Teses / dissertações sobre o tema "Track and Trace"

Counterfeit products, particularly pharmaceuticals, electronic devices, and apparels, are widespread. They threaten consumer safety and cause huge economic losses to licit supply chain partners and governments. Although a number of traditional anti-counterfeiting technologies, such as holograms and chemical tags, are available to combat counterfeiting, they are vulnerable to imitation or being reused. Besides, these technologies are intended to protect individual items, rather than to safeguard an entire supply chain. As such, fake products may likely be injected into the supply chain to hurt end-consumers. Track-and-trace technology based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has recently emerged as a promising tool to combat counterfeiting, because of its automatic and non-line-of-sight capability to identify massive product items. By maintaining an electronic pedigree (e-pedigree) that records the transaction information of product items along the supply chain, this approach stands out for protecting the supply chain against infiltration, eliminating theft and fraud, facilitating recall of defective products, and supporting remote authentication. However, a number of technical and critical issues have yet to be solved for practical implementation of RFID-based track-and-trace anti-counterfeiting. These include generation of accurate initial product e-pedigree in fast moving manufacturing lines, precise e-pedigree updating in batch product distributing and receiving, and fast e- pedigree queries for remote and real-time product authentication from end-customers. Without fully addressing these issues, the accumulated product e-pedigree data would be untrustworthy, rendering any subsequent operations of track-and-trace and product authentication unreliable. This thesis investigates the crucial implementation issues in RFID-based track-and-trace anti-counterfeiting. It firstly presents an innovative track-and-trace anti-counterfeiting system, based on which a TDPS algorithm is proposed for generation of initial product e-pedigree in fast moving production lines. The TDPS overcomes many practical issues, such as tag writing error and tag locking failure, and helps identify the bottleneck of initial product e-pedigree generation. To tackle the bottleneck, the TDPS is further optimized by incorporating a block writing method to enhance the tag EPC writing efficiency and an integration method to balance the overhead of RFID equipment. In product distributing and receiving, a mechanized 3D scanning method is proposed to improve bulk item identification rate and enhance the accuracy and completeness of product e-pedigree. Indeed, RFID-based track-and-trace anti-counterfeiting mandates a relatively high bulk item identification rate for product authentication and e-pedigree updating. Experimental results demonstrate that the mechanized 3D scanning can achieve a bulk item reading rate of up to 98.9%, which largely outperforms the widely documented bulk reading rate (70%) in real applications. In retailing level, the efficiency of e-pedigree queries would hugely impact on customer shopping experience and the effectiveness of track-and-trace anti-counterfeiting. A partition-based method is therefore developed to cluster product e-pedigree data to improve the speed of e-pedigree queries. This approach partitions the accumulated e-pedigree data into fixed and dynamic groups, such that queries are conducted mainly on active data, rather than on the whole historical data sets. By addressing the above key issues, this thesis contributes to making implementation of RFID-based track-and-trace anti-counterfeiting practically viable and reliable.
published_or_final_version
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Master
Master of Philosophy

Supply chain visibility has become a crucial factor for companies in times of globalization and customer satisfaction. Track-and-trace technologies are important tools in order to enhance supply chain visibility. This thesis was written in cooperation with a Swedish retailer and evaluates potential track-and-trace technologies in order to develop a solution to close their current track-and-trace gap in their outbound logistics. Currently the handover point between the retailer and the postal service provider is not clearly defined, so that shipments get lost during the transition. Therefore, a literature review about currently used track-and-trace technologies was carried out. Several technologies with a wide price and applicability range are currently used and have been analysed regarding their strength and weaknesses. A qualitative study in form of interviews was conducted within the Swedish market about how this gap could possibly be closed. Empirical findings show that the existing track-and-trace technologies do not provide a best practice solution. Especially in the field of outbound logistics, several factors and the individual process requirements of a company have to be considered in order to develop an efficient solution, so that the existing track-and-trace gap can be closed. Each company has its unique set of challenges, which have to be solved in order to successfully implement a long- lasting tracking solution. A high dependence from the postal service provider is additionally given since all process steps need to be aligned to guarantee reliability of the data afterwards. In the case of the Swedish retailer, an automatized scanning bow with a separated area for outbound parcels is expected to improve transparency of the handover and lower the total amount of lost shipments. The breakeven point would be reached within the next years, so that operational saving could soon be achieved. Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, as well as significant problems of the retailer, the practical application could not be tested. It should therefore be part of further academic studies.

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, supports a successful fishery in the Atlantic Ocean and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, with a total landing of 8,158,788 lb. and a total value of $10,562,128 for the state of Florida during 2012 (FWC 2012 Annual Landings Summary). An accurate and comprehensive understanding of the blue crab's life history and seasonal migration behavior is essential in defining effective management strategies for the fishery. Tag recapture studies and ultrasonic tracking methods for studying blue crab migrations are costly in terms of time and resources. In this study an alternative approach, microchemical natural tagging, was successfully used to determine a female's mating habitat. This approach assumes that the exoskeleton of the post-terminal molt female blue crab reflects the mating habitat's chemical signature and that the chemical signals are stable over time. To test these hypotheses, mature female blue crabs were collected from two Tampa Bay locations. Collected crabs were placed in tanks for 29 days, a subset was sacrificed at T = 0 and then twice per week, and the exoskeletons were analyzed via Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Elemental Analyzer Infrared Mass Spectrometry (EA-IRMS) to observe the stability of the exoskseletal chemical signature over time. Over the 29 day time series, no significant change in the concentrations of Li, Ca, and Ba, or the isotopic ratios of 13C/12C (δ13C) and 15N/14N (δ15N) were observed (ANOVA p-value > 0.05). A Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates (CAP)-based discriminate analysis with leave-one-out cross-validation collectively compared Li concentrations, δ13C, and δ15N among five Tampa Bay locations, producing a confusion matrix successfully classifying field collected crabs into: Alafia River 33%#37;, Little Manatee River 71%#37;, Palm River 67%#37;, Safety Harbor 30%#37;, and Skyway Fishing Pier 83%#37;, with an overall classification success of 66%#37;. These results suggest that the largest biomass component of the migratory pulse collected near the mouth of Tampa Bay was dominated by crabs originating from an area not widely harvested by commercial fishermen, as relatively few of the migrating females were matched to riverine locations that were intensively fished. Instead, most appeared to originate from open waters of Tampa Bay. It is possible that low densities of blue crab inhabiting a large area that is not commercially fished, effectively shields a proportion of the individuals in the Tampa Bay estuary from economic exploitation, creating a density-dependent natural harvest refugium.

Rhyolites of the Picabo volcanic field (10.4-6.6 Ma) of the Yellowstone hotspot in eastern Idaho are preserved as thick ignimbrites and lavas along the margins of the Snake River Plain. This study presents new O and Hf isotope data and U-Pb geochronology from individual zircons, O isotope data from major phenocrysts, whole rock Sr and Nd isotope data, whole rock geochemistry, and trace element and volatile analyses of quartz-hosted melt inclusions, which were used to characterize the evolution of rhyolite generation through the eruptive sequence. The chemical composition of the first eruption of the caldera complex, the Tuff of Arbon Valley, suggests magma generation through repeated magma injection into the crust, remelting, crystallization, mixing, and crustal assimilation. Subsequent eruptions have diverse and low δ18O signatures indicating rhyolite generation through the remelting of variably hydrothermally altered volcanics, followed by rapid batch assembly. This thesis includes co-authored material previously published.

