This research was conducted to better understand the corrosion propagation stage on dry-cast reinforced concrete pipes (DCRCPs) while exposed to high moisture conditions and chlorides. Corrosion initiation and propagation were studied in instrumented specimens obtained from segments of dry-cast reinforced concrete pipes. All specimens were subjected to accelerated chloride transport by the application of an electric field. Corrosion of the steel wire mesh initiated after a few days to a few months rather than several years. The specimens were then transferred to high moisture environments (immersed in water, high humidity and/or covered with wet sand) during the corrosion propagation stage. Reinforcement potentials, linear polarization resistance (LPR) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out periodically. During the propagation stage in different exposures, reinforcement eventually reached negative potentials values (< –-0.55 Vsce), which suggest mass transfer limitations. These specimens showed no visual signs of corrosion such as cracks or corrosion products except the ones exposed to high humidity and laboratory environments; where some corrosion products have reached the concrete surface. Moreover, the apparent corrosion rate values obtained suggest high corrosion rates. No crack appearance on specimens exposed to other conditions could be explained by the porosity of the specimens; the corrosion products moved into saturated pores. It is speculated that although there might be mass transfer limitations present, the current demanded by the anode is being balanced by a larger cathode area due to macrocell effects since the high moisture conditions likely reduced the concrete resistivity and increased the throwing power. The corrected polarization resistance (Rc) was calculated by subtracting the solution resistance from the apparent polarization resistance measured. The Rc values measured over time were used to obtain the calculated mass loss (using Faraday’s Law). Most specimens were forensically analyzed and the measured mass loss compared to the calculated mass loss. The forensic examination includes the measurement of the actual corroding areas. The measured corroding areas were used to obtain corrosion current density (icorr) values. A comparison was made of the calculated corrosion current densities obtained using the linear polarization resistance method (LPR) and the extrapolation method from cyclic polarization tests. It was evident that most of the specimens’ corrosion rates were significantly high. The corrosion products filled the wet-pores inside the concrete and provide an explanation for no cracks or corrosion bleed outs being visually observed on the specimens. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (MSc.(Clinical Psychology))University of Limpopo, 2009. / The aim and objective of this investigation is to explore, on a preliminary basis, the psychological and social effects on a sample of women of having disclosed their positive HIV diagnosis. The study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A convenience sampling approach was used to collect the sample. Inclusion criteria included female, older than 18, with a positive HIV status. Participants’ disclosure of a positive HIV status (defined as having voluntarily disclosed to sexual partners, intimate or immediate family, extended family and or friends) was a key inclusion criterion. Semi-structured interviews were used in the collection of data. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Through collaboration with other trained researchers, the data was analyzed and interpreted using investigator triangulation. The independent clinicians identified and established the categories, themes or recurring processes separately using content analysis. The themes in the transcripts as well as from the literature review were utilized as a guide. The results of this study suggest that there are various factors that influence whether disclosure of a positive HIV diagnosis takes place, largely based on the initial adjustment to the positive HIV diagnosis, the individual’s socio-cultural context and the weighing of potential reactions (whether positive or negative) that disclosing a positive HIV diagnosis can induce. The psychological effects of disclosing a positive HIV diagnosis that were identified in this study were anger, fear of stigma/discrimination, shock and disbelief and a false sense of acceptance of the diagnosis. The social effects of disclosing a positive HIV diagnosis were satisfaction with support received following disclosure. However lack of partner support as well as experiences with stigma/discrimination were identified following disclosure.

