Analysis of the spectral response of fractal antennas related with its geometry and current paths

Fractal antennas have been proposed to improve the bandwidth of resonant structures and optical antennas. Their multiband characteristics are of interest in radiofrequency and microwave technologies. In this contribution we link the geometry of the current paths built-in the fractal antenna with the spectral response. We have seen that the actual currents owing through the structure are not limited to the portion of the fractal that should be geometrically linked with the signal. This fact strongly depends on the design of the fractal and how the different scales are arranged within the antenna. Some ideas involving materials that could actively respond to the incoming radiation could be of help to spectrally select the response of the multiband design.

Shared Print Analysis Tool at the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries

The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries has launched the Alliance Shared Print Trust and is in the process of developing a shared print analysis tool. The system allows libraries to compare themselves with other libraries that have added their MARC records so that they can easily and quickly determine what records are unique or held in common with other libraries. The comparison system is built on open source tools and has been embedded in the Gold Rush framework. The author provides a brief overview of other shared print analysis tools.

Looking inside for good practice in Deaf bilingual education: a participatory SWOT analysis

Presentation to the Disability Studies Conference, Lancaster University, September 7-9, 2010.

Seismic behavior of a masonry chimney with severe cracking condition: preliminary study

This paper presents a structural analysis of a masonry chimney built in the 1940s, which is currently being cataloged as local interest heritage. This structure has not served any industrial purpose for the last thirty years. The chimney is located in the town of Agost (Alicante - Spain) and directly exposed to the prevailing winds from the sea, as it is approximately 12 km away from the waterfront and there are not any significant barriers, which could protect the structure against the wind. There are longitudinal cracks and fissures all along the shaft because of the chimney’s geometrical characteristics, the effect of the masonry creep and especially the lack of maintenance. Moreover, there is also a permanent bending deformation in the upper 1/3 of the height due to the wind pressure. A numerical analysis for the static behavior against gravity and wind loads was performed using the structure’s current conditions after a detailed report of its geometry, its construction system and the cracking pattern. Afterwards, the dynamic behavior was studied, i.e. a seismic analysis using both response spectra and accelerograms in order to examine the structural stability. This work shows the pre-monitoring analysis before any experimental testing. Using the current results the future test conditions will be determined (e.g. number of sensors and monitoring point location, excitation systems, etc) prior to a possible structural reinforcement by applying composite material (fiber reinforced polymers).

Geological risk assessment of Amtoudi Agadir in southern Morocco: a key case for sustainable cultural heritage

Medieval fortified granaries known as “agadirs” are very common in southern Morocco, being catalogued as world cultural heritage by United Nations. These Berber buildings (made of stones and tree trunks) usually located on rocky promontories, constitute historical testimonials related to the origin of Morocco, and, as tourist attractions, have a positive impact on the local economy. The sustainability of these ancient monuments requires geological-risk evaluations of the massif stability under the agadir with the proposal of stabilization measures, and an architectonic analysis with appropriate maintenance of the structural elements. An interdisciplinary study including climate, seismicity, hydrology, geology, geomorphology, geotechnical surveys of the massif, and diagnosis of the degradation of structural elements have been performed on the Amtoudi Agadir, selected as a case study. The main findings from this study are that the prevalent rocks used for construction (coming from the underlying substratum) are good-quality arkosic sandstones; the SW cliffs under the agadir are unstable under water saturation; some masonry walls are too thin and lack interlocking stones and mortar; and failures in the beams (due to flexure, fracture, and exhaustion in the resistance due to insect attacks or plant roots) are common. The basic risk assessment of ancient buildings of cultural heritage and their geologic substratum are needed especially in undeveloped areas with limited capacity to implement durable conservation policies. Therefore, recommendations have been provided to ensure the stability and maintenance of this important archaeological site.

Construction of 17-19th century domes in the province of Alicante (Spain): the case of San Juan Bautista in Cox

From the late seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, many religious temples have been built in the province of Alicante (south east of Spain) with brick domes as their main characteristic feature. Often, the limited data available about these remarkable constructions make rehabilitation interventions become into real research projects, with a high value for their historic conservation over time. The aim of this paper is to show a detailed refurbishment analysis of a religious temple built in 1778, showing the need of preservation of historic buildings as a part of the architectural heritage by establishing a common pattern of materials, geometry and constructive systems, specifically in their domes. In most cases, there was not an architectural project for the construction, that is why the analysis of any documentary and archival sources available is essential to find different ways to proceed on the use and maintenance of these religious buildings.

