A growing body of literature suggests that aging causes restrictions in mobility, gaze, and cognitive functions, increasing the risk of falls and adverse health events. A novel Dual-Task Treadmill walking (DT-TW) program was designed to train balance, gaze, cognition, and gait simultaneously. Eleven healthy community-dwelling older adults (age 70-80 yrs) were recruited to play a variety of computer games while standing on a sponge surface and walking on a treadmill. Data on centre of pressure (COP) excursion for core balance, spatio-temporal gait variability parameters, head tracking performances, and neuropsychological tests were collected pre and post intervention. A significant improvement in balance, gaze, cognition, and gait performance was observed under dual-task conditions. The study thus concludes that DT-TW is a novel intervention program which combines interactive games with exercises to train dual-task abilities in community dwelling older adults. / October 2015

A la vegueria de Girona, entre 1486 i 1730, es produeix el procés de formació històrica d'un grup social que sorgit de la pagesia s'anirà diferenciant progressivament d'aquesta: els senyors útils i propietaris de masos. Aquest grup social basa el seu poder econòmic i polític en l'acumulació de masos: font de rendes i font de l'estatus social assolit dins la parròquia i la universitat on fixa la seva residència. El seu pes social el manifesta a través dels seus espais de sociabilitat (especialment la parròquia, veritable espai de representació), però també manifesta la seva posició de preeminència, fet que pot abocar als conflictes amb el conjunt de la comunitat. Un conflicte que es planteja en termes de diferenciació dels uns i d'igualtat dels altres. És l'enfrontament entre dues visions de la societat: l'individualisme enfront el comunitarisme. / In the "vegueria" of Girona - a traditional Catalan territorial circumscription -, between 1468 and 1730, the process of historical formation of a social group takes place. Arising from peasantry, it will progressively differ from its origins: the useful masters and farmhouses' owners. The economic and political power of this social group is based on the accumulation of farms: source of incomes and source of social status attained in the parish and at university, where they fix their residence. Their social importance is shown through their sociability spaces - mainly the parish, real space of representation -, but they also show their position of pre-eminence, though this may imply conflicts with the whole community. A conflict which is expressed in terms of differentiation of ones and equality of others. It is the confrontation of two visions of society: individualism versus communitarism.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Physical Asset Management (PAM) is becoming a greater concern for companies in industry today. The widely accepted British Standards Institutes’ specification for optimized management of physical assets and infrastructure is PAS55. According to PAS55, PAM is the “systematic and co-ordinated activities and practices through which an organization optimally manages its physical assets, and their associated performance, risks and expenditures over their life cycle for the purpose of achieving its organizational strategic plan”. One key performance area of PAM is Asset Care Plans (ACP). These plans are maintenance strategies which improve or ensure acceptable asset reliability and performance during its useful life. Maintenance strategies such as Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) acts upon Condition Monitoring (CM) data, disregarding the previous failure histories of an asset. Other maintenance strategies, such as Usage Based Maintenance (UBM), is based on previous failure histories, and does not consider CM data. Regression models make use of both CM data and previous failure histories to develop a model which represents the underlying failure behaviour of the asset under study. These models can be of high value in ACP development due to the fact that Residual Useful Life (RUL) can be estimated and/or the long term life cycle cost can be optimized. The objective of this thesis was to model historical failure data and CM data well enough so that RUL or optimized preventive maintenance instant estimations can be made. These estimates were used in decision models to develop maintenance schedules, i.e. ACPs. Several regression models were evaluated to determine the most suitable model to achieve the objectives of this thesis. The model found to be most suitable for this research project was the Proportional Hazards Model (PHM). A comprehensive investigation on the PHM was undertaken focussing on the mathematics and the practical implementation thereof. Data obtained from the South African mining industry was modelled with the Weibull PHM. It was found that the developed model produced estimates which were accurate representations of reality. These findings provide an exciting basis for the development of futureWeibull PHMs that could result in huge maintenance cost savings and reduced failure occurrences. