This thesis is a study of the morphology and sediment transport dynamics of mountain streams in southeast Australia. Mountain streams represent important geomorphological and ecological systems in Australia which have hitherto been poorly studied. The variability of mountain stream reach morphology was investigated at the regional scale using topographical surveys and sediment sampling techniques. Study sites were stratified by slope and local lithology. Eight channel-morphologies including Bedrock, Cascade, Step-pool, Planebed, Pool-Riffle, Cascade-pool, Riffle-step and Infilled, were identified using an objective statistical approach. Overall, channel types were found to correspond to existing reach-scale mountain stream templates. Five morphologies were associated with a specific lithology type which controlled the size and shape of grains supplied to the channels. Differences in coarse sediment transport processes between morphologies were investigated using stream monitoring techniques and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Monitoring results from a 3 year period indicated that channel beds are resistant to entrainment with shear stress thresholds for bedload transport ranging between 64 to 74 N/m2. Transport of reach median grain sizes requires floods that exceed bankfull discharge. Existing competence equations were found to over-predict the hydraulic driving force and consequently, a modified entrainment model was used to account for the regional channel characteristics. OSL dating was investigated as a tool to provide data on long-term sediment transport processes. Minimum age model results from the OSL dates show overall agreement with a selected entrainment model, and indicate differences in sediment transport dynamics between some reach morphology types. A regime model was used to quantify the physical domains of different channel morphologies. Limitations of the model were overcome by modifying the sediment supply surrogate to better reflect the dominant transported bedload size. Morphology types were delineated according to different sediment transport capacity-sediment supply domains. The distribution of channel morphology types within a series of catchments in southeast Australia was modelled within a GIS platform using the diagnostics of reach morphology derived from this study. The model provides a conceptual framework to evaluate the potential link between channel form, potential habitat diversity and aquatic biodiversity within the channel network in mountain streams.

This thesis is a study of the morphology and sediment transport dynamics of mountain streams in southeast Australia. Mountain streams represent important geomorphological and ecological systems in Australia which have hitherto been poorly studied. The variability of mountain stream reach morphology was investigated at the regional scale using topographical surveys and sediment sampling techniques. Study sites were stratified by slope and local lithology. Eight channel-morphologies including Bedrock, Cascade, Step-pool, Planebed, Pool-Riffle, Cascade-pool, Riffle-step and Infilled, were identified using an objective statistical approach. Overall, channel types were found to correspond to existing reach-scale mountain stream templates. Five morphologies were associated with a specific lithology type which controlled the size and shape of grains supplied to the channels. Differences in coarse sediment transport processes between morphologies were investigated using stream monitoring techniques and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Monitoring results from a 3 year period indicated that channel beds are resistant to entrainment with shear stress thresholds for bedload transport ranging between 64 to 74 N/m2. Transport of reach median grain sizes requires floods that exceed bankfull discharge. Existing competence equations were found to over-predict the hydraulic driving force and consequently, a modified entrainment model was used to account for the regional channel characteristics. OSL dating was investigated as a tool to provide data on long-term sediment transport processes. Minimum age model results from the OSL dates show overall agreement with a selected entrainment model, and indicate differences in sediment transport dynamics between some reach morphology types. A regime model was used to quantify the physical domains of different channel morphologies. Limitations of the model were overcome by modifying the sediment supply surrogate to better reflect the dominant transported bedload size. Morphology types were delineated according to different sediment transport capacity-sediment supply domains. The distribution of channel morphology types within a series of catchments in southeast Australia was modelled within a GIS platform using the diagnostics of reach morphology derived from this study. The model provides a conceptual framework to evaluate the potential link between channel form, potential habitat diversity and aquatic biodiversity within the channel network in mountain streams.