Termografía infrarroja aplicada en cúpulas históricas: identificación y análisis de sistemas constructivos

El uso específico de la termografía infrarroja como técnica no destructiva permite el estudio de sistemas constructivos en edificios históricos (caracterización de materiales, disposición constructiva o identificación de elementos originales). Así, se muestra una aplicación práctica en templos en la provincia de Alicante construidos entre finales del siglo XVII y principios del xix, donde se analiza la complementariedad de las imágenes termográficas de 140 cúpulas (junto con datos recopilados in situ, dibujos originales y levantamiento de planos) como herramienta de estudio en fases de análisis previas a una restauración. En conclusión, la investigación detalla una aplicación termográfica al estudio de distintos aspectos como el reconocimiento de materiales empleados (90,71 % ladrillo macizo, 6,43 % ladrillo hueco y 2,86 % piedra), variaciones de espesor interior y exterior (75,71 % perfil apuntado, 17,86 % perfil semiesférico y 6,43 % perfil rebajado), caracterización de grietas/fisuras (estado de conservación) e identificación de cúpulas originales (96,43 %) o restauradas (3,57 %).

Comparative analysis of constructive solutions for thermal insulation by using computer applications in building rehabilitation in Mediterranean climate. The Spanish case

The new Spanish legislation in Energy Saving, similar to European regulation, provides new technical requirements to adequate technical solutions used in integral rehabilitation of existing buildings. The aim of this paper is to present, analyze and discuss the main thermal insulation constructive solutions best suited to a Mediterranean climate, and conclude on their suitability under the legislation in Energy Saving. The proposed methodology is based on the most usual constructive solutions in integral rehabilitation of buildings by analyzing their outstanding design features, by studying its construction details and then by applying the software provided by the Spanish legislation of energy efficiency in buildings. The results of the study evaluate and classify several solutions for façade rehabilitation according to energy efficiency criteria and their suitability for this type of weather, verifying the necessity of using software applications in energy saving for the proper design of constructive solutions in building rehabilitation.

Fortification and Frontier: The Project Drawn up by Juan Martín Zermeño for Puebla de Sanabria in 1766

Following the death of engineer General Jorge Próspero de Verboom in 1744 and after a few years of transition in the management of Spanish fortifications, Juan Martín Zermeño took on the role, initially with a temporary mandate, but then definitively during a second period that ran from 1766 until his death in 1772. He began this second period with a certain amount of concern because of what had taken place during the last period of conflict. The Seven Years War (1756–1763) which had brought Spain into conflict with Portugal and England in the Caribbean had also lead to conflict episodes along the Spanish–Portuguese border. Zermeño’s efforts as a planner and general engineer gave priority to the northern part of the Spanish–Portuguese border. After studying the territory and the existing fortifications on both sides of the border, Zermeño drew up three important projects in 1766. The outposts that needed to be reinforced were located, from north to south, at Puebla de Sanabria, Zamora and Ciudad Rodrigo, which is where he is believed to have come from. This latter township already had a modern installation built immediately after the war of the Spanish Succession and reinforced with the Fort of La Concepción. However, Zamora and Puebla de Sanabria had some obsolete fortifications that needed modernising. Since the middle of the 15th century Puebla de Sanabria had had a modern castle with rounded turrets, that of the counts of benavente. During the 16th and 17th centuries it had also been equipped with a walled enclosure with small bastions. During the war of the Spanish Succession the Portuguese had enlarged the enclosure and had erected a tentative offshoot to the west. In order to draw up the ambitious Puebla de Sanabria project Zermeño had the aid of some previous reports and projects, such as those by the count of robelin in 1722, the one by Antonio de Gaver in 1752, and Pedro Moreau’s report dated June 1755. This study includes a technical analysis of Zermeño’s project and its strategic position within the system of fortifications along the Spanish–Portuguese border.

Small Town Downtown Revitalization: Applying the Main Street Approach to the towns of Perth and Carleton Place, Ontario

The downtown main street of small towns is traditionally the economic, cultural, and social heart of the community, thereby requiring particular attention from planners and researchers alike. Considering modern threats to main streets including suburban sprawl and "big box" development, revitalization strategies are essential to ensuring longevity and vitality of small towns’ cores, in terms of economy, built environment, heritage, and identity. The Main Street Approach was established to mitigate challenges by providing a revitalization tool-kit for small Canadian towns, focusing on organization, marketing and promotion, economic and commercial development, and design and physical improvements. To better understand existing municipal tools for downtown revitalization in Ontario, a comparative analysis of the towns of Carleton Place and Perth's policies was conducted using the four pillars of the Main Street Approach as benchmark for best practice, and recommendations for other small towns to better incorporate revitalization policies were suggested.

