The diploma thesis deals with organization and planning railway tracks possessions. The first part includes introduction to basic terms. The second one continues with analysis of regulation of planning railway tracks possessions provided by SŽDC. Then the thesis points at the deficiencies in relation to relations between the railway operator and operator of the railway transport. The last part analyzes the costs, additional costs and lost profits of affected entities in connection with the selected tracks possessions.

PEPT (positron emission particle tracking) is a technique for tracking a small radioactive tracer in Lagrangian co-ordinates. The technique was used to study the flow patterns of non-Newtonian CMC (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose) solutions inside a vessel agitated by an axial flow impeller. The 'non-intrusive' PEPT technique uses two position-sensitive detectors to track a radioactive particle in space and time. The particle is labelled with a positron emitting isotope. Once emitted from the nucleus a positron annihilates with an electron releasing energy in the form of two 511 keV back-to-back gamma-rays travelling in opposite directions, 180 degrees apart. The tracer particle is introduced into the stirred vessel which is mounted between the two detectors of the positron camera. Three axial flow impellers produced by Lightnin Mixers Ltd were used to carry out the experiments. Results showed that the discharge from the three impellers was radial when agitating non-Newtonian viscous solutions of CMC. Trajectory analysis was used to compare the performance of the impellers using the agitation index and the efficiency of circulation. A limited number of experiments was carried out to compare the effect of baffles on the circulation of the fluids in a mixing tank. The results showed that mixing of these non-Newtonian liquids in an unbaffled tank is better than in a baffled tank when using axial flow impellers. Other experiments were carried out to suspend solid particles in viscous fluids. Results showed that the minimum speed required to suspend large particles is lower than that required to suspend small particles. There are many correlations and models in the literature to determine the minimum speed required to suspend all the particles in a fluid; some of these correlations and models were compared with experimental results from this work. The correlation of Zweitering (1958) agreed with experimental data after modification. The Geisler et al. (1993) model agreed with the data provided that the power consumption is correctly substituted. The last part of this work concerned the flow of non-Newtonian viscous materials through industrial equipment. Yoghurt was chosen as the test fluid as one of the companies sponsoring this project was Eden Vale, a yoghurt manufacturer. A method was proposed using rheological measurements to simulate the flow through the dispensing pipeline and distributing nozzles; this method allows the designer to predict the final properties of yoghurt after passing through the paching head. Measurements were also carried out to determine the final gel structure of yoghurt in the delivery pots. This data of this thesis is useful in designing stirred tanks when non-Newtonian fluid is present, either for agitation or when suspending solids. Also, a method was provided to design yoghurt manufacturing line.

The design, implementation, management and the evaluation of sound conservation practices, is often dependent on the availability of reliable estimates of animal abundance. Large carnivores often pose particular problems in this regard, due to their low densities and wide-ranging behaviour, so the true abundance of such species are seldom able to be reported in literature . As a result, the use of indices of abundance, mostly for relative abundance, has been investigated. However, before these indices can be reliably utilized for conservation purposes , there is a pressing need to calibrate them. As of yet, calibration studies have primarily been performed on demarcated conservation areas, where individuals could be individually identified. Not all these calibrations studies reported indices to be a function of true density. Nevertheless , spoor frequency has been reported to be a function of true density for carnivores in certain Parks in Namibia . Precisely , cheetah spoor density was reported to correlate with visuals in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The majority of these studies elucidate a species spatial organization, animal behaviour, as the paramount factor determining the relationship between densities estimated via different censusing methods. Thus, the efficiency of spoor frequency to estimate and monitor relative abundance for wild cheetahs is yet to be empirically tested . Despite the lack of a true density estimate for the free-ranging cheetahs in the study area, evaluated spoor tracking as a possible index to monitor relative cheetah abundance using radiotelemetry densities estimates as representative of true abundance for the area, for the 1995 to 2000 period. The study is considered to be opportunistic , and a pillar for future research, as transects where spoor tracking was conducted were layout primarily for ungulates strip counts. Least-linear regression and Spearman's correlation were used to evaluate the relationship between density estimates derived by the two methods. Percentages of change on annual densities were also regressed as a mean to test spoor frequency sensitivity to density changes. The calibration of spoor frequency with estimates of density produced using radio-telemetry, without the ascription of imprints to individual animals, was poor (rs=17.4, y=0.36+0.20). The sensitivity analysis also showed spoor tracking poor reliability to monitor cheetah population. This can be attributed, in order of importance, to the discrepancies on the spatial extent sampled by the two methods, the species large home ranges, substrate quality , habitat preferences, the availability of farm road networks and the transect design, i.e., cyclic. However, the paramount factor limiting the study conclusions was the lack of a more local density estimate at a farm level. Therefore, the use of spoor frequency to estimate wild cheetah relative abundance requires further research, particularly using a different sampling design, longer straight transects and the acquisition of local densities estimates. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

