An evaluation of eleven roadway matting systems was conducted to determine their effectiveness in carrying heavy vehicle traffic over loose sand subgrades. Three of the eleven matting systems were also evaluated over soft fine-grained subgrades. Matting products included high-density polyethylene, aluminum, fiberglass, and polyester. System configurations included continuous rolls of material, segmented rolls, and individual panels. The matting products were assembled on test sections and trafficked with a 7-ton, 6-wheeled truck loaded with a 7-ton payload until 20 percent of the mat section was no longer reusable or 2,000 truck passes were achieved. Earth pressure cells were installed under nine of the sand test sections to monitor load distributions provided by the matting systems. Based on the test results, recommendations are given for selecting the best roadway matting system types for use on temporary roads with sand or soft fine-grained subgrades.

Braid theory is a very active research field. Braids can be studied from variuos points of view and have applications in different fields, e.g. in mathematical physics and in biology. In this thesis we provide a formal introduction to some topics in the mathematical theory of braids and two possible approaches to this field at a popular level: a movie and a workshop. The scientific movie addressed to a non-specialist audience has been realized using the free ray-tracer POV-Ray. It is divided into four parts, each of which has a length of about 15 minutes. The content ranges from the introduction of basic concepts to deep results. The workshop activity is based on the action of braids on loops and aims to invite and lead the audience to a mathematical formalization of the principal concepts involved: braids, curves and group actions.

This thesis is concerned with the study of nonstandard models in measure theory and in functional analysis. In measure theory, we define elementary numerosities, that are additive measures that take on values in a non-archimedean field and for which the measure of every singleton is 1. We have shown that, by taking the ratio with a suitable unit of measurement, from a numerosity it can be defined a non-atomic real-valued measure, and that every non-atomic measure can be obtained from a numerosity by this procedure. We then used numerosities to develop a model for the probability of infinite sequences of coin tosses coherent with the original ideas of Laplace. In functional analysis, we introduce a space of functions of nonstandard analysis with a formally finite domain, that extends both the space of distributions and the space of Young measures. Among the applications of this space of functions, we develop a continuous-in-time, discrete-in-space nonstandard formulation for a class of ill-posed forward-backward parabolic equations, and on the study of the regularity and asymptotic behaviour of its nonstandard solutions. This approach proved to be a viable alternative to the study of the vanishing viscosity limit of the solution of a pseudoparabolic regularization of the original problem.

This thesis addresses two problems from the theory of periodic homogenization and the related notion of two-scale convergence. Its main focus rests on the derivation of equivalent transmission conditions for the interaction of two adjacent bodies which are connected by a thin layer of interface material being perforated by identically shaped voids. Herein, the voids recur periodically in interface direction and shall in size be of the same order as the interface thickness. Moreover, the constitutive properties of the material occupying the bodies adjacent to the interface are assumed to be described by some convex energy densities of quadratic growth. In contrast, the interface material is supposed to show extremal" constitutive behavior. More precisely

In this thesis we investigate variational problems involving 1-dimensional sets (e.g., curves, networks) and variational inequalities related to obstacle-type dynamics from a twofold prospective. On one side, we provide variational approximations and convex relaxations of the relevant energies and dynamics, moving mainly within the framework of Gamma-convergence and of convex analysis. On the other side, we thoroughly investigate the numerical optimization of the corresponding approximating energies, both to recover optimal 1-dimensional structures and to accurately simulate the actual dynamics.

Airfield matting systems are used for the expedient construction of temporary airfields and rapid expansion of existing airfields to provide maneuvering support for military aircraft. They protect the subgrade by distributing the load exerted by aircraft over a larger area. Six airfield matting systems of varying materials and designs were evaluated through the construction of full-scale test sections to determine their effectiveness at reducing the accumulation of subgrade deformation and decreasing the pressure experienced by the subgrade. The matting systems were tested on a California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of 6 and subjected to simulated F-15E aircraft traffic while monitoring mat breakage, deformation, and subgrade earth pressure. The systems were compared in terms of the rate of subgrade permanent deformation. Based on test results, a simplified expression was developed to predict subgrade deformation on a CBR of 6 as a function of F 15E aircraft passes and airfield mat properties.

Student Number : 9812661N - MA dissertation - School of Art - Faculty of Humanities / This research focuses on change and the effects of economic development on the design and production of the traditional grass mat made by women in Swaziland. The visual quality of the traditional Swazi grass mat has transformed. The mat making technique remains unchanged, as does the main raw material in the construction of the mat, but now the traditional grass is accompanied by an artificial element: sweet wrappers, creating shimmering new designs. The technology of making grass mats has been revolutionised with the introduction of the Imbongolo mat-making frame. These changes represent an example of a dynamic art form in the context of the deep-rooted tradition of Swazi material culture. Through interviews with a number of mat-makers and a comprehensive collection of mat samples gathered over an extended period these modifications have been recorded and evaluated in terms of the producers’ response to economic constraints, and the availability of new plastic materials.

