Significant X-ray variability and flaring has been observed from Sgr A* but is poorly understood from a theoretical standpoint. We perform general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations that take into account a population of non-thermal electrons with energy distributions and injection rates that are motivated by PIC simulations of magnetic reconnection. We explore the effects of including these non-thermal electrons on the predicted broadband variability of Sgr A* and find that X-ray variability is a generic result of localizing non-thermal electrons to highly magnetized regions, where particles are likely to be accelerated via magnetic reconnection. The proximity of these high-field regions to the event horizon forms a natural connection between IR and X-ray variability and accounts for the rapid timescales associated with the X-ray flares. The qualitative nature of this variability is consistent with observations, producing X-ray flares that are always coincident with IR flares, but not vice versa, i.e., there are a number of IR flares without X-ray counterparts.

In packaging industries, the demand for usage of Low Density Poly Ethylene foil is of profound interest. In the past, research was carried out on finite and infinite plates with varying crack lengths but having constant crack width. In this thesis, a detailed analysis on crack initiation is carried out on finite plates by varying width of the hole. The hole shapes for stress analysis include circle, ellipse and rectangular notch. Initially, maximum stress is found out using Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) theory and compared with Finite element method (FEM) results. Secondly using Elastic Plastic Fracture Mechanics theory (EPFM), critical stress and geometric function are evaluated theoretically by Modified Strip Yield Model (MSYM) and numerically by ABAQUS. Finally, a tensile test is conducted to validate the theoretical and numerical results.  By varying the width of the hole, a study on the parameters like critical stress, geometric function is presented. A conclusion is drawn that the effect of hole width should be considered when calculating fracture parameters.

Efforts to improve diesel fuel sprays have led to a significant increase in fuel injection pressures and a reduction in nozzle-hole diameters. Under these conditions, the likelihood for the internal nozzle flow to cavitate is increased, which potentially affects spray breakup and atomisation, but also increases the risk of causing cavitation damage to the injector. This thesis describes the study of cavitating flow phenomena in various single and multi-hole optical nozzle geometries. It includes the design and development of a high-pressure optical fuel injector test facility with which the cavitating flows were observed. Experiments were undertaken using real-scale optical diesel injector nozzles at fuel injection pressures up to 2050 bar, observing for the first time the characteristics of the internal nozzle-flow under realistic fuel injection conditions. High-speed video and high resolution photography, using laser illumination sources, were used to capture the cavitating flow in the nozzle-holes and sac volume of the optical nozzles, which contained holes ranging in size from 110 micrometers to 300 micrometers. Geometric cavitation in the nozzle-holes and string cavitation formation in the nozzle-holes and sac volume were both observed using transient and steady-state injection conditions; injecting into gaseous and liquid back pressures up to 150 bar. Results obtained have shown that cavitation strings observed at realistic fuel injection pressures exhibit the same physical characteristics as those observed at lower pressures. The formation of string cavitation was observed in the 300 micrometers multi-hole nozzle geometries, exhibiting a mutual dependence on nozzle flow-rate and the geometry of the nozzle-holes. Pressure changes, caused by localised turbulent perturbations in the sac volume and transient fuel injection characteristics, independently affected the geometric and string cavitation formation in each of the holes. String cavitation formation of was shown to occur when free-stream vapour was entrained into the low pressure core of a sufficiently intense coherent vortex. Hole diameters less than or equal to 160 micrometers were found to suppress string cavitation formation, with this effect a result of the reduced nozzle flow rate and vortex intensity. Using different hole spacing geometries, it was demonstrated that the formation of cavitation strings in a particular geometry became independent of fuel injection and back pressure once a threshold pressure drop across the nozzle had been reached.