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Tese (Doutoramento)
IPEN/T
Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

La première partie de cette thèse porte sur l'amélioration de l'algorithme de l'étape d'initiation de reconstruction des traces de hadrons et de muons au sein du trajectographe au silicium de l'expérience CMS. Les différentes étapes de mise au point et de tests, qui ont permis d'aboutir à la qualification de ce nouvel algorithme en tant que méthode standard d'initiation de la reconstruction des traces, sont présentées dans ce document.La deuxième partie concerne la mise en place d'une méthode alternative de mesure de la section efficace de production des paires top-antitop dans l'expérience CMS lors du démarrage du LHC. Cette analyse est effectuée à partir du canal de désintégration semi-muonique avec au moins un muon supplémentaire provenant d'un des quarks bottom et a été réalisée en simulation complète démontrant ainsi la possibilité d'une “redécouverte” possible du quark top avec 5 pb-1. Les 2.4 pb-1 de données réelles obtenues à la fin du mois d'Août m'ont permis d'observer les premières paires top-antitop et d'effectuer une première mesure de section efficace : 171±77(stat.) ±27(syst.) pb
The first part of this thesis is about the improve made to the seeding algorithm of track reconstruction for the hadrons and the muons in the silicon tracker of the CMS experiment. The different stages from the creation to the tests, which allowed us to qualify this new algorithm as the standard seeding for tracks reconstruction, are presented in this document. The second part is dedicated to the creation of an alternative method to measure the cross-section of the top-antitop pairs production in the CMS experiment at the LHC launch. This analysis has been made using the channel of the semi-muonic decay with at least one another muon coming from a bottom quark and has been studied on full simulation showing the feasibility to “re-discover” the top quark with 5 pb-1. The 2.4 pb-1 of data collected by the end of august have allowed me to observe the first top-antitop pairs and to make the first cross-section measurement: 171±77(stat.) ±27(syst.) pb

This thesis deals with knowledge management at companies in the Falun-Borlänge region. The purpose is to create better understanding of which path companies have chosen and why, respectively. A qualitative survey seeks to discover if companies have chosen IT track or people track. This is a practical and useful model for an evaluative study. In the same context, a number of important models for evaluating knowledge management are presented.

The result shows that the companies provide a multitude of training within several frameworks. Education is mostly provided in a traditional manner but there are many examples of interactive state-of-the-art training. Furthermore, most of the companies primarily focus upon people and processes, but some focus at technical facilities as well. In some cases are the technical frameworks used for support of core processes.

Les rayonnements ionisants sont connus pour induire des dommages critiques au sein de la matière biologique et spécialement au sein de l’ADN. Parmi ces dommages, les cassures doubles brins de l’ADN (DSB) sont considérées comme les principales responsables des effets létaux des rayonnements. Comprendre et prédire comment ces cassures sont créées et réparées dans les noyaux cellulaires demeure un défi dans la recherche en radiobiologie. Ce travail s’inscrit dans ce contexte, dans la modélisation des cassures double brin de l’ADN (DSB) à partir des dépôts d’énergie créés par l’irradiation au niveau intracellulaire. Le détail topologique au niveau nanométrique des dépôts d’énergie nécessaire à ce travail est obtenu par modélisation Monte Carlo à l’aide du code Geant4 et, en particulier son extension Geant4-DNA pour des processus à très faible énergie. Les dommages étudiés étant ceux localisés dans l’ADN, le premier objectif de ce travail a été de réaliser une géométrie détaillée de celui-ci afin de l’implémenter dans les calculs Monte Carlo. Deux types de noyaux cellulaires, représentant un fibroblaste et un endothélium, ont été décrits afin d’évaluer l’influence de la densité d’ADN dans les résultats sur la topologie des dépôts pouvant donner lieux à des cassures de la molécule. Cette géométrie nous permet d’effectuer une première sélection des dépôts d’énergie pouvant contribuer aux cassures car situées sur la chaîne sucre-phosphate. Ces dépôts sont ensuite analysés à l’aide d’un algorithme de clustérisation de manière à les regrouper sous forme d’agrégats afin d’étudier leur localisation et complexité. Néanmoins, dans cette étude, seule les interactions physiques entre les rayonnements ionisants et la cible sont modélisées, il n’est donc pas possible d’obtenir un nombre absolu de cassures de brins car cette modélisation n’inclue pas l’étape de création et de transport des radicaux libres pouvant donner lieu à des dommages indirects. Ainsi, le but de ce travail était d’évaluer la dépendance relative des dommages radio-induits directs avec la densité d’ADN, la qualité du rayonnement, la morphologie du noyau ou encore la condensation de la chromatine. Les différentes modélisations réalisées ont permis de quantifier l’influence de ces différents paramètres dans le nombre et la complexité des dommages directs induits dans l’ADN, pouvant ensuite contribuer aux effets tardifs sur le devenir cellulaire
Ionizing radiations are known to induce critical damages on biological matter and especially on DNA. Among these damages, DNA double strand breaks (DSB) are considered as key precursor of lethal effects of ionizing radiations. Understand and predict how DNA double and simple strand breaks are created by ionising radiation and repaired in cell nucleus is nowadays a major challenge in radiobiology research. This work presents the results on the simulation of the DNA double strand breaks produced from the energy deposited by the irradiation at the intracellular level. At the nanometric scale, the only method to accurately simulate the topological details of energy deposited on the biological matter is the use of Monte Carlo codes. In this work, we used the Geant4 Monte Carlo code and, in particular, the low energy electromagnetic package extensions, referred as Geant4-DNA processes.In order to evaluate DNA radio-induced damages, the first objective of this work consisted in implementing a detailed geometry of the DNA on the Monte Carlo simulations. Two types of cell nuclei, representing a fibroblast and an endothelium, were described in order to evaluate the influence of the DNA density on the topology of the energy deposits contributing to strand breaks. Indeed, the implemented geometry allows the selection of energy transfer points that can lead to strand breaks because they are located on the backbone. Then, these energy transfer points were analysed with a clustering algorithm in order to reveal groups of aggregates and to study their location and complexity.In this work, only the physical interactions of ionizing radiations are simulated. Thus, it is not possible to achieve an absolute number of strand breaks as the creation and transportation of radical species which could lead to indirect DNA damages is not included. Nevertheless, the aim of this work was to evaluate the relative dependence of direct DNA damages with the DNA density, radiation quality, cell nuclei morphology or also chromatin condensation. The results presented in this work have allowed the quantification of the influence of these different parameters in the number and complexity of directs DNA damages which can then contribute to the late effects on cell fate

Purpose: In this study, areas of use of blockchain technology in transportation management will be discussed. The purpose is to contribute with theoretical research of advantages and disadvantages of blockchain technology in transportation management before an implementation at Rhenus Logistics.   Methodology: Through interviews and literature, ways of using blockchain in transportation management is researched. A case study is set up, to further analyze the research topic from the view of an individual third-party logistic company.  Findings: Results showed that for a third-party logistic provider to successfully use blockchain technology within transportation management, it is important to have the entire network onboard in the process. If so, functionalities such as track and trace, digital handling of paperwork and smart contracts could be used. The advantages of using blockchain technology for transportation management at Rhenus Logistics were found to be trust, transparency, traceability, efficiency, cost-saving opportunities and the use of smart contacts. Identified disadvantages for Rhenus Logistics was that blockchain is costly, stakeholders are hesitant to get involved, smart contracts are not considerate of blurry lines in real life practice and there is a challenge in finding an accurate blockchain design for their business model.

PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO
Le dispositif analytique, tel que circonscrit par Freud et Lacan ne fonctionne pas sans le corps. Mais qu est que c est un corps? La naissance de la science moderne introduit dans le monde le sujet sans substance. Tandis la science le foraclôt, la psychanalyse le prends dans ce même point. De l image avec tous ses effets de capture sur le vif, à travers le corps qui trouve son homologie avec l inconscient, dans les trous qui résonnent entre eux, nous voyons l objet d entrer en jeu pour mettre la substance qui donne au sujet logique son support. La théorie du significant dessine la surface défini autour du trou sur laquelle on fonctionne. Mais la clinique nous confronte aux manifestations qu exigent un autre pás au de là de la surface définie autour du trou, du reste et de l Autre. Lacan va conduire à une reprise de ces opérations, détachant la dimension de la lettre, a partir du significant, ce qui jette des nouvelles balises d orientation et ausse implique un nouvel appareil pour la lecture. Pour concluire nous explorons les possibilités de théorisation de la lettre dans la clinique, à partir d un cas qui prend l objet petit a comme une cause, mais aussi ouvre la voie de la recherche autour de la réitération de la jouissance comme fondement de l écriture dans la psychanalyse.
O dispositivo analítico, tal como circunscrito por Freud e Lacan não opera sem o corpo. Mas de que corpo se trata? Com o nascimento da ciência moderna introduz-se no mundo o sujeito sem substância. Enquanto a ciência o foraclui, a psicanálise nasce neste mesmo ponto, recolhendo-o. Da imagem com todos os seus efeitos de captura sobre o vivente, passando pelo corpo que encontra sua homologia com o inconsciente, a partir dos furos que ressoam entre eles, veremos o objeto a vir colocar em jogo a substância que dá esteio ao sujeito lógico. A teoria do significante constitui os contornos da superfície sobre a qual operamos definida em torno do furo, efeito de traço. Mas a clínica nos confronta com manifestações que colocam situações que exigem um passo a mais em relação à superfície definida em torno do furo, do Outro e do resto. Destacando do significante a dimensão da letra, Lacan nos conduzirá a uma retomada dessas operações que lança novas balizas de orientação e implica em um novo aparato de leitura. Para concluir, exploramos as possibilidades da teorização da letra na clínica, a partir de um caso clinico que conjuga o objeto como causa, mas a partir do qual investigamos as possibilidades da perspectiva da reiteração do gozo como fundamento da escrita de que se trata na psicanálise.

[ES] La simulación de transitorios forma parte del proceso de licenciamiento de una central nuclear. Esto implica que los códigos, así como los modelos utilizados deben estar verificados y validados. Normalmente, esta simulación se realiza con códigos termohidráulicos de planta que tienen una definición de la cinética del reactor muy simplificada con cinética puntual o unidimensional. Una mejora importante en la simulación de transitorios base de diseño se basa en la utilización de códigos acoplados termohidráulico-neutrónicos, que permiten obtener resultados sobre la evolución de la potencia del reactor en tres dimensiones. Los códigos neutrónicos 3D necesitan parámetros de la cinética y secciones eficaces también en 3D ajustados al punto del ciclo que se quiere simular y que abarquen las condiciones que se alcancen durante el transitorio. Por otro lado, para poder verificar tanto los códigos como los modelos es necesario llevar a cabo una serie de simulaciones de diferentes transitorios. De esta manera, se comprueba cómo funciona el código acoplado en diferentes condiciones de operación y simulación. Esta tesis contribuye al conocimiento del uso de códigos termohidráulico-neutrónicos acoplados en la simulación de transitorios base de diseño (Design Basis Accidents -DBAs). Los códigos mejorados y verificados son los códigos termohidráulicos RELAP5, TRAC-BF1 y TRACE y el código neutrónico PARCS. Los parámetros neutrónicos necesarios en PARCS se han obtenido aplicando una metodología que simplifica el modelo del núcleo. Esta metodología, ya desarrollada e implementada, denominada SIMTAB, se ha mejorado, tanto en las posibilidades de aplicación de la misma como en la optimización y actualización de la programación del código fuente. Los transitorios analizados con los códigos RELAP5/PARCS acoplados son: transitorio por expulsión de barra de control y transitorio de inyección de boro en un reactor PWR. Con los códigos TRAC-BF1/PARCS acoplados se ha analizado el transitorio por disparo de turbina en la C. N. Peach Bottom. Para llevar a cabo las simulaciones con TRAC-BF1/PARCS se ha implementado el acoplamiento de ambos códigos, puesto que originalmente el código TRAC-BF1 no estaba preparado para ello. El análisis de inestabilidades en reactores BWR se ha realizado con RELAP5/PARCS en dos reactores BWR: C. N. Peach Bottom y C. N. Ringhals 1. Para ello se ha desarrollado una metodología de análisis que abarca desde la definición del modelo termohidráulico y del modelo neutrónico hasta el análisis de las señales simuladas obtenidas con PARCS. La metodología también incluye la aplicación de diferentes perturbaciones basadas en los modos Lambda y en el análisis de las señales reales de planta. Se ha llevado a cabo un estudio del modelo para el cálculo de la concentración de Boro en los códigos termohidráulicos y se ha mejorado este modelo en el código TRAC-BF1, incorporando un nuevo método de resolución en el código fuente. El modelo para el cálculo del calor de desintegración también se ha revisado y mejorado en los códigos TRAC-BF1 y PARCS. En ambos casos se ha implementado el modelo ANS 2005. El análisis de sensibilidad e incertidumbre está ligado a los resultados de los códigos de mejor estimación como los mejorados en esta tesis. Este análisis se ha realizado sobre los transitorios de expulsión de barra en un reactor PWR y el transitorio de caída de barra en un reactor BWR con RELAP5/PARCS. Los resultados de estos trabajos aportan una metodología de aplicación para la simulación correcta de transitorios con códigos acoplados. Además, ha servido para detectar y subsanar deficiencias en los códigos, y de esta manera disponer de unos códigos de mejor estimación preparados para el análisis de transitorios base de diseño.
[CA] La simulació de transitoris forma part del procés de llicenciament d'una central nuclear. Això implica que els codis, així com els models utilitzats han d'estar verificats i validats. Normalment, aquesta simulació es realitza amb codis termohidràulics de planta que tenen una definició de la cinètica del reactor molt simplificada amb cinètica puntual o unidimensional. Una millora important en la simulació de transitoris base de disseny es basa en la utilització de codis acoblats termohidràulic-neutrònics, que permeten obtindre resultats sobre l'evolució de la potència del reactor en tres dimensions. Els codis neutrònics 3D necessiten paràmetres de la cinètica i seccions eficaces també en 3D ajustats al punt del cicle que es vol simular i que abasten les condicions que s'aconseguisquen durant el transitori. D'altra banda, per a poder verificar tant els codis com els models és necessari dur a terme una sèrie de simulacions de diferents transitoris. D'aquesta manera, es comprova com funciona el codi acoblat en diferents condicions d'operació i simulació. Aquesta tesi contribueix al coneixement de l'ús de codis termohidràulic-neutrònics acoblats en la simulació de transitoris base de disseny. Els codis millorats i verificats són els codis termohidràulics RELAP5, TRAC-BF1 i TRACE i el codi neutrònic PARCS. Els paràmetres neutrònics necessaris en PARCS s'han obtingut aplicant una metodologia que simplifica el model del nucli. Aquesta metodologia, ja desenvolupada i implementada, denominada SIMTAB, s'ha millorat, tant en les possibilitats d'aplicació de la mateixa com en l'optimització i actualització de la programació del codi font. Els transitoris analitzats amb els codis RELAP5/PARCS acoblats són: transitori per expulsió de barra de control i transitori d'injecció de bor en un reactor PWR. Amb els codis TRAC-BF1/PARCS acoblats s'ha analitzat el transitori per disparament de turbina en la C. N. Peach Bottom. Per a dur a terme les simulacions amb TRAC-BF1/PARCS s'ha implementat l'acoblament de tots dos codis, ja que originalment el codi TRAC-BF1 no estava preparat per a això. L'anàlisi d'inestabilitats en reactors BWR s'ha realitzat amb RELAP5/PARCS en dos reactors BWR: C. N. Peach Bottom i C. N. Ringhals 1. Per a això s'ha desenvolupat una metodologia d'anàlisi que abasta des de la definició del model termohidràulic i del model neutrònic fins a l'anàlisi dels senyals simulats. La metodologia també inclou l'aplicació de diferents pertorbacions basades en els modes Lambda i en l'anàlisi dels senyals reals de planta. S'ha dut a terme un estudi del model per al càlcul de la concentració de Bor en els codis termohidràulics i s'ha millorat aquest model en el codi TRAC-BF1, incorporant un nou mètode de resolució en el codi font. El model per al càlcul de la calor de desintegració també s'ha revisat i millorat en els codis TRAC-BF1 i PARCS. En tots dos casos s'ha implementat el model ANS 2005. L'anàlisi de sensibilitat i incertesa està lligat als resultats dels codis de millor estimació com els millorats en aquesta tesi. Aquesta anàlisi s'ha realitzat sobre els transitoris d'expulsió de barra en un reactor PWR i el transitori de caiguda de barra en un reactor BWR amb RELAP5/PARCS. Els resultats d'aquests treballs aporten una metodologia d'aplicació per a la simulació correcta de transitoris amb codis acoblats. A més, ha servit per a detectar i esmenar deficiències en els codis, i d'aquesta manera disposar d'uns codis de millor estimació preparats per a l'anàlisi de transitoris base de disseny.
[EN] The simulation of transients is part of the licensing process of a nuclear power plant. This implies that the codes as well as the models used must be verified and validated. Normally, this simulation is performed with thermalhydraulic plant codes that have a very simplified definition of reactor kinetics with point or one-dimensional kinetics. An important improvement in the simulation of design-basis transients rely on the use of thermohydraulic-neutronic coupled codes, which allow to obtain results of the evolution of the reactor power in three dimensions. The 3D neutron codes need parameters of the kinetics and cross-sections also in 3D adjusted to the point of the cycle to be simulated that must cover the conditions reached during the transient. On the other hand, to be able to verify both the codes and the models it is necessary to carry out a series of simulations of different transients. In this way, it is checked how the coupled code works in different operating and simulation conditions. This thesis contributes to increase the knowledge of the use of thermalhydraulic-neutronic coupled codes in the simulation of design basis accidents (DBAs). The improved and verified codes are the thermalhydraulic codes RELAP5, TRAC-BF1 and TRACE and the neutronic code PARCS. The necessary neutronic parameters in PARCS have been obtained by applying a methodology that simplifies the core model. This methodology, already developed and implemented, called SIMTAB, has been improved in this thesis in its application possibilities and also in the optimization and updating of the source code. The transients analyzed with RELAP5/PARCS coupled code are: control rod ejection transient and boron injection transient in a PWR reactor. With TRAC-BF1/PARCS coupled code, the transient analyzed is the turbine trip transient in Peach Bottom NPP. To carry out the simulations with TRAC-BF1/PARCS, the coupling of both codes has been implemented before, since originally the TRAC-BF1 code was not prepared for it. The analysis of instabilities in BWR reactors has been carried out with RELAP5/PARCS in two BWR reactors: Peach Bottom NPP and Ringhals 1 NPP. A methodology has been developed which cover from the definition of the thermalhydraulic model and the neutron model to the simulated signal analysis. The methodology also includes the application of different disturbances based on Lambda modes and the analysis of real plant signals. A study of the model for the calculation of the Boron concentration in thermalhydraulic codes has been carried out. This model has been improved in the TRAC-BF1 code, incorporating a new resolution method in the source code. The model for the calculation of the decay heat has also been revised and improved in TRAC-BF1 and PARCS codes. In both cases, the ANS 2005 model has been implemented. The sensitivity and uncertainty analysis is linked to the results of the best estimate codes such as those improved in this thesis. This analysis has been carried out on the control rod ejection transients in a PWR reactor and the control rod drop transient in a BWR reactor with RELAP5/PARCS. The results of these works provide an application methodology for the correct simulation of transients with coupled codes. In addition, it has been used to detect and correct deficiencies in the codes, and therefore, to have better estimate codes prepared for the analysis of design-basis transients.
Barrachina Celda, TM. (2020). Aportaciones y Mejoras en los Códigos Termohidráulicos y Neutrónicos de Estimación Óptima RELAP5, TRAC-BF1, TRACE Y PARCS [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/158745
TESIS

