Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:21:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao - Climbie Ferreira Hall.pdf: 1340282 bytes, checksum: d8df7b3f62dfdd8d8aced845eaed78cb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-31 / (Orchidaceae of the State Park of Serra de Caldas Novas, Goiás State, Brazil). This study conducted a survey of the Orchidaceae species occurring at State Park of Serra de Caldas Novas (PESCAN) and a study of the floral biology and reproductive biology of Cyrtopodium eugenii Rchb. f. & Warm. and the effect of floral herbivory on reproductive success of this specie that occurs in the rocky fields of PESCAN. The Orchidaceae family consists of 850 genera, with about 20000 species, and has cosmopolitan distribution, but its greatest concentration is in the tropical region. In Brazil, 200 genera are found, with more than 2500 species, and then, it is considered the third country in the world in diversity of orchids, only inferior to Ecuador and Colombia. In the Cerrado Biome, the family is represented by 666 species, from these, 12 species and 7 genera were found in PESCAN. The most common habit among the species that occur in PESCAN is the terrestrial and the predominant flowering season is the rainy season. Only one specie flowers in the dry season, C. eugenii, a common specie in PESCAN, which flowers from May to September. Cyrtopodium eugenii flowers are pale-yellow with brown spots, but the lip is bright-yellow. The only species found as a pollinator of C. eugenii was Centris (Trachina) fuscata Lepeletier,1841 (Anthophoridae, Centridini). Although C. eugenii offers no floral rewards to pollinators, its lip seems to mimic flowers of Tetrapterys ramiflora A. Juss., a yellow-flowered oil producer Malpighiaceae. Thereby, C. eugenii deceives the pollinator. As in other species without reward, C. eugenii receives few visits from their pollinator, and consequently has a low fruit production rate. Cyrtopodium eugenii is self-compatible, but no fruit was generated by spontaneous self-pollination as well as agamospermy. Preliminary field observations revealed that inflorescences and flowers of C. eugenii experience continuous florivory. The natural florivory quantification shows that 55.20% of the flowers weren t eaten,while in 15.45% sexual structures were eaten (florivory direct effect). More flowers had the lip damaged (20.50%) than the other petals and sepals (18.92%). A manipulative experiment showed a significant decrease in C. eugenii reproductive success (male and female), only if the florivory occurred in the lip (florivory indirect effects). This result indicates that the lip is the most important flower part to attract the pollinator and to C. eugenii reproduction, because even with a high level of herbivory in the other petals and sepals, the reproductive success didn t decay significantly. / (Orchidaceae do Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas, Goiás, Brasil). Neste estudo foi realizado um levantamento das espécies de Orchidaceae ocorrentes no Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas (PESCAN), bem como um estudo da biologia floral e reprodutiva de Cyrtopodium eugenii Rchb. f. & Warm. e o efeito da herbivoria floral sobre o sucesso reprodutivo desta espécie que ocorre nos campos rupestres do PESCAN. A família Orchidaceae, constituída por 850 gêneros, com cerca de 20.000 espécies, apresenta distribuição cosmopolita, mas com maior concentração na região tropical. No Brasil, são encontrados 200 gêneros, com mais de 2.500 espécies, sendo considerado o terceiro país do mundo em diversidade, perdendo apenas para Equador e Colômbia. No Bioma Cerrado, a família é representada por 666 espécies, sendo que no PESCAN foram encontradas 12 destas espécies, distribuídas em sete gêneros. O hábito mais comum entre as espécies ocorrentes no PESCAN é o terrestre e a época de floração predominante é na estação chuvosa. Apenas uma espécie floresce na estação seca, C. eugenii, uma espécie muito comum no PESCAN, florescendo entre os meses de maio e setembro. As flores de C. eugenii são amarelo-pálidas com máculas castanhas, porém o labelo é amarelo-vivo. A única espécie, encontrada neste estudo como polinizador de C. eugenii foi Centris (Trachina) fuscata Lepeletier,1841 (Anthophoridae, Centridini). Apesar de C. eugenii não oferecer recompensa floral ao seu polinizador, seu labelo parece mimetizar a flor de Tetrapterys ramiflora A. Juss. uma espécie de Malpighiaceae de flor amarela, produtora de óleo, enganando assim o polinizador. Assim como em outras espécies sem recompensa, C. eugenii recebe poucas visitas de seu polinizador, e consequentemente, possui baixa taxa de produção de frutos. Cyrtopodium eugenii é auto-compatível, porém não foram gerados frutos por auto-polinização espontânea, assim como por agamospermia. Observações preliminares realizadas no campo revelaram que as inflorescências e flores de C. eugenii sofrem constante florivoria ou herbivoria floral. A quantificação desta herbivoria natural mostrou que 55,20% das flores não sofreram herbivoria enquanto 15,45% foram inutilizadas pelo consumo das estruturas sexuais (efeitos diretos da florivoria). Foram encontradas mais flores com herbivoria no labelo (20,50%) do que com herbivoria em outros verticilos (18,92%). Um experimento manipulativo mostrou que há uma diminuição significativa no sucesso reprodutivo (masculino e feminino) de C. eugenii apenas quando a herbivoria ocorre no labelo (efeitos indiretos da florivoria). Esse resultado indica que o labelo é a parte da flor mais importante na atração do polinizador e para a reprodução de C. eugenii, pois apesar de um alto nível de herbivoria nos outros verticilos ter sido aplicada, não houve diminuição significativa no sucesso feminino e masculino dos indivíduos