The work presented in this thesis was inspired by one of the most fascinating classes of naturally occurring molecules: bipedal motor proteins from the kinesin, dynein and myosin superfamilies walk along cellular tracks, carrying out essential tasks, such as vesicle transport, muscle contraction or force generation. Although a few synthetic mimicks based on DNA have been described, small-molecule analogues that exhibit the most important characteristics of the biological walkers were still missing until recently. In this thesis, the design, synthesis and operation of several small-molecule walker-track systems is described. All presented systems share a similar molecular architecture, featuring disulfide and hydrazone walker-track linkages, yet deviate fundamentally in the mechanism and energy input that is required for directional walker transport. Chapter I includes an overview of the biological walker proteins, as well as a comprehensive review of the DNA-based mimicks published to date. A set of fundamental walker characteristics is identified and special emphasis is given to the underlying physical mechanisms. Chapter II describes a series of experiments, which lay the groundwork for all smallmolecule walker systems presented in the following Chapters of this thesis. The mutually exclusive nature of disulfide and hydrazone exchange under basic and acidic reaction conditions, was demonstrated using an unprecedented type of macrocycle. The first small-molecule walker-track system is described in Chapter III. Due to the passive nature of both the track and the walker unit, an oscillation of acidic and basic reaction conditions led to a directionally un-biased, intramolecular ‘diffusion’ of the walker unit along the track. Using an irreversible redox-reaction for one of the foot-track exchange reactions conferred a certain degree of directionality to the walking sequence, with the oxidant iodine providing the chemical fuel for the underlying Brownian information ratchet mechanism. Chapter IV contains a comprehensive investigation of the dynamic properties of a series of walker-track conjugates derived from the walker-track conjugate presented in Chapter III. The most significant observation was that ring strain appears to be a requirement for the emergence of directional bias, a phenomenon that has also been found in biological walkers. In Chapter V a different type of walker-track conjugate is described, in which the track plays an active role and light is used as the fuel required for directional walker transport. The key for achieving directionality was the presence of a stilbene unit as part of the molecular track, through which ring strain could be induced in the isomer where the walker unit bridges the E-stilbene linkage. Significantly, the underlying Brownian energy ratchet mechanism allowed walker transport in either direction of the molecular track. Chapters II to V are presented in the form of articles that have recently been published or will be published in due course in peer-reviewed journals. No attempt has been made to re-write this work out of context, other than to avoid repetition, insert crossreferences to other Chapters (where appropriate) and to ensure consistency of presentation throughout this thesis. Chapters II, III, IV and V are reproduced in the Appendix, in their published formats. The Outlook contains closing remarks about the scope and significance of the presented work as well as ideas for the design and operation of a next generation of small-molecule walkers, some of which are well under way in the laboratory.