This dissertation comprises three discrete empirical papers, with an introductory essay that evaluates the impact of different federal policies on prescription drug prices, utilization, and spending. Two main databases are used: (a) Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data and (b) the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. These two databases are designed to track Medicaid drug utilization and overall medical use and expenditures, respectively. The variables of interest in this dissertation are prescription drug price, prescription drug use and spending, and overall drug expenditures. The objective of the first paper (Chapter 2) is to examine whether oncology drug prices have significantly changed because the Medicaid rebate increased under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The analytic sample includes top-selling oncology drugs, both branded and generic, over an 8-year time period. The prices of top-selling oncology drugs in 2006 were followed through 2013 to find the extent to which drug prices have changed while controlling for state fixed-effect, package size, type of manufacturer, brand or generic, and drug strength. Thus, this study examines whether and to what extent oncology drug prices have changed after the increase in the Medicaid rebate under the ACA. The second paper’s objective (Chapter 3) is to study whether Medicare Part D has reduced racial disparities in diabetes drug use, coverage, and spending since its implementation in 2006. The analytic sample includes individuals aged 55 years and older who had diabetes from 2001 to 2010. Although the impact of Medicare Part D has been studied from different perspectives, its impact on racial disparities in drug use, coverage, and expenditures among diabetics has not been studied yet. The third paper (Chapter 4) focuses on the association between closing the Medicare doughnut hole and prescription drug utilization and spending for Medicare Part D beneficiaries with chronic diseases through 2013. The objective of the third paper is to determine whether the provisions of the ACA that close the coverage gap have affected prescription drug utilization and out-of-pocket (OOP) spending among Medicare seniors with Part D coverage.

No description available.

We report on the diversity in quasar spectra from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. After filtering the spectra to mitigate selection effects and Malmquist bias associated with a nearly flux-limited sample, we create high signal-to-noise ratio composite spectra from 58,656 quasars (2.1 <= z <= 3.5), binned by luminosity, spectral index, and redshift. With these composite spectra, we confirm the traditional Baldwin effect (BE, i. e., the anticorrelation of C IV equivalent width ( EW) and luminosity) that follows the relation W-lambda alpha L-beta w with slope beta(w) = -0.35 +/- 0.004, -0.35 +/- 0.005, and -0.41 +/- 0.005 for z. =. 2.25, 2.46, and 2.84, respectively. In addition to the redshift evolution in the slope of the BE, we find redshift evolution in average quasar spectral features at fixed luminosity. The spectroscopic signature of the redshift evolution is correlated at 98% with the signature of varying luminosity, indicating that they arise from the same physical mechanism. At a fixed luminosity, the average C IV FWHM decreases with increasing redshift and is anti-correlated with C IV EW. The spectroscopic signature associated with C IV FWHM suggests that the trends in luminosity and redshift are likely caused by a superposition of effects that are related to black hole mass and Eddington ratio. The redshift evolution is the consequence of a changing balance between these two quantities as quasars evolve toward a population with lower typical accretion rates at a given black hole mass.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Ryszard J. Jankowiak / The constituents of oxygen-evolving photosystem II core complexes—antenna proteins (CP43 and CP47) and reaction center (RC)—have been the subject of many studies over the years. However, the various issues related to electronic structure, including the origin/composition of the lowest-energy traps, origin of various emission bands, excitation energy transfer (EET), primary charge separation (CS) processes and pigment site energies remain yet to be fully resolved. Exploiting our state-of-the-art techniques such as low-T absorption, fluorescence, and hole burning (HB) spectroscopies, we resolved some of the issues particularly related to CP47 and isolated RC protein complexes. For example, we demonstrated that the fluorescence origin band maximum (~695 nm) originates from the lowest-energy state ~693 nm of intact CP47. In intact CP47 in contrast to destablished protein complexes, the band (~695 nm) does not shift in the temperature range of 5–77 K unless hole-burning takes place. We also studied a large number of isolated RC preparations from spinach, and wild-type Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (at different levels of intactness), as well as its mutant (D2-L209H), in which the active branch pheophytin (PheoD1) has been genetically replaced with chlorophyll a (Chl a). We showed that the Qx-/Qy-region site-energies of PheoD1 and PheoD2 are ~545/680 nm and ~541.5/670 nm, respectively, in good agreement with our previous assignment [Jankowiak et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 8803]. Finally, we demonstrated that the primary electron donor in isolated algal RCs from C. reinhardtii (referred to as RC684) is PD1 and/or PD2 of the special Chl pair (analogous to PL and PM, the special BChl pair of the bacterial RC) and not ChlD1. However, the latter can also be the primary electron donor (minor pathway) in RC684 depending on the realization of the energetic disorder. We further demonstrate that transient HB spectra in RC684 are very similar to P+QA - PQA spectra measured in PSII core, providing the first evidence that RC684 represent intact isolated RC that also possesses the secondary electron acceptor, QA. In summary, a new insight into possible charge separation pathways in isolated PSII RCs has been provided.

