided the two portions are prevented from further slipping, and at high loads when slip is allowed to occur, it is seen that a moment mechanism other than in the composite section governs vertical forces in the stirrups. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Texting has often been treated as verbally minimalist, notionally transactional, and, consequently, expressively impaired due to its text-only (mono-modal) character. Despite this, even with the development of new modes of electronically mediated communication (EMC) which made available a wide range of rich (multi-modal) communicative possibilities, texting has maintained its well-established position. This thesis approaches texting as communicatively rich and explores its expressive possibilities in the context of establishing texters’ deictic centres and representing aspects of physicality. Based on the analysis of nearly two thousand text-messages written by British and Polish native speakers and subsequent semi-formal interviews with the senders, I argue that senders position themselves discursively at one of four locations: their own physical deictic centre, the deictic centre of their communicative partner, a mutually agreed space distinct from either of their deictic centres, or a joint (virtual) communicative location with the recipient. I recognise the existence of social location and negative location, as well as location expressed through actions and motion. Additionally, I establish that physicality and body are represented through a variety of enacted (rather than described) sensory information, including auditory, visual, and kinaesthetic. Through the employment of these discursive tools, which follow certain presentation rules, texters create their alterae personae through which actions are performed in virtual space. I argue that text-messages should not be treated as monomodal, but as characterised by embedded multimodality, a term which I introduce. Methodologically, I draw on interactional sociolinguistics (e.g., Gumperz 1982; Tannen semantics (e.g., Lyons 1977; Talmy 1985; Fauconnier 1985), text-grammar (Nunberg 1990), mediated discourse analysis (e.g., Scollon and Levine 2004), and multimodal discourse analysis (e.g., Norris 2004). This interdisciplinary study advances current knowledge about discursive self-positioning and self-presentation in EMC, and provides insights about texting as a mode of communication that offers wide expressive possibilities despite its physical restrictions. As well as adding to theoretical discussion about motion verbs and performativity, the study contributes to research on deixis, physicality, and place, the expression of which is manifested in text-messages. 1989), performativity and speech act theory (e.g., Austin 1962; Searle 1975, 1979).

This is an experimental study of the plastic yielding of steel columns. It consists of tests of four specimens; two tension coupons, a 12-inch stub column and a 21-inch stub column. The tension tests were used to determine the physical properties of the material while the stub columns demonstrated the effects of residual stress upon the initiation of yielding and the propagation of the yielding. The test procedure used in both the tension tests and the compression tests was the same. The specimen was loaded in increments up to a load just, below the yield point. Beyond that point the specimen was strained at a constant rate in order to neutralize the effects of creep. This test procedure required that all the data for each set of readings be adjusted to give the strain at any gauge on the specimen at the same instant of time. This was done by considering the differences between consecutive sets of readings and adjusting all strains to the strain at the gauge showing the greatest change during the set. This was done by means of a computor [sic] program. During the tests of the stub columns local buckling of the flanges and web was restrained by a system of bars and bracing frames. The system used in the test of the 21-inch stub column proved to be particularly successful. Data was collected from strain gauges in the tension tests and strain and dial gauges in the compression test. The dial gauges in the compression test provided confirmation that the strain gauges accurately represented the state of strain in the specimens and also rotation of the upper end of the stub columns during the tests. There are several general conclusions which, it must be emphasized, are based upon a small number of tests. The yield stress of the tension specimens was greater than of the compression specimens. Yielding initiates at several independent foci rather than propagating from one single point. Yielding, once commenced, generally continued without stopping well into the strain hardened region. Therefore, there are both unyielded material and strain hardened material in the specimen at the same time. The initiation and progress of plastic deformations in the specimen are greatly affected by even small local irregularities. The effect of residual stresses upon the initiation of yielding is not uniform. The strain hardening modulus of the specimens used has been found to be only about one-half of that expected. Wide variation of this property is common. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between texting language and language development amongst Intermediate Phase learners. The study, which used the quantitative approach, sought to determine the influence of learner characteristics on texting language, determine if learners use texting language in the written forms of English, determine if learners are able to write in the standard form of English, and ascertain if texting affects spelling.The target population were learners in the Intermediate Phase, which is learners from Grade 4 up to Grade 6. There were 213 learners who took part in the study. All these learners were from five African schools, and learnt English as a second language. The instrument used for data collection was divided into four sections: demographic characteristics, translation of texts from Standard English to texting language, translation of texts from texting language to Standard English and also spelling. The SPSS version 24 was used to analyse the results collected from the study. The findings of the study reveal that age and the grade that the learner is doing has no influence on texting and the learner’s language development. Gender has an influence on texting and the learner’s language development. Female learners were found to text more than male learners. There is also no relationship between learner’s access to cellular phones and their language development. Learners are texting and they know how to text irrespective of whether they own a cellular phone, have access to one or do not have access to one at all. However, the study revealed that there is a positive relationship between texting language and Standard English. Texting language cannot come into existence without one first learning and knowing the Standard English language.Based on the findings, the study recommended that teachers should recognise the importance of English language and should organise extra-curricular and co-curricular activities to enhance language development in learners. The Department of Education should promote and support activities that will help learners to improve their language skills.

