Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Local peak'

This thesis provides a critical review of the Transition movement, a grassroots response to peak oil and climate change, co-founded by this author. It focuses on two key aspects of the Transition approach, resilience and economic relocalisation, with the aim of analysing whether and how they can be implemented in a locality based on the Transition approach, and assessing what socio-economic and community-related structures would be necessary to implement such a process. The focus of the research is Totnes, Devon, which because of its status as the UK’s first Transition initiative and the longer history of various initiatives to promote local resilience, offers a valuable case study of attempts to practically implement resilience and localisation. A variety of research methods were employed, including surveys, focus groups, oral history and in-depth interviews, as well less conventional public participation methods such as Open Space and World Café. The first major finding was that Transition Town Totnes (TTT) has become a significant organisation in the town, with a high level of popular support. It was also found that the obstacles to resilience and relocalisation lie not, as was hypothesised, in a lack of skills or an absence of community cohesion, but in issues of governance and the need for increased social entrepreneurship. It was found that what researchers call the ‘Value Action Gap’ (i.e. the gap between people’s declared sympathies and intentions and their actions) exists in Totnes as much as anywhere else, but that some of TTT’s projects, such as ‘Transition Together’, are working imaginatively to overcome this and to reduce emissions. From this evidence is it concluded that Transition’s approach towards relocalisation and reducing carbon emissions can be argued to be effective in, generating engagement and initiating new enterprises. Like other ‘green’ initiatives, it struggles to engage those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, but some of its initiatives are showing promise for overcoming this. Its primary contribution is in suggesting a redefining of resilience, not as a state of preparedness for disaster, but as a desired characteristic of a sustainable society. A more resilient community, it is argued, would be one more in control of its food and energy production, as well as being one that enables inward financial investment. It also argues that the government focus on ‘localism’, the devolving of political power to the local level, ought to be expanded to include ‘localisation’, the strengthening of local production to meet local needs, a shift which would financially benefit local communities. It argues that the key challenge for Transition initiatives such as TTT is going to be scaling up from being ‘niche’ organisations to become economically viable organisations with a broad appeal and engagement, and also articulates the need for ‘Resilience Indicators’ which would allow communities to measure the degree to which their levels of resilience are increasing.

In this thesis, I examine the ways in which the local identity as "the Plague Village" that has been built up in Eyam over the centuries intersects with heritage tourism and the local heritage museum in telling the story of Eyam's history with bubonic plague. The key areas of investigation are: 1) tourism in Eyam and the interactions between visitors and village residents, 2) the role of the local museum and other heritage projects in defining and constructing Eyam's public identity, 3) the secondary function of the museum as a memorial site, 4) the strategies employed by the museum in the design, display, and presentation of its exhibits, 5) the specific ways in which the museum describes and displays "the Plague", and 6) the issues surrounding a specific aspect of the Plague discourse addressed in the museum, the CCR5-Delta32 genetic mutation, which was the subject of genetic testing in Eyam to study its possible connection to surviving bubonic plague. Drawing on tourism research and heritage tourism studies, museum anthropology, anthropology of science, and medical anthropology, I show the interconnectedness and the complexity of heritage tourism in Eyam and the ways in which Eyam Museum contributes to this. Key Findings: 1) Heritage tourism is far more complex than can existing theories regarding "the gaze" suggest, and in Eyam, we see that the gaze is part of the picture, but the work of the imagination and the attempt by visitors to physically place themselves within the history they seek to learn about by walking particular routes and visiting particular spots are equally important in understanding the driving force behind the type of heritage tourism found in Eyam. 2) The museum is a very powerful driving force in Eyam's tourism, and it is the museum which determines what story is told to visitors and in what ways. It tells a history, but it also serves as a memorial to the people who died in Eyam's Plague outbreak, acting in some ways as a sacred site rather than as simply a museum. 3) Eyam Museum uses a variety of display formats, including dioramas, artefacts in glass cases, charts and graphs, drawings, and text panels. Its heavy use of text panels and its distinct lack of interactive displays differentiate Eyam Museum from other museums in Britain and in museum studies literature, but the museum's memorial function combined with lack of space and low budget mean that interactive displays are not being considered as an option at this time. 4) The Plague and "the gene" are seen as biomedical concepts in some ways, illustrated through a variety of methods, but at the same time, they are seen in social terms, as the Plague is the story of great suffering and loss for the village that is associated with specific names and individuals' life stories, while "the gene" is considered as an object of hope and amazement for its relationship not to bubonic plague, but to HIV, a "modern-day plague", making this part of the story told in the museum relevant and exciting to visitors to Eyam today.

This study aims to investigate the stable isotopic characteristics of meteoric and ground waters, and to obtain spring flow rates in the Coronet Peak Skifield, Queenstown. Spring flows were gathered during the winters of 2008 and 2009, whilst water samples were collected from precipitation, springs, reservoirs and groundwater during July, August and September 2009. The spring flows were examined and the water samples were analysed for δD and δ¹⁸O values using the CF-IRMS at the University of Canterbury. A database has been gathered from all natural water sources to give a local meteoric water line (LMWL) for the area that fits clearly with the global meteoric water line. The LMWL has an R2 value of 0.97 and the equation is δD = 8 δ¹⁸O +10. An understanding of evaporation as it occurs in the water storage reservoirs of the mountain has also been obtained, giving rise to a local evaporation line. The stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen within precipitation have been used extensively to characterise the hydrogeology with emphasis on altitude effects, storm duration and variations in storm track trajectories. Of these three phenomena, it is the trajectory of the storm track that is best shown to affect the composition of precipitation in this area. The air masses advancing on the study area from the north being more depleted in their isotopic signatures, with approximate δD and δ¹⁸O values of –130‰ and -16‰. The air masses approaching from a southerly direction are more positive in comparison, having approximate δD and δ¹⁸O values of –65‰ and -9‰. The altitude effect in precipitation on the Skifield has led to an altitude gradient being found: for every 100-metre increase in elevation, δ¹⁸O decreases by 0.71‰. However there were some inconsistencies. The influence on precipitation from storm duration is also inconsistent in this area. The R2 values range from 0.14 to 0.99, but this method does not take into account the position of the individual samples. Some samples did not plot in the expected order that is governed by a decrease in stable isotopic ratios with storm duration. The stable isotopic compositions within meteoric waters can be used as tracers of water sources. The isotope date of the springs also infers an altitude effect. The springs gave an altitude gradient of a decrease –0.43‰ with each 100-metre increase in elevation. This indicates that precipitation is the main influence on the stable isotopic composition of the springs in this area. However, data shows differences between the current precipitation and the groundwater compositions, indicating that present precipitation is not flowing from the springs, past precipitation is. The stable isotopic compositions of the springs have also been correlated with groundwater isotope data and suggest the sources of the springs are groundwater dominated. Although some springs compositions indicate an influence by current precipitation. This is shown by a negative stable isotopic trend in the precipitation sampled in August, corresponding with a relatively negative stable isotopic composition in some springs during this time period. Monitoring of spring flows on Coronet Peak have led to an average winter flow rate being established of 26.5 litres per second. Spring flow rates range from 0.25 – 6 litres per second. This monitoring has indicated the springs of the greatest yield that are not already being utilised on the Skifield. It is these springs that should be further investigated as to whether they would provide a sustainable source of water on the mountain. This locally derived water would then be utilised for the purposes of artificial snowmaking and other activities and amenities that are currently operated by NZ Ski on Coronet Peak.

This thesis employs a case study approach to investigate local implications of globally restricted mobility by examining Queenstown’s vulnerability to peak oil and climate change. Qualitative research methods are the principal means of inquiry. The research findings suggest that Queenstown is particularly vulnerable to peak oil and climate change at a broad scale because of its dependence on tourism and heavy reliance on air transport. However, Queenstown has fortuitously built up resilience to peak oil and climate change through tourism industry diversity, comparative advantage and an increasing proportion of short-haul visitors. A selection of key Queenstown tourism stakeholders interviewed as part of the research demonstrated some grasp of peak oil and climate change issues but lacked in-depth understanding. They generally considered the issues as being beyond their control although several suggested ways that Queenstown could strengthen resilience to peak oil and climate change. In terms of solutions, this research identifies three potential strategies. The first involves investing in a low carbon local transport system to increase destination level resilience to peak oil and climate change and enhance the uniqueness of the Queenstown brand. The second involves Queenstown promoters targeting the high-end niche tourism market in order to create a more resilient visitor profile. And the third involves the creation of new and expansion of existing industries not tied to tourism – preferably industries that are not excessively oil dependent and carbon intensive. But in order to successfully tackle the problem, it is imperative to first raise awareness. The research recommends implementing a framework that ensures an inclusive community-wide open dialogue process as the most effective way to achieve this.

The thesis examines the role of regional labour councils in local employment generation. It specifically analyses the case of an Australian regional labour council, the South Coast Labour Council (SCLC), between 1981 and 1996. The Illawarra region was the centre of SCLC activity. It was an industrialised region that experienced high levels of unemployment in the period. These were greater than the State and national averages, which reflected a geographical concentration of unemployment in certain regions in Australia. The SCLC attempted to address this issue, as it was part of the union structure that was specifically focused on the regional level and on regional concerns. The study argues that the SCLC developed a local employment generation strategy and it examines how and why this was adopted and pursued. It finds that the SCLC was well placed at the regional level and was well resourced with a capacity to influence the external environment through its utilisation of both political and industrial methods in a period of agreeable internal relations. The research identifies the development of its local employment generation strategy. Sometimes the SCLC pursued its strategy in a manner of ad hoc decision-making and muddling through, while at other times it involved characteristic and distinctive regular patterns. The thesis concludes by evaluating the SCLC�s strategy of local employment generation and by exploring the applicability of the general trade union literature on methods and strategy to regional labour councils.