A aquisição de novas informações de sondagem é realizada por intermédio do infill de furos de sonda e esta é uma prática utilizada em diversas etapas da exploração mineral. Métodos de otimização são largamente utilizados em várias fases e processos na vida da mina, por exemplo na otimização de cavas, na otimização do sequenciamento de lavra, entre outros. Contudo a utilização de métodos de otimização aplicados à locação de furos de inifill não é usual. Neste trabalho propõem-se utilizar a otimização matemática para melhorar a distribuição espacial dos novos furos, bem como para definir a quantidade adequada de furos a serem realizados. Métodos de otimização meta-heurísticos foram testados com o objetivo de minimizar duas funções objetivo que tratam das incertezas associadas à simulação dos dados, que são a soma da variância e a soma dos coeficientes de variação dos blocos simulados. O método que apresentou melhores resultados na otimização da função objetivo no menor tempo e custo computacional foi o método simulated annealing com resfriamento rápido e memória. Com base neste método de otimização comparou-se as funções objetivo propostas. Para efetuar a comparação amostraram-se os 11 furos definidos pela otimização para ambas as funções objetivo. O infill amostral foi realizado no corpo sintético e as comparações realizadas foram: a estatística descritiva - dos dados de infill comparados à população - e o gráfico Q-Q entre o e-type das simulações realizadas na base com infill e a população. A estatística descritiva do infill permitiu interpretar que a amostragem atualizada (soma das amostragens inicial e a nova) apresentou-se mais representativa do que a amostragem incial. Baseado no resultado dos gráficos Q-Q, a simulação calculada com o infill otimizando a minimização da soma dos coeficientes de variação apresentou maior aderência à população. / The acquisition of new drillhole information can be accomplished by the drill hole infill, a practice used in several steps of the mineral exploration. Optimization methods are widely used in several stages and processes of the mine life cycle, for example, mine pit optimization, mine scheduling optimization among others. However the optimization of drill hole infill locations are unusual. This work proposes the use of mathematical optimization to improve the spatial distribution and the number of the new drill holes to be made. Metaheuristics optimization methods were tested to minimize two objective functions that deal with the uncertainty associated to simulated data, the sum of the simulated blocks variance and the sum of the simulated blocks coefficient of variation. The best processing cost, processing time and results were obtained by simulated annealing method with fast cooling and memory for both objective functions. Based on this optimization method both proposed objective functions were compared. In order to perform the comparison 11 optimized drill holes locations by both objective functions were sampled. Sampling infill were done in the synthetic ore body and the made comparisons were: statistics - comparison between the infill data and population - and the QQ plot of the e-type statistics computed for simulation based on infill and population. Statistics for infill allowed to interpret that updated sample (the addition of new sampling in the initial data) was more representative than the initial sampling. Based on Q-Q plot the simulation computed for optimized infill location by the sum of the coefficient of variation minimization has more adherence to population.

