Rozprawy doktorskie na temat „Pace of life”

Individuelle Verhaltensunterschiede (sog. „Animal personality“) werden oft als konsistent über die Zeit und situationsunabhängig angenommen. Vielfach werden solche Persönlichkeitsunterschiede zwischen Tieren einer Art durch individuelle Unterschiede im Energiehaushalt sowie Lebenszyklusvariablen (sog. ‚state variables‘, dt. Zustandsgrößen) erklärt. Dies ist in der „pace-of-life“ Hypothese zusammengefasst. In neueren Arbeiten wurde jedoch die Konsistenz von Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen über den Lebensverlauf und deren strikte Abhängigkeit von Zustandsgrößen in Frage gestellt. Die vorliegende Dissertation soll neue Einblicke in die Mechanismen, die zur Entstehung von Persönlichkeitsunterschieden im Verlauf des Lebens von Fischen, deren Situationsabhängigkeit sowie ihre Verbindung zu individuellen Unterschieden in Zustandsgrößen liefern. In einer Abfolge von fünf unabhängigen Studien untersuchte ich die genannten Annahmen und fand, dass (1) Persönlichkeitsunterschiede sich im Laufe des Lebens von Tieren vergrößern; (2) Persönlichkeitsabschätzungen bei jungen Tieren oft stärker vom experimentellen Aufbau beeinflusst werden als bei Erwachsenen; (3) der Energiehaushalt und Lebenszyklusvariablen Persönlichkeitsunterschiede sowohl unter Laborbedingungen als auch im Freiland nicht hinreichend erklären können; (4) Beziehungen zwischen Persönlichkeitsunterschieden und Unterschieden im Energiehaushalt und in Lebenszyklusvariablen fanden sich nur bei Fischen einer Population mit langsamer Lebenszyklusstrategie nicht jedoch in einer Population mit schnellem Lebenszyklus. Die vorliegende Arbeit suggeriert daher, dass sich erst im Verlauf des Lebens eines Tieres Persönlichkeitsunterschiede unvermeidbar entwickeln. Dies stellt Persönlichkeitsmessungen bei juvenilen Tieren grundsätzlich in Frage. Weiterhin scheinen Persönlichkeitsunterschiede und Zustandsgrößen unter bestimmten Umweltbedingungen und evolutiven Szenarien voneinander unabhängig zu sein.
Among-individual differences in behavior (i.e., animal personality) are assumed to be consistent over time and contexts. In theory, they are often explained by individual variations in energy costs of self-maintenance as well as life history among animals (i.e., state variables), commonly expressed as the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis. Yet, recent theories have disputed the consistency of personality types over lifetime and their rigid state-dependency. This thesis aims to offer novel insights on the mechanisms behind the emergence and development of personality over lifetime of fishes, its context dependency, and its link to individual variation in state variables. In a sequence of five independent yet interconnected studies, I tested the assumptions above and observed that (1) personality differences increased during lifetime as a function of consistent declines in the behavioral plasticity with increasing age of animals; (2) personality estimates in young animals were weaker and thus more vulnerable to experimental biases compared to adults; (3) personality variation did not depend upon individual differences in energy costs of self-maintenance and life-history traits among individuals, under both laboratory and natural settings; and (4) the relationship between behavioral, metabolic, and life-history traits was manifested only in fish populations with slow rather than fast life-history strategies. This thesis suggests that personality variation in animals might be the inevitable outcome of development, raising questions about the reliability of personality estimates in juvenile individuals. Furthermore, individual variation in personality and “states” may act independently (i.e., phenotypes are uncorrelated) under environmental conditions and evolutionary contexts that mask or select against their trade-offs.

Consistent between-individual differences in behaviour (termed “animal personality”) may be driven by adaptive differences in behavioural and physiological life-history traits. The Pace of Life Syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts a suit of correlations between those life-history traits along a fast-slow continuum. Therefore, according to the POLS, individuals that are fast-paced would be bolder, more explorative, show high growth-rates, lower immunity and a higher metabolic rate. A mechanistic link between such traits could also explain variation in cognitive traits, where bold individuals are faster at a given task but pay less attention to external cues and therefore make decisions less accurately. Here, I tested the POLS hypothesis focusing on between and within-individual variance in boldness, metabolic rate (MR), cognitive performance (as decision-making performance) and exploration in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. In addition, I also investigated the potential role of anthropogenic disturbances (constant light exposure) as a driver of between and within-individual variation in boldness. Hermit crabs demonstrated consistent between-individual differences in boldness and exploration, providing evidence for the presence of animal personality. However, variation between individuals in boldness, exploration and cognitive performance were not underpinned by variation in MR. Although there were no between-individual correlations among MR and behaviour, MR did co-vary with within-individual variance in boldness. My results indicate that less predictable hermit crabs, on average, have a higher MR during startle responses compared with those that are relatively consistent in their behaviour. Boldness was positively correlated with exploration rate, indicating that more explorative were also bolder, as well as cognitive performance, as bold individuals had a better performance than shy. Finally, constant light exposure is likely to modify hermit crab personality and physiology. Hermit crabs kept under a constant light regime were less bold and had a higher metabolic rate, than when kept under standard light and dark regime, indicating possible effects light pollution in this species. These results only partially support the POLS hypothesis.

The increase in the pace of life is becoming very tangible yet it is not visible to us in a qualitative way. Technological advancements offer us a life without friction where we can go full speed, but with this change we lose our windows for reflection and slowing down. Our pace is mostly determined by people or machines around us and we rarely have a chance to listen to our own rhythm, users and designers alike. With this project, the sustainability of the human being was questioned, particularly in the work life, where our pace is the highest. An exploratory and partially critical approach was engaged in the process and different methodologies have been explored. The result, a system of objects, aim to visualize one’s pace while criticizing the frictionless environments we create as designers.

This thesis represents two lines of investigation that as a whole integrate physiology and ecology of infectious diseases. While each chapter is a distinct body of work, these studies are linked in that both focus on extrinsic or intrinsic factors influencing hosts’ susceptibility to infection, as well as hosts’ potential to transmit disease. In chapter one, I used a meta-analysis as a tool to review what is known about the stress-linked susceptibility hypothesis, which poses that persistent activation of the stress axis might result in increased disease susceptibility in wild animals, mainly as a result of allostatic overload and the immunosuppressive actions of stress hormones. My goal in evaluating the strength of association between distinct stressors and health indices in wildlife populations was manifold. First, I wanted to investigate which specific stressors are more likely to increase disease susceptibility in wild animals. Second, I was interested in the reliability of stress biomarkers as indicators of stress-induced immunosuppression or disease susceptibility. Finally, I used this chapter as a bridge for my second chapter by addressing how “fast-paced” and “slow-paced” phenotypes within wild populations cope differently with stressors, thus also differentially altering epizootic risk. My meta-analysis indicated that the highly variable outcomes of ecological studies can be attributed to several factors, ranging from possible erroneous classification of stimuli as physiological stressors to a lack of consensus on the endocrine profiles of stressed animals. The second chapter of this work consists of an empirical investigation of the pace-of-life (POL) hypothesis in the context of host disease susceptibility and transmissibility. Individuals with a fast-paced life history often exhibit relatively high metabolic rates and investment in growth, development, and reproduction. To support these faster rates, they often exhibit decreased investment in immunity, as well as associated bold behaviors for increased foraging and competiveness to ensure access to resources. These associated functional physiological and behavioral traits likely also influence exposure and susceptibility to pathogens, and infectiousness; factors central to disease dynamics. Through transmission trials using ranavirus and larval amphibians as a model system, I found that repeatable latency-to-food profiles of larval hosts, which characterize a POL axis associated with development and metabolic rates, were predictive of individual susceptibility and infectiousness. Faster-paced larval amphibians had greater exposure to pathogens (contacts), higher risk of infection (susceptibility), and shed greater pathogen populations when infected. Through these findings, I argue that The POL framework can allow for a priori identification of individual hosts that are more likely to spread infectious disease and may provide insight into understanding and potentially managing disease outbreaks that threaten wildlife and humans alike.

Thesis advisor: Lisa Feldman Barrett
The aim of the present study was to examine whether individual differences in Time Insensitivity are related to subjective experiences of emotion and cognitive performance. Sixty-five undergraduates (52% female) completed self-report measures of cognitive flexibility and provided subjective self-reports of emotions following two time pressured cognitive tasks. As predicted, Time Insensitivity was related to self-reported cognitive flexibility, better cognitive performance during a time pressured task, as well as less negative subjective experience in response to these tasks. The results of the present study suggest that Time Insensitivity may have some beneficial outcomes. Limitations and implications for future directions are discussed
Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Psychology
Discipline: College Honors Program

Growing up, I never considered myself an athlete. I did not participate in sports or compete on a track, field or slope. However, as an adult, I have chosen to step outside my comfort zone, exploring challenges that push me physically and mentally to grow as a person. In this way, I found running. Running, for me, is not a mere mundane exercise routine, nor a competitive sport by which to be judged. Instead, running at my own pace has been a physical and emotional journey that eases my mind, nourishes my body and replenishes my spirit. Like an old friend, it is always there, year round, anywhere, anytime, to get me outside, pick me up when I feel blue, keep me company while I make new discoveries and introduce me to new friends. Moreover, my body benefits as my heart gets stronger, my bones denser, my risk for disease decreases, my stress disappears and I burn a ton of calories. Above all, the skills I develop from running, including confidence, perseverance, perspective, resiliency, connection to others, setting goals, the bliss of solitude, taking notice and living in the present, transfer to all areas of my life. In fact, my experience with running has helped me not only be a better person and enjoy life more, it has given me new tools to use professionally, as an academic advisor in higher education. It is my hope that my story, and the supporting research, will inspire others to explore running as an option for physical, emotional, social and, perhaps, spiritual presence in their lives. I share my story to all educators because the inclusion of exercise and mindfulness, for professional and student, can be a source of stress reduction, balance, cognitive focus and overall health. As a result of my own experiences with these activities, I think I understand their benefits and am able to impart the necessary encouragement to students to explore their options. In my opinion, the interesting relationship between writing and running, which I discovered and touched upon in this process, warrants further exploration.

