No / We have investigated the surface localisation of the phosphotransferase system protein HPr in the equine pathogen Streptococcus equi subsp. equi using immunogold localisation and transmission electron microscopy. Like the LppC acid phosphatase lipoprotein, a reference surface antigen, the S. equi HPR could be clearly detected on the surfaces of intact cells. This study is consistent with previous reports that some streptococcal HPr is cell surface associated and suggests that the extracytoplasmic mobilisation and transfer of phosphate groups by streptococci warrant further investigation.

Various metallurgical microstructures and their formation are studied in this thesis by using a laser beam to melt a variety of materials with different chemical compositions over a range of thermal cycles. The laser beam was used conventionally in a narrow gap multi-layer weld, used for welding large depths with filler wire additions, as well as a non-traditional simulated welding approach labelled here as the Snapshot method. In laser beam welding, materials go through rapid heating and cooling cycles that are difficult to mimic by other techniques. In welding, any microstructural development depends on complex combinations of chemistry and thermal cycles but is also influenced by melt flow behavior. In turn, microstructural morphologies influence the mechanical behavior which can suffer due to inappropriate microstructural constituents. The Snapshot method, through control of thermal cycling and material composition, can achieve the same rates while guiding microstructural development to form tailored properties. The tunable laser beam properties can be exploited to develop an experimental welding simulation (Snapshot method), which enables the complex interlinked chemical and thermal events which take place during welding to be studied in a controlled manner. Exploring the microstructural relationships to their thermal history provides a greater knowledge into tailoring microstructural compositions to obtain various required mechanical properties for laser welding, additive manufacturing and also non-laser welding techniques. The feasibility of the Snapshot method is investigated in the three appended journal publications. High speed imaging and thermal recording have proved to be essential tools in this work, with analysis from optical microscopy and EDX/EDS to provide additional support. The Snapshot method is introduced as a concept in Papers I and II, demonstrating successfully guided thermal histories after obtaining molten material. Application of a second and third heating cycle, reheating the structure without melting, yielding altered microstructures. Reaching the austenitisation temperature range allowed for the simulation of complex multi-layer welding thermal histories. Geometrically non-uniform material additions are utilized in Paper III, which investigated the formation of microstructures through the chemical composition route. New chemical compositions were obtained by different degrees of dilution of the weld filler wire by the base material.

No description available.

My creative process is a ritual I use to examine my personal narrative. Digital photography is a way for me to mine an object or environment with an obsessive emphasis, and extract an image that signifies something relatable. By employing tropes derived from my personal narrative, and filtering them through image manipulation software; I am able to dramatize aspects of perspective and scale. With an automatic mark guided by printed images and projections of digital panoramic images, the surface and resulting picture comes into focus. This is a way for me to move past my experiences. Achieving this level of intimacy with the mundane objects or environments makes it possible for me to develop a personal iconography.

This report aims to raise awareness of the hazards of surface fault rupture and to identify parameters that influence structural performance during earthquake fault rupture. In researching structures subject to surface rupture, both damaged and sound, guidelines and procedures to evaluate buildings in potential hazard areas are developed herein. Little to no guidance on how to design for surface fault offset exists in current codes and design guides. Thus it is important create tools for designers to appropriately analyze structures by developing guidance and requirements to aid designers in their strength assessment of a structure subject to this particular hazard. Case studies of structures damaged by fault rupture, detailed in Section 4.0, provide important clues as to how structures respond when subject to surface offset. These case studies highlight structures that have been tested under the imposed deformations of the ground, providing insight into how building layout and construction techniques can protect the structure, even under extreme offsets. A sample evaluation for Bowles Hall (UC Berkeley) is provided herein in addition to preliminary code equations that may be used to verify and determine a structure’s resistance to surface rupture.

