Teses / dissertações sobre o tema "Cyclist Corps"

Le cycliste a toujours souhaité maintenir et/ou améliorer ses performances. Cependant le confort reste un facteur déterminant au vu du temps passé sur le vélo. Ce confort est notamment altéré par les revêtements et les irrégularités du terrain générant des sollicitations le plus souvent néfastes à la santé. Ainsi, la communauté scientifique s'intéresse à la recherche d'un compromis performance-santé. Cet intérêt la mène à exploiter un grand nombre d'outils caractérisés par la mesure d'une grandeur physique. Parmi ces grandeurs, l'accélération apparaît comme une caractéristique riche en information. Elle permet l'analyse de la performance par un suivi de l'athlète et la prévention de la santé par l'évaluation et la limitation des effets délétères. Ces deux aspects, abordés dans ces travaux de thèse, s'appuient sur les concepts généraux de la mécanique des structures
Cyclists have always wanted to keep and/or improve their performance. However, comfort is still a determinant factor because of the time spend on the bike. This comfort is especially altered by the coverings and the irregularities of the field generating loads that are often harmful to health. Therefore, the scientific community is interested in the research of a compromise between performance and health. This interest leads it to explore a large amount of tools characterized by the measure of a physical quantity. Among these values, the acceleration appears as a quantity rich in information. It allows to analyse the performance through monitoring of the athlete or the prevention of health disorders by the evaluation and limitation of the harmful effects

Orientadores: Fabíola Taufic Mónica Iglesias, Edson Antunes
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
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Resumo: Duas classes de medicamentos denominadas estimuladores e ativadores da GCs foram desenvolvidas para uso terapêutico em situações patológicas, onde há menor biodisponibilidade NO ou tolerância farmacológica. A principal diferença entre os moduladores da GCs é que os ativadores atuam de maneira mais eficaz mesmo quando a enzima encontra-se no estado oxidado. O presente trabalho foi dividido em duas etapas, a saber: 1) caracterização farmacológica do ativador BAY 60-2770 em corpo cavernoso (CC) de coelho e 2) avaliação do efeito do ativador BAY 60-2770 e estimulador BAY 41-2272 da GCs em CC isolado de ratos espontaneamente hipertensos (SHR) e normotensos (WKY). O BAY 60-2770 promoveu relaxamento concentração dependente em corpo cavernoso de coelho (pEC50: 7,584 ± 0,1923), sendo este efeito potencializado na presença dos inibidores da GCs ODQ (10 µM; pEC50: 8,170 ± 0,1365) e da fosfodiesterase tipo 5 (PDE5), tadalafil (100 ?M; pEC50: 8,381 ± 0,1334). A contração induzida por estimulação elétrica foi reduzida em aproximadamente 50% na presença de BAY 60-2770, sendo este efeito potencializado na presença de ODQ. Em relação ao relaxamento induzido pela estimulação elétrica, o ODQ e BAY 60-2770 aboliu e aumentou, respectivamente o relaxamento. A co-incubação de BAY 60-2770 com ODQ não alterou o relaxamento em comparação com o ODQ sozinho. Curiosamente, quando BAY 60-2770 foi incubado 20 min antes da adição de ODQ, os relaxamentos induzidos por estimulação elétrica foram parcialmente restaurados quando comparado com o ODQ sozinho. Em relação à segunda etapa do trabalho, o relaxamento induzido pelos moduladores da GCs, BAY 60-2770 e BAY 41-2272 não diferiram em CC de ratos SHR comparados ao seu respectivo controle, porém, estes dados não corroboram com a quantificação de GMPc, no qual evidenciamos aumento dos seus níveis em CC de ratos SHR sendo estes níveis ainda maiores quando na presença de ODQ em comparação ao CC de WKY. Observamos também que o relaxamento induzido pela acetilcolina (ACh) encontrou-se reduzido em CC dos animais hipertensos, entretanto, a adição de BAY 60-2770 ou BAY 41-2272 restaurou este relaxamento. Não foi encontrada diferença na expressão das subunidades ?1 e ?1 da GCs em ratos SHR e WKY, porém quando analisamos a expressão da PDE-5, verificamos maior expressão em CC de ratos SHR. O BAY 60-2770 foi capaz de elevar a pressão intracavernosa em CC de ratos normotensos em todas as frequências estudadas, porém esta elevação somente foi significativa na frequência de 16 Hz. Considerando que 1) BAY 60-2770 induziu relaxamento em CC de coelho e de rato hipertenso de maneira mais potente que o estimulador BAY 41-2272, 2) a adição de ODQ potencializou o relaxamento do BAY 60-2770, mas não do BAY 41-2272 em CC de ambas espécies, 3) o aumento dos níveis de GMPc foi maior em CC de ratos SHR após estímulo com BAY 60-2770, mas não com BAY 41-2272 pode-se concluir que em situações patológicas onde há oxidação da GCs e/ou menor biodisponilidade de NO, os ativadores da GCs seriam mais vantajosos que os estimuladores ou inibidores da PDE5 para o tratamento da disfunção erétil
Abstract: Two classes of drugs referred to as stimulators and sGC activators have been developed for therapeutic use in pathological situations where there is less NO bioavailability and pharmacological tolerance. The main difference between the sGC activators modulators is that they act more effectively even when the enzyme is in the oxidized state. This study was divided into two stages: 1) pharmacological characterization of BAY 60-2770 activator in corpus cavernosum (CC) of rabbit and 2) evaluation of the effect of BAY 60-2770 BAY 41-2272 activator and stimulator of GCs isolated from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive (WKY). The BAY 60-2770 induced concentration-dependent relaxation in rabbit corpus cavernosum (pEC 50: 7.584 ± 0.1923), and this increased effect in the presence of GCs ODQ inhibitors (10 ?M; pEC 50: 8.170 ± 0.1365) and the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), tadalafil (100 ?m; pEC50: 8.381 ± 0.1334). The contraction induced by electric stimulation was reduced by approximately 50% in the presence of BAY 60-2770, and this increased effect in the presence of ODQ. In relation to the relaxation induced by electrical stimulation, ODQ and BAY 60-2770 abolished and increased, respectively the relaxation. Co-incubation with BAY 60-2770 with ODQ did not change compared to the relaxation with only ODQ. Curiously, when BAY 60-2770 was incubated 20 minutes before addition of ODQ, the relaxation induced by electric stimulation was partially restored when compared with only ODQ. In the second part, relaxation induced by modulators of GCs, BAY 60-2770 and BAY 41-2272 did not differ in SHR CC compared to their respective control, however, these data do not corroborate the quantification of cGMP, in which we observed an increase in their levels in SHR rats and these levels even higher in the presence of ODQ in comparing the CC of WKY. We also observed a reduction of the relaxation induced by acetylcholine (ACh) in CC of hypertensive animals, however, the addition of BAY 60-2770 or BAY 41-2272 restored this relaxation. There was no difference in the expression of ?1 and ?1 subunits of sGC in SHR and WKY rats, but when we analyzed the expression of PDE-5, we found greater expression in SHR. The BAY 60-2770 was able to raise up the intracavernous pressure in the normotensive rats in all studied frequencies, but this increase was only significant in the frequency of 16 Hz. Considering 1) BAY 60-2770 induced relaxation in rabbit and hypertensive rat so that the most potent stimulator BAY 41-2272, 2) addition of ODQ potentiated relaxation of BAY 60-2770, but not in BAY 41-2272 in CC of both, 3) increased levels cGMP was greater in SHR rats after stimulation with BAY 60-2770, but not in BAY 41-2272 so can be concluded that in pathologic situations where there is oxidation of GCs and / or low bioavailability of NO, would activators of sGC more advantageous than PDE5 inhibitors or stimulators for the treatment of erectile dysfunction
Mestrado
Farmacologia
Mestra em Farmacologia

