Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Limitation du processeur'

Le déploiement des réseaux 5G a introduit des architectures cloud-native et des systèmes de gestion automatisés, offrant aux fournisseurs de services de communication une infrastructure évolutive, flexible et agile. Ces avancées permettent une allocation dynamique des ressources, augmentant celles-ci en période de forte demande et les réduisant en période de faible utilisation, optimisant ainsi les CapEx et OpEx. Cependant, une observabilité limitée et une caractérisation insuffisante des charges de travail entravent la gestion des ressources. Une surprovisionnement pendant les périodes creuses augmente lescoûts, tandis qu’un sous-provisionnement dégrade la QoS lors des pics de demande. Malgré les solutions existantes dans l’industrie, le compromis entre efficacité des coûts et optimisation de la QoS reste difficile. Cette thèse aborde ces défis en proposant des solutions d’autoscaling proactives pour les fonctions réseau dans un environnement cloud native 5G. Elle se concentre sur la prévision précise de l’utilisation des ressources, l’identification des opérations de changement d’échelle à mettre en oeuvre, et l’optimisation des instants auxquels opérer ces ajustements pour préserver l’équilibre entre coût et QoS. De plus, une approche novatrice permet de tenir compte de façon efficace du throttling de la CPU. Le cadre développé assure une allocation efficace des ressources, réduisant les coûts opérationnels tout en maintenant une QoS élevée. Ces contributions établissent une base pour des opérations réseau 5G durables et efficaces et proposent une base pour les futures architectures cloud-native
The deployment of 5G networks has introduced cloud-native architectures and automated management systems, offering communication service providers scalable, flexible, and agile infrastructure. These advancements enable dynamic resource allocation, scaling resources up during high demand and down during low usage, optimizing CapEx and OpEx. However, limited observability and poor workload characterization hinder resource management. Overprovisioning during off-peak periods raises costs, while underprovisioning during peak demand degrades QoS. Despite industry solutions, the trade-off between cost efficiency and QoS remains unresolved. This thesis addresses these challenges by proposing proactive autoscaling solutions for network functions in cloud-native 5G. It focuses on accurately forecasting resource usage, intelligently differentiating scaling events (scaling up, down, or none), and optimizing timing to achieve a balance between cost and QoS. Additionally, CPU throttling, a significant barrier to this balance, is mitigated through a novel approach. The developed framework ensures efficient resource allocation, reducing operational costs while maintaining high QoS. These contributions establish a foundation for sustainable and efficient 5G network operations, setting a benchmark for future cloud-native architectures

Under de senaste åren har gamification blivit alltmer förekommande i företags-sammanhang. Grundidén bakom gamification är att använda spel-element i icke-spel kontexter, med avsikt att motivera och engagera anställda. Dagens arbetsplats har genom åren genomgått en omfattande förändring, och i dagens organisationer förväntas anställda vara kreativa och använda sina entreprenöriska egenskaper för att bidra till organisationens företagsmål och affärsnytta. Enligt undersökningar speglar detta tyvärr inte dagens verklighet. Det rapporteras att så lite som 13% av alla anställda är engagerade i sitt arbete, och så mycket som 24% är aktivt likgiltiga till deras arbete. Det är alarmerande siffror som företag har försökt att motverka med hjälp av gamification, men det är få som lyckas. Denna studie presenterar genom en kvalitativ metod, begränsningar och möjligheter vid tillämpningen av gamification i företagssammanhang, och vilka faktorer som är avgörande för framgång. Studien syftar även på att undersöka hur organisationer kan gå tillväga för att hålla anställda motiverade på lång sikt. Vi kunde urskilja att det finns fyra huvudområden som utmärkte sig som bidragande faktorer: spelar types, spelarresan, motivation och utvärdering. Detta resulterade i att vi kunde urskilja vilka faktorer som främjar användarmål och vilka som främjar verksamhetsmål. Båda dessa aspekter ska bidra till att lösa organisatoriska problem och gynna företagsmål. För att lyckas med gamification måste man kunna motivera de anställda, men även bidra till affärsnytta. Vi identifierade att utvärderingsaspekten är en avgörande faktor för lyckad gamification och att bristen av forskning kring detta område kan utgöra en anledning till varför vissa misslyckas. Utifrån dessa framgångsfaktorer presenterar vi därefter ett ramverk, Enterprise Gamification Evaluation Framework, vars syfte är att fungera som ett stöd för implementation av gamification.

