Concrete-filled steel tubes are gaining increasing prominence in a variety of engineering structures, with the principal cross-section shapes being square, rectangular and circular hollow sections. A recent addition to this range has been that of elliptical hollow sections. The structural response of empty elliptical tubes has been examined in previous studies. In this paper, the cross-sectional axial behaviour of concrete-filled elliptical hollow sections is investigated. An experimental programme comprising a total of 21 test specimens, with three nominal tube thicknesses (4 mm, 5 mm and 6.3 mm) and three concrete grades (C30, C60 and C100) has been performed. The effects of steel tube thickness, concrete strength and constraining factor on elastic stiffness, ductility and ultimate strength were studied. To simulate the effects of concrete shrinkage, the inner surfaces of 6 of the 21 test specimens were coated with grease prior to casting. To investigate confinement effects, a further 6 of the 21 test specimens were loaded through the concrete core only. The results of the tests presented herein were combined with those from previous studies, and compared with existing design provisions for square, rectangular and circular concrete-filled tubes. The design expressions from current European, North American, Japanese, British and Chinese Standards were assessed. On the basis of the comparisons, design recommendations for concrete-filled elliptical hollow sections have been made.

Ziel der Studie: Vergleich zweier Methoden zur Entfernung der medikamentösen Einlage Kalziumhydroxid aus runden und ovalen Wurzelkanälen mithilfe eines Micro-CTs. Material und Methode: Es wurden 80 extrahierte menschliche Prämolaren und Inzisivi verwendet. Die Wurzelkanäle wurden von koronal auf eine einheitliche Länge von 18 mm gekürzt und mit dem FlexMaster-System (VDW, München) bis zu Größe 40/.04 präpariert. Nach jeder Instrumentengröße wurden die Kanäle mit 2 ml 3%igem Natriumhypochlorit gespült. Die Spülung erfolgte mit einer 2 ml Spritze und einer Nadel der Größe 30 (NaviTip 30 Gauge, Ultradent, München). Die Applikation des Kalziumhydroxidpräparates (UltraCal XS. Ultradent Products Inc., Utah, USA) wurde mit einer Injektionsnadel der Größe 30 durchgeführt. Eine anschließende röntgenologische Kontrolle sicherte die vollständige und homogene Verteilung des Präparates im Wurzelkanal. Alle Probenzähne wurden für sieben Tage bei 37°C Lufttemperatur und 100% Luftfeuchtigkeit gelagert. Nach Anfertigung präoperativer Micro-CT-Scans von jedem Wurzelkanal erfolgte eine Volumenbestimmung der applizierten Kalziumhydroxideinlage. Außerdem konnten die Proben anhand der Bilddaten einer runden oder ovalen Querschnittsform zugeteilt werden. Anschließend erfolgte die Einteilung der Probenzähne in vier Gruppen; Gruppe 1 (n = 10, ovale Querschnittsform), Gruppe 2 (n = 10, ovale Querschnittsform), Gruppe 3 (n = 30, runde Querschnittsform), Gruppe 4 (n = 30, runde Querschnittsform). Die Gruppen 1 und 3 wurden dem Spülprotokoll der Self-Adjusting File (SAF) zugeteilt, die Gruppen 2 und 4 dem der passiven Ultraschallspülung (PUI). Das Spülprotokoll beider Entfernungsmethoden sah eine 4-minütige Anwendung, aufgeteilt in 8 jeweils 30 Sekunden lange Zyklen und eine Gesamtspülmenge von 20 ml 3%igem Natriumhypochlorit vor. Die Auswertung erfolgte durch Anfertigung postoperativer Micro-CT-Scans und erneute Bestimmung des verbliebenen Volumens an medikamentöser Einlage. Zur statistischen Auswertung wurde der Quotient aus Volumen nach der Entfernung zu dem Volumen vor der Entfernung berechnet und eine zweifaktorielle Varianzanalyse (ANOVA) durchgeführt.   Ergebnisse: Keine der verwendeten Methoden konnte eine vollständige Entfernung der medikamentösen Einlage Kalziumhydroxid erreichen. Die SAF-Spülung erreichte signifikant bessere Ergebnisse als die PUI. Es konnte kein signifikanter Einfluss der Kanalform (rund/oval) auf die Reinigungswirkung beider Systeme festgestellt werden. Schlussfolgerung: Das SAF-System entfernt Kalziumhydroxid effektiver aus runden und ovalen Wurzelkanälen als die passive Ultraschallspülung. Mit beiden Systemen konnten relativ saubere, aber keine vollständig von Kalziumhydroxid gereinigten Kanalwände erzielt werden.