The thesis examines the role of regional labour councils in local employment generation. It specifically analyses the case of an Australian regional labour council, the South Coast Labour Council (SCLC), between 1981 and 1996. The Illawarra region was the centre of SCLC activity. It was an industrialised region that experienced high levels of unemployment in the period. These were greater than the State and national averages, which reflected a geographical concentration of unemployment in certain regions in Australia. The SCLC attempted to address this issue, as it was part of the union structure that was specifically focused on the regional level and on regional concerns. The study argues that the SCLC developed a local employment generation strategy and it examines how and why this was adopted and pursued. It finds that the SCLC was well placed at the regional level and was well resourced with a capacity to influence the external environment through its utilisation of both political and industrial methods in a period of agreeable internal relations. The research identifies the development of its local employment generation strategy. Sometimes the SCLC pursued its strategy in a manner of ad hoc decision-making and muddling through, while at other times it involved characteristic and distinctive regular patterns. The thesis concludes by evaluating the SCLC�s strategy of local employment generation and by exploring the applicability of the general trade union literature on methods and strategy to regional labour councils.

Globalization and industrial agriculture have enabled consumers in Sweden and other countries in the Western world to enjoy foodstuffs from many parts of the world at very affordable monetary prices, but at the same time involving a lot of external costs in the form of environmental degradation, and a high dependency on foreign agricultural ecosystems as well as on oil and other non-renewable inputs, thus degrading sustainability and resilience in the food system. Accelerated climate change and the upcoming peak oil crisis call for a reorientation and a transition to a more locally-based system. The prospects for a re-localized food system have been investigated in a case study of Uppsala Municipality, Sweden. The results consist of a study of the current primary food production in Uppsala, also including an allotment garden survey, a study of how much additional food may be produced on idle land, and an analysis of opportunities and challenges for a re-localized food system in Uppsala. The allotment garden survey revealed that c. ten percent of the total area of plots containing cottage houses was used for food production, while the figure for plots without cottages was several times higher, c. 65 percent. The total estimated yield for allotment gardens in Uppsala Municipality was about 90 tons of vegetables and 48 tons of fruits and berries. Quantitative calculations on the yield produced by local farmers, horticulturists and leisure gardeners were made for the five categories grain, dairy products, eggs, meat, and vegetables, fruits and berries, together constituting about 85 percent of the total Swedish food consumption. The estimated balance of supply and demand differed a lot between food categories, ranging from 400 percent for grain to 20 percent for meat as well as for vegetables, fruits and berries. Due to empirical uncertainty, the latter figure should be interpreted with caution. For eggs and dairy products the balance of supply and demand was 67 percent and 50 percent respectively. A quantitative estimation for idle land showed that the greatest potential for an increased food production is within leisure gardening, which could be increased by 3.5 to 6 times. A transition to full self-sufficiency would, however, require drastically altered consumer habits towards seasonal vegetables and fruits and less beef in favor of vegetarian proteins. The qualitative analysis of possibilities and obstacles concluded that the greatest assets for a re-localized food production were the large production capacity within rural agriculture, the abundance of mostly unutilized private garden land, the increased interest for urban agriculture among the population, positive attitudes among consumers towards local food, and a relatively high general awareness of climate change and the need for a more sustainable society. Among the challenges were found lacking economic viability and access to suitable farmland, the centralized food industry, an imbalanced agricultural output, unsustainable consumer habits, the tendency among Swedish municipal planners to support exploitation of fertile soil, and a low awareness among both the population and decision makers regarding peak oil and social resilience generally.
Globaliseringen och det industriella jordbruket har möjliggjort för konsumenter i Sverige och andra västländer att få tillgång till matvaror till låga priser och från många olika delar av världen. Samtidigt har detta medfört ett högt pris i form av miljöförsämringar och ett stort beroende av utländsk jordbruksproduktion, samt av olja och andra råvaror som inte är förnybara. Resultatet har blivit ett livsmedelssystem med urholkad hållbarhet och ökad sårbarhet. Accelererande klimatförändringar och den kommande krisen i samband med oljetoppen manar till nyorientering och en övergång till ett mer lokalbaserat system. Denna fallstudie av Uppsala kommun har undersökt utsikterna att återknyta matproduktionen till lokala system. Resultaten omfattar både en studie av den nuvarande matproduktionen i Uppsala, vilken även inkluderade en enkätundersökning av kolonilotter, en studie av potentialen att öka matproduktionen på mark som idag inte används aktivt för det ändamålet, samt en analys av möjligheter och utmaningar för en lokal matproduktion i Uppsala. Enkätundersökningen visade att på kolonilotter med stugor användes ca tio procent av den totala ytan för matproduktion, medan motsvarande siffra för kolonilotter utan stugor var flera gånger högre, ca 65 procent. Den totala skörden för alla kommunala kolonilotter i Uppsala uppskattades till 90 ton grönsaker och 48 ton frukt och bär. För den totala matproduktionen från jordbruket, trädgårdsnäringen och fritidsodlingen gjordes beräkningar för fem olika kategorier: Spannmål, mejeriprodukter, ägg, kött samt grönsaker, frukt och bär, som tillsammans utgör ca 85 procent av den totala svenska matkonsumtionen. Den uppskattade försörjningsbalansen varierade starkt mellan olika kategorier, från 400 procent för spannmål till 20 procent för kött samt för grönsaker, frukt och bär. Osäkerheten kring det vetenskapliga underlaget gällande fritidsodlingen är dock stort, vilket gör att siffrorna för grönsaker, frukt och bär bör tolkas försiktigt. För ägg och mejeriprodukter var försörjningsbalansen 67 procent respektive 50 procent. Studien av obrukad mark visade att den största potentialen för en ökad matproduktion finns inom fritidsodlingen, som beräknades skulle kunna öka med 3.5 till 6 gånger. En övergång till full självförsörjning skulle dock kräva drastiska förändringar i konsumtionsvanorna mot säsongsbetonade grönsaker och frukt samt mindre nötkött till förmån för mer vegetabiliskt protein. Analysen av möjligheter och utmaningar för en återgång till en mer lokal matproduktion pekade på att de största fördelarna är den stora produktionskapaciteten inom jordbruket, den stora sammanlagda arealen privat trädgårdsmark som till stor del är outnyttjad för matproduktion, det ökande intresset för stadsodling bland befolkningen, positiva attityder till lokal mat bland konsumenter, och en relativt hög medvetenhet kring klimatförändringar och behovet av ett mer hållbart samhälle. Bland de viktigaste utmaningarna fanns den bristande ekonomiska lönsamheten inom yrkesodlingen, den centraliserade livsmedelsindustrin, obalansen inom jordbruksproduktionen, med överskott på spannmål och underskott på andra livsmedelsråvaror, ohållbara konsumtionsvanor, tendenser hos svenska kommunala tjänstemän att stödja exploatering av bördig mark, samt den låga graden av medvetenhet hos både befolkningen och beslutsfattarna kring oljetoppen och samhällets sårbarhet generellt.

Toxins produced by the Gram-positive bacteria Clostridium botulinum cause transient chemodenervation of mammalian muscle. The toxin binds to specific proteins within cholinergic presynaptic nerve terminals which regulate the release of acetylcholine in the synaptic space resulting is loss of muscle activation and function. Local injections with botulinum toxins are currently used in humans for the treatment of disorders that benefit from prolonged neuromuscular blockade such as strabismus, blepharospasm, focal dystonias, spasticity, tremors, and anal fissures. Injections with botulinum toxin type A into the internal or external anal sphincter cause relaxation of the anal canal and allow healing of chronic anal fissures. Perineal lacerations in mares, which occur during foaling often dehisce after surgical repair due to the high pressure across the incision resulting from accumulation of feces in the rectum. We hypothesized local injections of Clostridium botulinum type B toxin into the external anal sphincter could cause a decrease in anal pressures, thus reducing the incidence of dehiscence if used before surgical repair of perineal laceration in mares. The purpose of this project was to determine the effects of BTB injection in the external anal sphincter in normal horses. Our hypothesis was that local injection of BTB would result in transient reduction of anal tone without causing clinical side effects. Peak and resting anal sphincter pressures of horses were measured with a custom made rectal probe connected to a pressure transducer. Pressures were measured before treatment and after injection with Clostridium botulinum type B toxin (BTB) or saline. Dose titration with 500, 1000, 1500 and 2500 units of BTB was completed. The horses' physical changes, behavior, and anal pressure were recorded. Injection of 1000 units of BTB produced significant reduction in peak anal pressure from days 2 to 84 when compared to control animals (P<0.05). Maximal effect of the toxin was observed within the first 15 days after injections followed by a slow return to baseline over 168 days. Injection in the anal sphincter with 2500 units of BTB in one horse produced signs of depression, generalized weakness, and dysphagia for 14 days. Clinical side effects were not observed in horses after injections with 500, 1000, or 1500 units of BTB. In summary, local injections of botulinum toxin type-B in the external anal sphincter of horses caused transient relaxation of the anus and reduction of peak anal pressures. Systemic side effects were observed in one horse, which suggested a narrow dosage range to avoid toxicity. Further research to test the effects of botulinum toxin in clinical cases is needed to determine the full potential of this treatment modality.
Master of Science