L'ensemble A(k) des points rationnels d'une variété abélienne A définie sur un corps fini k forme un groupe abélien fini. Ce groupe convient pour des multiples applications, et sa structure est très importante. Connaître les possibles structures de groupe des A(k) et quelques statistiques est donc fondamental. Dans cette thèse, on s'intéresse aux "variétés cycliques", i.e. variétés abéliennes définies sur des corps finis avec groupe des points rationnels cyclique.Les isogénies nous donnent une classification plus grossière que celle donnée par les classes d'isomorphisme des variétés abéliennes, mais elles offrent un outil très puissant en géométrie algébrique. Chaque classe d'isogénie est déterminée par son polynôme de Weil. On donne un critère pour caractériser les "classes d'isogénies cycliques", i.e. classes d'isogénies de variétés abéliennes définies sur des corps finis qui contiennent seulement des variétés cycliques. Ce critère est basé sur le polynôme de Weil de la classe d'isogénie.À partir de cela, on donne des bornes de la proportion de classes d'isogénies cycliques parmi certaines familles de classes d'isogénies paramétrées par ses polynômes de Weil.On donne aussi la proportion de classes d'isogénies cycliques "locaux" parmi les classes d'isogénie définies sur des corps finis mathbb{F}_q avec q éléments, quand q tend à l'infini
The set A(k) of rational points of an abelian variety A defined over a finite field k forms a finite abelian group. This group is suitable for multiple applications, and its structure is very important. Knowing the possible group structures of A(k) and some statistics is then fundamental. In this thesis, we focus our interest in "cyclic varieties", i.e. abelian varieties defined over finite fields with cyclic group of rational points. Isogenies give us a coarser classification than that given by the isomorphism classes of abelian varieties, but they provide a powerful tool in algebraic geometry. Every isogeny class is determined by its Weil polynomial. We give a criterion to characterize "cyclic isogeny classes", i.e. isogeny classes of abelian varieties defined over finite fields containing only cyclic varieties. This criterion is based on the Weil polynomial of the isogeny class.From this, we give bounds on the fractions of cyclic isogeny classes among certain families of isogeny classes parameterized by their Weil polynomials.Also we give the proportion of "local"-cyclic isogeny classes among the isogeny classes defined over the finite field mathbb{F}_q with q elements, when q tends to infinity

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Management of information technology (IT) assets within an enterprise is necessary to control organizational costs and ensure that the necessary business requirements are supported. For over 10 years, the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) was charged with this task in Navy and Marine Corps IT systems. With the expiration of the NMCI contract, the Marine Corps is now managing its own IT assets. To understand the scope of IT assets to enable better management, this research explores items accounted for within the master data repository, which is aiding in the migration of legacy logistics systems to GCSS-MC. These items and their associated costs are divided into categories to provide a baseline view of Marine Corps IT hardware assets. An equivalent annual cost is applied to assets to suggest a refreshment cycle for laptops, desktops, and servers. This demonstrates a method that can provide IT managers with a means of determining when an asset should be refreshed.