Dans les standards actuels tels que HSDPA ou LTE, des protocoles de retransmissions (ARQ: Automatic Repeat reQuest) sont utilisés conjointement au codage de canal afin de palier aux erreurs dues à l'absence ou la mauvaise de connaissance de canal à la transmission. On garantit ainsi la fiabilité du lien physique pour les couches OSI supérieures (du moins un taux d'erreur paquet faible). De tels protocoles sont appelés protocoles de retransmission hybrides (HARQ). L'objet de cette thèse est de proposer des outils permettant l'analyse et l'optimisation des systèmes de communication en présences de protocoles HARQ avec une emphase particulière sur les systèmes cognitifs.Dans la première partie, nous étudierons un système point-à-point dans lequel trois différents protocoles HARQ adaptatifs seront considérés. Dans un premier temps, nous considérerons le régime asymptotique (i.e. codes optimaux gaussiens). Nous proposerons, dans ce cas, deux optimisations possibles : la minimisation de la puissance moyenne sous la contrainte de débit moyen et la maximisation du débit moyen sous une contrainte de puissance moyenne. Nous montrerons que les Processus de Décision Markoviens (MDP) sont des outils adaptés aux problèmes d'optimisation considérés.Dans les standards actuels tels que HSDPA ou LTE, des protocoles de retransmissions (ARQ: Automatic Repeat reQuest) sont utilisés conjointement au codage de canal afin de palier aux erreurs dues à l'absence ou la mauvaise de connaissance de canal à la transmission. On garantit ainsi la fiabilité du lien physique pour les couches OSI supérieures (du moins un taux d'erreur paquet faible). De tels protocoles sont appelés protocoles de retransmission hybrides (HARQ). L'objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des outils permettant l'analyse et l'optimisation des systèmes de communication en présences de protocoles HARQ avec une emphase particulière sur les systèmes cognitifs. La radio cognitive est une approche permettant à des utilisateurs non-licenciés de communiquer dans les mêmes bandes de fréquences que des utilisateurs licenciés afin d'augmenter l'efficacité spectrale des réseaux sans fil. Les utilisateurs secondaires doivent néanmoins limiter les interférences générées sur les signaux des utilisateurs primaires. Dans ce contexte, nous étudierons les débits atteignables par un utilisateur secondaire utilisant l'observation du protocole HARQ de l'utilisateur primaire afin de contrôler son interférence.

80% of energy usage in the word comes from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and among the fossil fuels, oil is the most consumed energy source especially in transportation. However, due to concerns about energy demand and energy sustainability, global warming and dependency on foreign oil, generation of renewable fuels is crucial for transportation. Biomass to Liquid (BTL) is a promising process available to produce renewable liquid fuels. BTL fuels have great potential to meet the growing demand for liquid fuels, mitigating climate change, and providing value to rural areas. However, there are two major challenges with biofuels produced from BTL. One of the major challenge is the H2:CO ratio of biomass gasification product is insufficient for production of hydrocarbon fuels due to formation of methane and tars. The steam reforming of hydrocarbons, to improve the H2:CO ratio, is generally conducted as part of the gas conditioning. However, tars cause the catalysts to deactivate rapidly. Secondly, for fuels produced from the gasification route regardless of feedstock source, there is an economy-of-scale issue. Therefore, it is desirable to seek ways of process intensification to allow small scale plants to be more economical. Zeolites can be used to solve these challenges since they have reactant selectivity property. To achieve a catalyst capable of reforming methane without potential for deactivation by tars, the encapsulation of a core reforming catalyst with porous zeolite shell is examined in this dissertation. After detailed introduction in the first chapter, a composite H-β zeolite membrane encapsulated 1.6wt%Ni/1.2wt%Mg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 steam reforming catalyst was prepared by a physical coating method in the second chapter of the study. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analyses indicated that H-β zeolite was coated successfully on the core reforming catalyst. The pore size of H-β zeolite shell was between 0.43 and 0.57 nm, as measured by the HK method. Steam reforming of CH4 and C7H8 (as a tar model) were conducted with the composite H-β zeolite coated reforming catalyst, the two components individually, and physical mixtures of the two components as a function of temperature (780–840°C). CH4 conversion was enhanced by a factor of 2–3 (depending on temperature) for the composite catalyst as compared to the core reforming catalyst individually even though the zeolite did not have any activity alone. Possible reasons for the enhanced CH4 conversion include confined reaction effects (increase residence time within pores) of the catalyst containing the zeolite coating and/or Al3+ promotion of the active sites. Alternatively, due to molecular-size selectivity, the composite H-β zeolite coated reforming catalyst demonstrated a decrease in C7H8 conversion when compared to the uncoated reforming catalyst. The results validate the use of size selective catalysts to control molecular traffic and enhance the reforming reactant selectivity. A composite catalyst consisting of an outer layer of zeolite membrane encapsulating an inner reforming catalyst core was synthesized by a double physical coating method to investigate reactant selectivity (ratio of methane/toluene conversion rate) in steam reforming of methane (CH4) and toluene (C7H8). A double encapsulation (51 wt % H-β zeolite) of a 1.6 wt % Ni−1.2 wt % Mg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 steam reforming catalyst was compared to a singly coated composite catalyst (34.3 wt % H-β zeolite) to investigate zeolite thickness effects on the conversion of different sized hydrocarbons. The increase in the zeolite content from 34.3 to 51 wt % decreased both CH4 and C7H8 conversions (by up to 14% depending upon the temperature) as a result of the increase in diffusional limitations. Weisz−Prater criteria and Thiele moduli calculations confirmed that the reactions were performed under internal diffusion limitations. The C7H8 conversion of the 51 wt % composite (SR@β51%) catalyst was similar to the zeolite alone, indicating negligible contribution from the protected catalyst core. The reactant selectivity increased by up to 1.5 times on SR@β51% in comparison to the SR@β34.3% composite. Combined reforming at 800 °C on the SR@β51% catalyst indicated that the catalyst was stable during the 10 h time on stream. Continuing this work, a non-acidic Silicalite-1 zeolite membrane encapsulated 1.6wt%Ni-1.2wt%Mg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 steam reforming composite catalyst, synthesized by a physical coating method, was used to investigate effect of encapsulation on size selective steam reforming, using methane (CH4) and toluene (C7H8) as representative species. Weisz-Prater Criteria and Thiele moduli calculations indicated internal diffusion limitations. Combined reforming of CH4 and C7H8 at 800°C on the composite catalyst demonstrated stability during the 10 h time on stream while uncoated SR catalyst deactivated. The non-acidic Silicalite-1 encapsulated catalyst showed decreases (~2-7%) in both CH4 and C7H8 conversions compared to acidic H-β zeolite confirming that shell acidity did contribute to conversion and suggesting that shell defects/grain boundaries were responsible for the C7H8 conversion. Finally, low temperature 0.16wt%Pt–1.34wt%Ni–1.00wt%Mg/(Ce0.6Zr0.4)O2 reforming catalyst was triple coated with H-β zeolite (60 wt% of zeolite) to be utilized synthesis of combination steam reforming catalyst (SR) and Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) catalyst (CRAFT) for a single-step conversion of methane to liquid fuels. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis result demonstrated that H-β zeolite was successfully encapsulated onto the low temperature reforming catalyst. The catalyst was tested in steam reforming of methane (CH4) and toluene (C7H8) and the results was compared with 51 wt%. While CH4 conversions are very similar on the 60wt% composite catalyst with 51wt% composite catalyst, no C7H8 conversion was seen on the 60 wt% composite catalyst. Thus, it is concluded that the 60 wt% composite catalyst can be utilized to synthesis CRAFT catalyst.