A mode of pulse biasing of DLC coating deposition is theoretically investigated. In this mode a deposited ion flow of plasma with energy of E0 (20 200) eV is modified by superimposing of pulse potential ~ 1000 V. It was shown that intrinsic stress in a DLC coating can be decreased in several times without of essential decrease of sp3-bonded carbon concentration compared with DLC made in stationary mode deposition at E0 ion energy. A method of optimization of pulse mode parameters is proposed which is based on analysis of location of thermoelastic peaks of ions on phase P, T-diagram of carbon. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/35398

The grid connected solar PV system with battery storage is one of the promising alternativeenergy solutions for electricity consumers. The Local System Operator (LSO) will be a newactor to operate its own energy system by integrating PV and battery system with other technicalsolutions. This thesis investigates the technical and economic viability of a grid connected PVsystem with battery storage in behind-the-meter approach for aggregated residential load toassess the LSO model for the present conditions in Sweden.The system model is developed using the System Advisory Model (SAM) – a simulationsoftware for renewable energy system analysis. The PV system model is designed using solarirradiation profile and fifty multi-dwelling aggregated residential load data from Sweden. Theappropriate design inputs of solar PV module, inverter and system loss are taken from previousstudies. The electricity price is analysed from the comparative study of Nord-pool wholesaleprice, market retail price and distribution grid tariffs. The financial metrics such as discountrate, inflation rate, system cost and currently available PV incentives are considered to make anaccurate model. To help with the assessment, three cases are formed; the first case representsonly the PV system and the other cases include storage - using a lithium-ion or lead-acid battery.This comparative study helps to determine the optimum PV and battery size at two differentlocations in Sweden.The optimum net present value (NPV) and profitability index (PI) is found at the 40 kW PVand 3 kWh battery system at Karlstad, Sweden. The optimum case is considered for furtherinvestigation to evaluate the system life time energy profile, electricity bill saving capabilityand battery performance. The system peak shaving potential is investigated by making twoother scenarios with higher battery capacity. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to assess thesystem’s technical and financial input parameters. The system capacity factor at the site locationis found as an influential parameter to the annual production and profitability. The optimumsize of PV system with a lithium-ion battery investment is found feasible for the LSO realimplementation only considering the current PV incentives and electricity price in Sweden. Thereport concludes with the assessment, the technical and economic feasibility of the studied PVand battery storage system profitability depends on the system site location, residential loadsize, consumer electricity cost and available PV incentives.
solcellsystem (PV) med batterilagring är en lovande alternativenergilösning förslutkonsumenten. Den 'local system operator', LSO, blir en ny aktör som driver egetenergisystem genom att integrera PV- och batterisystem med andra tekniska lösningar. Dennaavhandling undersöker det tekniska och ekonomiska genomförbarhetet i ett nätanslutet PVsystem med batterilagring i 'bakom mätaren' scenario för aggregerade bostäder i ettflerbostadshus, för att urvärdera LSO modellen.Systemmodellen är utvecklat med 'system advisory model' (rådgivande modell), SAM, ettsimuleringsprogram för förnybara energisystem. PV systemparametrarna beräknas med hänsyntill väderprofiler och lastdata från Sverige. Lämpliga parametrar för solcellsmoduler, omriktareoch systemförluster tas från tidigare studier. Slutkonsumenternas elpriser analyseras frånjämförande studie av NordPool grosshandelspris, konsumentpris och distributionnätstariffer.Finansiella mått såsom system kostnad, rabatt och inflationstakten och tillgängliga incitamentför PV investeringar används för att göra modellen noggrannare. Tre fall undersöks; det förstarepresenterar systemet med bara PV, och de övriga fallen lägger till lagring, genom antingenlitiumjon eller bly-syre batterier. Denna jämförande studie är ett underlag för att bestämma denoptimala PV och batteristorleken för anläggninar på två olika område i Sverige.Den optimala netto nuvarande värde (NPV) och lönsamhet index (PI) är på 40 kW PV systemetoch 3 kWh batteri på Karlstad, Sverige. Ytterligare undersökning av detta fall används för attutvärdera energiprofilen under systemets livstid, möjlighet till minskad elräkning, och batterietsprestanda. Potential för utjämning av systemets topplast utreds genom att skapa två andrascenarier med högre batterikapacitet. Känslighetsanalys utförs också för att bedöma de tekniskaoch ekonomiska parametrarna. Den optimuma storleken på PV system med ett litium-jonbatterifinns rimligt för LSO riktiga genomförande med tanke på incitamenten. Simuleringsresultatenoch systemkonsekvenserna av LSO modellen diskuteras. Rapporten visar att den tekniska ochekonomiska genomförbarheten av det studerade PV systemet med litium-jon batteri beror påslutkonsumentelpriset, PV incitament och globala trender i kostnaderna försystemkomponenter, samt på valet av lämplig plats med en effektiv analys av väder profil ochsystemetförluster.

Förutom i Stockholm uppvisar den lokala kollektivtrafiken en nedåtgående trend i trafikutvecklingen, trots en årlig subvention om 10 miljarder kronor. Drift av lokal kollektivtrafik i mindre och medelstora städer baserat på samhällsekonomiska kriterier skulle bl a medföra en prispolitik som kräver en subvention om drygt 50%. Att detta ungefär motsvarar rådande subventioneringsgrad är dock inte ett tecken på att kollektivtrafiken bedrivs på samhällsekonomisk grundval, eftersom det visar sig att prisstrukturen är grovt suboptimal. Vad gäller investeringspolitik framgår det dessutom av en enkätundersökning att trafikhuvudmännen inte använder samhällsekonomisk kalkyl (CBA) vid planering och drift av lokal kollektivtrafik, så syftet med avhandlingen är att visa på de möjligheter till förbättringar av den lokala kollektivtrafiken som skulle uppstå om den bedrevs på samhällsekonomisk grundval. Operationaliseringen av teorin kräver först att några grundfrågor för en tillämpning av allmän välfärdsekonomisk teori på bedrivande av lokal kollektivtrafik benas upp. Det är väsentligt att göra en åtskillnad av utbudet av kollektiva transporttjänster mellan ett grundläggande utbud som är att betrakta som ”merit goods” och övrigt utbud där nyttan på normalt sätt mäts genom konsumenternas betalningsvilja. I en omfattande fallstudie av den lokala kollektivtrafiken i Linköping exemplifieras vad effekten blir, dels av vissa utbudsförändringar, som har sållats fram i strävan mot systemoptimum, dels av ändamålsenlig efterfrågestyrning, och med CBA beräknas vad nettoresultatet kan tänkas bli. Om förbättringar som ger lika stor nettonytta som i Linköping kan göras hos flertalet andra trafikhuvudmän med en samhällsekonomisk ansats, skulle den totala nettonyttan aggregerad över hela Sverige vara betydligt större än vad vissa av de omskrivna jätteprojekten inom kollektivtrafiksektorn kan prestera.
Except in Stockholm, local public transport shows a declining trend in spite of an annual total subsidy from the County councils of 10 billion SEK. This is fair enough. Running local bus services in small and medium sized towns in accordance with welfare economic criteria implies among other things a pricing policy which requires subsidization just above 50%, which happens to be the same as the present degree of tax-financing. However, this is just a coincidence, and not a mark of optimality, because it is found that the structure of fares is clearly suboptimal. As regards investment policy it is furthermore confirmed by a questionnaire survey that neither the principals (the County councils) nor their agents (bus companies) use cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for the design of local public transport systems, so the purpose of the thesis is to demonstrate the potential improvements of public transport in small and medium sized towns run on the basis of welfare economics. The operationalization of the welfare economic foundations requires some theoretical reorientation in the particular case of local public transport. A fundamental division of the supply is made between the “merit goods” part of total supply and the “normal goods” part, where benefit is measured by the individual willingness-to-pay. In a case study of the bus transport system of Linköping a number of generally applicable minor improvements are found by the welfare economic approach, which aggregated to the national level would imply a total net benefit which more spectacular projects in the public transport sector rarely can present.

This study arises from a preliminary environmental impact assessment of a proposal by the Natal Parks Board to develop a 200 bed ecotourism facility at Cathedral Peak in the Natal Drakensberg Park. The author of this study was one of a team of five postgraduate students1 from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science at the University of Cape Town, hereafter referred to as the Masters Group, commissioned to undertake this assessment by the Natal Parks Board (NPB) in January 1995. The preliminary environmental assessment included a scoping exercise to identify all Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs), as well as a socio-economic survey to identify potential positive and negative impacts of the proposed development on neighbouring communities. In addition, this social investigation served to identify opportunities for community involvement in the project, both in the construction and post-construction phases. The complete terms of reference for this preliminary environmental assessment are contained in Attachment 1.

