Effect of hot-dip galvanization on the fatigue behaviour of welded structural steel

Abstract This paper investigates the effect of a galvanizing coating on the fatigue strength of S355 structural steel. While in the literature some results from fatigue tests made on unnotched specimens can be found, very few results are available dealing with notched components and, at the best of authors' knowledge, no results are available dealing with welded joints. The aim of the present paper is to partially fill this lack of knowledge. A comparison is carried out, between hot dip galvanized fillet welded cruciform joints made by S355 structural steel and not treated welded joints characterized by the same geometry, subjected to a load cycle R = 0. 34 new experimental data are summarized in the present contribution, in terms of stress range Δσ and averaged strain energy density range ΔW in a control volume of radius R0 = 0.28 mm

Lying about intentions

This thesis aims to explore whether lying about intentions can be detected using the same methods that are used to detect other types of lie. Part I, the introduction, contains a literature review of research into future thinking and intentions. In Part II non-verbal cues and thermal imaging are investigated as cues to deception. In Experiment 1 participants of twelve different ethnicities were interviewed at an airport about their forthcoming trip. Half of the participants were instructed to answer truthfully, the other half to answer deceptively. The participants’ veracity affected only three of the 17 non-verbal cues: struggling, thinking hard and controlling behaviour. These cues were reduced to two factors, cognitive load and animation. These two factors could correctly classify 52.3% of truth tellers and 62.6% of liars. The thermal imaging showed that liars tended to get warmer during the interview, while the truth tellers’ temperatures remained constant. This temperature rise was a cue to deception at above chance rates. In Part III two experiments are described, investigating verbal cues to deceit in longer and shorter interviews. In Experiment 2 participants were interviewed, answering truthfully or deceptively, about a forthcoming trip. The interview contained general questions that were expected by the participants and three types of unexpected questions. Half of the participants had been to the travel destination previously, while the other half had not been there. The results showed that truth tellers generated more details on the unexpected questions than liars, while liars provided more details on expected questions than truth tellers. This pattern was more pronounced with participants who had been to their travel destination before than for those who had never been to that destination. A positive predictive value of .69 (truth) and a negative predictive value of .75 (lie) were obtained. Experiment 3 investigated verbal cues to deceit in a short one question interview about a forthcoming trip. The interview question was asked in two forms, one prompting for time detail and one control. The results showed that truth tellers and those answering the time prompting question were more likely to provide temporal information. The results showed that 47.6% of truth tellers and 81% of liars could be classified correctly on the basis of the time prompt question. Part IV investigated reaction times as a cue to deception. In Experiment 4, participants were asked to perform a mission, either immediately or two weeks later. Half of the participants was instructed to answer any questions asked by experimenters en route truthfully, the other half was asked to answer deceptively. Using a computer, participants classified adjectives as positive or negative and were primed by words related to the real intention of truth tellers (to buy a present), which was also the cover story for liars. Contrary to the hypothesis, in the immediate condition liars answered faster on positive than negative adjectives, while the truth tellers responded equally fast to both adjectives. In the delayed condition no difference was found between truth tellers and liars. Part V presents the general discussion. The main findings of the thesis are summarised, practical and theoretical implications are discussed, the methodological and ethical limitations are considered and ideas for future research are given. Overall, the conclusion of the thesis is that false intentions contain cues to deceit that observers should be able to spot.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Understanding the process of recovery from heroin addiction : initiating and maintaining factors

