In this study, specimens of Tridacna sp., which are reef dwelling bivalve molluscs and have been shown to live up to 60 years, collected from the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, were sampled for geochemical profiles. The Huon Peninsula is in the heart of the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP), which plays a key role in ENSO dynamics. The uplifted reef terraces of the Huon Peninsula have been extensively studied, and are well dated, which gives the opportunity to reconstruct the local climate of this region at key intervals during the past. Previous work on Tridacna sp. has shown that they precipitate their aragonite shell in equilibrium with the surrounding seawater, and the δ18O profile of a modern T. gigas from the Huon Peninsula has been shown to correlate with precipitation and temperature anomalies, and the Niño 3.4 temperature anomaly record. Fossil samples from this region are therefore assumed to have the ability to capture changes in δ18O attributable to ENSO. Seasonally resolved δ18O measurements from Tridacna sp. from early Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) reefs were used to reconstruct changes in mean climate, seasonality and inter-annual variability (e.g. ENSO). Reconstructions of the mean state tend to agree with previously published studies of Holocene and MIS3 climate, showing similar temperatures to today during the early Holocene, and an average cooling of 2- 3°C during MIS3. The early Holocene Tridacna sp. samples show a reduction in seasonality, consistent with the reduction in seasonal insolation at this time, while those from MIS3 show variable seasonality between 30-60ka. ENSO appears to have been supressed during the early Holocene by up to 50% compared with the late 20th century, which is consistent with coral data and modelling studies. During MIS3, ENSO appears to have been more variable with some records showing anomalous warm and cool events as strong as those seen in the modern T. gigas, used here as a benchmark. Trace element profiles derived from the Tridacna sp. used in this study show a tentative link with temperature and local productivity, but these relationships are subject to species specific and intra-shell effects.

Tittle: Comparative analysis of addirect forward stroke perfomed on single canoe in flatwater canoeing and in paddle pool. Goals: The goals of study is to describe and compaq the movement pattern of a forvard paddle stroke on a canoe in flatwater and in the paddling pool. Methods: The work has mixed empirical-theoretical character, The study is a descriptive individual study. Muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography with synchronized video recording (kinematic analysis). Results: We found differences in muscles involved in the direct paddle stroke forward on canoe and paddle pool. The main differences are, that on the water the boat goes to the paddle and in the paddle pool, we push the water around us.In the first case the athlete push the boat towards to the paddle. However in the paddle pool the athlete just pulls paddle through the water. Another important difference is, that in the paddle pool we do not develop the "water feeling" and in the paddle pool does not have to keep balance. Canoeist is on solid grand all the time. For the winter season, we can recommend a paddle pool as a specific strengthening, but the paddling or ride on water on water does not replace it. Key words: Flatwater canoeing, paddle pool, elektromyography, forward stroke, canoe

Amebas de vida livre (AVL) são distribuídas mundialmente no solo e na água. Um número pequeno delas é considerado importante para a saúde dos seres humanos: Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris e Sappinia diploidea. Algumas das infecções são oportunistas, ocorrendo em indivíduos imunocomprometidos, enquanto outras são não oportunistas. Amostras de água foram coletadas de banheira de hidromassagens e piscinas térmicas na cidade de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, com o objetivo de determinar a presença de Acanthamoeba, bem como realizar a caracterização fenotípica e genotípica dos isolados. Amebas foram isoladas em cultivo monoxênico com Escherichia coli. A identificação dos isolados foi baseada na morfologia dos cistos e na amplificação por PCR com oligonucleotídeos gênero-específico. De 72 amostras analisadas, 20 (27,77%) foram positivas para amebas de vida livre, e identificadas morfologicamente como pertencentes ao gênero Acanthamoeba. Destas, 11 possuíam características compatíveis com o grupo morfológico II e 9 com o grupo III. Entre os isolados, 11(55%) foram considerados potencialmente patogênicos a partir de testes de osmotolerância e termotolerância. Somente 9 isolados quando submetidos à Reação da PCR, confirmaram pertencer ao gênero Acanthamoeba. A análise do sequenciamento através da comparação das sequências dispostas no GenBank, demonstrou a distribuição nos grupos genotípicos T3 (11,1%), T5 (11,1%), T4 (33,3%) e T15 (44,4%).Os resultados obtidos com este confirmam a presença de isolados potencialmente patogênicos que podem representar um risco à saúde humana nos ambientes de banheiras de hidromassagem e piscinas térmicas. / Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed in soil and water. A few number of them are implicated in human disease: Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris and Sappinia diploidea. Some of the infections were opportunistic, occurring mainly in immunocompromised hosts, while others are non opportunistic. Water samples were collecyed from both hot tubs and thermal swimming pools in the city of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, to determine the presence of Acanthamoeba in the water as well as perform the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolates. Amoebae were isolated in monoxenic culture with Eschererichia coli. The identification of the isolates was based on the cysts morphology and PCR amplification using genus-specific oligonucleotides. From 72 samples analyzed, 20 (27,77%) were positive for free-living amoebae, and the isolates were morphologically identified as belonging to the genus Acanthamoeba. Out of these, 11 presented morphological characteristics compatible with group II, and 9 with group III. Among the isolates, 11 (55%) were considered potentially pathogenic according to osmotolerance and temperature assays. The isolates when submitted to PCR reaction only 9 were confirmed as belonging to the genus Acanthamoeba. The sequences analysis when compare to the sequences in the GenBank, showed that genotype distribution in group T3 (11,1%), T5 (11,1%), T4 (33,3%) and T15 (44,4%). The results of this study confirmed the presence of potentially pathogenic isolates of free living amoebae in hot swimming pool and spas which can present risks to human health.

