Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Softener'

The compatibility of home water softeners and septic tanks is of concern for the on-site wastewater treatment community. Research has shown that high sodium levels in activated sludge plants can lead to deflocculation and poor effluent quality. Therefore, it is logical to assume that high sodium levels that result from the exchange of calcium and magnesium for sodium in home softeners could give rise to poor effluent quality from septic tanks, leading to shortened lives of drain fields. Additionally, the release of regeneration discharges to the septic tank might further damage performance. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect home ion-exchange softeners have on septic tank performance. A column study was set up and varying levels of sodium were added to wastewater influent and these were fed to columns that contained solids collected from operating septic tanks. In addition, slug influent solutions, which mimic regeneration flow, with varying amounts of excess sodium were investigated. To reinforce the lab column experiments, data were obtained from private septic tanks to determine the effluent quality from septic tanks both diverting and receiving the regeneration flow. Also utilized were graduated cylinder experiments, where the effect of sodium on grease flocculation was determined, and batch anaerobic digestion studies, which determined the effect sodium has on the production of gases and the degradation of solids.

The study showed that the addition of sodium to septic tanks is likely to impact the effluent quality of sewage discharged from a septic tank to a drain field. The common way of measuring ion concentrations for comparison in this study was to obtain the monovalent to divalent ratio (M/D Ratio). This is simply the concentration of the sodium ions in solution divided by the concentrations of magnesium and calcium, on an equivalent weight basis (all other monovalent and divalent ions were negligible). Slug solutions of high levels of salts (Septic Tank Effluent M/D = 11), mimicking regeneration wastes from water softeners with an inefficient regeneration cycle, increased the effluent solids, COD and BOD. However, if the regeneration wastes contained the same amount of calcium and magnesium, but a smaller amount of sodium (Septic Tank Effluent M/D = 5), the negative effect on these effluent characteristics was greatly lessened. In an optimum case with a regeneration solution containing a minimal amount of excess sodium (Septic Tank Effluent M/D = 3), the effluent characteristics were often actually more favorable than in similar situations where the regeneration wastes were diverted (Septic Tank Effluent M/D = 2). The case studies reinforced these data, showing that sodium concentrations correlated with an increased discharge of solids to the drain field. The studies on grease flocculation as well as anaerobic digestion suggest that these processes are not affected by the sodium level. Overall, it appears that the use of home softeners with septic tanks may have an effect on solids discharge to the drain field and the level of impact will depend on the level of hardness in the water, whether the regeneration waste is discharged to the septic tank, and the amount of excess sodium present in regeneration wastes.
Master of Science

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior
Zeolite NaA (LTA) has been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal route, in which kaolim was used as silicon and aluminum source. The obtained zeolite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR), luminescence and granulometry. The X-ray diffraction data refinement by Rietveld method and software DBWS9807 has made possible the confirmation of only one crystallographic phase on the synthesis process and the particle size measurements. Particle sizes vary from 48 nm to 74 nm. Zeolite A morphologic properties were observed by scanning electron microscopy analysis, in which one could observe crystals with different sizes but with the same cubic shape. Na+ ions have been replaced for NH4 +, in a simple ion exchange process. This way, zeolite A has acquired its ammoniac state. The efficiency of this process has been confirmed by infrared analysis, with the appearance of bands in 1402 cm-1 and 1450 cm-1 after ion exchange, and by acid titillation. Zeolite thermal stability, either on Na+ or NH4 + states, has been determined by thermogravimetry. Activation energies for the thermogravimetric process related to weigh loss through volatilization caused basically by water and ammonia liberation from zeolite surface, were from 71,7 kJ.mol-1 to 205,7 kJ.mol-1. Luminescence analysis has indicated that Eu3+, used as probe, is not located in a symmetric center and the sites in which the abovementioned ion is located is not homogeneous. The particle size obtained from granulometric analysis was around 10 m, what indicates agglomerations formed by zeolite crystals. According to calcium removal analyses by zeolite A, it appears as na excellent water softener and as a potential substitute for polyphosphates, frequently used in detergents.
A zeÃlita NaA (LTA) foi eficientemente obtida atravÃs de sÃntese hidrotÃrmica, onde o caulim foi usado como fonte de silÃcio e alumÃnio. A zeÃlita obtida foi caracterizada pelas tÃcnicas de difraÃÃo de raios-X, absorÃÃo de raios-X, termogravimetria (TG), calorimetria diferencial exploratÃria (DSC), microscopia eletrÃnica de varredura (MEV), espectroscopia de absorÃÃo na regiÃo do infravermelho (IV), luminescÃncia e granulometria. O refinamento dos dados obtidos nas anÃlises de difraÃÃo de raios-X, atravÃs do mÃtodo de Rietveld e do uso do software DBWS9807, possibilitou a confirmaÃÃo de uma Ãnica fase cristalogrÃfica obtida no processo de sÃntese, e o cÃlculo do tamanho das partÃculas, as quais variam de 48 nm a 74 nm. As caracterÃsticas morfolÃgicas desta zeÃlita foram evidenciadas atravÃs da microscopia eletrÃnica de varredura, onde cristais de diferentes tamanhos apresentaram forma cÃbica. Os Ãons Na+ foram substituÃdos por Ãons NH4 +, em processo de troca iÃnica simples, fazendo com que a zeÃlita adquirisse assim a forma amoniacal. A eficiÃncia deste processo foi confirmada pelas anÃlises de infravermelho, com o aparecimento de bandas em 1402 cm-1 e 1450 cm-1 apÃs a troca iÃnica, e por titulaÃÃo de neutralizaÃÃo. A estabilidade tÃrmica da zeÃlita nas duas formas iÃnicas foi analisada atravÃs de termogravimetria. As energias de ativaÃÃo para os processos termodegradativos relacionados Ãs perdas de massa por volatilizaÃÃo, as quais se referem basicamente à eliminaÃÃo de Ãgua e amÃnia presentes na estrutura zeolÃtica, variaram de 71,7 kJ.mol-1 a 205,7 kJ.mol-1. As anÃlises de luminescÃncia mostraram que o Ãon Eu3+, usado como sonda, nÃo està localizado em um centro simÃtrico e que os sÃtios onde o referido Ãon se encontra nÃo sÃo homogÃneos. O tamanho de partÃcula obtido atravÃs da granulometria foi em torno de 10 m , mostrando que os cristais da zeÃlita formam aglomerados. A zeÃlita NaA mostrou-se extremamente eficiente no abrandamento de Ãguas duras e, desta forma, apresentase como um substituinte em potencial dos polifosfatos, comumente usados em detergentes.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior
A zeÃlita NaA (LTA) foi eficientemente obtida atravÃs de sÃntese hidrotÃrmica, onde o caulim foi usado como fonte de silÃcio e alumÃnio. A zeÃlita obtida foi caracterizada pelas tÃcnicas de difraÃÃo de raios-X, absorÃÃo de raios-X, termogravimetria (TG), calorimetria diferencial exploratÃria (DSC), microscopia eletrÃnica de varredura (MEV), espectroscopia de absorÃÃo na regiÃo do infravermelho (IV), luminescÃncia e granulometria. O refinamento dos dados obtidos nas anÃlises de difraÃÃo de raios-X, atravÃs do mÃtodo de Rietveld e do uso do software DBWS9807, possibilitou a confirmaÃÃo de uma Ãnica fase cristalogrÃfica obtida no processo de sÃntese, e o cÃlculo do tamanho das partÃculas, as quais variam de 48 nm a 74 nm. As caracterÃsticas morfolÃgicas desta zeÃlita foram evidenciadas atravÃs da microscopia eletrÃnica de varredura, onde cristais de diferentes tamanhos apresentaram forma cÃbica. Os Ãons Na+ foram substituÃdos por Ãons NH4 +, em processo de troca iÃnica simples, fazendo com que a zeÃlita adquirisse assim a forma amoniacal. A eficiÃncia deste processo foi confirmada pelas anÃlises de infravermelho, com o aparecimento de bandas em 1402 cm-1 e 1450 cm-1 apÃs a troca iÃnica, e por titulaÃÃo de neutralizaÃÃo. A estabilidade tÃrmica da zeÃlita nas duas formas iÃnicas foi analisada atravÃs de termogravimetria. As energias de ativaÃÃo para os processos termodegradativos relacionados Ãs perdas de massa por volatilizaÃÃo, as quais se referem basicamente à eliminaÃÃo de Ãgua e amÃnia presentes na estrutura zeolÃtica, variaram de 71,7 kJ.mol-1 a 205,7 kJ.mol-1. As anÃlises de luminescÃncia mostraram que o Ãon Eu3+, usado como sonda, nÃo està localizado em um centro simÃtrico e que os sÃtios onde o referido Ãon se encontra nÃo sÃo homogÃneos. O tamanho de partÃcula obtido atravÃs da granulometria foi em torno de 10 m , mostrando que os cristais da zeÃlita formam aglomerados. A zeÃlita NaA mostrou-se extremamente eficiente no abrandamento de Ãguas duras e, desta forma, apresentase como um substituinte em potencial dos polifosfatos, comumente usados em detergentes.
Zeolite NaA (LTA) has been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal route, in which kaolim was used as silicon and aluminum source. The obtained zeolite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR), luminescence and granulometry. The X-ray diffraction data refinement by Rietveld method and software DBWS9807 has made possible the confirmation of only one crystallographic phase on the synthesis process and the particle size measurements. Particle sizes vary from 48 nm to 74 nm. Zeolite A morphologic properties were observed by scanning electron microscopy analysis, in which one could observe crystals with different sizes but with the same cubic shape. Na+ ions have been replaced for NH4 +, in a simple ion exchange process. This way, zeolite A has acquired its ammoniac state. The efficiency of this process has been confirmed by infrared analysis, with the appearance of bands in 1402 cm-1 and 1450 cm-1 after ion exchange, and by acid titillation. Zeolite thermal stability, either on Na+ or NH4 + states, has been determined by thermogravimetry. Activation energies for the thermogravimetric process related to weigh loss through volatilization caused basically by water and ammonia liberation from zeolite surface, were from 71,7 kJ.mol-1 to 205,7 kJ.mol-1. Luminescence analysis has indicated that Eu3+, used as probe, is not located in a symmetric center and the sites in which the abovementioned ion is located is not homogeneous. The particle size obtained from granulometric analysis was around 10 m, what indicates agglomerations formed by zeolite crystals. According to calcium removal analyses by zeolite A, it appears as an excellent water softener and as a potential substitute for polyphosphates, frequently used in detergents.