L'objectif de ce travail était d'améliorer l'amortissement d'un composite thermoplastique haute performance à matrice poly(éther cétone cétone) (PEKK). Pour cela, le concept d'amortissement vibratoire passif à base de particules piézoélectriques (niobate de sodium, NaNbO3) et de particules conductrices (graphène et noir de carbone) a été étudié. Les particules piézoélectriques assurent la transduction mécanique-électrique de la vibration. Les particules conductrices dissipent par effet Joule les charges électriques générées par les particules piézoélectriques au sein de la matrice polymère. La présence de ces deux types de particules favorise la dissipation de l'énergie mécanique par le phénomène de transduction-dissipation local. Ce film amortissant a ensuite été visco-contraint entre des plis composites. Les différentes contributions à la dissipation d'énergie ont été identifiées : la viscoélasticité du polymère, le stick-slip à l'interface particules/matrice, le cisaillement induit par les fibres de carbone et la transduction-dissipation locale. Ce dernier phénomène a été mis en évidence de manière significative à travers l'étude du comportement mécanique et de la réponse dynamique des empilements composites. Après l'étape de polarisation, l'aire sous le module de cisaillement dissipatif G'' du mode de relaxation mécanique α est augmentée de 18%, l'aire des boucles d'hystérésis de 16% à 34% et les amplitudes des modes de résonance sont diminuées, jusqu'à 54% pour le 2ème mode
The aim of this work was to increase the damping in a high performance thermoplastic composite with the poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK) as polymer matrix. The passive vibration damping concept based on piezoelectric particles (sodium niobate, NaNbO3) and conductive particles (graphene and carbon black) was studied. Piezoelectric particles ensure the mechanic-electric transduction of the vibration. Conductive particles dissipate by Joule effect the electric charges generated by the piezoelectric particles within the polymer matrix. Presence of these two kinds of particles improves the dissipation of the mechanical energy by the local transduction-dissipation phenomena. This damping film was visco-constrained between composites plies. The different contributions of energy dissipation have been identified: the polymer viscoelasticity, the stick-slip at the particle/matrix interface, the shear induced by carbon fibers and the local transduction-dissipation. The latter phenomena has been demonstrated significantly through the study of mechanical behavior and dynamic response of the laminate composites. After the polarization step, the area under the dissipative shear modulus G'' of the mechanical relaxation mode α is increased by 18%, the hysteresis loop area from 16% to 34% and resonance mode amplitudes are decreased, up to 54% for the 2nd mode

Au cours des dernières années, l'élaboration de surfaces fonctionnelles par voie chimique et/ou topographique a connu un intérêt croissant. Des avancées significatives ont été réalisées pour l'optimisation des propriétés de surface, notamment tribologiques, via l'introduction de traitement visant à structurer à l'échelle nano- et micrométrique la surface de certains composants mécaniques. Différentes approches, chimiques, mécaniques ou énergétiques, peuvent être employées pour l'amélioration ou la maîtrise du frottement et de l'usure, néanmoins le traitement de surface par laser femtoseconde se distingue comme un des meilleurs procédés d'ablation, capable dans certaines conditions de générer des morphologies de surface auto-organisées périodiques, parfois multi-échelles, et appelées ripples. Cette technique appelée Laser Surface Texturing (LST), désormais couramment utilisée en tribologie et applicable à une grande variété de matériaux, présente de nombreux avantages parmi lesquels peuvent être mentionnés les vitesses de texturation atteintes ainsi que la qualité des structures de surface obtenues. De nombreux domaines ont actuellement recours à la texturation de surface par laser comme voie d'amélioration des propriétés tribologiques, comme l'automobile, et d'autres dont la filière du biomédical incarnent progressivement un nouveau champ d'expérimentations. Récemment, une nouvelle génération de prothèses tout en polymère poly(éther éther cétone) (PEEK) a vu le jour, suscitant un intérêt pour des études tribologiques. Ainsi, la texturation de surface par laser femtoseconde du PEEK comme matériau biomédical, en vue d'améliorer ses performances tribologiques, constitue le contexte général de ce travail de thèse. Cette étude traite d'une part, à l'échelle d’un impact laser, du phénomène d'interaction laser-PEEK en mode ultrabref et d'autre part, à l'échelle d’un contact mécanique, de l'optimisation d'une texturation de surface pour la maîtrise du frottement et la réduction de l'usure d'un couple PEEK/PEEK
Over the past few years, the development of functional surfaces by chemical and/or topographical ways has shown an increasing interest. Significant advances have been made to optimize surface properties, including tribological properties, through the introduction of processes for the surface texturing at micro and nano scales. Chemical, mechanical and energetic approaches can be used to improve or control the friction and the wear of materials. The femtosecond laser stands out as one of the best methods for ablation, being able, under certain conditions, to generate periodic self-organized surface morphologies (sometimes multiscales) and called ripples. This technique known as laser surface texturing (LST), nowadays commonly used in tribology and applicable to a wide variety of materials, has many advantages including the texturing speeds and the quality of surface structures obtained. Currently, many fields such as the automobile industry and the biomedical sector use the laser surface texturing as a means of improving the tribological properties. Recently, a new generation of poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) polymer prostheses has emerged, arousing interest for tribological studies. The surface texturing of PEEK, as a biomedical material, by femtosecond laser, in order to improve its tribological performance, provides the general context of this thesis. This thesis first deals with the laser-PEEK interaction at the scale of a laser impact and then it focuses on the optimization of the surface texturing in order to control friction and reduce wear of a PEEK/PEEK tribosystem

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O modelo de desenvolvimento adotado no Brasil, e em especial no Estado do CearÃ, ainda està longe de ser a efetiva soluÃÃo dos problemas acumulados ao longo de sÃculos de colonizaÃÃo sÃcio-econÃmico-polÃtico-cultural. Ao contrÃrio, à ele a origem principal da pÃssima distribuiÃÃo de renda vigente em nosso paÃs, regiÃes e estados. Assim, faz-se necessÃrio uma nova reflexÃo sobre o real significado do desenvolvimento, partindo inicialmente do entendimento das potencialidades e necessidades locais de uma determinada regiÃo. Este à o conceito de desenvolvimento local integrado e sustentÃvel. Onde para a sua aplicaÃÃo à preciso mudar o foco do olhar econÃmico vigente, da visÃo tradicional capitalista, cujo cerne à o mero crescimento econÃmico, para uma nova visÃo humanitÃria, da atividade econÃmica: a economia solidÃria, onde o foco à o desenvolvimento humano. Conceito ainda em construÃÃo a economia solidÃria reflete, atravÃs dos seus princÃpios, a necessidade de uniÃo de esforÃos numa perspectiva oposta à concorrÃncia entre seres humanos. Utopia? Alguns assim a julgarÃo. Outros nela acreditarÃo e nela se engajarÃo, crendo ser possÃvel a construÃÃo de uma nova sociedade - mais justa e fraterna, superando o atual contexto sÃcioeconÃmico-polÃtico-cultural do Brasil. Uma das formas de operacionalizar o desenvolvimento local endÃgeno à organizar a atividade econÃmica de pequenos produtores rurais atravÃs de sistemas produtivos locais de modo a tornÃ-los sujeitos de suas prÃprias HistÃrias. Partindo deste princÃpio o presente trabalho contÃm um estudo de caso no municÃpio de Quixadà na regiÃo do sertÃo central do CearÃ. Teve-se como intuito elaborar uma estratÃgia de desenvolvimento com base em polÃticas que contribuam para o desenvolvimento de regiÃes precÃrias e subdesenvolvidas, utilizando-se como estratÃgia o desenvolvimento os sistemas produtivos locais solidÃrios, formados pelos atores locais a partir das suas potencialidades e dos recursos locais.
The development model adopted in Brazil, and especially in the State of CearÃ, is still far from being the effective solution to the problems accumulated along centuries of social, economical, political and cultural colonization. Instead, it is the main cause of the bad income distribution occurring in our country. Therefore, it is necessary to make a new reflection on the real meaning of development, by starting with the understanding of the local potentialities and needs of a certain region. This is the concept of integrated and sustainable local development. To apply that concept, it is necessary to change the focus of the current economical approach from the capitalist traditional vision, whose essence is only the economic growth, to a new humanitarian vision concerning the economic activity. That is the solidarity economy, in which the focus is the human development. Being a concept still under construction, the solidarity economy reflects, through its principles, the need for combining efforts in a view opposite to the competition among human beings. Is it a utopia? Some will judge it like that. Others will believe and engage in it, believing that it is possible to construct a new society, a fairer and fraternal one, overcoming the current socio, economical, political and cultural context of Brazil. One the ways to operationalize the endogenous local development is to organize the economic activity of small rural producers through local production systems so as to make them subject of their own histories. Based on that principle, the present work consists of a case study in the municipal district of QuixadÃ, in the central countryside of Cearà State. The objective was to formulate a development strategy based on policies that contribute to the development of precarious and underdeveloped areas, using as strategy the development of local solidarity production systems formed of local actors based on their potentialities and the local resources.

White pine weevil is a pest of interior and Sitka spruce species in British Columbia. It is native to eastern Canada, and migrated to the west. To date, control of the weevil has been ineffective even with the combined use of several control methods. Current research has focused on breeding resistant trees for use in plantations to overcome attack from Pissodes strobi. Knowledge of the weevil genetic structure on a small-scale stand level is extremely important in developing strategies that decrease the possible development of tolerance in P. strobi populations to resistant trees. To understand the population structure of P. strobi 15 microsatellite markers were used to investigate local population structure. Genetic structure of local weevil populations differed over stand age in both interior and Sitka spruce plantations. The younger and older plots had more single populations associated with individual trees than did middle aged plots. Middle-aged plots had increased beetle movement regardless of the number of weevil larvae per leader, increased number of females ovipositing per tree and less weevil genetic differentiation between trees. Understanding reproductive dynamics of P. strobi will help develop strategies for planting resistant trees to decrease the development of insect tolerance and further our knowledge of the possible co-evolutionary dynamics of this system.

