Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'EME'

La hierarchie traditionnelle de la noblesse voit ses structures changer au cours du xviiieme siecle. Paris est le lieu privilegie pour etudier ces bouleversements sociaux et ideologiques. Par l'apparition de nouvelles valeurs taxinomiques, politiques et intellectuelles, le second ordre parisien est en fait le temoin d'un changement global de societe, en meme temps qu'il annonce les progres de l'individualisme au sein des mentalites urbaines
The hierarchical organization of the nobility has been deeply modified in the course of the eighteenth century. Paris is the key place to cotemplate these social and ideological upheavals. As a result to the emergence of new taxonomical, political and intellectual references, the paris nobility is in fact the witness of a major society change, as well as the enlightener of the development of the individualism through out the urban mentalities

L'histoire de l'orgue en espagne remonte aux derniers siecles du moyen-age. Ceux-ci tracent deux orientations de la facture: elles correspondent, en lignes generales, aux deux couronnes, castille et aragon et dureront jusqu'a la fin du xviieme siecle. Dans une premiere partie -1508-1654-, ce travail s'attache a en etudier les fondements en notant le role charniere joue precocement par l'aragon, a circonscrire leurs centres ainsi que leur interdependance, provoquee par la mobilite des organiers tant autochtones qu'etrangers. Cherchant a scruter l'origine de l'orgue paroissial, il precise le role des facteurs titulaires des cathedrales puis la transmission du savoir technique par l'apprentissage et la cellule familiale. Il s'attache, enfin, a la caracterisation de la structure de l'orgue, en s'appuyant notamment sur les elements evolutifs de la facture de la castille : clavier unique entier, puis "coupe" et cornet soliste. La seconde partie, menant au xixeme siecle, reprend les memes schemas d'analyse mais cherche a degager les conditions qui permettent l'eclosion et l'apogee de l'orgue espagnol. Les dynasties accroissent leur emprise mais l'acquisition du metier est remise en cause durant la seconde moitie du xviiieme siecle alors que le role de l'architecte dans la conception du buffet, devenu preponderant, est ratifie par l'academie. Les migrations des facteurs du nord -basues, navarrais- vers le centre -madrid joue desormais le pole principal d'at- traction-, leur expansion sur l'ensemble du territoire favorisent l'implantation d'un mo- dele unique. Ces organiers diffusent deux nouveautes techniques: le systeme "expressif" a echos, et les anches en chamade. Ne durant la seconde moitie du xviieme, cet instrument. .
The history of the spanish organ dates from the last centuries of the middle-ages when two orientations in building became apparent. These two orientations in building correspond roughly to the kingdoms of castile and aragon and will last till the end of the seventeenth century. First, this work studies their origins and underlines the leading part quickly played by aragon. It sketches out the building centres and their interdependance induced by the mobility of the builders, autochtons as well as foreigners. The study of the origins of the parish organ determines the part of cathedrals titular afinadores and shows how the technical knowledge was passed on in the family and by apprentillship. Then is described the structure of the organ and its characteristics, basing itself overall on the evolutive elements of the castilian organ: unique keyboard, then with halved stops and elevated cornet- the second part emploies the same schemes of analysis to elucidate the conditions which permitted the blooming and the apogee of the spanish or- gan. Th dynasties'ascendancy grew but the way of learning the craft was questionned du- ring the second half of the eighteenth century while the importance of the archi- tect's role in the conceiving of the organ-case -predominant then- is confirmed by the aca- demy. The migrations of the northern builderns -basques, navarreses- to the centre- ma- drid is now the main pole of attraction-, their expansion to the whole country encourage the implantation of one unique pattern. Two technical innovations were diffused: the swell

L'introduction au xiie siecle en occident de la fete de la conception de marie (8 decembre) est a l'origine d'une longue controverse que l'on peut reconstituer grace a de tres nombreux documents, de genres varies: traites, sermons, commentaires des sentences, disputes quodlibetiques, offices liturgiques et meme chroniques et textes litteraires. Outre son caractere de nouveaute, la fete de la conception de marie heurtait de nombreux theologiens par son apparente incompatibilite avec un corps de doctrine solidement etabli : universalite du peche originel, transmission de ce peche par le biais d'une sexualite irremediablement fautive, necessite pour chacun d'etre rachete par le sacrifice de la passion du christ les discussions sur la possibilite d'une exception en faveur de marie n'ont pas seulement amene a preciser ces divers points, elles ont egalement eclaire un certain nombre de representations anthropologiques concernant la reproduction, la conception virginale, le rapport mere-fils et creature-createur. Ces discussions revelent aussi certains modeles sociaux ou politiques, notamment en ce qui concerne la figure du pouvoir souverain et son rapport a la loi ou le statut personnel des individus. On peut distinguer trois phases dans la controverse. Au commencement, la propagande en faveur de la fete invente un discours inedit, qui explore des voies nouvelles tout en restant tres lie au developpement de la reflexion scolastique. Dans un second temps, l'opinion immaculiste se trouve completement marginalisee par le discours dominant d'une theologie universitaire alors a son apogee, et l'on ne conserve d'elle que des traces indirectes, tandis que la fete continue a se diffuser ; au tournant des xiiie et xive siecles, des voix anonymes ou celebres s'elevent cependant parmi les theologiens pour elaborer un nouveau discours qui doit permettre de concilier le culte et la doctrine. Ce retournement aboutit dans une troisieme etape a des resultats paradoxaux : tandis qu'au long du xive siecle on voit la fete se generaliser et l'opinion immaculiste devenir majoritaire, l'existence d'un mole de resistance, incarne par l'ordre dominicain, va faire rebondir la controverse d'une facon inattendue, jusqu'au concile de baie qui apporte en 1439 a la crise un denouement incertain
The introduction of the celebration of the conception of mary (december 8 th) in the western countries during the xiith century is at the origin of a long controversy which can be reconstructed thanks to numerous documents of various types: treaties, sermons, commentaries of the sentences, quodlibeta, liturgical books and even chronicles and litterary texts. Besides the fact it was new, the celebration of the conception of mary shocked many theologists because of its apparent incompatibility with a doctrinal system firmly established: universality of the original sin, transmission of this sin by means of an irremediably guilty sexuality, and the necessity for each person to be redeemed by the sacrifice of the passion of christ. The discussions concerning a possible exception in favour of mary did not only lead to a better view on these various points, they also clarified a certain number of anthropological representation concerning the reproduction, the virginal conception, the mother to son and creature to creator relationship. These discussions also reveal some social or political models, notably concerning the figure of the sovereign power and how it related to the law, or the personal status of individuals. We can distinguish three phases in the controversy. At the beginning the propaganda in favour of the celebration gives birth to a new type of discourse which both explores new ways of thinking and remains strongly linked to the development of scholastic thought. Subsequently the immaculist opinion is completly left aside by the dominating discourse of an academic theology at a climax and only indirect testimonies of its existence still remain, whereas the celebration keeps gaining ground. Yet between the end of the xiiith century and the beginning of the xivth century both anonymous and famous voices are heard among theologists in favour of a new discourse which should reconcile cult and doctrine. This reversal leads in a third phase to paradoxical results: while, during the course of the xivth century the celebration becomes a widespread habit, and the immaculist opinion becomes the major trend, the existence of a barrier of resistance in the dominican order will give a new unexpected turn to the controversy, till the council of bale which brings the crisis to an uncertain end in 1439

The Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model, which is based on the New Consensus Macroeconomics (NCM) theoretical framework, has become the workhorse of macroeconomic analysis in academia, research institutes and monetary authorities since the 1980s. The dominating popularity of the DSGE type of models can be witnessed by their extensive use by central banks, such as the Bank of England (BoE), the European Central Bank (ECB), the Federal Reserve (FED) and other central banks. One of the most important and attractive advantages of the DSGE model is its compatibility with a variety of micro- and macro- economic foundations, including short-run nominal rigidities in the goods and services markets, heterogeneities in production, monetary policy and a rich set of exogenous shocks; not that there are no problems with these aspects of the DSGE model as discussed in this thesis. Although a lot of efforts have been made in DSGE modelling in industrialized economies, literature of DSGE modelling in emerging market economies is still at an early stage. The DSGE models especially designed for the economic and social features of these economies are hard to find. In this thesis, we develop a new DSGE model with special consideration of the economic and social features of emerging market economies, and account for some of the DSGE problems. The major development and innovation of this thesis is the heterogeneities not only on the supply side but also in terms of households. Additionally, the housing market and real estate assets are explicitly introduced into our model. Thirdly, we introduce a financial sector into our final model. In this sector, financial frictions are included and entrepreneurs are no longer riskless. Financial intermediates take deposits from households and then lend them to entrepreneurs at an interest rate, which is higherthanthedepositrate. Armed with these developments and improvements,the complete model in this thesis is expected to produce better empirical results and thereby more accurate explanation of economic movements in emerging market economies. Based on these models and data samples, we are able to make empirical analysis on the target economies, namely Brazil, China and India. In conclusion, the models developed in this thesis, based essentially on the DSGE type, can be the pioneer dynamic macroeconomic models for emerging market economies such as Brazil, India, and China. Based on these models, we conduct empirical analyses on data from China, Brazil, and India. We use the Bayesian estimation methodology to identify parameters in our model. The empirical results of these newly developed models show a good coherence with our theoretical hypotheses. Additionally, the performance of these models is consistent with the observed samples and the stylized facts in Brazil, China and India in terms of economic features, such as standard deviations of important economic variables including GDP and fixed asset investment. The results are promising, indicating that our DSGE type of model successfully captures the major economic features and dynamics in these countries with improved accuracy and explanatory power.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite the excessive mineral wealth, the underground deposits of gold, diamonds, copper and cobalt and other valuable minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which are coveted by many countries, the majority of the population is still destitute and lives in dire poverty. However the country itself prospered during the colonial period 1885-1960 and it became the second most industrialized state in Africa after South Africa (Petit & Mutambwa, 2005). Unfortunately it is now ranked among the world's poorest countries in the world. Since the Democratic Republic of the Congo gained independence in 1960 it has not experienced development that benefits the whole population. The country is experiencing continuing and pressing problems of poverty and human suffering. Thus the purpose during this study is to analyse the position of the Pentecostal Church in the Congo (30ème CPCO) concerning the situation of poverty in the city of Lubumbashi and to design a pragmatic approach that can assist the denomination to find ways to effectively address the problem of poverty. Findings reveal that the city of Lubumbashi is riddled with complex socio-economic challenges, but the 30 ème CPCO is not equipped practically or theologically to address these challenges. Poverty in the city of Lubumbashi is pervasive, it is therefore structural and historical. It comes a long way, from the slavery, to colonization, to dictatorship, neo-colonization and globalization. Sin and lovelessness have been identified as the roots causes of poverty in the DRC in the sense that sin which is the opposite of love is the driving force behind the oppressive structures that have impoverished millions of people in the DRC and around the world. Furthermore findings also disclose that the understanding of the soteriology within the Pentecostal denomination theology is problematic. Salvation is understood as being spiritual only, the physical aspect is misapprehended. In addition there is a heretical prosperity gospel in the denomination which teaches that poverty is the result of personal sin and unfaithfulness to tithing. They believe that giving large amounts of money will release blessings and prosperity. This view has skewed the denomination's approach towards the eradication of poverty. As a result the 30 ème CPCO’s involvement in poverty eradication is described as rudimentary, it is limited to sporadic assistance to the poor. Although the 30 ème CPCO station of Lubumbashi as a whole has been sporadically giving assistance to the poor, there are many factors that have restricted its ability to effectively engage in poverty eradication amongst which is poor understanding of the root causes of poverty. This in fact is influenced by the perception of poverty which is subject to features such as the mentality of the people or the level of literacy, the environment, the world view, the circumstances, the culture etc. The inability of the 30 ème CPCO to address poverty is also due to lack of enough education, poor administration, financial issues, lack of partners to help with the development and cooperation between congregations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten spyte van groot minerale rykdom, die ondergrondse bronne van goud, diamante, koper kobalt en ander minerale, wat deur ander lande begeer word, leef die oorgrote meerderheid van die bevolking van die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo in armoede. Tydens die koloniale tydperk (1885–1960) het die Kongo tog vooruitgegaan en die tweede mees industrieë in Afrika, na Suid-Afrika, besit. Dus was dit die doel tydens hierdie studie om die posisie van die Pinkster Kerk in die Kongo (30 ème CPCO) betreffende die armoede stiuasie in die stad Lubumbashi te bepaal en om maniere te vind waarop ’n pragmatiese benadering tot armoede gevolg kan word. Daar is bevind dat die stad Lubumbashi baie komplekse sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings in die gesig staar, maar dat die 30 ème CPCO nie bevoeg is om daardie uitdagings op ’n praktiese wyse of ’n teologiese wyse aan te spreek nie nie. Die armoede in die stad kan oral gesien word, dit is struktueel en histories. Hierdie armoede gaan ver terug, na slaverny, kolonisasie diktatorskap, neo-liberalisme en globalisasie. Sonde en liefdeloosheid word gesien as hoofoorsake van armoede in die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo in die sin dat sonde wat die teenoorgestelde van liefde is, die dryfveer is agter die onderdrukkende strukture wat miljoene mense in die DRK en elders in die wêreld in armoede gedompel het. Daar is ook bevind dat die begrip van soteriologie in die Pinkster denominasie se teologie problematies is. Net die geestelike aspek van redding is in ag geneem en die fiesiese aspek is misken. Daar is ook diegene in die denominasie wat verkeerdelik glo in die voorspoeds evangelie waarvolgens armoede die gevolg is van die persoon se eie sonde of ontrouheid wat betref die gee van tiendes. Hulle glo dat die gee van groot hoeveelhede geld sal lei tot seëninge en voorspoed. Hierdie siening het ’n effek gehad op die denominasie se houding teenoor die uitroei van armoede. Daarom is die 30 ème CPCO se betrokkenheid by die uitwissing van armoede rudimentêr. Dit is beperk tot hulp aan die armes. . Alhoewel die 30 ème CPCO stasie van Lubumbashi as geheel sporadies hulp aan die armes verleen het, is daar baie faktore wat die kerk se vermoë om effektief te wees in die uitroei van armoede, beperk het. Een daarvan is ’n begrip van die grondoorsake van armoede. Die begrip word beïnvloed deur die persepsie van armoede, en aspekte soos die mentaliteit van die mense, die graad van geletterheid, die omgewing, die siening van die wêreld, die kultuur ens. Die onvermoë van die 30 ème CPCO om armoede aan te spreek is die gevolg van ’n gebrek aan opvoeding, swak administrasie, finansiële probleme en gebrek aan vennote, asook ’n gebrek aan samewerking tussen gemeentes.

