After the review of the basic theory of the inverse method, a new modified arc-length search method is proposed to find better initial solution. The methods to deal with the vertical walls are also discussed and presented. Then, a generalized multi-step inverse FEM method is proposed. It solves two key obstacles: the first one is to determine the initial solution of the intermediate three-dimensional configurations and the other is to control the movement of nodes so they could only slide on constraint surfaces during the search by Newton-Raphson iteration. The computer implementation of the generalized multi-step inverse FEM is also presented. By comparing to the simulation results using a commercial software system, the effectiveness of the new method is validated. / Currently, there are a number of commercial FEM software systems available in the market. These software systems are based on an incremental FEM process that models the sheet metal stamping process in small incremental steps. Even though the incremental FEM is accurate, it is not suitable for the initial conceptual design for its needing of detailed design parameters and enormous calculation times. As a result, another type of FEM, called the inverse FEM method or one-step FEM method, has been proposed. While it is less accurate than that of the incremental method, this method requires much less computation and hence, has a great potential. However, it also faces a number of unsolved problems, which limits its application. This motivates the presented research. / From a physical point of view, the formability and the quality of a product are influenced by several factors. The design of the product in the initial stage and the motion of the press during the production stage are two of these crucial factors. This thesis focuses on the numerical simulation for these two factors using FEM. / Other than the product design, the punch motion (including punch speed and punch trajectory) of the stamping press also has significant effect on the formability and the quality of the product. In fact, this is one of the major reasons why hydraulic presses and/or servo presses are used for parts which demand high quality. In order to reveal the quantitative correlation between the punch motion and the part quality, the Cowper-Symonds strain rate constitutive model and the implicit dynamic incremental FEM are combined to conduct the research. The effects of the punch motion on the part quality, especially the plastic strain distribution and the potential springback, have been investigated for the deep drawing and the bending processes respectively. A qualitative relationship between the punch motion and the part quality is also derived. / The reaction force of the punch motion causes the dynamic deformation of the press during the stamping, which in turn influences the part quality as well. This dynamic information, in the form of the strain signal, is an important basis for the on-line monitoring of the part quality. By using the actual force as the input to the press, the incremental FEM is needed to predict the strain of the press. The result is validated by means of experiments and can be used to assist the on-line monitoring. / The sheet metal stamping process plays an important role in modern industry. With the ever-increasing demand for shape complexity, product quality and new materials, the traditional trial and error method for setting up a sheet metal stamping process is no longer efficient. As a result, the Finite Element Modeling (FEM) method has now been widely used. / Huang Ying. / "March 2006." / Adviser: Ruxu Du. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6694. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-160). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

The dynamic response of a faster-flowing Greenland Ice Sheet to climate change is modulated by feedbacks between ice flow and surface meltwater delivery to the basal environment. While supraglacial melt processes have been thoroughly examined and are well constrained, the response of the englacial and subglacial environment to these seasonal perturbations still represent the least-studied, understood, and parameterised processes of glacier dynamics due to a paucity of direct observation. To better understand these processes in the wake of a changing climate, novel in-situ geophysical experiments were undertaken on Store Glacier in west Greenland to quantify rates of englacial deformation and basal melting. The records produced from these experiments yield new insights into the thermodynamic setting of a major outlet glacier, and the physical mechanisms underlying and resulting from fast glacier motion. The deployment of autonomous phase-sensitive radio-echo sounders (ApRES) $\SI{30}{\kilo\metre}$ from the calving terminus of Store Glacier between 2014 and 2016 revealed high rates of both englacial deformation and basal melting, driven primarily by the dynamic response of the basal hydrological system to seasonal surface meltwater influxes. Thermodynamic modelling of this process revealed a convergence of large-scale basal hydrological pathways that aggregated large amounts of water towards the field site. The warm, turbulent water routed from surface melt contained and dissipated enough energy at the ice-bed interface to explain the observed high melt rates. Simultaneously, changes in the local strain field, involving seasonal variations in the morphology of internal layers, were found to be the result of far-field perturbations in downstream ice flow which propagated tens of kilometres upglacier through longitudinal stress coupling. When observed in multiple dimensions, the layer structure revealed complex internal reflection geometries, demonstrating ApRES as not just a monitor of depth changes in ice thickness, but also as an imaging instrument capable of characterising the subsurface environment within and beneath ice sheets. Altogether, the observations and analyses comprising this thesis provide new and significant insight and understanding into the structural, thermal, and mechanical processes tied to Store Glacier and its fast, complex, and dynamic ice flow.