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Fisiese Bate Bestuur (FBB) is besig om ’n groter bekommernis vir maatskappye in die bedryf te word. Die Britse Standaarde Instituut se spesifikasie vir optimale bestuur van fisiese bates en infrastruktuur is PAS55. Volgens PAS55 is FBB die “sistematiese en gekoördineerde aktiwiteite en praktyke wat deur ’n organisasie optimaal sy fisiese bates, hul verwante prestasie, risiko’s en uitgawes vir die doel van die bereiking van sy organisatoriese strategiese plan beheer oor hul volle lewensiklus te bestuur”. Een Sleutel Fokus Area (SFA) van FBB is Bate Versorgings Plan (BVP) ontwikkeling. Hierdie is onderhouds strategieë wat bate betroubaarheid verbeter of verseker tydens die volle bruikbare lewe van die bate. Een onderhoud strategie is Toestands Gebasseeerde Onderhoud (TGO) wat besluite baseer op Toestand Monitering (TM) informasie maar neem nie die vorige falingsgeskiedenis van die bate in ag nie. Ander onderhoud strategieë soos Gebruik Gebasseerde Onderhoud (GGO) is gebaseer op historiese falingsdata maar neem nie TM inligting in ag nie. Regressiemodelle neem beide TM data en historiese falings geskiedenis data in ag ten einde die onderliggende falings gedrag van die gegewe bate te verteenwoordig. Hierdie modelle kan baie nuttig wees vir BVP ontwikkeling te danke aan die feit dat Bruikbare Oorblywende Lewe (BOL) geskat kan word en/of die langtermyn lewenssilus koste geoptimeer kan word. Die doelwit van hierdie tesis was om historiese falingsdata en TT data goed genoeg te modelleer sodat BOL of optimale langtermyn lewensiklus kostes bepaal kan word om opgeneem te word in BVP ontwikkeling. Hierdie bepalings word dan gebruik in besluitnemings modelle wat gebruik kan word om onderhoud skedules op te stel, d.w.s. om ’n BVP te ontwikkel. Verskeie regressiemodelle was geëvalueer om die regte model te vind waarmee die doel van hierdie tesis te bereik kan word. Die mees geskikte model vir die navorsingsprojek was die Proporsionele Gevaarkoers Model (PGM). ’n Omvattende ondersoek oor die PGM is onderneem wat fokus op die wiskunde en die praktiese implementering daarvan. Data is van die Suid-Afrikaanse mynbedryf verkry en is gemodelleer met behulp van die Weibull PGM. Dit was bevind dat die ontwikkelde model resultate geproduseer het wat ’n akkurate verteenwoordinging van realiteit is. Hierdie bevindinge bied ’n opwindende basis vir die ontwikkeling van toekomstige Weibull Proporsionele Gevaarkoers Modelle wat kan lei tot groot onderhoudskoste besparings en minder onverwagte falings.

The carbonation in concrete is caused by the penetration of environmental carbonic anhydride (CO2) in concrete by diffusion, being considered one of more important structures pathologies. It occurs naturally in concrete structures, from the surface and causes the alkalis neutralization reactions, depassivating the rebars and its corrosion possibility. In this study the concrete investigation with 14 years old composed by binary and ternary mixtures of pozzolans as silica fume (10%), fly ash (25%), rice husk ash (25%), fly ash and silica fume (15+10)% and fly ash with rice husk ash (10+15)%. The natural carbonation depths were measured in cylindrical specimens with 0,5, 1, 2, 4 and 14 years readings, exposed in lab internal environment, in normal conditions of temperature and CO2 concentrations. Natural carbonation coefficients in the five cited ages were calculated, in equality of water/binder (w/b) relationship (0.35, 0.45 and 0.55), and 50 and 60 MPa axial compressive strength, and the results were compared with the short term tests (accelerated). Microstructure analysis by means of remained calcium hydroxide, hydrated compounds by DRX, porosity by Hg intrusion porosimetry and visual analysis by MEV and EDS were accomplished. Among the pozzolans mixtures the silica fume (10%) presented lower carbonation for w/b 0.35 and 0.45. For w/b 0.55 the better performance occurred to the fly ash and rice husk ash ternary mixture. The relationships between accelerated and natural carbonation coefficients showed decrease of the natural coefficients related to the accelerated ones, in a relation that varied between 1,0 and 2,0 (mean) for the pozzolanic mixtures. In 50 and 60 MPa compressive strength equality, the carbonation depended of the pozzolan type and content, being influenced by the chemical and physical properties of each one in particular. The microstructure tests results confirmed the CH decrease in the carbonated layer and the CaCO3 increase, and the hydrated silicates and silicoaluminates depolymerization. According NBR 15575-5 was observed that it is possible to obtain concretes with until 25% of pozzolans with performance of the project useful life, in front of carbonation, of 60 years. / A penetração de anidrido carbônico (CO2) ambiental por difusão no concreto ocasiona a carbonatação, sendo considerada uma das patologias mais importantes das