Animal behaviour is a state variable of the individual that deserves special attention given its determinant role in eco-evolutionary processes (Wolf et al. 2007 in Nature). The decomposition of the behavioural variation in between- and within-individual variability has revealed the existence of consistent between-individual differences referred to as personality or behavioural types (Dall et al. 2004 in Ecology Letters). Five axes of personality are usually recognized (exploration, aggressiveness, activity, sociability and boldness), and individual specificities along them tend to be correlated leading to what is known as behavioural syndromes. Recently, these patterns of covariation have been enlarged to accommodate movement behaviour within a personality-dependent spatial ecology theory (Spiegel et al. 2017 in Ecology Letters). Most animals tend to forage, reproduce and develop any activity within specific bounded space, which leads to the formation of home range (HR) areas (i.e., HR behaviour, Börger et al. 2008 in Ecology Letters). The increasing development of animal tracking technology is providing a huge amount of movement data revealing that HR behaviour is widespread among taxa and shows a large consistent variability, both at within- and between-individual level, which allows to define the existence of well-contrasted spatial behavioural types (SBTs). SBTs, as other personality traits, play an important role in selective processes as those impelled by harvesting activities. The Pace-of-Life-Syndrome (POLS) theory (Réale et al. 2010 in Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci), hypothesises on how personality traits are expected to be correlated with life history (LH) traits along the fast-slow continuum (Stearns 1992 in Oxford Univ. Press) in the broadest sense. Accordingly, patterns of covariation between specific SBTs, physiology-related features and LHs would be expected to exist whenever they maximize the animal performance in a given environment. However, the way in which behavioural variation at the within-species level is translated to the wide range of LH traits remains a fundamental yet unresolved question, mainly due to the lack of a proper theoretical framework (Mathot & Frankenhuis, March 2018 in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology). Thus, unrevealing the mechanisms behind is certainly scientifically very exciting but also socially relevant. In such a context, this PhD thesis aimed to address from conceptual, empirical and theoretical perspectives cornerstone questions in behavioural ecology: what are the feasible mechanisms underpinning the establishment of HR areas and within-species variation, what are their consequences for animal functioning and performance (i.e., in. LH traits) at the individual and eco-evolutionary levels, or what are the implications for the assessment and conservation of wildlife of the existence of SBTs. The PhD thesis focusses in a fish heavily exploited by recreational fishers but it aims to provide general reasoning applicable to a wide range of wild animals. First, the PhD thesis proposes a mechanistic theory of personality-dependent movement behaviour based on dynamic energy budget models (i.e., a behavioural-bioenergetics theoretical model). Second, integrated in the field of animal personality (i.e., decomposition of behavioural variability into within- and between-individual’s components), it addresses empirically the study of behavioural variability in the main axis of personality for a marine fish species and looked for evidences of whether personality-mediated differences in energy acquisition may exist. Aiming to support empirically the possible connections between personality traits and space-use behaviour, the thesis provides some insights on the application of a novel-tracking algorithm to analyse the movement of individual fish submitted to different experimental conditions. Third, it provides two examples of how applying HR-related theoretical concepts may improve the management of natural resources: attending the properties of HR may facilitate the assessment of wildlife using fixed monitoring sampling stations, and considering SBTs may influence the assessment of the status of wild fish stocks. Finally, the adaptive value of the proposed behavioural-bioenergetics theory is explored by means of dynamic optimization to understand the eco-evolutionary consequences related with HR variability. In summary, this PhD thesis makes an important contribution to behavioural ecology by developing a unifying theory to test the generality and adaptive value of POLS based on dynamic energy budgets. This behavioural-bioenergetics model connects (1) personality traits (2) HR behaviour, (3) physiology and (4) LH traits through an interwoven of mass/energy fluxes, within which they interact and feedback with the ecological context. Overall, from an eco-evolutionary perspective, the proposed framework constitutes a powerful tool for exploring the ecological role of HR behaviour and predicting what combination of behavioural traits would be evolutionally favoured in a given ecological context. Moving forward to including managerial scenarios, this unifying theory provides scientifically founded knowledge that would promote to improve natural resource management by attending the behavioural component of animal populations.

Animal personality is found in a wide range of taxa, yet our knowledge of what maintains consistent among-individual variation in behaviour is still incomplete. Many personality traits are associated with fitness, leading to the expectation that, under selection, genetic (and among-individual) variation will be eroded over time. Several adaptive models have been developed in order to explain this maintenance of variation. These include state-dependence, state-behaviour feedback loops, life-history and behavioural coadaptation and the Pace of Life syndrome. These models represent good starting points for thinking about what drives and maintains among-individual variation in behaviour, and while empirical support for these models is mixed, one thing they do have in common is the assumption of a significant genetic basis underpinning personality traits. Significant heritability is required for an evolutionary response to selection and for among-individual variation to be adaptive. The univariate estimates of heritability for personality traits that are growing in the literature, while useful, are likely insufficient to predict how personality traits will respond to selection. This thesis uses the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and other species to explore patterns of among-individual and genetic variation in personality traits, advocating the benefits of using multivariate perspectives throughout. Firstly, the among-individual covariance structure between measures of boldness, growth and metabolic rate are estimated in a test of the Pace of Life syndrome. Secondly, an appraisal of the relative strength of maternal and genetic effects on offspring personality and how it changes over ontogeny. Next, a comprehensive treatment of sexual dimorphism in behaviour and size followed by analysis of genotype-by-sex interactions using both univariate and multivariate methods. Finally, a comparative analysis of personality in 7 species of small fish, identifying the main axis of among-individual variation from a single assay in each and quantifying the phylogenetic signal.

As the pace of life in contemporary Western society accelerates, an increasing number of people are engaging in an alternative lifestyle: ‘Slow Living’. Although popular in the media, Slow Living, which addresses issues of quality of life, is a relatively new area of academic enquiry. Given a lack of empirical research, especially on the realities of the Slow Life in a New Zealand context, this ethnographic study aims to augment the knowledge on this lifestyle by focusing on how families experience Slow Living. The key research question is: How do families live their interpretations of a Slow Life? To answer this question, this study examined the everyday lives of five Slow Living families in Canterbury, New Zealand. Adult family members were given a time-use diary to complete over two days. These diaries were then used as a foundation for in-depth interviews and participant observation. Slow Living families hold to a number of personal values, such as personal agency, conscious living and leading meaningful lives. These comprise their ideal way of living. The families are also faced with a number of challenges and have to employ strategies to balance their ideal and what is possible. The different ways families adapt produces a variety of Slow Living lifestyles.

Les sociologues s’accordent pour constater l’émergence de nouveaux rapports au temps, mais débattent des marges de manœuvre différenciées dont disposent les individus face à ces phénomènes. L’hypothèse que la vitesse de déplacement puisse être un levier est confortée par les études montrant que nos sociétés ont maîtrisé l’espace-temps grâce à l’amélioration des transports d’information et de marchandises. Cependant, peu de travaux empiriques abordent le sujet à l’échelle de l’individu. Cette thèse, qui repose sur une combinaison de méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives, a pour objectif de compléter ces recherches à travers l’étude des modes de transport utilisés et des pratiques spatiales quotidiennes en Île-de-France. Cette approche micro-sociale montre que l’augmentation du nombre et de la durée des activités hors du domicile n’est pas corrélée à une hausse des vitesses, mais à une diminution des distances parcourues pour se rendre à certaines activités. Ceci s’explique par les logiques de localisation des activités des individus. Pour celles auxquelles ils accordent de la valeur, ils maximisent la qualité de la destination, ce qui passe par l’utilisation de modes motorisés rapides. Pour les activités secondaires, ils minimisent leur temps de trajet en les localisant à proximité d’activités structurantes, ce qui induit l’usage de modes plus lents. Comme l’articulation entre ces deux logiques est plus aisée dans Paris qu’en banlieue, l’adoption d’un rythme de vie plus élevé et d’une planification plus souple y est facilitée. Plus que l’accès à la vitesse, ce sont les territoires de résidence qui induisent des disparités dans les marges de manœuvre face au temps
Times studies agree on the fact that our society is currently undergoing changes in terms of pace of life, but debates arise as to the uniformity of such changes within the population and individuals’ scope of action in the face of said phenomena. Given that society as a whole mastered time and space through the rise of transport speed, one is tempted to assume that it is also the case on the individual level. However, few empirical studies have taken it upon themselves to analyze the impact of speed in daily mobility on individuals’ pace of life. Using a combination of statistical analysis and in-depth interviews, this thesis aims at providing supplementary insight into the topic by analyzing transport modes and mobility patterns of inhabitants of the Greater Paris region. Through this micro-social analysis, we show that the more out-of-home activities people do, the lower their average speed in the course of a day is, whilst the average distance to a destination also decreases. This can be explained by the way they choose their destinations. For activities which are meaningful to them, they maximize the utility of their destination by using fast transport modes. For ancillary activities, they minimize travel time by locating them in the direct vicinity of their high-value activities, which prompts the use of slower modes. Finally, we show that the combination of these two rationales is easier in the center than in the suburbs, thus facilitating a high pace of life and more improvised schedules in the former. Hence, more than access to speed, it is residential location which induces disparities between people in their ability to deal with time demands

La sénescence de survie est un processus défini comme le déclin progressif des probabilités de survivre en fonction de l'âge, et caractérisé par deux paramètres clés : l'âge de début de sénescence et le taux de sénescence. En dépit de son caractère délétère sur la fitness, la sénescence est observée chez la plupart des êtres vivants et plusieurs théories évolutives de la sénescence ont été proposées pour expliquer ce paradoxe. Chez les mammifères, il existe une grande diversité de patrons de sénescence de survie entre les espèces, mais aussi entre les sexes. En général, les males sénescent plus tôt et plus vite que les femelles, et vivent donc moins longtemps. Un des objectifs de ma thèse fut d'identifier un (des) facteur(s), qui pourraient expliquer cette diversité aussi bien au niveau inter- que intra-spécifique chez les mammifères. Pour ce faire, j'ai utilisé une approche comparative qui corrige pour la phylogénie, et des données démographiques issues de populations captives (base de données Species360). Ma thèse confirme tout d'abord l'idée commune que les mammifères vivent généralement plus longtemps en captivité qu'en milieu sauvage, mais ce bénéfice est plus important pour les espèces ayant un cycle de vie rapide que pour celles ayant un cycle de vie très lent. De plus, l'intensité de la sélection sexuelle explique en partie les différences de patron de sénescence avec, chez les ruminants, les mâles des espèces polygynes commençant leur sénescence plus tôt et vivant moins longtemps que les mâles des espèces monogames. Cette thèse démontre également l'importance de définir précisément la forme et la force des relations allométriques pour éviter toute erreur d'interprétation. Enfin, mes résultats montrent que les pratiques managériales en zoo, plus que l'allocation à la reproduction, influencent le patron de sénescence de deux espèces de Varis. En conclusion, ma thèse a permis de mettre en évidence l'importance d'inclure les concepts de la sélection sexuelle dans le contexte des théories évolutives actuelles. Enfin, l'étude des facteurs ayant une influence sur le patron de sénescence de survie des espèces menacées, que cela soit en captivité ou dans leur milieu naturel, devrait permettre d'obtenir des informations clés pour aider à la conservation de ces espèces
The process of actuarial senescence is defined as the progressive decline of survival per time unit with increasing age and can be characterized by two keys metrics corresponding to the age at the onset of senescence and the rate of senescence. Despite its detrimental effect in terms of fitness, senescence is a nearly ubiquitous process across the tree of life and several evolutionary theories of senescence have been proposed to solve this apparent paradox. Across mammals, a large diversity of actuarial senescence patterns is observed among species, but also between sexes, with males often living shorter than females. One objective of my Ph.D. was to identify factor(s) influencing survival and actuarial senescence at inter- and intra-specific levels using a phylogenetic comparative approach based on demographic data obtained from captive populations (Species360 database). My thesis first confirms the common belief that mammals in zoos generally outlive their wild counterparts, but fast-living species benefit more of captive condition than slow-living species. In addition, I found that sexual selection intensity partly account for the diversity of actuarial senescence patterns with males of polygynous ruminant senescing earlier and living shorter than males of monogamous ruminants. Moreover, I highlight that evolutionary allometry of sexually selected traits need to be determined accurately to avoid any misinterpretation. Finally, my results confirm that management practices in zoos influence actuarial senescence pattern at intra-specific level in two species of Varecia but not the allocation in reproduction. In conclusion, my Ph.D. highlights the importance to include the concept of sexual selection within the evolutionary framework of current theories of senescence. Finally, the study of factors influencing the actuarial senescence patterns of threatened species is likely to provide key information in conservation projects of these species

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 55).
Virtualization systems such as VMware ESX Server use content-based page hashing to help identify duplicate memory pages within virtual machines. Such duplicate pages, once identified, can then be mapped copy-on-write to a single page in physical RAM, thus saving memory in a manner that is transparent to the virtual machine. The page hashes that are collected in this process can be further utilized. This thesis demonstrates how these page hashes can be used to reduce the time required to migrate running virtual machines from one physical machine to another. Normally, this is done by sending the virtual machine state and all memory contents from the source to destination machine. However, since some memory pages may already be present on the destination, it is possible to reduce the number of pages sent (and therefore total migration time and bandwidth used), by sending only a compact hash instead of the full contents for each page likely to be present on the destination machine. This thesis accomplishes this by creating a database of canonical or "standard" pages to determine which pages can be safely sent as only a hash. Tests of the system demonstrate up to 70% reduction in migration time in idealized workloads, 40% reduction in some realistic workloads, and minimal slowdown in some pathological cases.
by Jacob A. Stultz.
M.Eng.