Development of a magnetic resonance compatible wrist device for the analysis of movement encoding in the brain

Tese de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Biomédica e Biofísica, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2016

Análise económica e financeira da reabilitação na construção

O setor da construção tem evoluído ao longo dos anos, quer em termos de processos construtivos, quer em termos de materiais aplicados, tendo sempre em conta a relação custo/prazo/qualidade. Atualmente existe uma grande quantidade de edifícios cujo tempo de vida útil está a chegar ao fim e cujas estruturas e materiais se vêm a degradar progressivamente. É então necessário proceder à sua demolição e posterior construção de uma edificação nova ou então recorrer a processos de reabilitação, que visam conservar o património arquitetónico e procurar corresponder às solicitações e exigências regulamentares requeridas. Isto leva a outro ponto, que é a análise do investimento e a verificação da rentabilidade do projeto. A presente dissertação, inserida no Mestrado em Conservação e Reabilitação do Edificado, tem como objetivos fazer uma análise económica e financeira a vários edifícios intervencionados, verificando a viabilidade do projeto e determinando o período de retorno do investimento. O caso de estudo é um conjunto de quatro edifícios de custos controlados que foram reabilitados pelo exterior com o objetivo de melhorar o comportamento térmico, bem como as condições interiores das habitações, a nível de instalações e acústica. Por sua vez, os objetivos da presente dissertação incidem especificamente no isolamento térmico dos edifícios, na substituição das caixilharias e das janelas, das caixas de estore e dos estores. Foram realizadas medições de temperatura e humidade relativa antes, durante e após a reabilitação, através de um aparelho medidor Hygropalm, da Rotronic. Foram também registados os consumos energéticos (eletricidade, água e gás) antes e após a reabilitação. Posteriormente procedeu-se à análise e comparação de resultados em termos de custos para os moradores, bem como a análise de investimento para o dono dos edifícios. Foram também registadas as rendas que os moradores poderão pagar, estando divididas em três tipos: renda mínima, renda média e renda máxima e depois procedeu-se a uma análise financeira para cada uma delas. Considerando o investimento feito na reabilitação e analisando quatro cenários diferentes e sua receita respectiva (lucros expectáveis), sendo a receita correspondente à poupança energética e a cada tipo de renda, verificou-se que o investimento tinha retorno passados muitos anos.

Radiomic Texture Analysis Mapping Predicts Areas of True Functional MRI Activity.

Individual analysis of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans requires user-adjustment of the statistical threshold in order to maximize true functional activity and eliminate false positives. In this study, we propose a novel technique that uses radiomic texture analysis (TA) features associated with heterogeneity to predict areas of true functional activity. Scans of 15 right-handed healthy volunteers were analyzed using SPM8. The resulting functional maps were thresholded to optimize visualization of language areas, resulting in 116 regions of interests (ROIs). A board-certified neuroradiologist classified different ROIs into Expected (E) and Non-Expected (NE) based on their anatomical locations. TA was performed using the mean Echo-Planner Imaging (EPI) volume, and 20 rotation-invariant texture features were obtained for each ROI. Using forward stepwise logistic regression, we built a predictive model that discriminated between E and NE areas of functional activity, with a cross-validation AUC and success rate of 79.84% and 80.19% respectively (specificity/sensitivity of 78.34%/82.61%). This study found that radiomic TA of fMRI scans may allow for determination of areas of true functional activity, and thus eliminate clinician bias.