In steel megastructures welding is a widely used and accepted joining technique. However, welds are geometrical discontinuities, resulting in severe local stress gradients, which strongly affect the fatigue strength of components. Advanced fatigue assessments are usually based on the local stress and strain state in the close neighborhood of such stress raisers. Despite this, current standards are lacking in giving a real guidance on how to perform a reliable fatigue assessment. Still, most of them do not refer to any local concept and lead to the nominal stress method. Even so, no recommendations exist on how to derive the nominal stress from a finite element (FE) model and it is left to the engineering assessment of a designer to establish which nominal stress is the right one. Within this framework, the present Ph.D. thesis, focused on making the fatigue assessment of large steel structures possible, is divided into ten chapters. Purposes of this thesis are both giving scientific contributions to advanced local approaches for fatigue assessment and developing a method fully compliant with current standards, in order to be employed in the industrial context. In the first chapter, a general introduction and the state of the art on fatigue design of welded structures are presented, with the aim to clarify the motivations of the present research work. In the second chapter, the adopted local approaches, namely the notch stress intensity factor (NSIF) based approach, the averaged strain energy density (SED) criterion and the peak stress method (PSM), are briefly introduced and described along with their theoretical frameworks. The third chapter deals with the fatigue behavior of large-scale welded cover plates, for which non uniform fatigue classification is highlighted at standards’ level. Through the application of the SED approach and adopting both bi-dimensional and three-dimensional FE models, parameters which mainly affect the fatigue strength are identified and alternatives to those provided by standards are proposed. Experimental data of four geometric variants are successfully summarized into a unique scatter band in terms of SED, regardless of the weld geometry. The suitability of the SED approach and of the related design curve to perform the fatigue assessment of welded cover plates is, therefore, not proven wrong. The fourth chapter is focused on the local SED numerical computation. Its principal drawback, consisting in the need of a specific control volume centered on a notch tip (i.e. at the weld toe and at the weld root in case of welded joints), within which the strain energy density has to be averaged, is overcome by using coarse meshes completely free-generated. The method and its limitations are formalized. For the sake of generality, some practical applications are given by using both Ansys® and Straus7® FE software. Robustness in terms of insensitivity to mesh pattern, mesh refinement and FE formulation are proven advantages of the method. The fifth chapter establishes a link between local stress fields, near weld toes and roots, and the nominal stress components evaluated at a proper distance from the weld. An analytical relationship between such distance and the loaded plate thickness is provided. A criterion to estimate SED values, both at the weld toe and at the weld root, as well as a posteriori the related NSIFs, as an explicit function of the nominal load components (membrane loads, shear loads and bending moments) is also presented. The proposed method is suitable for automation to perform the large number of fatigue assessments that a nowadays complex steel structure requires. However, the current lack of normative compliance of both SED and NSIF approaches can be a possible obstacle in industrial applications. That is why in the sixth chapter a method, scientifically and normatively compliant, to improve the classical nominal stress approach for welded structures, which is still the most widely accepted and recognized in standards, is proposed. The methodological problem of the nominal stress definition is overcome through an original, finite element based approach, which takes into account both membrane and bending effects. An experimental validation is presented and the implications in fatigue design of large steel structures are discussed. The seventh and eighth chapters present a finite element post-processor, developed to perform the almost automatic fatigue assessment of a large structure. The post-processor is compatible with Straus7® finite element solver and it is based on shell models to be suitable for large assemblies. Many of the findings of the present research work are automated: local SED and NSIF approaches are implemented, as well as the modified nominal stress and, finally, the classical nominal stress and hot spot stress approaches. A very good agreement between “manually” performed assessments, both through global and local approaches, and those rapidly performed by using the post-processor is found. Further good agreement is found between expected fatigue lives estimated through the local SED approach and those estimated through the modified nominal stress, in the presence of bending stresses. The ninth chapter deals with the rapid estimation of residual notch stress intensity factors (R-NSIFs), due to the welding process, by using the PSM and Sysweld® FE dedicated software. First, the calibration of the PSM in Sysweld® environment is presented; afterwards, practical applications of the PSM to evaluate the R-NSIFs are illustrated. Finally, the tenth chapter presents some overall concluding remarks, in order to discuss the main obtained results.
Nelle megastrutture in acciaio la saldatura è una tecnica di giunzione ampiamente utilizzata. Tuttavia, le saldature rappresentano delle discontinuità geometriche e introducono elevati gradienti tensionali locali che influiscono negativamente sulla resistenza a fatica dei componenti. Secondo la letteratura scientifica recente, le analisi di resistenza a fatica più avanzate si basano sugli stati di tensione o deformazione locali calcolati in prossimità dei punti singolari. Ciononostante, le normative vigenti mancano di fornire una guida reale su come eseguire tali stime della resistenza fatica: la maggior parte di esse non fa riferimento agli approcci locali e prevede l'impiego del metodo della tensione nominale. Tuttavia, non esistono raccomandazioni su come ottenere la tensione nominale mediante un modello agli elementi finiti ed è demandato alla capacità ingegneristica del progettista stabilire quale sia quella adeguata. In questo contesto, la presente tesi di dottorato, focalizzata sul rendere possibile la stima della resistenza a fatica delle grandi strutture in acciaio, è divisa in dieci capitoli. Scopo della tesi è sia fornire un contributo scientifico ad alcuni tra i più avanzati approcci locali per la stima della resistenza fatica, che sviluppare un metodo pienamente conforme alle normative vigenti, al fine di poter essere impiegato nel contesto industriale. Il primo capitolo rappresenta l'introduzione generale sul tema trattato, lo stato dell'arte in materia di progettazione a fatica delle strutture saldate e le motivazioni della presente ricerca. Nel secondo capitolo vengono introdotti gli approcci locali adottati e le loro basi teoriche: l'approccio basato sui fattori di intensificazione delle tensioni (NSIF), il criterio della densità di energia di deformazione (SED) e il metodo della tensione di picco (PSM). Il terzo capitolo riguarda la caratterizzazione a fatica dei coprigiunti saldati, tipicamente impiegati come rinforzo nelle travi da ponte, per i quali è stata evidenziata una non uniforme classificazione a fatica a livello normativo. Mediante l'impiego dell'approccio locale SED e adottando modelli agli elementi finiti sia bidimensionali che tridimensionali, sono stati isolati i parametri che influiscono sensibilmente la resistenza e proposte soluzioni ottimizzate rispetto a quelle fornite dalle normative. I dati sperimentali ottenuti testando a fatica quattro differenti soluzioni geometriche sono sintetizzati con successo in un'unica banda di dispersione in termini di SED, indipendentemente dalla geometria della saldatura. L'approccio locale SED e la relativa curva di progettazione si sono dimostrati quindi adatti a stimare la resistenza a fatica dei coprigiunti saldati in acciaio. Il quarto capitolo è incentrato sul calcolo numerico del SED. La principale criticità dell'approccio, rappresentata dalla necessità di uno specifico il volume di controllo localizzato all'apice di un intaglio strutturale (al piede e alla radice dei cordoni di saldatura, nel caso dei giunti saldati), entro il quale l'energia di deformazione deve essere calcolata e mediata, è superata mediante l'utilizzo di maglie di calcolo (mesh) rade e generate in maniera completamente automatica da un generico algoritmo di meshatura. La soluzione proposta e le relative limitazioni di applicabilità sono stati formalizzati. La robustezza in termini di insensibilità alla tipologia di mesh, alla sua raffinatezza e alla formulazione degli elementi finiti sono alcuni dei vantaggi provati. La generalità del metodo è dimostrata anche mediante alcune applicazioni pratiche con l'impiego di differenti software agli elementi finiti. Il quinto capitolo stabilisce un collegamento tra i campi di tensione locali, in prossimità del piede e della radice dei cordoni di saldatura, e le componenti di tensione nominale valutate ad una adeguata distanza dalla saldatura stessa. Nel capitolo viene fornita una relazione analitica tra tale distanza e lo spessore della piastra caricata; inoltre, viene presentato un criterio per stimare il valore del SED, sia al piede che alla radice dei cordoni di saldatura, e, a posteriori, i relativi NSIFs, come esplicita funzione delle componenti di tensione nominale (sollecitazione membranale, flessionale e tagliante). Tale metodo si presta all'automatizzazione e, quindi, a condurre l'enorme quantità di verifiche a fatica richieste per una complessa struttura saldata in acciaio. Tuttavia, l'attuale mancanza di conformità normativa degli approcci locali SED e NSIF rappresenta un possibile ostacolo nelle applicazioni industriali. Per questo motivo nel sesto capitolo viene proposto un metodo, conforme alle normative vigenti e alla letteratura scientifica, per modificare il classico approccio nominale, che tuttora è il metodo di riferimento ampiamente accettato e riconosciuto. Il problema metodologico della definizione di tensione nominale in un modello agli elementi finiti viene superato attraverso un approccio originale che tiene conto sia degli effetti membranali che di quelli di flessionali. Viene presentata una validazione sperimentale e vengono discusse le implicazioni nella progettazione a fatica delle grandi strutture in acciaio. I capitoli settimo e ottavo presentano un post-processore ad elementi finiti, sviluppato per automatizzare l'analisi della resistenza a fatica di una struttura di grandi dimensioni. Il post-processore è basato sul solutore ad elementi finiti Straus7® ed è compatibile con modelli di tipo shell per essere adatto ai grandi assiemi strutturali. Molte delle proposte illustrate nella presente tesi sono state quindi automatizzate: gli approcci locali SED e NSIF, il metodo della tensione nominale modificato e, infine, gli approcci classici basati sulla tensione nominale e di hot spot. È inoltre mostrato un ottimo accordo tra le analisi condotte "manualmente", sia attraverso approcci globali che locali, e quelle eseguite rapidamente utilizzando il post-processore, riscontrando generalmente un ottimo accordo tra la vita a fatica stimata mediante l'approccio locale SED e quella stimata attraverso il metodo della tensione nominale modificata. Il nono capitolo tratta la stima rapida dei fattori di intensificazione delle tensioni residue (R-NSIFs), conseguenti al processo di saldatura, utilizzando il PSM e il software agli elementi finiti dedicato Sysweld®. Innanzitutto, viene presentata la calibrazione del PSM in ambiente Sysweld®; quindi vengono illustrate alcune applicazioni pratiche. Infine, il decimo capitolo riporta alcune osservazioni conclusive di carattere generale e la discussione dei principali risultati ottenuti.