Cette thèse est consacrée à définir et étudier des invariants motiviques associés aux ensembles semi-algébriques dans les corps valués. Ceux-ci sont les combinaisons booléennes d'ensembles définis par des inégalités valuatives. L'outil principal que nous utilisons est l'intégration motivique, une forme de théorie de la mesure à valeurs dans le groupe de Grothendieck des variétés définies sur le corps résiduel. Dans une première partie, on définit la notion de densité locale motivique. C'est un analogue valuatif du nombre de Lelong complexe, de la densité réelle de Kurdyka-Raby et de la densité p-adique de Cluckers-Comte-Loeser. C'est un invariant métrique à valeurs dans un localisé du groupe de Grothendieck des variétés. Notre résultat principal est que cet invariant se calcule sur le cône tangent muni de multiplicités motiviques. On établit un analogue de la formule de Cauchy-Crofton locale. On montre enfin que dans le cas d'une courbe plane, la densité motivique est égale à la somme des inverses des multiplicités des branches. L'objet de la seconde partie est de définir un morphisme d'anneau du groupe de Grothendieck des ensembles semi-algébriques sur un corps valué K vers le groupe de Grothendieck de la catégorie d'Ayoub des motifs rigides analytiques sur K. On montre qu'il étend le morphisme qui envoie la classe d'une variété algébrique sur la classe de son motif cohomologique à support compact. Cela fournit donc une notion virtuelle de motif cohomologique à support compact pour les variétés rigides analytiques. On montre également un théorème de dualité permettant de comparer le motif cohomologique de la fibre de Milnor analytique avec la fibre de Milnor motivique
This thesis is devoted to define and study some motivic invariants associated to semialgebraic sets in valued fields. They are boolean combinations of sets defined by valuative inequalities. Our main tool is the theory of motivic integration, which is a kind of measure theory with values in the Grothendieck group of varieties defined over the residue field. In the first part, we define the notion of motivic local density. It is a valuative analog of complex Lelong number, Kurdyka-Raby real density and p-adic density of Cluckers- Comte-Loeser. It is a metric invariant with values in a localization of the Grothendieck group of varieties. Our main result is that it can be computed on the tangent cone with motivic multiplicities. We also establish an analog of the local Cauchy-Crofton formula. We finally show that the density of a germ of plane curve defined over the residue field is equal to the sum of the inverses of the multiplicities of the formal branches of the curve. The goal of the second part is to define a ring morphism from the Grothendieck group of semi-algebraic sets defined over a valued field K to the Grothendieck group of Ayoub’s categoryof rigid analytic motives over K. We show that it extends the morphism sending the class of an algebraic variety to the class of its cohomological motive with compact support. This gives a notion of virtual cohomological motive with compact support for rigid analytic varieties. We also show a duality theorem allowing us to compare the cohomological motive of the analytic Milnor fiber with the motivic Milnor fiber

Although recent studies in other laboratories have greatly increased our understanding of luteal function in cattle, we are still unable to accurately synchronise luteolysis, preovulatory follicular growth and ovulation with commercially available pharmacological preparations. The aim of these studies was to investigate the factor(s) which controls the formation, function and regression of the GnRH-induced corpus luteum (CL). Initially, we sought to develop an experimental model to examine the characteristics of the CL induced in intact heifers with normal oestrous cyclicity, by GnRH injection in the early luteal phase. Administration of GnRH on Day 6 after the synchronised oestrus resulted in ovulation and formation of an additional CL in >70% of animals. Following prostaglandin F_2α(PGF_2α) in the mid-luteal phase, the spontaneously-formed CL underwent luteolysis while the induced CL did not, leading to a delay in return to oestrus associated with a persistence of luteal function. Having demonstrated the ovulatory competence of the dominant follicle of the first follicular wave, and the formation of a functional CL, it was of interest to examine the reason for the premature demise of the induced CL in the GnRH responders when compared to the spontaneously-formed CL. Administration of steroid-stripped bovine follicular fluid (bFF), which suppressed the growth of the dominant follicle, and reduced serum oestradiol concentrations, resulted in a further delay in the return to oestrus and a significant extension in the lifespan of the induced CL, when compared to the untreated responders, and provided circumstantial evidence that oestradiol was the endogenous agent responsible for regression of the induced CL.

Les phénomènes de consolidation permettant le maintien d'informations ont pour support des cascades moléculaires ayant un rôle spécifique dans les processus mnésiques. Ainsi, bien que la voie AMPc/PKA/CREB semble nécessaire à la consolidation d'informations, une augmentation de l'activité de cette voie est observée dans des structures mnésiques non nécessaires au stockage d'un type d'information donné. Ce travail de thèse a consisté à préciser le rôle de cette augmentation d'activité lors des processus de consolidation. L'étude de la cinétique de phosphorylation de CREB dans l'hippocampe (Hpc) et le striatum (Str) a révélé que l'Hpc développe une activité biphasique avec un pic précoce et un pic tardif. Les études pharmocologiques ont révélé que seule la phase tardive d'activité est critique pour la sélection du système de mémoire adapté. Le Str présente une activité monophasique avec un pic précoce et transitoire, les effets des modifications de la voie AMPc/PKA/CREB étant différents en fonction de la partie du Str considérée, au moment de l'intervention et du type d'information traité. L'implication différentielle de 2 isoformes d'adénylyl-cyclase dans l'Hpc lors de la consolisation d'informations procédurales et relationnelles a été révélée, caractérisant ainsi l'augmentation de l'activité de la voie AMPc/PKA/CREB lors de la consolidation de ces deux types d'informations. Ce travail suggère que les phénomènes de consolisation permettent la sélection du système de mémoire adapté et qu'un fonctionnement particulier de l'Hpc oriente la stratégie comportementale vers une modalité relationnelle ou procédurale. De plus, la réalisation de l'épreuve modifié en direct ces processus de consolisation, permettant d'adapter la stratégie comportementale. Il faut donc considérer les phénomènes de Consolidation comme des mécanismes flexibles intervenant dans la configuration du réseau cérébral mnésique, permettant une adaptation appropriée à l'environnement.