Despite decades of research, offline handwriting recognition (HWR) of historical documents remains a challenging problem, which if solved could greatly improve the searchability of online cultural heritage archives. Historical documents are plagued with noise, degradation, ink bleed-through, overlapping strokes, variation in slope and slant of the writing, and inconsistent layouts. Often the documents in a collection have been written by thousands of authors, all of whom have significantly different writing styles. In order to better capture the variations in writing styles we introduce a novel data augmentation technique. This methods achieves state-of-the-art results on modern datasets written in English and French and a historical dataset written in German.HWR models are often limited by the accuracy of the preceding steps of text detection and segmentation.Motivated by this, we present a deep learning model that jointly learns text detection, segmentation, and recognition using mostly images without detection or segmentation annotations.Our Start, Follow, Read (SFR) model is composed of a Region Proposal Network to find the start position of handwriting lines, a novel line follower network that incrementally follows and preprocesses lines of (perhaps curved) handwriting into dewarped images, and a CNN-LSTM network to read the characters. SFR exceeds the performance of the winner of the ICDAR2017 handwriting recognition competition, even when not using the provided competition region annotations.

Improving housing for dairy cattle is of interest because hoof and udder health, which are associated with the housing environment, are important economic and welfare issues. The objectives were: 1) to assess the influence of housing––conventional cubicle (CCD) vs compost bedded pack (CBP),––and management (grazing vs semi-grazing) on the performance and welfare in dairy cows 2) describe the performance of the CBP under a grazing or semi-grazing system, and 3) to assess viability of CBP housing in a pasture-based system. This study mixes three research approaches, an analysis of existing and secondary data; an experiment, and a case-study. If taken out of context and used in isolation, this mix of methods would lead to ambiguity and confusion. But in the context of the Malawi dairy industry, it is by mixing these methods that we can best inform farmer’s decisions about the type of structures that best serve them individually and the Malawian dairy industry as a whole. Cows were evaluated weekly for udder, hock, and hoof health, under a grazing (cows kept at pasture for 33 to 42% of the day) and semi-grazing system (cows kept at pasture for 16.67% of the day). No difference was observed between grazing and semi-grazing system regarding milk yield, hoof, hock, and udder health. Sub-clinical high SCC and SCC were 22% and 48% lower in the CBP barn than in the CCD barn. Cows in the CBP produced 1.2 kg per cow/day more milk than cows in CCD. No difference in CBP performance was observed under a grazing or semi-grazing system. Partial budget analysis showed that CBP was viable with net returns of $881. The benefits of the CBP over CCD are $ 1425 per year, but it would take an investment of $5368. The farmer would be expected to pay back the investment in 3.77 years.

This thesis analyzes the relationship between upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and longtime computer usage. Firstly
maastricht upper extremity questionnaire is applied to Financial Control and Information Technology Departments of Turk Telekom. Results are analyzed by using spss 16.0 tool by conduction of ordinal logistic regression analysis to determine the significance between work environment and postural information and upper extremity musculoskeletal complaints. Then
development of a new tool, namely PACU (postural analysis of computer users), takes place aiming to determine the factors of disorders, by mainly focusing on work-related neck and upper limb disorders, for long time computer users of Financial Control and Information Technology Departments of Turk Telekom. Results of the PACU are analyzed by using the methods of correlation, chi square goodness of fit test, factor analysis, and ordinal logistic regression.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006.
Title from electronic title page (viewed Oct. 10, 2007). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of English in the Department of English." Discipline: English; Department/School: English.

This research is intended to provide the stewards of social media for Brigham Young University's football program with information that will allow them to make better decisions on what kind of content will maximize engagement and enhance brand loyalty among fans and consumers on Facebook. Using several variables, including the type or theme of content, post frequency, and sponsorship, content was compared against that from the University of Oregon's football program for the 2017 season. The results, found using quantitative data analysis, reveal that some variables have a significant impact on the quantity of engagement from viewers for both programs and provide valuable insights that will allow the universities to improve how and what they deliver on their Facebook pages.

Obesity is a globally increasing disease particularly in developing countries and among children. It is mainly caused by intake of diets high in fat and the lack of physical activity. Obesity is a risk factor for diseases such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers. Prediabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are above normal but have not 
reached those of diabetes. It is difficult to diagnose, as there are no signs or symptoms. Some type II diabetes patients bear no symptoms at all and the disease is discovered late. Proteomics is a field that can provide opportunities for early diagnosis of diseases through biomarker discovery. The early diagnosis of diabetes can assist in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Therefore there is a need for the early diagnosis of diabetes. Twenty Wistar rats were used. The rats were initially fed a CHOW diet, which is the standard balanced diet for rats, for 4 weeks. The rats were then divided into 2 groups of 10 where 1 group was fed CHOW and another was fed a high fat (HF) diet in order to induce obesity. The two groups were fed their respective diets for 18 weeks. Rats were weighed. Rats were placed in metabolic chambers and 24 hour urine samples were collected. Ketone levels were measured by Ketostix. Urine proteins were precipitated by acetone, quantified and separated on both the 1D SDS-PAGE and the 2D SDS-PAGE. Protein expression changes between CHOW and HF fed rats were determined and identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Protein spots intensities increased and decreased between the CHOW and HF fed rats. Transducin (beta)-like 3 was identified as the only differentially expressed protein, which might serve as a potential biomarker for prediabetes.

In connection to the increasing awareness of vehicles and its impact on the environment, the interest in the electric vehicle market has shown a significant growth in the recent years. According to forecasts, it is also projected to increase further in the future. These electric vehicles are driven by lithium-ion batteries with an expected service life of 5-15 years depending on different technology generations and design concepts. After the given service life, the battery has lost approximately 20 percent of its capacity and is no longer permitted to be used in its original application area again, out of safety reasons. Although the retired battery pack is not suitable for vehicles, its remaining capacity can still be utilized in other applications. Hence, the term second life has become a common subject in the automotive industry, where companies are trying to find new application areas for the retired electric vehicle battery packs. Common methods regarding second life of electric vehicle batteries are processes such as remanufacturing, repurposing and re-use. These presented second life methods are from a reverse logistics perspective. Second life alternatives enable a better sustainability and reduces the environmental impact by re-using and recycling existing materials.   In this thesis, the authors examined different second life concepts with the same prerequisite, an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack with an energy capacity of 20 kWh. The project has been conducted in a company that is one of the leading manufacturers in the heavy-duty industrial vehicle industry, which currently is developing their electric vehicle machines. Several different concepts have been generated and analysed to find the most applicable business model concepts from a second life perspective. The purpose has been to investigate and calculate which of these business model concepts are most feasible from an economic and a reverse logistics perspective. In order to fulfil the purpose, the following research questions have been formulated:   RQ1: Which secondary use business model concepts are feasible for battery packs of electrified machines? RQ2: Out of the above identified concepts, which business model concept is economically feasible and how can its reverse logistic be composed?   In order to answer the research questions, the authors have analysed different cost aspects and forecasts based on existing research and case company data. This is performed to develop the most profitable concepts based on the collected data, where the generated ideas concluded in three final concepts. For these concepts, individual business model canvases were created to illustrate all important parts of the concepts. The thesis resulted in an economic analysis of the three concepts, visualizing function diagrams and comparing them to each other, to identify the most applicable concept for the case company. The remanufacturing concept proved to be the most applicable one, where its associated reverse logistics and recycling process were investigated and determined. In conclusion the thesis can firstly contribute to future research by the created process map that companies can use and apply in their second life process, correlated to the managerial implications. Secondly, the remanufacturing concept can be a potential future investment for the case company, considering all valuable factors that have been analysed throughout the thesis.     Keywords: Battery pack, Battery secondary use, Business model, Reverse logistic, ESS, Remanufacturing, Battery repurposing, re-use, Battery second life economic analysis.

The sport of cycling is an ever expanding global phenomenon, drawing crowds in their thousands to watch the races unfold. Its community has a distinct vocabulary, with many terms borrowed from several other languages, principally French. This study investigates the presence of French loanwords in the language of English cycling commentators, and to what extent these loanwords are used in comparison to their English equivalents. It also examines extra-linguistic factors that could affect the commentator’s choice of vocabulary, mainly the location of the race. The study investigated the language of English commentators from live broadcast of 6 different races: 2 located in English speaking countries, 2 in France, and 2 countries where neither French nor English was the native language. All utterances of French loanwords and their English counterparts were noted and collected for analysis. The findings demonstrated a clear presence of French loanwords in the language of the commentators, with a varying degree of frequency. Some loanwords were preferred over their English equivalents, whilst others were not. The location did not seem to have a significant impact on the choice of vocabulary, with the exception of the only race held outside of Europe, where the commentators demonstrated a clear preference for English terminology over French loanwords. The analysis concluded that many different extra-linguistic factors may play a role in the commentator’s choice of vocabulary.

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FACEPE
Este trabalho trata-se de um estudo qualitativo básico ou genérico, tendo como lócus de pesquisa a comunidade autóctone Engenho Ilha — localizada na região de Suape (PE) —, e propõe compreender como os investimentos do Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC), direcionados àquela região, implicam na qualidade de vida da população analisada. Esta investigação foi realizada a partir das experiências vividas e da realidade concebida socialmente (MERRIAM, 1998) pelos habitantes da comunidade, juntamente com os dados presentes no 10º Balanço das Atividades do PAC 2 em Pernambuco (BRASIL, 2014) e por relatos de gestores da Empresa Suape e da Secretaria de Planejamento e Gestão do Estado de Pernambuco (Seplag). Por meio de levantamento de dados (coletados mediante observação direta, entrevistas abertas e semiestruturadas, e pesquisa documental) e com base nos conceitos de desenvolvimento (B. SANTOS, RODRÍGUEZ, 2012; FURTADO, 1981, 1973; MADEIRO, 2011), políticas públicas (CARNOY, 1988; HÖFLING, 2011; QUEIROZ, 2009; SOUZA, 2006) e qualidade de vida (MILES, 1996; BUARQUE, 1993; VITTE et al, 2002; JANUZZI, 2006), evidencia-se que a expansão dos empreendimentos e das atividades em Suape, assim como a circulação econômica por ela estimulada, não resulta na melhoria da qualidade de vida dos moradores daquela região. Tais habitantes possuem a significação de suas vidas centrada na terra, e esta mesma terra é o principal alvo das transformações que o Complexo Industrial Portuário de Suape (CIPS) promove na região, as quais são fortemente financiadas com recursos do PAC. O Programa conduz um desenvolvimento hegemônico na região, mas, mesmo possuindo como um de seus objetivos elevar a qualidade de vida da população, a maneira como esses investimentos são alocados não é suficiente para promover a melhoria da qualidade de vida da população analisada.
This work is a basic or generic qualitative study, which research locus is the aboriginal community Engenho Ilha - located in the region of Suape (PE) - and proposes to understand how the investments of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) directed to the region, imply the quality of life of the population analyzed. This research was carried out from the experiences and reality socially designed (MERRIAM, 1998) by community members, along with the data present on the 10th Overview of the PAC Activities 2 in Pernambuco (BRASIL, 2014) and managers reports Suape company and the Department of Planning and State of Pernambuco Management (Seplag). Through survey data (collected through direct observation, open and semi-structured interviews and documentary research) and based on the concepts of development (B. SANTOS, RODRÍGUEZ, 2012; FURTADO, 1981, 1973; MADEIRO, 2011), public policies (CARNOY, 1988; HOFLING, 2011; QUEIROZ, 2009; SOUZA, 2006) and quality of life (MILES, 1996; BUARQUE, 1993; VITTE ET AL, 2002; JANUZZI, 2006), it is clear that the expansion of enterprises and the activities in Suape, as well as the economic circulation stimulated by it, does not result in improving the quality of life of that region residents. Those people have the significance of their lives centered on the land, and this land is the main aim of the changes that the Industrial Port Complex of Suape (CIPS) promotes in the region, which are heavily financed with PAC resources. The Program conducts an hegemonic development in that region, but despite having as one of its objectives to raise the population's quality of life, the way these investments are allocated is not enough to promote the improvement of the quality of life of the population analyzed.