Mestrado em Engenharia Alimentar - Processamento de Alimentos - Instituto Superior de Agronomia
In this study correlations between Rocha pear quality attributes and the incidence of internal browning (IB) were performed in order to know the major factors which determine different susceptibility of the fruit. Fruits under study were previously stored in dynamic controlled atmosphere (four months) and from three geographical origins (west region). The fruit incidence of IB showed to be dependent on geographical production localization. Fruits from Mafra and Lourinhã with 28 and 43% of IB, respectively, versus Alcobaça, where no symptoms were detected (0% IB). Fruits from Alcobaça showed the highest contents of ascorbic acid (AA) (4,8 mg/100 g) and of total phenolic compounds (CFT) (111,0 mg CAE/100 g), with increases of 20% and 40%, respectively, in comparison to the others, representing these the most distinctive quality factors. It was found that fruits with more calcium content, lesser potassium content and higher antioxidant capacity are more resistant to IB. By other side, the symptoms incidence is bigger in advanced post-harvest ripeness stages and minor AA content. The effects of AA content of the fruit on IB incidence were inconclusive. However, in the fruit core tissues the presence of similar AA contents between fruits, with and without IB, along with significant differences in CFT, could suggest that phenolic compounds are involved as a stress response to internal browning disorders mechanisms. Full ripening capacity was achieved in 4 days (room temperature) regardless fruits origin. However, fruits with higher internal browning incidence showed lesser storage ability (5 C), as a fresh-cut product

L’électroporation (EP) in vivo est utilisée comme stratégie d’amélioration de la réponse immune induite par les vaccins ADN. Cependant son effet sur les acteurs du système immunitaire inné reste méconnu. Dans l’objectif de mettre en évidence le comportement cellulaire sur le site de la vaccination, nous avons développé des approches d’imagerie par fluorescence in vivo chez le macaque. Nos résultats montrent que l’EP locale, augmente non seulement la quantité et la distribution de l’antigène vaccinal, mais induit également la mobilisation et la migration des cellules de Langerhans. De plus, l’EP cause un recrutement de leucocytes dans la peau et le tissu sous-cutané et favorise la production de cytokines pro-inflammatoires dans la peau. Ces évènements précoces, qui résultent de l’utilisation de l’EP en tant que système de délivrance des vaccins ADN, mettent en évidence le potentiel de l’EP en tant qu’adjuvant vaccinal
In vivo electroporation (EP) is used as a strategy to improve the immune response induced by DNA vaccines. However, its local effect on the innate immune cells has not been fully described. We developed in vivo fluorescence imaging approaches to highlight the cell behavior in the site of vaccination in macaques. Our results show that the local EP not only increases the amount and the distribution of the vaccine antigen, but also induces the mobilization and migration of Langerhans cells. Furthermore, EP causes the recruitment of leukocytes into the skin and subcutaneous tissue and promotes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These early events that result from the use of the EP as a delivery system for DNA vaccines, highlight its potential as a vaccine adjuvant

Sur la base de constats globaux concernant l’importance d’appliquer des modes de gestion durable des zones forestières et le manque d’investigation concernant l’histoire passée des feux en Europe centrale, il a été entrepris de reconstruire l’histoire des événements de feux et de la dynamique forestière pour des sites d’étude en Allemagne. L’ensemble des données obtenues et analysées ont été utilisées pour l’évaluation du niveau de naturalité des sites étudiés, cette notion étant essentielle pour la mise en place d’une gestion durable, et/ou pour des projets de conservation et / ou de restauration des systèmes perturbés. Concernant les dynamiques des écosystèmes en Europe centrale, il a été souvent mis en évidence que l’homme joue un rôle essentiel depuis des millénaires. Par conséquent, l’approche historique des événements de feux et de la dynamique forestière à été réalisée sur de longues échelles temporelles. Neuf sites d’étude ont été sélectionnés incluant une large gamme de systèmes forestiers d’Europe centrale. Les sites d’études sont répartis dans deux zones générales d’étude : le nord de l’Allemagne (Schleswig-Holstein), qui comprend quatre sites d’étude, et le centre de l’Allemagne (le Harz), qui comprend cinq sites d’étude. Quatre disciplines ont été principalement utilisées. Pour définir l’état actuel des sites d’études ceux-ci ont été caractérisés, utilisant divers indicateurs dendrométriques concernant la structure et la composition des parcelles analysées. Pour obtenir des informations à propos de la dynamique forestière des peuplements forestiers en place des analyses dendroécologiques ont été utilisées. Pour analyser la dynamique forestière sur une longue échelle temporelle, à une échelle spatiale comparable, des analyses pédoanthracologiques ont été menées, combinées à des analyses de sols. De plus, des analyses anthracologiques de séquences de tourbes ont été réalisées, fournissant, combinées avec les données pedoanthracologiques, des enseignements à propos de l’histoire des incendies. L’état actuel et la dynamique forestière récente des sites étudiés indiquent divers niveaux de complexité des peuplements forestiers, correspondant souvent à divers niveaux postulés d’impact anthropique. Il a été obtenu huit chronologies moyennes, standardisées en haute et moyenne fréquences, âgées au maximum de 1744 et au minimum de 1923 ans. A partir de ces chronologies des changements dans les conditions de croissance de peuplements forestiers ont été mises en évidence. Basées sur un ensemble de 71 charbons de bois datés par radiocarbone, il a été mis en évidence, à l’échelle locale et globale, deux principales phases présentant plus d’événements de feux datés, une durant le Pléistocène supérieur/Holocène inférieur, une autre durant l’Holocène supérieur. Pour les deux phases identifiées des forçages climatique et anthropogénique ont été respectivement postulés comme déterminisme des occurrences de feux. Finalement, les différentes données collectées ont été utilisées de façon combinée pour reconstruire l’histoire des feux et des forêts des sites étudiés, afin de contribuer à l’évaluation de leur niveau de naturalité
Considering two global observations in Central Europe of, firstly, the need for, and development of, sustainable and biological conservation practices for forest and/or woodland areas and, secondly, the lack of long-term fire history, an attempt has been made to reconstruct the fire and the forest history at several investigation sites in Germany. The overall data set gathered and analyzed has been used for on-site naturalness assessment. This latter notion is crucial for forest system conservation/restoration planning, considering the past human impact on forest dynamics. Also, in view of this past human impact on forest systems, which is well-documented for Central Europe, as occurring on a multi-millennium scale, an historical perspective perceptive that combined a long and short temporal scale of investigation was used.Nine investigation sites were selected, in order to include various and representative types of Central European forest. Therefore, the investigation sites were located in two main investigation areas. One is in Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and includes four investigation sites. The other is in Central Germany (Harz Mountains) and includes five investigation sites. Four main approaches were used. To assess the current state of the investigated site, forest stand characterization was undertaken (i.e. based on various forest attributes that concern stand structure and composition). Tree ring series were analyzed to provide insights about short-term forest tree population dynamics. Then, charcoal records from soil (combined with soil analysis) and peat sequences were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. These last two approaches also provide information about the past fire history. Forest current and short-term dynamics illustrated various levels of stand complexity, often corresponding to various levels of human impact that had been postulated. Eight mean site tree-ring chronologies, standardized in high and mid-frequency signal, spanning at a maximum of up to AD 1744 and at a minimum of up to AD 1923, were obtained. The insight, about the identification of events of growing changes and the correlated temporal and, if possible, spatial patterns, was discussed. Charcoal analysis provided a long-term insight about fire history. Based on 71 charcoal radiocarbon dates, it was shown on a macro-scale that there were two phases that had a greater frequency of fire - one during the transition from the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, and one during the mid- and late Holocene. A strong human control during the most recent fire phase has been postulated. This is supported by on-site soil and peat charcoal record analysis, allowing one to point out the event of environmental changes (disturbances), at local scales. In the end, the on-site data from the various indicators were combined to assess the fire and forest history and the naturalness level of the investigated sites, based on past insights, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the present and helping to anticipate the future