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre o processo de Estampagem Incremental de Chapas, em Latão C-268 de diferentes espessuras (s0: 0.50, 0.70 e 1.00 mm), motivado pela inobservância de pesquisas desta matéria prima neste processo de conformação de chapas. Atualmente, este material tem grande aplicação na confecção de utensílios domésticos (baixelas, travessas, etc) e ferragens para construção civil (espelhos, cubas, etc), instrumentos musicais de sopro e núcleos de radiadores automotivos, tendo assim, um amplo campo de aplicação industrial, e potencial para as aplicações do processo de Estampagem Incremental de Chapas. A pesquisa está pautada na caracterização das matérias primas, para a obtenção de dados como as Curvas de Escoamento, Índices de Anisotropia (r), Curvas Limite de Conformação (CLC) e em experimentos de Estampagem Incremental de Chapas, realizados em uma máquina dedicada a este processo de conformação. Para a realização dos experimentos, foram utilizados Incrementos Verticais com diferentes valores (∆Z: 0.10, 0.50 e 1.00 mm), assim como duas ferramentas de estampagem (DT: Ø10 e Ø15 mm). Foram aplicadas duas formas geométricas diferentes: Tronco de Cone e Tronco de Pirâmide, ambos com perfil radial das paredes verticais. Ao todo, foram realizados 15 experimentos diferentes na modalidade SPIF. Os experimentos foram realizados em uma máquina dedicada ao processo, capaz da aquisição dos valores de Força (FX, FY e FZ) durante a realização dos testes. Com a realização dos experimentos SPIF, foi possível a elaboração da Linha Limite de Fratura – LFC da chapa latão C-268 nas três espessuras investigadas, onde os resultados apontam para valores maiores de deformação verdadeira (1 vs 2), quando comparados aos valores da CLC. Adicionalmente, a LFC das três espessuras de chapas analisadas, apontam os valores das maiores deformações verdadeiras (1) muito próximos, evidenciando neste caso que a diminuição do Incremento Vertical (∆Z) é mais relevante para a estampagem do que o aumento da espessura da chapa. As geometrias Tronco de Cone e Tronco de Pirâmide apresentaram discrepâncias geométricas toleráveis em relação ao perfil projetado, mas diferentes entre si, influenciados pelo retorno elástico diferente de cada geometria. Entretanto, suas fraturas apresentaram o mesmo comportamento, propagação no sentido meridional. Os experimentos SPIF realizados com a ferramenta de estampagem com Ø10mm proporcionaram as maiores profundidades. A medição da espessura final (s1) próximas as regiões fraturadas, comprovou os valores medidos não ultrapassaram os respectivos valores resultantes da expressão matemática Lei do Seno, e ainda, que quanto menor a espessura inicial (s0) da chapa, menor a variação dos valores medidos e calculados. A análise das Forças (FX, FY e FZ) resultantes do processo SPIF mostram que quanto maior o Incremento Vertical (∆Z), maior a espessura inicial (s0) da chapa, e maior do diâmetro (DT) da ferramenta de estampagem, maiores serão as Forças necessárias no SPIF. Adicionalmente, foi possível determinar os valores de Atrito (µ), obtidos em função das Forças (FX, FY e FZ) do processo SPIF. / This paper presents a study of the Incremental Sheet Forming process, in Brass C-268 of different thicknesses (s0: 0.50, 0.70 and 1.00 mm), motivated by non-observance of research of this raw material in this sheet forming process. Currently, this material has great application in the manufacture of household items (plates, platters, etc.) and hardware for building (locks, vats, etc.), wind musical instruments and automotive radiator cores, having thus, a large industrial application field, and potential for the applications of the Incremental Sheet Forming process. The research is based on the characterization of raw materials, to obtain data such as Flow Curves, Anisotropy Indices (r), Forming Limit Curve and in Incremental Sheet Forming experiments, performed on a machine dedicated to this forming process. For the realization of the experiments, Vertical Increments with different values were used (∆Z: 0.10, 0.50 e 1.00 mm), As well as two forming tools (DT: Ø10 e Ø15 mm). Two different geometric forms were applied: Cone Frustum and Pyramid Frustum, both with radial profile of vertical walls. In all, 15 different SPIF experiments were performed. The experiments were carried out in a machine dedicated to the process, able to acquire the values of Force (FX, FY e FZ) during the tests. With the realization of SPIF experiments, it was possible to elaborate the Fracture Forming Line – FFL of Brass C-268 sheet, In the three thicknesses investigated, Where the results indicate higher values of true strain (1 vs 2), when compared to the FLC values. Additionally, the FFL of the three sheet thicknesses analyzed, indicate the values of the highest true deformations (1) very close, evidencing in this case, that the decrease of Vertical Increment (∆Z) is more relevant for the forming than the increase in sheet thickness. The Cone Frustum and Pyramid Frustum geometries presented tolerable geometric discrepancies in relation to the projected profile, more different from each other, influenced by different springback of each geometry. However, their fractures presented the same behavior, meridional direction propagation. The SPIF experiments performed with the forming tool with Ø10mm provided the greatest depths. The final thickness (s1) measurement near the fractured regions, proved the measured values did not exceed the respective values resulting from the mathematical expression Sine Law, and also, that the lower the initial thickness (s0) of sheet, lower the variation of the measured and calculated values. Analysis of Forces (FX, FY e FZ) resulting from the SPIF process, show that the larger the Vertical Increment (∆Z), larger the initial thickness (s0) of the sheet, and larger diameter (DT) of the forming tool, larger will be the necessary forces in SPIF. In addition, it was possible to determine the values of Friction (µ), obtained in function of the SPIF Forces (FX, FY e FZ).

To increase our understanding of how ice sheets and glaciers interact with the climate system, numerical models have become an indispensable tool. However, the complexity of these systems and the natural limitation in computational power is reflected in the simplifications of the represented processes and the spatial and temporal resolution of the models. Whether the effect of these limitations is acceptable or not, can be assessed by theoretical considerations and by validating the output of the models against real world data. Equally important is to verify if the numerical implementation and computational method accurately represent the mathematical description of the processes intended to be simulated. This thesis concerns a set of numerical models used in the field of glaciology, how these are applied and how they relate to other study areas in the same field. The dynamical flow of glaciers, which can be described by a set of non-linear partial differential equations called the Full Stokes equations, is simulated using the finite element method. To reduce the computational cost of the method significantly, it is common to lower the order of the used elements. This results in a loss of stability of the method, but can be remedied by the use of stabilization methods. By numerically studying different stabilization methods and evaluating their suitability, this work contributes to constraining the values of stabilization parameters to be used in ice sheet simulations. Erroneous choices of parameters can lead to oscillations of surface velocities, which affects the long term behavior of the free-surface ice and as a result can have a negative impact on the accuracy of the simulated mass balance of ice sheets. The amount of basal sliding is an important component that affects the overall dynamics of the ice. A part of this thesis considers different implementations of the basal impenetrability condition that accompanies basal sliding, and shows that methods used in literature can lead to a difference in velocity of 1% to 5% between the considered methods. The subglacial hydrological system directly influences the glacier's ability to slide and therefore affects the velocity distribution of the ice. The topology and dominant mode of the hydrological system on the ice sheet scale is, however, ill constrained. A third contribution of this thesis is, using the theory of R-channels to implement a simple numerical model of subglacial water flow, to show the sensitivity of subglacial channels to transient processes and that this limits their possible extent. This insight adds to a cross-disciplinary discussion between the different sub-fields of theoretical, field and paleo-glaciology regarding the characteristics of ice sheet subglacial hydrological systems. In the study, we conclude by emphasizing areas of importance where the sub-fields have yet to unify: the spatial extent of channelized subglacial drainage, to what degree specific processes are connected to geomorphic activity and the differences in spatial and temporal scales. As a whole, the thesis emphasizes the importance of verification of numerical models but also acknowledges the natural limitations of these to represent complex systems. Focusing on keeping numerical ice sheet and glacier models as transparent as possible will benefit end users and facilitate accurate interpretations of the numerical output so it confidently can be used for scientific purposes. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p> / Greenland Analogue Project

This work focuses on the problems of monetary aggregates in the Czech Republic within compilation of balance sheet items statistics of monetary financial institutions. The content of this paper comprises the methodological basis for the compilation of monetary aggregates and the overall balance sheet statistics with focus on detailed description of the procedure of compiling of this statistics in the Czech National Bank. The goal is to provide an overview of the methodology of balance sheet statistics, practical aspects of its composition and compiling of monetary aggregates.