Using a case study approach, this investigation focused on the decision-making processes involved in developing budgets in two Texas school districts following a tax limitation, or rollback, election. Factors influencing the decision-making processes included the rollback election's outcome in each district, the participants, the perceptions participants held of themselves, the perceptions participants held of others in the district and community, the decisions made, and the factors influencing participants' decisions. Two Texas school districts were selected as subjects of this study which used qualitative data collection methods. In one school district, the rollback election passed. In the other, it failed. Data collection included observations of school board meetings and budget workshops. Structured interviews of school board members and administrators, pro- and antirollback proponents, and newspaper editors were conducted. Questions focused on the budgetary decision-making processes before and after the rollback elections. They also solicited information fromsubjects regarding rollback elections, the factors precipitating the rollback elections and the impact of the rollback election campaign upon each school district. Document analyses were triangulated with the observations and interviews to identify the factors influencing the budgetary decision-making process. Following the rollback elections, school officials in both districts adopted a conservative approach to budgetary decision-making. In both districts, school board members and administrators listened more carefully to citizens' concerns. Citizen finance committees were formed in both districts following the rollback elections to receive community input into the 1989-90 budgets. The decision-making processes in both districts were influenced by school board members' and administrators' personal philosophies, the presence or absence of long-range district goals, and pressures to finance unfunded and underfunded state mandates. The budget documents produced in both districts following the rollback elections reflected a commitment to funding curricular rather than extracurricular programs. School officials protected teachers' and support staffers' salaries, recognizing the importance of maintaining employee morale.

Le marché actuel des systèmes électroniques est très compétitif. D’un point de vue de la CEM, ceci impose la conception de produits fonctionnels et respectant les normes, dans des délais les plus courts possibles. Pour répondre à ces besoins, il faut prendre en compte la CEM au plus tôt dans le design. Dans le contexte de conception de carte électroniques, deux problèmes demeurent pour parvenir à cet objectif. Premièrement, les contraintes normatives définies au niveau de l’équipement sont difficiles à décliner au niveau de la carte. Deuxièmement, beaucoup de paramètres sont indéterminés en amont de la conception, rendant difficile l’analyse et la prise de décision. Ce mémoire propose de répondre à ces problématiques dans le cadre d’une étude d’émissivité rayonnée. Pour cela, une démarche de création de modèle paramétrique de rayonnement de carte électronique est proposée. L’utilisation de la puissance totale rayonnée (PTR) comme sortie du modèle sert de passerelle entre une représentation de la carte et celle de mécanique, au niveau système, répondant à la première problématique. Le modèle de carte électronique ainsi obtenu doit être capable de réaliser une analyse de sensibilité pour répondre à la deuxième problématique. L’utilisation de méta-modèles sur la simulation numérique permet d’obtenir des modèles à la fois rapides et fiables. Cette méthode, proposée dans cette thèse, est éprouvée sur des scénarios d’une relative complexité, pour démontrer son utilité dans la prise de décision lors de la conception d’un circuit imprimé
Today electronic systems market is very competitive. From an EMC point of view, it implies designing functional products, which pass EMC standards, in a minimum amount of time. To meet these needs, designers have to consider EMC as soon as possible in their design. In the context of electronic board design, there are two challenges to reach this goal. Firstly, the constraints in standards are equipment-level defined. Convert them to a board level is hardly accessible. Secondly, many parameters are undetermined at the beginning of the design, which prevents analysis and decision-making. This dissertation put forward some answers in a radiated emissivity context. To do so, a procedure to create a parametric model for the emissivity of an electronic board is proposed. The total radiated power as output of the model consists of the input at a system level model. This solves the first problem. The model built must be able to provide a sensitivity analysis to solve the second problem. Surrogate modeling based on electromagnetic (but time and resource consuming) simulation offers reliable and fast models. This is the methodology proposed by this thesis. It is tested on scenarios of moderate complexity, to prove how useful it is in decision-making during the conception of a stackup of a board