Un modele des conflits familiaux. Dans les milieux dominants, les conflits familiaux s'enroulent autour de l'axe de transmission des roles et des biens : les conflits pere fils tendent a se succeder par l'entremise des conflits entre freres. L'enchainement tient a la permanence de l'enjeu, a l'evolution des roles et du rapport des forces : l'aine se mue en pere conteste, le cadet en oncle protecteur et intriguant (= fonction oncle-cadet). Autour de cet axe vertical, forme de conflits masculins et autoreproducteurs, se greffent d'ephemeres conflits d'alliance, ou interviennent les soeurs, les epouses et les veuves. La socialisation et ses sequelles. Les conflits pere fils, qui sont au centre de ce modele, eclatent au cours du long moratoire de jeunesse impose par la pratique de l'etablissement tardif. Place sous le signe de la precarite, le jeune adulte se livre a la recherche brouillonne d'une identite sociale, une "autochtonie", qui accredite l'accusation d'inconstance. Quant a la deviance, elle constitue une parodie de la conformite, un simulacre d'etablissement. Le moratoire est synonyme d'humiliations et de frustrations, qui forment les sequelles de la socialisation - lesquelles peuvent etre reactivees quelques decades plus tard. La jeunesse du pere. Aucune faute de jeunesse n'etant irremissible, la plupart des conflits se terminent par le rangement du fils. Mais le happy end peut achopper sur la severite excessive du chef de famille. Cette crispation sur l'hon- neur revele une faiblesse au niveau de l'estime de soi (batie sur les modeles paren- taux), mise a mal au cours de la socialisation. Ainsi, les conflits ouverts entre pere et fils renvoient a la jeunesse du pere. Le "syndrome des grieux". Les frustrations du moratoire conduisent au binome "culpabilisation du sujet - survalorisation de l'image du pere", qui se trouve a la base du syndrome des grieux. Celui-ci comprend trois volets : le binome determine a un age tardif des inhibitions dans le comportement du pere a l'egard de son fils (crispation sur l'honneur paternel) ; la sublimation, a travers les recits de destinee (recit de fatalite et recit initiatique), effectue un double travail (du deuil et du reve) pour attenuer les sequelles de la socialisation.

Epave decouverte en rade de marseille, fouillee dans les annees soixante-dix, la luque b ne fit l'objet d'aucune etude exhaustive a ce jour. Datee entre 300-325, cette epave presente un interet tant dans son contenu que dans sa structure architecturale. Dans un contexte historique trouble tant au niveau politique, qu'economique ou religieux ; l'epave de la luque b nous presente un aspect des relations commerciales entre l'afrique et la narbonnaise au debut du iveme siecle. La cargaison est essentiellement faite d'amphore keay 25. 1 issues de proconsulaire, transportant vraisemblablement une saumure de crustaces. Cette cargaison est completee par un transport de quelques centaines de lampes de type ovoide pour la plupart historiees et estampillees des marques : deoficinacecili, victor ou encore visiari. Le materiel de bord est triparti, issu d'afrique (amphores africaine i, keay 27 ou la ceramique africaine de cuisine), du sud de la peninsule italique (keay 52) ou de narbonnaise (ceramique luisante et commune). La structure architecturale du navire a fait l'objet d'une etude. Ainsi note t-on la presence d'une pompe de cale qui curieusement se trouve positionnee a l'avant du navire. Apres etude de la carene, il s'avere que le navire de la luque b fut construit selon de principe dit de "borde premier" sur lequel vient se brocher certaines membrures. L'etude des bois revela une carene monospecifique en meleze dont l'aire de vegetation originelle se trouve uniquement dans l'arc subalpin. Cette derniere decouverte permet de situer dans l'absolu le chantier naval en ligurie ou narbonnaise. La luque b, de construction romaine, transportait lors de son ultime voyage du materiel africaine, effectuant alors un retour qui devait se terminer tragiquement par 40 m de fond dans les iles du frioul face a marseille.

Le cellule staminali mesenchimali sono cellule pleiotropiche che si differenziano in adipociti o osteoblasti attraverso un signaling pathway che prevede il coinvolgimento dell'espressione di HO-1 ed HO-2. Abbiamo esaminato gli effetti di un induttore dell'espressione di HO-1 e di un inibitore dell'attivita' enzimatica di HO-1 sul differenziamento osteoblastico delle MSC in presenza ed in assenza di un'alta concentrazione di glucosio. Le MSC sono state coltivate in un medium osteogenico aumentando l'espressione dell'osteonectina, RUNX-2, osteocalcina e la fosfatasi alcalina. L'espressione di HO-1 durante il differenziamento e' stata inizialmente downregolata per poi tornare a valori simili alle cellule indifferenziate dopo 15 giorni di differenziamento. Inoltre, l'effetto di HO-1 sugli osteoblasti appare differente da quello visto nel differenziamento in adipociti. L'induzione di HO-1 attraverso una cobalto protoporfirina (CoPP) decrementa l'adipogenesi. In piu' come evidenziato dalla diminuzione dei livelli di BMP-2, osteocalcina , osteoprotegerina l'aggiunta di glucosio al medium osteogenico inibisce il differenziamento in osteoblasti. Tuttavia il differenziamento di MSC in adipociti e' incrementato dal glucosio. L'induzione di HO-1 attraverso il CoPP e' stato in grado di aumentare l'espressione dei markers osteoblastici gia citati. Lo studio suggerisce che l'induzione dell'eme ossigenasi e' in grado di attenuare l'effetto dell'iperglicemia durante il differenziamento in osteoblasti.
Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pleiotrophic cells that differentiate to either adipocytes or osteoblasts as a result of crosstalk by specific signaling pathways including heme oxygenase (HO)-1/-2 expression. We examined the effect of inducers of HO-1 expression and inhibitors of HO activity on MSC differentiation to the osteoblast and following high glucose exposure. MSC cultured in osteogenic medium increased expression of osteonectin, Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX-2), osteocalcin, and alkaline phosphatase. HO-1 expression during differentiation was initially decreased and then followed by a rebound increase after 15 days of culture. Additionally, the effect of HO-1 on osteoblasts appears different to that seen in adipocyte stem cells. On addition of a cobalt compound, the resultant induction of HO-1 decreases adipogenesis. Moreover, glucose (30 mM) inhibited osteoblast differentiation, as evidenced by decreased bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, osteonectin, osteocalcin, and osteoprotegerin (OPG). In contrast, MSC-derived adipocytes were increased by glucose. Increased HO-1 expression increased the levels of osteonectin, OPG, and BMP-2. Inhibition of HO activity prevented the increase in osteonectin and potentiated the decrease of osteocalcin and OPG in cells exposed to high glucose levels. Furthermore, targeting HO-1 expression increased pAMPK and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and restored osteoblastic markers. Our findings suggest that targeting HO-1 gene expression attenuates the hyperglycemia-mediated decrease in MSC-derived osteoblast differentiation. Finally, the mechanism underlying the HO-1-specific cell effect on osteoblasts and adipocytes is yet to be explored. Thus, the targeting of HO-1 gene expression presents a portal to increase osteoblast function and differentiation and attenuate osteoporosis by promoting bone formation

Le schéma du développement des lymphocytes T dans le thymus est compatible avec la génération à partir d'un même précurseur VDJβ de plusieurs cellules filles exprimant des TRCα différents. Mais l'énorme diversité du répertoire TCR chez la souris normale rend difficile la détection de tels groupes. Les différents modèles de diversité restreinte du répertoire, les souris TCRβ transgéniques, suggèrent que la diversité du répertoire TCRα, associé à un TCRβ donné au niveau des lymphocytes T matures, pourrait être fortement réduite par les processus de sélection. Nous avons considéré que si certains descendants d'un même réarrangement VDJβ expriment des TCRα similiaires, certaines de ces cellules pourraient reconnaître le même épitope. Dans ce cas, il serait possible de les détecter par l'analyse détaillée des répertoires TCRαβ spécifiques de l'antigène sélectionnés lors des réponses immunitaires qui se traduisent par une forte expansion clonale. Nous avons utilisé un modèle de réponse lymphocytaire T CD8 qui permet l'indentification ex vivo et la purification d'une sous-population fortement enrichie en cellules spécifiques de l'antigène à partir de souris individuelles. En plus, cette réponse immunitaire est dirigée essentiellement contre un seul peptide le HLA-CW3(170-179) présenté par les molécules H-2Kd dont le répertoire est caractérisé par une diversité relativement étroite facilitant ainsi son analyse à partir de cellules individuelles. En faisant appel à des techniques de "single-cell RT-et DNA-PCR" très efficaces, nous avons pu détecter des clones de cellules T qui partagent le même réarrangement VDJβ associé à des TCRα différents dans des clones distincts. En outre, ces cellules dont l'origine commune a pu être prouvée par l'amplification des réarrangements DJβ résiduels, peuvent être sélectionnées par le même antigène chez une souris normale et contribuent au répertoire immun à des proportions inégales. Ces résultats suggèrent que, chez la souris normale, la diversité du répertoire TCRα associé à un réarrangement VDJβ pourrait être en fait très limitée.

El presente estudio de tipo instrumental tuvo por objetivo analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Metas de Estudio (EME). Participaron 287 universitarios de Lima, (66% hombres), de 18 a 26 años (M=19.66, DE=1.64). La escala evalúa metas de aprendizaje, de logro y de refuerzo social. Se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio donde se validó una estructura de tres factores relacionados con adecuados índices de bondad de ajuste (CFI = .92, SRMR = 0.06, RMSEA = 0.07). Por otra parte, se halló correlaciones positivas y significativas entre la EME y la Escala de Autoeficacia Percibida Específica de Situaciones Académicas (EAPESA) y correlaciones positivas y significativas con la dimensión Autorregulación académica de la Escala de Procrastinación Académica (EPA). La confiabilidad por consistencia interna de la EME fue: de aprendizaje (α = .90, ω = .90); de logro (α = .88, ω = .88) y de refuerzo social (α = .87, ω = .88). Se concluye que, la EME cuenta con evidencias de validez y fiabilidad en la muestra de estudio.
The objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Study Goals Scale (EME). The sample taken was of 287 university students from Lima, (66% men), ages 18 to 26 years old (M = 19.66, SD = 1.64) participated. The scale evaluates learning, achievement and social reinforcement goals. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed where a structure of three factors related to goodness of fit indices is valid (CFI = .92, SRMR = 0.06, RMSEA = 0.07). On the other hand, positive correlations were found between the EME and the Specific Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale of Academic Situations (EAPESA) and negative correlations with the Academic Procrastination Scale dimension (EPA). The internal consistency reliability of the EME was: learning (α = .90, ω = .90); of achievement (α = .88, ω = .88) and social reinforcement (α = .87, ω = .88). In conclusion, the EME has evidence of validity and reliability in the study sample.
Tesis

Vid tidigare forskning inom redovisningsområdet har det framkommit att individers (ekonomers) bedömningsförmåga påverkas av effektivitetsmotiverat resonerande. Det innebär att personen ifråga gör en mental avvägning mellan att utföra arbetet för att uppnå bästa effekt eller på det effektivaste sättet under press. Bedömningsförmågan påverkas i negativ men även i positiv riktning av olika faktorer. Tidspress har visat sig ha negativ inverkan. Detta resulterar i att personens bedömning, exempelvis i en granskningssituation kan vara genomförd på ett snabbt och tillräckligt sätt enligt gällande regler, men inte nödvändigtvis vara utförd på bästa sättet. Etiska riktlinjer och erfarenhet har i olika studier visat sig ha en positiv inverkan på medarbetares beteende respektive bedömningsförmåga. Studien avser att testa dessa effekter och syftet är att undersöka om bedömningsförmågan försämras av tidspress och om erfarenhet och etiska riktlinjer förbättrar densamma. Detta sker med hjälp av en enkät som via e-post skickats till 976 redovisningskonsulter anslutna till SRF, med en reviderad svarsfrekvens på 13,83 %. Konsulterna fick bedöma relevansen för påståenden av negativ och positiv karaktär, om hur internkontrollen sköts på ett fiktivt företag. En del av respondenterna fick även frågor relaterade till etiska riktlinjer. Resultatet från studien kan inte påvisa någon påverkan av tidspress, men en tendens att etiska riktlinjer och erfarenhet kan ha en dämpande effekt på effektivitetsmotiverat resonerande noterades.
Previous research within the auditing field has found individuals to be influenced by Efficiency Motivated Evaluation (EME). Meaning that the economists’ assessment ability is affected and their ability to evaluate information is deteriorated by different pressure factors, such as time pressure, resulting in their accounting evaluations being implemented in an effective, but not necessarily an efficient way. Other studies also indicates that ethical guidelines and work experience has a positive effect on work performance under pressure. This study intends to test these effects with the aim to investigate if the assessment ability is deteriorated by time pressure and if experience and ethical guidelines improves the assessment ability. The method used was a questionnaire, sent out to 976 authorized accounting consultants, with a response rate of 13, 83 %. The participants responded to assertions about internal control and ethical guidelines. The result from the study shows no significance for influence of time pressure. Although a tendency of calming effect from ethical guidelines and experience was noticed.