Nous retracerons le parcours de la topologie dans l’enseignement lacanien : de la topologie algébrique, nous traiterons des figures topologiques (tore, bande de Mœbius, bouteille de Klein, cross-cap) pour en arriver à la topologie nodale dont le paradigme est le nœud borroméen. Nous considérerons alors les conséquences théoriques qu’elle implique : de l’inconscient freudien ou l’inconscient symbolique nous passerons à l’inconscient réel et l’une-bévue, et du symptôme nous envisagerons le sinthome et sa logique. Nous affinerons ainsi le double rapport du sujet au signifiant et à la jouissance mettant en avant l’importance du corps pris comme vivant. Pour ce faire, nous étudierons plus précisément le rapport du sujet au trou, manque fondamental qui le constitue, à la fois extérieur et intérieur. Nous verrons comment, dans son creux et dans ses bords, le sujet y loge sa singularité, son « x ». Nous l’articulerons à la clinique afin de révéler l’apport qu’elle représente dans la pratique. / We will trace the course of topology in Lacan’s teaching: from algebraic topology, where we will deal with topological surfaces (torus, Moebius strip, Klein bottle, cross-cap) we will reach topology whose paradigm is the Borromean knot. We will then consider the theoretical consequences implied: from the Freudian unconscious or symbolic unconscious we will move to the real unconscious and the une-bévue, and from the symptom we will consider the sinthome and its logic. We will refine the dual relationship of the subject to signifier and Jouissance, and highlight the importance of the body as living. To do this, we will study more precisely the relationship of the subject to the hole, a fundamental lack that constitutes him, both exterior and interior. We will see how, in its hollow and its edges, the subject lodges its singularity, its "x". We will link it to clinic to reveal the contribution of topology in practice.

Os Aços Avançados de Alta Resistência ou AHSS (do inglês Advanced High Strength Steels) apresentam muitas vantagens mecânicas em relação aos aços convencionais. Seu uso crescente na indústria automotiva deve-se principalmente à sua capacidade de possibilitar a redução de peso e, ao mesmo tempo, o aumento da segurança aos ocupantes do veículo em caso de colisões. No entanto, apresentam maiores dificuldades no que se refere à conformabilidade (maiores níveis de solicitação e desgaste das ferramentas, menor deformabilidade plástica, etc). Assim, alguns testes para avaliar a conformabilidade destes materiais ganham maior importância. É o caso do Teste de Expansão de Furos, cuja propriedade medida é a Razão de Expansão de Furos (REF). Neste trabalho investiga-se o processo de expansão de furos para o aço avançado de alta resistência (AHSS) martensítico DOCOL 190M, sob as seguintes condições de processo: duas formas de obtenção do furo (jato d’água e usinagem); duas geometrias distintas de punções (cônico de 60º e elíptico); diversos diâmetros do furo inicial; com e sem o uso de lubrificante; com acabamento diferenciado da borda do furo; e expansão com deslocamento do punção em etapas. Os experimentos demonstram que a expansão de furos possui uma estreita relação com a geometria do punção utilizado para a expansão, bem como com o diâmetro do furo inicial, acabamento da borda e condições de lubrificação. A partir dos resultados experimentais de expansão de furos foi possível realizar a calibração de um software de simulação computacional em relação ao dano crítico do material no momento da fatura na borda do furo. / Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) offer many mechanical advantages over conventional steels. Its increasing use in the automotive industry is mainly due to its ability to reduce weight and, at the same time, increase occupant safety in the event of collisions. However, they present greater difficulties with respect to the formability (higher levels of solicitation and wear of the tools, lower plastic formability, etc). Thus, some tests to evaluate the formability of these materials come to have greater importance. This is the case of the Hole Expansion Test, whose measured property is the Hole Expansion Ratio (REF). This work investigates the hole expansion process for a martensitic advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), DOCOL 190M, under the following process conditions: two ways of obtaining the hole (water jet and machining); two different geometries of punctures (conical of 60º and elliptical); various diameters of the initial hole; with and without the use of lubricant; with differentiated finishing of the hole edge; and expansion with punch displacement in steps. The experiments demonstrate that the hole expansion has a close relationship with the geometry of the punch used for the expansion, as well as the initial hole diameter, edge finish and lubrication conditions. From the experimental hole expansion results it was possible to carry out the calibration of a computational simulation software in relation to the critical damage of the material at the moment of hole edge rupture.