The prevalent business model in the pharmaceutical industry requires rapid and robust process development and flexible manufacturing processes. This work reports the attempts to develop structured procedures for membrane process development to meet these requirements. The Donnan Steric Pore Model, in conjunction with a computational molecular dynamics programme, was evaluated as tool for membrane performance predictions to circumvent the need for tedious membrane screening experiments. However, the computational effort required was too onerous, making experimentation more efficient than computational method at this stage. Process chemistry manipulation enabled the use of otherwise incompatible membranes for separation and reduced the time needed for membrane scoping. Firstly, through pH manipulation to selectively increase electrostatic sieving, the permeation selectivity of a membrane to 2 different solutes was changed. Secondly, a structured procedure for polyalkylation of an ‘anchor’ molecule to increase the steric hindrance of an organocatalyst was used to enable the total retention of the catalyst so that a single stage membrane recycling strategy for the catalyst could be enacted. Published membrane processes were analysed and found to lack robustness and to be too sensitive to slight deviations in membrane performance. Hence new membrane processes were devised to address these challenges. Firstly, a membrane cascade process was used to enhance the rejection of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) over the single pass membrane rejection. This cascade process was then used for concurrent API concentration and solvent recovery. Secondly, a permeable stripping cascade configuration was used for the removal of an excess reagent from an API to enable the excess loading of the reagent to increase the yield of the API. The membrane cascades benefited from enhanced reliability, increased productivity and improved robustness.

Les processus d’accumulation du carbone organique dissous (COD), ont été étudiés dans les eaux côtières de la Méditerranée Nord-Occidentale et ont été liés à la variation de l’activité et la structure de la communauté bactérienne. Nous avons suivi les changements de la concentration du COD en fonction de l’abondance microbienne et l’activité bactérienne, durant 16 mois d’étude (Avril 2005-Juillet 2006) et à partir d’un échantillonnage hebdomadaire dans la baie de Villefranche. Nos résultats ont montré des concentrations périodiques élevées de COD et une accumulation de COD dans le milieu naturel durant la période de stratification estivale. Les concentrations de COD été corrélées positivement avec l’abondance des bactéries et négativement avec les abondances des ciliés et des virus. Parallèlement, notre étude à montré que la lyse virale été négativement corrélée avec l’abondance bactérienne et l’efficacité de croissance, ce qui conduit à une faible assimilation du carbone durant les périodes de pics viraux. On a également testé, durant trois périodes, les changements saisonniers de l’activité bactérienne et les variations des concentrations du COD dans la colonne d’eau de surface (5, 20, 50m). Les valeurs les plus élevées de COD ont été observées durant la période de stratification et ont été reliés aux faibles valeurs de BGE (8. 52%). En comparaison, les valeurs les plus élevées de BGE (22. 38%) ont été mesurées durant la période de « bloom » de phytoplancton. La faible efficacité de croissance était la conséquence d’un taux de respiration élevé et une production bactérienne faible mesurée durant la même période. Afin de compléter notre connaissance sur les processus d’accumulation du COD, on a testé l’hypothèse du mauvais fonctionnement de la boucle microbienne dans une approche expérimentale examinant le rôle des additions de phosphates sur les réponses bactériennes dans différentes expérimentations saisonnières. L’expérience réalisée en Juillet a montré que les additions de phosphates augmentent la consommation de COD jusqu'à 10 fois, en passant de 0. 036µmol C l-1h-1 dans les témoins à 0. 356µmol C l-1h-1 dans les traitements P2 (1 µmol P l-1). En plus des précédents paramètres, nous avons testé les relations saisonnières de la concentration de COD et la diversité de l’assemblage bactérien en étudiant le gène 16S RNA par gel électrophorèse à gradient dénaturant (DGGE) basé sur la PCR. On a démontré que l’intensité relative des phylotypes spécifiques appartenant à SAR11, Roseobacter et Bacteroidetes, étaient corrélés avec les concentrations du COD. L’addition de phosphates augmente les intensités relatives de ces phylotypes impliqués dans la consommation du COD. Ainsi la limitation en phosphates était responsable de l’accumulation du COD observée durant la période de stratification.

Introduction. Le vieillissement est caractérisé par des déclins de réserves physiologiques dedivers systèmes de l’organisme, ainsi que par des réductions au plan fonctionnel qui limitentla capacité des individus à exécuter certaines activités. Bien que cette détérioration physiquene puisse pas être empêchée, plusieurs facteurs interviennent pendant le vieillissement,influençant le début et la vitesse de progression de ces déclins. La pratique d’exercice/activitéphysique semble constituer un moyen de retarder le début de ces déclins, et de ralentir leur progression. Malgré cela, le rôle de l’exercice/activité physique sur certains aspects de cettedétérioration physique n’est pas encore bien établi. Le but de ce travail est d’étudier le rôle joué par l’exercice/activité physique sur la détérioration physique chez des personnes âgées de60 ans ou plus, ainsi que de rechercher des aspects déterminants de l’adhésion à la pratiqued’exercice/activité physique dans cette population. Matériel et méthode. Afin de guider notre travail, nous avons proposé un modèle théorique appelé « processus de dégénérescence physique ». Ce modèle, qui constitue une extension d’un autre modèle déjà existant, est adapté à la population âgée et a intégré dans sa structurele concept de fragilité. Nous avons utilisé plusieurs approches complémentaires. Au moyen d’une étude pilote (n = 54), nous avons examiné des propriétés métrologiques de certains outils de mesure qui sont utilisés tout au long de notre travail
The aging process is characterised by declines in physiological reserves inseveral organic systems, as well as in physical function. These declines are unavoidable, andreduce individuals’ ability to execute daily activities. Several factors interact to determine thedevelopment and progression of these declines. Physical activity and exercise seem toconstitute important tools for delaying the development and progression of physicaldeteriorations. However, certain aspects of the relationship between physical activity/exerciseand physical deterioration during aging are not well-established. The purpose of this workwere (1) to study the role played by physical activity and exercise on physiological andfunctional declines in persons 60 years-old or over, and (2) to investigate the aspects that determine adherence to exercise/physical activity in this population. Methods. To guide our research, we proposed a theoretical framework labelled « processusde dégénérescence physique ». This framework contitutes an extension of another theoreticalmodel, and it is adapted to older adult populations. Furthermore, our framework incorporatedthe concept of frailty. We used different and complementary research designs. A pilot study(n = 54) was developed to examine psychometric properties of certain assessment tools. Afterthat, we developed a postal survey (n = 1000, from which 535 replied to this research) with ayear follow-up (n = 535, from which 384 replied to this research) ; this survey and its followup allowed us to study cross-sectional and predictive relatioships between physicalactivity/exercise and the components of physical deteriorations

