Machine learning models (MLMs) were developed to predict the saturated hydraulic conductivity of compacted soil barriers and help to identify appropriate soils for the construction of landfill liners and covers. Three machine learning algorithms (random forest, gradient boosting decision tree, and neural network) were used to develop MLMs, and multiple linear regression was used to compare the precision of predictions with the MLMs. Results from this study showed that the random forest model provided the best prediction of the hydraulic conductivity of compacted soil barriers, with 100% of predicted hydraulic conductivity within 100-time differences to measured hydraulic conductivity and 93% within 10-time differences. Feature importance analysis showed that void ratio after compaction, fines content, specific gravity, degree of saturation after compaction, and plasticity index of soils are the top-five factors that influence the hydraulic conductivity of compacted soil barriers and are recommended for a precise prediction. Unsaturated hydraulic properties of compacted soils were studied using artificial intelligence methods as well. Except for the basic statistical method linear regression and one machine learning algorithm (random forest), two deep learning algorithms, such as multilayer perceptron (MLP)-ReLU and convolutional neural networks (CNN), were utilized to develop models to predict van Genuchten (VG) parameters (i.e. α and n) which are crucial for estimating the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of compacted soils via soil water characteristics curve (SWCC). MLP-ReLU performed best on predicting the n parameter, which has 92.6% and 63% of the predicted n values within the range of 1.2-fold and 1.1-fold of the calculated n parameters respectively. As for predicting the α parameter, Random Forest had the smallest MSE which is 0.0048, and the smallest difference between predicted and calculated α parameters, 96.3% and 64.8% of the predicted α values are within 5-fold and 2-fold of the calculated α values respectively.

The electrical and optical properties of boron doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films (a-Si) were investigated to determine the effect of boron and hydrogen incorporation on carrier transport. The a-Si thin films were grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at various boron concentrations, hydrogen dilutions, and at differing growth temperatures. The temperature dependent conductivity generally follows the hopping conduction model. Above a critical temperature, the dominant conduction mechanism is Mott variable range hopping conductivity (M-VRH), where p = ¼, and the carrier hopping depends on energy. However, at lower temperatures, the coulomb interaction between charge carriers becomes important and Efros-Shklosvkii variable hopping (ES-VRH) conduction, where p=1/2, must be included to describe the total conductivity. To correlate changes in electrical conductivity to changes in the local crystalline order, the transverse optical (TO) and transverse acoustic (TA) modes of the Raman spectra were studied to relate changes in short- and mid-range order to the effects of growth temperature, boron, and hydrogen incorporation. With an increase of hydrogen and/or growth temperature, both short and mid-range order improve, whereas the addition of boron results in the degradation of short range order. It is seen that there is a direct correlation between the electrical conductivity and changes in the short and mid-range order resulting from the passivation of defects by hydrogen and the creation of trap states by boron. This work was done under the ARO grant W911NF-10-1-0410, William W. Clark Program Manager. The samples were provided by L-3 Communications.

Thermoelectric (TE) ZrNiSn samples with a half-Heusler atomic structure were synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) and consolidation by either Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) or hot pressing (HP). X-Ray diffraction patterns of as milled powders and consolidated samples were compared and analyzed for phase purity. Thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient are measured as a function of temperature in the range 300 K to 800 K and compared with measurements reported for high temperature solid state reaction synthesis of this compound. HP samples, compared to SPS samples, demonstrate increased grain growth due to longer heating times. Reduced grain size achieved by MA and SPS causes increased phonon scattering due to the increased number of grain boundaries, which lowers the thermal conductivity without doping the base system with addition phonon scattering centers. Mechanical characterization of the samples by microindentation and depth sensing indentation for hardness and elastic modulus will be discussed.

This aim of task deals with study of heat dissipation mechanisms and the description of physical phenomena, which is accompanied by non-stationary measurement of thermal characteristics by the method "hot-wire method". In particular, we observe the coefficient of thermal conductivity and its dependence on various variables such as the temperature of the measured sample, its moisture state, the volume of the sample and its porosity. The above mentioned findings are used for the invention of the measuring device of a nonstationary gauge, which is based on regular heating and is dedicated to measuring the thermal conductivity coefficient and the heat capacity by the "hot-wire method" method. In the last part of the thesis is verified functionality of the proposed measuring device, the suitability of the created algorithm for the processing of the measured data and the evaluation of the results was verified. The reproducibility of the measurements was verified and the measured results were compared with the measurement methods, which are commonly used. the influence of humidity on the coefficient of thermal conductivity.