In recent decades there has been a push to try and include communities in natural resource conservation initiatives. This thesis uses a multidisciplinary approach and a series of case studies in the Ecuadorian Amazon to look at the role that common property regimes can have in conservation initiatives. Results show that community managed forests can have positive conservation outcomes. Local communities, however, will often integrate into local market economies creating significant tradeoffs between livelihoods, local management decisions and natural resource conservation. Nonetheless, resource scarcity can drive the evolution of local resource management institutions and communities have the potential to accurately monitor changes in natural resources. These results suggest that local communities have the potential to play an important role in conservation practices but that local economic incentives can affect the way in which communities manage their resources.

abstract: The increasingly recurrent extraordinary flood events in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico have led to significant stakeholder interest in understanding the hydrologic response of the Santa Catarina watershed to extreme events. This study analyzes a flood mitigation strategy proposed by stakeholders through a participatory workshop and are assessed using two hydrological models: The Hydrological Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and the Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN)-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS). The stakeholder-derived flood mitigation strategy consists of placing new hydraulic infrastructure in addition to the current flood controls in the basin. This is done by simulating three scenarios: (1) evaluate the impact of the current structure, (2) implementing a large dam similar to the Rompepicos dam and (3) the inclusion of three small detention dams. These mitigation strategies are assessed in the context of a major flood event caused by the landfall of Hurricane Alex in July 2010 through a consistent application of the two modeling tools. To do so, spatial information on topography, soil, land cover and meteorological forcing were assembled, quality-controlled and input into each model. Calibration was performed for each model based on streamflow observations and maximum observed reservoir levels from the National Water Commission in Mexico. Simulation analyses focuses on the differential capability of the two models in capturing the spatial variability in rainfall, topographic conditions, soil hydraulic properties and its effect on the flood response in the presence of the different flood mitigation structures. The implementation of new hydraulic infrastructure is shown to have a positive impact on mitigating the flood peak with a more favorable reduction in the peak at the outlet from the larger dam (16.5% in tRIBS and 23% in HEC-HMS) than the collective effect from the small structures (12% in tRIBS and 10% in HEC-HMS). Furthermore, flood peak mitigation depends strongly on the number and locations of the new dam sites in relation to the spatial distribution of rainfall and flood generation. Comparison of the two modeling approaches complements the analysis of available observations for the flood event and provides a framework within which to derive a multi-model approach for stakeholder-driven solutions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Civil and Environmental Engineering 2016