Dans cette thèse, l'influence de lavage répétés et l'utilisation d'assouplissant sur les propriétés sensorielles, mécaniques et physico-chimiques pour la bonneterie ont, a été étudiés Différentes conditions de remplissage de la machine à laver ont été étudiées : soit avec des tricots comportant tous des fibres de même nature, soit avec des tricots de nature différentes. La quantité d’adoucissant déposée sur le textile a été mesurée, l’uniformité du dépôt a été quantifiée par analyse d’image. Le potentiel zéta des fibres et la capacité d’absorption des textiles expliquent les écarts de quantité déposées sur les tricots. L'évaluation sensorielle des tissus a été réalisée par un groupe de panélistes entrainés en utilisant la méthode de comparaison par paire. En outre, un système intelligent basé sur la logique floue pour corréler les paramètres physiques et sensoriels a été développé afin de prédire les performances d'un tricot aprés un grand nombre de cycles de lavage
In this thesis, the simultaneous influence of repeated machine laundry and use of the fabric softener on sensory, mechanical and physico-chemical properties of the knitted textiles was investigated. The deposition of softener was characterised by amount of deposition in different load conditions (mixed fibre load and individual fibre load) and level of uniformity of the deposition. The softener deposition was explained by zeta-potential of the fibres and liquid-absorption capability of the knitted fabrics. The non-uniformity of the softener deposition was quantified by image processing method. The sensory evaluation of the fabrics was carried out by a trained panel using pair-comparison method. Furthermore, an intelligent system based on Fuzzy logic for correlating the physical and sensory parameters was developed in order to predict the performance of a knitted fabric which has gone through number of laundry cycles

Este trabalho teve como objetivo a reprodução, avaliação e caracterização de manchamentos provocados por desodorante antitranspirante, suor, produtos do processo de lavagem como detergente em pó, amaciante, temperatura de passadoria em camisetas de malhas de algodão. Buscando uma melhor caracterização destes manchamentos, foram realizados três grupos de estudo com indivíduos selecionados, propensos à obtenção de manchas na região das axilas. Os indivíduos fizeram uso de desodorante com e sem perfume e utilizaram camisetas por um período de onze dias, sendo que um dos indivíduos fez uso apenas da camiseta sem desodorante e, uma das camisetas foi submetida ao desodorante sem uso por indivíduos. Ao final de cada dia, as camisetas foram lavadas com detergente em pó, amaciante, secas em secadora e passadas, simulando uma condição de uso doméstico. As camisetas manchadas foram submetidas às avaliações instrumentais de espectrofotometria (colorímetro), Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV), análise por Dispersão de Energia (EDS) e medição da efusividade e condutividade térmica e Espectrometria de Emissão Atômica por Plasma Acoplado Indutivamente (ICP-OES). Essas camisetas também foram submetidas a dois processos de remoção: por lavagem a seco (LS) e por agentes químicos (RAQ). Após o processo de remoção, as camisetas foram submetidas à avaliação colorimétrica instrumental, condutividade e efusividade térmica, MEV, resistência à ruptura. As análises colorimétricas para todas as camisetas utilizadas pelos participantes dos grupos de estudo mostraram valores de E* de (0,87 a 32,43), indicando uma alteração de cor perceptível visualmente na região das axilas. As microscopias das amostras também mostram um acúmulo de alguns materiais nessa região que pode ter influenciado a troca de calor do material com o ambiente, como mostraram os resultados de efusividade e condutividade. Este material acumulado, analisado pela técnica de ICP-OES, mostrou que a camiseta manchada apresentou 99,7% de alumínio a mais do que na camiseta original na região da axila, o que pode ser oriundo do contato com o desodorante que também apresenta elevados teores de alumínio em sua formulação. Os métodos utilizados para remoção apresentaram resultados satisfatórios, promovendo a remoção dos manchamentos nas camisetas, observado através da diminuição dos valores de E* e nos índices da Escala Cinza de Alteração da Cor, na avaliação colorimétrica instrumental. Entretanto, o processo de remoção por agentes químicos apresentou melhores resultados, tendo cerca de 70% de eficácia quando comparados ao método de lavagem a seco, podendo ser um método mais efetivo na remoção deste tipo de manchamento.
This work was carried out to reproduction, evaluation and characterization of staining caused by antiperspirant deodorant, sweat, products of the washing process and detergent powder, fabric softener, temperature ironing shirts in cotton knits. Searching for a better characterization of these staining, three groups of studies selected, prone to getting stains on the underarm area individuals, were performed. Individuals made use deodorant and fragrance with shirts and used for a period of eleven days, and one of the subjects only used the shirt without deodorant and one of the shirts was submitted to without deodorant use by individuals. At the end of each day the shirts were washed with detergent powder, fabric softener, dryer dried and pressed, simulating a condition of household. The stained shirts were subjected to instrumental evaluations spectrophotometry (colorimeter), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive analysis (EDS) and measuring the effusivity and thermal conductivity and Atomic Emission Spectrometry by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES). These shirts were also subjected to two processes: removal by cleaning (LS) and chemicals (RAQ). After the removal process tees instrumental colorimetric evaluation, conductivity and thermal effusivity, SEM, tensile strength were submitted. colorimetric analyzes for all t used by the participants of the study groups showed values of E * (0.87 to 32.43), indicating a change of color visually noticeable in the underarm area. The microscopy of the samples also showed an accumulation of some materials in this region that may have influenced the heat exchange material with the environment as showed the results of effusivity and conductivity. This accumulated material, analyzed by ICP-OES technique, showed that the stained shirt showed 99.7% more aluminum than the original shirt, which can be derived from contact with the deodorant that also has a high concentration of aluminum in its formulation. The methods used for removal showed satisfactory results, promoting the removal of staining tees, observed by decreasing the values of E * and indexes of Gray Scale Change Colors, instrumental colorimetric evaluation. However, the process of removal by chemical agents showed better results, about 70% efficiency when compared to the method of cleaning, may be a more effective method in removing this type of stain.

In this thesis, we have made an extended study of a particular core-softened system in two dimensions (originally studied in Sadr-Lahijany et al. Physical Review Letters 81, p.4895 [1]). Whereas most studies have only examined single facets of the phase behaviour for a given model, we have systematically studied both liquid and solid state phase behaviour, using a combination of analytic and state of the art simulation methods. Our aim has been to gain a greater understanding of the key features behind the unusual phase behaviour associated with core softened systems. After an introduction, we review previous work on the phase behaviour of core-softened systems, in which we see that these apparently “simple” potentials can give rise to a range of unusual and exotic behaviours. We then briefly study the behaviour of a simple one-dimensional core softened model. This demonstrates liquid state anomalies and a zero temperature transition point, as well as illuminating the dangers of generalising between potentials and across dimensionality. We then move onto the two dimensional system. We study the solid state using a combination of the harmonic approximation, Lattice Switch Monte Carlo (a recently developed simulation technique which allows Monte Carlo moves between structures), and Gibbs-Duhem integration. We find two triangular lattice phases, separated by a region of stable square lattice phase at intermediate pressure; we also find evidence for an isostructural transition (with possible critical point) between the triangular phases at densities metastable with respect to the square lattice phase. To study the liquid state, we use Lennard-Jones Devonshire cell theory and extensive Monte Carlo simulation. We reevaluate the cell theory model, and find strong evidence that Lennard-Jones and Devonshire’s original results were misinterpreted, as were the cell theory results for the system at hand [1]. Our liquid state simulation results confirm the presence of reentrant melting and liquid-state anomalies in the system. We find that, contrary to previous suggestions, these anomalies do not originate from a liquid-liquid transition, but instead from a continuous or near-continuous melting transition, a phenomenon only possible in two dimensions.