The rate at which a railway track deteriorates depends on the response of the track under different static and repeated dynamic forces. These wheel/rail forces lead to imperfections in the rail surface and deviation in track geometry alignment. The wheel/rail forces are dependent upon the quality of maintenance of the characteristics of both train and track. If train components such as wheelsets and suspensions are maintained to a high standard, less dynamic forces are generated at the wheel/rail interface and less damage is caused over time. Therefore, the amount and cost of maintenance of track are reduced. However, there is little known about how the characteristics of train components affect time-dependent track degradation. Track degradation through deviation of track from its ideal position has the most effect on maintenance costs. Therefore, the present research aims to investigate this track degradation and improve understanding of the effects of train characteristics (such as train mass and speed, suspension stiffness and damping) on railway tracks. The research is conducted by looking into the relationship between wheel/rail forces and track degradation on one hand and between wheel/rail forces and train characteristics on the other hand, with the objective of assisting in managing vehicle/track interaction in order to minimise track degradation. This aim is achieved by investigating the above two relationships to attain the desired relationship between track degradation and train characteristics. The research focuses on wheel/rail vertical forces (both amplitudes and frequencies), vertical track alignment (longitudinal vertical profile), and rail head defects. The study started by collecting wheel/rail vertical forces data in addition to data on vertical track degradation under sustained traffic loads on a heavy haul railway section of track in Central Queensland. Also, five years of degradation and maintenance history data were collected on three other test sections of railway track under variety of traffic conditions and loads in Central Queensland. There were four main analyses of this data employed to probe the study. The first analysis was performed by examining the track degradation history data. The standard deviation method was used in this first analysis to acquire the rate of deterioration in terms of its relationship to track profile (roughness). The second analysis was accomplished by correlating the vertical wheel/rail forces to both vertical track profile and rail roughness using signal processing principles and a function know as coherence. The third analysis was carried out by using the computer simulation software NUCARS to obtain the link between wheel/rail forces and the deterioration of the vertical track profile. The fourth analysis was achieved by combining the results obtained from the above three analyses to acquire the rate of track deterioration in terms of its relationship to varying train characteristics. The first analysis mentioned above quantified the relationship between the level of roughness of the track and rate at which that roughness deteriorated. An important outcome of this relationship is that there is a threshold of roughness below which track deterioration is minimal. The track maintenance planners can now use that threshold for cost effective targeting of tamping activities. The correlation study between track roughness and wheel/rail forces using the coherence function found, surprisingly, that the overall deterioration of the track roughness, in the absence of frequencies of forces above 30 Hz, is due to the so-called quasi-static lower frequency oscillations of dynamic forces. This conclusion together with the relationship between vehicle characteristics and track forces, established in the analyses above, has significant implications for the design of wagon bogies and for charges track owners might levy on trains using their tracks. This research is part of a larger Rail CRC project 11/4 called 'Enhancing the Optimisation of Maintenance/Renewal' being carried out in the School of Urban Development in Queensland University of Technology.

This paper describes the implementation of an execution history, called "Amazing Trace", that entails decoding and analyzing a recorded instruction trace, and in particular the design and implementation of a data structure which can encapsulate the entire state of the target system, including memory and registers, over time, and to do this efficiently because the trace buffer can contain data for hundreds of thousands of instructions.

The Amazing Trace is also integrated in the IAR Embedded Workbench C-SPYDebugger, such that the history can be traversed both forwards and backwards while inspecting the full target state through the normal debugger windows.

Trace Time is an interdisciplinary book arts exhibit featuring handmade paper installations, one-of-a-kind prints and book objects, and a fine press artist’s book in edition. The theme of this work focuses on the relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world by examining the tension between organic lifecycles and human cultivation, control, and constraint of the environment. By following a system for tracing natural surroundings, I document environmental movement in a series of time-based sequential pieces measuring light, water, and color.