21st century work environments are becoming more dynamic; they are fast-paced and require critical incidents to be dealt with in a shorter time frame. At the same time, in order for organizations to survive knowledge management (KM) systems need to be in place that allow organizations to learn from these incidents and use the knowledge gained to solve new problems. The knowledge life cycle consists of three phases: create, preserve, and disseminate. The knowledge life cycle also involves the transformation of knowledge from tacit to explicit, which is important to shift knowledge from the individual level to the organizational level; this represents a very important objective of KM. KM is not a domain on its own but intersects with other areas such as organizational learning, performance support, and communities of practice. Learning and performance support are among the concerns of practitioners in the sister fields of instructional design and technology (IDT) and human performance technology (HPT). Yet still, there are not many studies that examine KM through the lens of these professions. There is a need for knowledge to be accessible and for structures to be put in place to facilitate the knowledge life cycle. The purpose of this study was to explore how workers in a fast-paced environment go through the knowledge life cycle when dealing with critical incidents, and the factors that acted as driving and restraining forces. A single instrumental case study research design was used to study employees of a walk-in computer software help desk. The HPT model along with principles and procedures of critical incident technique were used to create a framework for data collection, which included interviews, a focus group session, and examination of extant data. Findings revealed that workers went through the knowledge life cycle by making internal and external connections and both organizational and individual factors impacted the flow of knowledge. A disconnection between available tools and work processes posed the greatest barrier to going through all the knowledge life cycle process.
Ph. D.

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the most prevalent cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease. Genital chlamydial infections, marked by chronic, intense inflammation, can lead to genital tissue scarring and infertility and is a contributing factor to development of pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Iron is required as a cofactor for numerous highly conserved pathways, and nearly all studied organisms rely on iron for growth. In response to iron restriction, the chlamydial developmental cycle arrests at the intracellular reticulate body stage, resulting in a phenomenon termed persistence. Persistence likely plays a role in chlamydial pathogenesis through the expression of virulence factors and antigens in addition to sustaining chronic infection; however, little is known concerning how chlamydiae respond to iron limitation at the molecular level, and no systems for iron acquisition have been identified in Chlamydia. This dissertation presents an investigation into the chlamydial response to iron restriction. Chlamydial heat shock protein 60 (cHsp60) has been implicated in development of the more severe disease sequelae and has been found to increase in expression following iron restriction; however, three cHsp60 homologues were identified following the sequencing of the chlamydial genome. Here, iron restriction is shown to increase expression of cHsp60-2 but not the two other homologs, cHsp60-1 or -3. Next, in order to investigate an alternate model for restricting iron availability to chlamydiae, a cell line with inducible expression of recombinant ferroportin, a eukaryotic iron efflux protein, was examined. Lastly, 10 chlamydial proteins differentially expressed during growth in iron-restricted host cells were identified by proteomic analysis of radiolabeled proteins followed by mass spectrometry analysis; transcripts encoding 5 iron responsive proteins were examined across a timecourse of infection and revealed increased transcript levels at 18 and/or 24 hours post infection. Together, these studies have examined the molecular response of chlamydiae to reduced iron availability and have underlined the importance for pathways involved in protection against oxidative damage and adaptation to stress.

« Il faut prendre cela dans un sens ironique » affirmait Bernard-Marie Koltès face à l’incertitude de la réception exprimée dans Der Spiegel : « on ne sait pas vraiment jusqu’à quel point vos sentences philosophiques sont à prendre au sérieux ». Nous proposons d’explorer l’efficacité « séductrice » dont semble emprunte l'écriture koltésienne – notamment à partir de 1977 – si l'on en juge par l'intérêt qu'elle suscite très tôt et continue à susciter, par le fil tendu de l'ironie. Le concept ancien et moderne d’ironie offre à la lecture un outil opérant lorsqu’il s’agit de suivre les lignes de fuite de l’écriture koltésienne. Le concept d’ironie tel que Kierkegaard nous offre de le percevoir se fonde sur la tension insurmontable d’un « ou bien / ou bien » (aut-aut). Tensions entre les contraires, dissonances, sabotages, disparitions, masques, secret gardé par l’écriture, mentions des stratégies du mensonge et des apparences, paradoxes faits d’alliances inextricables entre comique et tragique, violence et sacré, sont autant de procédés d’écriture repérables qui semblent viser la possibilité d’une « vraie » rencontre, bien qu’intenable, entre le monde, l’auteur et son destinataire. Au carrefour de questionnements multiples, d'ordre pragmatique, esthétique, dramaturgique, philosophique, cette recherche littéraire interroge le « pacte » d’écriture d’un auteur avec l’autre, avec le monde, en quête d’un espace « vrai » à partager, dont la vérité tiendrait précisément de son impossible affirmation. Un théâtre qui dit une chose pour en faire entendre une autre
"We must take this in an ironic sense," said Bernard-Marie Koltès faced to the uncertainty of the reception expressed in Der Spiegel : "one never knows how far your philosophical sentences must be taken seriously." We suggest to explore the "seductive" effectiveness which seems to belong to Koltesian writing - especially from 1977 - judging by the interest it arouses very early and continues to suggest, through the tight wire of irony. The ancient and modern concept of irony offers an operative tool to reading, when it comes to following the lines of escape of Koltesian writing. The concept of irony such as developped by Kierkegaard, is based on the insurmountable tension of a « something /or else" (aut-aut). Tensions between opposites, dissonances, sabotage, disappearance, masks, secret kept by writing, mentions of the strategies of lies and appearances, paradoxes made of inextricable alliances between comic and tragic, violence and sacred, are different ways of writing ; they seem to aim the possibility of a "real" meeting, although inalienable, between the world, the author and his recipient. At the crossroads of multiple pragmatic, aesthetic, dramaturgical, philosophical matters, this literary search questions the "pact" of writing from an author towards everyone, towards the world, looking for a "true" space to be shared and whose truth would precisely be the result of its impossible affirmation. A theater that says something to whisper something else

This study was conducted in two locations: Pucará (2,413m above sea level) and Mojandita (2,922m above sea level), both of which are found in the province of Imbabura, Ecuador. The objectives of this study were to: characterize the morphological and agronomic traits as well as the overall quality of the ten amaranth accessions in this study; identify the accessions with the highest yield and biomass; determine the nutritional characteristics of the experimental accessions; and determine the cost of production of amaranth per hectare. The following null hypothesis was assumed: the agronomic and nutritional characteristics of the ten accessions in this study are equal in both locations. A randomized block design with ten treatments and three repetitions was employed for each location. The following tests of significance were performed: Tukey test at the 5% significance level for accessions, DMS at 5% for locations and Combined Analysis for the variety x location interaction. The following lines were used: ECU-0014, ECU-0113, ECU-2210, ECU-4737, ECU-4744, which represented pale-seeded grain types, and ECU-0069, ECU-0082, ECU-0102, ECU-0123 and ECU-0162 represented dark-seeded grain types. These accessions were analyzed for: plant height, diameter of the base of the stem, stem length, panicle length, grain/plot yield. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that no significant difference exists between the accessions on the basis of plant height and stem length in either location. For stem diameter, panicle length, and yield, however, significant differences among the accessions were detected. Between locations, the most promising results were observed in Pucará. The accession ECU-2210 gave the highest yield in Mojanda, with 1,300 kg/ha, while the accession ECU-0014 had the highest yield in Pucará, with 1,400 kg/ha. Overall, the best protein and iron content was observed in Mojanda; the accessions ECU-0162 and ECU-4744 had the highest percentage of protein, with 14.93% and 14.58% respectively. The highest observed iron content was 465.0 ppm in the accession ECU-0102. The cost of producing one hectare of cultivated amaranth grain is $1,543.95. The sale of this investment totaled $2,520, giving a cost-benefit ration of $0.63. Growing the accessions ECU-0612 and ECU-4744 is recommended if high protein content is desired, while the accession ECU-0102 is recommended in order to obtain the highest iron content. To obtain the highest yield per square meter, the accessions ECU-2210 is recommended at altitudes of 2,900m above sea level, while ECU-0014 is recommended for altitudes less than 2,600m. Based on the results of this study, it is not recommended that amaranth be planted at altitudes higher than 3,000m.

This thesis assessed the life-cycle environmental impact of a lithium-ion battery pack intended for energy storage applications. A model of the battery pack was made in the life-cycle assessment-tool, openLCA. The environmental impact assessment was conducted with the life-cycle impact assessment methods recommended in the Batteries Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules adopted by the European Commission (2016). The findings in this study showed that the most important parameter in the cradle-to-grave assessment was the use-stage losses, which can be reduced by using electricity grids with high sharesof renewable energy or by increase the round-trip efficiency of the battery system. However, for the cradle-to-gate assessment, five impact categories were found to be relevant. These categories were: climate change, acidification, fossil resource use, resource use (minerals and metals) and particulate matter. Furthermore, within these impact categories, four materials contributed to more than 65 % of all impact. These key materials were; nickel, aluminium, cobalt and graphite. Therefore, a recommendation to battery manufacturers is to prioritise sourcing these four key materials from sustainable suppliers to reduce the overall cradle-to-gate environmental impact. Lastly, by integrating recycling of the battery pack in the end-of-life-stage, it was possibleto achieve a net reduction of 9-20 % of the cradle-to-grave climate change, acidification and fossil resource use compared to not including recycling. Therefore, the development of efficient and large-scale recycling will likely play a major role in reducing the environmental impact from lithium-ion batteries in the future.

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O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver o método de índice de qualidade (MIQ) para espécie dulcícola pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) eviscerado, armazenado em gelo (0°C ± 0,5ºC) por 22 dias e aplicá-lo no estabelecimento da sua vida de prateleira. Para avaliar o frescor durante o armazenamento, realizaram-se análises sensoriais (MIQ) e físico-químicas (pH e Bases Voláteis Totais) nos dias 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 e 22 em triplicata. As corelações entre os resultados obtidos pelas análises foram utilizadas para determinar o ponto de rejeição. Os resultados indicam que o prazo de validade do pacu foi estimado em 11 dias de estocagem. O MIQ foi considerado eficiente na avaliação do frescor do pacu, já que a rejeição sensorial pelo MIQ foi determinante no estabelecimento da vida de prateleira.
This study aimed to develop the quality index method (QIM) for evaluating certain attributes of pacu, a fishwater (Piaractus mesopotamicus), gutted, stored under ice (0 °C ± 0.5 °C) for 22 days and apply the method to establish its shelf life. To assess the fish freshness during storage, sensory (QIM) and physicochemical (pH and total volatile bases) tests were performed on the first, fourth, seventh, tenth, thirteenth, sixteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-second days in triplicate. The correlations among the results obtained by the analyses were used to determine the rejection point. Results indicate that the expiration date for pacu storage was estimated in 11 storage days. The QIM was considered efficient for assessing the pacu freshness, since sensory rejection by QIM was determinative for establishing the shelf life.