<p>Several researches show that the advertisements play an important role on customers choosing goods or services and especially are more effective on children as consumer. Advertising is to offer them about new products. This study‟s‟ approach is examine if the TV advertisements affects consumers. This study will be a qualitative approach will be done with 20 respondents, and the respondents are in the ages 12-21 and 45-55.</p>

As trade among members of the European Union (EU) is now free of tariffs, the harmonization of technical regulations or standards has become an important issue for deeper integration of the internal market. A previous analysis of the completion of the Single Market calculated that in 1996 about 80% of intra-EU trade was been affected by harmonization of technical regulations. A major objective of this thesis is to examine to what extent harmonization of regulations has reduced the so called border effect. After a brief survey of the gravity literature, we propose and test some economic and econometric extensions of the standard gravity model. This model is then applied to total manufacturing as well as to more detailed levels corresponding to different harmonization approaches. We find that harmonization of technical regulations has a positive impact on imports of total manufacturing. However, this hardly explains the importance of border effects within the EU. This result is supported at a more disaggregated level when we distinguish between manufacturing sectors according to the type of EU harmonization including the category where technical barriers do not apply. In addition, sectors where harmonization is of minor importance exhibit smaller border effects. The last part of the thesis examines, with particular reference to EU and enlargement, how environmental regulations at the national and EU level have collided and affected exports. The major findings are that more harmonization has been accompanied by higher levels of domestic environmental regulations in candidate countries. In addition, the level of domestic environmental regulations - when treated endogenously - has a larger negative effect on EU exports. We employ a newly constructed data set that contains information at the three digit level of manufacturing industries. For each industry we identify the dominant harmonization approach used by the European Commission to the removal of technical barriers to trade in the EU.

This work investigates the effects of anthropogenic aerosols on deep convective clouds and the associated radiative forcing in the Houston area. The Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model (GCE) coupled with a spectral-bin microphysics is employed to investigate the aerosol effects on clouds and precipitation. First, aerosol indirect effects on clouds are separately investigated under different aerosol compositions, concentrations and size distributions. Then, an updated GCE model coupled with the radiative transfer and land surface processes is employed to investigate the aerosol radiative effects on deep convective clouds. The cloud microphysical and macrophysical properties change considerably with the aerosol properties. With varying the aerosol composition from only (NH4)2SO4, (NH4)2SO4 with soluble organics, to (NH4)2SO4 with slightly soluble organics, the number of activated aerosols decreases gradually, leading to a decrease in the cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) and an increase in the droplet size. Ice processes are more sensitive to the changes of aerosol chemical properties than the warm rain processes. The most noticeable effect of increasing aerosol number concentrations is an increase of CDNC and cloud water content but a decrease in droplet size. It is indicated that the aerosol indirect effect on deep convection is more pronounced in relatively clean air than in heavily polluted air. The aerosol effects on clouds are strongly dependent on RH: the effect is very significant in humid air. Aerosol radiative effects (ARE) on clouds are very pronounced for mid-visible single-scattering albedo (SSA) of 0.85. Relative to the case without the ARE, cloud fraction and optical depth decrease by about 18% and 20%, respectively. The daytime-mean direct forcing is about 2.2 W m-2 at the TOA and -17.4 W m-2 at the surface. The semi-direct forcing is positive, about 10 and 11.2 W m-2 at the TOA and surface, respectively. Aerosol direct and semi-direct effects are very sensitive to SSA. The cloud fraction, optical depth, convective strength, and precipitation decrease with the increase of absorption, resulting from a more stable atmosphere due to enhanced surface cooling and atmospheric heating.

Habitat loss is one of the leading causes of species decline across all taxa and conservation practices require information on population trends. The Mescalero Sands ecosystem, New Mexico, USA, is experiencing landscape changes associated with oil and gas development. The dune-dwelling lizard community contains a habitat specialist, Sceloporus arenicolus, that is of particular interest because it has a very limited geographic distribution that is entirely subject to oil and gas development. Distance sampling is widely used to estimate population densities of many vertebrate taxa however assumptions can be difficult to satisfy with certain species or in certain habitats. Researchers must investigate the likelihood that assumptions can be satisfied before implementing any population sampling method. I had two objectives. First to investigate the precision of population densities of dune-dwelling lizards estimated via distance sampling that was coupled with double-observer surveys. Second to compare abundances of dune-dwelling lizards among sites that varied in oil and gas development. I conducted distance line transects and compared those density estimates to densities obtained from total removal plots. I quantified the amount of oil and gas development, habitat quantity and quality and correlated those to lizard abundances to investigate the effects of oil and gas development on lizard populations. I found large differences in density estimates from distance sampling and total removal plots that resulted from violation of distance sampling assumptions. Although distance sampling is a low cost method, it does not produce reliable density estimates for dune-dwelling lizards and is not an appropriate sampling method in this system. I did not find oil and gas development effects on the habitat quantity, quality or on the abundances of lizards. Lizard abundances were most strongly correlated to habitat quantity. Lizard abundances may be influenced by complex interactions between oil and gas development and habitat quantity and quality but controlling for those interactions was beyond the scope of my study. Before and after experiments and long-term studies at multiple sites would be required to more fully address the effects of oil and gas development on lizard populations in the Mescalero Sands.