Orientador: Maria Helena Moraes / Banca: Roberto Lyra Villas Bôas / Banca: Itamar Andrioli / Banca: Ricardo Ralish / Banca: Itamar Rosa Teixeira / Resumo: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da utilização de adubos orgânicos, produzidos por diferentes processos de reciclagem de dejetos bovinos criados em sistema de confinamento para novilhos superprecoces, nos atributos químicos e físicos de um LATOSSOLO VERMELHO Distrófico e na produtividade da cultura do milho. O experimento foi conduzido por duas safras agrícolas, 2002/2003 e 2003/2004. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições e seis tratamentos: T1 = efluente de biodigestor; T2 = esterco de esterqueira; T3 = composto orgânico; T4 = vermicomposto; T5 = adubo mineral; T6 = testemunha (sem utilização de adubos). As parcelas possuíam 15 m de comprimento por 8 m de largura, com área total de 120 m2. As quantidades para cada fonte orgânica foram calculadas com base nos seus teores de nitrogênio, para aplicação de 120 kg ha-1 de N. No tratamento T5 utilizou-se uma formulação N-P2O5-K2O, com base na análise do solo para P e K, e também 120 kg ha-1 de N, dos quais 30 kg foram aplicados na base e o restante em cobertura, em uma única aplicação, aos 33 e 37 dias após a emergência das plantas, na primeira e segunda safra, respectivamente. Os adubos orgânicos foram incorporados ao solo por meio de uma gradagem, antes da semeadura. O milho, cv. híbrido DKB 350 foi semeado dia 6 de janeiro de 2003 na primeira safra, e no dia 26 de dezembro de 2003 na segunda safra, com espaçamento de 90 cm entre linhas, e população de 55000 plantas por hectare. Os atributos do solo foram avaliados nas camadas de 0-0,10 e 0,10-0,20 e 0,20-0,30 m. Os atributos físicos avaliados foram o diâmetro médio ponderado, a argila dispersa em água, a resistência à penetração, a condutividade hidráulica saturada, a densidade do solo, porosidade total, macro e microporosidade...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The present work had as its aim to evaluate the effect of cattle manure usage, produced by different processes of bovine dejections recycling raised in pen system for superprecocious steers in the chemical and physical properties of a distrophyc Red Oxisol and in the maize productivity. The experiment was carried out by two crop harvests 2002/2003 and 2003/2004. A completely randomized block design was used with four replications and six treatments: T1 = biodigestor effluent; T2 = cattle manure; T3 = organic composition; T4 = vermicompost; T5 = mineral fertilizer; T6 = witness (without fertilizer application). The parcels were 15 meters long and 8 meters wide, with a total area of 120 square meters. The amounts for each organic source had been calculated based on their nitrogen concentration, for a N application of 120 kg ha-1. In T5 treatment, a N-P2-O5-K2O formula was used, based on the soil analysis for P and K, and also 120 kg ha-1 of N, of which 30 kg were applied in the base and the rest in the covering, in a single application, at 33 and 37 days after the plant emerging, in the first and second harvests, respectively. The organic matter had been incorporated to the soil by grading, before sowing. The maize, cv. Hybrid DKB 350 was sown in January 6th, 2003 in the first harvest and in December 26th, 2003 in the second harvest, with a distance of 90 cm between the lines and a population of 55,000 plants per linear meter. The soil attributes were evaluated in the 0-0,10 and 0,10-0,20 and 0,20-0,30 layers. The evaluated physical attributes were the mean weighed diameter, the water dispersed clay, the penetration resistance, the saturated hydraulic conductivity, the soil bulk density, total porosity, macro and microporosity. Concerning the chemical attributes, the fractioned organic matter, macro and micronutrients, pH... (Complete abstract, click eletronic address below) / Doutor

State of the art conductivity equipment has been used to measure deuterium isotope effects on the molar conductivity of strong electrolytes in the temperature range of 298 K to 598 K as a means of exploring solvation effects under hydrothermal conditions. Individual ionic contributions were determined by extrapolation of published transference number data to elevated temperature. The temperature dependence of the Walden product ratio indicates that there is little difference in the transport of ions between light and heavy water . Excess conductivity observed in hydrogen and deuterium compounds arising from proton hopping in hydrogen-bonded networks has been determined in the temperature range of 318 K to 598 K for the first time