This thesis is a study of the morphology and sediment transport dynamics of mountain streams in southeast Australia. Mountain streams represent important geomorphological and ecological systems in Australia which have hitherto been poorly studied. The variability of mountain stream reach morphology was investigated at the regional scale using topographical surveys and sediment sampling techniques. Study sites were stratified by slope and local lithology. Eight channel-morphologies including Bedrock, Cascade, Step-pool, Planebed, Pool-Riffle, Cascade-pool, Riffle-step and Infilled, were identified using an objective statistical approach. Overall, channel types were found to correspond to existing reach-scale mountain stream templates. Five morphologies were associated with a specific lithology type which controlled the size and shape of grains supplied to the channels. Differences in coarse sediment transport processes between morphologies were investigated using stream monitoring techniques and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Monitoring results from a 3 year period indicated that channel beds are resistant to entrainment with shear stress thresholds for bedload transport ranging between 64 to 74 N/m2. Transport of reach median grain sizes requires floods that exceed bankfull discharge. Existing competence equations were found to over-predict the hydraulic driving force and consequently, a modified entrainment model was used to account for the regional channel characteristics. OSL dating was investigated as a tool to provide data on long-term sediment transport processes. Minimum age model results from the OSL dates show overall agreement with a selected entrainment model, and indicate differences in sediment transport dynamics between some reach morphology types. A regime model was used to quantify the physical domains of different channel morphologies. Limitations of the model were overcome by modifying the sediment supply surrogate to better reflect the dominant transported bedload size. Morphology types were delineated according to different sediment transport capacity-sediment supply domains. The distribution of channel morphology types within a series of catchments in southeast Australia was modelled within a GIS platform using the diagnostics of reach morphology derived from this study. The model provides a conceptual framework to evaluate the potential link between channel form, potential habitat diversity and aquatic biodiversity within the channel network in mountain streams.

This thesis is a study of the morphology and sediment transport dynamics of mountain streams in southeast Australia. Mountain streams represent important geomorphological and ecological systems in Australia which have hitherto been poorly studied. The variability of mountain stream reach morphology was investigated at the regional scale using topographical surveys and sediment sampling techniques. Study sites were stratified by slope and local lithology. Eight channel-morphologies including Bedrock, Cascade, Step-pool, Planebed, Pool-Riffle, Cascade-pool, Riffle-step and Infilled, were identified using an objective statistical approach. Overall, channel types were found to correspond to existing reach-scale mountain stream templates. Five morphologies were associated with a specific lithology type which controlled the size and shape of grains supplied to the channels. Differences in coarse sediment transport processes between morphologies were investigated using stream monitoring techniques and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. Monitoring results from a 3 year period indicated that channel beds are resistant to entrainment with shear stress thresholds for bedload transport ranging between 64 to 74 N/m2. Transport of reach median grain sizes requires floods that exceed bankfull discharge. Existing competence equations were found to over-predict the hydraulic driving force and consequently, a modified entrainment model was used to account for the regional channel characteristics. OSL dating was investigated as a tool to provide data on long-term sediment transport processes. Minimum age model results from the OSL dates show overall agreement with a selected entrainment model, and indicate differences in sediment transport dynamics between some reach morphology types. A regime model was used to quantify the physical domains of different channel morphologies. Limitations of the model were overcome by modifying the sediment supply surrogate to better reflect the dominant transported bedload size. Morphology types were delineated according to different sediment transport capacity-sediment supply domains. The distribution of channel morphology types within a series of catchments in southeast Australia was modelled within a GIS platform using the diagnostics of reach morphology derived from this study. The model provides a conceptual framework to evaluate the potential link between channel form, potential habitat diversity and aquatic biodiversity within the channel network in mountain streams.