Transportsektorn står inför en omställning från förbränningsfordon till eldrivna fordon. Detta är en åtgärd för att minska koldioxidutsläppet inom transportsektorn och därmed reducera klimatpåverkan. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur en ökad effektanvändning i form av elbilsladdning påverkar Gävles lokala elnät samt hur olika laddtekniker påverkar elnätet. Bakgrunden till studien grundar sig att elnätsföretaget vill öka medvetenheten om hur elnätets beredskap ser ut för en ökad elbilsladdning. Att undersöka elbilsladdningens påverkan på elnätet är av stor nytta för elnätsföretaget, men även andra som undersöker elbilsladdnings påverkan i elnätet kan ha användning för studien. Ämnet elbilsladdning är mycket aktuellt och många studier undersöker olika delar som berör elbilsladdning. Tidigare studier undersöker även olika typer av laddtekniker och hur smart laddning minska påverkan i elnätet. Smart laddning kan anpassa elbilsladdningen genom att styra den efter olika styrsignaler och sammankoppla hela elnätet. Denna studie undersöker delar av Gävles lokala elnät genom att simulera befintliga mätvärden lågspänningsnätet samt olika typer av elbilsladdning. Studien analyserar effektanvändningen av befintliga mätdata samt belastningsström och spänningsfall i elnätet med varierande lastprofiler i fyra olika områden. Resultatet för denna studie visar att elbilsladdning påverkar elnätet, vilket beror på vilken typ av laddteknik som används samt dimensioneringen av elnätet. Studien visar att elanvändningen i området idag har effekttoppar på eftermiddag och kväll när kunderna består av villakunder men att effekttoppen kan vara mitt på dagen där det finns industrier. Med elbilsladdning ökar belastningen samt spänningsfallet i nätet och en del av säkringarna i nätet löser ut. Laddning med 11 kW mellan kl. 16:00-19:00 samt laddning med effektvakt på 13,8 kW ger störst belastning och spänningsfall. Laddning utan styrning är den laddteknik som påverkar elnätet mest men laddning med effektvakt orsakar också problem. Laddning med 5,5 kW mellan kl. 23:00-06:00 samt när endast 50% av alla kunder laddar med 11 kW mellan kl. 16:00-19:00 är de scenarion som påverkar elnätet minst. Laddning med en låg effekt under natten när grundlasten är som lägst är den laddteknik som är mest gynnsam för elnätet. Studien visar även att nätet klarar en högre belastning av elbilsladdning inom en snar framtid om endast en del av kunderna i nätet använder elfordon.
The transport sector is facing a transition from combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles. Through this action the carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector can be reduced. The purpose of this study is to observe how an increased power use from electric vehicle charging (EVC) affects the local electricity grid in Gävle. The study also addresses how different charging techniques affect the electricity grid. The background of this study is to the increase awareness of the capacity of the electricity grid. There is a need from the electricity grid company to look over the impact on the grid from EVC. This could also be useful for others looking over the impact on the electricity grid from EVC. This is a hot topic and lots of other studies look over the different aspects of EVC. Previous studies also examine different types of charging techniques and how smart charging reduces the negative impact on the electricity grid. Smart charging is a way to adjust the EVC by regulating it after different parameters and connecting the entire electrical grid. This study simulates existing measured values of the low-voltage grid in Gävle and various types of EVC. This study examines the power use of existing measurement data as well as load current and voltage drops in the electricity grid with different load profiles in four different areas. Results from this study shot that EVC affects the electricity grid, to what extent depends on the type of charging technology used and the dimensions of the electricity grid. The study shows that electricity use in the area has power peaks in the afternoon and evening with residential customers, but power peaks tend to be in the middle of the day if there are industries in the area. EVC increase the load on the electricity grid, causes voltage drops and a few fuses in the grid to be triggered. Charging with 11 kW between 16:00-19:00 and charging with a power monitor of 13.8 kW create the greatest voltage drops and highest load on the grid. Charging without means of control affects the electricity grid the most but charging with a power monitor also creates problems. Charging with 5.5 kW between 23:00-06:00 as well as when only 50 % of all customers charge with 11 kW between 16:00-19:00 impacts the grid the least. Charging with low power during the night when the base load is at its lowest is the charging technology that is most favorable for the electricity grid. Results also show that the grid can handle a higher load of EVC in the near future if only some of the customers in the network start using electric vehicles.

碩士
淡江大學
土木工程學系碩士班
103
In today''s developed society, the explosion in population accelerates the growth of high-rise buildings in urban terrains. However, limited by land resource, high-rise buildings tend to be constructed by means of lighter material and higher levels, which inevitably results in a sensitive feature to wind-excited response rather than earthquake. Therefore, to understand the dynamic behavior of a tall building under wind loadings is attracting more and more concerns. Interference effect between any two neighboring buildings is especially focused in an urban area. The complex phenomenon may be triggered by many factors, such as surrounding flow characteristics, geometric appearance of buildings, relative positions of neighboring buildings, wind attack angles, etc. Many publications regarding this phenomenon have been carried out in domestic or overseas journals and reports. Generally speaking from the literature, such complicated phenomenon cannot be simply linearly superposed one by one. The present study was conducted to idealize the sources of interference effect and easy to investigate. By means of wind pressure measurement, a square prism model with aspect ratio 6 in a suburban turbulent boundary layer flow (α=0.24) was utilized as a principal building. Meanwhile another identical square prism model made by Balsa wood was utilized as interfering building and installed in several interfering positions. Instantaneous pressures over the principal building''s surface were recorded by at least 90 runs. Each run represents a 10-minute record in full scale. By normalized to velocity pressure at roof top, pressure coefficients were calculated and the maximum and minimum values were found. Based on extreme value theory, the Gumbel and Weibull distribution types were identified for different pressure tap positions due to different flow conditions. Then the design for cladding was briefly introduced. Experiment results showed that the maximum wind pressure coefficient was occurred in (x/B,y/B) = (3,3) position, representing that significant interference effects in the oblique configuration. The minimum pressure coefficient was found when the interfering building is in the upstream (y/B = 0). However, in this research, only the range between x/B = -3 ~ 3 and y/B = 0 ~ 3 were examined, the discussion on extreme values may be limited and the greater effect could occur outside the experiment range.

Canadian suburbs and cities are heavily reliant on inexpensive oil and natural gas; they depend on them for many essential needs including transportation, heating, and the import of goods and foods from distant and neighbouring regions. Growing debate around 'peak oil' has brought the future of these fuels into question. Those who believe in peak oil expect that global conventional oil and gas extraction rates will reach a maximum by 2020, after which they will inevitably decline. They expect that without a corresponding drop in demand the prices of these fuels will dramatically increase and result in future disruptions to fossil fuel dependent lives. In this thesis I argue that the likelihood of peak oil and our dependence on cheap oil and gas epitomize the unsustainable nature of our suburbs and cities. I propose that planning, as a profession oriented towards the future and dedicated to supporting our society's transition to sustainability, has a responsibility to help us prepare for a 'post-carbon age'. Through interviews with 26 randomly selected municipal and regional planners in the Greater Vancouver region I examined what local planners know about the peak oil debate and think about its potential consequences and importance to local planning. I also investigated whether they believe peak oil warrants a local planning response and what that response should be. My results indicate that planners in this region have a limited awareness of peak oil, although the majority agree that the issue is relevant to planning. The majority also agree that it could force our lives to change, but that it is difficult to predict how exactly. In addition, my results show that fifty percent of local planners believe that peak oil is something to which local planning should respond. Their general recommendations of what planning might do to address peak oil are similar to those commonly associated with 'sustainability planning'. While they are a good place to start, I propose that more detailed, energy-centric, and comprehensive policies should be formulated under a precautionary planning approach, together with greater awareness of and dialogue about peak oil within public, political, and planning communities.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of
Graduate

Global warming is affecting the Earth climate year by year, the biggest difference being observable in increasing temperatures in the World Ocean. Following the long- term global ocean warming trend, average sea surface temperatures across the global tropics and subtropics have increased by 0.4–1◦C in the last 40 years. These rates become even higher in semi-enclosed southern seas, such as the Red Sea, threaten- ing the survival of thermal-sensitive species. As average sea surface temperatures are projected to continue to rise, careful study of future developments of extreme temper- atures is paramount for the sustainability of marine ecosystem and biodiversity. In this thesis, we use Extreme-Value Theory to study sea surface temperature extremes from a gridded dataset comprising 16703 locations over the Red Sea. The data were provided by Operational SST and Sea Ice Analysis (OSTIA), a satellite-based data system designed for numerical weather prediction. After pre-processing the data to account for seasonality and global trends, we analyze the marginal distribution of ex- tremes, defined as observations exceeding a high spatially varying threshold, using the Generalized Pareto distribution. This model allows us to extrapolate beyond the ob- served data to compute the 100-year return levels over the entire Red Sea, confirming the increasing trend of extreme temperatures. To understand the dynamics govern- ing the dependence of extreme temperatures in the Red Sea, we propose a flexible local approach based on R-Pareto processes, which extend the univariate Generalized Pareto distribution to the spatial setting. Assuming that the sea surface temperature varies smoothly over space, we perform inference based on the gradient score method over small regional neighborhoods, in which the data are assumed to be stationary in space. This approach allows us to capture spatial non-stationarity, and to reduce the overall computational cost by taking advantage of distributed computing resources. Our results reveal an interesting extremal spatial dependence structure: in particular, from our estimated model, we conclude that significant extremal dependence prevails for distances up to about 2500 km, which roughly corresponds to the Red Sea length.