Cette these construit et etudie une application de specialisation pour les zero-cycles sur une surface relative sur un trait. Nous demontrons la surjectivite de cet homomorphisme lorsque le trait de base est henselien. Lorsqu'en plus la dimension cohomologique du corps residuel est inferieure a un, et la fibre generique remplit certaines conditions geometriques, par exemple celle d'etre rationnelle, et la condition arithmetique que l'inertie agit trivialement sur son groupe de picard geometrique, nous etablissons la bijectivite de la specialisation. Cela fournit un moyen pratique pour calculer le groupe des classes de zero-cycles sur une telle surface

Orientador: Gilberto de Nucci
Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas
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Resumo: O sildenafil, inibidor específico de PDE5, é utilizado no tratamento da disfunção erétil. Na procura de um inibidor mais potente e seletivo de PDE5, testamos vinte novos análogos do sildenafil (6a-v), caracterizados pela presença de um grupo sulfonil ou de um substituinte n'n'etilendiamina na posição do grupo metil da piperazina. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: 1) Avaliar a atividade inibitória da PDE5 de plaquetas humanas; 2) Avaliar o efeito relaxante dos análogos do sildenafil em corpo cavernoso de coelho; 3) Avaliar o efeito relaxante dos análogos do sildenafil em anéis de aorta de coelho. Foi utilizado sangue de voluntários sadios para a atividade inibitória da PDE5 e coelhos New Zealand machos (2-3 kg) procedentes do CEMIB-UNICAMP para os estudos funcionais. Os animais foram anestesiados com uretana, o corpo cavernoso e a artéria aorta foram rapidamente removidos. O tecido cavernoso e anéis de aorta foram montados em banho para órgão isolado contendo solução de Krebs (37oC, 95% O2 / 5% CO2). Os tecidos foram ligados a transdutores isométricos conectados a um sistema PowerLab® de aquisição de dados. Nossos resultados mostraram que a atividade inibitória da PDE5 induzida pelos análogos do sildenafil em plaquetas humanas foi de maneira dependente da concentração. Os compostos 6m, 6n e 6q mostraram valores elevados de IC50 para inibir a PDE5 plaquetária, enquanto que os compostos 6a, 6b, 6d, 6g e 6p produziram inibição inferior a 50%. A potência inibitória (IC50) dos compostos 6c, 6e, 6f, 6h, 6i, 6l e 6o foi similar ao sildenafil (IC50: 0,05 µM) com valores variando entre 0,05 e 0,15 µM. Os análogos que derivaram da molécula n'n'etilendiamina (6r, 6s, 6t e 6v) mostraram uma boa atividade inibitória com valores entre 0,20-0,51 µM. Interessantemente, o composto 6u mostrou uma potência de 0,04 µM, o qual representou o menor valor obtido dos análogos do sildenafil. Nos estudos funcionais, todos os análogos do sildenafil, à exceção do análogo 6m, relaxaram preparações de corpo cavernoso de coelho de maneira dependente da concentração. Particularmente, o análogo 6f mostrou o melhor perfil farmacológico no relaxamento, com potência similar ao sildenafil, e pode servir de base para o desenvolvimento de novos inibidores de PDE5 para o tratamento da disfunção erétil. Além disso, nossos resultados mostraram que os análogos do sildenafil produzem relaxamento dependente da concentração em anéis de aorta de coelho com endotélio íntegro ou removido. Somente o análogo 6b e 6m apresentaram valores de potência inferiores quando comparados ao sildenafil em tecidos com endotélio íntegro. A remoção do endotélio ou a adição do LNAME ou do ODQ (inibidor da NO sintase e da guanilil ciclase solúvel, respectivamente) em tecidos com endotélio íntegro, provocou deslocamento à direita para o sildenafil e seus análogos, à exceção do 6r e 6u que não apresentaram diminuição da potência decorrente da inibição do NO, seja pela remoção do endotélio, pela inibição da NO sintase ou pela inibição da guanilil ciclase solúvel. Nossos dados também mostram que o 6r e 6u, em combinação com o BAY 41-2272, aumentam a potência evocada por estes análogos tanto em anéis de aorta com endotélio íntegro ou removido. O relaxamento evocado pelo sildenafil, 6r e 6u não envolve a participação de canais de potássio e de cálcio, nem envolve a formação de prostanóides. As respostas relaxantes destes dois análogos não foram alteradas em tecidos desprovidos de endotélio, mostrando-se independentes da via NO/GMPc. Isto sugere que estes dois análogos podem ser de particular interesse em patologias decorrentes de disfunção endotelial.
Abstract: Sildenafil, a cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, is used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. In the search for a potent and selective PDE5 inhibitor, new sildenafil analogues (6a-v), characterized by the presence on the sulphonyl group in the 5' position of novel N-4-substituted piperazines or ethylenediamine moiety, were synthesized. The aim of this work was 1) To evaluate the PDE5 inhibitory activity in human platelets; 2) To evaluate the relaxing effect of sildenafil analogues in rabbit corpus cavernosum; 3) To evaluate the relaxing effect of sildenafil analogues in rabbit isolated aorta. Blood from human volunteers were collected and used for PDE5 inhibitory activity and Male New Zealand rabbit (2-3 kg) for functional studies. The rabbits were anaesthetized with urethane and sacrificed. The cavernosal tissue and aortic rings were mounted in organ bath containing Krebs solution (37oC, 95% O2 / 5% CO2). Each tissue was connected to an isometric transducer which was connected to a data acquisition system Powerlab®. Our results showed that sildenafil and its analogues concentration-dependently inhibited PDE5 activity in human platelets. Compounds 6m, 6n and 6q showed higher values of IC50 to inhibit PDE5 of platelets, whereas compounds 6a, 6b, 6d, 6g and 6p did not reach 50% of inhibition. The inhibitory potency of PDE5 for 6c, 6e, 6f, 6h, 6i, 6l and 6o were similar with sildenafil (IC50: 0,05 µM) with values between 0,05-0,15 µM. Derived analogues from n'n' substitution showed great PDE5 inhibitory activity. Interesting, compound 6u exhibited greater IC50 value (0,04 µM). In functional studies, all sildenafil analogues with exception of 6m, relaxed concentration-dependently rabbit corpus cavernosum. Compound 6f exhibited great pEC50 value in corpus cavernosum and could be used as base for developing new PDE5 inhibitors. Moreover, our results showed that sildenafil analogues concentration-dependently relaxed both endothelium-intact and - denuded aortic rings with similar potency values of sildenafil. Compounds 6b and 6m showed lower values of potency when compared to sildenafil in endothelium intact. Endothelium denudation or addition of L-NAME or ODQ (NOS and sGC inhibitors, respectively) caused marked rightward shifts in the curve to sildenafil and its analogues, whereas the relaxation curves for 6r and 6u were not altered after endothelium removal or either by the NO synthase or sGC inhibition. Moreover, our data also suggest that compound 6r and 6u increased the potency values in combination with BAY 41-2272 in both intact and denuded endothelium. The relaxation evoked by sildenafil, 6r and 6u does not involve either calcium or potassium channels or prostanoids formation. The relaxing responses by these compounds were independent of NO/cGMP pathway, suggesting that these compounds may be used in several diseases involving endothelium dysfunction.
Doutorado
Doutor em Farmacologia