Cette these est une tentative en vue de parvenir a mieux cerner les caracteristiques strucutrelles d une4 forme spcifique de transition d un ordre politique "autoritaire theocratique" (qui correspond au modele de l etat patrimonial ottoman defini par max weber comme "pouvoir sultanique" ou "sultanisme") a un nouvel ordre "democratique autoritaire" (c est-a-dire a une forme limitee de democratie placee sous le controle des elites militaires). Elle s efforce d analyser de facon detaillee les mecanismes concrets de ce mode specifique de transition au capitalisme que l on a pu qualifier de "mode de transition centraliste". Elle s attache egalement a mieux cerner la genese et la dynamique du systeme etatiste et a mettre en evidence les tensions et les contradictions qu il suscite
In this work which consists of the passage from a patrimonial syste to a nation state, we have tried to show the structural characteristics of a specific form of transition of a political order named as "theocratical authority" -which corresponds to a model of ottoman patrimonial system defined by max weber as "sultanic power" or "sultanism" - to a new order named "democratic authority" (i. E. Passage to a limited democracy placed under the control of the military elite). We have taken the opportunity to analyse in details the concrete mechanism of this specific transition method to a "capitalism which we have qualified and named as "centralist transition mode". This work shows the genesis and dynamics of an etatist systeme and puts into evidence the tensions and contradictions in its applications

Trabajo de Investigación Requisito para optar al Título de Cirujano Dentista
Autor no autoriza el acceso a texto completo de su documento
Validación en Chile de la Escala de Motivación Educativa (EME) en estudiantes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Chile. La forma en que las personas aprenden ha sido un tema de estudio relevante desde hace años. Las teorías del aprendizaje llevan distintos fenómenos asociados, entre ellos la motivación; interviniendo de manera importante en los procesos de aprendizaje de las personas. Para medir esto se ha diseñado un cuestionario que posee validez y confiabilidad en otros países. No se dispone de un instrumento validado en Chile, que permita medir los diversos tipos de motivación que influirían en el rendimiento académico del estudiante, durante el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje. Objetivo: Validar el instrumento “Escala de Motivación Educativa (EME)”, en estudiantes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Chile, para la determinación del tipo de motivación que influye en el rendimiento académico durante el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje. Método: Los participantes fueron estudiantes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Chile, (n=84) seleccionados al azar, considerando 3 personas por pregunta de un cuestionario de 28 preguntas, 37 hombres y 47 mujeres. La validación se realizó en las siguientes etapas: adaptación lingüística, aplicación del cuestionario para validación. La validez de constructo fue probada a través de un análisis factorial confirmatorio, la confiabilidad a través del alfa de Cronbach, y las diferencias de género a través del test de Student. Resultados: El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró índice de correlación (KMO) 0.82 y pesos de regresión estandarizados mayores a 0.40, para todas las subescalas. El alfa de Cronbach varía desde un valor menor de 0.78 para las subescalas regulación identificada y motivación intrínseca al conocimiento a 0.87 para la subescala regulación externa. En cuanto a las diferencias de género, se encontraron diferencias significativas en las subescalas de regulación introyectada y motivación intrínseca al logro, donde las mujeres puntúan más alto. Conclusión: La versión chilena de la EME presenta adecuada validez de constructo y confiabilidad en estudiantes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Chile.

Afin de pallier les problèmes de sécurité posés par l'emploi d'électrolytes liquides, des batteries incorporant des électrolytes solides ont été envisagées, conduisant à des dispositifs « tout solide » de type microbatterie au lithium. Dans le cas de ces systèmes, des études concernant les phénomènes aux interfaces restent à développer, afin de comprendre les processus limitants qui se déroulent à l'échelle atomique, similairement à la formation de la SEI (« Solid Electrolyte Interface »), bien connue dans le cas de l'utilisation d'électrolytes liquides. Dans ce type de problématiques, l'apport des méthodes de la chimie calculatoire, de part leur aspect prédictif et explicatif, est incontestable. Le présent travail de thèse, en prenant pour objet d'étude l'électrolyte solide LixPOyNz, se place dans ces problématiques, en proposant l'étude fondamentale de modèles d'interfaces électrode/électrolyte. L'électrolyte considéré étant un matériau amorphe, le premier verrou à lever consiste en la recherche d'un modèle de ce système, apte à simuler les propriétés électroniques de l'électrolyte réel, constituées par des données XPS cibles. Les calculs menés, visant à la modélisation des spectres XPS, ont permis tout à la fois de proposer un modèle de l'électrolyte et de mettre en lumière l'existence d'une coordinence des atomes d'azote non considérée jusqu'alors dans l'interprétation expérimentale des données XPS. La possible existence d'atomes d'azote monovalents au sein de l'électrolyte semble confirmée par des calculs vibrationnels, thermodynamiques et cinétiques complémentaires, tandis que ce résultat permet de réviser la vision communément admise de la structuration de l'électrolyte LixPOyNz et de la diffusion des ions Li+ au sein de celui-ci. Enfin, ce modèle structural de l'électrolyte a été employé à la simulation d'une interface électrode/électrolyte (LixPOyNz/Si). Une considération particulière a notamment été apportée à l'étude de l'adsorption du modèle à la surface et de la diffusion des ions lithium au sein de l'interface
In order to overcome the safety issues induced by the use of liquid electrolytes, Li-ion batteries involving solid electrolytes have been considered, leading to an ‘all-solid’ kind of devices, commonly called microbatteries. For such devices, studies on the limiting processes that take place at electrode/electrolyte interfaces need to be done, to understand the electrochemical phenomenons likely to occur at the atomic scale, similarly to the well-known SEI formation. In this goal, methods of computational chemistry can provide both explanatory and predictive breakthroughs. The present work takes part in those issues by intending a study of electrode/electrolyte interfaces, considering LixPOyNz as the solid electrolyte material. Owing to the amorphous structuration of this system, the first barrier to break consists in the search for a suitable model, able to reproduce its real XPS electronic properties. Modelling of XPS spectra has both lead to propose a model of the electrolyte and highlight the possible existence of a new coordinence for nitrogen atoms, up to now unconsidered experimentally. Complementary calculations of Raman spectra, thermodynamic and kinetic data tend to evidence this coordinence, leading to a refinement of the commonly considered diffusion scheme. Finally, this structural model has been used to simulate an electrode/electrolyte interface (LixPOyNz/Si), with the particular aim of studying its adsorption on the electrode and the Li-ion diffusion through the interface

The value proposition of Personalized Medicine is to deliver the “right drug, to the right patient, at the right time”. Companion diagnostics is the required tool for Personalized Medicine used to aid clinical decision making with the aim to identify patients who are most suitable for a given treatment approach and to avoid adverse effects. However, even 16 years after the first co-approval of a therapeutic drug and an associated diagnostic test (trastuzumab (Herceptin1) from Genentech and the HercepTest1 from Dako), the co-development and co-approval of drug-diagnostic pairs is a challenging task.This study has the aim to identify major challenges for diagnostics companies when developing and commercializing companion diagnostics. This is achieved by (1) a literature research and (2) an empirical case study in form of interviews with diagnostics companies. The collected data is analyzed and discussed with focus on current regulatory and reimbursement frameworks in the USA and European Union. The co-development strategies and business models of companion diagnostics developers are identified.The conclusion of this study is that the major hurdles for companion diagnostics development and commercialization are gaps in scientific evidence and lacking regulatory guidelines for co-development and clinical biomarker studies. Companion diagnostics commercialization is further challenged by poor reimbursement levels. The main strategy of diagnostics companies to address these challenges is the demonstration of a beneficial outcome for patients in form of clinical studies. Small companies with limited resources for clinical research receive funding from academic research grants, patient support groups, pharmaceutical industry, and governmental Innovation agencies.Finally the formation of a new “pharma-diagnostics” sectoral innovation system as a result of the emerging paradigm of stratified medicine has been proposed.

Events management education (EME) is an area of education that has seen considerable growth since it first appeared in the UK twenty years ago. This in-depth review is centred on the perspective of the four main stakeholders, namely the lecturers, employers, graduates and students (LEGS). Conducted between 2011 and 2016 using mixed methods research, the thesis follows a grounded theory interpretative approach and contributes to the progress and direction of future EME awards. A central concern of this thesis is to investigate the supposed gaps that exist between education and industry and challenges many of the perspectives that bring into question the quality of EME in the 21st century that have dominated much of the EME debate. It highlights concerns from within the teaching environment that are central to the design and delivery of EME awards. By doing so, this thesis sets up a new research agenda focusing more specifically on issues of real concern to EME and the relationships of those involved in managing the expectations of each of the main stakeholders. This thesis provides value by presenting an account of the challenges facing EME and the experiences of graduates entering the events industry today. It draws together insights from EME literature and fieldwork, industry and academic professionals, students and graduates, and provides a strong basis from which further research can be developed.

La france et le siam ont entretenu au dix-septieme siecle des relations politiques et culturelles privilegiees. Celles-ci auraient pu avoir des consequences importantes sur l'evolution du siam si elles n'avaient ete interrompues brutalement, en 1688, par une reaction xenophobe des siamois, surtout dirigee contre les francais. Neanmoins, des ambassades echangees entre les deux royaumes il reste suffisamment de temoignages et de souvenirs pour que l'on ait cru bon de celebrer recemment le tricentenaire des relations diplomatiques entre la france et l'actuelle thailande. L'analyse de ces relations occupe une large part des travaux de la these. Ceux-ci s'interessent aussi, cependant, aux echanges culturels que susciterent les ambassades; cet aspect de la question est elargi a l'europe, mais il apparait que la france joua un role primordial, bien qu'ephemere, en cette matiere
During the seventeenth-century, the political and cultural relations between france and siam were privileged. They could have had important consequences over the evolution of the kingdom of siam, had they not been abruptly broken in 1688, because of a siamese xenophobe reaction principally against the french people. Nevertheless accounts and memories of the embassies exchanged between the two kingdoms are numerous and interesting enough to justify the recent celebration of three hundred years of relations between france and thailand. A large part of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of these relations. It particularly examines the cultural impact of the embassies. The role of other european countries in the cultural field also is described, but france played the leading part, even if for a short time

Le but de ce travail est d'pporter une contribution a la connaissance de la societe et de l'economie rurales d'une region de l'ouest de la france au dernier siecle de l'ancien regime, en etudiant les differentes manieres de profiter de la terre, qu'il s'agisse de la posseder au sens bourgeois du terme, de la tenir au sens seigneurial, ou de la cultiver au sens paysan. La premiere partie se situe a la rencontre de l'histoire sociale et de la geographie : le paysage y est reconstitue et decrit afin de mettre en relation les realites ecologiques et les structures de la societe rurale. Le bas-maine est un pays de bocage aux mailles irregulieres, l'habitat y est dissemine, reparti entre des bourgs peu importants, des villages nombreux et des exploitations agricoles isolees. Les closeries (5 a 10 hectares) se livrent essentiellement a une agriculture de subsistance. Les metairies (20 a 30 hectares) constituent le cadre d'une premiere specialisation agricole : tenues en bail a ferme ou a moitie, elles se livrent a l'elevage speculatif de bovins vendus en cours d'engraissement aux herbagers de normandie ou du bassin parisien. Elles sont particulierement nombreuses autour des multiples chateaux dont elles constituent le domaine. La seigneurie reste tres vivante, assez peu contestee, parfaitement integree dans une economie rurale dont elle constitue un des moteurs. Comme la metairie, elle offre a son proprietaire des possibilites de profil et un mode de vie qui expliquent l'attrait soutenu pour l'investissement foncier. Le proprietaire de metairies traite avec ses colons et fermiers comme le seigneur avec ses vassaux et sujets : des pratiques et des mentalites "feodales" se transmettent par l'intermediaire des baux ruraux. La gestion de la terre implique dans les deux cas la creation de rapports de domination-collaboration avec ses exploitants, d'ou l'impact du phenomene sur les mentalites et les rapports sociaux
The aim of this survey is to provide a further contribution to the knowledge of the rural society and economy of a region of the west of france in the last century of the ancien regima, by studying the various ways of making a profit on the land, whether by owning it in the bourgeois sense of the word, by holding it in the manorial one, or by tilling it in the farming one. The first part develops at the meeting point of social history and farming geography : the landscape is reconstituted and described in order to relate environmental realities and the structures of rural society. The bas-maine is an irregularly meshed wooded district. Habitat is scattered,spread among minor boroughs, numerous villages and isolated farmhouses. The "closeries" (5 to 10 hectares) are mostly dedicated to subsistence farming. The "meraurues" (20 to 30 hectares) make up the framework of a first agricultural specialization: held on a full or half lease, they are devoted to the speculative breeding of cattle sold in the course of fattening to graziers in normandy or the paris basin. They are particularly numerous around the many castles whose estates they make up. The seigneurie remains very vivid, rather scarcely questioned, perfectly integrated to a rural economy which it largely contributes to drive. Like the "metairie", it offers its owner possibilities of profits and a way of life which account for the sustained appeal ol. .