abstract: This dissertation discusses the Cournot competition and competitions in the exploitation of common pool resources and its extension to the tragedy of the commons. I address these models by using potential games and inquire how these models reflect the real competitions for provisions of environmental resources. The Cournot models are dependent upon how many firms there are so that the resultant Cournot-Nash equilibrium is dependent upon the number of firms in oligopoly. But many studies do not take into account how the resultant Cournot-Nash equilibrium is sensitive to the change of the number of firms. Potential games can find out the outcome when the number of firms changes in addition to providing the "traditional" Cournot-Nash equilibrium when the number of firms is fixed. Hence, I use potential games to fill the gaps that exist in the studies of competitions in oligopoly and common pool resources and extend our knowledge in these topics. In specific, one of the rational conclusions from the Cournot model is that a firm's best policy is to split into separate firms. In real life, we usually witness the other way around; i.e., several firms attempt to merge and enjoy the monopoly profit by restricting the amount of output and raising the price. I aim to solve this conundrum by using potential games. I also clarify, within the Cournot competition model, how regulatory intervention in the management of environmental pollution externalities affects the equilibrium number of polluters. In addition, the tragedy of the commons is the term widely used to describe the overexploitation of open-access common-pool resources. Open-access encourages potential resource users to continue to enter the resource up to the point where rents are exhausted. The resulting level of resource use is higher than is socially optimal, and in extreme cases can lead to the collapse of the resource and the communities that may depend on it. In this paper I use the concept of potential games to evaluate the relation between the cost of resource use and the equilibrium number of resource users in open access regimes. I find that costs of access and costs of production are sufficient to determine the equilibrium number of resource users, and that there is in fact a continuum between Cournot competition and the tragedy of the commons. I note that the various common pool resource management regimes identified in the empirical literature are associated with particular cost structures, and hence that this may be the mechanism that determines the number of resource users accessing the resource. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Applied Mathematics for the Life and Social Sciences 2017

No description available.

The hydrodynamic characteristics of the Baihetan Plunge pool and the impact of changing the secondarydam’s top elevation was investigated. Quantities such as the velocity distribution, turbulencedissipation rate, water surface profile and the probability of a submerged jump forming in the plungepool was studied.The numerical model showed in general good agreement with data gathered from an experimentalstudy conducted in 2012. The only exception was the maximum pressure in the plunge pool, whichwas 16.91 % higher for the simulation using a top elevation of 604 MASL for the secondary dam. Theuse of a grid convergence index (GCI) showed that the result was closer to being mesh independentin the plunge pool (GCIplunge = 4:5 %), but not in the jet body (GCIjet = 16:9 %).The results indicated that no significant improvement was given for changing the top elevationof the secondary dam to 604 or 606 MASL (original height is 602 MASL) since all cases displayflow pattern indicating that a submerged jump will occur. Moreover most of the turbulence wasconcentrated near the jet for all the cases, indicating that the plunge pool is properly designed forthe purpose it is intended to do, i.e. dissipating the energy of the jets in the plunge pool and notdownstream to the unprotected riverbanks.The main conclusion is that the original design is to prefer since no advantages is given byheightening the secondary dam, and will only increase the cost of construction.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:44:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:07:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 06910.pdf: 5255495 bytes, checksum: 2b74036eb572f767eaeba0ba5d1da193 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) promises an era of highly flexible part production, replete with unprecedented levels of design freedom and inherently short supply chains. But as AM transitions from a technology primarily used for prototyping to a viable manufacturing method, many challenges must first be met before these dreams can become reality. In order for machine users to continue pushing the design envelope, process space must be expanded beyond the limits currently recommended by the machine manufacturers. Furthermore, as usable process space expands and demands for reduced operator burden and mission-critical parts increase, in-situ monitoring of the processes will become a greater necessity. Processing space includes both the parameters (e.g. laser beam power and travel velocity) and the feedstock used to build a part. The correlation between process parameters and process outcomes such as melt pool geometry, melt pool variability, and defects should be understood by machine users to allow for increased design freedom and ensure part quality. In this work, an investigation of the AlSi10Mg alloy in a Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) process is used as a case study to address this challenge. Increasing the range (processing space) of available feedstocks beyond those vetted by the machine manufacturers has the potential to reduce costs and reassure industries sensitive to volatile global supply chains. In this work, four non-standard metal powders are successfully used to build parts in an L-PBF process. The build quality is compared to that of a standard powder (supplied by the machine manufacturer), and correlations are found between the mean powder particle diameters and as-built part quality. As user-custom parameters and feedstocks proliferate, an increased degree of process outcome variability can be expected, further increasing the need for non-destructive quality assurance and the implementation of closed-loop control schema. This work presents two Machine Learning-based Computer Vision algorithms capable of autonomously detecting and classifying anomalies during the powder spreading stage of L-PBF processes. While initially developed to serve as the monitoring component in a feedback control system, the final algorithm is also a powerful data analytics tool – enabling the study of build failures and the effects of fusion processing parameters on powder spreading. Importantly, many troubling defects (such as porosity) in AM parts are too small to be detected by monitoring the entire powder bed; for this reason, an autonomous method for detecting changes in melt pool morphology via a high speed camera is presented. Finally, Machine Learning techniques are applied to the in-situ melt pool morphology data to enable the study of melt pool behavior during fusion of non-bulk part geometries.