Le canal KATP résulte de l'assemblage d'un canal potassique inhibé par l'ATP intracellulaire (Kir6.2) et d'un transporteur
ABC, le récepteur des sulfonylurées (SUR) de la famille MRP/ABCC. SUR a un rôle régulateur essentiel : il confère au
canal une sensibilité accrue à l'inhibition par l'ATP, provoque son activation lorsque l'ADP augmente, et est la cible des
activateurs et bloqueurs pharmacologiques du canal.
Nous nous sommes intéressés à divers aspects structure/fonction de SUR en tant que modèle de transporteur ABC
eucaryote. Son couplage naturel à un canal ionique en facilite grandement l'étude grâce à la technique
électrophysiologique du patch-clamp.
La poursuite des travaux pour déterminer la nature moléculaire de la sélectivité des isoformes de SUR aux ouvreurs
pharmacologiques nous a permis de conclure que seul le faible encombrement de la Thr1253 de SUR2A, contre la Met
1290 de SUR1, serait le critère important pour l'activation pharmacologique des canaux KATP.
Nos travaux ont ensuite porté sur un domaine de la sous-unité SUR riche en acides aminés chargés négativement
(succession de 15 résidus glutamates ou aspartates) qui s'est avéré ne pas être impliquée dans la fonction du canal dans
notre système d'expression.
Nous avons étudié l'effet des ions Zn2+ et Cd2+ intracellulaires sur les canaux KATP et montré que ces ions peuvent activer
les canaux via leur liaison à SUR. Ce site de liaison reste encore à déterminer.
Nous avons enfin essayé de comprendre le rôle de chacun des domaines de liaison des nucléotides et nous avons pour cela
conçu des protéines SUR2A possédant des NBD identiques (NBD1-NBD1 et NBD2-NBD2) ou inversés (NBD2-NBD1).
Nos résultats suggèrent que (1) les NBD sont interchangeables (2) l'activation pas le Mg-ADP requiert les deux NBD (3)
l'action des ouvreurs est indépendante du NBD2.

This dissertation has three aims. First, the establishment of the theoretical foundations of deconstruction and its appropriation by literary criticism. Second, the application of deconstruction to the novels of Nabokov; it has to be stressed that this application is not itself a deconstructive reading, rather that deconstruction offers the interpretative horizon for an analysis of the inner logic of self-reflexivity in the novels in question. which is defined with de Man and against Derrida as a procedure of textual self-deconstruction. The procedure, evident in the proliferation of textual strategies in Nabokov's work, marks the point at which literary modernism transforms itself through the radicalisation of the critique of narrative, subject and meaning into a postmodern aesthetics of deconstruction. The interpretation of the novels then serves thirdly to pose the question of the value of the theory of deconstruction for the task of interpretation, or more generally. the value of deconstruction for literary theory. The interpretation of Nabokov's novels reveals a paradox: selfdeconstructive literature does not require a deconstructive reading. On the contrary, the textual deconstruction of meaning and reference requires the non-deconstructive standpoint of a coherent literary analysis for its demonstration. Comparably and conversely, a deconstructive reading presupposes a text and/or an author committed to the intention of a meaningful whole (however ambiguous). The author's distinction between deconstruction as a method of interpretation and as a literary theory thus points to the limitations of deconstruction as interpretative method in relation to modern and postmodern texts precisely because of their metafictional affinity to deconstruction. Beyond this, however, deconstruction's treatment of the text as pretext for its own operations, taken to its logical conclusion, would dissolve the very cognitive object and interest of literary studies.

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Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior
The reality experienced by many families and individuals who seek and require the services of the Unified Health System - SUS, the relationships between users, health professionals, and political representatives, establishes the core of the issue that guides the choice and interest of this study concerning the prominence of clientelist practices and gifts that permeate the health field. The research is based on the analysis and reflection of the intrinsic relationship between the health and political fields. It analyses the health field and its relationship with the dynamics and developments of the local political scenario relating it to the implementation of the Family Health Program and Community Health Agents Program (PACS/PSF health programs) in the city of Mossor?, State of Rio Grande do Norte which refers to the period 1991-2010; and falls into a methodological perspective of qualitative approach. The methodological tools and techniques used were based on semi-structured interviews, direct observation of the field, journalistic texts and documentary sources. The construction and questioning of the object of the research were based on theoretical contributions from authors discussing the social field and symbolic power: Bourdieu (2005); clientelist relationships and gifts from asymmetric exchanges: Rouland (1997), Lanna (1995), Martins (1999), Carvalho (1999), Diniz (1982); exercise of hegemony and political strategy from authors who analyse this subject: Gramsci (1995), Coutinho (1981), and Gruppi (1978). Furthermore, the research has established dialogues with authors who address the dynamics of Brazilian politics such as Baquero (2001) and Weffort (1993). The collected data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The results showed that with the implementation of the PACS/PSF programs in the aforementioned city, the health field has established itself as a key scenario for the exercise of political hegemony of the factions that dominate this socio-political context, resizing clientelist practices, however, without modifying the power structures within this social scenario
A realidade vivenciada por in?meras fam?lias e indiv?duos que buscam e necessitam dos servi?os do Sistema ?nico de Sa?de SUS, as rela??es entre usu?rios, profissionais de sa?de, e representantes pol?ticos, instituem o cerne da problem?tica que norteia ? escolha e o interesse deste estudo sobre a proemin?ncia das pr?ticas clientelistas e d?divas que permeiam o campo da sa?de. A pesquisa se pauta na an?lise e reflex?o da rela??o intr?nseca entre o campo da sa?de e o campo pol?tico. Analisa o campo da sa?de e sua rela??o com a din?mica e os desdobramentos do cen?rio pol?tico local relacionando-o a implanta??o dos programas de sa?de PACS/PSF no munic?pio de Mossor?-RN que remete ao per?odo entre 1991-2010. Inscreve-se em uma perspectiva metodol?gica de abordagem qualitativa. Os instrumentos metodol?gicos e t?cnicas utilizadas pautaram-se em entrevistas semi-estruturadas, observa??o direta do campo, textos jornal?sticos e fontes documentais. A constru??o e problematiza??o do objeto da pesquisa fundamentou-se em aportes te?ricos de autores que discutem o campo social e poder simb?lico: Bourdieu (2005); rela??es clientelistas e d?divas a partir de trocas assim?tricas: Rouland (1997), Lanna (1995), Martins (1999), Carvalho (1999), Diniz (1982); exerc?cio da hegemonia e estrat?gia pol?tica em autores que analisam essa tem?tica: Gramsci (1995), Coutinho (1981) e Gruppi (1978). Ademais, a pesquisa estabeleceu di?logos com autores que versam sobre a din?mica da pol?tica brasileira como Baquero (2001) e Weffort (1993). Os dados coletados foram submetidos a uma an?lise qualitativa de conte?do. Os resultados evidenciaram que com a implanta??o dos programas PACS/PSF no munic?pio supracitado o campo da sa?de consolidou-se como um cen?rio essencial para o exerc?cio da hegemonia pol?tica das fac??es que dominam esse contexto sociopol?tico, redimensionando as pr?ticas clientelistas, entretanto, sem modificar as estruturas de poder no ?mbito deste cen?rio social

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Companies have looked for many new ways to communicate with their customers. In the current scenario, Facebook has proven to be an efficient communication tool between consumers and businesses. This study aims to understand the differences in the complaint messages sent to companies, through an experiment that measured the emotional tone and the lack of formality in each message received by the website and the Facebook page of the company. As expected, people are more informal on Facebook. However, contrary to our intuition, participants tended to display more emotions on the company website. The social norms theory and the impression management contributed to explain the phenomena found.
As empresas têm procurado encontrar diversas novas maneiras de se comunicar com seus clientes. No atual cenário, o Facebook tem se mostrado uma eficiente forma de comunicação entre consumidores e empresas. Este estudo busca entender as diferenças nas reclamação enviadas para empresas, através de um experimento que mede o nível de emoção e comprometimento com a formalidade em mensagens recebidas através do website e a página do Facebook da empresa. Como esperado, as pessoas são mais informais no Facebook. Porém, contrariando nossa intuição, tendem a demonstrar mais emoções no website da empresa. A teoria de normas sociais e de gestão de auto-imagem ajudaram a explicar os fenômenos encontrados.

La germination est un processus clé qui conditionne la régénération des plantes dans leur milieu ainsi que leur distribution. Connaître les conditions thermique et hydrique qui permettent aux plantes de germer est un préalable nécessaire à l’identification des menaces qui pèsent sur elles et tout particulièrement dans un contexte de changement climatique. Les modèles en temps thermique et temps hydrique permettent de prédire la phénologie de germination sur le terrain en fonction des conditions climatiques dans l’environnement de la graine dépassant des valeurs seuil de température et de potentiel hydrique de base, Tb et Ψb (i.e. respectivement la température minimale et le potentiel hydrique minimum permettant la germination).Dans ce travail de thèse, il est donc question d’étudier l’écophysiologie de la germination à l’aide de ces modèles à deux échelles taxonomiques : (i) celle des plantes à graines et (ii) à l’échelle du genre Silene de la région PACA. Dans les deux cas le but est d’évaluer les contraintes évolutives des traits de réponse au climat de la germination ainsi que leurs liens avec les contraintes morphologiques et phénologiques des plantesLes résultats de cette thèse montrent un fort signal phylogénétique des traits de germination de la température de base et une plus grande labilité pour le potentiel hydrique de base quelle que soit l’échelle taxonomique considérée. En revanche, les liens avec les traits des plantes, tels que la masse des graines, sont plus variables et dépendent à la fois de l’origine biogéographique et de la longévité des espèces
Germination is a key process in plant reproduction, a critical and irreversible phase conditioning the regeneration and distribution of plants. Understanding how temperature and water act on germination, is major step prior to identify risks plants may undergo under warming climate. Thermal time and hydrotime modelling of germination are useful tools to predict germination in the field as a function of climatic conditions above threshold value of temperature and water potential (respectively base temperature, Tb, and base water potential, Ψb) in a seed’s environment. This PhD thesis aimed at studying germination ecophysiology at two contrasted taxonomic scales: (i) for all seed plants and (ii) at the restricted level of the genus Silene in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region. In both cases the objective was to evaluate evolutionary implications of the germination traits, Tb and Ψb and their link with plant morphological and phenological constraints. This work is structured in three parts : (I) Temperature but not moisture response of germination shows phylogenetic contraints while both interact with seed mass and life span ; (II) Germination ecophysiology in the Silene genus : thermal time and hydrotime models ; (III) Comparative ecology of Silene germination : relation with plant traits and climate.The mains results of this work show strong evidences of phylogenetic signal in base temperature and greater lability for base water potential at both taxonomic scales. The links with plant traits such as seed mass depend on biogeographical origins and life span

Nell'elaborato ci siamo concentrati in prima analisi su un aspetto generale delle hiPSC-CM e verificato che il modello Paci del 2015 è robusto rispetto alle principali variazioni di conduttanza massima delle correnti ioniche usando come soglia di classificazione la triangolazione, tranne rispetto ad alcune importanti variazioni che bisognerà studiare più nel dettaglio successivamente se riscontrate fisiologicamente. Questo studio è un piccolo passo avanti verso la prospettiva futura di poter utilizzare le hiPSC-CM per studiare meccanismi elettrofisiologici o per l'effetto di farmaci sulle malattie. Inoltre studiando un caso più specifico di utilizzo delle hiPSC-CM, come la fibrillazione atriale, abbiamo verificato che è possibile riprodurre in simulazione i risultati ottenuti sperimentalmente su cellule ottenute da pazienti affetti da questa patologia e caratterizzate da notevoli alterazioni della loro elettrofisiologia. Questo risultato conferma l'utilità e le potenzialità dell'utilizzo dei modelli computazionali in questo ambito di ricerca, in quanto permettono di effettuare test e analisi più approfonditi al calcolatore senza la necessità di doverli effettuare in vitro. Inoltre abbiamo verificato che le modifiche alle correnti trovate nei pazienti AF1 e AF2 riproducono lo stesso effetto (APD90 più lungo) sia se applicate sulle cellule di CTRL del modello Paci che sulle cellule sperimentali di Benzoni e coautori. L'utilizzo delle hiPSC-CM sarà in futuro sempre più importante per lo studio e l'analisi delle malattie cardiache e l'integrazione di tecniche sperimentali e computazionali permetterà di comprendere a fondo i meccanismi patofisiologici coinvolti.