Optically-transparent solids have a significant role in many emerging topics of fundamental and applied research, in areas related to Applied Optics and Photonics. In the functional devices based on them, the presence of ‘time-varying temperature fields’ critically limit their achievable performance, when used particularly for high power laser-related tasks such as light-generation, light-amplification, nonlinear-harmonic conversion etc. For optimization of these devices, accurate knowledge of the material thermal parameters is essential. Many optical and non-optical methods are currently in use, for the reliable estimation of the thermal parameters. The thermal diffusivity is a key parameter for dealing with ‘transient heat transport’ related problems. Although its importance in practical design for thermal management is well understood, its physical meaning however continues to be esoteric. The present effort concerns with a few investigations on the “Optical interrogation of ‘transient thermal conduction’ in dielectric solids”. In dielectric solids, the current understanding is that the conductive heat transport occurs only through phonons relevant to microscopic lattice vibrations. Introducing for the first time, a virtual linear translator motion as the basis for heat conduction in dielectric materials, the present investigation discusses an alternative physical mechanism and a new analytical model for the transient heat conduction in dielectric solids. The model brings into limelight a ‘new law of motion’ and a ‘new quantity’ which can be defined at every point in the material, through which time-varying heat flows resulting in time-varying temperature. Physically, this quantity is a measure for the linear translatory motion resulting from transient heat conduction. For step-temperature excitation it bears a simple algebraic relation to the thermal diffusivity of the material. This relationship helps to define the thermal diffusivity of a dielectric solid as the “translatory motion speed” measured at unit distance from the heat source. A novel two-beam interferometric technique is proposed and corroborated the proposed concept with significant advantages. Two new approaches are introduced to estimate thermal diffusivity of optically transparent dielectric solid; first of them involves measurement of the position dependent velocity of isothermal surface and second one depend on the measurement of position dependent instantaneous velocity of normalized moving intensity points. A ‘new mechanism’ is proposed and demonstrated to visualize, monitor and interrogate optically, the ‘linear translatory motion’ resulting from the transient heat flow due to step- temperature excitation. Two new approaches are introduced, first one is ‘mark’ and ‘track’ approach, it involves a new interaction between sample supporting unsteady heat flow with its ambient and produces optical mark. Thermal diffusivity is estimated by tracking the optical mark. Second one involves measurement of instantaneous velocity of optical mark for different step-temperature at a fixed location to estimate thermal diffusivity. A new inverse method is proposed to estimate thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity from the volumetric specific heat capacity alone through thought experiment. A new method is proposed to predict volumetric specific heat capacity more accurately from thermal diffusivity.