estruturas. Acontece naturalmente nas estruturas de concreto, a partir da superfície e ocasiona reações de neutralização dos álcalis, despassivando a armadura e a possibilidade de sua corrosão. Neste estudo apresenta-se a investigação de concretos com 14 anos de idade, compostas de misturas binárias e ternárias de pozolanas sendo sílica ativa(10%), cinza volante(25%), cinza de casca de arroz(25%), cinza volante e sílica ativa (15+10)% e cinza volante com cinza de casca de arroz (10+15)%. As profundidades de carbonatação natural foram medidas em corpos de prova cilíndricos, com leituras a 0,5, 1, 2, 4 e 14 anos, expostos em ambiente interno de laboratório, em condições normais de temperatura e concentração de CO2. Calculou-se os coeficientes de carbonatação natural nas 5 idades citadas, em igualdade de relação a/ag (0,35, 0,45 e 0,55) e de resistência à compressão axial de 50 e 60 MPa, e comparou-se com os resultados de curto prazo (acelerado). Realizou-se análise da microestrutura por meio do teor de hidróxido remanescente, dos compostos hidratados por difração de raios-X, porosidade por porosimetria por intrusão de mercúrio e análise visual por microscopia eletrônica de varredura com EDS. O concreto de referência apresentou menor coeficiente de carbonatação nas três relações a/ag estudadas. Entre as misturas com pozolanas a sílica ativa (10%) apresentou menor carbonatação para a/ag 0,35 e 0,45. Para a/ag 0,55 o melhor desempenho aconteceu para a mistura ternaria de cinza volante e cinza de casca de arroz. As relações entre os ensaios acelerado e naturais mostraram decréscimo dos coeficientes de carbonatação natural em relação aos acelerados, numa relação que variou, em média, entre 1,0 e 2,0 para as mistura pozolânicas. Em igualdade de resistência à compressão de 50 e 60 MPa a carbonatação dependeu do tipo e do teor de pozolana, sendo influenciada pelas propriedades químicas e físicas de cada uma em particular. Os resultados dos ensaios da microestrutura confirmaram o decréscimo do CH nas camadas carbonatadas e acréscimo de CaCO3 e a despolimerização dos silicatos e silicoaluminatos de cálcio hidratados. Segundo a NBR 15575-2 observou-se que é possível obter-se concretos com até 25% de pozolanas, com desempenho à vida útil de projeto, frente a carbonatação, de 60 anos.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Neste trabalho é descrita a teoria necessária para a obtenção da grandeza denominada intensidade supersônica, a qual tem por objetivo identificar as regiões de uma fonte de ruído que efetivamente contribuem para a potência sonora, filtrando, consequentemente, a parcela referente às ondas sonoras recirculantes e evanescentes. É apresentada a abordagem de Fourier para a obtenção da intensidade supersônica em fontes com geometrias separáveis e a formulação numérica existente para a obtenção de um equivalente à intensidade supersônica em fontes sonoras com geometrias arbitrárias. Este trabalho apresenta como principal contribuição original, uma técnica para o cálculo de um equivalente à intensidade supersônica, denominado aqui de intensidade acústica útil, capaz de identificar as regiões de uma superfície vibrante de geometria arbitrária que efetivamente contribuem para a potência sonora que será radiada. Ao contrário da formulação numérica existente, o modelo proposto é mais direto, totalmente formulado na superfície vibrante, onde a potência sonora é obtida através de um operador (uma matriz) que relaciona a potência sonora radiada com a distribuição de velocidade normal à superfície vibrante, obtida com o uso do método de elementos finitos. Tal operador, chamado aqui de operador de potência, é Hermitiano, fato crucial para a obtenção da intensidade acússtica útil, após a aplicação da decomposição em autovalores e autovetores no operador de potência, e do critério de truncamento proposto. Exemplos de aplicações da intensidade acústica útil em superfícies vibrantes com a geometria de uma placa, de um cilindro com tampas e de um silenciador automotivo são apresentados, e os resultados são comparados com os obtidos via intensidade supersônica (placa) e via técnica numérica existente (cilindro), evidenciando que a intensidade acústica útil traz, como benefício adicional, uma redução em relação ao tempo computacional quando comparada com a técnica numérica existente. / This work describes the theory necessary to obtain the greatness called supersonic intensity, which aims to identify the regions of a sound source that effectively contribute to the sound power radiated, filtering recirculating and evanescent sound waves. The Fourier approach to obtain the supersonic intensity in sources having separable geometries, and the existent numerical formulation to obtain an equivalent to supersonic intensity on noise sources with arbitrary geometry. This work presents a new numeric technique for the computation of the numerical equivalent to the supersonic acoustic intensity. The technique provides the identification of the regions of a noise source with arbitrary geometry