Undesirable and variable behavior in mares related to the estrous cycle is a common issue reported in the equine industry, especially for mares in a performance setting. These behaviors can interfere with, as well as decrease, overall performance. The objective of this study was to determine if administration of sixty units of oxytocin once daily for 29 days, regardless of when treatment was initiated during the estrous cycle, would induce prolonged corpus luteum (CL) function in cycling mares. Mares were randomly assigned to two groups: 1) saline-treated control (n=7) and 2) oxytocintreated (n=9). Control mares received 3 cc saline and oxytocin-treated mares received sixty units (3 cc) of oxytocin intramuscularly (IM) for 29 consecutive days. Treatment was initiated in all mares on the same day, independent of the day of the cycle. Jugular blood samples for determination of progesterone concentration were collected three times weekly (M, W, F) for 21 days before treatment was initiated. Beginning on the first day of treatment, blood samples were collected daily for seven days, three times weekly for the remainder of the treatment period, and then three times weekly for 45 days after the last treatment. Mares were considered to have prolonged CL function if serum progesterone remained >1.0 ng/mL for at least 30 days during/after the treatment period. The proportion of mares with prolonged CL function was higher in the oxytocin-treated group compared to the saline-treated group (7/9 vs. 1/7, respectively; P1.0 ng/mL throughout the treatment period and into the post-treatment period. All mares with prolonged CL function maintained elevated progesterone concentrations through at least day 56 of the study. Sixty units of exogenous oxytocin treatment for 29 consecutive days was effective in prolonging CL function as a means of estrus suppression in mares.

On étudie deux problèmes sur les traces en cohomologie l-adique sur les corps locaux à corps résiduels finis. Dans la première partie, on décrit le comportement des complexes de faisceaux l-adiques entiers par les six opérations de Grothendieck et le foncteur des cycles proches. Dans la deuxième, on aborde le problème de rationalité et d'indépendance de l. Plus précisément, on introduit une notion de compatibilité pour les systèmes de complexes l-adiques et établit sa stabilité par lesdites opérations, dans un cadre un peu plus général (équivariant sous des groupes finis). L'outil principal dans ce travail est un théorème de de Jong sur les altérations
We study two problems on traces in l-adic cohomology over local fields with finite residue fields. In the first part, we describe the behavior of integral complexes of l-adic sheaves under Grothendieck's six operations and the nearby cycles functor. In the second part we tackle the problem of rationality and independence of l. More precisely, we introduce a notion of compatibility for systems of l-adic complexes and establish its stability by the above operations, in a slightly more general context (equivariant under finite groups). The main tool in this work is a theorem of de Jong on alterations