O Tecnécio-99m (99mTc), gerado a partir do decaimento do Molibdênio-99 (99Mo), é o radionuclídeo mais conveniente para a execução de procedimentos de diagnósticos médicos, devido à sua emissão gama bem característica e de fácil detecção. O método utilizado para produzir 99Mo é através da fissão do 235U incorporado nos chamados alvos de irradiação. Duas rotas estão sendo desenvolvidas para a produção do 99Mo por fissão para o Reator Multipropósito Brasileiro (RMB), ambas utilizando urânio de baixo enriquecimento (LEU): 1) A primeira a dissolução básica, que é baseada na tecnologia de alvos de dispersão UAlx-Al. 2) A segunda emprega a dissolução ácida de alvos de folhas finas de urânio metálico. A principal vantagem dos alvos de folha fina de urânio metálico sobre os alvos de dispersão UAlx-Al é a alta densidade do urânio metálico. Com o intuito de compreender e otimizar o processo de fabricação de alvos de folhas finas foi realizado um estudo da fusão do urânio metálico, laminação de folhas finas, caracterização microestrutural e montagem dos alvos, definindo assim, os procedimentos específicos para a produção desse tipo de alvo com as características dos alvos fabricados internacionalmente. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o processo de fabricação dos lingotes e de lâminas de urânio metálico por meio de laminação a quente possibilitaram a obtenção de lâminas com espessura entre 250 e 300 &mu;m. O processo de laminação a frio possibilitou a obtenção de folhas finas com espessura de &plusmn;125 &mu;m que atende à especificação internacional. O uso de óxido de alumínio como material para prevenir caldeamento do tablete de urânio mostrou-se eficiente, substituindo com vantagens o uso de óxido de ítrio. A microestrutura após o tratamento térmico apresentou grãos equiaxiais pequenos, e a realização de um resfriamento rápido de 5 minutos após o tratamento térmico foi suficiente para se eliminar a textura da folha fina de urânio metálico. O processo de montagem das folhas finas no alvo tubular foi realizado por pré-conformação da folha fina, facilitando a montagem. O processo de consolidação do alvo foi realizado por expansão por tração e a folga após a consolidação (\"gap de ar\") mostrou-satisfatória. As dimensões finais dos alvos tubulares atenderam à especificação internacional. / Technetium-99m (99mTc) is generated from the decay of Molybdenum-99 (99Mo). This element is the most convenient radionuclide for application in medical diagnostic procedures, once that its gamma emission is well known and of easily detected. The method used to produce 99Mo is through fission of the 235U embedded in so-called irradiation targets. Two routes are being developed for the production of 99Mo per fission to the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB), both using low enriched uranium (LEU): 1) The first basic dissolution, which is based on the technology of dispersion targets UAlx-Al. 2) The second employs the acidic dissolution of thin sheet targets of metallic uranium. The main advantage of uranium metal foil targets on the UAlx-Al dispersion targets is the high density of metallic uranium. In order to understand and optimize the process of manufacturing thin sheet targets, about the fusion of metallic uranium, thin sheet lamination, microstructural characterization and assembly of the target was carried out. Therefore the specific procedures for the production of this type of target with the characteristics of the targets manufactured internationally could be defined. The results showed that the process of manufacturing ingots and sheets of metallic uranium by hot rolling allows obtaining sheets with thickness between 250 and 300 &mu;m. The cold rolling process allows obtaining thin sheets with a thickness of &plusmn; 125 &mu;m which are in accordance with the international specification. The use of aluminum oxide as a material to prevent uranium tablet firing proved to be efficient, replacing with advantage the use of yttrium oxide. The microstructure after the heat treatment showed small equiaxial grains. A fast cooling of 5 minutes after the heat treatment was enough to eliminate the texture of the thin sheet of metallic uranium. The process of assembling the thin sheets in the tubular target was performed by preforming the thin sheet, facilitating the assembly. The process of consolidating the target was performed by tensile expansion and the clearance after consolidation (\"air gap\") was satisfactory. The final dimensions of the tubular targets have met the international specification.