that effectively contribute to the sound power radiated to the far field by filtering recirculating and evanescent sound waves. The proposed technique is entirely formulated on the vibrating surface. The acoustic power radiated is obtained through a numerical operator that relates it with the distribution of superficial normal velocity, which is obtained by the boundary element method. Such power operator, possesses the property of being Hermitian. The advantage of this characteristic is that their eigenvalues are real and their eigenvectors form an orthonormal set for the velocity distribution. It is applied to the power operator the decomposition in eigenvalues and eigenvectors, becoming possible to compute the numerical equivalent to the supersonic intensity, called here useful intensity, after applying a cutoff criterion to remove the non propagating components. Some numerical tests confirming the effectiveness of the convergence criterions are presented. Examples of the application of the useful intensity technique in vibrating surfaces such as a plate, a cylinder with flat caps and an automotive muffler are presented and the numerical results are discussed, showing that the useful intensity brings, as additional benefit, a reduction of the computational effort, when compared to existent numerical technique.

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of musiek in terapie gebruik kan word deur ' opvoedkundige sielkundiges, asook wat die verskil is tussen musiekterapie en die terapeutiese aanwending van musiek deur ander terapeute. Vir die verkenning van die terapeutiese gebruik van musiek is 'n literatuurstudie gedoen oor die fenomeen musiekterapie, asook oor die terapeutiese gebruik van musiek. Die twee verskynsels is met mekaar vergelyk om ooreenkomste en verskille aan te dui. Die empiriese studie het aan die lig gebring dat musiek op baie verskillende maniere in terapie gebruik kan word en gekombineer kan word met ander hulpmiddels. Die emosionele en kognitiewe funksie wat musiek vervul is met die studie uitgewys. Musiek help byvoorbeeld om 'n emosionele klimaat te skep wat effektief in terapie gebruik kan word; en musiek kan 'n mens se denke stimuleer. Aanbevelings is ook gegee vir die terapeutiese gebruik van musiek. / The object of the study was to determine if and how music can be used in therapy by the educational psychologist. The further aim was to determine the difference between music therapy and the therapeutic application of music by other therapists. In the exploration of the therapeutic use of music, a comparative study was done between music therapy as phenomenon and the therapeutic use of music, where similarities and differences were outlined. The empirical study showed that music can be used in different ways in therapy and can also be combined with other therapeutical aids. According to this study, music can fulfill an emotional and a cognitive roll. A pleasant emotional climate for therapy can be created and stimulate the client's thoughts. With this study it was possible to give guidelines for therapeutic applications of music. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Neste trabalho é descrita a teoria necessária para a obtenção da grandeza denominada intensidade supersônica, a qual tem por objetivo identificar as regiões de uma fonte de ruído que efetivamente contribuem para a potência sonora, filtrando, consequentemente, a parcela referente às ondas sonoras recirculantes e evanescentes. É apresentada a abordagem de Fourier para a obtenção da intensidade supersônica em fontes com geometrias separáveis e a formulação numérica existente para a obtenção de um equivalente à intensidade supersônica em fontes sonoras com geometrias arbitrárias. Este trabalho apresenta como principal contribuição original, uma técnica para o cálculo de um equivalente à intensidade supersônica, denominado aqui de intensidade acústica útil, capaz de identificar as regiões de uma superfície vibrante de geometria arbitrária que efetivamente contribuem para a potência sonora que será radiada. Ao contrário da formulação numérica existente, o modelo proposto é mais direto, totalmente formulado na superfície vibrante, onde a potência sonora é obtida através de um operador (uma matriz) que relaciona a potência sonora radiada com a distribuição de velocidade normal à superfície vibrante, obtida com o uso do método de elementos finitos. Tal operador, chamado aqui de operador de potência, é Hermitiano, fato crucial para a obtenção da intensidade acússtica útil, após a aplicação da decomposição em autovalores e autovetores no operador de potência, e do critério de truncamento proposto. Exemplos de aplicações da intensidade acústica útil em superfícies vibrantes com a geometria de uma placa, de um cilindro com tampas e de um silenciador automotivo são apresentados, e os resultados são comparados com os obtidos via intensidade supersônica (placa) e via técnica numérica existente (cilindro), evidenciando que a intensidade acústica útil traz, como benefício