A partir de documents litteraires, geographiques, archeologiques : 1) etude des techniques utilisees par les plongeurs : deplacements sous l'eau, etude du lest, lutte contre la pression, vision, apnee diverses causes d'accidents preparation et entrainement des plongeurs evaluation des performances : temps, profondeurs evolution des connaissances theoriques : physique, physiologie. 2) applications de la plongee : peches (corail, murex, eponges, perles) manoeuvres des bateaux, plongees militaires, recuperations d'epaves pour chaque activite, etude de sites (mediterranee, golfe persique, ocean indien, antilles legislation des recuperations. 3) etude des croyances, mythes, oeuvres poetiques ou figurees mettant en scene des plongeurs litterature : oeuvres de sannazar, parthenius les grands mythes de plongeurs : gilgamesh, thesee, glaucos, scyllias, le plongeur sicilien, l'homme marin (17e et 18 siecles). Rapport entre ces divers mythes. 4) etudes des progres techniques, reels ou fictifs dans les textes ou les gravures. 5) le declin de la plongee libre a la fin du 18e siecle. Annexe : presentation de quelques textes inedits (paris, archives nationales) decrivant ces plongees
From literary, geographic, archeological documents : 1) study of technics used by the divers : underwater moving, ballast, decompression, underwater vision, apnoea diving accidents training performance evaluation : time, depth physiology 2) diving-practices : sponge and coral cutters, pearl and purple fischers, caulkers, military-divers, wrecks salvagers, legislation of salvages some examples : geece, persian-gulf, india. . . 3) legendary divers : gilgamesh, thesee, glaucos, scyllias, the sicilian diver. 4) technical improvements, or fiction ? some descriptions of divingequipements 5) decline of free-diving in the end of the 18e century : appendix : national archives, old royal navy : some unpublished documents describing divers

Summary Canine Neural Angiostrongyliasis (CNA) is caused by the obligatory neural migration of Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae in dogs. Characteristically, cases are juvenile dogs with progressive CNS dysfunction characterised by hyperaesthesia and often associated with eosinophilic pleocytosis of the CSF. In Australia, most cases occur between March and June. The rat lungworm, A cantonensis was first described by Chen in 1935 in Canton, China. While initially called Pulmonema cantonensis the parasite was later reclassified as A cantonensis. A disease diagnosed as eosinophilic meningoencephalitis was first described in 1944 in Taiwan. The same disease was reported in 1948 in the East Caroline Islands but it was not until 1961 that A cantonensis was confirmed as the aetiological agent when a patient in a Hawaiian mental institution, who had died of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis, had A cantonensis larvae recovered from the brain and spinal cord. The first reports of animals infected with A cantonensis were made by Mason in 1976 when he described a syndrome occurring in puppies in the Brisbane area, characterised by urinary incontinence, hind limb paresis and hyperaesthesia, often associated with eosinophilic pleocytosis of the CSF. Reports of infection in other species followed including macropods, bats, horses, primates and birds. Twenty-two cases of suspected CNA were collected prospectively to compare with those previously described, including 37 cases published by Mason in 1983, and to examine the accuracy of an ELISA used to diagnose human neural angiostrongyliasis in Australia. Samples were collected from two control populations in an attempt to validate the ELISA results. In the prospective series of cases, there was a significantly older subpopulation of dogs in addition to “classical” young dogs, suggesting that this syndrome can occur at any age and should be considered a differential in any dog with progressive neurological disease. The mortality rate in the prospective group was lower than in the published group, which is a reflection of the severity of the disease in younger animals as is the case with human patients. Definitive diagnosis of neural angiostrongyliasis in human patients has been achieved by identifying A cantonensis larvae within the CSF or aqueous humour. In dogs, the only definitive way to diagnose CNA has been via necropsy. While many cases of CNA are characteristic and presumptive diagnosis can be made based on typical history, signalment, clinical signs, CSF analysis and response to glucocorticoids, there appear to be an increasing number of cases occurring in older dogs, that displaying focal, atypical clinical signs or that develop permanent sequelae. Serology has been a useful tool in diagnosing neural angiostrongyliasis in humans. In its current form the ELISA is not sensitive or specific enough to allow a definitive diagnosis of CNA to be made using serum but is useful when applied to CSF specimens. Further refinement of the antigen or using monoclonal rather than polyclonal antibodies may improve the accuracy of the serology. Alternatively, methods such as Western Blot, Immuno-PCR or dot-blot ELISA, which have been successfully used to diagnoses angiostrongyliasis in humans, may be worthy of investigation The major differential diagnosis for CNA is neosporosis. Other differential diagnoses include idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis, parasitic infections including Toxoplasma gondii, Taenia solium, Gnathostoma spinigerum, visceral larval migrans (Toxocara canis) and schistosomiasis, fungal, bacterial, viral and rickettsial infections as well as neoplasia, trauma, drug reactions and toxicities. Treatment of CNA has been limited to glucocorticoids, however there may be adjunct therapies including anthelmintices, cyclosporine, and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. In Mason’s series of cases the use of anthelmintics significantly worsened the clinical outcome for patients. It does not appear, however, that the use of these agents in species other than the dog exacerbates clinical signs. Acquired immunity is short lived in rats and mice, which would suggest the same is true in dogs. Routine heartworm and intestinal parasite prophylaxis appears to have no influence on the occurrence of CNA.

Terms of acoustic emission (AE) and electromagnetic emission (EME) designated physical effects and also as diagnostic methods based on these effects. These effects are caused by generated cracks in materials that rank among non-destructive techniques of material diagnostics. The advantage of them is that they do not affect the measured object and give us information about the current dynamic state of a tested material. One disadvantage of these effects is that they provide very low energy of signal emissions and make it difficult for broader usage. It is expected better localization of cracks in non-conductive materials by connecting of these two techniques (diagnostics). There are designed and described new methods for crack detection with usage of AE and EME signals in this work. Also there is description of measuring arrangement intended of crack detection and experimental sample for checking accuracy of methods for crack detection. There was performed comparison of accuracy of methods in crack detection.

This report presents a theoretical background to electromagnetic interference from photovoltaic systems that use power optimizers. The purpose is to carry out measurements at an existing facility to analyze and discuss appropriate measures to minimize disturbance levels. The work is designed by Glava Energy Center (GEC) and measurements are carried out together with the Swedish Electrical Safety Agency (Elsäkerhetsverket) and Rencke's El & Mätteknik. The report concludes with the results of measurement and a discussion of appropriate measures to achieve electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), designed for the specific facility. Finally, a brief discussion is given about future work in this area.

Electromagnetic compatibility and compliance with relevant standards is imperative for commercial success for any type of electronic equipment. Since more and more electronics are constantly added into today’s vehicles, this is a highly significant matter in the automotive business. The primary source of electric energy in an on-road vehicle is typically a 12 or 24 volt battery; this makes voltage step down converters ubiquitous in virtually any automotive electronic system. In strive for ever more environmental friendly and energy efficient solutions a switch mode power supply is most often the given choice when it comes to the task of voltage conversion. However, the use of switch mode power supplies presents a new set of challenges when it comes to successfully comply with the electromagnetic emission standards. Knowledge and understanding about how different design parameters impact on EMC performance is key when few prototype runs and short time to market lies in focus. This text will investigate just how different layout design parameters affect the radiated emissions from a buck converter. Emphasis lies on radiated emissions in the lower frequency range up to a few MHz. Both computer simulations and practical measurements indicate the same thing; in the lower part of the frequency spectrum, when measured according to CISPR 25, radiated emissions from buck converters are dominated by voltage driven mechanisms. Along the way we will see how PCB layout alone can be responsible for differences in measured radiated emission levels of well over 20 dB.

Ce travail de recherche porte sur l’œuvre de la Vénitienne Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757), qui connut un succès international grâce à ses portraits et à sa maîtrise exceptionnelle du pastel. Cependant, il serait réducteur de parler de Rosalba Carriera uniquement en tant qu’artiste.En effet, cette dernière rédigea une vaste correspondance, plusieurs textes en relation avec la société de son époque, écrivit un petit traité sur le pastel et fut dans le même temps poète et diariste.Le but de cette recherche consistera donc – sans oublier son travail de peintre –à mettre en lumière l’autre facette de l’artiste, à savoir, la femme de Lettres en prise avec son temps dont elle fut un témoin attentif.Dans cette double perspective, l’accent est mis, en premier lieu, sur la peinture et les femmes peintres en Europe et à Venise au XVIIIe siècle, avec une mention particulière pour la formation artistique de Rosalba Carriera. Dans un second temps, sont analysés ses écrits, parmi lesquels sa vaste correspondance ainsi que ses journaux qui révèlent ses qualités d’épistolière et de diariste ainsi que le vaste réseau qu’elle avait su se constituer en Europe, tout particulièrement en France et, dans une moindre mesure, en Angleterre. Enfin, Rosalba Carriera sera présentée comme poète, mais également comme témoin social et historique de son temps au travers de plusieurs écrits de natures diverses, au nombre desquels on compte le traité sur le pastel, Maniere diverse per formare i colori, dans lequel elle apparaît comme une remarquable pédagogue et spécialiste en la matière.Ces différentes facettes de Rosalba Carriera composant le portrait d’une artiste et femme de Lettres dans l’Europe des Lumières
This thesis is about the work of the Venetian Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757), who knew an international success thanks to her portraits and her exceptionnal mastery of pastel painting. However, Rosalba Carriera was not only an artist. In effect, she wrote many letters, texts in relation with the society of her century and she wrote a little essay about the pastel and she was also a letter writer, a poet and wrote diaries. Without forgetting her identity of artist,we will stress on her profile of woman of Letters, witness of her century. First of all, we will speak about the painting and the women painters in Europ and in Venice in the 18th century and we will insist on the artistic formation of Rosalba Carriera.In a second time, we will analyse the writings of Rosalba: her letters and diaries that reveal her qualities of letter writer and diarist and also the large network she especially developed in France and a little bit in England. Finally, we will introduce Rosalba as a poet, as a social and historical witness of her time thanks to many texts and thank to her essay on the pastel painting, Maniere diverse per formare i colori, where she appears as an educationalist and specialist. These differents facets of Rosalba Carriera will make up the portrait of an artist and a woman of Letters in the Enlightenment Europ

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Linguística, Florianópolis, 2015.
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Este estudo faz uma análise contrastiva da aquisição da linguagem de duas crianças surdas com implante coclear em contextos diferentes: Bruno, filho de pais surdos, exposto à Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras) desde o nascimento, e ao Português após implante coclear (IC); e Tainá, filha de pais ouvintes, que teve acesso à Libras na escola com um ano de idade, e ao Português logo após o implante coclear. Foram analisadas as produções de linguagem dessas crianças enquanto interagiam com suas famílias em seus ambientes familiares, os dados foram coletados longitudinalmente entre o primeiro e o quarto ano de idade de cada criança. Este estudo utiliza a medida de Extensão Média do Enunciado (EME) ou Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) proposta por Brown (1973), para verificar a possibilidade de esta ser aplicada à Língua de Sinais e à Língua Portuguesa, e apresentar estudos dos estágios de aquisição com dados em Línguas de Sinais. Com base nos resultados, foi observado que a aquisição precoce da Língua de Sinais é de extrema importância para o desenvolvimento da criança surda, até mesmo antes do implante coclear. Além disso, constatou-se a dificuldade em comparar a Libras com o Português aplicando a EME, visto que são línguas de modalidade e gramática diferentes. Para as crianças com implante coclear, a Língua Brasileira de Sinais servirá como suporte linguístico para que a aquisição da Língua Portuguesa aconteça de forma mais espontânea, contrariando muitas hipóteses da medicina e de filosofias da educação que afirmam que a criança surda não deve ter contato com a Língua de Sinais antes de ser implantada, pois isso impediria a aquisição da língua falada.

Abstract : This study makes a contrastive analysis of the language acquisition of two deaf children with cochlear implant in different contexts: Bruno, son of deaf parents, exposed the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) from birth, and to Portuguese after cochlear implant (CI); and Tainá, daughter of hearing parents, who had access to Libras in school at the age of one, and to Portuguese right after cochlear implantation. The language productions of these children were analyzed as they interacted with their families in their home environments. The data were collected longitudinally between the first and the fourth year of age of each child. This study uses the Extensão Média do Enunciado (EME) or Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) proposed by Brown (1973), to verify the possibility of this being applied to Sign Language and to Portuguese, and present studies of stages acquisition with data in Sign Language. Based on the results, it was observed that the early acquisition of Sign Language is of utmost importance for the development of deaf children, even before the cochlear implant. In addition, there was the difficulty of comparing Libras to Portuguese applying the EME, since they have a different type of language and grammar. For children with cochlear implant, the Brazilian Sign Language will serve as linguistic support for the acquisition of Portuguese happening more spontaneously, contrary to many assumptions of medicine and education philosophies which state that deaf child must not have contact with Sign Language before being deployed, as this would prevent the acquisition of spoken language.

Electromagnetic emission and acoustic emission are physical phenomena evoked in non-conductive material by the sudden release of energy that generate rising cracks in material structure. The significant is a fact that these emission signals are detected already in stadium of materials loading whereof can be used e.g. at non-destructive diagnostics of building materials and constructions. In the appropriate manner processing of the emitted signals then make possible to obtain valuable informations for study physical properties of cracks. Master’s thesis describes methods designed for important signal data ascertainment in time, frequency even time-frequency domain. It can be e.g. start time, maximum value, dominant frequency in spectrum etc. All these methods are implemented into main program. Next load is formularization of source signal transformation which is given by used measuring circuit. Analytical method is chosen for solving. It means finding out reserve electrical circuit with constant element values. Resultant circuit approaches original circuit with less square error than existing way. The signal transformation is described by differential equation of second order with constant coefficients. MATLAB software is used for all computations and projections.