L'absence d'une espèce dans une communauté locale alors qu'elle est présente dans d'autres communautés du même paysage peut être expliquée, soit par une limitation de la dispersion, soit par une limitation du recrutement. Le présent travail vise à évaluer la part respective de ces deux limitations dans l'assemblage de différents types de communauté. J'ai d'abord étudié la relation entre les diversités locale et proximale à différentes échelles et pour différents niveaux de fragmentation forestière dans une matrice de paysage agricole. Les résultats soulignent l'importance de l'identité des espèces lors de l'étude de l'effet de la fragmentation sur la structure de la communauté végétale. J'ai ensuite évalué le succès de la germination et la persistance d'espèces végétales à l'aide d'expériences semi-contrôlées. Dans la première expérience, j'ai étudié le succès de la germination et de la persistance d'espèces adventices des cultures semées, ainsi que leurs effets sur le rendement des cultures, sous des pratiques agricoles contrastées. Nous avons mis en évidence un effet de filtre des pratiques agricoles sur la composition locale en espèces. Dans la deuxième expérience, j'ai évalué le potentiel des haies pour servir d'habitat aux espèces herbacées forestières. J'ai semé et transplanté différentes espèces forestières dans des haies, avec et sans élimination de végétation résidente, afin d'évaluer plus avant le rôle de la compétition. Mes résultats préliminaires montrent que peu d'espèces germent et survivent dans les haies, ce qui suggère des limitations en matière de recrutement et de dispersion. Les résultats de ces travaux soulignent l'importance de la dispersion dans la colonisation de fragments surfaciques ; et du recrutement dans celle d'habitats linéaires. Les conséquences pour la conservation des écosystèmes et le maintien des services fournis sont discutées
The absence of a species from a focal community may be due to either dispersal limitation or recruitment limitation. The present work aims to assess species behavior in different types of landscapes. I first investigated the relationship between alpha and gamma diversity at different scales and for different fragmentation levels in forest fragments embedded in an agricultural landscape matrix. Results highlight the importance of considering species identity when studying the effect of fragmentation on the plant community structure. I then assessed the germination success and persistence of vascular plant species (weeds and herbaceous plants), using semi-controlled experiments. In the first experiment, I studied the germination and persistence success of sown weed species, and their subsequent effect on crop yield, under contrasted agricultural practices. We evidenced a sorting effect of agricultural practices on local plant species composition. In the second experiment, I assessed the potential of hedgerows to serve as habitats for forest plant species. We sought seeds and transplanted seedlings in both hedgerows and forest to monitor germination and persistence, respectively, each time with and without resident vegetation removal to further assess the role of competition. Our preliminary results show that few species germinate and survive in hedgerows, suggesting that both dispersal and recruitment limitations are at play. Results from this work emphasize the importance of community assembly processes in ecosystem conservation and maintaining its delivered services

The aim of this thesis was to increase knowledge about metapopulation and metacommunity processes in patchy, dynamic landscapes, using epiphytic bryophytes as a model system. Host trees and deciduous forest stands in the coniferous landscape are patchy, temporal and undergo changes in habitat quality during succession. Epiphytes must track this dynamic habitat network for their long-term survival. Community patterns at different spatial scales were explored and linked to regional metapopulation processes and local population dynamics. Spatial structuring in species richness both at a local and regional scale indicated stronger dispersal limitation but lower sensitivity to habitat quality in species with large asexual than in species with small sexual diaspores. In sexually dispersed species, a strong rescue effect was indicated by a bimodal frequency distribution of the species and by increasing local abundance with increasing patch connectivity. Present connectivity to other deciduous forest patches had positive effects on richness of asexually dispersed species, whereas richness of sexually dispersed species was instead related to the landscape connectivity 30 years ago. A study of local growth and reproduction suggested that this is caused by delayed sexual, but not asexual, reproduction. Habitat conditions affected the production of sporophytes, but not of asexual diaspores. No differences in either growth rates or competitive abilities among species with different dispersal and life-history strategies were found. In vitro experiments showed that establishment is higher from large asexual diaspores than from small sexual. Establishment of all diaspore types was limited by pH. There were indications of trade-offs between high germination and protonemal growth rates, desiccation tolerance and a rapid development of shoots from protonema. The results indicated that the epiphyte metacommunity is structured by two main trade-offs: dispersal distance (diaspore size) versus age at first reproduction, and dispersal distance versus sensitivity to habitat quality. Trade-offs in species traits may have evolved as a consequence of conflicting selection pressures imposed by habitat turnover, connectivity and irregular water supply rather than by species interactions. Syndromes of interrelated species traits imply that fairly small changes in habitat conditions can lead to distinct changes in metacommunity diversity: the results indicate that increasing distances among patches cause most harm to asexually dispersed species, whereas cuttings of forests of high age and quality as well as increasing patch dynamics are most harmful to sexually dispersed species.
Senarelagd disputation från: 2009-09-26, Lindahlsalen, EBC, Villavägen 9, 75236 Uppsala, Uppsala, 10:00