The fully softened shear strength was defined by Skempton (1970) as the peak drained shear strength of a clay in a normally consolidated state. All the experience available on the applicability of the fully softened shear strength for slopes is based on back-analyses. Back-analyses of first-time failures in cuts in stiff-fissured clays and embankments constructed of fat clays have shown that, over a long period of time, the shear strength gets reduced from what is measured in the laboratory using undisturbed samples to the fully softened shear strength. These back-analyses require knowledge or assumption of pore pressures in the slope, which will have a significant influence on the shear strength obtained. Karl Terzaghi, in 1936, was the first person that qualitatively explained the behavior of cut slopes in stiff-fissured clays. According to Terzaghi (1936), a softening process is initiated by the water percolating into the fissures causing swelling and decreasing the overall shear strength of the clay mass. Investigations presented later by Skempton and his colleagues showed that the controlling shear strength for cuts in stiff-fissured clays was equal to the fully softened shear strength and recommended this shear strength to be used for design (Skempton 1970; Chandler and Skempton 1974; Chandler 1974; Skempton 1977). Skempton (1977) concluded that displacements caused by progressive failure decrease the shear strength of stiff clays toward the fully softened shear strength. At first, it was believed that only stiff-fissured clays were subjected to softening and that intact clays should be designed using the peak shear strength measured using undisturbed samples (Skempton and Brown 1961; Skempton 1964, 1970). Recent publications have showed that the likelihood of a clay experiencing softening is more dependent on the plasticity of the clay rather than the fissures (Bjerrum 1967; Chandler 1984a; Mesri and Abdel-Ghaffar 1993). Fat clays, when compared to lean clays, tend to be more brittle. This means that fat clays have a more pronounced decrease in shear strength after the peak shear strength is achieved and for this reason are more susceptible to progressive failure. First-time failures in stiff clays usually occur a long period of time after construction. For this reason, steady state seepage was used in the back-analyses of the case histories presented by Skempton and his colleagues. They found that a pore pressure ratio of 0.3 was applicable to first-time failures in cuts in stiff-fissured clays (James 1970; Vaughan and Walbancke 1973; Chandler 1974; Skempton 1977). Investigations presented by Professor Steve Wright and his colleagues of the University of Texas at Austin showed, based on back-analyses, that the fully softened shear strength is also the controlling shear strength of compacted embankments constructed of highly plastic clays (Green and Wright 1986; Kayyal and Wright 1991; Wright 2005; Wright et al. 2007). Steve Wright and his colleagues concluded that weathering, expressed in cycles of wetting and drying, was the main mechanism decreasing the shear strength of compacted clay embankments toward the fully softened shear strength. Failures in this type of projects were found to be shallow (less than 10 ft deep) and to occur numerous years after construction (USACE 1983; Stauffer and Wright 1984; Kayyal and Wright 1991; Wright et al. 2007). A pore pressure ratio ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 was found to be applicable for the case histories analyzed by Wright and his colleagues. Day and Axten (1989) recommended the use of the infinite slope method with seepage parallel to the slope face for slope stability analyses. This same recommendation was presented by Lade (2010). A seepage parallel to the slope face corresponds to a pore pressure ratio ranging from 0.4 to 0.5 for slopes with ratios of 2H:1V to 5H:1V. Failures on compacted clay embankments related to softening have been reported in Texas (Stauffer and Wright 1984; Kayyal and Wright 1991; Wright 2005; Wright et al. 2007), and Mississippi (USACE 1983). According to McCook (2012), softening of this type of structures also occur in Louisiana To perform slope stability analyses using fully softened shear strength parameter, the type of soils, type of projects, and depths where this shear strength is applicable, and the pore pressures and factor of safety to be used in design should be determined. As stated above, the fully softened shear strength has been found to be the controlling shear strength of cuts in stiff clays and compacted embankments constructed of highly plastic clays. Steady state seepage conditions should be used to design cuts in stiff clays, and a pore pressure ratio ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 or a phreatic surface at the surface of the slope should be used to design compacted embankments made of fat clays. In cuts in stiff clays, both shallow and deep failures related to fully softened shear strength have been observed. For this type of project, the recommended methodology for design is to assign a curved fully softened failure envelope to the whole slope, search for the critical failure surface, and obtain the factor of safety. This approach will provide the correct factor of safety but the critical surface obtained might not be what is expected to occur in situ. Pore pressures corresponding to steady state seepage should be used for design. It should be emphasized that the recommendation to use fully softened shear strength in first-time failures in stiff clays is based on the back-analyses of case histories. Research is required to better understand progressive failure and its influence on the shear strength mobilized in situ. In compacted embankments constructed of fat clays, only shallow failures related to fully softened shear strength have been observed. For this type of projects, the recommended methodology for design is to assign a curved fully softened failure envelope to the whole embankment, search for the critical failure surface, and obtain the factor of safety. If for any reason deep failures are to be considered in designing compacted embankments constructed of fat clays, based on the fact that failures in this type of projects are usually shallow, the first 10 ft below the surface of the slope should be assumed to have a shear strength equal to the fully softened shear strength. Pore pressures should be calculated based on a water table coincident with the slope face. The fully softened shear strength should not be used in the foundation soil. If any softening occurred in the foundation soil, this should be reflected in the shear strength measured using undisturbed samples. Softening of the foundation soil is not expected to occur after the embankment is constructed. The consequences of shallow and a deep failures are usually not the same. For this reason, is reasonable that the same factor of safety should not be required for both cases. A shallow failure may be considered by some agencies solely as a maintenance issue. The factor of safety should be based on the uncertainties in the parameters being used for design and the consequences of failure of the structure (Duncan and Wright 2005). The parameters that have more impact on the factor of safety obtained for slope stability are shear strength and pore pressures. The fully softened shear strength is the lowest shear strength expected to be mobilized in first-time slides. This shear strength, coupled with a conservative assumption of pore pressure gives a low uncertainty in the parameters that have the most influence in the factor of safety. For shallow failures, the consequences of failure are very low. For this reason, if the fully softened shear strength is used, coupled with a water table corresponding to the worst case scenario possible, a factor of safety as low as 1.25 can be used. For deep failures, the consequences of failure will vary depending on the structure. The pore pressure for this type of analyses should be based on the worst seepage condition expected throughout the life of the project. In this case, for structures with low to mid consequences of failure, a factor of safety of 1.35 can be used. For structures with a high consequence of failure, a factor of safety of 1.50 can be used. These factors of safety are based on the recommendations presented by Duncan and Wright (2005) for factors of safety based on uncertainties in the parameters and consequences of failures. The fully softened shear strength should be measured using normally consolidated remolded specimens as recommended by Skempton (1977). Soil samples should be hydrated for two days using distilled or site-specific water. The soil sample should then be washed or pushed through a No. 40 (425 µm) sieve. To achieve the desired water content, the soil sample cab be air-dried or more water should be added. Water contents equal to or higher than the liquid limit should be used to prepare test specimens for fully softened shear strength measurements. The direct shear device is recommended for fully softened shear strength measurements. The Bromhead ring shear device does not provide accurate values of fully softened shear strength. The triaxial device requires more time and effort to measure the fully softened shear strength and provides about the same fully softened shear strength as the direct shear device. The fully softened shear strength failure envelope can be estimated using the correlation presented in Figure 6.59 for the parameters required for Equation 4.1. This correlation is only intended to be used in preliminary design or if better information is not available. Laboratory determination of fully softened shear strength is always recommended for final designs. If this is not possible, the confidence limits presented in Figure 6.59 should be used to determine the fully softened shear strength parameters.
Ph. D.