There is increasing recognition that recovery from heroin addiction is possible but there is limited understanding of the recovery process and of how services can support people in that process. At present, most of the research concerning recovery from heroin addiction comes from the United States where the treatment system is very different to that in the UK. This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the recovery process from the perspective of people who are in recovery from heroin addiction, with the aim of informing service development and delivery in the South Wales area. This study employed a grounded theory qualitative methodology to analyse data collected from ten interviews with people in recovery from heroin addiction in the South Wales area. The results revealed four core categories: i) initiating recovery, including the triggers for recovery and what helps; ii) maintaining recovery, consisting of thought changes, lifestyle changes and the role of supportive networks; iii) the reality of recovery, encompassing the process of recovery and obstacles faced; and iv) service provision, encompassing current problems, how support needs can be met and how wider needs can be addressed. The findings highlighted some important considerations for the development of services specifically designed to meet the needs of this client group, thus facilitating long term stable recovery. The findings are reviewed in relation to the wider literature regarding recovery from heroin addiction. Implications for clinical practice and service delivery are also reviewed, and suggestions provided for how services can incorporate recovery-orientated principles. Suggestions for future research are also considered.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Minimally Invasive Approach in Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) has changed considerably during the last decade. Improved surgical results in patients with simple CHD and new interventional cardiology procedures have stimulated the surgeon to adopt minimally invasive techniques to reduce the patient’s surgical insult and obtain good functional and cosmetic results. As a consequence, new surgical techniques and specialized equipment for minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) procedures have been developed and refined in recent years. The improving surgical outcomes in patients with CHD, the significant advances in surgical instrumentation and perfusion technology, and the broad utilization of new catheter-based interventional procedures to repair simple CHD have triggered surgeons’ interest to adopt and innovate minimally invasive approaches for CHD repair, so as to reduce patient’s surgical trauma and improve functional and cosmetic results while maintaining a high standard of clinical outcomes and possibly shortening hospitalization times. This article reports on our updated full experience and institutional protocols with MICS in children and adults with CHD

UAV-spray application in vineyards: Flight modes and spray system adjustment effects on canopy deposit, coverage, and off-target losses

Improvements in the spray application of plant protection products enhance agricultural sustainability by reducing environmental contamination, but by increasing food quality and human safety. Currently, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are raising interest in spray applications in 3D crops. However, operational configurations of UAV-spray systems need further investigation to maximise the deposition in the canopy and minimise the off-target losses. Our experimental research focused on investigating the effects on the canopy spray deposition and coverage due to different UAV-spray system configurations. Twelve configurations were tested under field conditions in an experimental vineyard (cv. Barbera), derived from the combination of different UAV flight modes (band and broadcast spray applications), nozzle types (conventional and air inclusion), and UAV cruise speeds (1 and 3 m s-1). Also, the best treatment, among those tested, by using the UAV-spray system and a traditional airblast sprayer were compared. The data was analysed by testing the effects of the three operational parameters and their two- and three-way interactions by means of linear mixed models. The results indicated that the flight mode deeply affects spray application efficiency. Compared to the broadcast spray modes, the band spray mode was able to increase the average canopy deposition from 0.052 to 0.161 μL cm-2 (+ 309 %) and reduce the average ground losses from 0.544 to 0.246 μL cm-2 (- 54 %). The conventional airblast sprayer, operated at a low spray application rate, showed higher canopy coverage and lower ground losses in comparison to the best UAV-spray system configuration

Endothelin-1 Levels Are Increased in Sera and Lesional Skin Extracts of Psoriatic Patients and Correlate with Disease Severity

Endothelins (ETs), in addition to their systematical activities, exert important functions at the skin level, such as increase of keratinocyte proliferation, neo-angiogenesis and leukocyte chemotaxis, which are among the main characteristics of psoriasis. To assess a possible ET-1 involvement in plaque-type psoriasis, ET-1 determinations were carried out in 15 sera and 8 lesional and non-lesional biopsy skin extracts from psoriatic patients and in 15 sera and 5 biopsy skin extracts from healthy volunteers, sex- and age-matched, using commercially available ELISA kits. A statistical analysis of the results showed that ET-1 levels were increased in sera of psoriatic patients, as compared to normal subjects (p = 0.04). In addition, there was a significant correlation between both serum (r = 0.60, p = 0.02) and lesional skin (r = 0.80, p = 0.03) ET-1 values versus the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores. Significant increases of the lesional versus the non-lesional (p = 0.01) and versus the normal (p = 0.04) ET-1 skin extract values were observed, together with a significant correlation between lesional and non-lesional ET-1 skin levels (r = 0.79, p = 0.03). These findings were also confirmed at the mRNA level, using RT-PCR analysis, where increased ET-1 mRNA levels, densitometrically measured, were found in the lesional samples versus non-lesional and normal skin. Since interleukin-8 is involved in psoriasis and shares some biological properties with ET-1, we further evaluated the levels of this cytokine in skin extracts. The behaviour of interleukin-8 paralleled that of ET-1, and a significant correlation between these two molecules was observed in the lesional skin (r = 0.76, p = 0.05). Taken together, these data stress that, as previously described for interleukin-8, ET-1 may be involved in inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis