Pastures have been typically dominated by monocultures, only allowing herbivores access to one food type with unbalanced nutrient content and in some instances with single plant secondary compounds (SCs), which can be toxic if ingested at high concentrations. By establishing diverse pastures animals can select from a variety of plants with different concentrations and types of nutrients and SCs. The objectives of my study were to (a) determine if the type of plant diversity - tall fescue with either tannin-containing sainfoin or saponin-containing alfalfa − affects cattle preferences for these forages, (b) evaluate how readily fall-born calves reach finish body condition on these grass-legume pastures, and (c) determine the effects of sainfoin/tall fescue versus alfalfa/tall fescue pasture on meat quality and consumer acceptance. Foraging behavior, body weight, and pasture biomass before and after grazing was monitored when cattle strip-grazed 3 replications of 2 treatments repeated for 2 years (from May through September 2010 and from June through September 2012). Animals were allowed a choice between tall fescue and sainfoin [SAN] or alfalfa [ALF]) applied randomly in strips (fescue, legume, or fescue-legume mixture). No differences in average daily gains (~ 1 Kg/day) were detected between the 2 groups of cattle. I used scan samples at 5-min intervals from 0730 to 0930 to record foraging behavior. Animals spent most of the time grazing legumes and scans on legumes increased from the beginning to the end of the study. Scans and assessments of pasture biomass removal revealed greater use of sainfoin than alfalfa, whereas cattle in the ALF treatment removed more fescue than cattle in the SAN treatment. The presence of tannins in sainfoin likely contributed to these effects. Beef carcasses were very lean (select or standard quality grade), with 4-6% mean fat content. There were no differences between treatments regarding meat color, oxidative stability, fatty acid analyses, or consumer acceptance. Only 2 volatiles (nonanoic and decanoic acids) were greater in meat from the ALF treatment. Thus, cattle offered choices reached finish body weight at pasture and incorporated fescue into their diets even when legumes were available. The type of legume influenced foraging behavior but this effect did not impact animal performance, meat quality, or consumer acceptance.

A weight function based modified strip-yield model is adapted to include the mode I effects of roughness induced crack closure. The weight function methodology is verified for arbitrary mixed mode loading conditions under load levels experienced in fatigue crack growth. A rough crack geometry is simulated as a sine wave fitted to a sawtooth defined by an asperity angle and period. Additional mode I crack closure due to mode II sliding of crack faces is calculated and incorporated into the strip-yield model by lengthening and shortening the crack face elements. Simulations of fatigue crack growth using the newly developed model are examined via a design and analysis of computer experiments. The effects of model parameters are identified. Combined roughness and plasticity induced crack closure for long cracks is studied.

The process optimization of continuous annealing furnace, RHF 125, for recrystallization annealing of two steel grades, Sandvik 13C26 and Sandvik 20C has been carried out. To recreate the continuous annealing process carried out in the roller hearth furnace in the industry, samples with different cold reduction rates were chosen from ongoing production lines. An experimental heat treatment model was chosen by the ‘Design of Experiments’ approach from MODDE (from U-Metrics). The annealing temperature was chosen below the austenitization temperature for both steel grades and soaking time of 30 seconds to 240 seconds were chosen. Microscopic estimation of fraction recrystallized was performed with the help of Electron Back Scattered Diffraction, accompanied by mechanical testing methods to measure the hardness and yield strength of the steel strips. The experimental output was used to create a model to correlate between the different cold reduction rates and annealing parameters to achieve a higher degree of recrystallization along with desirable mechanical properties. Also, a modified Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolomogrov model, based on hardness values, to determine the transformation kinetics by tracking the progress of recrystallization was developed. The model was verified with EBSD measurements for Sandvik 13C26 strip steels. For 20C, inhomogeneous recrystallization was observed, thus limiting the model’s adaptability to steels which exhibit homogeneous recrystallization behavior and negligible change in precipitation and/or coarsening of secondary phases. / Processoptimering av en kontinuerlig glödgningsugn, RHF 125, för rekristallisationsglödgning av två Sandvik-stål, Sandvik 13C26 och Sandvik 20C, har genomförts. För att återskapa den kontinuerliga glödgningsprocessen som utförs den verkilga processen i valdes prover och olika kallreduktionshastigheter från pågående produktionslinjer. En experimentell värmebehandlingsmodell valdes med metoden 'Design of Experiments' med MODDE (från U-Metrics). Glödgningstemperaturen valdes till en temperatur under austeniseringstemperaturen för båda stålen och hålltider varierade från 30 s till 240 s. Mikroskopisk uppskattning av fraktionen rekristalliserat material utfördes med hjälp av Electron Back Scatter Diffraktion (EBSD), åtföljd av mekaniska testmetoder för att mäta hårdheten och sträckgränsen för stålproverna. De experimentella resultaten användes för att skapa en modell för att korrelera mellan de olika reduktionshastigheterna och glödgningsparametrarna för att uppnå högre grad av rekristallisation tillsammans med önskvärda mekaniska egenskaper. Dessutom utvecklades en modifierad Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolomogrov-modell, baserad på hårdhetsvärden, för att bestämma transformationskinetiken genom att spåra evolutionen för rekristallisation. Modellen verifierades genom jämförelse med EBSD-mätningarna för Sandvik 13C26 bandstål. För 20 °C observerades inhomogen rekristallisation, vilket begränsade modellens användbarhet till stål som uppvisade homogent rekristallisationsbeteende och försumbar förändring i utskiljning och/eller förgrovning av sekundära faser.