This study examined the effects of household fabric softeners on the thermal comfort and flammability of 100% cotton and 100% polyester fabrics after repeated laundering. Two fabric properties related to thermal comfort, water vapor transmission and air permeability, were examined. A 3 X 2 X 3 experimental design (i.e., 18 experimental cells) was developed to conduct the research. Three independent variables were selected: fabric softener treatments (i.e., rinse cycle softener, dryer sheet softener, no softener), fabric types (i.e., 100% cotton, 100% polyester), and number of laundering cycles (i.e., 1, 15, 25 cycles). Three dependent variables were tested: water vapor transmission, air permeability, and flammability. The test fabrics were purchased from Testfabrics, Inc. To examine the influence of the independent variables and their interactions on each dependent variable, two-way or three-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were used to analyze the data. Results in this study showed that both the rinse cycle softener and the dryer sheet softener significantly decreased the water vapor transmission of test specimens to a similar degree. The rinse cycle softener decreased the air permeability of test specimens most and was followed by the dryer sheet softener. The rinse cycle softener increased the flammability of both cotton and polyester fabrics, but the dryer sheet softener had no significant effect on the flammability of both fabric types. Statistical analysis also indicated that the interactions were significant among the independent variables on water vapor transmission, air permeability, and flammability of the test specimens. For example, the rinse cycle softener significantly decreased the water vapor transmission and air permeability of cotton fabric but had no effect on polyester fabric. The dryer sheet softener also decreased the water vapor transmission of cotton fabric but had no effect on polyester fabric, and it had no effect on the air permeability of both cotton and polyester fabrics. In addition, the air permeability of cotton specimens treated with the rinse cycle softener continuously reduced after repeated laundering, but that of polyester fabrics treated with the rinse cycle softener only reduced after 15 laundering cycles and showed no continuous decrease when laundering cycles increased. When the influence of fabric softener treatments on flammability was examined, the results showed that the more the specimens were laundered with the rinse cycle softener, the greater the flammability of the test specimens. However, the dryer sheet softener did not have a significant effect on the flammability of the test fabrics even after repeated laundering. For the polyester fabric, all specimens treated with the dryer sheet softener or no softener passed the standard of childrenâ s sleepwear even after 25 laundering cycles, but those treated with the rinse cycle softener did not pass the standard. In conclusion, fabric softener treatment had a significant influence on the thermal comfort (i.e., water vapor transmission and air permeability) and flammability of 100% cotton and 100% polyester fabrics after repeated laundering cycles and the effects were significantly different among the three independent variables (i.e., fabric softener treatments, fabric types, and number of laundering cycles). The applications of these results were also discussed.
Master of Science

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2008.
Thesis Advisor(s): Roberts, Nancy. "December 2008." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 29, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-64). Also available in print.

Internet is the future and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is growing in use. Companies are starting to realise the benefits with VoIP. Skype is the number one soft phone on the market but it doesn't satisfy the needs of companies (e.g. transfer calls, redirects calls and so forth) and leaves therefore a gap. The purpose of this master thesis is to provide Objektor AB (thesis initiator) with tips on how to design a usable soft phone that they know is based on relevant human computer interaction research.

The method used in the thesis has been iterative development. Interviews with end users have been conducted where they have evaluated the usability in three lo-fi (papper mock ups) and one hi-fi (a clickable version designed in Adobe Flash) prototype of a soft phone. During the interviews the users executed 14 different work tasks in the prototypes and graded their usability on a 1 to 10 scale. During the second iteration the users also performed the 14 tasks in Skype in order to be able to compare the usability between Skype and the hi-fi prototype.

The result shows that Skype isn't optimally designed to meet the needs of companies. From the final prototype Objektor can gather tips on design that is founded on principles from Jakob Nielsen and other names in the field of human computer interaction. The tips will help Objektor to design their own soft phone and thereby fill the gap on the market left by Skype.

Date: 2008-06-08

Program: International Marketing

Course: Master thesis in International Marketing (EF0705)

Author: Xiongyu Zeng (780925) Yang Du (820830)

Tutor: Jan Löwstedt

Title: A Study of Marketing Strategy in Chinese Software Market – A Case Study of UFIDA Software Co., Ltd

Strategic Question : What should be an Effective Marketing Strategy for UFIDA in order to Increase its Market Shares and Support its Market Leadership Position?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the current Chinese financial management software market conditions as well as competitors and to utilize the knowledge from the investigation to consider a better application of marketing mix for UFIDA.

Theory and Method: Two theories, five forces and marketing mix, were applied in this thesis. The authors collected primary data by interview and questionnaire to learn company’s marketing operation and feedback of customers on the marketing mix. The authors also collected reliable secondary data with the guideline of five forces framework to learn the marketing situation. The analysis was conducted according to the selected theories and the collected data. Based on the analysis, the authors presented a relevant conclusion.

Target Audience: The target audience is the market managers of UFIDA. The researchers wish the result of the paper could bring some benefits for them in the market performance. UFIDA can make use of the research result to design an effective strategy. The authors believe that the research could provide a general guidance and bring benefit to marketers in similar fields and help them to learn competitive situation.

Conclusion: From the result of analysis, the authors think the market situation is good for UFIDA. UFIDA has competitive advantages to defend itself against the forces and influence them in its favor. As a consequence, in order to increase market share as well as support its leading position, UFIDA should maintain the existing competitive advantages and improve the disadvantages of marketing operation about marketing mix found from the feedbacks of customer. Through the analysis and recommendation, the authors wish that the investigation result could benefit to UFIDA and bring them some cues for designing an effective marketing strategy.

As alterações climáticas estão cada vez mais frequentes nos dias atuais e alguns fenômenos da natureza vêm acontecendo com mais intensidade. Todo ano os desastres naturais ocorrem e afetam milhões de pessoas em todo mundo, e o Brasil não fica imune aos seus efeitos. Um desastre natural pode acontecer a qualquer momento, causa danos profundos a uma sociedade. Atuar para minimizar os efeitos dos desastres naturais seria uma das sugestões num estudo de caso sobre as inundações que ocorrem no verão em Santo Antônio de Pádua, cidade ao Noroeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. A logística é fundamental para o processo de resposta aos afetados. Este trabalho busca mostrar a importância da logística no apoio aos atingidos pelos desastres naturais, seja atuando com a logística humanitária para levar alívio às vítimas, ou com a logística empresarial, atuando na operação para apoiar na prevenção de desastres naturais e na estruturação de uma sociedade mais permeável. Para tal, uma pesquisa foi realizada junto à população da cidade para tentar entender as necessidades de uma sociedade sofrida com as inundações constantes. Serão examinados alguns cenários e propostas de soluções para apoiar na atuação da logística de maneira a minimizar as inundações no município. Por fim, apresentam-se dois cenários: um em que a logística humanitária atua na reconstrução de uma cidade destruída por um desastre natural e outro em que a logística empresarial atua na preparação de uma infraestrutura para prevenção de uma sociedade que poderá receber as chuvas de verão sem maiores transtornos.
Climate changes have become more frequent nowadays and some natural phenomena have been happening with more intensity. Every year, natural disasters occur and affect millions of people in the whole world, and Brazil is not immune to its effects. A natural disaster can happen at any moment and causes profound damages to societies. Working for minimizing the effects of natural disasters would be one of the suggestions of a case study about the floods that occur during summer in Santo Antonio de Pádua, a city located in the north west of Rio de Janeiro State. Logistics is crucial for the process of helping those affected. This work aims to show the importance of logistics for supporting the afflicted by natural disasters, be it working with humanitarian logistics in order to alleviate the suffering of victims, be it working with business logistics, acting in the operation to support the prevention of natural disasters and in the structuring of a more permeable society. To do so, a research was undertaken with the population of that city to understand the needs of a society that suffers with the constant floods. We will exam some of the scenarios as well as solutions proposed to support the work of logistics in order to minimizing the floods in the city. Eventually, two scenarios are presented: one in which the humanitarian logistics acts in the reconstruction of a city destroyed by a natural disaster and another in which the business logistics works in the provision of an infraestructure for prevention of a society that will be prepared to receive summer rains without major problems.

The document deals with the topic of electronic procurement with emphasis on process of its electronization using electronic tool Softender. The text is divided in two main parts -- First, theoretical part focuses on Public Produce Act analysis in relation to its forthcoming amendment. The practical part aims at functional description of electronic tool Softender. Inovations of such software solution and usage models are also discussed such as the marketing plan for the tool.

The goal of this thesis is to introduced the principles of access control technologies, the General Data Protection Regulation and the software for data leakage protection. An essential part of the work is a draft and implementation of the expansion module for user device authentication including shared storage access authorization. Therefore, this module allows to verify whether a user can access shared corporate resources. It also allows to enable or disable access based on specified attributes, such as the type of the protected service or user permission. The basic verification of the module's functionality is realized through different sets of tests and a virtual environment that simulates the corporate environment. The result of the draft is a module that allows to verify access based on the device, and this module is moreover integrated into the Safetica security platform.

The aim of the diploma thesis „BIKEZONE.CZ – bikeshop with flats“ is development of detailed documentation to build the bikeshop with flats for permanent living for sixty person on the land number 337/4, in the city named Hradec Králové – Kukleny. The building is designed with the master plan and the surrounding construction and appropriately mounted on the adjacent intersection. The building is designed as a four-floors, partial basement with two-floors bikeshop with own service and the flat part with seventeen flats of the size two or three bedrooms with kitchen. Next to building are designed two car parkings with capacity for 25 cars. The main entrance to the shop is from the street Pražská třída where is a parking for customers a the main entrace to the flat house is from the street Pálenecká. The supporting part will consist of a combination of sand-lime bricks KM BETA and monolithic ceiling and column. The non-supporting part will of sand-lime bricks KM BETA. The roof is flat with a waterproofing membrane of flexible PVC surcharge laundered gravel. Insulation of the building envelope will contact system ETICS terminated blending facade of dark and light gray colors. Doors and windows are wooden with golden oak color shade.

