The development of a cost-effective multiphase flow meter to determine the individual phase flow rates of oil, water and gas was investigated through the exploitation of a single clamp-on gamma densitometer and signal processing techniques. A fast-sampling (250 Hz) gamma densitometer was installed at the top of the 10.5 m high, 108.2 mm internal diameter, stainless steel catenary riser in the Cranfield University multiphase flow test facility. Gamma radiation attenuation data was collected for two photon energy ranges of the caesium-137 radioisotope based densitometer for a range of air, water and oil flow mixtures, spanning the facility’s delivery range. Signal analysis of the gamma densitometer data revealed the presence of quasi-periodic waveforms in the time-varying multiphase flow densities and discriminatory correlations between statistical features of the gamma count data and key multiphase flow parameters. The development of a mechanistic approach to infer the multiphase flow rates from the gamma attenuation information was investigated. A model for the determination of the individual phase flow rates was proposed based on the gamma attenuation levels; while quasi-periodic waveforms identified in the multiphase fluid density were observed to exhibit a strong correlation with the gas and liquid superficial phase velocity parameters at fixed water cuts. Analysis of the use of pattern recognition techniques to correlate the gamma densitometer data with the individual phase superficial velocities and the water cut was undertaken. Two neural network models were developed for comparison: a single multilayer-perceptron and a multilayer hierarchical flow regime dependent model. The pattern recognition systems were trained to map the temporal fluctuations in the multiphase mixture density with the individual phase flow rates using statistical features extracted from the gamma count signals as their inputs. Initial results yielded individual phase flow rate predictions to within ±10% based on flow regime specific correlations.

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Long-lived trees preserve a record of environmental conditions during their lifetime in the pattern of yearly xylem widths and in changing wood density within and among the increments. Crossdated earlywood, latewood, and total ring widths, and minimum earlywood and maximum latewood densities, from three sites in the mountains of Maine, are analyzed visually and statistically to evaluate their relationships to one another and to external, environmental factors which affect the ring width and density through internal, physiological processes. Maximum density values show highest levels of similarity within and among the three site chronologies, thus implying a good degree of sensitivity to climate; minimum density values, however, showed lowest sensitivity to climate. Two biologically reasonable hypotheses concerning climate--tree growth interactions are proposed: (1) that maximum density is related to spring temperatures prior to its formation; and (2) that maximum density is related to summer water relations as the latewood forms. With the help of response function analysis, simple correlation, and multiple linear regression, these two hypotheses are tested: (1) maxmum density as a single predictor explains up to 37% of spring temperature variance; with earlywood widths at one site, 47% of spring temperature variance is explained; (2) maximum density as a single predictor explains up to 45% of summer temperature variance, 11% of summer precipitation variance, and 23% of the variance of Thornthwaite water deficit values; with total ring widths at one site, 22% of the variance of summer stream runoff is explained. Regression equations were applied to the 201- to 310-year tree-ring records to form reconstructions of these past climatic events. Independent verification testing of the reconstructions strongly validates the relationship between maximum density and spring temperature; the relationship to summer water relations is not as strongly verified, but results encourage further testin of this relationship. Results from this study may be applied both to (1) an increased understanding of relationship of climate to the formation of wood density; and (2) further development of dendroclimatology in mesic regions such as northeastern North America.

Background: Today corneal crosslinking with ultraviolet-A photoactivation of riboflavin is an established method to halt the progression of keratoconus. In some cases, when the refractive errors are large and the visual acuity is low, conventional corneal crosslinking may not be sufficient. In these cases it would be desirable with a treatment that both halts the progression and also reduces the refractive errors and improves the quality of vision. Aims:  The aims of this thesis were to determine whether mechanical compression of the cornea during corneal crosslinking for keratoconus using a sutured rigid contact lens could improve the optical and visual outcomes of the treatment, and also to find methods to evaluate the effect of different corneal crosslinking treatment regimens. Methods: In a prospective, open, randomized case-control study, 60 eyes of 43 patients with progressive keratoconus, aged 18-28 years, planned for routine corneal crosslinking, and a corresponding age- and sex-matched control group was included. The patients were randomized to conventional corneal crosslinking (CXL; n=30) or corneal crosslinking with mechanical compression of the cornea during the treatment (CRXL; n=30). Biomicroscopy, autorefractometry, best spectacle corrected visual acuity, axial length measurement, Pentacam® HR Scheimpflug photography, pachymetry, intraocular pressure measurements and corneal biomechanical assessments were performed before treatment (baseline) and at 1 month and 6 months after the treatment. One of the articles evaluated and compared the optical and visual outcomes between CXL and CRXL, while the other three articles focused on methods to evaluate treatment effects. In Paper I, the corneal light scattering was manually quantified from Scheimpflug images throughout the corneal thickness at 8 measurements points, 0.0 to 3.0 mm from the corneal centre, in patients treated with CXL. In Paper IV the corneal densitometry (light scattering) was measured with the Pentacam® HR software, in 4 circular zones around the corneal apex and at 3 different depths of the corneal stroma, in both CXL and CRXL treated corneas. Paper III quantified the biomechanical effects of CXL in vivo. Results: Corneal light scattering after CXL showed distinctive spatial and temporal profiles and Applanation Resonance Tonometry (ART) -technology demonstrated an increased corneal hysteresis 1 and 6 months after CXL. When comparing the refractive and structural results after CXL and CRXL, CRXL failed to flatten the cornea, and the treatment did not show any benefits to conventional CXL treatment, some variables even indicated an inferior effect. Accordingly, the increase in corneal densitometry was also less pronounced after CRXL. Conclusions: Analysis of corneal light scattering/densitometry shows tissue changes at the expected treatment location, and may be a relevant variable in evaluating the crosslinking effect. ART -technology is an in vivo method with the potential to assess the increased corneal hysteresis after CXL treatment. By refining the method, ARTmay become a useful tool in the future. Unfortunately, CRXL does not improve the optical and visual outcomes after corneal crosslinking. Possibly, stronger crosslinking would be necessary to stabilize the cornea in a flattened position.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Anatomy))--Mahidol University, 1978. / Supported by the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk, Hannover, F.R. of Germany.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1987.

Thesis (M.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2010. / Mode of access: Internet. Title from PDF title page; viewed on April 1, 2010. Major professor: Ann Yelmokas McDermott, Ph.D., M.S., LDN. "Presented to the faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo." "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology." "March, 2010." Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-54).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1987.

Thesis (MSc. (Physiology)--Faculty of Health Sciences) - University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of British Columbia, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-108).