Submitted thesis deals with the change of existing binding system for the Hot–Box method for hardening serving for manufacturing of shell cores the water space of cylinder heads comprise of. Objectives for proposing new binding system for Warm–Box method of hardening under heat are to achieve reduction in creation of condensates and gas substances in binding material compared with existing binding system. Further the thesis is aimed at achieving optimal operating hardness the cores have by reduced batches of binding system and by reduced temperatures of cores in scope reflecting manufacturing conditions in the company Nemak Slovakia s.r.o. While resolving issues there were used methods for evaluating quality of opening materials, core mixtures and cores, further methods for evaluating quality of melt, casts and basic methods for statistical processing of results.

During the boreal cool season (December – February) extreme temperature regimes (ETRs), including cold air outbreaks (CAOs) and warm waves (WWs), affect regional economies and human safety via their significant impacts on energy consumption, local agriculture and human health. This work aims to improve our understanding of the trends and variability in ETRs, their physical connections to low frequency modes, and the dynamical mechanisms leading to ETR onset. Earlier studies on ETR trends and variability do not consider the last decade. Further, little is known about the physical and dynamical nature of ETR onset. These unknowns motivate this dissertation and are particularly important for WWs, which have rarely been studied. This study begins with an updated analysis of the long-term trends and interannual variability in ETRs. Even with the inclusion of the last decade, no significant trends in either WW or CAO occurrence are identified over the continental United States between 1949-2011. The accompanying correlation analysis reveals that on interannual time scales, ETRs in specific regions of the U.S. tend to be modulated by certain low frequency modes. This analysis highlights an important regional asymmetry in the low frequency mode modulation of ETRs, and also indicates that the influence of ENSO upon ATRs is mainly limited to a modest modulation of WWs over the southeast US. Further, a multiple linear regression analysis reveals that the regional collective influence of low-frequency modes accounts for as much as 50% of interannual ETR variability. A synoptic-dynamic characterization of ETR onset over the southeast US is then performed using composite time-evolution analyses of events occurring between 1949-2011 to provide a qualitative indication of the role of low frequency modes. During CAO (WW) onset, negative (positive) geopotential height anomalies are observed in the upper troposphere over the Southeast with oppositely-signed anomalies in the lower troposphere over the central US. In most cases, there is a surface east-west height anomaly dipole, with anomalous northerly (CAO) or southerly (WW) flow into the Southeast leading to cold or warm surface air temperature anomalies, respectively. Companion potential vorticity anomaly analyses reveal prominent features in the mid- to upper-troposphere consistent with the geopotential height anomaly patterns. The composite analyses reveal significant roles for both synoptic and large-scale disturbances in ETR development. Synoptic-scale disturbances serve as dynamic triggers for ETR events, while low-frequency modes can provide a favorable environment for ETR onset. A suite of diagnostic analyses is conducted next and aims to identify the primary thermodynamic processes and dynamical mechanisms responsible for ETR development over the Southeast US. Heat budget analyses implicate linear temperature advection as the primary contributor to ETR development, while nonlinear advection plays a smaller role. Both the linear and the nonlinear terms contribute positively to the temperature tendencies of interest, while the adiabatic and diabatic terms offset some of the advection contributions. Piecewise PV inversion analyses are then conducted to assess which dynamical features directly contribute to the local temperature changes that occur in association with ETRs. A novel result is the discovery of the potential pathway through which the low frequency mode modulation of ETRs takes place. An upper-tropospheric PV feature first induces near-surface temperature advection, which then creates a near-surface temperature anomaly and a corresponding circulation that further enhances the initial temperature advection and ultimately leads to the ETR event.