Multi-threading is commonly applied in modern computer programs, bringing many conveniences but also causing concurrency issues. Among the various error debugging tools, Java Pathfinder (JPF) can detect latent errors of multithreaded Java programs through model checking. However, the text-based format of the output trace is hard to read, and previous attempts in visualizing JPF traces show limitations. For long-term development, popular trace analytic platform such as Trace Compass (TC) is extended to adapt to JPF traces. In this thesis, the development of JPF and TC makes it possible to analyze JPF traces on TC with a user interface including visual diagrams. The development solves the conceptual differences between the tools and successfully visualize important trace data. The implementation can help provide a generic approach for analyzing JPF traces with visualization.
Multitrådning används ofta i moderna datorprogram, vilket har många fördelar men kan också orsaka samtidighetsproblem. Bland olika felsökningsverktyg kan Java Pathfinder (JPF) upptäcka latenta fel hos multitrådade Javaprogram genom modellkontroll. Spårningsinformationen i form av text har låg läsbarhet, och tidigare försök att visualsera JPF-spår har visat begränsningar. För långsiktig utveckling har populära spårningsanalysplattformar som Trace Compass (TC) utvidgats för att anpassas till JPF-spår. I examensprojektet gör utvecklingen av JPF och TC det möjligt att analysera JPF-spår på TC med ett användargränssnitt baserat på visuella diagram. Utvecklingen löser den konceptuella skillnaden mellan verktygen och visualiserar spårdata på ett framgångsrikt sätt. Implementeringen bidrar med ett generiskt tillvägagångssätt för att analysera JPF spår med hjälp av visualisering.

During the 50 years of existence of high speed railways, the track structure solutions have developed both in number and in type. As of today, in case of conventional railway, there are 2 main types one could mention: ballasted and ballastless track solutions. However, there is no standardized procedure for choosing between these systems and between their respective variants, the decision is made on a case-by-case basis. This thesis aims to create a generic framework for decision making, primarily taking into account technical details. The model, the input parameters and variables can be easily adjusted and customized based on national standards, practices or other considerations, but the primary focus in the thesis have been the current Swedish regulations. The thesis has an overview on the influencing factors and attempts to include the most crucial ones of these into a decision-making model. This model compares 3 alternatives, namely the ballastless alternative, the ballasted alternative and the alternating system option, in which case the track system selection happens based on local factors, such as geotechnical conditions. These are considered and evaluated through Fuzzy logic, which supports the system selection affected by various sources of uncertainty. The decision is finally made through an LCC calculation. In order to handle the great uncertainties in the data used in the LCC, a Monte Carlo simulation is performed. The main added value of the thesis is considered to be the methodology for choosing the systems based on life-cycle cost after careful technical evaluation. This approach might provide basis for decision for track systems of high speed rail lines.

It is undoubtable that the geological path followed by a bentonite natural occurrence, will set a birthmark in terms of grade and quality, the former being expressed in terms of mineralogical composition, smectite content and other aspects derived from the bulk sample characterization, and the latter being expressed in terms of the crystal chemistry of smectite species present and derived from the clay size fraction observations. The influence of parent rock composition, genesis mode, burial history and preservation conditions after alteration, would set the fingerprint on bentonite and inherent structural features in smectites species, which determines potential industrial and scientific uses. The following thesis aims to evaluate physicochemical properties of 12 bentonite samples, coming from the six most relevant bentonite bearing geological areas located in the Mercosur economic block (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay)1; in order to stablish possible correlations between distinctive geological contexts, and observed characteristics from whole rock providing information regarding grade and the clay size fraction will provide information regarding quality. Mineralogical composition corroborated the tendency to be influenced by the geochemical signature of parent rock firstly, and secondly genesis mode (probably due to lack of information in this aspect). Age, on the other hand, could on the contrary, be a misleading parameter; in the sense that preservation is not necessarily time dependent. Poor grade and the presence of mixed layers and accessory clay mineral phases (mostly kaolinite but also I/S, illite and pyrophyllite) appear to be associated with hydrothermal to sedimentary alteration modes, higher grade bentonites with tendency to yield extreme relative values of physical properties, measured in layer charge, swelling and organic sorption, were found in association to diagenetic bentonites. In terms of smectite species, all members found belong to the montmorillonite-beidellite series, and rhyolitic to dacitic volcanic source, tends to alter into the montmorillonite end member of the series; and accordingly, basic precursors (basalt) to intermediary (andesite), show a tendency to alter into transitional up to beidellite Fe-rich end members of the series respectively. To evaluate implications on possible applications, crystal chemistry was evaluated over the <1 µm size fractions by XRD and XRF along with other accessory techniques (FTIR, SEM-EDS and size distribution analysis), finding a clear trend, between layer charge relative magnitude, as a function organo-sorption behavior; by simply evaluating the d-001 XRD reflections on oriented slides after first K-saturation and sequential ethylene glycol solvation, against (CTAC)-montmorillonite d001 basal reflection , being inversely proportional and resulting in a broad variety Organophilic XRD patterns, showing distinctive expandability behavior ranging from 15,2 Å To 21,68 Å. As a function of alkyl chain size and the known sorption isotherm, basically all patterns of organo-compound sorption where observed, going from lateral monolayer to paraffin type sorption behavior.
É inquestionável que o caminho geológico seguido pela ocorrência natural de bentonitas, irá indicar suas características em termos de teor e qualidade, o primeiro expressado em termos da composição mineralógica, conteúdo de esmectitas e outros aspectos derivados da caracterização da amostra cabeça, e o Segundo expressado em termos da química cristalina das espécies esmectiticas presentes e derivado das observações na fracção de tamanho de argilas. A influência da composição da rocha parental, sua gênese, o histórico de soterramento e das condições de preservação após processo de alteração, determinaria a \"impressão digital\" da bentonita e as características estruturais inerentes as espécies de esmectitas, que determina os usos potenciais e industriais. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar propriedades físico-químicas de 12 amostras de bentonitas, provenientes de seis áreas geológicas mais relevantes localizadas no bloco econômico do Mercosul (Argentina, Brasil e Uruguai)2; o intuito é estabelecer possíveis correlações entre contextos geológicos distintos e características observadas em rochas (teor) e fração de tamanho de argila (qualidade). A composição mineralógica corroborou a tendência de ser influenciada pela assinatura geoquímica da rocha parental em primeiro lugar, e em segundo lugar, por sua gênese (provavelmente devido à falta de informação neste aspecto). A idade, por outro lado, poderia, pelo contrário, ser um parâmetro ilusório, no sentido de que a conservação não é necessariamente dependente do tempo. Baixo teor e baixo conteúdo de esmectita, assim como a presença de camadas mistas e fases argilosas acessórias (principalmente caulinita, mas também I/S, ilita e pirofilita) parecem estar associadas aos modos de alteração hidrotermal a sedimentar, bentonita de alto teor, com tendência a produzir valores relativos extremos de propriedades físicas, medidas em carga foliar, inchamento e sorção orgânica, foram encontradas em associação com bentonitas diagenéticas. Em termos de espécies de esmectitas, todos os membros identificados como pertencentes a série montmorilonita-beidellita, e a fonte vulcânica riolítica a dacítica, tendem a se alterar para membro final da série montmorilonita, e consequentemente, os precursores básicos (basalto) e intermediário (andesito), mostram tendência a se alterar em membros transitórios e beidellita ricos em ferro, respectivamente. Para avaliar as implicações nas possíveis aplicações, a química cristalina foi avaliada nas frações abaixo de 1 µm por DRX e FRX, juntamente de outras técnicas de apoio (FTIR, MEV/EDS e distribuição granulométrica), encontrando uma tendência clara entre a magnitude relativa da carga da camada, como uma função do comportamento da organo-absorção, simplesmente avaliando as reflexões basais em d-001 a partir de lâminas orientadas após a primeira saturação em potássio e solvatação sequencial de etileno glicol, contra reflexão em d-001 da (CTAC)-montmorilonita, sendo inversamente proporcional e resultando em uma ampla variedade de padrões de DRX organofílico, mostrando um comportamento de expansibilidade distinto, variando de 15,2 Å a 21,68 Å. Como função do tamanho da cadeia carbônica e da isoterma de sorção conhecida, basicamente todos os padrões de sorção de organo-compostos foram observados, partindo do comportamento de sorção do tipo monocamada lateral para sorção tipo parafina.