Comprendre et modéliser le comportement des matériaux sous irradiation électronique est un enjeu important pour l’industrie spatiale. La fiabilité des satellites nécessite de maîtriser et prédire les potentiels de surface s'établissant sur les diélectriques. Ce travail de doctorat a donc pour objectif de caractériser et de modéliser les différents mécanismes physiques (en surface et en volume) gouvernant le potentiel de charges dans les matériaux polymères spatiaux tels que le Téflon® FEP et le Kapton® HN. La mise au point d'un nouveau dispositif et d'un protocole expérimental a permis de corroborer l'existence d’une conductivité latérale des charges, souvent négligée dans les modèles physiques et numériques. Les études paramétriques, révélant l’influence de l’énergie et le flux des électrons incidents, ont permis de brosser un portrait des processus mis en jeu pour le transport (par saut ou par piégeage/dépiégeage) de charges en surface. A la lumière de cette étude, une conductivité équivalente est extraite, assimilant le matériau à un système prenant en compte les mécanismes de transport volumique et surfacique. L'analyse des évolutions non-monotones de potentiel mesurées sur les polymères spatiaux en condition spatiale a permis de révéler une dépendance de la conductivité volumique induite sous irradiation avec la dose reçue. L'étude paramétrique réalisée sur les mécanismes de transport en volume révèle une influence minoritaire du déplacement du barycentre de charges et du vieillissement physicochimique. Un modèle «0D» à un seul niveau de pièges, prenant en compte les mécanismes de piégeage/dépiégeage et recombinaison entre les porteurs de charges, a été développé. Ce modèle simplifié permet de reproduire qualitativement les évolutions de potentiel expérimentales en fonction du débit de dose et lors d'irradiations successives. / Charging behaviours of space dielectric materials, under electron beam irradiation, is of special interest for future spacecraft needs, since this mechanism could induce electrostatic discharges and consequently damages on the sensitive systems on board. In order to assess the risks of charging and discharging, this work aims at understanding the overall charge transport mechanisms and predicting the electrical behaviour of the insulator materials, especially Teflon® FEP and Kapton® HN. For an optimized prediction, the first part of our work is thus to check whether lateral conduction process can take place in the overall charge transport mechanism. Through the definition of a new experimental set-up and protocol, we have been able to discriminate between lateral and bulk conductivity and to reveal the presence of lateral conductivity that is enhanced by radiation ionization processes. We have been able to demonstrate as well that lateral intrinsic conductivity is enhanced with the increase current density and when approaching the sample surface. The second part of our work deals with the characterization of the electrical charging behaviour of Teflon® FEP under multi-energetic electron beam irradiation and the modelling of the overall bulk charge transport mechanisms. An experimental study on charge potential evolution as a function of electron spectrum, electric field, relaxation time, dose and dose rate, was performed. A numerical model has been developed to describe the effect of the different abovementioned mechanisms on the evolution of the surface potential. This model agrees correctly with the experimental phenomenology at qualitative level and therefore allows understanding the physical mechanisms steering charge transport in Teflon® and Kapton®.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Soil structure is defined by form and arrangement of soil particles and pores. As a consequence of time increase of no-tillage use the soil structure has been modified by repetition of traffic caused by agricultural operations throughout years, which, in turn, has been identified as compaction implying in lost of soil quality. In this study, the S index sensibility was tested as related to other soil physical properties and was evaluated also the alterations of pore diameters and its implications on saturated hydraulic conductivity and air conductivity caused by soil use. Its was used six Oxisols, classified by brazilian soil classification system as: Latossolo Vermelho eutrófico, Latossolo Vermelho aluminoférrico, Nitossolo Vermelho distrófico, Latossolo Bruno alumínico, Latossolo Vermelho distrófico de textura média, Latossolo Vermelho distrófico de textura argilosa e Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico. The soil uses studied were: a) natural condition represented by native forest or grass field and; b) no-tillage. The S index was not associated to total clay content neither to dispersed clay content. However, for clayey soils the S index had an exponential decreased as the bulk density increased and an exponential increase as organic matter increased. The available water had a log increase with S increase and pre-consolidation pressure reduced exponentially as S index increased. These results imply sensibility to S index to evaluate soil quality of clayey soils. The soil use effects on water and air flow was detected by alterations caused by notillage on increasing bulk density, reducing total porosity, changing pore size distribution with increase in micropores as macropores reduced causing, in turn, reduction on saturated hydraulic conductivity and air conductivity. The high aggregation state of soils under native forest favored to presence of big pores and smaller amount of intermediate pores. In more compacted layer of soils under no-tillage was detected reduction of intermediate pore class and increase in micropores. / A estrutura