Les checkpoints de l'ADN coordonnent les réponses cellulaires aux dommages de l'ADN et au blocage de la réplication des cellules eucaryotes. Chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae, la protéine kinase Rad53 occupe une place centrale au sein des checkpoints de l'ADN. Afin d'identifier de nouveaux partenaires de Rad53, une approche génétique a été développée, utilisant l'allèle dominant létal RAD53-DL qui déclenche constitutivement des réponses cellulaires normalement induites par des lésions de l'ADN. Notre hypothèse est que l'absence des activateurs ou des substrats de Rad53 pourrait rétablir la croissance. Nous avons donc recherché, à l'échelle du génome de S. cerevisiae, les gènes qui suppriment la toxicité de RAD53-DL lorsqu'ils sont inactivés. 110 gènes ont été isolés et classés en groupes fonctionnels. Un groupe a particulièrement retenu notre attention. Il est composé de huit gènes dont l'inactivation confère à la cellule une hyper-résistance à plusieurs stress génotoxiques. Trois de ces gènes codent des composants du protéasome 26S, l'enzyme central du système de dégradation ubiquitine-dépendante des protéines qui joue un rôle crucial dans la plupart des processus cellulaires. Le protéasome est une structure macromoléculaire très sophistiquée composée d'une partie catalytique, la particule 20S, associée au complexe régulateur 19S, lui même formé de 2 sous-complexes, la base et le couvercle. Son assemblage comprend de nombreuses étapes ordonnées. Au moment du crible, un seul chaperon du protéasome était connu chez la levure, la protéine Ump1, impliquée dans les étapes finales de maturation du protéasome 20S. Par des analyses génétiques et biochimiques, nous avons caractérisé les cinq autres membres du groupe fonctionnel « protéasome », dont la fonction était jusqu'alors inconnue. Les gènes YLR021W, YPL144W, YLR199C et YKL206C, que nous avons baptisés POC1-4 (Proteasome Chaperone), codent 4 protéines formant deux paires de chaperons du protéasome 20S (Poc1-Poc2 et Poc3-Poc4) agissant en amont de Ump1. HSM3 code la première protéine chaperonne de la particule régulatrice du protéasome. Hsm3 s'associe avec la base du 19S et assiste son assemblage. Son rôle est également de réguler l'association du 19S en formation avec le protéasome 20S. Nous avons identifié les homologues mammifères de Poc1-4 (PAC1-4) et Hsm3 (S5b), mettant ainsi en lumière une conservation remarquable des facteurs d'assemblage du protéasome au cours de l'évolution

This thesis briefly reviews Peace Studies and Peace Education in general and then, it focused on the REM (Reconstructive-Empowering) Approach (Herrero Rico, 2013) of Peace Education as its theoretical framework. This REM approach proposes concepts, methodologies and contexts that promote Cultures of Peace. The thesis continues to propose tools and methodologies for secondary education contexts that promote the REM Approach. Among them, the Life History methodology is chosen as the methodological framework for the applied part of the thesis. Thus, the last two chapters focus on the life story of the author of the thesis, both in her personal and professional life, especially as a high school teacher. For this purpose, her first-person narrative is included, contrasted with the perspective of more than forty acquaintances and with a reflection on what has been learned, putting it in dialogue with the REM approach.
Esta tesis revisa brevemente los Estudios de Paz y la Educación para la Paz en general y elige como marco teórico el Enfoque REM (Reconstructivo-Empoderador) (Herrero Rico, 2013) de Educación para la Paz, el cual propone conceptos, metodologías y contextos para promover Culturas de Paz. La tesis continúa proponiendo herramientas y metodologías para utilizar en contextos de educación secundaria que promueven el Enfoque REM. Entre ellos, se elige la metodología de Historia de Vida como marco metodológico en el que se basa la parte aplicada de la tesis. Así, los dos últimos capítulos se centran en la historia de vida de la autora de la tesis, tanto en su vida personal como profesional, especialmente como profesora de secundaria. Para ello, se incluye su narrativa en primera persona, contrastada con la perspectiva de más de cuarenta conocidos y con una reflexión sobre lo aprendido, poniéndolo en diálogo con el enfoque REM.

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Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES)
O uso de agrot?xicos em cultivo agr?cola ? cada vez maior. Os inseticidas qu?micos usados na agroind?stria causam grandes preocupa??es como a contamina??o ambiental e a falta de seletividade aos organismos. Uma alternativa para esse problema ? a utiliza??o de bioinseticidas. Os bioinseticidas s?o mais seguros que os agrot?xicos comuns e apresentam vantagens como menor toxicidade e alta especificidade. Ademais, podem ser utilizados em menor quantidade, decomp?em-se mais r?pido e sua utiliza??o associada com os inseticidas sint?ticos faz com que o uso de agrot?xicos seja menor, causando baixo impacto ambiental. Em particular, bioinseticidas do tipo baculov?rus t?m sido apontados como uma op??o de substitui??o a estes inseticidas qu?micos na agricultura. Neste trabalho, foi realizada a produ??o in vitro do baculov?rus Spodoptera frugiperda nucleopolyhedrovirus e o estudo do seu perfil eletrofor?tico com base nas prote?nas virais presentes nos v?rus extracelulares deste baculov?rus. As part?culas de v?rus extracelulares obtidas durante a passagem seriada do baculov?rus foram analisadas por eletroforese em gel desnaturante e, como esperado, a poliedrina - prote?na respons?vel pela forma??o do corpo de oclus?o - com aproximadamente 30 kDa foi destaque em todas as passagens analisadas. Prote?nas na regi?o entre 14,4 e 97 kDa tamb?m foram detectadas. A an?lise do efeito da adi??o do horm?nio ?-ecdisona extra?do do Ginseng brasileiro e do horm?nio ecdisona sint?tico na produ??o do baculov?rus Spodoptera foi realizada na terceira e quarta passagens em c?lulas Sf21, momento em que a forma??o dos corpos de oclus?o foi reduzida. Os resultados mostraram que o horm?nio ecdisona n?o influenciou na produ??o dos corpos de oclus?o na terceira passagem. Por?m, na quarta passagem ao se adicionar o horm?nio ecdisona, tanto o sint?tico como o extra?do do Ginseng brasileiro, houve um aumento aproximado de duas vezes na forma??o dos corpos de oclus?o quando comparados ? produ??o sem adi??o de ecdisona. Utilizando este processo de infec??o, foi realizada uma modelagem e simula??o matem?tica que representasse o mecanismo de produ??o do bioinseticida.
O uso de agrot?xicos em cultivo agr?cola ? cada vez maior. Os inseticidas qu?micos usados na agroind?stria causam grandes preocupa??es como a contamina??o ambiental e a falta de seletividade aos organismos. Uma alternativa para esse problema ? a utiliza??o de bioinseticidas. Os bioinseticidas s?o mais seguros que os agrot?xicos comuns e apresentam vantagens como menor toxicidade e alta especificidade. Ademais, podem ser utilizados em menor quantidade, decomp?em-se mais r?pido e sua utiliza??o associada com os inseticidas sint?ticos faz com que o uso de agrot?xicos seja menor, causando baixo impacto ambiental. Em particular, bioinseticidas do tipo baculov?rus t?m sido apontados como uma op??o de substitui??o a estes inseticidas qu?micos na agricultura. Neste trabalho, foi realizada a produ??o in vitro do baculov?rus Spodoptera frugiperda nucleopolyhedrovirus e o estudo do seu perfil eletrofor?tico com base nas prote?nas virais presentes nos v?rus extracelulares deste baculov?rus. As part?culas de v?rus extracelulares obtidas durante a passagem seriada do baculov?rus foram analisadas por eletroforese em gel desnaturante e, como esperado, a poliedrina - prote?na respons?vel pela forma??o do corpo de oclus?o - com aproximadamente 30 kDa foi destaque em todas as passagens analisadas. Prote?nas na regi?o entre 14,4 e 97 kDa tamb?m foram detectadas. A an?lise do efeito da adi??o do horm?nio ?-ecdisona extra?do do Ginseng brasileiro e do horm?nio ecdisona sint?tico na produ??o do baculov?rus Spodoptera foi realizada na terceira e quarta passagens em c?lulas Sf21, momento em que a forma??o dos corpos de oclus?o foi reduzida. Os resultados mostraram que o horm?nio ecdisona n?o influenciou na produ??o dos corpos de oclus?o na terceira passagem. Por?m, na quarta passagem ao se adicionar o horm?nio ecdisona, tanto o sint?tico como o extra?do do Ginseng brasileiro, houve um aumento aproximado de duas vezes na forma??o dos corpos de oclus?o quando comparados ? produ??o sem adi??o de ecdisona. Utilizando este processo de infec??o, foi realizada uma modelagem e simula??o matem?tica que representasse o mecanismo de produ??o do bioinseticida.

This study explores the concept of improved train infrastructure in Sweden and how it affects the attractiveness of cities. The research uses a difference-in-differences model to determine whether the construction of the Bothnia Line in northern Sweden has had an impact on real estate prices in the municipalities Nordmaling and Robertsfors between 2008-2016. By employing the hedonic price model, the study finds evidence that house-specific factors such total house size in square meters, location near water and size of backyard all play a role in determining the final purchase price of houses in the two municipalities. However, the findings of this study do not indicate that the launch or the subsequent investments on the Bothnia Line has had any measurable impact on the real estate prices in the region. This is in line with previous research on the project.

The placement of an unconformable surface within a stratal succession affects the interpreted thickness of units and sequences in contact with that surface. Unit thickness influences the interpretation of basin subsidence, paleotopography, diagenesis, and depositional style. Accurate placement of an unconformity results in true formational thicknesses for formations associated with that unconformity. True thicknesses aid in producing more precise surface to subsurface correlations, isopach maps, and paleogeographic maps. An unconformity may be difficult to identify in the stratal succession due to similar rocks above and below the unconformity and the presence of multiple candidate surfaces. Using statistical discriminant analysis of XRF data, formations bounding an unconformity can be discriminated by elemental composition which results in delineation of the associated unconformity. This discrimination is possible even for rocks that do not have significant differences in provenance if they have experienced distinct diagenetic histories. Elemental differences can be explained by quantity and type of cement. Three discriminant models were created. These models were tested with samples from three formations of similar facies, appearance, and provenance that are all associated with the same regional unconformity. All data, regardless of location, facies, or tectonic feature were used to create the first model. This model achieved moderate success by correctly classifying 80% of known samples. In a second model, data were grouped by facies trends. Separating the data by facies resulted in 94% of known samples being correctly classified. This model was most useful for delineation of an unconformity and discrimination of formations. A third model based solely on location or local tectonic feature produced the best results statistically. 96% of known samples were classified correctly. This third model does not compare locations to each other, thus making it less robust. This last model contributes by adding detail to interpretations made with the facies trend model.

Salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) is one of the key enzymes in salicylic acid-dependent plant defense pathway. SABP2 is a 29 kDa protein present in extremely low abundance in plants and it catalyzes the conversion of signaling molecule methyl salicylate into salicylic acid. Although it has been shown that 6x His-tagged SABP2 over expressed in E. coli is a homodimer, its exact conformation in planta is still unknown. Therefore, we proposed to determine if SABP2 exist as a dimer and/or monomer under natural condition. To verify the exact conformation of native SABP2 protein in plant, SABP2 was purified from wild type tobacco using a 5-step purification protocol. Analysis of purified SABP2 in gel filtration and immunoblot assay suggested that SABP2 exists as a monomer in tobacco plant. Studies on SABP2 conformation will give us insight into the structure and functional relationship of this protein in salicylic acid-dependent disease resistance pathway.

The main aims of the current doctoral thesis included: (1) comparing the impact of different embodiment (manipulation versus enactment) and (2) perspective-taking strategies on children (9 to 10-year-olds) and adults' (18 to 30-year-olds) comprehension of narrative texts. In addition, we aimed to (3) better understand children's subjective experience (e.g., “What's going in your head while reading x?”) while reading normally; e.g., at home or in the classroom. Chapter 2 investigated the benefits of storyboard construction (SB), i.e., creating a visual representation of a narrative text using plastic cut-outs, on 5 children's comprehension monitoring and story recall. We found that children who constructed a storyboard while reading remembered more of the narrative texts versus business-as-usual controls and formed more coherent narratives during recall. Contrary to previous research (Rubman & Waters, 2000), SB had no positive impact on children's comprehension monitoring ability. Chapter 3 included a subset (25 out of 35) of children from Chapter 2 and aimed to capture the nuances of children's experience while reading normally and how those experiences map onto comprehension performance. We found that children who reported taking the perspective of a story's character (either spatially, emotionally and/or cognitively), while reading normally, performed better on measures from Chapter 1 (e.g., coherence of recall) than children who did not. Chapter 3 presented a yearlong, longitudinal training study, which compared the immediate and long-term benefits of SB and Active Experiencing (AE), the act of becoming fully engrossed in communicating a text to another person, on children in Year 5's literal and inferential comprehension of emotion and spatial information in narrative texts. SB was found to improve children's story recall and performance on spatial-based questions immediately after training compared to other conditions (AE and controls). The benefits of SB training on recall continued three and six months later. In addition, AE training improved children's performance on emotion-based questions, but only immediately after training. Finally, Chapter 4 first (Experiment 1) examined the effects of encouraging young adults to imagine themselves performing the actions of a protagonist or feeling what the protagonist is feeling (to empathise) while reading excerpts from Dubliners by James Joyce on their comprehension and emotional arousal. Empathising with the protagonist was found to increase readers' arousal, an indication of emotional reactivity. To follow up, we next measured the effects of encouraging young adults (Experiment 2) and children (Experiment 3) to empathise (feel what the character is feeling) or sympathise (care about how the character is feeling) with a story's protagonist while reading on a variety of inferential and literal comprehension questions. Young adults encouraged to sympathise with a story's protagonist had a particular advantage on comprehending literal emotion information about the protagonist as well as non-emotional, non-character-focused inferential and literal information. There was no effect of perspective-taking prompt on children's comprehension.

L’objet de cette thèse est de proposer et d’identifier un modèle de comportement mécanique en fatigue écrit à l’échelle du pli ou de la couche composite élémentaire. Le modèle doit permettre de prédire l’évolution des dégradations mais également la résistance résiduelle. Les matériaux concernés par cette étude sont des composites renforcés par des tissus de fibres de verre bi ou tri axiaux. Ce travail exclue les zones de liaisons ou de reprise de pli où des contraintes hors plan engendrent des couplages forts entre endommagement intra et inter laminaires. Les principaux objectifs de la thèse sont de : - Identifier sur le matériau de l’étude les mécanismes d’endommagement et leur couplage en quasi-statique et en fatigue - Caractériser et modéliser la perte de rigidité engendrée par les mécanismes d’endommagement - Caractériser et modéliser les cinétiques d’endommagement en fatigue - Caractériser et modéliser les pertes de résistance engendrées par les mécanismes d’endommagement - Implémenter et tester le modèle proposé (ou celui retenu de la littérature et qui sera modifié si besoin) dans un code de calcul EF
The purpose of this thesis is to propose and identify a model of mechanical fatigue behavior written for the lamina level. The model would be able to predict damage evolution but also residual strength. Studied materials are bi or tri axial glass fibre reinforced plastics fabrics. This work excluded joints areas where out of plane stresses generate strong coupling between intra and inter laminar damage. The main goals of the thesis are: - Identify on the material of the study damage mechanisms and their coupling in quasi-static and fatigue - Characterize and model residual stiffness caused by damage mechanisms - Characterize and model fatigue damage - Characterize and model residual strength caused by damage mechanisms - Implement and test the proposed model (or the one chosen in the literature and changed if necessary) in a computer FE code

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The present study analises the educational policy named National Pact for Literacy in the Right Age - PNAIC, regardingit?s contributions to the continued formation, the improvement of quality of alphabetization process and the teaching practices in the city of Belford Roxo, located in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The PNAIC is a course of continued formation of literacy teachers and the sistematic monitoring of its execution, by an organization structure suggested by MEC. The subject of this research was defined from the need of understanding if this continued formation has been important for the teacher, and which contributions can be considered significant in terms of their pedagogical praxis. For this we take as a reference the general principles proposed in this formation, which focus on the practice of reflexivity, mobilization of teaching knowledge, the constitution of professional identity, the socialization, the engagement and the collaboration. It was aimed in this research to contemplate,beyond the results measured through exams applied to the students, the qualitative results of the continued formation focusing the teacher. For so, different contexts of production and operationalization of the referred policy, compared with the speech of those involved directly with the continued formation: the coordinators, the advisors, and the local teachers. The basic theoretical reference is the analytical approach of the educational policies cycle, proposed by Stephen Ball. Therefore, we accomplished an study about the context of text production that informs about the referred educational policy, the context of its influence and the context of the continued formation practices of PNAIC. The present work consists of qualitative field research. We used as research methods the participant observationand bibliographical research, using the following resources for collecting data: interview and semi-structured questionnaire, logbook, and documental analysis. We concluded that, in the studied reality, the PNAIC continued formation, in the short period that happened, brought contributions to the improvement of the teaching quality through changes in the teaching practices, and these changes resulted in higher motivation, attention and participation from the students, bringing with it, advances in their learning. The continued formation follows problematizing characteristics, in which by way of exchanges of experiences and knowledges, the students are encouraged to think over the problem situation and to construct intervention strategies. However, some obstacles caused by external and internal factors were identified, requiring attention, mainly by the political authorities and the central PNAIC team, for the success of this policy in the network.
O presente estudo analisa a pol?tica educacional denominada Pacto Nacional pela Alfabetiza??o na Idade Certa - PNAIC, no que tange ?s suas contribui??es para a forma??o continuada, a melhoria da qualidade do processo de alfabetiza??o e as pr?ticas docentes no munic?pio de Belford Roxo, localizado na regi?o metropolitana da Baixada Fluminense do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. O PNAIC se desdobra em um curso de Forma??o Continuada de Professores Alfabetizadores e no acompanhamento sistem?tico de sua execu??o, por meio de uma estrutura organizacional sugerida pelo MEC. A tem?tica da pesquisa foi definida a partir da necessidade de compreender se esta forma??o tem sido importante para o professor e quais contribui??es podem ser consideradas significativas em termos de sua pr?xis pedag?gica. Para tanto tomamos como refer?ncia os princ?pios gerais propostos nessa forma??o, que incidem sobre a pr?tica da reflexividade, mobiliza??o dos saberes docentes, a constitui??o da identidade profissional, a socializa??o, o engajamento e a colabora??o. Objetivou-se nesta pesquisa contemplar, al?m dos resultados mensurados a partir das provas aplicadas aos alunos, os resultados qualitativos da forma??o com foco no professor. Para isso, foram analisados os diferentes contextos de produ??o e de operacionaliza??o da referida pol?tica, cotejada com os discursos dos envolvidos diretamente nesta forma??o: Coordenadora local, os Orientadores de estudo e os Professores locais. Seu referencial te?rico b?sico ? a abordagem anal?tica do ciclo de pol?ticas educacionais, proposta Stephen Ball. Portanto, realizamos um estudo sobre o contexto de produ??o do texto que informa a referida pol?tica educacional, o contexto da influ?ncia e o contexto da pr?tica da forma??o continuada do PNAIC. Este trabalho se constitui de pesquisa de campo do tipo qualitativa. Utilizamos como procedimentos de pesquisa a observa??o participante e a pesquisa bibliogr?fica, tendo por m?todos de coleta de dados: entrevista e question?rio semi-estruturado, di?rio de bordo e an?lise documental. Conclu?mos que, na realidade estudada, a forma??o continuada do PNAIC, mesmo no pouco tempo em que se sucedeu, trouxe contribui??es ? melhoria da qualidade do ensino atrav?s de mudan?as nas pr?ticas docentes. Estas mudan?as repercutiram em melhor motiva??o, participa??o e aten??o dos alunos trazendo com isso, avan?os nas suas aprendizagens. A forma??o segue caracter?stica problematizadora, onde por meio das trocas de experi?ncias e saberes, os cursistas s?o incentivados a refletir sobre as situa??es problemas e a construir estrat?gias de interven??o. Por?m alguns entraves causados por fatores externos e internos foram identificados, merecendo aten??o, principalmente por parte das autoridades pol?ticas e da equipe central municipal do PNAIC, para o sucesso dessa pol?tica na rede.

Cette thèse veut explorer l’idée de l’existence d’un roman de la non-linéarité, à travers un inventaire de la critique et l’analyse comparée de quatre ouvrages considérés comme appartenant à cette tradition (The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy, gentleman, de Laurence Sterne ; Pale fire, de Vladimir Nabokov ; La vie mode d’emploi, de Georges Perec ; House of leaves, de Mark Z. Danielewski).Dans le premier chapitre, est postulée la thèse de deux traditions dans l’histoire du roman : la tradition du roman réaliste, et une tradition caractérisée par l’utilisation de formes non linéaires. L’analyse des études sur la tradition réflexive du roman, sur la théorie du chaos appliquée à la littérature, sur les marges textuelles, sur la lecture et sur l’intertextualité seront pris en compte pour soutenir cette thèse.Sur la base de ces questionnements, le deuxième chapitre esquisse une définition du roman de la nonlinéarité, qui comprend un répertoire des procédés et des thèmes communs à cette tradition, ainsi qu’une réflexion sur ses approches du monde et de l’identité humaine.Le troisième chapitre laisse la place à l’analyse des textes du corpus. Les quatre romans sont analysés chacun pour ses spécificités, et aussi dans la perspective de vérifier le postulat d’une tradition d’un roman de la non-linéarité. En s’appuyant sur de nombreux exemples extraits des romans pris en considération, l’analyse s’articule en huit sections : le problème du commencement ; l’intertextualité ; la complexité du récit de vie ; les questions de l’interruption, de la procrastination et de l’absence ; les approches dutemps ; les approches du langage ; le thème du jeu ; l’impossibilité de la fin
This thesis aims to explore the idea of the existence of a novel of nonlinearity, through an inspection of the criticism and the comparative analysis of four works considered as belonging to this tradition (The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, by Laurence Sterne; Pale Fire, by Vladimir Nabokov; Life, a User’s Manual (La vie mode d’emploi), by Georges Perec; and House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski).The first chapter postulates the thesis of two traditions in the history of the novel: the tradition of the realist novel, and a tradition distinguished by the use of nonlinear forms. In order to support this thesis, I’ll take into account studies about the reflexive tradition of the novel, about chaos theory as applied to literature, about the margins of the text, about the reading experience, and about intertextuality.On the basis of this examination, the second chapter outlines a definition of the novel of nonlinearity, which includes a repertoire of the literary devices and themes common to this tradition, and a reflection about its perspectives upon the world and human identity.The third chapter is dedicated to the analyses of the texts included in the corpus. The four novels are analyzed for their distinctive features, and also in the aim of verifying the premise of the existence of a novel of nonlinearity. Drawing on numerous examples selected from the novels, these analyses are structured in eight sections: the problem of beginning; intertextuality; the complexity of life narratives; the issues of interruption, procrastination and absence; the approaches to time; the approaches to language; the theme of the game; and the impossibility of an ending