Les émulsions de type huile-dans-eau jouent un rôle important lors des opérations de ré-injection des eaux de production (PWRI). Ce travail s'intéresse à l'écoulement /rétention de ce type d'émulsions en milieux poreux et à leur impact sur l'injectivité. Deux mécanismes fondamentaux sont distingué selon la valeur du Jamming ratio Jr (taille des restrictions /taille des gouttes): le dépôt dit de surface aux forts Jr et le «straining» (blocage, par le forces capillaires, d'une ou plusieurs gouttes à l'amont d'une restriction) aux faibles Jr.Ce document traite, d'abord, de la physicochimie du dépôt de surface. L'étude en fonction de différents paramètres, tels que la salinité et le débit, permis de décrire la structure et la cinétique du dépôt. Nous avons notamment mis en évidence la formation d'une monocouche compacte é gouttelettes individuelles et montré que la cinétique du dépôt vérifie les lois d'échelle développées pour les colloïdes. L'ensemble de nos résulta conforte la similarité de comportement entre les émulsions stables et diluées et les systèmes colloïdaux.Ensuite, le «straining» est mis en évidence et discuté en fonction des distributions en taille -des restrictions et des gouttes- et des valeurs du nombi capillaire.Enfin, nous avons établi que l'endommagement associé au dépôt de surface peut être très significatif et que les pertes d'injectivité sont prédictibles par une loi de Poiseuille modifiée. Pour le «straining», l'impact est encore plus sévère mais sa vitesse de propagation est plus lente.En conclusion, l'effet de ce type d'émulsion doit être pris en compte pour minimiser les risques et optimiser le schéma de réinjection. / The O/W emulsions are major actors in the operations of produced water reinjection (PWRI). This work focuses on the flow/retention of these specific emulsions in porous media and their impact on injectivity. Two fundamental mechanisms are considered according to the jamming ration Jr, that is to say the pore throat to droplet size ratio. At high Jr, surface retention is operative, whereas at small ones, it is the "straining" which describes the upstream clogging of a pore throat by one or more droplets because of the capillary forces.This report firstly targets the physicochemistry of the surface deposit. Several parameters were checked, such as salinity and flow rate, and allow us to descrïbe the deposit structure and the deposition kinetics. We evidenced the formation of a dense monolayer of individual oil droplets and showed that the deposition kinetïcs follows the scaling power laws initially developed for colloids. It clearly underlines the similar behaviour of stable emulsion anc other colloidal systems.Then, the straining was observed and discussed according to size distributions of botte droplets and pore throats and also according to the capillary number.Finally, we established that the injectivity losses caused by surface retention can be very significant and that they are predictable through a modified Poiseuille's law. Concerning the "straining", the impact is even more severe but its propagation rate is far smaller.To conclude, the effects of these emulsions have to be taken into account to minimise the risks and optimise the reinjection scheme.

Atmospheric aerosol particles also known as atmospheric particulate matter or particulate matter (PM) are microscopic particles (solid or liquid) suspended in air, which is one of six air pollutants in US air quality standard. PM is classified as coarse particles with diameters between 2.5 to 10 mm, fine particles with a diameter less than 2.5 mm (PM2.5), and ultrafine particles with the diameter less than 0.1 mm (PM0.1). Epidemiological studies have already showed the adverse health effects (such as asthma, lung cancer and respiratory and cardiovascular disease) resulted from exposure to the fine and ultrafine particles. Monitoring the PM concentration (i.e., either mass or surface area concentration of PM) is critical for the protection of public health and environment and for the regulatory control. Various PM sensors are now available in market. A majority of these PM sensors are optical sensors, whose readouts are highly depended on the physical property and composition of PM. Several PM monitors based on the measurement principle of electrical charging are also available. However, the empirical calibration of the readout of these electrical PM monitors via the use of standard dust particles makes it difficult to obtain the true mass concentration of PM when PM size distribution is different from that of standard dust. The overall objective of this dissertation is to advance our scientific knowledge on the performance of cost-effective PM monitors for measuring either mass or surface area concentration of fine and ultrafine PM. This thesis includes two parts: (1) is on the evaluation of existing PM sensor for PM mass concentration measurement; (2) is on the development of new PM monitor for PM surface area concentration measurement. For the first part of this dissertation, four low-cost optical sensors, one Personal Dust Monitor (PDM) and DustrakTM were experimentally evaluated. Particles in the size distribution having different mean size, standard deviation value and material were used as test aerosol particles. The readouts of these low-cost and portable sensors are compared to that of a standard TEOM (Tapered Element Oscillation Microbalance). For the second part of this dissertation, a new electrical PM monitor, consisting of a corona-based aerosol charger, a precipitator and high sensitive current meter, has been proposed for measuring surface area concentration of fine and ultrafine PM. Particles are electrically charged upon entering an electrical PM monitor. Instead of using Faraday cage and current meter to measure the charges carried by particles in existed electrical PM sensors, the new PM monitor measures the current carried by particles deposited directly on the wall of the precipitator. A thorough evaluation has been carried out to evaluate the fundamental performance of this new PM monitor. In addition, small cyclones (i.e., quadru-inlet and tapered-body cyclones) were also evaluated as the size-selective inlet of these PM sensors/monitors to minimize the potential interface from the presence of PM with large sizes in the air. The small quadru-inlet cyclone is to resolve the issue of directional sampling; and the tapered-body cyclones is to reduce the cyclone pressure drop while having small cyclone cutoff particle size. Each cyclone has been evaluated via the measurement of particle penetration curve and pressure drop. Semi-empirical models have been obtained for the prediction of cyclone performance.