A central area of research in linguistics is the study of changes in vocabulary over time, be it over historical time periods or faster changes within generations. One contributing factor driving such fast changes could be “fashion cycles”, as this is a very general cultural phenomenon. Here, results are reported from a corpus study investigating trends over time in the use of cyber as the first part of compound nouns, and of alternatives which carry a similar meaning, such as e- as short for electronic. It is found that cyber was commonly used in the time period 1995-2004. Usage then strongly declined, but there was a new peak in popularity in the last year of available data (2012). Interestingly, cyber was initially used in positively charged or neutral contexts (e.g. cyberspace), but in recent years mostly in negatively charged words such as cyberbullying or cyber warfare. The hypothesis that cyber has been replaced with e- was partially supported (in particular in the case of e-mail, but e-books is another prominent example of a recent rising trend in vocabulary). However, in most other contexts usage of e- actually peaked a few years before the last years of the available corpus data. In general, results were consistent with “fashion cycles” in that the popularity of using cyber or e-, and in particular of specific words including these compound noun parts, seems to come and go rapidly over time. Interestingly use of cyber was seen mostly in negative contexts during later time periods. No such change was apparent in the use of e-. An emerging hypothesis partially supported by the data is that words in commercial contexts (e.g. cyber-business, e-business) rapidly lose their positive charge as they become common and are replaced by other, more novel and more fashionable words. Corpus linguistics is a very powerful tool for investigating such patterns of change in the popularity of words, and the processes behind them.

Neste trabalho apresentamos várias demonstrações do Teorema da Base Normal para certos tipos de extensões galoisianas de corpos, algumas existenciais e outras construtivas, destacando as diferenças e dificuldades de cada situação. Apresentamos também generalizações de tal teorema e mostramos que toda extensão galoisiana de grau ímpar de corpos admite uma base normal autodual com respeito µa forma bilinear traço
In this work we present several demonstrations of The Normal Basis Theorem for certain kinds of galoisian extensions of fields, some of them existential and others constructive, pointing the diffculties and differences in each situation. We also present generalizations of such theorem and show that every odd degree galoisian extension of fields admits a self-dual normal base with respect to the trace bilinear map

Les systèmes turbiditiques forment de grands édifices sédimentaires sous-marins situés au large des fleuves en pied de pente continentale et constituent les dépôts terrigènes les plus distaux d’un système fluviatile. Leur structure interne, définie comme un empilement de systèmes chenal-levées, montre des changements architecturaux au cours du temps dont les forçages sont encore mal connus, et le rôle respectif des facteurs de contrôle interne (lié au fonctionnement propre du système) ou externe (climat, variations du niveau marin, tectonique) reste sujet à débats. Afin de mieux comprendre le rôle de ces facteurs de contrôle, une étude détaillée de l’architecture du système Congo a été réalisée. Cette étude a été menée dans le cadre du projet de recherche Reprezaï (Ifremer/IUEM, depuis 2006), faisant suite aux projets Guiness et ZaïAngo (Ifremer/Total, 1992-2003), projets au cours desquels de nombreuses campagnes en mer ont permis l'acquisition d’une importante base de données géophysiques et géologiques. Une analyse quantitative de différents paramètres architecturaux des chenaux (longueur totale, longueur construite après avulsion, entre autres) de l’Edifice Axial du Congo (derniers 200 ka) révèle des cycles sédimentaires de progradation et rétrogradation des dépôt-centres, les plus grandes rétrogradations correspondant à des avulsions situées très en amont dans l’édifice turbiditique. Les dépôts-centres identifiés à la terminaison des chenaux correspondent à des complexes de lobes (selon la nomenclature de Prélat et al., 2009) relativement allongés dont les volumes (de 3 à 196 km3) varient considérablement dans le temps et l'espace sans pour autant montrer de cycles de variation comme pour les autres paramètres. Le volume cumulé de ces complexes de lobes reconnus représente jusqu'à 31% du volume de l’Edifice Axial. L’étude multiproxies (datations 14C, δ18O, mesures XRF, Carbone Organique Total, …) de carottes prélevées sur les chenaux les plus progradants et les plus rétrogradants, a fourni un cadre chronologique permettant de caler temporellement ces cycles sédimentaires. L’évolution temporelle des paramètres architecturaux a été comparée avec les variations des signaux paléoenvironnementaux et paléoclimatiques (pollens, COT, mesures XRF et MSCL, argiles…) enregistrés par une carotte de référence située en domaine hémipélagique et contemporaine de la construction de l’Edifice Axial. Les résultats mettent en évidence un lien étroit entre l’évolution architecturale de l’édifice turbiditique et les décharges fluviatiles du Congo. Ces dernières, mais aussi l’extension du couvert végétal sur le bassin versant, contrôlent le rapport sable/argile et donc, en partie, la capacité de transport des courants turbiditiques. Ces deux facteurs dépendent des précipitations liées aux variations d’intensité de la mousson en relation avec les cycles de précession (19-23 ka, Milankovitch). Un scénario de mise en place des systèmes chenal-levées et lobes de l’Edifice Axial en fonction des variations climatiques arides/humides sur le bassin versant a ainsi pu être proposé grâce à de bonnes contraintes stratigraphiques pour les derniers 40 ka. En période aride, les courants turbiditiques, peu fréquents et avec un fort rapport sable/argile qui diminue leur capacité de transport, sont propices à l'aggradation des chenaux, engendrant des conditions favorables pour la création ultérieure d’avulsions en amont. En période de transition aride/humide, lorsque le couvert végétal est encore peu développé, la décharge fluviatile accompagnée d’une charge solide importante augmente le volume des courants turbiditiques, favorisant les avulsions en amont du système. Enfin, les périodes humides, caractérisées par un débit liquide fort associé à une charge solide essentiellement argileuse qui décroît au fur et à mesure que le couvert végétal s’étend, génèrent des courants de turbidité dont la capacité de transport diminue au cours du temps […]
Turbidite systems are huge submarine sedimentary fans located off rivers, at the foot of the continental slope. They constitute the most distal terrigeneous deposits of a fluvial system. Their internal structure, defined as a stacking of channel-levee systems, show architectural changes through time. Forcing factors of these architectural changesare still poorly understood, and the respective role of internal (related to the own functioning of the system) or external forcing factors (climate, seal-level variations, tectonics) remains debated. To better understand the role of these controlling factors, a detailed study of the Congo system architecture was carried out. This study was conducted as part of the Reprezaï research project (Ifremer/IUEM, since 2006), following the Guiness and ZaïAngo projects (Ifremer/Total, 1992-2003), during which many oceanographic surveys allowed acquiring an important geophysical and geological data base. A quantitative analysis of different architectural parameters from the channels (e.g. total length, length built after avulsion,…) of the Congo Axial Fan (last 200 ka) reveals progradational-retrogradational sedimentary cycles of the depocenters, the highest retrogradations corresponding to avulsions located very upfan. Depocenters identified at the termination of the channels correspond to relatively elongated lobe complexes (according to the nomenclature of Prélat et al., 2009) with greatly variable volumes (from 3 to 196 km3) both in time and space, without any cyclicity like that identified by other parameters. The cumulative volume of these lobe complexes represents up to 31% of the Axial Fan volume. The multiproxies study (14C dating, δ18O, XRF measurements, Total Organic Carbon…) of cores sampled on the most prograding and retrograding channels provided a chronological framework to these sedimentary cycles. The temporal evolution of the architectural parameters was compared with changes in paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic signals (pollens, TOC, XRF and MSCL measurements, clay mineralogy,…) recorded in the sediments of a reference core deposited simultaneously to the Axial Fan, but located outside the turbidite flows. Results highlight a strong link between the architectural evolution of the turbidite system and the Congo River discharge. These, as well as the expansion of the vegetation cover in the catchment area, control the sand/clay ratio and thus, at least partly, the transport capacity of turbidity currents that build the channel-levee systems. Both factors depend on rainfall related to the monsoon intensity variations in relation with precession (19-23 ka Milankovitch). A scenario for the deposition of channel-levee systems and lobes of the Axial Fan in link with arid/humid climate variations in the catchment area has been proposed thanks to good stratigraphic constraints for the last 40 ka. During arid periods, turbidity currents are infrequent and present a high sand/clay ratio which decreases their transport capacity. These turbidity currents are suitable to channel aggradation, generating favorable conditions for the subsequent creation of upfan avulsion. During periods of transition of arid to humid conditions, when the canopy is still underdeveloped, fluvial discharge and significant sediment load increases result in an increase of the turbidity currents volume, which favors upfan avulsions. Finally, during humid periods, Congo discharge is characterized by a strong liquid flow and a mainly clayey solid discharge which decreases gradually as the canopy extends. These conditions generate turbidity currents with decreasing transport capacity through time. However the transport capacity of these currents remains sufficient to reach distal portions of the systems and favor channels progradation. This climatic factor seems therefore to regularly disrupt the more perennial internal control which is also highlighted by the Congo Axial Fan architecture