Les convertisseurs de puissance sont largement utilisés de nos jours dans des applications qui demandent une grande autonomie énergétique, comme par exemple ceux qui sont alimentés par des batteries. En particulier, les amplificateurs de type Class-D sont fréquemment utilisés dans les applications audio. Ces amplificateurs commutés ont une architecture ressemblante à celle d'un convertisseur DC-DC, ce qui les permet d'avoir une efficacité énergétique élevée. Cependant, leur inconvénient majeur est la forte émission en perturbations électromagnétiques (EM). Cela peut causer des problèmes de conformité avec les normes de compatibilité électromagnétique (CEM), ou bien perturbé le bon fonctionnement des applications électroniques qui l'entour. Pour cela, ils existent de nombreuses études qui permettent de réduire les émissions d'un amplificateur de Class D. Cependant, cela n'est pas suffisant pour retirer le filtre de CEM. Il est donc nécessaire d'optimiser ces filtres et de faciliter leurs conceptions. Ceci est le but de la présente thèse et il est divisé en quatre grandes parties. La première partie commence par développer une technique de modélisation dans le domaine fréquentiel. Cette technique qui est basée sur la détermination et la manipulation des matrices d'impédances a comme but de simuler et prédire les perturbations EM générées par un amplificateur de Class D. Tous les aspects théoriques de la méthode ont été développés. Ensuite, une application pratique sur un système de Class D dédié à la téléphonie mobile nous a permis de valider la méthode jusqu'à une fréquence de 100 MHz. Un amplificateur de Class D est une source de perturbation aussi bien sur les rails d'alimentation que sur les rails de sortie. Pour cela, le filtre de CEM est nécessaire sur les rails de l'alimentation comme il y est en sortie. Néanmoins, un filtre correctement construit doit être conçu en prenant en compte l'impédance de la charge qui est la batterie dans ce cas. Pour cela, la deuxième partie a pour objectif la mesure de l'impédance de la batterie sur la gamme de fréquence considérée. Ainsi, une technique de mesure d'impédance de batterie en utilisant un impédance mètre est développée. Ensuite, une application expérimentale sur un convertisseur DC-DC et une batterie nous a permis de valider la procédure de mesure. La troisième partie s'est focalisée sur l'optimisation du filtre de CEM. Le modèle fréquentiel développé dans la première partie est intégré dans une boucle d'optimisation basée sur un algorithme génétique. L'optimisation inclus plusieurs critères dans sa fonction objective qui sont l'augmentation de la capacité du filtre à réduire les émissions EM, la diminution des pertes supplémentaires due à l'utilisation du filtre et finalement le gain du filtre dans la bande de fréquence du signal audio. Cette étude est poursuivie par une validation expérimentale. La quatrième et la dernière partie étudie et quantifie les impacts du filtre de CEM sur la qualité audio de l'amplificateur. En effet, le filtre de CEM est l'un des chemins propagation du signal audio. Par suite, tout comportement non linéaire du filtre conduit à la distorsion du signal audio. Pour cela, cette partie est dédiée à la modélisation et la simulation des composants passifs contenant un matériau magnétique. En particulier, l'étude s'est focalisée sur la modélisation des perles de ferrite en utilisant le modèle de matériaux magnétiques Jiles-Aterthon. Les résultats de simulations sont comparés avec la mesure dans le domaine temporel et fréquentiel. En plus, le calcul du taux de distorsion harmonique nous a permis de valider le modèle sur une large plage d'amplitude
Switching power management circuits are widely used in battery powered embedded applications in order to increase their autonomy. In particular, for audio applications, Class-D amplifiers are a widespread industrial solution. These, have a similar architecture of a buck converter but having the audio signal as reference. The switching nature of these devices allows us to increase significantly the power efficiency compared to linear audio amplifiers without reducing the audio quality. However, because of the switching behavior, Class-D amplifiers have high levels of electromagnetic (EM) emissions which can disturb the surrounding electronics or might not comply with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards. To overcome this problem much architecture appeared in the state of the art that reduces the emissions, however, this has never been enough to remove electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters. It is then useful to optimize these filters, thus, it has been set as the goal of this PhD thesis. The latter has been divided to four main axes which can be resumed by the following. First, this work started by developing a frequency domain modeling method in order to simulate and predict the EMI of Class-D amplifiers in the final application. The method is based on system to block decomposition and impedance matrix modeling and manipulation. After providing all the theoretical background, the method has been validated on integrated differential Class-D amplifier. The experimental measurements have permitted to validate the method only up to 100MHz. However, this is sufficient to cover the conducted EMC frequency band. Second, the EMI at the supply rails of Class-D amplifiers has been treated. As the battery is often the same power supply for all applications in an embedded system, an EMI filter or a decoupling capacitor is needed to prevent the noise coupling by common impedance. Designing this filter needs the knowledge of the battery impedance at the desired frequencies. Therefore the present work dealt also with measuring the high frequency impedance of a battery. Afterwards, an experimental validation has been carried on with a DC-DC converter and a Class-D amplifier. The developed model allows a virtual test of the switching device in the final application. However, it is more useful if the model is able to help the system integrator in designing filters. Thus, third, the model has been implemented in an optimization loop based on a genetic algorithm in order to optimize the filter response, and also, reduce the additional power losses introduced by an EMI filter. The optimization search space has been limited to the components available on the market and the optimization result is given as component references of the optimal filter referring to the optimal solution found. This procedure has been validated experimentally. Finally, EMI filters often are constituted by magnetic components such as ferrite beads or inductors with magnetic cores. Thus, introducing the EMI filter in the audio path, adds a nonlinear behavior in the audio frequency band. Designing a high quality EMI filter require taking into account this phenomenon and studying its impact of the original amplifier audio performance. Therefore, the Jiles-Atherton model for magnetic materials has been used for ferrite bead modeling. Hereafter, the impact on the time and frequency domain signals has been simulated and compared to measurements. Finally, the total harmonic distortion (THD) has been computed for different signal amplitudes and compared to the THD measured using an audio analyzer. Accurate results have been obtained on a wide range of signal amplitudes. As a conclusion, this work aimed to design optimal EMI filters for Class-D amplifiers. Thus, we dealt with improving their EMI response, reducing their additional power losses and evaluating their impact on the audio quality

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 18-21, 2004 / Town & Country Resort, San Diego, California
The UMR Solar Car uses a telemetry processor to collect, compute, and transmit data to the driver of the car and a nearby chase vehicle. The original processor had deteriorated from environmental extremes and vibration. There were also problems with electromagnetic interference from the high efficiency electric motor switching electronics, difficulties with the many unplanned additions made to the processor in the field, and the unstructured software that was becoming difficult to maintain. This project consists of creating a replacement telemetry system that is more robust mechanically, and electrically, substantially improving the EMI performance of the device, and reworking the hardware and software to make it easier to maintain and upgrade.

This dissertation discusses immunity measurement and improvement of intelligent components in the automotive field. The wide frequency band and the failure criterion to represent the behavior of components under pressure of interference are the difficulties in the immunity measurement. The other main task in this dissertation is to improve the immunity of components without adding too much cost. The dissertation is divided into three chapters. The first chapter concentrates on immunity measurement. The injection circuit is important to the in situ test bench because it limits the measurement bandwidth and the accuracy of the measurement. An on board on board bias tee extends the measurement bandwidth from 15 kHz to 1 GHz. A measurement algorithm, that avoids the non-uniform comparison between the sampling data and the reference signal, improves the accuracy of the immunity result. Two failure ceriteria can identify the linear and nonlinear distortion of an analogue digital converter (ADC). The second chapter presents interference signal detection and compensation technique. A simple technique is used to detect the continuous wave interference (CWI) on the power supply and at the analogue input port of the microcontroller without adding too many components. The simulation of the schematic circuit and the measurement can validate the effectiveness of the method. Finally, based on the detection result; a compensation technique compensates both the interference signal on the power supply and at the input port of the microcontroller. The third chapter is composed of three sections. The first section introduces the defensive software and hardware methods to protect the microcontroller. Then the second section presents the application of the interference detection technique to improve the immunity of components in the automotive field. Finally the third section shows the influence of interference signal on a proportional integral derivative (PID) control system; the proportional integral derivative control system is modelled in Matlab. The interference detection is used in the fault tolerant control field to avoid the false fault detection.

Measurement-based behavioral electromagnetic interference (EMI) models have been shown earlier to accurately capture the EMI behavior of switched power converters. These models are compact, linear, and run in frequency domain, enabling faster and more stable simulations compared to the detailed lumped circuit models. So far, the behavioral EMI modeling techniques are developed and applied to the converter's input side only. The resulting models are therefore referred to as "terminated EMI models". Under the condition that the output side of the converter remains fixed, these models can predict the input side EMI for any change in the impedance of the input side network. However, any change at the output side would require re-extraction of the behavioral model. Thus the terminated EMI models are incapable of predicting the change in the input side EMI due to changes at the output side of the converter or vice versa. The above mentioned limitation has been overcome by an "un-terminated EMI model" proposed in this dissertation. Un-terminated EMI models are developed here to predict both the common-mode (CM) and the differential (DM) noise currents at the input and the output sides of a motor-drive system. The modeling procedure itself has been simplified and now requires fewer measurements and results in less noise in the identified model parameters. Both CM and DM models are then combined to predict the total noise in the motor drive system. All models are validated by experiments and their limitations identified. A significant portion of this dissertation is then devoted to the application of behavioral EMI models in the design of EMI filters. Comprehensive design procedures are developed for both DM and CM filters in a motor-drive system. The filters designed using the proposed methods are experimentally shown to satisfy the DO-160 conducted emissions standards. The dissertation ends with a summary of contributions, limitations, and some future research directions.
Ph. D.