Thesis (MSc.(Med)(Physics))--University of Limpopo, 2010. / Key words: Diagnostic reference levels (DRL), entrance surface dose (ESD), thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) Introduction: Diagnostic reference levels (DRL‟s) are defined as a dose level set for standard sized patients or standard phantoms and are not for individual exposures and individual patients and are an efficient standard for optimizing the radiation protection of patients and are practically useful for more common examinations. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends entrance surface dose (ESD) as DRL‟s in diagnostic radiology and are establish using a TLD on a patient/phantom surface. Aim: To estimate entrance surface dose for different X-ray procedures. Objectives: The objective of this study is to develop the diagnostic reference levels by assessing the dose received by a patient in radiographic exposure. This was achieved using different X-ray techniques to estimate the entrance surface dose for different examinations. Method: The study was conducted at the Dr George Mukhari hospital using 5 different X-ray machines. Before the study commenced quality assurance was done on the machines. The following examinations were considered: Cervical spine (AP), cervical spine (LAT), Skull (AP), Skull (PA), Abdomen (AP), Pelvis (AP), Lumber spine (AP), Lumber spine (LAT), Chest (PA) and Chest (LAT). Thermoluminescence lithium fluoride (LiF) (TLD-100, 3.16 X 3.16 X 0.9 mm3, Harshaw) and the Rando phantom were used to estimate the ESD‟s in mGy. Three TLD‟s were mounted on the top of the phantom in the centre of X-ray beam, external to the organ/tissue being imaged. The average dose was calculated for each radiograph and for each examination. The following technique factors were recorded: tube kilovoltage, focus-to-surface distance, focus-to-film distance, time and mA. vi Results: The mean ESD‟s measured at the centre of X-ray beam on the surface of the phantom for the following examinations are: Cervical spine (AP), 2.99 (± 0.26) mGy; Cervical spine (LAT), 3.23 (± 0.34) mGy; Skull (PA), 3.50 (±0.37) mGy; Skull (LAT), 2.60 (± 0.26) mGy; Abdomen (AP), 4.18 (± 0.40) mGy; Pelvis (AP), 3.96 (± 0.33) mGy; Lumber spine (APS), 4.72 (± 0.39) mGy; Lumber spine (LAT), 8.56 (± 0.67) mGy Chest (PA), 0.72 (± 0.27) mGy and Chest (LAT), 1.03 (± 0.45) mGy. Conclusion: The results of the individual exposure and the overall results of each examination were lower than reported in the literature except for the chest (PA). The determination of patient dose and the comparison with the international DRL‟s are an important factor in the optimization process in diagnostic radiology and it is of special concern for the patient‟s protection. The baseline of diagnostic reference levels for the Dr George Mukhari hospital has been established and the results obtained could be useful for future patient dose measurements in diagnostic radiology Department at the Dr George Mukhari hospital.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has gained significant interest in aerospace, energy, automotive and medical industries due to its capabilities of manufacturing components that are either prohibitively costly or impossible to manufacture by conventional processes. Among the various additive manufacturing processes for metallic components, electron beam melting (EBM) and selective laser melting (SLM) are two of the most widely used powder bed based processes, and have shown great potential for manufacturing high-end critical components, such as turbine blades and customized medical implants. The futures of the EBM and SLM are doubtlessly promising, but to fully realize their potentials there are still many challenges to overcome. Inconel 718 (IN718) is a nickel-base superalloy and has impressive combination of good mechanical properties and low cost. Though IN718 is being mostly used as a turbine disk material now, the initial introduction of IN718 was to overcome the poor weldability of superalloys in 1960s, since sluggish precipitation of strengthening phases λ’/λ’’ enables good resistance to strain-age cracking during welding or post weld heat treatment. Given the similarity between AM and welding processes, IN718 has been widely applied to the metallic AM field to facilitate the understandings of process-microstructure-property relationships. The work presented in this licentiate thesis aims to better understand microstructures and mechanical properties EBM and SLM IN718, which have not been systematically investigated. Microstructures of EBM and SLM IN718 have been characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and correlated with the process conditions. Monotonic mechanical properties (e.g., Vickers microhardness and tensile properties) have also been measured and rationalized with regards to the microstructure evolutions before and after heat treatments. For EBM IN718, the results show the microstructure is not homogeneous but dependant on the location in the components, and the anisotropic mechanical properties are probably attributed to alignment of porosities rather than texture. Post heat treatment can slightly increase the mechanical strength compared to the as-manufactured condition but does not alter the anisotropy. SLM IN718 shows significantly different microstructure and mechanical properties to EBM IN718. The as-manufactured SLM IN718 has very fine dendritic microstructure and Laves phases in the interdendrites, and is “work-hardened” by the residual strains and dislocations present in the material. Mechanical properties are different between horizontally and vertically built samples, and heat treatment can minimize this difference. Results from this licentiate thesis provide the basis for the further research on the cyclic mechanical properties of EBM and SLM IN718, which would be the focus of following phase of the Ph.D. research. / <p>Information about opponent and seminar are missing.</p>