Syftet med studien är att presentera ett designkoncept för publika diskussioner på nätet med målet att uppnå djupare diskussioner och minska mängden information overload. Arbetet använder metoden Concept Driven Interaction Design (CDID) som går ut på att skapa ett designkoncept utifrån flera olika teorier som appliceras genom interaktionsdesign. Ett designkoncept innehåller tre delar: ett namn, ett syfte och huvudprinciper. CDID innehåller sju steg som arbetet är utformat efter: 1.      Concept Generation – Summeras i en tabell som jämför diskussioner i forum (med flera antagande) och diskussioner med hjälp av metoden Philosophy for Children (P4C), samt annan teori. 2.      Concept Exploration – Åtta olika designaspekter identifieras utifrån jämförelsetabellen. 3.      Internal Concept Critique – Designaspekterna jämförs med två snarlika diskussionsformat. 4.      Design of Artifacts – Designkoncept version 1 skapas. 5.      External Design Critique – Intervjuer utförs för att undersöka intervjupersonerna generella erfarenheter av online diskussioner, testar antagandena från jämförelsetabellen och ge direkt feedback på första versionen av designkonceptet. 6.      Concept Revisited – Ändringar görs baserat på intervjumaterial och direkt feedback. 7.      Concept Contextualization – Designkonceptet kopplas tillbaka till litteraturen. Studien resulterar i ett designkoncept kallat CoFramer och stödjer dessa huvudprinciper som ställs i kontrast till material som identifierats genom intervjuerna: Tabell 1: CoFramers huvudprinciper och faktorer från intervjuer om diskussioner på forum. CoFramers huvudprinciper | Från intervjuer om diskussioner på forum Strukturerad början och slut | Diskussion utan tydligt slut Begränsat antal deltagare | Stor mängd deltagare Minimum antal deltagare | Många inaktiva åskådare Explicita deltagare | Lite information om deltagare Gemensamma förutsättningar | Otydlighet kring deltagares förutsättningar Begränsad informationstäthet per inlägg | Långa inlägg och/eller snabba inlägg Den röda tråden och parallella trådar | Oftast parallella trådar Aktiv samtalsledare | Outredda missförstånd Studien indikerar på att CoFramer bör resultera i mer strukturerade diskussioner och som utsätter användaren för en lägre mängd information overload och mindre grounding cost jämfört med vad som vanligtvis uppstår i publika diskussioner online.
The focus of this essay is to develop a design concept for online public discussions with deep discussions and low information overload. The method used is Concept Driven Interaction Design (CDID) which involves constructing a design concept by applying a variety of theories in tangible interaction design. A design concept has three basic parts: a name, high-level goals and outlines generic principles. CDID includes seven steps which is used in this work: 1.      Concept Generation – Formatted into a table that compare forum discussion (with several hypothesis) compared to discussions with the method Philosophy for Children (P4C) and other theories. 2.      Concept Exploration – Eight distinct design aspects are identified from the comparison table. 3.      Internal Concept Critique – The design aspects are compared to three similar discussion formats. 4.      Design of Artifacts – Design concept version 1 is created. 5.      External Design Critique – Interviews are conducted to explore their general experience of online discussions, investigate the hypothesis from the comparison table and to seek direct feedback on the first draft of the design concept. 6.      Concept Revisited – Changes are made to the design concept based on the interview material and the direct feedback. 7.      Concept Contextualization – The design concept is related to the original literature. The result of the study is a design concept named CoFramer. CoFramer’s generic principles are summarized and contrasted against factors identified from the interview material in this table: Tabell 2: CoFramer’s generic principles and interviews about online discussions. CoFramer’s generic principles | From interview material on forum discussion Organized start and ending | Discussions without clear ending Limited number of participants | Large number of participants Minimum number of participants | Large number of inactive spectators Explicit participants | Low information about participants Common conditions | Vagueness in participants conditions Limited information density per post | Long posts and/or fast posts The red thread and parallel threads | Often parallel threads Active facilitator | Unresolved misunderstandings The study indicates that CoFramer would create more structured discussions with a lower amount of information overload and less grounding cost compared what normally arise in public online discussions.

The subject of this diploma thesis is the preparation of project documentation for the implementation of new sports and cultural centre Otradov. The dominant feature of the complex objects stands and multipurpose hall. The building is architecturally designed with an effort to fit in too much of rural architecture. Multipurpose hall has two floors, one third roofed flat roof, two-thirds of the roof ridge. The core system is aerated concrete blocks. The building is two-storey grandstand with the carrier deck. Roofing is solved by means of broken wooden beams. Sanitary facilities is dealt wall system and roofed shed roof. Athletics track, the surface of the polyurethane mixture designed for sports.

Water in 70 percent of the cities in the United States is hard enough that softening is either required or recommended. It is estimated that approximately 30 percent of all homes in the United States use water softeners. Water softeners, the cation exchange types suited for residential use, exchange sodium for the calcium and magnesium in water. The increase in sodium levels in the softened water caused by cation exchange softening is a direct function of the hardness level of the untreated water. For people who use groundwater, which has a relatively high level of naturally occurring sodium, magnesium and calcium, the additional sodium from cation exchange water softeners may create health hazards for the general population and could adversely affect those who are sensitive to salt or on low sodium diets. To prevent potential health hazards for the general population, no consumption of softened water by cation exchange water softeners should be recommended. If soft water is needed for some practical reasons, a "Separate Water Line System" should be recommended for homeowners.
Graduation date: 1991

碩士
國立高雄第一科技大學
環境與安全衛生工程研究所
100
In this study, a square fluidized pellet softener in the Cheng-Ching Lake Water Treatment Plant was diagnosed systematically to evaluate its flow condition and performance by analyzing total hardness, totoal alkalinity, pH, particle size of crystalized pellet, porosity, specific surface area and uniformity coefficient. . The measured total hardness and pH in the effluent from different directions in the pellet softener varied a lot and were susceptible to flow pattern and disproportionate dosing of NaOH due to the block of nozzle by crystallized CaCO3 so that it is hard to reach the chemical equilibrium between total hardness and M-alkalinity. At 0.5 - 2 m above the bottom of the pellet softener, the total hardness was the same as that in the effluent . Some root cause of operational problems were diagnosed in this study,such as the increase of turbidity in the effluent of pellet softner and the block of water and NaOH dosing nozzle, and the solution to each problem was proposed in this study. The specific surface area of carrier pellet was confirmed to be the key factor affecting the softening efficiency, and it is related to the size of seed and crystalized pellet as well as the porosity in the pellet softener. Although both upflow velocity and pellet size can affect porosity, the key factor is usually the pellet size because pellet softner is uaually operated in upflow velocity of 85 - 93 m/hr in full-scale plants. We propose an operational guideline to achieve good softening efficiency by controlling the porosity of 0.34 and pellet size of 1.05 mm at the height of 1.0 m above the bottom of the pellet softener, which corresponds to available specific surface area of 3,800 m2/m3. On the other hand, the performance of the softener can not be judged only according to the total hardness in the effluent. Therefore, we proposed to evaluate the softening efficiency by calculating the ratio of actual total hardness in the effluent to the theoretical total hardness chemically balanced from the dosage of NaOH which lies between 0 to 1. The higher the ratio is, the higher the softening efficiency is. Because taking samples for porosity analysis is labor and time-consuming, and the unequal drain of pellets at 1.5 m above the bottom of the pellet softener resulted in low porosity, the porosity models in the literatures can not be applied well for the calculation of porosity in this full-scale plant. Therefore, two porosity models were modified according to the experimental data and good fit can be achieved in this study. In order to reduce the time of adjusting the softening performance and to continue to monitor the flow pattern and softening performance after the maintenance the pellet softener, we established a standard operation process of filling seeding grains, sampling locations and frequencys as well as analyzing parameters. A simple way of estimating the the total hardness of effluent by measuring the pH of effluent was also proposed.

碩士
銘傳大學
企業管理學系碩士在職專班
101
In recent years, consumers have more awareness of health. Consumers buy all kinds of water filter as they concern the quality of drinking water from tap water. Consequently, the water filter manufacturers expand their sales every year, except Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. Due to limestone geology in Southern Taiwan, the tap water contains a lot of Ca、Mg which is called hard water. After boiling hard water, it will bring the white suspension and the general water filter cannot remove it. As the result, consumers in southern Taiwan do not trust the water filter. Moreover, it is a difficult sales situation for the water filter manufacturers. Company A launched the first water filter system in Taiwan. It combines with soft water function and sterilizing filter membrane that people can drink water without boiling. Company A expects to overcome sales difficulties of southern Taiwan. This research uses focus group interview and in-depth interviews from consumer and retailer perspectives. Results show consumers lack of knowledge about water and want to get more water information from water filter manufacturers or retailers. If consumers have more knowledge about water purification that they will trust the water filter manufacturers and their products more. Also, people are willing to buy water filter. The findings in this research have important implications in marketing strategies for water filter manufacturers and marketers.