Etude theorique de la reponse d'un dosimetre neutronique compose d'un convertisseur fortement hydrogene le(ch::(2))n et d'un detenteur solide visuel de trace le cr39. Etude de la reponse theorique en fonction de l'energie et de l'incidence du flux neutronique. Comparaison avec les resultats experimentaux

The Speed-Track is a prototype of tracked vehicle made for material transportation on yards andgalleries. It was realized in 2011 and during the past two years has been employed mainly forload transportation on mountains. The main innovations adopted by the vehicle are about thesuspension system and the hydrostatic transmission; the combination of both allows acomfortable driving up to a maximum speed of 20 km/h.First of all, the present thesis aims to quantitatively evaluate the performances of the vehiclefrom the point of view of the suspension system and the transmission. The design of the vehicle,in fact, has been driven by the designer’s experience and no preliminary simulations and sizingcomputations have been performed.According to the outcomes of the first step as well as the feedback, some improvements to thecurrent configuration are designed and evaluated. The feedback has been submitted to theprototype’s users through a questionnaire. Improvements are supposed to be easily implementedon the existing vehicle.The outcomes of the previous steps as well as the communication with employees andentrepreneurs and the knowledge of the state of the art in terms of construction and earthmovingmachines drive the last step of the present work.The employees and entrepreneurs consulted mainly work in the agricultural sector and they havebeen contacted through web-based forums. In addition, the participation to the fair Bauma 2013allowed us to get a more complete picture of the state of the art.New solutions, starting from scratch, are designed in the last part.Keywords:
Speed-Track är en prototyp av en spårfarkost utvecklad för materialtransport på gårdar och igallerior. Den konstruerades 2011 och under de senaste två åren har den främst använts för tungatransporter på berg.De huvudsakliga innovationerna av vilka farkosten använder sig av är kopplade tillsuspensionssystemet och den hydrostatiska transmissionen; kombinationen av dessa möjliggören bekväm resa i hastigheter upp till 20 km/h.Målet med detta examensarbete är framför allt att utvärdera prestandan hos farkosten medhänsyn till suspensionssystemet och transmissionen. Designen av farkosten har utformats baseratpå utvecklarens erfarenheter och inga preliminära simuleringar eller beräkningar har utförts.Baserat på resultaten från, och utvärdering av det första steget har vissa förbättringar till denrådande uppbyggnaden framtagits och utvärderats. Utvärderingen har lämnats till användare avprototypen genom ett frågeformulär.Förbättringarna skall vara lätta att tillämpa på den existerande farkosten.Resultaten från de föregående stegen tillsammans med en dialog med anställda och entreprenörersamt teknisk kunskap med avseende på konstruktion och jordfraktande maskiner driva det sistasteget av det presenterade arbetet.Medarbetare och entreprenörer härstammar framför allt från arbete inom jordbrukssektorn ochhar blivit kontaktade genom web-forum.Dessutom har medverkan under mässan Bauma 2013 givit en mer komplett bild av den rådandetekniken.Nya lösningar skapade från början utvecklas i arbetets sista del.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T16:00:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo6993_1.pdf: 2165078 bytes, checksum: 5a233ea567dc01db98fd87e0b545ba84 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010
Faculdade de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco
A análise de aplicações tem ganhado bastante valor comercial com o grande crescimento de heterogeneidade e distribuição dos atuais sistemas - tanto logicamente quanto fisica- mente. Esta convergencia de complexidade em relação aos ambientes de projeto, desen- volvimento e produção temintroduzido novos desafios em se tratando domonitoramento, análise e melhorias desses sistemas. Além disso, as abordagem tradicionais tem ofere- cido cada vez menos valor para o gerenciamento dos atuais ecosistemas das aplicações cada vez mais sofisticadas e distribuídas. Diante desse cenário, o projeto Plug and Trace integra duas propostas, aMeta-Teoria dos Rastros e o Desenvolvimento Baseado em Componentes, para prover uma maneiras simples de embutir uma variedade de serviços de análise em qualquer tipo de aplicação. Dessa forma, nossa intenção é mudar a maneira com que as ferramentas de análise são projetadas, de somente construir ferramentas de análise para applicações específi- cas, para prover um framework de rastreamento independente de domínio e altamente reusável em qualquer domínio. Adicionalmente, com o intuito de forcener para os at- uais sistemas um framework com um boa relação custo-benefício, nós focamos em au- tomação usando a Engenharia Dirigida por modelos, ou seja, fazer mais com menos, eliminando tarefas redundantes e manuais e facilitanto o processo de estensão de nossa proposta sobre qualquer aplicação. Claramente essas vantagens representam uma contribuição para o domínio de Análise de Aplicações, no qual o projeto Plug and Trace simplifica o processo de conceber uma ferramenta de análise e facilita o análise de qualquer aplicação usando um framework co- mum. Há também contribuições em outros domínios: no Desenvolvimento Baseado em Componentes, com a primeira proposta de componentização da Meta-Teoria dos Ras- tos adornada com novos componentes genéricos de rastreamento; e, na Engenharia Di- rigida por Modelos, com um framework de rastreamento baseado em quatro princípios: qualidade, consistência, produtividade e abstração, reduzindo a codificação manual e promovendo a reusabilidade de todo o framework. A fim de validar nossa proposta, apresentamos um estudo de caso que mostra como estender o framework Plug and Trace para o domínio da linguagem CHR

Optical components made of anisotropic materials, such as crystal polarizers and crystal waveplates, are widely used in many complex optical system, such as display systems, microlithography, biomedical imaging and many other optical systems, and induce more complex aberrations than optical components made of isotropic materials. The goal of this dissertation is to accurately simulate the performance of optical systems with anisotropic materials using polarization ray trace. This work extends the polarization ray tracing calculus to incorporate ray tracing through anisotropic materials, including uniaxial, biaxial and optically active materials. The 3D polarization ray tracing calculus is an invaluable tool for analyzing polarization properties of an optical system. The 3×3 polarization ray tracing P matrix developed for anisotropic ray trace assists tracking the 3D polarization transformations along a ray path with series of surfaces in an optical system. To better represent the anisotropic light-matter interactions, the definition of the P matrix is generalized to incorporate not only the polarization change at a refraction/reflection interface, but also the induced optical phase accumulation as light propagates through the anisotropic medium. This enables realistic modeling of crystalline polarization elements, such as crystal waveplates and crystal polarizers. The wavefront and polarization aberrations of these anisotropic components are more complex than those of isotropic optical components and can be evaluated from the resultant P matrix for each eigen-wavefront as well as for the overall image. One incident ray refracting or reflecting into an anisotropic medium produces two eigenpolarizations or eigenmodes propagating in different directions. The associated ray parameters of these modes necessary for the anisotropic ray trace are described in Chapter 2. The algorithms to calculate the P matrix from these ray parameters are described in Chapter 3 for anisotropic ray tracing. This P matrix has the following characteristics: (1) Multiple P matrices are calculated to describe the polarization of the multiple eigenmodes at an anisotropic intercept. (2) Each P matrix maps the orthogonal incident basis vectors (Ê_m, Ê_n, Ŝ) before the optical interface into three orthogonal exiting vectors (a_m Ê'_m, a_n Ê'_n, Ŝ') after the interface, where a_m and a_n are the complex amplitude coefficients induced at the intercept. The ray tracing algorithms described in this dissertation handle three types of uncoated anisotropic interfaces isotropic/anisotropic, anisotropic/isotropic and anisotropic/anisotropic interfaces. (3) The cumulative P matrix associated with multiple surface interactions is calculated by multiplying individual P matrices in the order along the ray path. Many optical components utilize anisotropic materials to induce desired retardance. This important mechanism is modeled as the optical phase associated with propagation. (4) The optical path length OPL of an eigenpolarization along an anisotropic ray path is incorporated into the calculation of each P matrix. Chapter 4 presents the data reduction of the P matrix of a crystal waveplate. The diattenuation is embedded in the singular values of P. The retardance is divided into two parts: (A) The physical retardance induced by OPLs and surface interactions, and (B) the geometrical transformation induced by geometry of a ray path, which is calculated by the geometrical transform Q matrix. The Q matrix of an anisotropic intercept is derived from the generalization of s- and p-bases at the anisotropic intercept; the p basis is not confined to the plane of incidence due to the anisotropic refraction or reflection. Chapter 5 shows how the multiple P matrices associated with the eigenmodes resulting from propagation through multiple anisotropic surfaces can be combined into one P matrix when the multiple modes interfere in their overlapping regions. The resultant P matrix contains diattenuation induced at each surface interaction as well as the retardance due to ray propagation and total internal reflections. The polarization aberrations of crystal waveplates and crystal polarizers are studied in Chapter 6 and Chapter 7. A wavefront simulated by a grid of rays is traced through the anisotropic system and the resultant grid of rays is analyzed. The analysis is complicated by the ray doubling effects and the partially overlapping eigen-wavefronts propagating in various directions. The wavefront and polarization aberrations of each eigenmode can be evaluated from the electric field distributions. The overall polarization at the plane of interest or the image quality at the image plane are affected by each of these eigen-wavefronts. Isotropic materials become anisotropic due to stress, strain, or applied electric or magnetic fields. In Chapter 8, the P matrix for anisotropic materials is extended to ray tracing in stress birefringent materials which are treated as spatially varying anisotropic materials. Such simulations can predict the spatial retardance variation throughout the stressed optical component and its effects on the point spread function and modulation transfer function for different incident polarizations. The anisotropic extension of the P matrix also applies to other anisotropic optical components, such as anisotropic diffractive optical elements and anisotropic thin films. It systematically keeps track of polarization transformation in 3D global Cartesian coordinates of a ray propagating through series of anisotropic and isotropic optical components with arbitrary orientations. The polarization ray tracing calculus with this generalized P matrix provides a powerful tool for optical ray trace and allows comprehensive analysis of complex optical system.