O desenvolvimento infantil é um processo complexo que começa na concepção e se estende por longo período, envolvendo vários aspectos como crescimento físico, maturação neurológica, comportamental, cognitiva, social e afetiva. De acordo com a Organização Mundial da Saúde - OMS, a presença de fatores negativos que intervém no desenvolvimento infantil afeta cerca de 10% da população infantil mundial. Existem evidências suficientes de que quanto mais precoce for a identificação de possíveis problemas de atraso no desenvolvimento com consequente intervenção adequada, menor será o impacto desses problemas na vida futura da criança. Entretanto, para que seja realizada futura intervenção precoce, os profissionais de atenção básica necessitam de instrumentos que possam de maneira rápida, alertar sobre sinais que signifiquem possíveis problemas no desenvolvimento da criança. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi validar a Ficha de Acompanhamento do Desenvolvimento Infantil, proposta pelo Ministério da Saúde em 2002, em uso em muitos serviços de saúde no Brasil. Foi realizada a aplicação do instrumento em 269 crianças de 0 a 6 anos, no Ambulatório de Pediatria do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo e realizado as análises estatísticas Análise AC1 e Alfa de Cronbach para verificar a validade e confiabilidade do instrumento.O instrumento apresentou boa validez e confiabilidade através das duas análises, necessitando revisão para o segundo, nono e décimo primeiro marco do desenvolvimento.Concluímos que o Instrumento Ficha de Acompanhamento do Desenvolvimento Infantil é um instrumento válido a ser recomendado para uso dos profissionais de Saúde Básica como instrumento de triagem para possíveis atrasos no desenvolvimento infantil de crianças de zero a seis anos / Child development is a complex process that begins at conception moment and extends for a long period, which involves a lot of points such as physical growth, maturation neurological, behavior/ cognitive, social and emotional. According to World Health Organization - OMS, there is a presence of negative factors that have affected around 10% of worldwide children population. There are a lot of enough evidences that as previous we identify these possible delays issues in the development, with appropriated intervention, lower will be the impact on child future life. In order we can held this previous future intervention, the primary care professional need tools can quickly warning them that potential problems in child development. For this reason, the goal of this study is to validate the Child Development Monitoring Chart, proposed by Ministry of Health in 2002, using in Brazil Health services. This instrument applications was performed in 269 children 0 - 6 years age at the Clinic of Pediatrics, University Hospital, São Paulo University and performed statistical analyses AC1 and Cronbach´s Alpha to check the validity and reliability of this instrument. The instrument presented good performance and reliability through two analyses process, but a review will be necessary for second, ninth and eleventh mark of development. We concluded that Child Development Monitoring Instrument Data Sheet is a valid instrument to be recommended to be used by Basic Health professional as a screening tool for potential delays in child development of children from 0 to 6 years age

No region has felt the effects of global climate change more acutely than the cryosphere, which has changed at an unprecedented rate in the past two decades. The scientific consensus is that these changes are driven largely by increasing ocean heat content at high latitudes. In southeast Greenland, acceleration and retreat of the marine-terminating glaciers contributes significantly towards global sea level rise. Circulation in the fjords which accommodate these glaciers is thought to be driven both by freshwater input and by barrier wind-driven shelf exchange. Due to a scarcity of data, particularly from winter, the balance between these two mechanisms is not fully understood. In Svalbard, increasing water temperature has decimated sea ice cover in many of the fjords, and had substantial implications for the local ecosystem. While there is a relatively comprehensive literature on shelf exchange mechanisms in Svalbard fjords, questions remain over how the internal circulation interacts with exchange mechanisms. The region shares a similar underwater topography and oceanographic setting with southeast Greenland, with marine-terminating glaciers in close proximity to warm Atlantic waters, and results from Svalbard can hence be used to inform studies of high-latitude fjord-shelf exchange in a broader context. A realistic