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) plays a large role in the transportation infrastructure and is used to construct highways, runways, parking areas, foot paths and cycle paths. Asphalt is thus being produced in massive amounts around the world. The latest figures on asphalt production indicate that 1.6 trillion metric tonnes of asphalt are produced annually worldwide. This vast quantity of asphalt produced annually has a significant effect on the environment, economy and the surrounding society. According to Mike Acott from the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) the key strategy to improve HMA is to continuously strive to improve the health safety and environmental practices of HMA. He also emphasises the importance of engaging improvements and innovation in the design and operation phases of HMA as it will result into more health, safety and environmental benefits. (Acott, 2007) It is thus important to improve the sustainability of HMA as it will be used for generations to come. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential benefits and risks of applying new technology to the current methods of design and construction of asphalt by the South African asphalt industry. The technologies that are investigated in this study are Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technology and the use of Reclaimed Asphalt (RA). WMA is asphalt that is designed to be manufactured at a lower temperature than HMA. RA is the use of recycled asphalt material in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) thus replacing virgin aggregate and virgin bitumen with recycled components. Both these technologies can have an effect on the sustainability of HMA. This study investigates the benefits and risks of the integration and application of WMA technology and RA into HMA industry in South Africa. The study uses interviews along with environmental and cost analyses to investigate this integration. The findings show that these technologies have definite environmental and cost benefits and that the magnitude of these benefits cannot be ignored. The current use of these technologies is a cause for concern as they are used in limited projects and limited authorities have warmed up to the use of these technologies. The risks involved in using these technologies are caused by a lack of experience and knowledge of these technologies which is aggravated as there are no standard specifications for their use. It is important that the right strategy is put into place to integrate these technologies into the South African asphalt industry in such a way that minimal risk and monetary losses are achieved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: HMA speel 'n groot rol in vervoer-infrastruktuur en word gebruik om paaie, aanloopbane, parkeerareas, voet en fiets paaie te bou. Asfalt word dus wêreldwyd in groot hoeveelhede geproduseer. Die nuutste syfers toon dat 1.6 triljoen kubieke meter asfalt jaarliks wêreldwyd geproduseer word. Hierdie groot hoeveelheid asfalt wat geproduseer word het ‘n beduidende effek op die omgewing, ekonomie en die omliggende gemeenskap. Volgens Mike Acott van die Nasionale Asfalt Plaveisel Assosiasie (NAPA) is die voortdurende strewe om die gesondheids, veiligheids en omgewings impakte van HMA te verminder die sleutel-strategie om HMA te verbeter. Hy beklemtoon ook die belangrikheid om verbeterings en innovering in die ontwerp en bedryf fases van HMA aan te bring wat kan lei tot meer veiligheids, gesondheids en omgewings voordele. (Acott, 2007) Dit is dus belangrik om die volhoubaarheid van HMA te verbeter as dit bewaar wil word vir toekomstige geslagte te kom. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die potensiële voordele en risiko's van die gebruik van nuwe tegnologieë op die huidige ontwerp en konstruksie metodes in Suid-Afrika se asfalt bedryf te ondersoek. Die tegnologieë wat in hierdie studie ondersoek word is Warm Mengsel Asfalt (WMA) en die gebruik van Herwonne Asfalt (RA). WMA is asfalt wat ontwerp is om teen ‘n laer temperatuur as konvensionele HMA vervaardig te word. RA is die gebruik van herwinde asfalt in HMA wat lei tot die besparing van nuwe aggregaat en bitumen. Beide hierdie tegnologieë kan 'n invloed op die volhoubaarheid van HMA hê. Hierdie studie ondersoek dus die voordele en risiko's van die integrasie en gebruik van WMA en RA tegnologie in die HMA-industrie in Suid-Afrika. Die studie maak gebruik van onderhoude asook omgewings en koste impak analises om hierdie integrasie te ondersoek. Die bevindinge in die studie toon aan dat hierdie tegnologie definitief voordelig is vir die omgewing en die ekonomie en dat hierdie voordele groot genoeg is om nie geïgnoreer te word nie. Die huidige gebruik van hierdie tegnologieë is 'n rede vir bekommernis, want dit word slegs in ‘n paar projekte aangewend en daar is slegs ‘n paar owerhede wat die tegnologieë ondersteun. Die risiko's wat betrokke is in die gebruik van hierdie tegnologieë word veroorsaak deur 'n gebrek aan ondervinding en kennis van die tegnologieë wat verder vererger word deur die gebrek aan standaard spesifikasies vir die gebruik daarvan.