Les décisions de limitations et d’arrêts des thérapeutiques aux urgences sont fréquentes dans les services d’urgence où la mort fait partie du quotidien. La prise de ces décisions entraine des dilemmes éthiques pour les équipes soignantes et les familles des patients dans le contexte de la temporalité propre aux services d’urgence et des évolutions législatives encadrées par les dernières lois relatives aux droits du malade en fin de vie. Les soignants doivent s’attacher à conduire une réflexion respectant les principes éthiques que sont l’autonomie, la bienfaisance, la non malfaisance et l’équité dans les soins. Il apparait donc un antagonisme entre l’urgence et la complexité d’élaborer les décisions de limitations et d’arrêts des thérapeutiques. Il y a peu de données actuelles dans la littérature sur les décisions de limitations et d’arrêts des thérapeutiques aux urgences et en particulier sur leurs modalités et leur implication pour les soignants et soignés. L’absence de données nous a conduits à nous interroger d’une part sur le positionnement des médecins lors de la prise de décisions de limitations ou d’arrêts des thérapeutiques dans le contexte des services d’urgence et d’autre part sur le vécu des familles ou accompagnants au cours de ces décisions. Notre recherche s’articule autour de trois axes : le premier axe évaluera la perception du processus décisionnel par les médecins urgentistes. Le deuxième axe s’intéressera au vécu des familles dans les décisions de limitations ou d’arrêts des thérapeutiques et enfin le dernier axe étudiera l’implication du médecin généraliste dans les décisions de limitations et arrêts des thérapeutiques aux urgences
Decisions of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments are frequent in emergency departments where death is an everyday reality. These decisions lead to ethical dilemmas for physicians, nurses, and relatives with regards to the timing of the emergency departments and the evolution of the French legislation in particular the law on the rights of the patients and the persons who are nearing the end of life. Moreover, the caregivers should have an ethical thinking-process in order to respect ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice. There seems to be a conflict between the emergency situation and the complexity of the decision-making process. There is only few data concerning the decisions of withholding or withdrawing life sustaining treatments especially about modality of these decisions and the implications for caregivers and relatives. Because of the lack of data, we decided to explore the physicians’ experience during the decision-making process in the emergency departments and the perception of the relatives after the decision of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. Our study consists in three parts: a study which evaluates the physicians’ experience during the decision-making process; then, a study describing the relatives’ perception of the decisions of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments and finally a study about the involvement of general practitioners in the decision-making process

La transplantation d'organe améliore durablement la qualité de vie de patients en défaillance organique terminale. Malheureusement le nombre de greffons disponibles est insuffisant pour traiter tous les patients inscrits en liste d'attente. En France, les organes greffés proviennent essentiellement de donneurs en mort encéphalique. En cas de maladie grave, incurable et rapidement mortelle, il est également possible dans certains pays (dont la France) d'arrêter les thérapeutiques qui maintiennent artificiellement un patient en vie et de prélever ses organes une fois le décès par arrêt circulatoire constaté. La loi n°2005-370 du 22 Avril 2005 (dite loi Léonetti) autorise l'arrêt des traitements lorsqu'ils apparaissent « inutiles, disproportionnés ou n'ayant d'autre effet que le seul maintien artificiel de la vie ». Pour certains, cette fin de vie médicalement planifiée devrait prendre en compte les souhaits du patient en matière de don d'organes et l'intérêt de la greffe pour la société. La position française était néanmoins jusqu'en 2014 de ne pas considérer le patient en fin de vie comme un donneur potentiel afin d'éviter toute confusion entre la décision d'arrêter les traitements curatifs et l'intention de prélever ses organes. Alors que ce type de prélèvement a débuté fin 2014 dans quelques sites pilotes français, nous avons examiné les aspects pratiques, juridiques et éthiques du prélèvement d'organe en situation de fin de vie médicalisée, en focalisant notre réflexion sur les droits du patient, la définition de la mort, la temporalité du processus de prélèvement, et les éléments qui déterminent les modalités d'arrêt des suppléances vitales
Organ transplantation saves lives of many persons who otherwise would die from end-stage organ disease. In the past decades the need for transplants has grown faster than the number of available organs. This increasing requirement for donated organs has led to a renewed interest in donation after circulatory determination of death (DCDD). In some countries including France, terminally ill patients who die of cardiac arrest after a planned withdrawal of life support may be considered as organ donors (controlled DCDD). Before 2005 French rules were not designed for such practices. With regard to patients in final stage of incurable diseases, the law number 2005-370 of April 22, 2005 authorizes the withholding or withdrawal of treatments when they appear "useless, disproportionate or having no other effect than solely the artificial preservation of life". Advocates of the controlled DCDD argue that the end-of-life care plan should incorporate the patient's wishes concerning organ donation and the public interest of transplantation. Until 2014, most French medical academics regarded the perceived conflict of interest that would arise for clinicians treating potential donors as a major ethical question. As the French program started at the end of 2014 in a few pilot sites, we thus examine the practical, legal and ethical issues that arise in considering controlled DCDD, including determination of the donor's overall benefit, debates relating to the diagnosis and time of death, and factors determining how life-sustaining treatment is to be withdrawn