En considérant les polynômes sur le corps fini de Galois à deux éléments, notre intention porte sur la divisibilité des trinômes x^am+x^bs+1, pour m>s≥1, par un polynôme irréductible de degré r, pour cela, nous avons réalisé le résultat :S'il existe m, s des entiers positifs tels que le trinôme x^am+x^bs+1 soit divisible par un polynôme irréductible de degré r sur F2, alors a et b ne sont pas divisibles par (2r- 1). Pour ce type de trinômes nous conjecturons que le rapport πM(a,b)/ πM(1,1) tend vers une limite finie (dépendant de a et b) quand M tend vers l'infini. Notre recherche porte ensuite sur les codes cycliques de rendement 1/2 sur les deux corps finis F3 et F5 et nous accentuons notre recherche sur ceux iso duaux. Le problème central dans la théorie du codage est trouver la plus grande distance minimum dq pour laquelle un code de paramètres [n, q, d] sur Fq existe. Dans ce contexte nous avons réussi à optimiser cette distance pour les codes cycliques de taux 1/2 sur F3 et F5 en allant jusqu’à la longueur 74 pour les codes ternaires et 42 pour ceux sur F5. Nous avons aussi réussi à construire sept classes de codes cycliques iso-duaux sur le corps fini à 3 éléments et trois classes de codes cycliques iso-duaux sur le corps fini à 5 éléments
Considering polynomials over the Galois finite fields for two elements, our intention stand over the divisibility of the trinomials x^am+x^bs+1, for m>s ≥ 1, by an irreducible polynomial of degree r, for this, we contribute to the result :If there exist positive integers m, s such that the trinomial x^am+x^bs+1 is divisible by an irreducible polynomial of degree r over F2, then a and b are not divisible by (2^r- 1). For this type of trinomials we conjectured that the ratios πM(a,b)/ πM(1,1) tend to a finite limit (dependently of a and b) when M tend to infinity. Our research stand at sequel on the cyclic codes of rate 1/2 over the two finite fields F3 and F5 and we check our research over whose are isodual. The so-called fundamental problem in coding theory is finding the largest value of dq for which a code of parameters [n, q, d] over Fq exists. In this context we have successfully optimize this distance for the cyclic codes of rate 1/2 over F3 and F5 up to length 74 for the ternary cyclic codes and 42 for whose over F5. We have also successful to construct seven classes of isodual cyclic codes over the field of 3 elements and three classes over the field of 5 elements