No description available.

Les fonctions de F_q dans lui-même sont des objets étudiés dans de divers domaines tels que la cryptographie, la théorie des codes correcteurs d'erreurs, la géométrie finie ainsi que la géométrie algébrique. Il est bien connu que ces fonctions sont en correspondance exacte avec les polynômes en une variable à coefficients dans F_q. Nous étudierons trois classes de polynômes particulières: les polynômes Presque Parfaitement Non linéaires (Almost Perfect Nonlinear (APN)), les polynômes planaires ou parfaitement non linéaire (PN) et les o-polynômes.Les fonctions APN sont principalement étudiées pour leurs applications en cryptographie. En effet, ces fonctions sont celles qui offre la meilleure résistance contre la cryptanalyse différentielle.Les polynômes PN et les o-polynômes sont eux liés à des problèmes célèbres de géométrie finie. Les premiers décrivent des plans projectifs et les seconds sont en correspondance directe avec les ovales et hyperovales de P^2(F_q). Néanmoins, leurs champ d'application a été récemment étendu à la cryptographie symétrique et à la théorie des codes correcteurs d'erreurs.L'un des moyens utilisé pour compléter la classification est de considérer les polynômes présentant l'une des propriétés recherchées sur une infinité d'extension de F_q. Ces fonctions sont appelées fonction APN (respectivement PN ou o-polynômes) exceptionnelles.Nous étendrons la classification des polynômes APN et PN exceptionnels et nous donneront une description complète des o-polynômes exceptionnels. Les techniques employées sont basées principalement sur la borne de Lang-Weil et sur des méthodes élémentaires. / Functions from F_q to itself are interesting objects arising in various domains such as cryptography, coding theory, finite geometry or algebraic geometry. It is well known that these functions admit a univariate polynomial representation. There exists many interesting classes of such polynomials with plenty of applications in pure or applied maths. We are interested in three of them: Almost Perfect Nonlinear (APN) polynomials, Planar (PN) polynomials and o-polynomials. APN polynomials are mostly used in cryptography to provide S-boxes with the best resistance to differential cryptanalysis and in coding theory to construct double error-correcting codes. PN polynomials and o-polynomials first appeared in finite geometry. They give rise respectively to projective planes and ovals in P^2(F_q). Also, their field of applications was recently extended to symmetric cryptography and error-correcting codes.A complete classification of APN, PN and o-polynomials is an interesting open problem that has been widely studied by many authors. A first approach toward the classification was to consider only power functions and the studies were recently extended to polynomial functions.One way to face the problem of the classification is to consider the polynomials that are APN, PN or o-polynomials over infinitely many extensions of F_q, namely, the exceptional APN, PN or o-polynomials.We improve the partial classification of exceptional APN and PN polynomials and give a full classification of exceptional o-polynomials. The proof technique is based on the Lang-Weil bound for the number of rational points in algebraic varieties together with elementary methods.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-25T19:29:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoseAlfredoBSantos.pdf: 575338 bytes, checksum: 6d87ba82656e81978e4b945304868267 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-06-26 / With the objective of evaluating alternatives for oval-leaf false button weed management in black beans crops for familiar farmers of the Southern region of Paraná State, studies were carried out, in Ponta Grossa at Iapar Experimental Station and in Irati at a farmer field. A survey was also carried out to evaluated the management practices of oval-leaf false buttonweed by the farmers. One study in Ponta Grossa had as objective to evaluate the period of emergence of oval-leaf false buttonweed during one year, in area with and without vegetal covering, and also with and without mobilization of the soil. In another study also in Ponta Grossa an experiment was installed to evaluate the influence of cover crops in the reduction of the infestation of buttonweed in no-till with three winter cover crops: black oat, radish, black oat with common vetch and a fallow treatment. The experiment in the region of Irati had as objective to evaluate, besides the influences of cover crops, also the liming in the reduction of the population of buttonweed in black beans crop. The cover crops were the same as the experiment in Ponta Grossa. The management practices was evaluated through a questionnaire applied to seventeen farmers separated in two groups: 1) those who still regarded false buttonweed as a problem in the farm, and 2) those farmers who had false buttonweed as a problem but were able to solve it. In the study of period of emergence of false buttonweed the main peaks of flush were in October, November and December. The experiments to evaluate the effect of winter cover crops in Ponta Grossa and Irati have shown no effect