Existing specifications for asphalt cement employ insufficient aging and conditioning times prior to testing and low strains during the actual test which are insufficient to predict asphalt performance, especially if the materials are modified with additives such as those used for warm mix technology. However, slightly modified protocols, like increasing the conditioning time in the bending beam rheometer (BBR) test and increasing the aging duration in the pressure aging vessel (PAV), predict asphalt performance better than the current Superpave™ specification. These improved protocols are published as new test standards through the collaborative effort between the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Queen’s University. In this study, the effects of warm mix and other additives on rheological, aging and failure properties are investigated. The properties are measured by regular tests and by modified protocols. The latter include the extended BBR test (LS-308) and the double-edge-notched tension (DENT) test (LS-299). Changes in ductile strain tolerance within base asphalts due to the various additives as measured with the DENT test were found to be very significant. The DENT results like essential work of fracture, we, plastic work of fracture term, βwp, and critical crack tip opening displacement, CTOD, are usually helped to correlate with the cracking distress survey results of the pavement in service. The addition of amide and polyethylene waxes risks increasing the cracking susceptibility in the pavement. They show a negative effect on strain tolerance in the ductile state, which is likely to show up as premature and/or excessive cracking in service which is similar to their physical hardening behavior from low temperature grading and extended BBR testing. / Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-26 11:10:41.08

Diatom analyses were carried out on sediment cores collected from two low-lying, closed-drainage basins (PAD 9 - 58??46. 46?N, 111??19. 48?W; PAD 12 - 58??57. 29?, 111??19. 74?) in the Peace sector of the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), Alberta, Canada, to provide >1000 year long records of hydro-ecological change. Results from diatom analyses were compared with macrofossil and stable isotope records from the same cores and assessed within the framework of an Athabasca River headwater climate record inferred from isotope dendroclimate data. Results from PAD 9 and PAD 12 sediment cores indicated closed-drainage conditions during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the post-Little Ice Age and high water conditions during the Little Ice Age (LIA). High water levels at PAD 9 and PAD 12 reflected high water conditions on Lake Athabasca and the Rivi??re des Rochers or possibly the Peace River during the LIA (~AD 1600-1900). High water conditions were also observed at low-lying sites in the central and southern regions of the PAD (PAD 31 and PAD 37), and corresponded with evidence of high streamflows on the North Saskatchewan River. In contrast, desiccation evident at PAD 5, a site largely isolated from river influence, reflected atmospherically dry conditions during the LIA. Consistent with changes observed at PAD 5, sediment records at PAD 15, an oxbow lake off the Revillion Coup??, demonstrated low flood frequency during the early to mid-1700s. Increased water levels evident at low-lying sites located in proximity to the central open-drainage network of lakes and rivers were likely due to higher flows on the Athabasca River and potentially on the Peace River. High flows on rivers of the PAD may be attributed to snowmelt-dominated runoff during the LIA relative to the rainfall-dominated runoff during MWP (prior to ~AD 1600) and the post-LIA period (~AD 1900 to present).