numerical model was constructed with the aim of better understanding the interaction between Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord and the adjacent continental shelf, and quantifying heat exchange during winter. The model was initially run in an idealised configuration with winter climatological forcing fields, incorporating a parameterisation for melting at the terminus, and used to test the impact of barrier wind events. The Earth's rotation played a crucial role in the nature of the circulation and exchange in the fjord, with inflow on the right (looking up-fjord) and outflow on the left. While the heat delivered into the fjord-mouth was smaller than that observed in summer, the background internal circulation was found to efficiently distribute waters through the fjord without external forcing, and the heat delivered to the glacier terminus was comparable to summer values. Barrier winds were found to excite coastally-trapped internal waves which propagated into the fjord along the right-hand side. The process was capable of doubling the heat delivery. The process also enhanced the background circulation, likely via Stokes' Drift. The model was then adapted to simulate winter 2007-08 under historical forcing conditions. Time series of glacial melt rate, as well as the heat flux through fjord cross-sections, were constructed and compared to the variability in wind forcing. Long periods of moderate wind stress were found to induce greatly enhanced heat flux towards the ice sheet, while short, strong gusts were found to have little influence, suggesting that the timescale over which the shelf wind field varies is a key parameter in dictating wintertime heat delivery from the ocean to the Greenland Ice Sheet. An underwater glider was deployed to Isfjorden, a large fjord system in Svalbard, to measure the temperature, salinity and depth-averaged currents over the course of November 2014. Like in Kangerdlugssuaq, the circulation in Isfjorden was found to be heavily influenced by the Earth's rotation and by wind activity both locally and on the shelf. The combination of hydrography and high-resolution velocity data provided new insights, suggesting that the approach will be useful for studying high-latitude fjords in the future.

Esta tese interpreta o registro ambiental de um testemunho de gelo antártico pela análise de elementostraço. Esse testemunho de gelo, daqui em diante chamado Mount Johns (MJ), foi coletado no manto de gelo da Antártica Ocidental (79°55’28”S e 94°23’18”W; 91,20 m de comprimento) no verão austral de 2008/09. O testemunho foi descontaminado e subamostrado no Climate Change Institute (University of Maine – Maine /EUA). As primeiras 2137 amostras, correspondentes aos 45 m superiores do testemunho, foram analisadas no espectrômetro de massas Element 2 do CCI para 24 elementos-traço (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg e K). Essa parte do testemunho representa 125 anos (1883–2008) de registro, segundo datação relativa baseada na variação sazonal nas concentrações de Na, Sr e S e na identificação dos principais eventos vulcânicos ocorridos no período. A taxa de acumulação média no local de amostragem foi 0,21 m a-1 em eq. H2O no mesmo período de tempo. As concentrações são controladas pelas variações climáticas sazonais (verão/inverno), por mudanças na circulação atmosféricas, por anomalias de temperatura, pela distância de transporte e pelas fontes naturais e antrópicas desses aerossóis. Baseada na análise dos fatores de enriquecimento crustal e marinho e em correlações de Pearson, as concentrações de Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, S, Sr e Ti são de origem natural. Poeira e solo de fontes continentais, oriundas principalmente de áreas áridas na Austrália, Nova Zelândia e Patagônia, são consideradas importantes fontes de Al, Mg e Ti. Aerossóis marinhos do Pacífico Sul, transportados para o continente antártico pelas massas de ar, são fontes predominantes de Na, Sr, K, S e Ca. Para os elementos Ba, Fe e Mn, tanto fontes crustais como marinhas são significativas. Adicionalmente, Mn e S apresentam um aporte considerável de origem vulcânica (variando de 20–30% na concentração total). Os resultados também mostram enriquecimento significativo nas concentrações de arsênio devido a atividades antrópicas. Foi observado concentrações médias da ordem de 1,92 pg g-1 antes de 1900, aumentando até 7,94 pg g-1 em 1950. Este enriquecimento está diretamente relacionado às emissões da mineração e fundição de metais não-ferrosos na América do Sul, principalmente no Chile. A queda na concentração de arsênio observado no século XXI (concentração média de 1,94 pg g-1 após 1999) é interpretada