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O setor automotivo nacional, no segmento de fabricação de carrocerias para ônibus, vem buscando melhorar a qualidade de produção de seus veículos, visando atender as exigências do mercado interno e externo, por meio de especificações de projetos eletrônicos seguindo normas internacionais. Neste contexto, as normas de compatibilidade eletromagnética destacam-se, pois, possuem um papel importante para garantir que os equipamentos possam operar de forma segura, sem gerar ou sofrer interferências. Este trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver uma metodologia para projetar produtos eletrônicos que necessitam atender normas de compatibilidade eletromagnética, por meio de estudos de técnicas de emissões radiadas e conduzidas, e uso de ferramentas computacionais para simulação da placa de circuito impresso. A partir deste estudo, pode-se diminuir investimentos com laboratórios de testes, tempo de desenvolvimento e disponibilizar produtos ao mercado de forma mais eficiente. O uso de técnicas apropriadas e boas práticas em projetos são meios adequados para atender requisitos de normas, porém a evolução das tecnologias e adição de mais circuitos em áreas menores torna necessário avançar nos conhecimentos. Assim, deve-se compreender de forma detalhada as técnicas para emissões de modo comum e diferencial, desenvolver simulações que possam prever resultados em testes de laboratórios e propor alterações em projeto mecânico ou eletrônico que atendam os limites determinados em normas.
The national automotive division, more precisely in the bus manufacturing segment, efforts are being deposited to improve the manufacturing quality of its vehicles in order to meet the requirements of the internal and external market through electronic projects based on international standards. Furthermore, the electromagnetic compatibility standards stand out because they have a major importance ensuring that electronic devices are able to provide safety to its users, without interfering or being interfered by other devices. The objective of this research is to develop a methodology to design electronic devices which must meet the standards requirements of electromagnetic compatibility. This goal is achieved through the study of radiated and conducted emissions techniques, and using computational tools for simulation of printed circuit boards. From this study it will be possible to reduce costs with laboratory tests, reduce the time required for development, and provide products to the customers in an efficient way. The use of appropriated techniques and good practices during the designs process are the proper way to meet standards and requirements. However, with the evolution of technology and addition of more electronic circuits in smaller areas requires to acquire more knowledge and go deeper in this study. Thus, it is necessary to understand in details the common mode and differential emissions technics, develop simulations which can provide a preview of what the laboratory tests may result, and propose changes in the mechanic and electronic project design in order to meet the limits of the requirements determined in the standards.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Desenvolvimento e Perturbações da Linguagem na Criança
A Extensão Média do Enunciado (EME) é um índice que resulta do rácio entre o número de morfemas (EME-m) ou número de palavras (EME-p) e o número de enunciados produzidos pela criança. Este índice tem vindo a ser estudado e utilizado em diferentes países e línguas, e, apesar de muitos estudos o apontarem como um bom indicador de desenvolvimento gramatical e linguístico, outros são controversos, principalmente quando aplicados a línguas com morfologia flexional mais rica, como o caso do português. Dada a escassez de dados para o português europeu, confinados a duas faixas etárias, e atendendo às evidências de que a EME-m e a EME-p apresentam uma boa correlação, neste estudo procurou-se analisar a EME-p, dos três aos sete anos. Os principais objetivos da presente dissertação são verificar se a EME-p será um bom indicador de desenvolvimento gramatical e linguístico, através da sua correlação com a idade e analisando diferenças entre faixas etárias, entre contextos de discurso (narrativo e espontâneo) e o nível de escolaridade (pré-escolar e escolar). Participaram no estudo cinquenta crianças, monolingues do português europeu e com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem, a frequentar centros educativos do Concelho de Santa Comba Dão. Foram gravadas, em dois momentos, amostras de discurso, espontâneo e narrativo, perfazendo, pelo menos, cem enunciados, que, posteriormente, foram transcritos através do Software Computerized Language Analysis (CLAN), que também realizou, de forma automática, o cálculo da EME-p. Os resultados indicam uma associação forte entre a idade e a EME-p, apesar de não existirem diferenças entre todas as faixas etárias, e uma correlação positiva entre a EME-p e o desenvolvimento da linguagem de crianças monolingues do português europeu. O valor da EME-p em discurso narrativo é estatisticamente superior ao seu valor em discurso espontâneo e o grupo em idade pré-escolar apresentou menor desempenho do que o grupo escolar. Em suma, considera-se que a EME-p pode fornecer informação pertinente sobre o desenvolvimento expressivo morfossintático da criança, contudo não poderão ser considerados valores padrão nem se poderá utilizar este índice como critério de diagnóstico.
The Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) is an index that results from the ratio between the number of morphemes (MLUm) or number of words (MLUw) and the number of utterances produced by the child. This index has been studied and used in different countries and languages and although many studies tell us that it is a good grammatical and linguistic development indicator, others are controversial, especially when applied to languages with richer inflectional morphology, such as Portuguese. Given the lack of data for European Portuguese confined to two age groups, and given the evidence that MLUm and MLUw have a good correlation, in this study we tried to analyze the MLUw in a group from three to seven years old. The main objectives of this dissertation are to check if the MLUw is a good indicator of grammatical and linguistic development, verifying its correlation with age and analyzing differences between age groups, discourse contexts (narrative and spontaneous) and the level of education (pre -school and school-age). In this study participated fifty children. They all were monolingual speakers of European Portuguese with typical language development, attending educational centers of the municipality of Santa Comba Dão. Speech samples were recorded in two different moments, in spontaneous speech and narrative context, making at least an hundred utterances which were later transcribed through Computerized Language Analysis Program (CLAN) which also calculated automatically the MLUw. The results indicate a strong association between age and the MLUw, although there are no significant differences between all age groups, and a positive correlation between MLUw and the development of European Portuguese children. The value of the MLUw in narrative discourse is statistically higher than in spontaneous speech and the group of pre-school age showed lower performance than the school-age group. In short, it is considered that the MLUw can provide relevant information on child development of morphosyntactic expressive competence, but cannot be considered as normative data or for diagnostic criterion.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease. Oxidative stress, due to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays an important pathophysiological role in the development of hypertension and its long-term complications, such as cardiovascular remodeling and atherosclerosis (Touyz RM et al, 2004). Various risk factors (smoking, diabetes, increased LDL, as well as hypertension) lead to an increase of the redox state, resulting in endothelial dysfunction, increased expression of pro-inflammatory redox sensitive genes and activation of smooth muscle cells (Luft FC, 2001). In hypertensive patients, the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system (RAAS) is activated and this causes an increase of Angiotensin (Ang II) production (Ruster C et al, 2006). Ang II causes vasoconstriction, increases total peripheral resistance and, consequently, blood pressure but at the same time strongly induces oxidative stress. Ang II mediates its actions through two distinct receptors: AT1R (for which Ang II has more affinity) and AT2R (Dihn DT et al, 2001; Mehta PK et al, 2007; Calò LA et al, 2010). Many of the Ang II-related events are mediated via activation of the AT1R receptor followed by both a short term signaling, which causes vasoconstriction, and a long term signaling, which leads to vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis through the activation of NAPDH oxidase and consequently production of superoxide anion (O2-) (Griendling KK et al, 2000). Ang II signaling via AT2R stimulation has been suggested to counteract many actions mediated by AT1R inducing vasodilatation, anti-proliferation, cell differentiation, anti-apoptotic signals; it therefore has a role in the homeostatic counterbalance of an excessive stimulation of AT1R (Volpe et al, 2003; Zhuo et al, 2008; Yamamoto et al, 2008). Oxidative stress is well recognized to play a crucial role in the pathogenic mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction defines a complex molecular and biochemical picture of inflammatory, proliferative, structural and functional abnormalities of the vasculature. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), derived from bone marrow, play an important role for the protection from these abnormalities (Hill JM et al, 2003), as they are able to repair the damaged endothelium, through a continuous process of re-endothelialization and/or neovascularization (Heiss C et al, 2005). In hypertension the number of circulating EPCs is reduced and their function is altered; this situation represents an additional risk factor in the development of cardiovascular events. It has been shown that Ang II and AngII-induced oxidative stress play a pivotal role in EPC status by accelerating the onset of their senescence, which, in turn, leads to impairment of their proliferative activity (Imanishi T et al, 2005). The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), instead, is a potent vasorelaxant, which prevents circulating EPC senescence and reverses AngII-induced senescence of EPC (Zhou Z et al, 2010). The important role that oxidative stress plays in the cardiovascular remodelling and atherogenetic processes, that are observed in hypertension, has led researchers to investigate the potential pleiotropic effects of antihypertensive drugs on oxidative stress. In particular, two drugs families are more intensive studied: ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and the Ang II type 1 receptor blocker (ARBs) which both reduce RAAS activity. Olmesartan Medoxomil, widely used in the treatment of hypertension, blocks specifically AT1R receptor and consequently its actions via short and long term signaling independently of the Ang II source. AngII is, then, available for binding to AT2R inducing vasodilatation, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects and causing a dose-dependent reduction of blood pressure. Furthemore, the treatment with Olmesartan has been shown to possess antioxidant-related effects such as reduction of the plasma levels 8-isoprostane, a marker of oxidative stress (Fliser D et al, 2005), and activation of Nitric Oxide (NO) system, through increase of eNOS phosphorylation (Oyama N et al, 2010; Kanematsu Y et al, 2006). The aim of our study was, therefore, to evaluate a possible anti-oxidant and vasoprotective effect of the Olmesartan Medoxomil, in essential hypertensive patients, using a molecular biology approach. The study was carried out at different times, using two cohorts of essential hypertensive patients with similar clinical features treated for six months with Olmesartan Medoxomil. On the first cohort of patients we analyzed markers of oxidative stress and cardiovascular remodelling-related pathways, as well as the level of oxidized LDL; on the second cohort of patients, we evaluated both the protein expression of HO-1, the plasma levels of CGRP and circulating EPCs number and senescence. In particular, in the first phase of the study, we evaluated p22phox, subunit of NADPH oxidase, essential for the production of superoxide anion (O2-), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), inducible isoform of HO, known to protect from oxidative stress. We also evaluated the state of phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2), an oxidative stress protein effector for cardiovascular remodeling, and the plasma level of the low-density lipoproteins (OxLDL), a plasma marker of oxidative stress, which is crucial in the development of arteries chronic inflammation at intima level. In the second phase of the study, we evaluated the vasoprotective effects of Olmesartan, considering parameters such as: HO-1, potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory protein, characterized by a strong effect on re-endothelialization, which is linked to its ability to increase the number and to reduce the senescence of circulating EPC; CGRP, peptide-stimulated by HO-1, that protect the endothelium and prevents circulating EPCs senescence. Moreover, were evaluated the number and survival of circulating EPCs. The results of the first phase of the study, have demonstrated that Olmesartan Midoxomil, besides inducing blood pressure normalization in essential hypertensive patients since the third month of treatment, significantly reduced p22phox protein level after 3 months compared to baseline (0.71±0.26 vs 0,93±0.24 densitometric unit (d.u.,), p<0.001), and moreover significantly reduced p22phox at 6 months both compared to baseline (0.45±0.12 vs 0.93±0.24 d.u., p<0.001) and to 3 months (0.45±0.12 vs 0.71±0.26 d.u., p<0.02). Olmesartan treatment also significantly decreased phosphorylated ERK 1/2 levels, both after 3 months compared to baseline (0.39±0.14 vs 0.56±0.11 d.u., p=0.001), and at 6 months compared to baseline (0.19±0.08 vs 0.56±0.11, d.u., p=0.001) and to 3 months (0.19±0.08 vs 0.39±0.14, d.u., p=0.001). oxLDL plasma levels were significantly reduced after 6 months of treatment, both compared to baseline (171.92±61,83 vs 300.84±109.13 ng/ml, p=0.001), and to 3 months (171.92±61,83 vs 270.06±100.34 ng/ml, p=0.002), whereas at 3 months the reduction was not significant. Furthermore, Olmesartan treatment caused a significant increase of HO-1 protein expression levels at 3 months of the therapy compared to baseline (1.10±0.19 vs 0.77±0.071 d.u., p=0.001) and at 6 months of the therapy compared to baseline (1.11±0.19 vs 0.77±0.071 d.u., p=0.001). There was no significant increase of HO-1 protein expression between 6 and 3 months of Olmesartan treatment (1.11±0.19 vs 1.10±0.19 d.u., p=ns). In the second phase of the study, confirming the previously shown increase of HO-1, we found that Olmesartan significantly increased HO-1 protein level, both at 3 months compared to baseline (0.95±0,21 vs 0.81±0.21 d.u., p=0.031), and at 6 months compared to baseline (1.1±0.26 vs 0.81±0.21 d.u., p=0.001) and to 3 months (1.1±0.26 vs 0.95±0.21 d.u., p=0.01). Moreover, we observed a significantly increase of CGRP plasma levels after 6 months of therapy, both compared to baseline (263.91±43.08 vs 198.81±51.98 pg/ml, p=0.001), and to 3 months (263.91±43.08 vs 218.97±41.13 pg/ml, p=0.03). Circulating EPC number, defined by cell surface antigens CD34+KDR+, CD133+KDR+ e CD34+CD133+KDR+, increased after 6 months of Olmesartan treatment both compared to baseline (respectively, 112.89±53.44 vs 35.11±25.98, p=0.005; 107.60±37.09 vs 20.90±14.58, p=0.0001; 38.11±19.64 vs 3.67±3.61, p=0.0007) and compared to 3 months (respectively, 112.89±53.44 vs 59.11±35.30, p=0.002; 107.60±37.09 vs 49.50±45.20, p=0.003; 38.11±19.64 vs 15.78±18.59, p=0.0028). Olmesartan significantly reduced EPC apoptosis, evaluated by gating on CD133+KDR+ cells events based on Annexin V expression, at 3 months compared to baseline (27.24± 9.64% vs 44.28 ± 12.38%, p<0.01) and further significantly reduced it at 6 months both compared to baseline (16.83±15.68% vs 44.28 ±12.38%, p<0.001) and to 3 months (16.83±15.68% vs 27.24±9.64%, p< 0.004) (Calò LA et al, 2014). In conclusion, this study demonstrates Olmesartan’s inhibitory effect on oxidative stress and oxidative stress-related proteins involved in oxidative stress signaling in essential hypertensive patients. Moreover, it demonstrates a vasoprotective effect of Olmesartan via reduction of Ang II-mediated oxidative stress and increased CGRP-mediated improvement of endothelial dysfunction, likely due also to the increased number of circulating EPC and their improved survival/function. In addition, our data provide a mechanistic rationale for the Olmesartan’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential translation, in the long term, toward antiatherosclerotic and antiremodeling effects reported in clinical trials such as MORE (Stumpe KO et al 2007), OLIVUS (Hirohata A et al, 2010), EUTOPIA (Fliser D et al, 2004) e VIOS (Smith RD et al, 2006)
L’ipertensione arteriosa è il più importante fattore di rischio per le malattie cardiovascolari, l’infarto del miocardio, lo scompenso cardiaco, l’insufficienza renale e le vasculopatie periferiche. Lo stress ossidativo, dovuto all’aumentata produzione delle specie reattive all’ossigeno (ROS), svolge un importante ruolo fisiopatologico nello sviluppo dell’ipertensione arteriosa e delle sue complicanze a lungo termine, quali il rimodellamento cardiovascolare e l’aterosclerosi (Touyz RM et al, 2004). Vari fattori di rischio (fumo, diabete, aumento di LDL, oltre che ipertensione) portano ad un aumento dello stato redox, determinando disfunzione endoteliale, aumento dell’espressione di geni pro-infiammatori redox sensibili ed attivazione delle cellule muscolari lisce (Luft FC, 2001). In pazienti ipertesi, il sistema Renina-Angiotensina (RAAS) è attivato, causando un aumento di produzione dell’Angiotensina (Ang II) (Ruster C et al, 2006). L’Ang II, potente vasocostrittore (in grado di aumentare le resistenze periferiche totali e quindi la pressione arteriosa) è un potente induttore di stress ossidativo. L’Ang II media le sue azioni attraverso due recettori distinti: AT1R e AT2R (Dihn DT et al, 2001; Mehta PK et al, 2007; Calò LA et al, 2010). La stimolazione del recettore AT1R, per il quale l’Ang II presenta maggiore affinità, determina sia vasocostrizione attraverso un signalling cellulare a breve termine ma anche rimodellamento vascolare e aterosclerosi attraverso un signalling a lungo termine che coinvolge l’attivazione dell’NADPH ossidasi, produttore di anione superossido (O2-) (Griendling KK et al, 2000). Il legame al recettore AT2R da parte dell’Ang II controbilancia gli effetti mediati dall’attivazione di AT1R, inducendo vasodilatazione, antiproliferazione, differenziazione cellulare, segnali antiapoptotici; esso ha quindi un ruolo omeostatico nel controbilanciare un eccesso di stimolazione di AT1R (Volpe et al, 2003; Zhuo et al, 2008; Yamamoto et al, 2008). Lo stress ossidativo, è considerato uno dei meccanismi patogenetici fondamentali della disfunzione endoteliale. Per disfunzione endoteliale si intende un quadro molecolare e biochimico complesso che comprende infiammazione, proliferazione, anormalità strutturali e funzionali dei vasi. Le cellule progenitrici endoteliali (EPC) circolanti di derivazione midollare, svolgono un importante ruolo di protezione da queste alterazioni (Hill JM et al, 2003) in quanto sono in grado di riparare l’endotelio danneggiato attraverso un continuo processo di re-endotelializzazione e/o neovascolarizzazione (Heiss C et al, 2005). Nell’ipertensione il numero di EPC circolanti è ridotto e la loro funzione è alterata; tale situazione rappresenta un ulteriore fattore di rischio nello sviluppo di eventi cardiovascolari. E’ stato dimostrato, infatti, che l’Ang II, che causa un aumento dello stress ossidativo, svolge un ruolo centrale nell’insorgenza dell’invecchiamento e nella inibizione della capacità proliferativa delle EPC circolanti (Imanishi T et al, 2005). Il calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), invece, è un potente vasodilatatore, che previene l’invecchiamento delle EPC circolanti, indotto anche da Ang II (Zhou Z et al, 2010). L’importante ruolo che gioca lo stress ossidativo nei processi di remodelling cardiovascolare ed aterogenesi che si osservano nell’ipertensione arteriosa, ha indotto i ricercatori a porre sempre maggior attenzione e ad investigare i potenziali effetti pleiotropici dei farmaci antiipertensivi sullo stress ossidativo. I farmaci maggiormente studiati sono gli ACE inibitori (ACEIs) e i bloccanti il recettore AT1R dell'Angiotensina (ARBs), le due più importanti classi di farmaci che agiscono limitando l'attività del sistema renina-angiotensina-aldosterone (RAAS). L’Olmesartan Medoxomil, bloccante il recettore AT1R dell’Ang II, ampiamente usato nel trattamento dell’ipertensione, blocca tutte le attività dell’Ang II mediate dal recettore AT1R, indipendentemente dall’origine e dalla via di sintesi dell’Ang II; l’ormone, perciò, si rende disponibile per il legame con il suo recettore AT2R, la cui stimolazione determina vasodilatazione, effetti antifibrotici e antinfiammatori e determina una riduzione, a lungo termine, dose-dipendente, della pressione arteriosa. Inoltre, è stato dimostrato che l’Olmesartan possiede attività antiossidante in quanto riduce i livelli plasmatici del marker di stress ossidativo 8-isoprostano (Fliser D et al, 2005), e attiva il sistema del monossido d’azoto (NO) attraverso un aumento della fosforilazione della eNOS (Oyama N et al, 2010; Kanematsu Y et al, 2006). Con il nostro studio abbiamo valutato un possibile effetto antiossidante e vasoprotettivo dell’Olmesartan Medoxomil in pazienti ipertesi essenziali, utilizzando un approccio biologico molecolare. Lo studio è stato effettuato in tempi differenti utilizzando due coorti di pazienti con caratteristiche cliniche simili trattati per 6 mesi con Olmesartan Medoximil. Sulla prima coorte sono stati analizzati markers di stress ossidativo e della pathway del rimodellamento cardiovascolare, oltre che i livelli di LDL ossidate; sulla seconda coorte di pazienti sono stati valutati oltre che l’espressione proteica di HO-1, i livelli palsmatici di CGRP e il numero e la sopravvivenza delle EPC circolanti. In particolare, nella prima fase sono state valutate p22phox subunità della NADPH ossidasi essenziale per la produzione di anione superossido, ed Heme Oxigenase-1 (HO-1), isoforma inducibile di HO, in grado di proteggere dallo stress ossidativo. Abbiamo, inoltre, valutato lo stato di fosforilazione delle ERK, proteine effettrici dello stress ossidativo nel rimodellamento cardiovascolare, e lo stato di marker plasmatici di stress ossidativo come le lipoproteine ossidate a bassa densità (LDL ossidate), cruciali nello sviluppo della reazione infiammatoria cronica a livello della tonaca intima delle arterie. Nella seconda fase dello studio abbiamo preso in considerazione gli effetti vasoprotettivi dell’Olmesartan valutando parametri quali: HO-1, proteina che oltre ad avere una potente attività anti-ossidante ed anti-infiammatoria, è contraddistinta da un potente effetto favorente la re-endotelializzazione, giustificato dalla sua capacità di aumentare il numero e di ridurre l’invecchiamento di cellule progenitrici endoteliali (EPC) circolanti ed il CGRP, peptide stimolato dall’HO-1 che protegge l’endotelio e previene l’invecchiamento delle EPC circolanti mediato da Ang II. Inoltre, sono stati valutati il numero e la sopravvivenza delle EPC circolanti. I risultati della prima fase hanno dimostrato come il farmaco Olmesartan, oltre a normalizzare la pressione arteriosa in pazienti ipertesi essenziali già a 3 mesi di terapia, ha ridotto significativamente i livelli di espressione proteica di p22phox già a 3 mesi di terapia rispetto al basale (rispettivamente 0.71±0.26 vs 0.93±0.24 unità densitometriche (u.d.), p<0.001), riduzione che è risultata significativa anche a 6 mesi rispetto sia al basale (0.45±0.12 vs 0.93±0.24 u.d., p<0.001) che a 3 mesi (0.45±0.12 vs 0.71±0.26 u.d., p<0.02). Il trattamento con Olmesartan ha ridotto significativamente anche i livelli di fosforilazione delle ERK 1/2 sia dopo 3 mesi rispetto al baseline (rispettivamente 0.39±0.14 vs 0.56±0.11 u.d., p=0.001) che a 6 mesi di terapia, rispetto al basale (0.19±0.08 vs 0.56±0.11, u.d., p=0.001) e rispetto a 3 mesi (0.19±0.08 vs 0.39±0.14 u.d., p=0.001). I livelli di LDL ossidate sono risultati significativamente ridotti dopo 6 mesi di terapia, sia rispetto al basale (171.92±61.83 vs 300.84±109.13 ng/ml, p=0.001), che rispetto a 3 mesi (171.92±61.83 vs 270.06±100.34 ng/ml, p=0.002) mentre a 3 mesi rispetto al basale la riduzione non era significativa (270.06±100.34 vs 300.84±109.13 ng/ml, p=ns). Il trattamento con Olmesartan ha, invece, determinato un significativo aumento dei livelli di espressione proteica di HO-1 rispetto al basale sia a 3 mesi di terapia (1.10±0.19 vs 0.77±0.071 u.d., p=0.001) che a 6 mesi (1.11±0.19 vs 0.77±0.071 u.d., p=0.001), mentre la variazione non è risultata significativa tra 3 e 6 mesi di trattamento (1.10±0.19 vs 1.11±0.19 u.d., p=ns). Nella seconda parte dello studio, confermando quanto riscontrato precedentemente, il trattamento con Olmesartan ha incrementato significativamente i livelli di espressione proteica di HO-1 rispetto al basale sia a 3 mesi (0.95±0.21 vs 0.81±0.21 u.d., p=0.031) che a 6 mesi (1.1±0.26 vs 0.81±0.21 u.d., p=0.001) con un aumento significativo anche nel confronto tra 3 e 6 mesi (0.95±0.21 vs 1.1±0.26 u.d., p=0.01). L’Olmesartan ha, inoltre, indotto un significativo aumento dei livelli plasmatici di CGRP dopo 6 mesi di terapia sia rispetto al basale (263.91±43.08 vs 198.81±51.98 pg/ml, p=0.001), che rispetto a 3 mesi (263.91±43.08 vs 218.97±41.13 pg/ml, p=0.03). Un aumento nel numero di EPC circolanti, espresse come CD34+KDR+, CD133+KDR+ e CD34+CD133+KDR+, è risultato significativo a 6 mesi di trattamento con Olmesartan sia rispetto al basale (rispettivamente 112.89±53.44 vs 35.11±25.98, p=0.005 per CD34+KDR+; 107.60±37.09 vs 20.90±14.58, p=0.0001 per CD133+KDR+; 38.11±19.64 vs 3.67±3.61, p=0.0007 per CD34+ CD133+KDR+) che a 3 mesi (112.89±53.44 vs 59.11±35.30, p=0.002 per CD34+KDR+; 107.60±37.09 vs 49.50±45.20, p=0.003 per CD133+KDR+; 38.11±19.64 vs 15.78±18.59, p=0.0028 per CD34+ CD133+KDR+). L’apoptosi delle cellule EPC, valutata mediante analisi citofluorimetrica del legame tra annessina V e fosfatidilserina espressa sulle cellule CD133+KDR+, è risultata significativamente ridotta già a 3 mesi di trattamento con Olmesartan (27.24± 9.64% vs 44.28 ± 12.38%, p<0.01) e si è ulteriormente ridotta in modo significativo a 6 mesi sia rispetto al basale (16.83±15.68% vs 44.28 ±12.38%, p<0.001) che rispetto a 3 mesi (16.83±15.68 vs 27.24±9.64% %, p< 0.004) (Calò LA et al, 2014). In conclusione, questo studio dimostra un effetto inibitorio dell’Olmesartan sullo stress ossidativo e sulle proteine correlate coinvolte nel signalling intracellulare dello stress ossidativo in pazienti con ipertensione essenziale. Inoltre, dimostra che l’Olmesartan possiede un effetto vasoprotettivo mediato dalla riduzione dello stress ossidativo indotto dall’Ang II e dall’aumento degli effetti benefici del CGRP sulla disfunzione endoteliale, dovuti anche all’aumento del numero delle EPC circolanti e della loro sopravvivenza/funzionalità. I nostri dati, inoltre, forniscono un razionale meccanicistico dell’azione anti-ossidante, anti-infiammatoria e vasoprotettiva, forniscono il razionale meccanicistico agli effetti anti-aterosclerotici, antiinfiammatori e di anti-remodeling di Olmesartan riportati da trials clinici come MORE (Stumpe KO et al 2007), OLIVUS (Hirohata A et al, 2010), EUTOPIA (Fliser D et al, 2004) e VIOS (Smith RD et al, 2006)