adicional, uma redução em relação ao tempo computacional quando comparada com a técnica numérica existente. / This work describes the theory necessary to obtain the greatness called supersonic intensity, which aims to identify the regions of a sound source that effectively contribute to the sound power radiated, filtering recirculating and evanescent sound waves. The Fourier approach to obtain the supersonic intensity in sources having separable geometries, and the existent numerical formulation to obtain an equivalent to supersonic intensity on noise sources with arbitrary geometry. This work presents a new numeric technique for the computation of the numerical equivalent to the supersonic acoustic intensity. The technique provides the identification of the regions of a noise source with arbitrary geometry that effectively contribute to the sound power radiated to the far field by filtering recirculating and evanescent sound waves. The proposed technique is entirely formulated on the vibrating surface. The acoustic power radiated is obtained through a numerical operator that relates it with the distribution of superficial normal velocity, which is obtained by the boundary element method. Such power operator, possesses the property of being Hermitian. The advantage of this characteristic is that their eigenvalues are real and their eigenvectors form an orthonormal set for the velocity distribution. It is applied to the power operator the decomposition in eigenvalues and eigenvectors, becoming possible to compute the numerical equivalent to the supersonic intensity, called here useful intensity, after applying a cutoff criterion to remove the non propagating components. Some numerical tests confirming the effectiveness of the convergence criterions are presented. Examples of the application of the useful intensity technique in vibrating surfaces such as a plate, a cylinder with flat caps and an automotive muffler are presented and the numerical results are discussed, showing that the useful intensity brings, as additional benefit, a reduction of the computational effort, when compared to existent numerical technique.

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is a major tool enabling systems to evaluate their reliability in real-time operation. Despite ground-breaking advances in most engineering and scientific disciplines during the past decades, reliability engineering has not seen significant breakthroughs or noticeable advances. Therefore, self-awareness of the embedded system is also often required in the sense that the system should be able to assess its own health state and failure records, and those of its main components, and take action appropriately. This thesis presents a radically new prognostics approach to reliable system design that will revolutionise complex power electronic systems with robust prognostics capability enhanced Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) in applications where reliability is significantly challenging and critical. The IGBT is considered as one of the components that is mainly damaged in converters and experiences a number of failure mechanisms, such as bond wire lift off, die attached solder crack, loose gate control voltage, etc. The resulting effects mentioned are complex. For instance, solder crack growth results in increasing the IGBT’s thermal junction which becomes a source of heat turns to wire bond lift off. As a result, the indication of this failure can be seen often in increasing on-state resistance relating to the voltage drop between on-state collector-emitter. On the other hand, hot carrier injection is increased due to electrical stress. Additionally, IGBTs are components that mainly work under high stress, temperature and power consumptions due to the higher range of load that these devices need to switch. This accelerates the degradation mechanism in the power switches in discrete fashion till reaches failure state which fail after several hundred cycles. To this end, exploiting failure mechanism knowledge of IGBTs and identifying failure parameter indication are background information of developing failure model and prognostics algorithm to calculate remaining useful life (RUL) along with ±10% confidence bounds. A number of various prognostics models have been developed for forecasting time to failure of IGBTs and the performance of the presented estimation models has been evaluated based on two different evaluation metrics. The results show significant improvement in health monitoring capability for power switches. Furthermore, the reliability of the power switch was calculated and conducted to fully describe health state of the converter and reconfigure the control parameter using adaptive algorithm under degradation and load mission limitation. As a result, the life expectancy of devices has been increased. These all allow condition-monitoring facilities to minimise stress levels and predict future failure which greatly reduces the likelihood of power switch failures in the first place.