Doutoramento em Bioquímica
Helicobacter pylori is a bacterial pathogen that affects more than half of the world’s population with gastro-intestinal diseases and is associated with gastric cancer. The cell surface of H. pylori is decorated with lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) composed of three distinct regions: a variable polysaccharide moiety (O-chain), a structurally conserved core oligosaccharide, and a lipid A region that anchors the LPS to the cell membrane. The O-chain of H. pylori LPS, exhibits unique oligosaccharide structures, such as Lewis (Le) antigens, similar to those present in the gastric mucosa and are involved in interactions with the host. Glucan, heptoglycan, and riban domains are present in the outer core region of some H. pylori LPSs. Amylose-like glycans and mannans are also constituents of some H. pylori strains, possibly co-expressed with LPSs. The complexity of H. pylori LPSs has hampered the establishment of accurate structure-function relationships in interactions with the host, and the design of carbohydrate-based therapeutics, such as vaccines. Carbohydrate microarrays are recent powerful and sensitive tools for studying carbohydrate antigens and, since their emergence, are providing insights into the function of carbohydrates and their involvement in pathogen-host interactions. The major goals of this thesis were the structural analysis of LPSs from H. pylori strains isolated from gastric biopsies of symptomatic Portuguese patients and the construction of a novel pathogen carbohydrate microarray of these LPSs (H. pylori LPS microarray) for interaction studies with proteins. LPSs were extracted from the cell surface of five H. pylori clinical isolates and one NCTC strain (26695) by phenol/water method, fractionated by size exclusion chromatography and analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The oligosaccharides released after mild acid treatment of the LPS were analysed by electrospray mass spectrometry. In addition to the conserved core oligosaccharide moieties, structural analyses revealed the presence of type-2 Lex and Ley antigens and N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) sequences, typically found in H. pylori strains. Also, the presence of O-6 linked glucose residues, particularly in LPSs from strains 2191 and NCTC 26695, pointed out to the expression of a 6-glucan. Other structural domains, namely ribans, composed of O-2 linked ribofuranose residues were observed in the LPS of most of H. pylori clinical isolates. For the LPS from strain 14382, large amounts of O-3 linked galactose units, pointing to the occurrence of a galactan, a domain recently identified in the LPS of another H. pylori strain. A particular feature to the LPSs from strains 2191 and CI-117 was the detection of large amounts of O-4 linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues, suggesting the presence of chitin-like glycans, which to our knowledge have not been described for H. pylori strains. For the construction of the H. pylori LPS microarray, the structurally analysed LPSs, as well as LPS-derived oligosaccharide fractions, prepared as neoglycolipid (NGL) probes were noncovalently immobilized onto nitrocellulosecoated glass slides. These were printed together with NGLs of selected sequence defined oligosaccharides, bacterial LPSs and polysaccharides. The H. pylori LPS microarray was probed for recognition with carbohydratebinding proteins (CBPs) of known specificity. These included Le and blood group-related monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), plant lectins, a carbohydratebinding module (CBM) and the mammalian immune receptors DC-SIGN and Dectin-1. The analysis of these CBPs provided new information that complemented the structural analyses and was valuable in the quality control of the constructed microarray. Microarray analysis revealed the occurrence of type-2 Lex and Ley, but not type-1 Lea or Leb antigens, supporting the results obtained in the structural analysis. Furthermore, the H. pylori LPSs were recognised by DC-SIGN, a mammalian lectin known to interact with this bacterium through fucosylated Le epitopes expressed in its LPSs. The -fucose-specific lectin UEA-I, showed restricted binding to probes containing type-2 blood group H sequence and to the LPSs from strains CI-117 and 14382. The presence of H-type-2, as well Htype- 1 in the LPSs from these strains, was confirmed using specific mAbs. Although H-type-1 determinant has been reported for H. pylori LPSs, this is the first report of the presence of H-type-2 determinant. Microarray analysis also revealed that plant lectins known to bind 4-linked GlcNAc chitin oligosaccharide sequences bound H. pylori LPSs. STL, which exhibited restricted and strong binding to 4GlcNAc tri- and pentasaccharides, differentially recognised the LPS from the strain CI-117. The chitin sequences recognised in the LPS could be internal, as no binding was detected to this LPS with WGA, known to be specific for nonreducing terminal of 4GlcNAc sequence. Analyses of the H. pylori LPSs by SDS-PAGE and Western blot with STL provided further evidence for the presence of these novel domains in the O-chain region of this LPS. H. pylori LPS microarray was also applied to analysis of two human sera. The first was from a case infected with H. pylori (H. pylori+ CI-5) and the second was from a non-infected control.The analysis revealed a higher IgG-reactivity towards H. pylori LPSs in the H. pylori+ serum, than the control serum. A specific IgG response was observed to the LPS isolated from the CI-5 strain, which caused the infection. The present thesis has contributed to extension of current knowledge on chemical structures of LPS from H. pylori clinical isolates. Furthermore, the H. pylori LPS microarray constructed enabled the study of interactions with host proteins and showed promise as a tool in serological studies of H. pyloriinfected individuals. Thus, it is anticipated that the use of these complementary approaches may contribute to a better understanding of the molecular complexity of the LPSs and their role in pathogenesis.
O Helicobacter pylori é uma bactéria patogénica que afeta mais de metade da população mundial com doenças gastrointestinais e está associado ao cancro gástrico. A superfície celular do H. pylori é decorada com lipopolissacarídeos (LPSs), que são constituídos por três regiões distintas: uma região polissacarídica variável (“O-chain”), um “core” oligossacarídico estruturalmente conservado e o lípido A, que ancora o LPS à membrana celular. A “O-chain” apresenta estruturas oligossacarídicas únicas, tais como os antigénios de Lewis (Le), que são semelhantes às presentes na mucosa gástrica e que estão envolvidas na interação com o hospedeiro. Glucanas, heptoglicanas e ribanas também constituem o “core” dos LPSs do H. pylori. Glicanas do tipo amilose e mananas também são referidas como integrantes de estirpes de H. pylori, possivelmente co-expressas com os LPSs. A complexidade dos LPSs do H. pylori tem dificultado o estabelecimento de uma relação entre a estrutura e a função em interação com o hospedeiro, que é crucial para o desenvolvimento de vacinas. Os microarrays de carboidratos são ferramentas recentes no estudo de antigénios e de novos ligandos oligossacarídicos, e que têm revelado a sua função em interações patogéniohospedeiro. O trabalho desta tese teve como objetivos principais a análise estrutural de LPSs de estirpes do H. pylori isoladas de biópsias gástricas de Portugueses sintomáticos e a construção de um microarray de LPSs do H. pylori (H. pylori LPS microarray) para estudos funcionais de interação com proteínas. Os LPSs foram extraídos da superfície celular de cinco isolados clínicos do H. pylori e de 1 estirpe de referência (NCTC 26695) pelo método fenol/água, fracionados por cromatografia de exclusão molecular e analisados por cromatografia em fase gasosa acoplada à espetrometria de massa. Os oligossacarídeos resultantes da hidrólise ácida parcial do LPS foram analisados por espetrometria de massa de electrospray. Para além de estruturas existentes no “core”, a análise estrutural, revelou a presença de antigénios de Le do tipo-2, Lex e Ley, e de sequências de resíduos de N-acetillactosamina (LacNAc), tipicamente encontrados em H. pylori. A identificação de resíduos de glucose ligados na posição O-6 nos LPSs das estirpes 2191 e NCTC 26695, indicou a presença de 6-glucanas. Outros domínios, nomeadamente ribanas, compostos por resíduos de ribofuranose ligados em posição O-2, foram identificados nos LPSs da maioria dos isolados clínicos. A presença de uma galactana (O-3 galactose), recentemente identificada noutra estirpe do H. pylori, foi também identificada para a estirpe 14382. Nos LPSs das estirpes 2191 e CI-117, a elevada quantidade de resíduos de Nacetilglucosamina (GlcNAc) ligados na posição O-4, sugeriu a presença de glicosídeos semelhantes à quitina (4GlcNAc) que, ao nosso conhecimento, ainda não foram descritos para o H. pylori. Para a construção do novo microarray, os LPSs analisados e os neoglicolípidos (NGLs) derivados de frações oligossacarídicas dos LPSs foram imobilizados não-covalentemente em suportes de nitrocelulose, juntamente com NGLs com sequências oligossacarídicas definidas, LPSs de outras bactérias e outros polissacarídeos. O microarray foi avaliado com proteínas de especificidade conhecida, que incluíram anticorpos monoclonais (mAbs) específicos para os antigénios de Le e estruturas relacionadas, um módulo de ligação a carboidratos (CBM), lectinas de plantas e os recetores do sistema imunitário DC-SIGN e Dectina-1. A análise com estas proteínas forneceu informação complementar à análise estrutural, para além de ter sido útil para o controlo de qualidade do microarray. A análise do microarray revelou a ocorrência de antigénios de Le do tipo-2, Lex e Ley, mas não do tipo-1, Lea e Leb, o que está de acordo com os resultados obtidos na análise estrutural. Os LPSs do H. pylori foram reconhecidos pela DC-SIGN, que é uma lectina conhecida por interagir com esta bactéria através dos antigénios de Le expressos nos seus LPSs. A lectina UEA-I, específica para -fucose, mostrou ser restrita para determinantes do grupo sanguíneo H do tipo-2 e para os LPSs das estirpes CI-117 e 14382. A ocorrência de antigénios do tipo H-2 e do tipo H-1 nos LPSs destas estirpes foi corroborada utilizando mAbs específicos. Os antigénios do tipo H-1 já tinham sido identificados em H. pylori, mas os do tipo H-2 foram identificados pela primeira vez neste estudo. Os LPSs do H. pylori foram também reconhecidos por lectinas com especificidade para oligossacarídeos de quitina (4-linked GlcNAc). A STL, que mostrou uma ligação restrita aos tri- e pentassacarídeos, reconheceu distintivamente o LPS da estirpe CI-117, que poderão ser internas, dada a ausência de ligação detectada pela lectina WGA, com especificidade para terminais não redutores 4GlcNAc. A análise dos LPSs do H. pylori por SDS-PAGE e Western blot com a STL apontou para a presença destas estruturas na “O-chain” deste LPS. O microarray dos LPSs do H. pylori foi utilizado para a análise do soro de um indivíduo infetado com H. pylori (H. pylori+ CI-5), e mostrou um aumento na detecção de IgGs para os LPSs de H. pylori no soro H. pylori + quando comparado com o soro de um indivíduo não-infetado (H. pylori-). A resposta observada foi específica para o LPS do isolado da estirpe CI-5, causadora da infeção. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta tese contribuiu para a extensão do conhecimento estrutural dos LPSs dos isolados clínicos do H. pylori. A construção do microarray dos LPSs de H. pylori permitiu o estudo de interações com proteínas do hospedeiro, e mostrou ser útil na análise serológica de indivíduos infetados com esta bactéria. Deste modo, espera-se que o uso destas técnicas complementares possa contribuir para uma melhor compreensão da complexidade molecular dos LPSs e do seu papel na patogenicidade.