This qualitative study explores how women in emerging adulthood make meaning of text messaging while developing an intimate heterosexual relationship. A focus group consisting of eight women was used in order to understand the way women interpret text messages during the formation of a romantic relationship. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) what is the landscape?, (2) how do I figure it out?, (3) red flags, and (4) a red flag means. Participants described the context in which they enter relationships, and the role texting plays. Different strategies they used to make meaning of ambiguous text messages were discussed. Participants reported behaviors that were identified as red flags and how participants made meaning of those red flags Limitations, clinical implications, and future directions are identified and discussed. / Master of Science

Previous naturalistic driving studies have shown that visual and manual secondary tasks increase driving crash risk. With the increasing use of infotainment systems in vehicles, secondary tasks requiring cognitive executive demand may increase crash risk, especially for young and older drivers. Naturalistic driving data were examined to determine if secondary tasks with increasing cognitive executive demand would result in increasing crash risk. Data were extracted from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study, where vehicles were instrumented to record driving behavior and crash/near-crash data. Cognitive executive and visual-manual tasks paired with a second cognitive executive task were compared to the cognitive executive and visual-manual tasks performed alone. Crash/near-crash odds ratios were computed by comparing each task condition to driving without presence of any secondary task. Dual cognitive executive tasks resulted in greater odds ratios than those for single cognitive executive tasks. The dual visual-manual tasks odds ratios did not increase from single task odds ratios. These effects were only found for young drivers. These findings help validate that cognitive executive secondary task load increases crash/near-crash risk, especially in dual task situations for young drivers. Future research should be conducted to minimize cognitive task load associated with vehicle infotainment systems using such technologies as voice commands. / Master of Science / Previous naturalistic driving studies have shown that visual and manual secondary tasks increase driving crash risk. With the increasing use of infotainment systems in vehicles, secondary tasks requiring cognitive demand may increase crash risk, especially for young and older drivers. Naturalistic driving study data were examined to determine if secondary tasks with increasing proposed cognitive demand would result in increasing crash/near-crash risk. Cognitive and visual-manual tasks paired with a second cognitive task were compared to the cognitive and visual-manual tasks performed alone. It was found that dual cognitive tasks resulted in greater crash/near-crash risk than the single cognitive executive tasks. The dual visual-manual tasks did not show greater crash/near crash risk than the visual-manual tasks performed alone. These effects were only found for young drivers. These findings help validate that cognitive secondary task load increases crash/near-crash risk, especially in dual task situations for young drivers. Future infotainment systems and drivers' education programs should be designed to minimize cognitive loads.

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The problem of this study was to compare the social alienation of upper elementary students receiving reading instruction in five types of environmental settings.

The purpose of this research study was to ascertain the relative level of adoption of the use of web-based media by undergraduates, the results of which will be considered in the creation of health promotion messages and campaigns that are distributed through electronic means to a campus audience. The primary research conducted was a web-based survey of UVM undergraduates, inquiring about the extent to which they consume web delivered media programming, of both news and entertainment, and how they communicate with their peers. Through the use of descriptive statistics, it was learned that more than half of UVM undergraduates (58.7%) watch between one to five minutes of web-based video on a weekly basis, suggesting that the creation of video-based health promotion programming might indeed prove to be an effective approach to raising awareness and promoting behavior change for this population. Additional data reveals how much time respondents do a variety of media activities, as well as their most used means of communication with peers when not with them in person. The study concludes that there is a high enough adoption of the use of web-based media by undergraduates to warrant creating health promotion messages and campaigns that are distributed through electronic means to a campus audience.

abstract: Previous literature was reviewed in an effort to further investigate the link between notification levels of a cell phone and their effects on driver distraction. Mind-wandering has been suggested as an explanation for distraction and has been previously operationalized with oculomotor movement. Mind-wandering’s definition is debated, but in this research it was defined as off task thoughts that occur due to the task not requiring full cognitive capacity. Drivers were asked to operate a driving simulator and follow audio turn by turn directions while experiencing each of three cell phone notification levels: Control (no texts), Airplane (texts with no notifications), and Ringer (audio notifications). Measures of Brake Reaction Time, Headway Variability, and Average Speed were used to operationalize driver distraction. Drivers experienced higher Brake Reaction Time and Headway Variability with a lower Average Speed in both experimental conditions when compared to the Control Condition. This is consistent with previous research in the field of implying a distracted state. Oculomotor movement was measured as the percent time the participant was looking at the road. There was no significant difference between the conditions in this measure. The results of this research indicate that not, while not interacting with a cell phone, no audio notification is required to induce a state of distraction. This phenomenon was unable to be linked to mind-wandering. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Human Systems Engineering 2019