The probation {--} probare in Latin means to examine and verify. The probation can be understood as an alternative of unconditional sentence. Its principal is not only to protect society but also to re {--} educate criminals and to protect them againts harmful consequences of execution of confinement. The probation is one of the methods of treating criminals whereat both aspects penological and social are combined. It is not perceived only as summary of sanction precautions but also as a number of services, activities and operations which are provided by Probation and Mediation Services. The meaning of probation lies in more various access to a treating of criminals of different delicts, using other, more efficient means as a reaction to less serious criminality then confinement is and creating better conditions and ways of major crime sanctions. Criminals are spare from harmful effects which are connected with execution of confinement and they are not exposed to negative experiences with stay in prison.

Um grande número de rochas de granulação grosseira tem valor agregado muito alto quando usadas como materiais de construção, as chamadas rochas exóticas. No entanto, existem problemas com a utilização desses materiais dado a sua fragilidade, que está relacionada com a sua textura muito heterogênea. No Brasil é empregado empiricamente um reforço (compósito) que utiliza resina epóxi e fibra de vidro para melhorar o desempenho mecânico de tais rochas quando empregadas como materiais de construção. Os objetivos da presente pesquisa foram estudar o reforço tradicional brasileiro (telagem) para determinar sua eficiência e, ao mesmo tempo, propor outras soluções de reforço alternativas e mais eficientes, e avaliá-las através da caracterização mecânica experimental. Foi proposto um critério denominado Declive Global para avaliar as tensões de serviço dos materiais pegmatíticos estudados, quando os reforços propostos foram aplicados. Para validar esse critério foi utilizado um sistema de correlação digital de imagem (CDI) para observar e medir o comportamento de deformação e fratura durante a realização de testes de flexão em 4 pontos. Tanto o critério proposto como a CDI mostraram que a propagação de fissuras ocorre muito antes do material atingir a carga máxima. O reforço alternativo proposto, que emprega resina epóxi e uma fibra de vidro 600 g/m² apresentou o melhor desempenho mecânico, elevando a carga de ruptura até 6x em comparação com as amostras onde nenhum reforço foi aplicado. Os resultados demonstrados pelos reforços propostos são promissores e aumentam a possibilidade de aplicar rochas exóticas frágeis como materiais de construção, além do critério proposto fornecer uma ferramenta importante para a compreensão mecânica prévia de produtos de rocha que utilizam reforços compósitos. / A great number of coarse-grained natural stones have very high added-value when used as building materials, the so called exotic stones. However, problems using these materials arise from its brittleness behavior, which are related to its very heterogeneous texture. Glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite (GFRC) is being used to improve mechanical performance of such stones when employed as building materials. The objectives of this present investigation it were studying the Brazilian traditional reinforcement to determinate its efficiency and, at the same time, a number of alternative solutions were proposed and evaluated through experimental mechanical characterization. It was proposed a slope-based criterion to evaluate the useful service loads of pegmatitic materials when glass fiber-reinforcement is applied. To validate the proposed criterion, a digital image correlation (DIC) system was employed to observe and measure strain and fracture behavior during the realization of 4-point bending tests. Both proposed criterion and DIC show that crack propagation occurs long before the material reaches maximum load. GFRC acts as a crack inhibitor, raising the breaking load up to 6x in comparison with the specimens where no reinforcement was applied. The results from this study enhance the capability to apply such materials as building materials and provide an important tool to perform prior mechanical understanding of stone products using GFRC.