碩士
靜宜大學
化粧品科學系
104
This study is to propose a novel method for determination regulations limits used sebum softener, such as Mandelic Acid,Salicylic acid and Resorcinol on detection in cosmetics. For this purpose, a fastly and convenient analytical instrument Capillary Electrophorsis (CE) combine with Dispersive liquid-liquid micro extraction (DLLME) was designed, and this parameters were studied by orthogonal experimental design and statistical analysis to optimize. The Taguchi Method was applied to at L16(215) and L18 (21×37) orthogonal experimental design. According to the number of chromatographic peaks, peak signal strength and retention time, separation voltage at -25 kV and a background electrolyte(BGE, 10 mM phosphate buffer at pH 9) were used. Sebum softeners in cosmetics were analyzed by CE at 220 nm. For measured in quantifying the collected solvent, the present work utilizes a self-designed glass tube in the extraction process. The optimum parameters for MA, SA and Res were investigated. Parameters influencing the extraction efficiency of DLLME-BE-CE, such as the extraction and dispersive solvent, solvent volume, and salt-addition were thoroughly investigated and optimized. After that, the maximum extraction efficiency was obtained by loading 20 µL 10mM HCl 3 mL sample solution, by the addition of 200 μL Octanol (extractant) and 80 μL Acetonitrile. Then the device was sealed with parafilm, and the cloudy solution was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 3min and the separated extractant was injected directly into CE for analysis. By the ANOVA(analysis of variance),we can find the parameters which influence the extraction solvent type and the optimum combination of parameter values. Under the selected conditions,determination of sebum softeners ranged in 10-2000 ng/mL. The coefficient of determination were obtained above 0.9935. Detection limits were achieved at the level of 0.5-6.7 ng/mL. Quantitative limits were achieved at the level of 2.7-18.4 ng/mL. The relative standard deviations of intra-day and inter-day precisions were 4.58-8.44 % and 7.35-15.68 %. The extraction time was less than 10 minutes. The results demonstrated that the proposed DLLME-BE-CE method provides a simple, rapid, inexpensive, convenient, eco-friendly and less matrix interferences process for the determination sebum softener in cosmetic samples.

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Biológica (área de especialização em Tecnologia Química e Alimentar)
Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo avaliar a ação de diferentes tipos de amaciador sobre substratos têxteis. Concretamente, pretende-se estudar a influência dos amaciadores na hidrofilidade, no toque, no grau de branco, no amarelecimento e na costurabilidade dos tecidos de algodão. Para tal, serão usados macro e micro amaciadores de silicone, amaciadores de polietileno e amaciadores de ácidos gordos, com caráter catiónico e não iónico. Os substratos têxteis foram amaciados por impregnação, recorrendo a um foulard laboratorial e a termofixação foi efetuada na estufa ThermoCenter da Salvis. A hidrofilidade foi avaliada pelo método de absorção da gota. O grau de branco e as coordenadas da cor foram medidos recorrendo ao espectrofotómetro Spectraflash SF-600 da Datacolor International através do método CIELab. Os ensaios relativos à costurabilidade foram efetuados através da medição das forças de penetração da agulha. Os resultados obtidos foram tratados estatisticamente usando para o efeito a aplicação informática EXCEL. A reprodutibilidade dos diferentes resultados para cada variável testada foi analisada com base no parâmetro de assimetria (média) e de dispersão (coeficiente de variação). Os resultados demonstraram que entre os amaciadores testados, os amaciadores de silicone foram os que apresentaram um melhor desempenho. O macro amaciador de silicone, Ledesoft MR, tem como principais caraterísticas conferir um toque agradável e encorpado e incrementar a costurabilidade. Este amaciador obteve os valores de (3,67±0,56) e (101,3±11,6) s para o toque e o tempo de absorção da gota, respetivamente. No ensaio da força de penetração da agulha obteve os valores de (142,9±40,8) cN, (183,4±49,8) cN e (-40,3±24,5) cN para o pico 1, 2 e 3, respetivamente. Por seu lado, o micro amaciador de silicone, Ledemin A2, tem como principais caraterísticas conferir hidrofilidade aos tecidos têxteis e manter o grau de branco, quando os substratos são submetidos a elevadas temperaturas. Este amaciador apresentou o valor de (3,3±0,6) s para o tempo de absorção da gota.
This work aims to evaluate the effects of different types of fabric softners on textile substrates. Specifically, to study the influence of softeners on the hydrophilicity, touch, degree of white, yellowing and sewability of cotton fabrics. To this end, will be used macro and micro silicone softeners, polyethylene softeners and fatty acids softeners with cationic and nonionic character. Textile substrates were softened by padding, using a laboratory padder and the heat setting was conducted in the greenhouse Thermocenter Salvis. The hydrophilicity was evaluated by the method of absorption of the drop. The degree of whiteness and color coordinates were measured using the Spectraflash SF-600 spectrophotometer from Datacolor International and the CIELab method. The assays for sewability were made by measuring the forces of needle penetration. The results were treated statistically using the program EXCEL. The reproducibility of the diferente results for each tested variable was analyzed on the basis of asymmetry (mean) and dispersion (standard deviation) parameters. The results showed that among test softeners, silicone softeners are those with better performance. The macro silicone softener, Ledesoft MR, has as principal characteristics a nice and bodied touch and a good sewability. This softener presented the values of (3,67±0,56) and (101,3±11,6) s to touch and absorption of the drop time, respectively. To the needle penetration forces the values obtained were (142,9±40,8) cN, (183,4±49,8) cN and (-40,3±24,5) cN to the peak 1,2 and 3, respectively. The micro silicone softener, Ledemin A2, has as main characteristics the ability to provide hydrophilicity to textile fabrics and maintain of whiteness degree, when the substrates are subjected to high temperatures. This softener presented the value of (3,3±0,6) s to the absorption of the drop time.

碩士
輔仁大學
織品服裝學系
90
This study primarily included two parts: the first part was to explore the effects of dyestuffs and dyeing on the antibacterial activity of cotton, nylon, and acrylic fabrics, the second part was to study the effects of fluorocarbon water repellent agent and quaternary ammonium salt softener on the antibacterial activity of cotton, nylon, and acrylic fabrics pre- treated with the antibacterial agent AEM5700, 3-(trimythoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride. There are some dyestuffs in the literature reviews which have special chemical structures and been applied independently as antibacterial agents before. However, in this study, we tried to explore whether or not the dyestuffs still can act as an antibacterial agent after been applied to textiles. There were 18 dyestuffs been selected according to their chemical structures, seven reactive dyes for cotton, seven acid dyes for nylon, and four basic dyes for acrylic. Based on the results of the antibacterial test, Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) L1902-1998 “Testing Method for Antibacterial of Textiles”, three dyestuffs out of 18 had bacterial inhibition values > 2.2 and admitted of the Japanese Association for the Function Evaluation of Textiles (JAFET) standard. They are C. I. Reactive Violet 5, C. I. Basic Yellow 28, and C. I. Basic Blue 3. All of the AEM5700 treated cotton, nylon, and acrylic fabrics admitted to the JAFET bacterial inhibition standard for both gram-positive germ- Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative germ- Escherichia coli. Once the AEM5700 pre-treated cotton, nylon, and acrylic fabrics further been treated with the fluorocarbon water repellent agent, however, none of them admitted of the JAFET bacterial inhibition standard. This could be the repellent film on the fabrics which blocked the antibacterial activity of the AEM5700 treated fabrics. Furthermore, the testing method used might not be the most suitable way to test the antibacterial performance of the above multi-treated fabrics. Finally, the quaternary ammonium salt softener treated cotton, nylon, and acrylic fabrics admitted of the JAFET bacterial inhibition standard. Moreover, the AEM5700 pre-treated cotton, nylon, and acrylic fabrics then treated with the quaternary ammonium salt softener still admitted of the JAFET bacterial inhibition standard.

碩士
國立暨南國際大學
土木工程學系
95
In this thesis the Softened Membrane Model (SMM) (Hsu and Zhu 2002), developed for predicting the behavior of RC membrane elements under shear, is extended to RC members subjected to torsion. This new analytical method, referred to as Softened Membrane Model for Torsion (SMMT), takes into account the strain gradient of concrete struts in the shear flow zone by making two modifications to the constitutive relationships of concrete: First, in the tensile stress-strain relationship of concrete, the pre-cracking stiffness and the strain at peak stress should each be increased by 45%. Second, the Hsu/Zhu ratio for torsion is taken as 80% of the Hsu/Zhu ratio for shear. As can the SMM model for shear, this new SMMT model can predict the entire torque-twist curve including the ranges before and after cracking, as well as the ascending and descending branches. The theoretical predictions from SMMT compare very well with the test data on torsion available in the literature.

碩士
中原大學
土木工程研究所
101
In this study, the main purpose is to develop a numerical program using cyclic softened membrane model (CSMM) of shear wall. This Program called CSPanel. The C++ programming language is used to write this numerical code. The CSPanel can be used to simulate having the normal stresses on the reinforced concrete (RC). CSPanel can output two stress Mohr circles of RC and concrete, and one concrete strain Mohr circles. In addition, the CSPanel have output files of the stress-strain relationships. In order to express the computing procedures of the CSMM, a simple flow chart is proposed. This CSMM flow char is easy to explain two concepts of the equilibrium and compatibility of RC. According to compare the experiments and the numerical results, they are very close. It confirms the effective and accurate of proposed two formulates of the concrete.