Several researches show that the advertisements play an important role on customers choosing goods or services and especially are more effective on children as consumer. Advertising is to offer them about new products. This study‟s‟ approach is examine if the TV advertisements affects consumers. This study will be a qualitative approach will be done with 20 respondents, and the respondents are in the ages 12-21 and 45-55.

Flat-slab buildings designed and detailed for gravity loads only typically do not have the ability to resist moderate earthquakes without experiencing severe damage. The damage potential of such seismically deficient buildings therefore needs to be assessed and strategies developed to improve their seismic resistance. Punching failure at slab-column connections in non-ductile flat-slab buildings during earthquakes can trigger progressive collapse of floor slabs. Based on the test results of a large number of interior and exterior connections, a methodology is developed to predict shear and unbalanced moment-transfer capacities of connections under combined gravity and lateral loads. Furthermore, a frame analysis procedure is developed based on the equivalent frame concept which targets both the moment-transfer capacity as well as stiffness of the interior and exterior slab-column connections. The approach employs a parametric hysteretic model and is based on the effective slab-width concept. The proposed procedure for evaluating the seismic capacity of flat-slab connections and frames is verified by comparing the calculated and measured responses of two-bay flat-slab subassemblies tested under earthquake-type loading. Seismic reliability against punching failure of slab-column connections in flat-slab buildings designed for gravity loads was investigated using the proposed equivalent frame approach. The reliability analysis indicated that the flat-slab buildings constructed prior to the 1960's could experience significant damage during moderate intensity earthquakes. By limiting the gravity load on floor slabs and by controlling the lateral drift, the potential for punching failure in flat-slab buildings can be minimized. The seismic resistance of older flat-slab buildings can be improved by retrofitting interior connections to protect against progressive collapse and by utilizing infill walls to control lateral drift. An economical connection retrofit scheme is proposed and verified experimentally. The equivalent strut concept is used to model masonry infills whose effectiveness in controlling the lateral drift is demonstrated through theoretical analysis of typical flat-slab frames.

Radiation Induced effects

In software development organizations there is sometimes a need for change. In order to meet continuously increasing demands from their customers, Sandvik IT Services- SITS, at Sandvik in Sweden, required improving the way they worked with software development. Due to issues like a lot of work in progress and lot of simultaneous tasks for individuals in the teams that caused stress, it was almost impossible to address the question of working with improvements. In order to enable the improvement process Kanban was introduced in the software development teams. Kanban for software development is a change method created by David J. Anderson. The purpose of this thesis is twofold. One part is to assess what effects Kanban has had on the software development teams. The other part is to make a documentation of the Kanban implementation process at SITS. The documentation has been made on the basis of both company internal resources and observations of the Kanban implementation process. The effects of Kanban have been researched with an interview survey to the teams that have gone through the Kick start of the Kanban process. The result of the thesis is also twofold. One part of the result is an extensive documentation of the implementation process of Kanban at SITS. The other part is an assessment of the effects that Kanban has had at SITS. The major effects have been that the teams are experiencing less stress, more focus on quality and better customer collaboration. It is also evident is that it takes time for some effects to evolve when implementing Kanban