Almost one-half of the annual precipitation in the southwestern United States occurs during the North American monsoon (NAM). Given favorable synoptic-scale conditions, organized monsoon thunderstorms may affect relatively large geographic areas. Through an objective analysis of atmospheric reanalysis and observational data, the dominant synoptic patterns associated with NAM extreme events are determined for the period from 1993 to 2010. Thermodynamically favorable extreme-weather-event days are selected on the basis of atmospheric instability and precipitable water vapor from Tucson, Arizona, rawinsonde data. The atmospheric circulation patterns at 500 hPa associated with the extreme events are objectively characterized using principal component analysis. The first two dominant modes of 500-hPa geopotential-height anomalies of the severe-weather-event days correspond to type-I and type-II severe-weather-event patterns previously subjectively identified by Maddox et al. These patterns reflect a positioning of the monsoon ridge to the north and east or north and west, respectively, from its position in the "Four Corners" region during the period of the climatological maximum of monsoon precipitation from mid-July to mid-August. An hourly radar gauge precipitation product shows evidence of organized, westward-propagating convection in Arizona during the type-I and type-II severe weather events. This new methodological approach for objectively identifying severe weather events may be easily adapted to inform operational forecasting or analysis of gridded climate data.

Objective: According to the Joint Commission (2012), about 80% of serious medical errors are related to miscommunication between healthcare providers. The Joint Commission (2012) recommended the utilization of standardized communication tools to reduce the number of medical errors related to the miscommunication. The Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) communication tool is a standardized tool that has been used to improve the effectiveness of communication between healthcare providers. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of using SBAR communication tool for warm handoff between primary care providers and behavioral health providers in order to provide a continuous and complete transition of care for patients with psychiatric disorders or psychosocial issues. Method: A mixed method design was implemented in an integrated primary care clinic at two locations in Phoenix, Arizona. A brief presentation about the SBAR tool and copies of the SBAR tool was provided for the clinic staff. Data were gathered from four participants (two nurse practitioners and two behavioral health workers) using structured observation, pre-and post-test surveys, and structured interviews. Length of study was one month. Results: During the data collection, there were 40 observed warm handoffs, 12 unobserved warm handoffs between primary care nurse practitioners and behavioral health workers. Seventy-five percent of the participants felt that the SBAR helped them in organizing their thoughts and providing/obtaining adequate information during warm handoff. They reported satisfaction when using the SBAR tool. There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of collaboration and satisfaction about care decisions between pre and post-SBAR intervention. Conclusion: The SBAR communication tool has the potential to improve communication between primary care providers and behavioral health workers to improve the quality and safety of care for patients with psychosocial concerns. Utilizing SBAR may increase teamwork and ensures adequate hand-off information on the warm handoff. Multiple PDSA cycles should be conducted to refine the change and make it applicable and sustainable in the integrated care setting.

The purpose of this study was to compare the density of gutta percha following three different obturation techniques using two split-tooth models. One split-tooth model was constructed with a straight rooted maxillary incisor and the other with the curved palatal root of a maxillary molar. Each tooth was obturated using single cone, cold lateral, and warm vertical obturation techniques without sealer. Each obturation technique was performed 20 times for each of the root systems. The weights of the gutta percha were recorded for each root type and obturation technique by subtracting the post-fill weight from the pre-fill weight of the two split-tooth models. Results show that in the straight canal, the three obturation techniques are significantly different (p < 0.0001). The warm vertical technique had the largest weight of gutta percha, followed by the single cone, and lastly by the cold lateral condensation group. In the curved canal, the three fill types were also significantly different (p < 0.0001). The warm vertical and single cone obturation techniques were not significantly different from one another but were significantly greater in gutta percha weight than the cold lateral technique. In conclusion, within curved canals, warm vertical and single cone techniques were more dense than cold lateral condensation. In the straight canal, the warm vertical was more dense than the single cone which was more dense than the cold lateral technique.

Title: Dynamic warm-up race for tennis players Subject: Male and female tennis players from tennis club Tj Lokomotiva Plzen Objective: Compare immediate influence of static and dynamic stretching on performance level during particular movement tests using device Myotest PRO Methods: To meet the objective quantitative comparison was used by performance parameters using load accelerometer. Quantitative stress parameters were evaluated for individual tests as the mean value from a large amount of repetition in individually evaluation. Results: Tests proved it is not possible to confirm acute positive influence of dynamic stretching on all assesed parameters in different tests. In terms of average values of different tests a noticeable lower limbs improvement has been emerged at two out of three tests. Keywords: dynamic stretching, warm up, sport, injuries, regeneration, tennis