碩士
逢甲大學
土木及水利工程所
92
Low-rise RC buildings are very popular in Taiwan. The walls of those buildings are commonly infill with bricks or RC. The aim of this study is to establish a method, which can predict the seismic resistance of RC frames with bricks or RC infill. Integrating the column-beam theory with sectional analysis program (Response), the pushover analysis from the program SAP2000 is used to get the capacity curves of those brick/RC-infill frames. An ultimate-softened truss model is employed to model the force-displacement relationship of bricks or RC walls. The numerical results of proposed method show good agreement with experimental results obtained from domestic research unit recently.

Temperature, pressure, and length scale dependence of the solvation of simple solvophobic solutes is investigated in the Jagla liquid, a simple liquid consisting of particles that interact via a spherically symmetric potential combining hard and soft core interactions. The results are compared with identical calculations for a model of a typical atomic liquid, the Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential, and with predictions for hydrophobic solvation in water using the recently developed cavity equation of state and the extended simple point charge model. We find that the Jagla liquid captures the qualitative thermodynamic behavior of hydrophobic hydration as a function of temperature and pressure for both small and large length scale solutes. In particular, for both the Jagla liquid and water, we observe temperature-dependent enthalpy and entropy of solvation for all solute sizes as well as a negative solvation entropy for sufficiently small solutes at low temperature. This feature of water-like solvation is distinct from the strictly positive and temperature independent enthalpy and entropy of cavity solvation observed in the Lennard-Jones fluid. The results suggest that a competition between two energy scales that favors low-density, open structures as temperature is decreased is an essential interaction of a liquid that models hydrophobic hydration. In addition the Jagla liquid dewets surfaces of large radii of curvature less readily than the Lennard-Jones liquid, and the so-called ``length scale crossover'' in solvation, whereby solvation free energies change from scaling with the solute volume to scaling with the solute surface area, occurs at length scales that are larger relative to the solvent size. Both features reflect a greater flexibility or elasticity in the Jagla liquid structure than that of a typical liquid, similar to water's ability to maintain its hydrogen bond network. The implications of the differences in crossover behavior between water-like and typical liquids are examined in the context of a simple thought experiment on the aggregation of solvophobic solutes that builds on ideas from Chandler and Rajamani et al. We find that water-like crossover behavior exposes a size range of solvophobic aggregates to destabilization upon cooling and pressurizing, which may thereby precipitate phenomena such as cold and pressure denaturation of proteins. Statistics of density fluctuations, void space, and pair distributions are analyzed for molecular-scale volumes. The pair distribution functions are used to provide an estimate of the size of the Jagla particle with a physical basis. The void distributions are observed to be distinct in the three liquids, with low temperature distributions in the LJ and Jagla liquids demonstrating a high degree of skewness. The void distributions observed in LJ liquid are hard sphere-like, while those of water and the Jagla liquid exhibit a higher degree of density inhomogeneity relative to a hard sphere system. The well-known Gaussian behavior of density fluctuations in molecular volumes in water is not generally observed in other liquids, as evidenced by the fact that this behavior is not consistently observed in either the LJ or the Jagla liquids. An exploratory study of the effects of explicit solvent on the sequence energy landscape of model heteropolymers has been performed. For a fixed set of configurations, the energy landscape of all possible sequences taken from a two letter alphabet consisting of only solvophilic and solvophobic monomers is characterized at different solvent temperatures. Non-trivial solvent and temperature effects are manifest in the distribution of sequences, confirming that the negation of these effects may have profound consequences on designability.
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Articular cartilage functions successfully as a compression load-bearing tissue by virtue of the functional interplay between a 3-dimensional structure of collagen fibrils and the entrapped water-swollen proteoglycan molecules. Crucial to this entrapment process is a mechanism or set of mechanisms that maintain the collagen fibrils in a finely divided interconnected configuration that immobilises the macro-molecular proteoglycan complexes. Any loss of interconnectivity in the collagen network that might reduce the constraints on the swelling tendency of the proteoglycan domains will lead to a lower matrix stiffness. There are some structural similarities between this less stiff or abnormally softened cartilage and the degenerative osteoarthritic matrix, although ultrastructural studies to date are somewhat limited. The primary objective of the research reported in this thesis was to investigate the fibrillar architecture in the general matrix of both the normal and abnormally softened cartilage matrices. The fibrillar architectures of the normal and abnormally softened general matrices were compared using Nomarski light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with combined stereoscopic reconstruction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As reported earlier by Broom (1984b), a pseudo-random network developed from an overall radial arrangement of collagen fibrils is the most fundamental ultrastructural characteristic of the normal general matrix. By contrast, this present investigation has shown that the most distinctive feature of the softened matrix is the presence of parallel and relatively unentwined fibrils, strongly aligned in the radial direction. A structural model illustrating the transformation from the normal to the softened matrix is proposed based on the important property of lateral interconnectivity in the fibrils which involves both entwinement and non-entwinement based interactions. The distribution of proteoglycans in the normal and the softened matrix was compared. The distribution of Type II collagen was investigated using immunohistochemical staining combined with confocal imaging. It is concluded that the Type II fibrils do persist in the altered matrix thus adding further experimental support for the proposed transformation model. The swelling behaviour of the general matrix of both normal and abnormally softened articular cartilage was compared by subjecting tissue specimens under different modes of constraint to a high swelling bathing solution of distilled water and comparing structural changes imaged at the macroscopic, microscopic and ultramicroscopic levels of resolution. Near-zero swelling was observed in the isolated normal general matrix with minimal structural change. By contrast, the similarly isolated softened general matrix exhibited large-scale swelling in both the transverse and radial directions. This difference in dimensional stability was attributed to fundamentally different levels of fibril interconnectivity between the two matrices. The structural transformation model was further developed to accommodate fibrillar rearrangements associated with the large-scale swelling in the radial and transverse directions in the softened general matrix.

碩士
國立中山大學
物理學系研究所
90
Abstract The softening effects of ferromagnetic magnon on some ferromagnetic semiconductors and colossal magnetoresistance manganites have attracted much attention. Such effect can be calculated from the single orbital ferromagnetic Kondo lattice model in proper conducting carrier numbers utilizing the equation of motion method with one magnon excitation and Random Phase approximations. However, if we take into account the Coulomb repulsion and use the Gutzwiller projection method to transfer this repulsion force to conducting bandwidth modulation, the softening effect disappear. This paper describes qualitively the effect of softening on properties of different colossal manganites.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
土木工程學研究所
97
Several studies showed that the eccentricity between beam and column connections has a detrimental effect on the joint shear strength. With regard to this issue, current ACI 318-08 code restricts the average shear stress on a horizontal plane within the joint, which equals to the effective joint width times column depth. The formula of effective joint width given in ACI 318-08 may be too conservative for eccentric beam-column joints. This thesis suggests a more rational formula of effective joint width associated with the softened strut-and-tie (SST) model for eccentric beam-column joints. Using the proposed effective joint width, the shear strength predictions of SST model agreed well with the results of 18 eccentric joint specimens failed in shear. Several available definitions of effective joint width are also used together with proposed effective joint width to estimate joint shear strength using the average joint shear stress limits given in ACI 318-08 design equation. This combination was successfully verified with available 126 beam-column joints with or without eccentricity in literature. Analysis shows that proposed effective joint width can well predict joint shear strength of eccentrically connected beam-column joints and preserves the accuracy of current adopted effective joint width in ACI 318-08. Furthermore, some sensitivity analysis are performed to justify several assumptions.

碩士
國立成功大學
建築學系碩博士班
90
As Taiwan located at the Circum-Pacific seismic zone, earthquakes occur very frequently. The investigation of seismic damage in recent years revealed that the damage of school buildings was much more serious than others due to the shear failure of the columns in the direction paralleled to the corridor at the bottom floor. Oppositely, some buildings were damaged very lightly because of the applicable walls set at both sides of the columns, which formed the so-called column with wing walls, that strengthened the aseismic ability in the direction paralleled to the corridor of the buildings very much. This paper is concerned with the investigation of the seismic behavior of column with wing walls subjected to cyclic loading. Fifteen specimens were studied, including six with column and wing walls cast individually and nine with column and wing walls cast as a unity. The influence of the width of wing walls, the thickness of wing walls and the reinforcement ratio of wing walls were fully investigated. Softened truss model was used to analyze the shear strength and the shear deformation of the specimens subjected to cyclic loading. And the analytical results were compared to the test result. The conclusions of this paper are: 1.The ultimate seismic resistant force of column with wing walls ascended one time provided that each side of wing walls possessed the same width as the column. 2.The structural behavior of a column with wing wall tends to column model when the wing wall width of each side is less than the column width. However, the shear resistant effect is affirmative when the width of wing wall is increased. 3.The shear resistance of column with wing walls ascended obviously when both the sectional area and width of wing walls were larger than column. 4.The test result revealed that the ultimate strength of the specimens with column and wing walls cast individually were about 80~90% of that of the specimens with column and wing walls cast as a unity. 5.The comparison between the test result and the analytical result for the shear strength and the shear deformation with softened truss model were found to be in good agreement.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
土木工程學研究所
104
The ACI 318-14 design procedure for a coupling beam or a grade beam with clear span-depth ratio less than or equal to 4 , which are considered as deep reinforced concrete members, still has some problems need to be investigated. For example, the ACI approach for a deep coupling beam is argued because it determines the amount of diagonal reinforcement to meet shear demands by ignoring the contribution of concrete, which might cause over-supply of diagonal bars and adverse effects to the coupled wall system. The ACI 318-14 is also criticized for lack of specific provision for an intermediate span-depth ratio coupling beam , as it gives engineers freedom to choose either a diagonal or a conventional reinforcement layout, without knowing the consequences. Besides, the ACI strut-and-tie model approach for a grade beam is quite complicated and may not practical for engineering use. Based on the findings from a six-year experimental and analytical program of previous projects about coupling beams in National Taiwan University from 2010 through 2015, this study continues developing proposed design procedures for coupling beams, which suggest proportioning the amount of flexural reinforcement to meet flexural demand at the Design Based Earthquake (DBE) level. Then, by adopting a capacity concept, the design procedures intend to provide sufficient shear strength at Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) level to resist plastic shear demand. In addition, design procedures based on softened strut-and-tie model are developed for grade beams. Five numerical examples of coupling beams and grade beams are also included for illustration