on false buttonweed populations overall. There was also not diference in the liming treatments in Irati. The survey with the farmers of the region has shown that successfull farmers in the management of false buttonweed were those who use integrated weed management strategies. / Com objetivo de avaliar alternativas de manejo da erva-quente (Spermacoce latifolia Aubl) em cultivo de feijão, foram realizados estudos na região Centro-Sul do Paraná, por meio da instalação de experimentos em Ponta Grossa e em Irati; também foi feito um diagnóstico para verificar os procedimentos adotados pelos agricultores da região no manejo dessa espécie. Em Ponta Grossa, um estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o fluxo de emergência de erva-quente durante um ano, em área com e sem cobertura vegetal, e com e sem mobilização do solo. Num segundo estudo, em Ponta Grossa, avaliou-se a influência de plantas de cobertura na redução da infestação de erva-quente em plantio direto, utilizando-se três espécies de cobertura vegetal de inverno: aveia-preta, nabo-forrageiro, aveia-preta com ervilhaca-comum e pousio. O experimento de Irati teve como objetivo avaliar a influência de plantas de cobertura e também a correção do solo na redução da população de erva-quente em cultivo sucessivo de feijão. As coberturas de inverno foram as mesmas usadas no experimento de Ponta Grossa. No levantamento das práticas de controle na região foi elaborado um questionário, que foi utilizado junto a dezessete agricultores nos municípios de Mallet, Rio Azul, Irati e Prudentópolis, separados em dois grupos: 1) os que ainda consideravam a erva-quente um problema na propriedade e 2) aqueles que já tiveram a erva-quente como problema e conseguiram solucioná-lo. No estudo do fluxo de emergência verificou-se que os principais meses de pico de emergência de erva-quente foram em outubro, novembro e dezembro. No conjunto dos experimentos para estudo da influência de plantas de cobertura em Ponta Grossa e Irati não se verificou efeito das coberturas testadas na população da erva-quente. Também não houve diferença quando se avaliou a influência do calcário na infestação de erva-quente. No levantamento das práticas de manejo da erva-quente se verificou que o grupo de agricultores com sucesso no controle da erva-quente é o que utiliza um sistema de rotação de culturas e manejo integrado de plantas daninhas.

Several standardized courses for Formula SAE (FSAE) testing are introduced and described with sufficient detail to be reproduced by any Formula SAE team. Basic analysis methods for the courses are given as well as explanations of how those analyses could be used. On-car data from the Global Formula Racing (GFR) SAE cars is used to verify the analysis methods, give estimates to unknown variables, and show the relevance of the standard testing courses. Using the courses and methods described in this paper should allow standardized comparison of FSAE car performance, as well as provide a method to verify simulations and evaluate changes in vehicle performance from tuning. Instrumentation of all suspension member forces with strain gauge load cells is shown to be an extremely powerful tool for measuring vehicle performance and quantifying vehicle dynamic characteristics. The design and implementation of strain gauge load cells is described in detail to provide a template for reproducing similar results in other vehicles. Data from the GFR 2011 FSAE car is used throughout the paper to: show the design process for making effective suspension member load cells, show the calibration processes necessary to ensure quality data is collected, illustrate the calculation of suspension corner forces, and show the effectiveness of measuring vehicle dynamic characteristics with this technique. Using the methods described in this paper should provide data that allows a more complete and thorough understanding of on-car vehicle dynamics. This data may be used to validate vehicle models. / Graduation date: 2012

Artificial magnetic materials (AMMs) are a type of metamaterials which are engineered to exhibit desirable magnetic properties not found in nature. AMMs are realized by embedding electrically small metallic resonators aligned in parallel planes in a host dielectric medium. In the presence of a magnetic field, an electric current is induced on the inclusions leading to the emergence of an enhanced magnetic response inside the medium at the resonance frequency of the inclusions. AMMs with negative permeability are used to develop single negative, or double negative metamaterials. AMMs with enhanced positive permeability are used to provide magneto-dielectric materials at microwave or optical frequencies where the natural magnetic materials fail to work efficiently. Artificial magnetic materials have proliferating applications in microwave and optical frequency region. Such applications include inversely refracting the light beam, invisibility cloaking, ultra miniaturizing and frequency bandwidth enhancing low profile antennas, planar superlensing, super-sensitive sensing, decoupling proximal high profile antennas, and enhancing solar cells efficiency, among others. AMMs have unique enabling