DE LA TESIS

Esta Tesis se centra en el estudio de las perturbaciones conducidas generadas por un ondulador de tensión en configuración de puente y alimentado de red a través de un rectificador no controlado. El objetivo de esta Tesis es poder identificar el origen de las perturbaciones y poder cuantificar de una forma relativamente rápida y sencilla el efecto de diversos factores (topología, lay-out, técnicas de modulación y tipo de componentes) sobre la propagación de las mismas. Para ello se ha desarrollado una metodología de estudio que es perfectamente válida y aplicable sin grandes dificultades a otro tipo de topologías, utilicen o no la conmutación dura. El método de estudio se basa en la estructura fuente-medio de propagación-perturbación y en el planteamiento de circuitos equivalentes de parámetros concentrados, cuyas ecuaciones son resueltas en el dominio frecuencial. En esta metodología, que permite discriminar la contribución de los dos modos de propagación (modo común, MC, y modo diferencial, MD) al nivel global de perturbación, se ha primado la sencillez y robustez de simulación del modelo frente a la exactitud. El método propuesto ofrece buenos resultados hasta una frecuencia de 5MHz aproximadamente.

En el Capítulo 1 se introduce el problema planteado por las perturbaciones electromagnéticas generadas por los convertidores conmutados, se describe y caracteriza todo el instrumental (analizador de espectros, red artificial, pinza amperimetrica de alta frecuencia), la planta experimental así como la herramienta matemática utilizada.

En el Capítulo 2 se aborda el tema de la caracterización del medio de propagación de las perturbaciones. En primer lugar se describe el método de medida de impedancias utilizado, que es una de las aportaciones de la Tesis, para después presentar los resultados obtenidos a la hora de caracterizar las impedancias significativas del sistema. A partir de estas medidas se obtienen circuitos equivalentes de parámetros concentrados que caracterizan el medio de propagación.

En el Capítulo 3 se estudian las perturbaciones que generan individualmente el rectificador de entrada y el ondulador. El estudio se lleva a cabo sobre una configuración monofásica para una mayor simplicidad del mismo. En este Capítulo se caracteriza la fuente de perturbación en el caso de ambos convertidores y, junto con la caracterización del camino de propagación obtenida en el Capítulo 2, se calculan las perturbaciones generadas. Gracias a los modelos obtenidos es posible calcular el efecto de diversos parámetros sobre las perturbaciones y la contribución de ambos modos de propagación (modo común y diferencial) al nivel final de perturbación.

En el Capítulo 4 se combinan los resultados obtenidos en el Capítulo 3 para obtener la perturbación que se propaga hacia la red en la asociación en cascada de ambos convertidores. Tanto en el Capítulo 3 como en el Capítulo 4 la validación del modelo se lleva a cabo por comparación de los resultados experimentales con los obtenidos por simulación.

Una vez cumplidos los objetivos de la Tesis, el Capítulo 5 ilustra la validez de la metodología desarrollada en el Capítulo 3. En el Capítulo 5 se aplica esta metodología al estudio de las perturbaciones en MC generadas por el ondulador y que se propagan hacia la carga. Este Capítulo es una extensión al caso trifásico y un ejemplo de aplicación de gran interés industrial. En este Capítulo aparece una de las aportaciones de la Tesis: una técnica de modulación orientada a la reducción del MC generado por el ondulador. Para demostrar la validez del modelo se comparan las medidas de corriente en MC en el lado carga con los valores obtenidos a partir del modelo.

Las conclusiones de la Tesis aparecen en el Capítulo 6. También se describen los trabajos futuros que se sugieren a partir de los resultados de la Tesis.
OF THE THESIS

The subject of this Thesis is to study conducted disturbances produced by a voltage source inverter supplied from the mains through a rectifier. The main goal is to identify the origin of conducted disturbances and also quantify in a quick and easy way the influence of different factors (topology and lay-out of the converter, switching patterns, components) on EMI . In order to achieve this goal, a systematic analysis approach has been developed. This new methodology can be easily applied to any converter topology, whatever the kind of switching (soft or hard) is used. The analysis is based on the source of noise-propagation path-disturbance approach and consists in the setting out of two equivalent circuits of lumped parameters, one for each mode of propagation. This separate treatment of both modes of propagation allows the calculation of their contribution to the global level of disturbance. Equations drawn from these equivalent circuits are solved in the frequency domain. This approach avoids all the problems of time-domain simulations and provides robust and quick simulations rather than very accurate results. The simulation results of this methodology show a good agreement with experimental measures up to 5MHz.

Chapter 1 describes problems caused by electromagnetic disturbances generated by switched power converters. The state of the art about this matter is presented. All instruments used to carry out measures (spectrum analyser, LISN, HF current clamp) are described and modelled. The experimental set-up is thoroughly described. Also some considerations about mathematical tools used are presented.

Chapter 2 is devoted to study the propagation path of disturbances. First of all, the impedance measuring method is described, which is one of the contributions of the Thesis. After that, main impedances of the system are identified and measured. From these results, equivalent circuits of lumped parameters that model the main impedances of the propagation path are derived.

In Chapter 3, disturbances generated in a single phase arrangement by the rectifier and the inverter working separately are studied. Source of noise in both cases are identified and modelled. Finally, disturbances are calculated taking into account results of Chapter 2.

Results obtained in Chapter 3 are combined in Chapter 4 in order to obtain the disturbance reaching the mains when both converters (rectifier and inverter) are connected in cascade. Experimental validation of the model are presented in Chapters 3 and 4, by comparing results of measures with those provided by simulation.

Once main goals of the Thesis are achieved, Chapter 5 shows the validity of the methodology developed in Chapter 3 when it is used to calculate the CM currents in the load side of a three-phase inverter. In this Chapter another contribution of the Thesis is presented: a new modulation technique for three-phase inverters specially intended to reduce CM currents in the load side. Comparison between simulation results and measurements show a good agreement.

The conclusions of the Thesis are summarised in Chapter 6. The future works suggested by the results of the Thesis are also presented.

Fast switching operations in IGBTs generate electromagnetic field disturbances, which might cause EMI and functionality issues. For higher frequency characterization, the parasitic inductances and capacitances have to be considered. The characterization of the electromagnetic field disturbances in- and around the converter module could be predicted early in the design. The study involves a high frequency characterization of electric fields (Efield), magnetic fields (H-fields) and the surface currents distribution in a converter module. The high frequency electromagnetic software (CST) was used for the analysis. A given 3D CAD model of an AC/DC converter module was analyzed in CST. The CAD contained IGBT bus-bars interconnections, converter casing, heat sink and other metallic structures. The ACside has six IGBTs and the DC-side has a chopper which has two switches. The IGBTs ONstate and OFF state was modeled with lumped elements. The DC link capacitor was just modeled as lumped elements, while the metallic capacitor casing was included in the 3D model for analyzing the field distribution inside the converter casing. To check the model accuracy, CST models were compared with PEEC (Partial Element Equivalent Circuit) models for simple antenna cases. Using the converter geometry, CST estimates the parasitics and the eventual current, voltage and electromagnetic field distributions for a given excitation signal. The DC-link was excited with a step pulse and the fields were computed. With consideration of specific design details, the modeling approach developed in this study, could be used to construct high frequency models of converter modules for different projects.

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Programa de Pós-graduação em Letras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente
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The goal of this master’s thesis was to design antenna working in frequency range from 30 MHz to 1 GHz. Designed biconical antenna requires balanced feed to work properly, therefore designing the balancing unit based on discrete components was necessary. Designed antenna was also constructed and its return loss, gain and radiation patterns were verified by measurement. This master’s thesis also introduces readers into principles of antenna measurements of disturbing signals in the area of EMC and compares different types of antennas for bands of meter and decimeter waves.