do solo é definida pela sua condição física, expressa pela dimensão, forma e arranjo das partículas sólidas e dos poros a elas associados. Com o tempo de uso do sistema plantio direto, a estrutura do solo é modificada pela repetitividade das operações agrícolas realizadas ao longo dos anos. A alteração da estrutura pela compactação tem causado perdas na qualidade física dos solos. Neste trabalho, testou-se a sensibilidade do índice S, em relação a algumas propriedades físicas dos solos e avaliaram-se as alterações impostas pelo uso do solo no diâmetro dos poros, na condutividade hidráulica saturada e na condutividade do ar. Os solos avaliados foram: Latossolo Vermelho eutrófico, Latossolo Vermelho aluminoférrico, Nitossolo Vermelho distrófico, Latossolo Bruno alumínico, Latossolo Vermelho distrófico de textura média, Latossolo Vermelho distrófico de textura argilosa e Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico. Os sistemas de uso foram: condição natural, representada pela mata nativa ou campo nativo; e condição de lavoura, sob plantio direto. O índice S não se relacionou com o teor de argila total ou argila dispersa. Para o os solos argilosos e muito argilosos, o índice S apresentou um decréscimo exponencial com o aumento da densidade do solo e um crescimento exponencial com o aumento da matéria orgânica do solo. A água disponível as plantas aumentou de forma logarítmica com o aumento do S enquanto a pressão de préconsolidação reduziu exponencialmente com o aumento do S. Conclui-se que o índice S apresentou sensibilidade para determinar a qualidade física dos solos de textura argilosa e muito argilosa. Quanto ao impacto do uso do solo sobre os fluxos de água e ar, constatou-se que o solo sob cultivo apresentou aumento na densidade e redução na porosidade total, ocorreu alteração na distribuição do diâmetro de poros com aumento da quantidade de poros pequenos em detrimento dos poros maiores, o que provocou a redução da condutividade hidráulica saturada e da condutividade do ar no solo. A alta estruturação do solo na mata nativa favoreceu a presença de poros grandes e menor quantidade de poros de tamanho intermediário. Nas camadas mais compactadas do plantio direto verificou-se a redução da classe de poros de tamanho intermediário e o aumento da quantidade de poros pequenos.

Blends containing methoxyoligooxyethyleneglycol (MPEGs) (MW 350 and 550) and bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium (LiTFSI) salt were prepared by solution blending process using tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a solvent. The ionic conductivity of the blends of different compositions were determined at four temperatures i.e. 25°C, 40°C, 60°C and 70°C. A maximum ionic conductivity value of 3.9x10-3 S cm-1 at 25°C was obtained for the blends containing MPEG-350 at an ethylene oxide to lithium salt ratio of 1:10. The ionic conductivity increases with increasing temperature and shows that the ion transport is aided by the segmental motion of the MPEG chains. 7Li NMR spectroscopy was used to study the nature and dynamics of the salt clusters in the blends

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The quality of the seeds used in any agricultural cultivation is one of the important factors for the obtaining of a number of ideal plants and high productivity. The evaluation of the physiological potential of the seeds is essential to the quality control programs utilized by producing companies and this evaluation is realized through vigor tests. Cytogenetic studies also provide information about the quality of the seeds, allowing to identify anomalies that compromise the vigor. For the obtainment of precise results in agricultural experiments, the determination of the samples‟ size to be used is one of the main quality components of the experiments. Thereby, the objectives of this study aimed to determine and standardize the methodologies of the mass and individual electric conductivity tests for the physiological quality of the wheat seeds; detect cytogenetic and physiological alterations that occur during the deterioration process of the seeds submitted to the artificial aging and estimate the sample size, in number of seeds, for the average estimation of individual electric conductivity in different times of soaking. Five varieties of wheat seeds were used: Fundacep Horizonte, Fundacep Campo Real, Quartzo, Mirante and Ônix, subdivided into two subgroups of seeds for each variety (high and low vigor) through the methodology of accelerated aging. Each group was evaluated physiologically by the determinations of germination tests and vigor tests. Later on, the seeds were submitted to the tests to be standardized: mass electric conductivity and individual electric conductivity, in nine soaking periods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 24 hours). For the cytogenetic analysis, the seeds from the varieties Fundacep Campo Real and Ônix were used. They were submitted to the accelerated aging process by zero, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours, at 42ºC and 100% of relative air humidity. Physiological determinations were also effectuated and the cytogenetic analyses