O campo da modificação de materiais, através da implantação iônica, vem crescendo amplamente, impulsionado pelas aplicações tecnológicas na biologia, medicina, eletrônica, e outras áreas. Um dos aspectos relacionados ao entendimento desses novos materiais é a identificação e caracterização dos danos produzidos, após a irradiação. Nesse trabalho, foi proposto estudar as modificações microscópicas, após irradiação com feixe de íons de alta energia, em três diferentes polímeros: o policarbonato(Makrofol KG), com espessura de 8 µm; o polialil diglicol carbonato PADC (CR39), espessura 900 µm; e o nitrato de celulose (LR115), espessura 12µm. As amostras foram irradiadas com feixe de Au de 350 MeV no acelerador Cíclotron do Hahn-Meitner Institut (HMI) em Berlim. As amostras de Makrofol KG foram dispostas em superposição de 6 folhas posicionadas perpendicularmente à direção do feixe e foram irradiadas com fluências de 10^8, 10^9 e 10^11 íons/cm^2. As amostras de CR39 e LR115 foram irradiadas com fluência de 10^9 íons/cm^2, sem superposição das amostras. O estudo comparativo dos danos estruturais nas amostras, antes e após a irradiação, foi realizado através de técnicas analíticas como Espectroscopia de Absorção no Infravermelho por Transformada de Fourier (FTIR), Difração de Raios X (XRD), Análise com Detecção de Recuo Elástico (ERDA), e Corrosão Química, para visualização e caracterização dos poros através do microscópio óptico e microscópio eletrônico de varredura. A análise FTIR das amostras mostrou haver diminuição do número de ligações simples, em favor do aumento do número de ligações duplas e triplas, após irradiação das amostras. Além disso, observou-se que a intensidade dos danos observados aumenta com o poder de freamento médio dos íons de Au durante a penetração nas amostras. A análise XRD, por sua vez, permitiu verificar um decréscimo da cristalinidade do Makrofol KG irradiado, enquanto observou-se indicações de variação da densidade do CR39, após irradiação, e inexistência de variação no LR115. A metodologia proposta para análise das amostras através da técnica ERDA não se mostrou eficiente para determinar a variação no teor de H das mesmas após a irradiação, não sendo possível obter resultados conclusivos para as amostras. Na análise dos poros, após corrosão química, observou-se diferentes comportamentos. As amostras de CR39 apresentaram uma evolução de superfície porosa para superfície pontiaguda com o aumento do tempo de corrosão, e obteve-se o valor Va = 1,213 (17) µm/h para a velocidade de abertura do poros. Por outro lado, as diferentes folhas de Makrofol KG mantiveram a topografia porosa, sendo que a velocidade de abertura dos poros apresentou dependência com o poder de freamento dos íons na irradiação. Comparando amostras com valores semelhantes do poder de freamento, o resultado de Va obtido para o Makrofol é cerca de três vezes maior que o obtido para o CR39. / The research in the field of material modification with ion implantation has greately improved, stimulated by technological applications in biology, medicine, electronics and other related areas. One of the correlated aspects in understanding these new materials is the identification and characterization of the damage produced by ion beam irradiation. In this work, we propose to identify the microscopic modification in polymers, after their irradiation with a high energy beam. Three polymers have been used: polycarbonate foils (Makrofol KG), 8 µm thick; polyalyl diglycol carbonate PADC (CR39) 900 µm thick and cellulose nitrate(LR115) 12 µm thick. The samples were irradiated with 350 MeV Au beam from the Cyclotron accelerator at Hahn-Meitner Institut (HMI) in Berlin. The Makrofol samples were placed in a 6-foil stack positioned in normal direction relative to the incident beam, in order to stop the projectiles. The irradiations were performed with ion fluences of 10^8, 10^9 e 10^11 ions/cm^2. The CR39 and LR115 samples, thicker than the range, were irradiated with the fluency of 10^9 ions/cm^2. The investigation of structural damage in the samples, after irradiation, was performed through analytical techniques such as: Fourier Transform Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (FTIR), X Ray Difraction (XRD), Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA), and Etching, followed by pore characterization using an optical and a scanning electron microscopes. The FTIR analysis of the samples showed a decrease in the number of simple bonds and an increase in the number of double and triple bonds, after irradiation. Moreover, it was observed that the damage intensity increases with the mean stopping power of Au. The XRD analysis allowed the observation of crystallinity decrease in Makrofol, and gave indications about a possible deviation in CR39 density, after sample irradiation, and no variation in LR115 samples. The methodology proposed using ERDA technique was not eficient to determine the H atoms teor in the polymers after irradiation, so, it was not possible to get conclusive results from the data. In the pore analysis, after etching, different behaviors were observed. The CR39 samples showed an evolution from a porous surface to a sharply peaked surface and a pore opening rate Va = 1,213 (17) µm/h was obtained. On the contrary, different Makrofol KG foils preserved the porous topography for different etching times. The pore opening rate showed dependence with ion stopping power in the irradiation. Comparing samples with similar values of stopping power, the result is that Makrofol Va is three times greater than the obtained to CR39.

Les parcs nationaux ont pour mission de protéger les ressources naturelles, la faune et la flore. Cependant certaines de ces ressources diminuent, notamment en raison des populations animales qui fréquentent certains lieux de manière récurrente. Dans ce contexte, l'objectif de cette thèse est de mettre en place une démarche pour identifier les interactions entre les pratiques de déplacement des populations d'herbivores et l'occupation du sol. Nous avons appliqué cette démarche aux éléphants, zèbres et buffles du parc national de Hwange (Zimbabwe). La démarche proposée combine des notions écologiques, géographiques et géomatiques. Dans un premier temps, nous identifions des lieux de pratiques spatiales récurrentes des populations animales, appelés lieux de fréquentation (lieux de passages. lieux de séjours), à partir de diverses sources de données: comptages d'animaux et suivis GPS. La méthode repose sur une application des concepts de la Time Geography pour construire des trajectoires de groupes d'animaux. Cette construction permet d'estimer la pression potentielle exercée par les animaux sur l'occupation du sol. Dans un second temps, les lieux de changements significatifs de l'occupation du sol sont repérés à partir de données de télédétection. Enfin, les lieux de fréquentation et les lieux de changements de l'occupation du sol sont mis en relation. Les résultats révèlent une grande complémentarité des sources de données et mettent en évidence des liens variés entre les populations animales et l'occupation du sol, selon les espèces, les périodes de temps et les zones étudiées. / National parks aim at protecting natural resources, including fauna and flora. However, some of these resources are depleting, particularly due to animal populations that converge regularly in certain places. In that context, the objective of this thesis is to propose an approach to identify interactions between movement practices of herbivore populations and land cover. We apply this approach to elephants, zebras and buffaloes of the Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe). The proposed approach combines notions from ecology, geography and geomatics. First, we identify places where spatial practices of populations are recurrent. These places are called places of convergence composed of high-density paths and stops. Diverse data sources are analyzed: animal counts and GPS tracks. The last is used to construct trajectories of animals based on concepts from Time Geography. This construction enables us to estimate the potential pressure applied by animals on land cover. Second, places where land cover has changed are extracted from remote sensing data. Last, we study the links between places of converge of populations and places of land cover changes. The results point out that data sources are complementary. They underline different types of links between animal populations and land cover, according to the species considered, the time periods and the studied areas.