This thesis describes the system design of EMG Site, a MATLAB-based application for collection and visualization of surface electromyograms (EMGs) and the real-time control of an upper limb prosthesis, including details pertaining to the design of the software and the graphical user interface (GUI). The application consists of features that aid in the visualization of the collected EMG data and the control of a prosthesis. Visualization of the collected EMG data is handled in one of two ways: an oscilloscope-like view showing the raw EMG data collected with respect to time, or a radial plot showing the processed EMG data collected with respect to the site of EMG data collection on the arm. The control of a hand-wrist prosthesis is primarily regulated through the use of signal processing designed to relate EMG to torque and is visualized in the tracking window - a plotting window showing both a user-control cursor and an either static (or dynamic) computer-controlled target. This thesis concludes with a description of the real-time capabilities of the application regarding both the visualization of the collected EMG data as well as the control of a prosthesis.

For several decades, management scholars have extolled the virtues of using real option logic when making decisions under uncertainty. Real option logic suggests that in such situations, firms might be better off deferring or staging investments, reducing potential financial losses, while at the same time securing an option to grow (or abandon) the investment when uncertainty abates. Our analysis of the empirical research published in leading management journals over the past 25 years suggests that while some progress has been made, much more work needs to be done. We still do not have the answers to critical questions such as: Which entrepreneurial/managerial traits impact the identification or exploitation of real options? Do multiple types of uncertainties interact with each other and influence real option decisions? Addressing these and other issues identified in our study can help improve our understanding of the usefulness of real option logic in management.

Elektromagnetiska störningar kan orsaka stora och allvarliga problem både i land och ombord på fartyg. Störningar som kommer in i kontrollerade utrymmen via kablage kan förhindras genom speciellt framtagna kabelgenomföringar. Dock gäller att dessa är installerade korrekt och syftet med detta arbete är att ta fram en principmodell för ett portabelt kontrollinstrument för kontroll av elektromagnetisk kompatibilitet (EMC).   Genom att ta delar ur flertalet internationella standarder inom EMC-området togs en principmodell för kontrollinstrumentet fram. Genom simulering kunde delar av principen fastställas och sedan utfördes praktiska prover där testuppsättningen hade sitt ursprung i en vedertagen och beprövad uppsättning.   Proverna visade på att principmodellen fungerar. Dock uppnådde inte modellens mätenhet samma mätnoggranhet som referensinstrumentet och dämpningar i de framtagna kretsarna skiljde sig från de framräknade värdena.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Keywords: system identification; EMG; optimal sampling rate; linear torque model; EMG-torque model; EMG amplitude; torque. Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-86).

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre a inspecionabilidade dos furos da junção asa/stub das aeronaves das famílias EMB 145, EMB 170 e EMB 190. O estudo ée baseado nos métodos de avaliação não-destrutiva (NDE) utilizados pela Embraer. Os furos em questão neste trabalho são inspecionados pelo método de Eddy Current, sendo este o mesmo método utilizado na linha de produção da Embraer. Corpos-de-prova simulam a região da aeronave estudada em termos de espessuras e ligas de alumínio utilizadas para a fabricação das peças. Defeitos como ovalizações, marcas de ferramentas e riscos de tamanhos diversos são reproduzidos nos corpos-de-prova e inspecionados por Eddy Current. Os resultados das inspeções são comparados a requisitos técnicos de projeto e produção e, finalmente, são apresentadas as conclusões e considerações finais do trabalho.

INTRODUCTION: Iron homeostasis is maintained in humans trough a meticulous control of intestinal iron absorption, effective utilization of iron by erythropoiesis, efficient recycling of iron from senescente erythrocytes and controlled storage of iron by hepatocytes and macrophages. Little is known about the regulation of iron metabolism in pathological conditions, in particular transfusion independent beta-thalassemia intermedia (TI) transfusion independent and thalassemia major (TM). The clinical manifestations of TI result from three key factors: ineffective erythropoiesis, chronic anemia and iron overload. In patients with thalassemia major (TM), in whom iron loading occurs mainly as a result of transfusion therapy, while in patients with TI accumulate iron primarily due to increased intestinal iron absorption and ineffective erythropoiesis. This leads to an increase in the plasma of iron from tissue and taken up by transferrin, which is saturated with the accumulation of excess free iron. This causes toxicity and tissue damage. The main regulator of iron homeostasis regulation is hepcidin, an hepatic peptide that negatively regulates iron egress from intestinal cells and macrophages by altering the expression of the cellular iron exporter ferroportin. Ferroportin (FPN) is the only mammalian iron exporter protein known and it plays a critical role in iron metabolism. It is expressed in various types of cells including duodenal enterocytes, hepatocytes, erythroblasts cells, syncytiotrophoblasts and reticuloendothelial macrophages. Ferroportin is expressed in multiple alternative transcripts: with (FPN1A) or without (FPN1B) an iron-responsive element (IRE). The expression of one form rather than the other depends on cell type and iron availability. The expression of ferroportin in thalassemia intermedia (TI), characterized by iron overload, is not yet fully elucidated. In doing so, hepcidin can control both the total body iron by modulating intestinal iron absorption as well as promote iron available for erythropoiesis by affecting the efficiency of macrophages in recycling iron from effete red blood cells. Despite the key role attributed to hepcidin in the regulation of the iron, the mechanisms that regulate its expression are unknown, in particular it is not known how the increased erythropoietic activity present in TI reduces the expression of hepcidin. A candidate gene involved in this regulation is the GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15), which is secreted by erythroblasts during erythropoiesis. The only information known about this gene is derived from studies of TM subjects and in vitro studies on cell lines, where it has been observed that in patients with TM, it was observed that the GDF15 is present at high levels in serum and its role may be to inhibit the expression of hepcidin in the liver. It is still unknown why GDF15 is more expressed in beta thalassemia patients than in healthy subjects and how GDF15 can negatively regulates the expression of hepcidin is still unknown. AIM: To determine the genes expression profile of GDF15, hepcidin and ferroportin isoforms during normal and thalassemic erythroid differentiation in standard cultures and in situations that simulate the iron depletion (deferoxamine) or saturated iron (ferric ammonium citrate), from CD34+ and macrophages of normal and thalassemia intermedia and major subjects. METHODS: After informed consent, the CD34+ cells and macrophages cells were obtained from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and from patients with TI and TM by positive and negative respectively selection using anti-CD34-tagged magnetic beads. The CD34+ cells were cultured for 14 days with a medium containing stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin 3 (IL-3) and erythropoietin to induce erythroid differentiation. The macrophages cells were cultured for 6 days with a medium containing granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to induce macrophages differentiation. Each culture of CD34+ cells and macrophages was split in 3 flasks: standard condition, with addition of deferoxamine (DFO 4M) as iron chelating agent and ferric ammonium citrate (FAC 100 M) at day 0 of culture. The expression profiling of GDF15, hepcidin and ferroportin genes were evaluated at baseline, day 7 and day 14 by real-time PCR (2^-dCt). GDF15 concentrations in culture supernatants were also evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using DuoSet Sandwich ELISA Kit. RESULTS IN CD34+ CELLS: GDF15 expression and secretion increased significantly during erythroid differentiation either in normal, in TI and TM cultures. At day 14 in thalassemia intermedia cultures GDF15 expression as well as the concentrations in supernatant were significantly higher compared to control and to TM which had lower values. On the contrary, hepcidin is significantly expressed only in the TM. At day 14 in control cultures GDF15 expression was up-regulated by DFO and down-regulated by FAC addition. In TI GDF15 expression was down-regulated both by DFO and by FAC. In TM GDF15 expression was down-regulated by DFO and up-regulated by FAC addition. There was the same trend for the secretion of the GDF15 protein. In control cultures, FPN total expression increased significantly during erythroid differentiation, while in TI and TM cultures FPN total was highly expressed at erythroid progenitors stage (day 0 of culture) and decreased at early erythroblasts stage (day 7) and late erythroblasts stage (day 14). In control cultures, FPN1A/FPNTOT was highly expressed at day 0 of culture, decreased significantly at day 7 and increased significantly at day 14. In TM cultures it was expressed at day 0 and decreased both at day 7 and at day 14. In TI cultures, the FPN1A/FPNTOT was highly expressed only day 7. In control cultures the FPN1B/FPNTOT was significantly expressed only at early erythroblasts stage, whereas in TI and TM cultures it was highly expressed at baseline although decreased during differentiation. At day 14 in thalassemia intermedia cultures FPN1B/FPNTOT expression were higher compared to control and to TM. At day 14 in control cultures FPN1A/FPNTOT and FPN1B/FPNTOT expression were not modificated by addition DFO and FAC. In TI and TM cultures, the addition of FAC was not modificated the expression of FPN1A/FPNTOT. In TI it expression was down-regulated by DFO addition, in TM it was up-regulated by DFO. In TM cultures FPN1B/FPNTOT was up-regulated by DFO while it was down-regulated by FAC. In TI FPN1B/FPNOT expression was up-regulated both by DFO and by FAC. RESULTS IN MACROPHAGES CELLS: In untreated control cultures both FPN1A/FPNTOT and FPN1B/FPNTOT were highly expressed, while they were down-regulated both by DFO and by FAC. In TI and TM cultures FPN1A/FPNTOT and FN1B/FPNTOT were not expressed both in untreated macrophages and in treated macrophages. In control and TI cultures GDF15 expression was up-regulated by DFO and down-regulated by FAC addition. In TM cultures GDF15 expression was not modificated by addition DFO and FAC. DISCUSSION: In TI and TM cultures total FPN was highly expressed at erythroid progenitors stage and could contribute to iron overload typical of thalassemia. Conversely, in control cultures the ferroportin was expressed at late erythroblasts stage maybe because the now mature cells does not need iron and made it available to other parts of the body. This correlated with the low levels of hepcidin and with the positive expression of GDF15. In TM cultures the absence of GDF15, the presence of hepcidin and the lack feroportina was due to low concentration of intracellular iron. Instead in TI cultures was much GDF15, a marker of ineffective erythropoiesis, little hepcidin and the good levels of FPN. In TM the ineffective erythropoiesis was suppressed by transfusions. The GDF15 increased during the normal differentiation and thus may play a role in these stages and its expression was modulated by iron levels. In TI and TM the GDF15 was essential for growth but in TI there was no modulation by the iron concentrations. The FPN1A seemed to be important at the beginning and end of erythroid differentiation, while in mid favored retention of iron in erythroblasts for to make hemoglobin. Similar to the situation of the TM but also at the end of erythroid differentiation did not express FPN1A because in reality it had not completed erythropoiesis. In TI the 1A isoform was high at day 7 of culture and low at 14° may be due ineffective erythropoiesis and delayed differentiation. In the control 1B isoform was high at day 7 to escape the repression due to the system IRE / IRP involves the isoform 1A so that, if the body was in conditions of iron deficiency, erythroid cells can export it to ensure the flow to other organs. In TI and TM cells the FPN1B isoform was highly expressed in the early stages of erythroid differentiation, possibly contributing to iron overload in both forms of thalassemia. In TI cultures, the persistent expression of FPN1A at early erythroblasts stage was probably due to thalassemic erythropoiesis. These data suggest that in TI condition other signals, such as the erythropoiesis status, can override iron overload in regulating ferroportin expression. Control cells treated with an iron chelator or iron did not show changes in the expression of isoform 1A and 1B. The TM cells under conditions of iron depletion increased the expression of FPN1A as the chelator, by subtracting the extracellular iron, created an imbalance of the ion and the cell expressed FPN1A to export it outside. TI cells however, in contact with DFO, decreased the expression of FPN1A because the chelator removed directly to intracellular iron and therefore the cell did not need a transporter. The isoform FPN1B was mostly expressed in TI and TM cells treated with DFO compared to untreated cells, as the decrease caused by the iron chelator, increased the ineffective erythropoiesis and as the 1B represented the ineffective erythropoiesis, it does not could only increase. The untreated control macrophages expressed both isoforms of ferroportin because the recycled iron from macrophages it happened in was two possible ways: it may be stored with the ferritin molecules and used later or exported out of the plasma and therefore needed precisely ferroportin. Conditions of iron depletion or iron saturation, however, strongly down regulated the expression of both isoforms, assuming a more importance of regulation by heme. In TI and TM cells ferroportin was not expressed because the macrophages, affected by extracellular iron overload, repressed the expression of FPN not to be exported more iron potentially toxic. The expression of GDF15 in control macrophages was the same pattern of CD34: conditions of iron depletion increased the expression of GDF15 and conditions of iron saturation decreased its presence. In fact, increased levels of GDF15 caused an increase of iron efflux from macrophages to make it available to others tissues. Decreased levels of GDF15 however, increase the activity of macrophages and helped to retain iron in macrophages for limiting a accumulation of toxic iron. Macrophages TI was the same trend as control macrophages, therefore the regulation of GDF15 was again influenced by the levels of iron. These data suggest that in TI cultures existed two different systems of regulation of GDF15 depending on the type of cell involved: in fact in CD34 cells was an regulation insensitive to variations in iron while in macrophages was an iron-dependent regulation, as in controls cells.

I denna rapport presenteras en analys av solcellsoptimeraren med avseende på dess elektromagnetiska kompatibilitet. Syftet är att undersöka solcellsoptimerarens påverkan ur ett elektromagnetiskt kompatibilitets och interferensperspektiv. Analysen grundar sig på en kontrollmätning av en solcellsinstallation, genomförd i samarbete med Elsäkerhetsverket. I resultatet från kontrollmätningen presenteras störningsfenomen som går att härleda till optimeraren. Slutligen diskuteras överskridna krav utifrån svenska och europeiska bestämmelser.
This report presents an analysis of the solar power optimizer regarding its electromagnetic compatibility. The purpose is to investigate the effect of the solar power optimizer from an electromagnetic compatibility and interference perspective. The analysis is based on measurements of a photovoltaic installation, carried out in collaboration with the Swedish National Electrical Safety Board. The result from the measurements presents interference that can be derived from the optimizer. Finally, exceeded requirements are discussed based on Swedish and European regulations.