La datation directe de l’édification de maçonneries est l’objectif archéologique majeur de cette thèse qui s'inscrit dans un contexte interdisciplinaire. Il s’agit de mettre au point une méthode de datation des mortiers, matériaux de choix beaucoup plus représentatifs de la chronologie de l’édification que les briques ou les bois de charpentes qui peuvent être remployés. Les mortiers de chaux, constitués d'un mélange de chaux et de sable, peuvent être datés par luminescence optiquement stimulée : il s’agit en effet de remonter à la fin de la dernière exposition à la lumière des grains de sable qui ont été ajoutés à la chaux par les anciens bâtisseurs, ce qui correspond précisément à la fabrication du mortier au moment de l’édification. Les monuments datés dans ce travail forment un ensemble d’édifices de référence s'étendant de l'Antiquité gallo-romaine jusqu'à la fin du Moyen Âge, bien calés chronologiquement par les approches chronologiques indépendantes. L’objectif est de comparer la chronologie obtenue par OSL à celle connue et démontrer ainsi la validité de la méthode. La procédure de datation des mortiers par OSL est compliquée par plusieurs facteurs. D’abord, le blanchiment optique des grains de quartz du mortier n’est pas uniforme en raison de l’éventuelle faible durée d’exposition à la lumière. En plus, une faible ancienneté des objets à dater (2000 ans au maximum) implique des signaux de faible amplitude et la nécessité d’adapter le protocole de mesure. Enfin, particulièrement les mortiers grossiers peuvent être affectés par les effets microdosimétriques. Ces facteurs sont pris en compte dans le choix de méthodologie de datation qui comprend ainsi les étapes suivantes : la caractérisation du mortier par microscopie optique, par EDX-MEB et par imagerie beta, la mesure des doses archéologiques individuelles par la technique de monograin, la détermination de la dose annuelle et le calcul de la dose archéologique ou bien de l’âge. Cette dernière est une étape délicate car il s’agit de sélectionner dans les distributions des doses archéologiques individuelles les grains bien blanchis qui portent une information chronologique recherchée. Pour cela, les différentes approches statistiques habituellement utilisées en datation par luminescence sont testées. Cette thèse apporte une démonstration de la méthode et montre que dans de nombreux cas, elle peut produire des dates fiables. L’analyse individuelle de chaque grain est ici un seul moyen permettant d’obtenir des informations exactes sur la vraie nature du matériau étudié. / The heart of the proposed research lies in the possibilities of direct dating of historical constructions, the interdisciplinary issues of a high significance. The aim of this research is to put into practice a dating method dealing with mortars, the category of materials more convenient and much more representative for the chronology of buildings in comparison with bricks or wood constructions that may be reused. Lime mortars composed of the mixture of sand and lime can be dated by optically stimulated luminescence: the objective is to determine the last moment when the grains of sand have been exposed to light which corresponds exactly with the fabrication of the mortar at the moment of building. The monuments dated within this PhD. thesis constitute a group of reference structures from the Gallo-Roman antiquity to the Middle Ages well-dated by other independent chronological approaches. The objective is to compare the chronology obtained by OSL with the known one and thereby to proof the validity of the method. The OSL dating procedure of mortars is complicated by numerous factors. First of all, due to the short exposure to light the optical bleaching of quartz grains in mortar is not homogeneous. In addition, the young age of dated material (maximally 2000 years old) implies signals of a weak intensity and the necessity to adapt conveniently the measurement protocol. Finally, especially the coarse-grained mortars can be affected by the microdosimetric effects. All these factors are taken into account when selecting a convenient dating methodology comprising the following stages: characterization of mortar by optical microscopy, by SEM-EDX and by beta autoradiography, the measurement of individual archaeological doses by the single grain technique, the determination of the annual dose and the calculation of the archaeological dose and of the age. The latter stage is a tricky one; it is necessary to select from the measured distribution of archaeological doses the well-bleached grains that contain the right chronological information. In this context, different statistical approaches usually used in luminescence dating are tested. This thesis brings a demonstration of the OSL dating method and shows that in many cases we can get reliable dates. The individual analysis of each grain is here the only way how to get the precise information about the nature of the studied material.

The experiment discussed in the next chapter was to confirm the aforementioned bystander effect. In the first experiment we separated hosting and non-hosting mRBCs by the percol purification method and then measured the corner frequencies of them. The mean fc of the distribution is almost the same, and this confirms the effect of the parasite on the non-hosting mRBC. In the next experiment, we have incubated nRBCs in the spent media and measured the corner frequency at six-hours intervals to see how the fc changed with the incubation time. The results showed that within 24 hours, the fc of the incubated nRBCs increases to the level of the iRBCs. The fact that nRBCs are getting affected by the spent media indicates that some substances must be released in the spent media which alter the physical properties of the nRBCs. This kind of effect on non-host mRBCs was previously observed by some earlier works [Dondorp97, Sabolovic91a, Bambardekar08]. It has also been recently shown that the rosetting of the host mRBCs to the non-host mRBCs is also activated by the substances released in the medium [Handunnetti89, Wahlgren89], which are also somewhat similar to the bystander effect observed by us. In addition to this, there are reports which suggest that sickle cell disease also shows binding properties [Roseff08, Zhang12] which may be due to the substances released in the medium. So it was already observed that the released substances induced changes in the properties of RBCs, but our study gives a direct confirmation of the same. The next study was to find out the released substances which were responsible for the observed changes above. We incubated infected and uninfected RBCs in different drugs. Then, we measured them to see what kind of changes occur in the corner frequency of the incubated RBCs. The corner frequency of normal RBCs incubated in db-cAMP shows the maximum change. So the released substance that is responsible for the bystander effect may be due to the db-cAMP. All the experiments above were done using samples cultured only in the lab. Since the environment of the blood taken directly from the patient may differ from the one that is cultured in the lab, it is natural to find out if similar kinds of changes can be observed in the clinical sample or not. The study in chapter 6 was targeted to find out the same. We took clinical samples from BMRI for patients having a confirmed malaria infection by both P. falciparum and P. vivax. This also provided us the opportunity to work with the P. vivax infected sample as it is very difficult to culture them in the lab. The results shown in this chapter clearly indicate that similar kinds of changes occur in the clinical sample also. It is worth noting that even though P. vivax infects only immature RBCs (reticulocytes), changes were also observed in P. vivax samples. This gives us another strong confirmation about the previously observed bystander effect. This also indicates that this technique can be used as a tool to diagnose malaria. Although we cannot differentiate between P. falciparum and P. vivax, this technique combined with other well established techniques can give us more confirmation. So, in all the experiment above we have shown an easy and novel technique which can be used to differentiate between normal and malaria-infected RBCs. We have also observed the bystander effect and tried to find out the released substances which are responsible for this effect. We have shown that this technique can use the bystander effect of malaria to identify malaria. It has also been shown that the RBCs taken from the patient sample also show the same changes as the cultured samples, which gives us the possibility that this technique can be used as a diagnostic tool combined with other technique. This technique can also be used in experiments like the effects of drugs and to find out drugs for diseases like malaria. Future outlook 1. We have observed the changes only for malaria. There may be other diseases like sickle cell anemia which can also alter the corner frequency of the distribution of RBCs. We have to find out the specificity of the observed changes. 1 We can directly measure the elasticity of RBCs using dual traps in optical tweezers to find out the effect of different infections and drugs on the rigidity of RBCs and compare the with the data above. 2 We can also study other cells using the same method to see if we can find out any difference between healthy and unhealthy cells.

In Medizin und Technik besteht ein Bedarf an flexiblen, miniaturisierten Dosisleistungs-messgeräten mit hoher Ortsauflösung für den Einsatz in Strahlungsfeldern hoher Dosisleistung und Dosisleistungsgradienten. Lichtwellenleiterbasierte Dosisleistungsmess-systeme können diese Anforderungen erfüllen. Sie bestehen aus einem strahlungssensitiven Leuchtstoff, welcher über einen flexiblen Lichtleiter an einen Lichtdetektor gekoppelt ist. Die Eliminierung des dominierenden Störeinflusses, des bei Bestrahlung des Lichtleiters generierten Stem-Effekts, ist eine inhärente Herausforderung aller lichtwellenleiter¬basierten Dosisleistungsmesssysteme. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird ein solches System unter Verwendung der Lumineszenz der gewebeäquivalenten Detektormaterialien Berylliumoxid und Lithiumtetraborat realisiert. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der Untersuchung von Methoden der Stem-Eliminierung unter Nutzung der zeitlichen Charakteristik der Lumineszenzmaterialien sowie der zeitlichen Struktur des Strahlungsfeldes oder einer modulierten optischen Stimulation. Eine performante Ausleseelektronik auf FPGA-Basis ermöglicht Echtzeit-Messungen mit einer Abtastung von 10 ns. Verschiedene Auswertemethoden generieren aus den Rohdaten in Zeitstempelform eine stem-unabhängige, dosisleistungsproportionale Detektorantwort. / In medicine and technology there is a demand for flexible, miniaturized dose rate measurement systems with high spatial resolution for the application in radiation fields of high dose rates and dose rate gradients. Fiber optic coupled dosimeters can meet these requirements. They consist of a radiation sensitive luminescent material which is connected to a light detector with a flexible light guide. The elimination of the dominant perturbation, which is the stem effect generated by irradiation of the light guide, is one inherent challenge of all fiber optic dosimeters. In the present work such a system is realized, using the luminescence of the two tissue equivalent detector materials beryllium oxide and lithium tetraborate. The main focus is on the investigation of methods of stem elimination, exploiting the temporal characteristics of the luminescent materials, as well as the time structure of the irradiation or a modulated optical stimulation. For this purpose, capable FPGA-based read out electronics are employed, which enable real time measurements with 10 ns sampling. Different methods of analysis process the time stamp raw data and generate a stem-free, dose rate proportional detector response.

No description available.

No description available.