Syftet med studien var att ta reda på hur chefer och kökspersonal på förskolor arbetade för att främja goda matvanor hos barn enligt de nationella riktlinjer som finns.Metoden som användes var kvalitativ intervjuundersökning med fem förskolechefer och fem kökspersonal i en kommun i östra Svealand. Kravet för att medverka i undersökningen var att förskolorna skulle tillaga och planera maten på egen hand. I kommunen fanns det 65 förskolor som lagade och planerade maten själva. Lottdragning tillämpades för att välja ut vilka förskolor som skulle delta i undersökningen.Resultatet visade att förskolecheferna hade det yttersta ansvaret för att Statens livsmedelsverks riktlinjer följdes men de delegerade ansvaret till kökspersonalen då dessa ansågs vara experter inom området. Resultatet visade dock att kökspersonalen inte följde riktlinjerna till fullo, då de ansåg att de hade tillräckligt med kunskap. Förskolans ekonomiska situation bidrog också till vilken mat man kunde erbjuda barnen. Förskolecheferna ansåg att ett sätt var att laga så mycket mat som möjligt från grunden, först och främst för att kunna hålla matkostnaderna nere. De var även noga med att göra barnen delaktiga och få förståelse för sin egen kost.Slutsatsen visade att det trots regelbunden kontakt, fanns brister i kommunikationen mellan förskolechefer och kökspersonal samt brist på tydliga ramar och riktlinjer för vad som ska följas i arbetet. Förskolechefen och kökspersonalen bör ha en gemensam uppfattning kring i vilken omfattning riktlinjerna ska eller bör följas för att uppnå en god standard på maten. Förskolans ekonomiska situation hade en stor betydelse för kökspersonalens planering av matinköp. Hade förskolan en stram budget, var ett sätt för att få ner kostnaderna att laga mat från grunden och byta ut dyrare livsmedel. Alla förskolor var måna om att barnen skulle få i sig näringsriktig mat av god kvalité. / The aim of the study was to observe how preschools apply nutritional guidelines in order to promote healthy eating habits among children. The method used was a qualitative approach in which five preschool heads and five kitchen staff in a community in the eastern part of Sweden were interviewed. To participate in the study, all food preparation and menu planning had to be done by the preschool themselves. Preschools not meeting the requirements were eliminated, and the remaining preschools, fifty in total, were randomly selected.The results of the research showed that it was the head of the preschool who was responsible for upholding the National Food Administration guidelines; however, the responsibility was delegated to the kitchen staff with expertise in nutrition. The economic situation of each preschool affected the nutritional value of the food being served.The conclusion showed that despite regular contact, there was a lack of communication between the preschool managers and kitchen staff. The economic situation had a great impact on the kitchen staff regarding planning and grocery shopping. If the preschool had a tight budget, a way to cut costs was to cook from scratch and replace more expensive foods. All respondents were eager to serve the children nutritious food of good quality.

North of the city of Stockholm lies the area called Södra Roslagen composed of several municipalities. The purpose of this essay is to discover how local informants describe the food culture of the region and analyse why some types of food are mentioned and others are excluded. Several people within the food industry of Södra Roslagen were given surveys asking them to describe the food habits of the area, from commodities and certain dishes to traditions. These answers were analysed using the theories regional food, regiocentrism, revitalisation, placeless food and the idea of viewing culture through the long and the short perspective. One informant mentioned that professionals in the food industry of the region tend to follow trends from the rest of the world and another that many producers work with ecological requirements. Södra Roslagen was also defined by some as having a taste of summer as this coastal area sees an influx of visitors during that season. Mostly though, the informants struggled with defining the food of the area with a few identifying it as anonymous. This might be due to no marketing attempts having been made to give foods of the area a regional profile or add a symbolic value. It might also be because these municipalities are composed of many families originally from various places of the world. Therefore this cultural melting pot has a rich mixture of global food instead of things the locals would specifically associate with the region. Instead of using a short term perspective and mentioning this foreign food as part of the contemporary culture of Södra Roslagen the informants use the longer perspective where traditions need to have existed in a place for many years for them to be considered as part of the regional culture and contemporary culture is ignored.

Avhandlingens tema er forståelse av holdbarhet på mat samt kasting av mat som en del av hverdagslivet i to generasjoner. I Norge kaster hver forbruker om lag 50 kilo nyttbart matavfall hvert år. Prosjektet er en kvalitativ analyse basert på dybdeintervjuer med tolv kvinner. Temaet belyses ved hjelp av teori om risiko og tillit, om sosial praksisteori og om klassifisering, samt tidligere forskning som blant annet viser at å kvitte seg med ting må sees som en prosess. Funnene jeg gjør er at kvinnene i stor grad baserer seg på tillit til egen kunnskap og til produsenter når de vurderer eventuelle risikoaspekter i forbindelse med mat. I stor grad oppfatter de seg som kompetente til å selv vurdere matens kvalitet ut fra utseende, lukt og smak. For å unngå negative følelser benytter kvinnene seg av strategier for å si at de ikke kaster mat. Eksempler her er å la maten stå i kjøleskapet til man er sikker på at den ikke kan spises. Overføring av holdninger og kunnskaper mellom generasjonene synes i stor grad å foregå implisitt. Vi finner få forskjeller mellom generasjonene, men diskusjonen viser at dette likevel kan foreligge ut fra ulike referansepunkt for hva som er mye eller lite, friskt eller dårlig. Denne studien bidrar til å nyansere oppfatningen om at det er manglende kunnskaper og dårlig moral som ligger bak de mengdene matavfall vi ser i Norge i dag, ettersom ønsket om ikke å kaste mat fortsatt står sterkt.