Book Summary: Robert Morgan and Kathryn Stripling Byer, Al Maginnes and Cathy Smith Bowers, Thomas Rain Crowe and Michael McFee, as well as many new voices. . . Indeed, the variegation of the Tar Heel State's landscapes, as well as its rich history, is reflected through the myriad voices of its contemporary verse. As with other volumes of The Southern Poetry Anthology, this book--full of a wide gamut of poetic styles and approaches--will appeal to many readers, prove an excellent teaching resource for North Carolina students of literature, and serve as the definitive poetic document for North Carolina for many years.Conceived by Series Editor William Wright in 2003, The Southern Poetry Anthology is a projected twelve-to-sixteen volume project celebrating established and emerging poets of the American South, published by Texas Review Press. Inspired by single-volume anthologies such as Leon Stokesbury's The Made Thing, Gil Allen's A Ninety-Six Sampler, and Guy Owen and Mary C. Williams' Contemporary Southern Poetry: an Anthology, The Southern Poetry Anthology aspires to provide readers with a documentary-like survey of the best poetry being written in the American South at the present moment.Specifically, the editors' goals are twofold: first, to re-establish poetry of the South as a major presence in American literature, and second, to include a greater range of poets from the South to introduce a new poetic geography, a fresh corpus of what we understand to be "Southern Poetry."

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2014.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (page 95).
In the setting of the trace reconstruction problem, a uniform random binary sequence w [epsilon] {0, 1}n yields a collection of traces, such that each subsequence is obtained by independently deleting each bit with a public probability parameter p. In this thesis we explore a restricted version of this problem, in which each trace is a random subsequence of one of two original known sequences. Given a series of traces, we would like to device a method that allows to us to decide from which sequence, from the pair of known public sequences w, w', do all the traces come from. The question we will try to solve in this thesis is to know if such a method, operating with high probability and polynomially many samples, is possible in practice. Among other things, we show that if the two strings are drawn uniformly at random there is an algorithm that allows to efficiently distinguish with high probability the traces they produce, failing only on an exponentially small proportion of the random pairs. Additionally we explore variants of this problem and their connections with a number theoretic known as the Prouhet-Tarry-Escott problem.
by Aldo Pacchiano.
M. Eng.

A partir de traces pré-figuratives, nous analysons les processus psychiques mis en jeu dans l'expérience de séparation/individuation mère/bébé. Moment organisateur de l'espace psychique, du Moi et des processus identitaires, l'émergence des traces pré-figuratives fixe cette expérience de rupture dans la continuité de soi et révèle la manière dont l'écart et la différence se travaillent à même la matière du support. Elles vectorisent alors en repères concrets une trajectoire grapho-psychique évolutive allant des "traces équations symboliques", temps de fusion avec l'objet, aux "traces pré-symboles", temps de défusion d'avec l'objet, puis "aux symboles" : espace transformationnel où s'origine le mouvement processuel de la symbolisation, retenu comme redoublement de la rencontre avec l'objet. Le processus de transformation est ainsi déplacé de l'environnement maternel d'où il s'origine vers la trace : passage de l'expérience du processus à l'élaboration de l'expérience. Temps où l'humain est amené à se (re) positionner dans une construction externe de la capacité symbolique, genèse du lien à l'objet. La trace participe ici de la constitution du sujet et de la continuité de son histoire. En contrechamps, nous observons comment dans leurs œuvres certains peintres par leur art, rendent contigu ce qui semblait intouchable, la perte originaire
From pre-figurative traces, we analyze the psychic process involved in the experience of separation/individuation mother/baby. Organizing moment of psychic space of ego and processes of identity, the emergence of the pre-figurative traces determines this experience of rupture in the continuity of oneself and reveals the way how the divergence and the difference reshaped in the material of the support itself. They lead to concrete reference an evolutionary grapho-psychic trajectory energy from the symbolic trace equation systems, time of fusion with the object, to pre-symbolic traces, time of defusion from the object, before becoming symbols. The transformation process is thus displaced from mother environment towards the trace, through the process experience, the experience working though. The subject is led to take place in an external construction of the symbolic capacity system, genesis of the link with the material object. As opposed to the observance, we can see how some painter masterpieces present us what seemed an out of the way place : the primal loss

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 2008.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 19, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: A, page: 4598. Adviser: Nancy V. N. Chism.

The atmospheric transport of various substances from the continents to the oceans plays an important role in biogeochemical processes. Trace metals, iron in particular is of great interest as its availability regulates the growth of phytoplankton over large areas of the ocean. This dissertation focuses on examining and characterizing the factors that affect the solubility of trace metals in Miami and Barbados aerosols and precipitation, in particular species that could play a role in surface seawater biogeochemistry (Fe and trace metals such as Al, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Tl, Ba, Cd, Pb, Th, Ti, Zr, and REE's). To enable this study existing methods of colorimetric spectroscopic and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis were improved and modified. This dissertation examines several issues related to source inputs: 1.) Are single spot sources within the North African dust source distinguishable after long transport by their bulk metal composition and thus important in the characteristics of individual mineral dust samples? 2.) What is the temporal variability and controlling factors in trace metal solubility in trade wind aerosols collected over Barbados? 3.) Which factors control the observed trend of speciation and increasing iron solubility in decreasing aerosol loading? Additionally a kinetic model of species specific iron (II) to iron(III) oxidation kinetics in NaCl Brines was conducted at nano-molar levels. This study greatly expands the ability to predict rates of iron oxidation at concentrations closer to those observed in natural systems.

Graph drawing problems originate from diverse application domains. In some, such as software engineering and cartography, graphs are required to be visualized or drawn in ways that are easy to read and understand. In others, such as VLSI design, graphs are required to be laid out while satisfying some physical constraint. For example, when a drawing is to be displayed on a page or a computer screen, or is to be used for VLSI design, it is important to keep its area/volume small to avoid wasting space.
More often than not however, the idea of a good drawing, regardless of its purpose, coincides with having no edge crossings or having very few crossings. Unfortunately, whichever of the numerous drawing styles one considers, a problem requiring a crossing minimization of sorts will, almost certainly, be NP -hard. The theory of fixed parameter tractability (FPT) provides a new and promising approach for coping with intractable problems. In the first part of this thesis we apply algorithmic techniques developed in this theory to well-known graph drawing problems. In particular, we contribute efficient FPT algorithms for crossing minimization and planarization problems concerning the 2-layer drawing style.
In the second part of this thesis we introduce and comprehensively study so-called track layouts of graphs and their subdivisions. A relationship between this combinatorial structure and several well-known types of graph layouts is established, leading to a number of new results. For example, our study of track layouts of bounded treewidth graphs settles an open problem due to Ganley and Heath (2001) regarding queue layouts of such graphs. Moreover, the study also establishes that graphs of bounded treewidth have three-dimensional straight-line grid drawings with linear volume.
Through the study of track layouts of subdivisions, we determine that every graph with n vertices and m edges has a three-dimensional polyline grid drawing with the vertices on a rectangular prism, O (n + m log n) volume and O (log n) bends per edge.