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
營建工程系
88
The analysis of softer first story and structural reinforced ABSTRACT Among a building if there was one story which was softer than another，it would occur a large displacement and absorb much earthquake-energy during earthquake. When the ductility ability of this story was over then this building maybe collapse. This paper probe a fourteen story RC building which the first story height 6.9m and has opening space design and consider the exist of the wall. Using ETABS program to analyze this problem.Then choose many structural reinforced nethods.Try and Error. I wish make the best choose.

碩士
國立中央大學
土木工程研究所
92
This thesis comes from an idea of Hakuto’s shear degradation curve provided in 1990’s, proposing a rationally theoretical model verified basing on experimental data. The purpose of this study is to simulate the beam-column joint using a panel truss model via present concrete softened theories to find out the degradation curve of joint. Meanwhile, the analytical results of shear. Degradation on curves of beam-column joints can offer a tool for the seismic assessment of building structures. Results show, in order to predict the ultimate joint stress, the ratio of joint reinforcement have to properly reduce, restricting to the assumption of distributed joint reinforcement of the panel analysis. To obtain joint shear degradation curve, previous softened concrete models are adopted. According to data fitting, 1995’s Belarbi and Hsu softened model with Thorefeldt can simulate the behavior of beam-column joint well. However, it needs more experimental verification.

碩士
國立中興大學
動物科學系所
106
Consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) softened food will be increased due to convenience, personality and the requirement of nutrition. Thermal sterilization is one of the most effective to manufacture softened foods in food supply, however, the texture of these products were destroyed seriously and resulted in very low acceptance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate 1) effect of different heating time at 105±2℃ on the quality of softened cabbage meat rolls during refrigerated storage at 12±2℃ for 8 weeks. 2) effect of different heating time at 105±2℃ on the quality of softened cabbage meat rolls during refrigerated storage at 4±2℃ for 12 weeks. The first experiment–effects of 105±2℃ for 40, 50 and 60 mins (105-40, 105-50 and 105-60) on the quality of softened cabbage meat rolls during refrigerated storage at 12±2℃ for 8 weeks. The results were showed that the pH of all products maintained stable before storage 4 weeks, then the pH of all products decreased with storage time. The pH of 105-40 was significantly lower than the others after the week 5 during storage. Aspect of microbial quality, the shelf life of ≦5 log CFU/g of TPC in 105-40, 105-50 was at week 4 and 105-60 was at week 6, separately. Furthermore, the shelf life of ≦5 log CFU/g of LAB in three treatments showed at week5 (105-40&105-50) and 7 (105-60). On the other hand, TBA and CD values of 105-40 were significantly higher than the other treatments during storage. The results also indicated that a fast oxidation in fat was occurred in the product of 105-40. The aspects of texture, the hardness value of 105-60 was lower and there was no significant difference (P>0.05), among treatments during storage. In sensory evaluation, the overall acceptance scores of products of 105-40 and 105-50 were lower than 4 at week 5 and the same condition was found at week 6 for 105-60. In experiment 2, during storage at 4±2℃ for 12 weeks, the quality of products in three treatments (105-40, 105-50 and 105-60) were performed with the same as the experiment 1. The results were showed that pH, color analysis and CD had no significant differences among treatments during storage. The hardness of 105-60 was lower but TBA value of 105-40 was higher than the other treatments (P＜ 0.05) after 9 week during storage. In microbial quality, TPC and LAB of products in all treatments maintained stable and were lower than 4.5 log CFU/g during storage. In sensory, with the exception that the juiciness score of 105-40 was lower than the others by ≥ 50 year old panelists in this study, there were no significant differences in the other sensory items among treatments during storage. In conclusion, the quality of products of heating at 105±2℃ for 40, 50 and 60 min can be maintained stable during storage at 4±2℃ for 12 weeks. Therefore, this thermal processing technique could be applied to develop softened meat products in the future.

碩士
中國文化大學
應用化學研究所
94
The earth is rich with Silicon; it is the seventh most abundant element in the universe and the second most abundant (approximately 29%) element in the earth's crust. The non-organic compounds has being in use since a long time. They have been processed amongst others to ceramics, glass, and packaging for semi-conductor Flip chips. Although the non-organic compounds of Silicon had been successfully compounded only nearly 60 years ago, the development is rapid. In recent years, they are greatly used for fabrics and medical equipments. There are about sixty to seventy thousands of different constructers of silicon compounds. It is the most researched compound besides organic compound（include C，O，N，H ..） Due to poly(dimethyl siloxane)’s many positive characters, it had become a widely used and high-end material after years of research and improvements. Materials Science is one of the key issues of inland development, especially the research on functional poly materials is essential to boost Taiwan’s economic and escalate scientific levels. The research of this disquisition is based on reaction of Si-Compound of Silicone Oil 、AGE and (2-methyl-1,Diamino-Pentane) to produce cationic-based deodorant softener, and remove harmful chlo.rine by reaction of exchange . The instances are shown and supported by IR spectra.

碩士
中原大學
土木工程研究所
95
Abstract For reinforced concrete structures, RC walls would be the most economic and useful members to resist earthquakes. Because RC walls have very high stiffness and strength, most force of earthquake would be communicated to it, when earthquakes happened. Thus, it would protect safeties of other beams and columns from earthquake. Hence if we can use the processes of nonlinearly pushover analysis to predict that the mechanism behavior of RC walls by ETABS. It will be very helpful for seismic evaluation of old buildings. This study is based on the theory of Softened Strut-and-Tie Model and the resultants of analysis of 30 groups which are single or two layers specimens of RC frames with RC infills. We hope the parameters of plastic hinges of nonlinear behavior modeling of RC walls. And it is convenient and reasonable analysis modeling for engineers.

碩士
國立暨南國際大學
土木工程學系
100
A rational model called the Softened Membrane Model for Torsion (SMMT) has recently been proposed, which can predict the entire torque-twist curve of reinforced concrete (RC) members, including the cracking point. The present study modifies and extends the SMMT to prestressed concrete (PC) members and creates a preliminary analytical model called the SMMT-PC for torsion in PC members. A total of 62 torsional PC beam specimens are collected from the literature and some of them are excluded based on three criteria, leaving a total of 44 eligible specimens. The SMMT-PC is used to analyze the 44 specimens. The results show that the SMMT-PC overestimates the torques for the specimens with heavier prestressing. Two linear multipliers are proposed to modify the predicted cracking and ultimate torques. The modified values of the predicted cracking and ultimate torques are in good agreement with test data.

In the late-1960s, a handful of young, countercultural Americans, inspired by E. F. Schumacher’s concept of “intermediate technology,” founded the Appropriate Technology, or AT, movement in the United States. Although Schumacher’s project focused upon the ways in which technologically sustainable methods could gently and prudently support the modernization of underdeveloped nations, American proponents of AT recognized, in this approach, an opportunity to mitigate the overdevelopment of the Western world. By advocating, promoting, and effecting sustainable techniques from a grassroots to governmental level, practitioners of appropriate technology sought to prevent the further environmental, economic, and social degradation of American communities. The mission of AT was synergistic: by implementing “appropriate” methods of energy production, building design, transportation, education, health care, and communications, appropriate technologists attempted to create comprehensive change. This disciplinary and conceptual inclusivity encouraged the organization of a diversity of AT proponents into cooperative, multifunctional groups, which acted both from within governmental bureaucracy, in the case of California’s Office of Appropriate Technology and the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and outside the Establishment, in the case of the New Alchemy Institute and RAIN collective. My dissertation centers upon these four groups – in particular, their realized projects, community outreach programs, and numerous publications – emphasizing the ways in which the initial philosophy, politics, and focus of AT evolved as the movement transitioned from a countercultural pipe dream to a widely supported solution for America’s energy problems in the wake of the 1973 Oil Crisis.