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1988.
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An increased pressure from international competitors on the domestic production of processed broccoli has meant that this sector needs to identify ways in which it can reduce the cost of raw produce supplied to local processors. This is best achieved through improvements in net yield and efficiencies that reduce labour costs. This thesis addresses three biological impediments to achieving improvements in these areas: Uneven harvest maturity resulting in numerous harvests; processing inefficiencies introduced by inappropriate head shape; and reduced quality from hollow stems. Investigations undertaken during the course of this work have found that the variation in the meristem diameter during inflorescence initiation explains 50% of the variation in maturity encountered at harvest. This finding highlights the importance of introducing and maintaining seedling uniformity during the transplant and establishment phases of production to minimise variation in maturity at harvest, thus reducing harvest costs. It also provides a basis for future research to focus on techniques to achieve this outcome. The study has also demonstrated the influence of head shape on processing efficiency and net yield. The more compact shape of 'Shamrock' resulted in a superior (low) ratio of the less valuable stem tissue to the more valuable floral tissue when compared to the elongated form associated with 'Marathon'. The architecture of the 'Shamrock' inflorescence also provided higher total floret yield, and more opportunity to manipulate the levels of stem material to suit seasonal requirements. The attributes associated with 'Marathon' resulted in greater processing efficiency, with the comparatively open branch structure of this variety producing more segments within factory specification, and a smaller proportion that required re-dicing. These findings establish the significant impact of head shape on net yield and processing efficiency, providing an additional tool to improve these through varietal selection. Since the early 1930's the development of hollow stems in broccoli and cauliflower has been variously attributed to boron deficiency or to factors associated with plant growth rates. The data presented in this study provides evidence that the development of hollow stem in broccoli is related to growth rate when manipulated by planting density. Evidence is also provided to show that mechanical tissue stresses generated in the stem during inflorescence development can lead to the development of stem fractures. Tissue extensibility tests revealed higher levels of radial, tangential and longitudinal extensibility in the outer pith and vascular / cortex tissues, while the central pith tissues were less extensible in all dimensions. Circumferential tension in the transverse plane was also found to be stored in the vascular cortex region. It is proposed that the differential mechanical properties and capacities for growth across the stem tissues may cause sufficient internal strain to cause the fracture of the less extensible and possibly weaker tissue of the central pith. The findings of this thesis have established a fundamental understanding of the physiological mechanism underlying the development of hollow stem, the importance of the transplant and establishment phases of production on head uniformity, and the significant influence of head shape on net yield and processing efficiency. Application of this knowledge by the Tasmanian broccoli processing industry will assist in improvements in net yield and provide opportunities for efficiencies that reduce labour costs.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1994.
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Understanding how floral traits covary with one another and with mating patterns is an important step in understanding how and why mating systems evolve. I examined the evolution of floral and mating system variation in Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia (Onagraceae), a species that exhibits divergence in key floral traits expected to be associated with variation in the relative importance of outcrossing vs. self-fertilization. I combined geographic surveys of floral variation with genetic estimates of the proportion of seeds outcrossed (t) and confirmed that t covaried with corolla width and herkogamy in a predictable way both within and among populations. I then performed geographic surveys, manipulative experiments and genetic analyses to evaluate the potential role that; inbreeding depression (ID), interactions between flowers, pollinators and florivores, and reproductive assurance (RA) may have played in shaping and/or maintaining the geographic pattern of mating system variation in this species. The main selective factor maintaining outcrossing in large flowered (LF) populations appears to be ID, which was much stronger in LF compared to small flowered (SF) populations. These results are also consistent with purging of ID in SF populations. Increased selfing appeared to alleviate pollen limitation (PL) because it was associated with higher and less variable fruit set and reduced florivory by a microlepidopteran. However, evidence that florivores preferentially attacked larger flowers was equivocal. LF experienced stronger PL than SF populations suggesting that one condition for the evolution of selfing via RA is met in outcrossing populations. Floral emasculation experiments revealed that the timing of selfing also covaried with flower size among and within populations. SF self-pollinate before flowers open but LF do not, suggesting that selfing evolved in response to chronic outcross PL. Negative side effects of emasculation were detected which prevented a clear interpretation of the RA value of selfing. Given that much of what is known about RA comes from emasculation experiments, my results suggest that the assumptions of this approach, which are rarely verified, require more serious consideration. Taken together my results suggest that C. cheiranthifolia has evolved multiple stable mixed mating systems perhaps in response to selection for RA.
Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-12-30 14:13:46.366