The thesis describes the design of a modular track undercarriage system for a forest utility vehicle called the forest forwarder. In the introduction there is a research study which reviews a variety of design options. The main part of the thesis describes the 3D model created in the Catia V5 programme. The model was subjected to an analysis of dynamic effects by simulated use of the track undercarriage system in the MSC Adams programme. A selected part of the undercarriage was analyzed by the finite element method in the Ansys Workbench programme. Drawing documentation of some of the components is included at the end of the thesis.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-07-27T15:20:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Weschenfelder_.pdf: 8960791 bytes, checksum: 5eb0cdfda4ec0a96af644c32b3514594 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T15:20:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Weschenfelder_.pdf: 8960791 bytes, checksum: 5eb0cdfda4ec0a96af644c32b3514594 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-31 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / PROSUP - Programa de Suporte à Pós-Gradução de Instituições de Ensino Particulares / Nesta tese exploro os rastros do invisível na percepção e na memória do espectador de cinema. A invenção do invisível tensiona, principalmente, conceitos como “rastro” e “imagem dialética” de Benjamin e “duração” de Bergson. Realizo a dissecação de quadros e cenas do filme O Eclipse (1962) de Michelangelo Antonioni e, por meio dos conceitos propostos: olhos ausentes, (re)quadros, pontos cegos e rotações - imaginados como uma constelação de imagens - busco rastrear formas de presença do invisível na montagem de cinema. Proponho uma metodologia do invisível para análise do corpus. O espectador, ao perceber a imagem enquadrada e montada pelo cineasta, sobrepõe a ela “imagens invisíveis”, da sua memória ou repertório cultural e técnico, que descontroem e transformam, assim, a imagem vista no presente da exibição do filme. / In this thesis I explore the tracks of the invisible in the perception and memory of film spectators. The invention of the invisible creates a tension mainly with the concepts of “track” and “dialectical image” proposed by Benjamin and of “duration” of Bergson. I dissect frames and scenes of the film. The Eclipse (1962) by Michelangelo Antonioni based on the proposal of the following concepts: absent eyes, (re-framings, blind points and rotations. Imagined as a constellation of images, these concepts are operational for tracking forms of presence of the invisible in film editing. I propose a methodology of the invisible for analyzing the corpus, understanding that upon perceiving images framed and edited by the film-maker, spectators overlap them with “invisible images” from their cultural and technical memories or repertoires, which deconstruct and transform the image seen in the present of the exhibition of the film.

In her novel Tracks, Louise Erdrich tells the story of a band of Anishinaabe early in the twentieth century. Through the two narrators, one a tribal elder and the other a mixedblood who eventually abandons the traditions of the tribe, the novel offers two divergent perspectives of the events that take place as the government divests the tribe of its land. The conflicting perceptions of these occurrences, which are magical realist in nature, underscore the conflict within the tribe to maintain tradition in the face of the ever-increasing influence of European settlers. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the perceptions at odds with one another in order to shed new light on the significance of Erdrich’s use of magical realism in the text. Highlighting Erdrich’s engagement with magical realism, a largely postcolonial literary device, will hopefully expand notions of identity and authenticity within the Native American literary tradition.

Historic and future extreme precipitation and wind events over southern Baffin Island, more specifically Iqaluit, Kimmirut, Pangnirtung and Cape Dorset are examined. Two sets of modeled re-analysis data, the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM) forced with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Regional Analysis 40 (ERA40) and the other the North American Regional Re-analysis (NARR) dataset were used to characterize the atmosphere during historic events. Two sets of CRCM data forced with Canadian Global Climate Model (CGCM) data, one from 1961-1990 and the other from 2041-2070, are compared to assess the changes in extreme events in the future. Extreme events were defined by daily precipitation and sustained wind thresholds. Based on the CRCM future projection, events were inferred to increase in intensity for all communities and increase in frequency for 3 of the 4 communities. A shift in the Arctic storm season was also inferred in the future projection.