features that allow for these important applications. Fundamental limitations on the performance of artificial magnetic materials have been derived. The first limitation which depends on the generic model of permeability functions expresses that the frequency dispersion in an AMM is limited by the desired operational bandwidth. The other constraints are derived based on the geometrical limitations of inclusions. These limitations are calculated based on a circuit model. Therefore, a formulation for permeability and magnetic susceptibility of the media based on a circuit model is developed. The formulation is in terms of a geometrical parameter that represents the geometrical characteristics of the inclusions such as area, perimeter and curvature, and a physical parameter that represents the physical, structural and fabrication characteristics of the medium. The effect of the newly introduced parameters on the effective permeability of the medium and the magnetic loss tangent are studied. In addition, the constraints and relations are used to methodically design artificial magnetic material meeting specific operational requirements. A novel design methodology based on an introduced analytical formulation for artificial magnetic material with desired properties is implemented. The synthesis methodology is performed in an iterative four-step algorithm. In the first step, the feasibility of the design is tested to meet the fundamental constraints. In consecutive steps, the geometrical and physical factors which are attributed to the area and perimeter of the inclusion are synthesized and calculated. An updated range of the inclusion's area and perimeter is obtained through consecutive iterations. Finally, the outcome of the iterative procedure is checked for geometrical realizability. The strategy behind the design methodology is generic and can be applied to any adopted circuit based model for AMMs. Several generic geometries are introduced to realize any combination of geometrically realizable area and perimeter (s,l) pairs. A realizable geometry is referred to a contour that satisfies Dido's inequality. The generic geometries introduced here can be used to fabricate feasible AMMs. The novel generic geometries not only can be used to enhance magnetic properties, but also they can be configured to provide specific permeability with desired dispersion function over a certain frequency bandwidth with a maximum magnetic loss tangent. The proposed generic geometries are parametric contours with uncorrelated perimeter and area function. Geometries are configured by tuning parameters in order to possess specified perimeter and surface area. The produced contour is considered as the inclusion's shape. The inclusions are accordingly termed Rose curve resonators (RCRs), Corrugated rectangular resonators (CRRs) and Sine oval resonators (SORs). Moreover, the detailed characteristics of the RCR are studied. The RCRs are used as complementary resonators in design of the ground plane in a microstrip stop-band filter, and as the substrate in design of a miniaturized patch antenna. The performance of new designs is compared with the counterpart devices, and the advantages are discussed.

No description available.

Artificial magnetic materials (AMMs) are a type of metamaterials which are engineered to exhibit desirable magnetic properties not found in nature. AMMs are realized by embedding electrically small metallic resonators aligned in parallel planes in a host dielectric medium. In the presence of a magnetic field, an electric current is induced on the inclusions leading to the emergence of an enhanced magnetic response inside the medium at the resonance frequency of the inclusions. AMMs with negative permeability are used to develop single negative, or double negative metamaterials. AMMs with enhanced positive permeability are used to provide magneto-dielectric materials at microwave or optical frequencies where the natural magnetic materials fail to work efficiently. Artificial magnetic materials have proliferating applications in microwave and optical frequency region. Such applications include inversely refracting the light beam, invisibility cloaking, ultra miniaturizing and frequency bandwidth enhancing low profile antennas, planar superlensing, super-sensitive sensing, decoupling proximal high profile antennas, and enhancing solar cells efficiency, among others. AMMs have unique enabling features that allow for these important applications. Fundamental limitations on the performance of artificial magnetic materials have been derived. The first limitation which depends on the generic model of permeability functions expresses that the frequency dispersion in an AMM is limited by the desired operational bandwidth. The other constraints are derived based on the geometrical limitations of inclusions. These limitations are calculated based on a circuit model. Therefore, a formulation for permeability and magnetic susceptibility of the media based on a circuit model is developed. The formulation is in terms of a geometrical parameter that represents the geometrical characteristics of the inclusions such as area, perimeter and curvature, and a physical