were realized through conventional techniques, as chromosome observation and mitotic index. To determine the sample size, an interactive process of resampling was conducted with 1000 resamplings, with restitution, using different sample sizes, starting with one seed and adding a seed to each interaction until the maximum size of 400 seeds. The obtained results reveal that the individual electric conductivity test was effective for the separation of the groups of wheat seeds and the best combination was the utilization of 25 ml of soaking solution and samples of 75 seeds, during the periods of 8 and 24 hours. The individual electric conductivity test was efficient for the vigor determination of the wheat seeds with the possibility of reading with reduced period of one hour of seed soaking. The seed deterioration caused by the accelerated aging has relation with the reduction of the germination potential and the vigor of the wheat seeds from the varieties Campo Real and Ônix; the stress caused by the accelerated aging on the seeds from both varieties leads to a drastic reduction on the mitotic index and the accelerated aging leads to an increase of anomalies frequency, possibly, related to a genotypic effect. The sampling, in number of wheat seeds, to evaluate the individual electric conductivity is of 44 seeds; for groups in which the accelerated aging was not applied, it is 27 seeds; for groups artificially aged, the amplitudes are from 3 to 5 uS. cm-1 seed-1, for soaking time from one to 24 hours. / A qualidade das sementes utilizadas em qualquer cultivo agrícola é um dos fatores importantes para obtenção de um número de plantas ideal e alta produtividade. A avaliação do potencial fisiológico das sementes é essencial aos programas de controle de qualidade empregados por empresas produtoras e, essa avaliação é realizada através de testes de vigor. Estudos citogenéticos também fornecem informações sobre a qualidade das sementes, permitindo identificar anomalias que comprometem o vigor. Para obtenção de resultados precisos em experimentes para qualidade de experimentos. Desse modo, os objetivos desse estudo foram determinar e padronizar metodologias para os testes de condutividade elétrica massal e individual visando a determinação da qualidade fisiológica de sementes de trigo; detectar alterações citogenéticas e fisiológicas que ocorrem durante o processo de deterioração das sementes submetidas ao envelhecimento artificial; e determinar o tamanho de amostra, em número de sementes, para a estimação da média de condutividade elétrica individual em diferentes tempos de embebição. Foram utilizadas cinco cultivares de trigo: Fundacep Horizonte, Fundacep Campo Real, Quartzo, Mirante e Ônix, subdivididas em dois sublotes de sementes para cada cultivar (alto e baixo vigor) através da metodologia do envelhecimento acelerado. Cada lote foi avaliado fisiologicamente pelas determinações do teste de germinação e testes de vigor. Posteriormente, as sementes foram submetidas aos testes a serem padronizados: condutividade elétrica massal e condutividade elétrica individual, por nove períodos de imersão (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 e 24 horas). Para as análises citogenéticas, foram utilizadas sementes das cultivares Fundacep Campo Real e Ônix, submetidas ao processo de envelhecimento acelerado por zero, 24, 48, 72, 96 e 120 horas, à 42ºC e 100% de UR. Determinações fisiológicas também foram efetuadas e as análises citogenéticas foram realizadas através de técnicas convencionais, como observação dos cromossomos e índice mitótico. Para determinar o tamanho de amostra, realizou-se um processo interativo de reamostragem com 1000 reamostragens, com reposição, utilizando diferentes tamanhos de amostras, iniciando com uma semente e acrescentando uma semente em cada interação até o tamanho máximo de 400 sementes. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que o teste de condutividade elétrica individual foi eficiente para a separação dos lotes de sementes de trigo e a melhor combinação foi a utilização de 25mL de solução de embebição e amostras de 75 sementes, nos períodos de 8 e 24 horas e, que o teste de condutividade elétrica individual foi eficiente para a determinação do vigor das sementes de trigo com a possibilidade de leitura com período reduzido de uma hora de embebição das sementes. A deterioração das sementes causada pelo envelhecimento acelerado tem relação com a diminuição do potencial germinativo e de vigor das sementes de trigo das cultivares Campo Real e Ônix; o estresse causado pelo envelhecimento acelerado nas sementes de ambas as cultivares leva a drástica redução no índice mitótico e, o envelhecimento acelerado leva ao aumento da frequência de anomalias cromossômicas, porém com respostas distintas para as cultivares analisadas, possivelmente, vinculado a efeito genotípico. A amostragem, em número de sementes de trigo, para avaliar a condutividade elétrica individual é de 44 sementes; para lotes em que não foram aplicados o envelhecimento acelerado, é de 27 sementes; para lotes envelhecidos artificialmente, para amplitudes de 3 a 5 uS cm-1 semente-1, para tempos de embebição das sementes de uma a 24horas.