The aim of this thesis was to identify ways in which the velocity of a track cyclist could be increased, primarily through the reduction of aerodynamic drag, and to determine which factors had the most significant impact on athlete performance. An appropriate test method was set up in the wind tunnel at the University of Canterbury to measure the aerodynamic drag of different cycling positions and equipment, including helmets, skinsuits, frames and wheels, in order to measure the impact of specific changes on athlete performance. A mathematical model of the Individual Pursuit (IP) event was also created to calculate the velocity profile and finishing time for athletes competing under different race conditions. The model was created in Microsoft Excel and used first principles to analyse the forces acting on a cyclist, which lead to the development of equations for power supply and demand. The mathematical model was validated using SRM data for eleven, elite track cyclists, and was found to be accurate to 0.31s (0.16%). An analysis of changes made to the bike, athlete, and environmental conditions using the mathematical model showed that the drag area and air density had the greatest impact on the finishing time. The model was then used to predict the finishing times for different pacing strategies by generating different power profiles for a given athlete with a fixed stock of energy (the work done remained the same for all generated power profiles) in order to identify the optimal pacing strategy for the IP. The length of time spent in the initial acceleration phase was found to have a significant impact on the results, although all strategies simulated with an initial acceleration phase resulted in a faster finishing time than all other strategies simulated. Results from the wind tunnel tests showed that, in general, changes made to the position of the cyclist had the greatest impact on the aerodynamic drag compared to changes made to the equipment. Multiple changes in position had a greater impact on drag than individual changes in position, but the changes were not additive; the total gain or loss in drag for multiple changes in position was not the sum of individual gains or losses in drag. Actual gains and losses also varied significantly between athletes, primarily due to differences in body size and shape, riding experience, and reference position from which changes were made from. Changes in position that resulted in a reduction of the frontal area, such as lowering the handlebars and head, were the most successful at reducing the aerodynamic drag, and a change in skinsuit was found to have the greatest impact on drag out of all equipment changes, primarily due to the choice of material and seam placement. The mathematical model was used to quantify the impact of changes in position and equipment made in the wind tunnel on the overall finishing time for a given athlete competing in an IP event. Time savings of up to 8 seconds were seen for multiple changes in position, and up to 5 seconds for changes to the equipment. Overall this thesis highlights the significance of aerodynamics on athlete performance in track cycling, suggesting that it is worthwhile spending time and money on research and technology to find new ways to reduce the aerodynamic drag and maximise the speed of cyclists. Although this thesis primarily concentrates on the Individual Pursuit event in track cycling, the same principles can be applied to other cycling disciplines, as well as to other sports.

The railway vehicles are an increasing mean of transportation due to, its reduced impact on environment and high level of comfort provided. These reasons have contributed to settle a positive perception of railway traffic into the European society. In this upward context, the railway industrial sector tackles some important challenges; maintaining low operational costs and controlling the nuisance by-products of trains operation, the most important being railway noise. Track dynamic plays a main role for both issues, since a significant part of the operational costs are associated with the track maintenance tasks and, the noise generated by the track can be dominant in many operational situations. This explains why prediction tools are highly valued by railway companies. The work presented in this licentiate thesis proposes methodologies for accurate and efficient modelling of railway track dynamics. Two core axes have led the development of this task, on one hand, the rail modelling and, on the other hand, the characterisation of the finite length nature of track supports. Firstly, concerning the rail modelling technique, it has evolved under two major premises. On one hand, regarding the frequency domain, it should describe high frequency behaviour of the rail. In order to accomplish with this first premise, a model based on Timoshenko beam theory is used, which can accurately account for the vertical rail behaviour up to 2500 Hz. On the other hand, with respect to the time domain, the response should be smooth and free of discontinuities. This last condition is fulfilled by implementation of the Timoshenko local deformation. Secondly, a model of support that considers its finite length nature is sought. For this purpose, a Timoshenko element over elastic foundation is formulated. Thus, the common model of support, which is based on a concentrated connection, is substituted by a distributed model of support. In this way, several enhancements are achieved; the temporal contact force response is smoothed and a more realistic shape is obtained, the amplitude of the displacement due to the parametric excitation is reduced and the magnitude associated to the ‘pin-pin’ frequency is not overestimated.

QC 20170522

For manifolds with boundary, we define an extension of Wodzicki's noncommutative residue to boundary value problems in Boutet de Monvel's calculus. We show that this residue can be recovered with the help of heat kernel expansions and explore its relation to Dixmier's trace.

Railway tracks deteriorate over time due to the combined effects of train loads and environment. To carry out appropriate maintenance, it is necessary to measure the condition of the track. There are two broad categories of condition measures namely: function and structural measures of conditions. Functional measures of condition assess the condition of the track from the point of view of the user. An example of a commonly used functional measure of condition is track geometry. In the UK, track geometry is measured by the track recording coach and it is carried frequently on the entire network. On the other hand, structural measures of condition assess the structural integrity of the track. Example of a commonly used structural measure of condition is track stiffness. In the UK, track stiffness is measured using the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and it is carried out less frequently on specific railway track sections as it is very slow, requires closure of the track and is expensive to operate. The aim of this research is to investigate the feasibility of using track geometry measurement to extract track stiffness information and ultimately develop a prototype automated system to achieve this.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1990.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-67).
by Timothy Jason Shepard.
M.S.

In this thesis analyze in detail issue Bootloader for microcontrollers AVR and made proposal for implementation to the device Sci-Trace. Modification electronics part deal with patch board, where used connect between others module and control board. Control Board handle with computer and individually module. Example others module are control optics or control stepper motors. From user interface is resolve choice information display for show temperature inside the device. From mechanical part is resolve store electronic part to the rack section. From programming part is create firmware for control board and others module. For users operation is create program for operation system for upgrade application firmware to microcontroller.

Trace can be thought of as a copy, a small amount of something, evidence, a remnant, vestige, residue or mark. Trace can also be considered more actively as a verb, meaning to follow, track or locate. The studio production that I am engaged with encompasses all of these meanings. My MFA research project specifically investigates trace from rust. Rust, also referred to as iron oxide, is a by-product of the breakdown or oxidation1 of iron, and it develops in the presence of oxygen, moisture and time. In my studio practice, I transfer rust onto various materials and it is the resultant vestigial marks, or ‘traces’, that are at the core of my MFA studio explorations.

In the last 40 years an increase in train speed and axle load around the world and other challenges in the conventional ballasted track system gave birth to ballastless railway track system. This study examines in depth the various slab track systems that are being used today. Their design characteristics as well as the various requirements for efficient use are thoroughly explained. At least 34 different ballastless systems have been recorded in many railway networks throughout the world. The most significant slab track systems are analysed in detail and compared. Slab track designs have significant advantages comparing to ballasted tracks. The most significant are the high stability of the track, the almost non-existent need for maintenance, the long life cycle (60 years) and the reduced weight and height of the track. Their disadvantages against the ballasted tracks are mainly summarized in their higher construction costs. The Finite Element package ABAQUS/CAE is used to model a 3-D slab track design under static traffic loading. The results suggest that slab tracks have profoundly better stability and durability comparing to ballasted tracks mainly due to their higher stiffness and strength. The author underlines the need for further studies to undoubtedly prove the claimed advantages of slab track systems as well as to improve the costs associated with construction.