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The objective of this thesis is to empirically undertake an exploratory analysis of the disaster relief processes (DRPs) of public sector disaster mandated agencies (PSDMAs) using an appropriate and suitable commercial SCM process model or framework as a lens of analysis. SCM has enjoyed much success as an essential management concept for increasing operational effectiveness and efficiency (Childerhouse et al. 2011; Chong et al. 2011; Ellinger et al. 2011) but the inability of responsible organisations such as PSDMAs and other humanitarian organisations to make particular disaster relief items available when needed is critical for many suffering people; and as a result, efforts at making timely deliveries of required disaster relief to those impacted by disasters have often come under criticisms by the media, the public, and the beneficiaries with critics often pointing to inefficiency, ineffectiveness and waste in DRCs. Since there is no proven and empirically valid disaster relief model of SCM in the literature (Blecken 2010), this thesis contributes to the growing literature on SCM, humanitarian logistics and disaster operations management (DOM) through the exploration of the implications and limitations of the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) process framework as a tool for analysing disaster relief operations. The goal is to secure insights into potential strategies for improving the responsiveness of disaster relief chains (DRCs). The thesis sought to answer the following research questions (1) What is an appropriate and suitable SCM process model or framework in the published academic literature for analysing operational processes in the disaster relief chain (DRC)?; (2) What SCM processes in the selected framework or model might contribute to making disaster relief chains (DRCs) more responsive; and (3) What propositions can be made from the above exploratory research? Fieldwork involved eliciting insights from the three case studies based on secondary and archival materials, and in-depth face to face semi-structured interviews with a total of 27 key informant interviewees from a range of public and non-governmental disaster response organisations who were involved in the Newcastle Earthquake 1989, Cyclone Larry 2006 and Victoria Bushfires 2009 disaster relief operations in Australia. Analytical techniques deployed include: use of the process elements of the selected GSCF SCM process framework to analyse interview data collected about each of the three disaster relief processes (DRPs) in the three cases selected for the study. Data was categorised, coded and pattern matched resulting in themes (Miles & Huberman 1984; Yin 2003). Cross-case analysis of the three cases was undertaken to further identify themes and patterns, similarities and differences. The findings and contribution of the research is that the GSCF SCM process framework is appropriate and suitable for analysing DRCs. Also, the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) process, demand management process (DMP) and supplier relationship management process (SRM) aspects of the framework may contribute to increasing responsiveness in DRCs. By using the GSCF process framework as an analytical lens, propositions are made regarding the research undertaken as well as other strategies for increasing DRC responsiveness such as broadening the concept of the recipients of ‘disaster relief’ to include a range of ‘relief recipient’ categories based on the individual, the environment, and infrastructure. In addition the sequencing of the delivery of relief and the order in which particular goods and/or services are delivered need to be considered in disaster logistics planning and preparedness. Policy and practitioner implications include the need for pre-identification and pre-segmentation of target recipients or beneficiaries well before a disaster; and the planning and delivery of disaster relief based on re-conceptualizing the concept of ‘disaster relief’ as a broad portfolio with a broad range of relief services and goods/products instead of relief being narrowly construed as the provision of food, water, medicine and temporary shelter.

Defence date: 12 October 2017
Examining Board: Professor Ruth Rubio-Marin, European University Institute (Supervisor); Professor Nehal Bhuta, European University Institute; Professor Morten Bergsmo, Peking University Law School and the Centre for International Law Research and Policy; Professor Susana SáCouto, American University Washington College of Law
First made available in Open Access 9 October 2020
Despite the centrality in the Rome Statute of both the principle of complementarity and gender justice norms, little research exists connecting these two core ideas. Using Harold Koh’s transnational legal process theory, this thesis seeks to fill that gap by analysing normative interactions between the Rome Statute and national accountability processes for sexual violence crimes in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It examines how, why and in what way the Rome Statute’s gender justice accountability norms and standards have been domesticated in these two countries, and what this reveals about (positive) complementarity as a tool in the fight against impunity for sexual violence. This analysis starts from a doctrinal analysis of gender justice pressure points in the ICC’s admissibility framework, but also seeks to investigate the practical application of (positive) complementarity in both Colombia and the DRC. This analysis ultimately demonstrates that, while the existence of the ICC (as an institution) is important, most developments around accountability for sexual violence, while often grounded in the idea of complementarity and linked to the Rome Statute, happen through the actions of other actors. The ICC’s constitutive documents and the norms and standards around accountability for sexual violence enshrined therein, on the other hand, have provided an important normative impetus for these developments, particularly where catalysed by civil society organisations and domestic political actors acting as norm entrepreneurs. This thesis thus aims to contribute to illuminating both the prospects and the limitations of (positive) complementarity as applied to the fight against impunity for sexual violence crimes.
Chapter 3 ‘Title of the chapter' of the PhD thesis draws upon an earlier version published as chapter 'Case selection and complementarity at the International Criminal Court : exposing the vulnerability of sexual and gender-based violence crimes in the admissibility test' (2018) in the book ‘Thematic prosecution of international sex crimes’

International LCA literature indicates that little data is available pertaining to potable water production and supply, in particular with respect to the environmental burdens generated within the system. This study aims to investigate and assess the environmental burdens associated with the potable water supply to an industrial area (Rosslyn, north of Pretoria, in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality). The procedure, as well as the assessment of the environmental impacts of a life cycle, is dependent on a comprehensive life cycle inventory (LCI) of the evaluated system. Water use is included in LCIs, which are incorporated into the LCIA procedure, as it reflects a direct extraction from available resources. The water supply system diagram has been developed and data was collected, treated and analysed in the inventory analysis phase. The study closely followed the four phases as stipulated in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14040 series of standards) for conducting LCAs, including: -- goal and scope definition; -- LCI analysis; -- LCIA; and -- interpretation, conclusions and recommendations. The methodology used in the impact assessment phase was the introduced LCIA framework for South Africa in order to determine the extent of different environmental impacts. The inventory analysis, conforming to the scope of the study, provided an overall inventory of energy and other resource requirements, emissions to water and air, dust fallouts and solid or liquid wastes for the system under study. By using this methodology and by tracing all unit processes involved in the potable water supply system, the main contribution to the environmental burdens imposed on the potable water supply system was found to be the extraction of the required water from nature to supply potable water to Rosslyn. The toxicity potential impacts on water resources, mainly due to the electricity required for the water supply system, are of minor importance. This conclusion is valid for the system investigated, and as a result, the recommendations for environmental improvements should focus on water losses that must be addressed foremost. What is required at this stage is strategic planning regarding the extraction, use and conservation of water resources. Furthermore, to optimise all processes of water extraction, and to make them more efficient, electricity and other energy inputs are also of importance, albeit to a lesser extent.
Dissertation (M (Applied Sciences : Environmental Technology))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
Chemical Engineering
unrestricted