Presented are approximate finite strip methods for use in predicting elastic buckling strength of cold-formed steel columns. These methods were developed by examining elemental behavior of cross-sections in eigen-buckling analyses and validated using a large database of finite element rack-type columns with perforation patterns. The influence of perforations is accounted by reduced thicknesses related to the plate buckling coefficient and transverse web rotational stiffness in the prediction of local and distortional buckling respectively. Global buckling prediction including the influence of perforations uses critical elastic loads of an unperforated section multiplied by the ratio of weighted to gross cross-sectional moment of inertia for flexural buckling and the ratios of weighted to gross cross-sectional warping torsion constant and weighted to gross St. Venant torsional constant for flexural-torsional buckling. Concern for end-user was given and methods are presented in a way for incorporation into governing design standards. Data to support these findings are available at http://hdl.handle.net/10919/23797 / Master of Science

This diploma thesis solves the analysis of the influence of calibration and the method of strips alignment on the geometric accuracy of a point cloud acquired by UAV lidar scanning. The aim was to find out the influence of individual used methods, respectively various combinations. The effect of the design of the cross-flights has also been added. The evaluation was performed using standard deviations of the distances corresponding to the areas scanned in different point bands. Furthermore, verification was performed by comparing checkpoints. The results show that there is no dependence between the individual combinations. The only case was a larger displacement of the point cloud at the edge of the scanned strip in the case of cross-flights.

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The detection of variable stars in open clusters is an essential component of testing stellar structure and evolution theories. The ability to detect low-amplitude variability among cluster members is directly related to the quality of the photometric results. Point Spread Function (PSF) fitting is the best method available for measuring accurate magnitudes within crowded fields of stars, while high-precision differential photometry is the preferred technique for removing the effects of atmospheric extinction and variable seeing. In the search for new variable stars among hundreds or thousands of stars, the Robust Median Statistic (RoMS) is proven more effective for finding low-amplitude variables than the traditional error curve approach. A reputable computer program called DAOPHOT was used to perform PSF fitting, whereas programs, CLUSTER and RoMS, were created to carry out high-precision differential photometry and calculate the RoMS, respectively, on the open clusters NGC 225, NGC 559, NGC 6811, NGC 6940, NGC 7142, and NGC 7160. Twenty-two new variables and eighty-seven suspected variable stars were discovered, and time-series data of the new variables are presented.

The purpose of this study was to inductively examine the content of the popular comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by analyzing its latent and subjective meaning to discover basic social psychological issues associated with family recreation. The entire collection of 1,360 Calvin and Hobbes strips was evaluated using Grounded Theory techniques influenced by the art scholarship evaluation tool iconography. Review of the strip suggests one way to assess the meaning associated with time use is through preemptive retrospection by which a person looks at current experiences through the lens of an anticipated future to estimate how meaningful that time will be. Overall, Calvin and Hobbes suggests that meaningful time use is a key attribute of a life well lived. One key element of meaningful time use is time spent with family. The strip also helps us see the value in continuing to seek that meaning with family despite apparent setbacks. This analysis brought to light issues associated with gathering meaning from comic strips, which are also discussed. Recommendations are made for future research in the field.