Analysis of minerals from Arctic Ocean sediments

The Arctic Ocean System is a key player regarding the climatic changes of Earth. Its highly sensitive ice Cover, the exchange of surface and deep water masses with the global ocean and the coupling with the atmosphere interact directly with global climatic changes. The output of cold, polar water and sea ice influences the production of deep water in the North Atlantic and controls the global ocean circulation ("the conveyor belt"). The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by the large Northern Hemisphere ice sheets which not only affect the sedimentation in the Arctic Ocean but also are supposed to induce the Course of glacials and interglacials. Terrigenous sediment delivered from the ice sheets by icebergs and meltwater as well as through sea ice are major components of Arctic Ocean sediments. Hence, the terrigenous content of Arctic Ocean sediments is an outstanding archive to investigate changes in the paleoenvironment. Glazigenic sediments of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and surface samples of the Arctic Ocean and the Siberian shelf regions were investigated by means of x-ray diffraction of the bulk fraction. The source regions of distinct mineral compositions were to be deciphered. Regarding the complex circumpolar geology stable christalline shield rocks, active and ancient fold belts including magmatic and metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks and wide periglacial lowlands with permafrost provide a complete range of possible mineral combinations. Non- glaciated shelf regions mix the local input from a possible point source of a particular mineral combination with the whole shelf material and function as a sampler of the entire region draining to the shelf. To take this into account, a literature research was performed. Descriptions of outcropping lithologies and Arctic Ocean sediments were scanned for their mineral association. The analyses of glazigenic and shelf sediments yielded a close relationship between their mineral composition and the adjacent source region. The most striking difference between the circumpolar source regions is the extensive outcrop of carbonate rocks in the vicinity of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and in N Greenland while siliciclastic sediments dominate the Siberian shelves. In the Siberian shelf region the eastern Kara Sea and the western Laptev Sea form a destinct region defined by high smectite, (clino-) pyroxene and plagioclase input. The source of this signal are the extensive outcrops of the Siberian trap basalt in the Putorana Plateau which is drained by the tributaries of the Yenissei and Khatanga. The eastern Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea can also be treated as one source region containing a feldspar, quartz, illite, mica, and chlorite asscciation combined with the trace minerals hornblende and epidote. Franz Josef Land provides a mineral composition rich in quartz and kaolinite. The diverse rock suite of the Svalbard archipelago distributes specific mineral compositions of highly metamorphic christalline rocks, dolomite-rich carbonate rocks and sedimentary rocks with a higher diagenetic potential manifested in stable newly built diagenetic minerals and high organic maturity. To reconstruct the last 30,000 years as an example of the transition between glacial and interglacial conditions a profile of sediment cores, recovered during the RV Polarstern" expedition ARK-VIIIl3 (ARCTIC '91), and additional sediment cores around Svalbard were investigated. Besides the mineralogy of different grain size fractions several additional sedimentological and organo-geochemical Parameterswere used. A detailed stratigraphic framework was achieved. By exploiting this data set changes in the mineral composition of the Eurasian Basin sediments can be related to climatic changes. Certain mineral compositions can even be associated with particular transport processes, e.g. the smectitel pyroxene association with sea ice transport from the eastern Kara Sea and the western Laptev Sea. Hence, it is possible to decipher the complex interplay between the influx of warm Atlantic waters into the Southwest of the Eurasian Basin, the waxing and waning of the Svalbard1Barents- Sea- and Kara-Sea-Ice-Sheets, the flooding of the Siberian shelf regions and the surface and deep water circulation. Until now the Arctic Ocean was assumed to be a rather stable System during the last 30,000 years which only switched from a completely ice covered situation during the glacial to seasonally Open waters during the interglacial. But this work using mineral assemblages of sediment cores in the vicinity of Svalbard revealed fast changes in the inflow of warm Atlantic water with the Westspitsbergen Current (< 1000 years), short periods of advances and retreats of the marine based Eurasian ice sheets (1000-3000 years), and short melting phases (400 years?). Deglaciation of the marine-based Eurasian and the land-based north American and Greenland ice sheets are not simultaneous. This thesis postulates that the Kara Sea Ice Sheet released an early meltwater signal prior to 15,000 14C years leading the Barents Sea Ice Sheet while the western land-based ice sheets are following later than 13,500 14C years. The northern Eurasian Basin records the shift between iceberg and sea-ice material derived from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and N-Greenland and material transported by sea-ice and surface currents from the Siberian shelf region. The phasing of the deglaciation becomes very obvious using the dolomite and quartd phyllosilicate record. It is also supposed that the flooding of the Laptev Sea during the Holocene is manifested in a stepwise increase of sediment input at the Lomonosov Ridge between the Eurasian and Amerasian Basin. Depending on the strength of meltwater pulses from the adjacent ice sheets the Transpolar Drift can probably be relocated. These movements are traceable by the distribution of indicator minerals. Based on the outcome of this work the feasibility of bulk mineral determination can be qualified as excellent tool for paleoenvironmental reconstructions in the Arctic Ocean. The easy preparation and objective determination of bulk mineralogy provided by the QUAX software bears the potential to use this analyses as basic measuring method preceding more time consuming and highly specialised mineralogical investigations (e.g. clay mineralogy, heavy mineral determination).

Biracial Identity Development: Narratives of Biracial Korean American University Students in Heritage Language Classes

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06