Limited data are available pertaining to the peat soils on south west Tasmanian mountains or on the variability of peat soils over the lowland to alpine environmental gradient. This thesis describes organic soils on Mt. Sprent, a 'typical' mountain, in south west Tasmania and analyses their relationships with climate, vegetation and topography. Climate data were collected using data loggers which recorded maximum and minimum air and surface temperatures, and relative humidity over a 30 month period. Rain gauges were located close to the data loggers. The climatic equipment was at four sites, at different altitudes ranging from 509 m to 1059 m. Vegetation data were collected along altitudinal and topographic gradients, using a cover/abundance measure for 25 m 2 quadrats. The altitudinal data were collected for every 10 m increase in altitude, while the topographic data were collected along a grid system of transects laid out at four sites on the mountain. Soils data were collected along the same topographic transects as the vegetation data. Soil depths were determined in the field, while physical properties were determined in the field and the laboratory. Other environmental data were collected along the altitudinal and the topographic gradients. A total of 34 water table wells were located on the mountain, at each of the four topographic study sites and at the climatic stations. Peat soils in south west Tasmania are shallow, with an average depth of 30 cm. Three types of peat were recognised: fibrous, intermediate and muck. These vary in their moisture content, organic content, degree of humification and depth. Where more than one peat type was found in a profile, shallow fibrous peats overlaid intermediate which in turn overlaid deeper muck peats. Peat depth, moisture content and organic content decrease with altitude inferring climatic influences on the processes of peat formation and decay. Rainfall and relative humidity were found to be more than adequate to support peat accumulation. The temperatures at the base of the mountain were higher than those reported in the literature for optimum peat formation. However, these temperatures were offset by very high rainfall and relative humidity values. By using evaporation data from a nearby village (12 km to the north east) and solar radiation values for the summit, evaporation rates for the mountain during summer were estimated. When compared to rainfall for the same period there was a moisture deficit at each station for February. Vegetation varies with altitude and along topographic gradients. Buttongrass moorland, alpine heathland and alpine sedgeland occur in an altitudinal sequence. The deepest soils are found under the lowland buttongrass moorland vegetation, and the shallowest soils occur under the alpine vegetation. The four vegetation groups coincided with the four soil groups. The amount of organic matter in the surface horizon was significantly related to vegetation type at two of the four sites, while soil depth related to vegetation type at three sites. Slope is an important correlate of peat depth at two of the four sites, while rock cover is important at three sites. The mean and modal water table depths are correlated with plant community distributions and the pH of the surface and lower soil horizons. Factors affecting peat formation viz, depth and physical properties are interrelated to such an extent that it is difficult to determine the affects of a single factor. On the mountain, deeper peats occur at lower altitudes, in waterlogged conditions, and under buttongrass moorland vegetation. Fibrous peats are found under moorland, woody and alpine vegetation types in relatively well-drained areas. Reddish-brown fibrous peats occur under woody vegetation while buttongrass tends to produce black fibrous peats. Muck peats are found in areas of impeded drainage. Higher temperatures experienced at lower altitudes may be offset to some extent by higher rainfall. A decrease in peat depth with altitude infers that climate affects the process of peat formation by affecting peat accumulation rates. A precipitation deficit during the summer months may be responsible for the shallow nature of the peats. Alternatively fire history and the relatively low productivity of the vegetation may also account for the shallow soils.

碩士
東方設計大學
文化創意設計研究所
107
The Executive Yuan has organized a one-of-a-kind and value-added cultural creative industry with such local features as OTOP (one town one product program) in various parts of Taiwan to train local talents and develop industries of local specialties in the hopes of driving business and employment opportunities. For example, Changhua County features small and medium-sized enterprises that play an important role in the developing the regional economy. While the coastal areas of Xianxi primarily features oyster farmers who raise and sell their own products, the cultivation of pearls has gradually declined due to competition of other products from other townships, and the lack of funding and sales platforms have resulted in a non-benign cycle. This study focuses on creative packaging design that integrates the culture and humanity of Xianxi Township in Changhua County, with the theme of the oyster pearl. Then, we adopt the evaluation grid method (EGM) to explore the local style of the theme-based oyster-raising industry in order to analyze and encourage the four major primal attractive factors of packaging design, local specialties, local association, and fresh ingredients, as well as six specific attractive factors and nine abstract attractive factors. In this study, we used figurative graphics to compare old oyster farmers at the production end and fresh oysters at the consumption end as the primary vision, using such abstract graphics as totemized waves and windmill backgrounds as the creative theme. Doing so has rendered a new artistic sentiment from the perspective of this research, helping to demonstrate oyster pearl packaging in another way. Since the scene of thee two pictures, which greatly differ from each other as realism versus totem, we expect to establish a new creative concept. Furthermore, appreciating consumer preferences and satisfaction can help graphic designers integrate such consumer opinions and references in their creations with regard to the styles for local industry.

All’interno dell’attuale contesto socio-culturale in cui la crisi economico-finanziaria della pubblica amministrazione si salda agli effetti del Climate change, alle policy ambientali internazionali e all’affermarsi delle nuove tecnologie, è stata indagata e predisposta una metodologia innovativa che rilegge alle diverse scale la pianificazione energetica (livello regionale, di distretto e urbano). Sono stati analizzati gli strumenti normativi di scala regionale (Piani Energetici Ambientali Regionali - PEAR), di distretto (Patti delle Isole) e di livello urbano/metropolitano (Piani d’Azione per l’Energia Sostenibile e il Clima - PAESC) individuando opportunità e criticità. La metodologia individuata ha consentito di introdurre e coordinare il corretto inserimento delle fonti rinnovabili e di politiche di riduzione delle emissioni climalteranti nel settore dei trasporti. In questo contesto uno sforzo di programmazione e gestione marco-territoriale che partendo dalla pianificazione regionale e nazionale (Piani Energetici Ambientali Regionali) dovrà maggiormente relazionarsi con la spinta partecipativa, che nel solco tracciato dalle policy comunitarie, sta animando la disciplina energetica delle comunità in particolare attraverso lo strumento del Piano d’Azione per l’Energia Sostenibile e il Clima. L’opportunità offerta consentirà di predisporre strumenti multi-livello (di carattere regionale ma declinabili al livello di distretto e urbano) che facendo leva sul principio di sussidiarietà e i processi partecipativi, consentiranno ai PAES di migliorarsi e adattarsi reciprocamente attraverso una politica globale di pianificazione energetica. Il veicolo sarà quello di sviluppare uno strumento integrato in grado di armonizzare i PAES per promuovere una generazione distribuita basata sulle FER a livello multi-scalare.
Within the current cultural and social context in which the economic and financial crisis of public administration is firmly rooted in the effects of climate change, international environmental policies and the emergence of new technologies, an innovative methodology, that analyzes energy planning (regional, district, and urban) at different scales, has been investigated. Regional (Regional Energy and Environmental Plans - PEAR), district (Pact of Islands) and urban/metropolitan (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans - SECAP) energy plans have been analyzed by identifying opportunities and critical issues. The methodology identified has allowed to introduce and coordinate the proper integration of renewable sources (RES) and emission (GHG) reduction policies in the transport sector. In this context, a territorial planning and management effort, starting from the regional and national planning (PEAR), will have to relate more to the participatory push, which in the footsteps of Community policies is animating the energy discipline of the communities in particular through the instrument of the Action Plan for Sustainable Energy and Climate. The opportunity offered will enable the development of multi-level instruments (regional but declinable at the district and urban level), SECAPs to improve and adapt to each other through a comprehensive policy on energy planning . The vehicle will be to develop an integrated tool able to harmonize the SACAPs to promote distributed RES based generation at multi-scalar level.

This dissertation presents a study on three different computer vision topics that have applications to smart environments. We first propose a solution to improve multi-target data association based on l1-regularized sparse basis expansions. The method aims to improve the data association process by addressing problems like occlusion and change of appearance. Experimental results show that, for the pure data association problem, our proposed approach achieves state-of-the-art results on standard benchmark datasets. Next, we extend our new data association approach with a novel technique based on a weighted version of sparse reconstruction that enforces long-term consistency in multi-target tracking. We introduce a two-phase approach that first performs local data association, and then periodically uses accumulated usage statistics in order to merge tracklets and enforce long-term, global consistency in tracks. The result is a complete, end-to-end tracking system that is able to reduce tracklet fragmentation and ID switches, and to improve the overall quality of tracking. Finally, we propose a method to jointly estimate face characteristics such as Gender, Age, Ethnicity and head pose. We develop a random forest based method based around a new splitting criterion for multi-objective estimation. Our system achieves results comparable to the state-of-the-art, and has the additional advantage of simultaneously estimating multiple facial characteristics using a single pool of image features rather than characteristic-specific ones.

The nuclear industry has long relied upon bounding parametric analyses in predicting the safety margins of reactor designs undergoing design-basis accidents. These methods have been known to return highly-conservative results, limiting the operating conditions of the reactor. The Best-Estimate Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) method using a modernized version of the Code-Scaling, Applicability, and Uncertainty (CSAU) methodology has been applied to more accurately predict the safety margins of the Oregon State University Advanced Plant Experiment (APEX) facility experiencing a Loss-of-Feedwater Accident (LOFA). The statistical advantages of the Bayesian paradigm of probability was utilized to incorporate prior knowledge when determining the analysis required to justify the safety margins. RELAP5 Mod 3.3 was used to accurately predict the thermal-hydraulics of a primary Feed-and-Bleed response to the accident using assumptions to accompany the lumped-parameter calculation approach. A novel coupling of thermal-hydraulic and statistical software was accomplished using the Symbolic Nuclear Analysis Package (SNAP). Uncertainty in Peak Cladding Temperature (PCT) was calculated at the 95/95 probability/confidence levels under a series of four separate sensitivity studies.
Graduation date: 2013