MCrAlY coatings (M=Ni and/or Co) have been widely used for the protection of superalloy components against oxidation and hot corrosion in the hot sections of gas turbines. The drive to improve engine combustion efficiency while reducing emissions by increasing the operation temperature brings a big challenge for coating design. As a result, the need for improvement of MCrAlY coatings for better oxidation resistance is essential. Formation of a stable, dense, continuous, and slow-growing α-Al2O3 layer, on the MCrAlY coating surface, is the key to oxidation protection, since the protective α-Al2O3 scale offers superior oxidation resistance due to its lower oxygen-diffusion rate as compared with other oxides. The ability of a MCrAlY coating to form and maintain such a protective scale depends on the coating composition and microstructure, and can be improved through optimization of deposition parameters, modification of coating surface conditions, and so on. Part of this thesis work focuses on studying the effect of post-deposition surface treatments on the oxidation behavior of MCrAlX coatings (X can be yttrium and/or other minor alloying elements). The aim is to gain fundamental understanding of alumina scale evolution during oxidation which is important for achieving improved oxidation resistance of MCrAlX coatings. Oxide scale formed on coatings at initial oxidation stage and the effect of surface treatment were investigated by a multi-approach study combining photo-stimulated luminescence, microstructural observation and weight gain. Results showed that both mechanically polished and shot-peened coatings exhibited superior performance due to rapid formation of α-Al2O3 fully covering the coating and suppressing growth of transient alumina, assisted by the high density of α-Al2O3 nuclei on surface treatment induced defects. The early development of a two-layer alumina scale, consisting of an inward-grown inner α-Al2O3 layer and an outer layer transformed from outward-grown transient alumina, resulted in a higher oxide growth rate of the as-sprayed coating. The positive effect of the surface treatments on retarding oxide scale growth and suppressing formation of spinel was also observed in oxidation test up to 1000 hrs. As the oxidation proceeds to the close-to-end stage, a reliable criterion to estimate the capability of coating to form α-Al2O3 is of great importance to accurately evaluate coating lifetime, which is the aim of the other part of the thesis work. Survey of published results on a number of binary Ni-Al and ternary Ni-Cr-Al, Ni-Al-Si systems shows that the empirical Al-concentration based criterion is inadequate to properly predict the formation of a continuous α-Al2O3 scale. On the other hand, correlating the corresponding Al-activity data, calculated from measured chemical compositions using the Thermo-Calc software, to the experimental oxidation results has revealed a temperature dependent, critical Al-activity value for forming continuous α-Al2O3 scale. To validate the criterion, long-term oxidation tests were performed on five MCrAlX coatings with varying compositions and the implementation of the Al-activity based criterion on these coatings successfully predicted α-Al2O3 formation, showing a good agreement with experiment results.