parameter that represents the physical, structural and fabrication characteristics of the medium. The effect of the newly introduced parameters on the effective permeability of the medium and the magnetic loss tangent are studied. In addition, the constraints and relations are used to methodically design artificial magnetic material meeting specific operational requirements. A novel design methodology based on an introduced analytical formulation for artificial magnetic material with desired properties is implemented. The synthesis methodology is performed in an iterative four-step algorithm. In the first step, the feasibility of the design is tested to meet the fundamental constraints. In consecutive steps, the geometrical and physical factors which are attributed to the area and perimeter of the inclusion are synthesized and calculated. An updated range of the inclusion's area and perimeter is obtained through consecutive iterations. Finally, the outcome of the iterative procedure is checked for geometrical realizability. The strategy behind the design methodology is generic and can be applied to any adopted circuit based model for AMMs. Several generic geometries are introduced to realize any combination of geometrically realizable area and perimeter (s,l) pairs. A realizable geometry is referred to a contour that satisfies Dido's inequality. The generic geometries introduced here can be used to fabricate feasible AMMs. The novel generic geometries not only can be used to enhance magnetic properties, but also they can be configured to provide specific permeability with desired dispersion function over a certain frequency bandwidth with a maximum magnetic loss tangent. The proposed generic geometries are parametric contours with uncorrelated perimeter and area function. Geometries are configured by tuning parameters in order to possess specified perimeter and surface area. The produced contour is considered as the inclusion's shape. The inclusions are accordingly termed Rose curve resonators (RCRs), Corrugated rectangular resonators (CRRs) and Sine oval resonators (SORs). Moreover, the detailed characteristics of the RCR are studied. The RCRs are used as complementary resonators in design of the ground plane in a microstrip stop-band filter, and as the substrate in design of a miniaturized patch antenna. The performance of new designs is compared with the counterpart devices, and the advantages are discussed.

The goal of this thesis is to improve our knowledge on energetic particle precipitation into the Earth’s atmosphere from the thermosphere to the surface. The particles origin from the Sun or from temporarily trapped populations inside the magnetosphere. The best documented influence of solar (high-) energetic particles on the atmosphere is the Ozone depletion in high latitudes, attributed to the generation of HOx and NOx by precipitating particles (Crutzen et al., 1975; Solomon et al., 1981; Reid et al., 1991). In addition Callis et al. (1996b, 2001) and Randall et al. (2005, 2006) point out the importance of low-energetic precipitating particles of magnetospheric origin, creating NOx in the lower thermosphere, which may be transported downwards where it also contributes to Ozone depletion. The incoming particle flux is dramatically changing as a function of auroral/geomagnetical activity and in particular during solar particle events. As a result, the degree of ionization and the chemical composition of the atmosphere are substantially affected by the state of the Sun. Therefore the direct energetic or dynamical influences of ions on the upper atmosphere depend on solar variability at different time scales. Influences on chemistry have been considered so far with simplified precipitation patterns, limited energy range and restrictions to certain particle species, see e.g. Jackman et al. (2000); Sinnhuber et al. (2003b, for solar energetic protons and no spatial differentiation), and Callis et al. (1996b, 2001, for magnetospheric electrons only). A comprehensive atmospheric ionization model with spatially resolved particle precipitation including a wide energy range and all main particle species as well as a dynamic magnetosphere was missing. In the scope of this work, a 3-D precipitation model of solar and magnetospheric particles has been developed. Temporal as well as spatial ionization patterns will be discussed. Apart from that, the ionization data are used in different climate models, allowing (a) simulations of NOx and HOx formation and transport, (b) comparisons to incoherent scatter radar measurements and (c) inter-comparison of the chemistry part in different models and comparison of model results to MIPAS observations. In a bigger scope the ionization data may be used to better constrain the natural sources of climate change or consequences for atmospheric dynamics due to local temperature changes by precipitating particles and their implications for chemistry. Thus the influence of precipitating energetic particles on the composition and dynamics of the atmosphere is a challenging issue in climate modeling. The ionization data is available online and can be adopted automatically to any user specific model grid.