como uma consequência à introdução de leis ambientais (em 1994) para reduzir emissões desse elemento durante os processos de mineração e fundição de cobre no Chile. O modelo de trajetórias HYSPLIT mostra uma clara variação sazonal no transporte entre os meses de verão/outono e inverno/primavera, onde predomina o transporte de oeste durante o ano todo e um transporte secundário de nordeste durante o verão/outono. As correlações entre as concentrações médias dos elementos-traço estudados e o modelo de reanálises ERA-Interim para o período 1979–2008, indicam que as concentrações de aerossóis marinhos são fortemente influenciadas pelas condições meteorológicas, por exemplo, por anomalias na temperatura da superfície do mar e concentração de gelo marinho. / This thesis interprets the environmental record of an Antarctic ice core by the analysis of trace elements. This ice core, henceforward called Mount Johns (MJ), was collected in the West Antarctica ice sheet (79°55'28"S and 94°23'18"W; 91.20 m long) in the austral summer of 2008/09. The core was decontaminated and subsampled at the Climate Change Institute (CCI, University of Maine - Maine / USA). The first 2137 samples, corresponding to the upper 45 m of the core, were analyzed in the CCI's JRC Element 2 spectrometer for 24 trace elements (Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Li, Al, S, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Na, Mg and K). This part of the core represents a 125 years (1883– 2008) record, according to relative dating based on Na, Sr and S seasonal variations and on the identification of major volcanic events in the period. The mean accumulation rate for the sampling site was 0.21 m-1 in eq. H2O in the same time period. The concentrations are controlled by seasonal climatic changes (summer/winter), by changes in atmospheric circulation, temperature anomalies, the transport distance and the natural and anthropogenic sources of these aerosols. Based on analysis of crustal and marine enrichment factors and Pearson correlations, the Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, S, Sr and Ti concentrations have natural origin. Dust and soil from continental sources, primarily coming from arid areas in Australia, New Zealand and Patagonia, are considered important sources of Al, Mg and Ti. South Pacific marine aerosols, transported to the Antarctic continent by air masses, are predominant sources of Na, Sr, K, S and Ca. For the elements Ba, Fe and Mn, both crustal and marine sources are significant. In addition, Mn and S show a considerable contribution of volcanic origin (ranging from 20-30% of the total concentration). The results also show significant enrichment in arsenic concentrations due to human activities. Before 1900 the mean concentration was approximately 1.92 pg g-1, rising to 7.94 pg g-1 in 1950. This enrichment is directly related to mining emissions and casting of non-ferrous metals in South America, mainly in Chile. The decrease in the arsenic concentration, observed in the twenty-first century (mean concentration of 1.94 pg g-1 after 1999) is interpreted as a consequence of the introduction of environmental laws (in 1994) to reduce emissions of this element during the cupper mining and smelting in Chile. The HYSPLIT trajectories model show a clear seasonal variation in transport between the summer/autumn all and winter/spring months, where predominates an eastward transport throughout the year and a secondary transport from the northeast during the summer/fall. Correlations between the mean concentrations of the studied trace elements and the ERA-Interim reanalysis models for the 1979-2008 period indicate that marine aerosols concentrations are heavily influenced by weather conditions, for example, by sea surface temperature and sea ice concentration anomalies.

Nowadays FE-simulations for sheet metal forming process are used to reduce the tryout phase in automotive industries. But the complex forming simulation processes are very challenging. One of the challenges is to create an FE-model which can be used to analyze the effects of cushion motion on the forming process. This thesis is focused on creating an FE model for two dies single cushion sheet metal forming press which can be used to analyze the effects of cushion motion on the contact pressure between the stamping tools and blanks. Using LS-PrePost a model with rigid stamping tools and cushion was created where the two blanks were of different thicknesses. After the model creation LS-DYNA was used for the simulations. The results showed that the cushion is moving in all DOFs and due to this movements, uneven contact pressure distribution is seen on the blanks and stamping tools.