En considérant les polynômes sur le corps fini de Galois à deux éléments, notre intention porte sur la divisibilité des trinômes x^am+x^bs+1, pour m>s≥1, par un polynôme irréductible de degré r, pour cela, nous avons réalisé le résultat :S'il existe m, s des entiers positifs tels que le trinôme x^am+x^bs+1 soit divisible par un polynôme irréductible de degré r sur F2, alors a et b ne sont pas divisibles par (2r- 1). Pour ce type de trinômes nous conjecturons que le rapport πM(a,b)/ πM(1,1) tend vers une limite finie (dépendant de a et b) quand M tend vers l'infini. Notre recherche porte ensuite sur les codes cycliques de rendement 1/2 sur les deux corps finis F3 et F5 et nous accentuons notre recherche sur ceux iso duaux. Le problème central dans la théorie du codage est trouver la plus grande distance minimum dq pour laquelle un code de paramètres [n, q, d] sur Fq existe. Dans ce contexte nous avons réussi à optimiser cette distance pour les codes cycliques de taux 1/2 sur F3 et F5 en allant jusqu’à la longueur 74 pour les codes ternaires et 42 pour ceux sur F5. Nous avons aussi réussi à construire sept classes de codes cycliques iso-duaux sur le corps fini à 3 éléments et trois classes de codes cycliques iso-duaux sur le corps fini à 5 éléments
Considering polynomials over the Galois finite fields for two elements, our intention stand over the divisibility of the trinomials x^am+x^bs+1, for m>s ≥ 1, by an irreducible polynomial of degree r, for this, we contribute to the result :If there exist positive integers m, s such that the trinomial x^am+x^bs+1 is divisible by an irreducible polynomial of degree r over F2, then a and b are not divisible by (2^r- 1). For this type of trinomials we conjectured that the ratios πM(a,b)/ πM(1,1) tend to a finite limit (dependently of a and b) when M tend to infinity. Our research stand at sequel on the cyclic codes of rate 1/2 over the two finite fields F3 and F5 and we check our research over whose are isodual. The so-called fundamental problem in coding theory is finding the largest value of dq for which a code of parameters [n, q, d] over Fq exists. In this context we have successfully optimize this distance for the cyclic codes of rate 1/2 over F3 and F5 up to length 74 for the ternary cyclic codes and 42 for whose over F5. We have also successful to construct seven classes of isodual cyclic codes over the field of 3 elements and three classes over the field of 5 elements

Des « Six Contes moraux » aux « Comédies et Proverbes », des « Comédies et Proverbes » aux « Contes des quatre saisons » se déploie une œuvre organisée par cycles dont le centre, toujours réactivé de film en film, est constitué par la question du désir, de ses excès et de ses manques. Comment ce cinéma, marqué par une esthétique classique privilégiant le naturel, peut-il donner passage à une théâtralité ? Théâtralité précisément dont l'apparition et les modalités détermineront notre étude de l'oeuvre rohmérienne, dont la cohérence formelle s'appuie sur les principes d'un cinéma vérité initié au mitan des années 1900 par les auteurs de la Nouvelle Vague, et que nous interrogerons principalement de manière à dégager les conditions, les formes et les effets d'une esthétique privilégiant, de film en film, une dramaturgie de la parole et du regard. Nous étudierons dans cette perspective les mises en scène de la parole et du corps dans leur rapport avec les lieux, envisageant la manière dont ce cinéma construit ses personnages au travers d'un théâtre de l'être en rapport étroit avec des procédés de valorisation par l'image. Recourant à des cadrages privilégiant la saisie du corps et de ses émotions, articulant par ailleurs les intrigues en étapes marquées par une forte dramaticité, ce cinéma fait, enfin, intervenir une esthétique de la fascination qui n'est, en dernier ressort que le reflet, sans cesse thématisé dans le film, d'une identification par le cinéaste du cinéma comme une quête toujours relancée de la beauté du monde. L'usage dramaturgique du ressort du hasard, principe équivalent, sur le plan de l'intrigue, au deus ex machina, permettra, le cas échéant, de transformer la quête déceptive du personnage en la joie de la découverte que l'Autre était celui, ou celle, que l'on attendait. Et si, dans un tel cadre narratif, le risque existe d'une forme excessive de sentimentalité, c'est, précisément, par le caractère dynamique que la théâtralité lui confère, que l'oeuvre y échappe, jouant de tous les ressorts de la surprise, de la variation des registres et des tonalités, introduisant enfin une certaine ironie dans le décalage entre le montré – l'image – et le dit – le discours
From "Six Moral Tales" to "Comedies and Proverbs", from "Comedies and Proverbs" to "Tales of the Four Seasons" Eric Rohmer develops a work that is organized in cycles whose center, always reactivated from film to film, is constituted by the question of desire, its excesses and its shortcomings. How can this cinema, marked by an aesthetic favoring the natural, embrace theatricality ? Theatricality precisely whose appearance and modalities will determine our study of the Rohmerian work, whose formal coherence is based on the principles of a cinema vérité initiated in the mid-1900s by the authors of the New Wave, that we will mainly examine, so as to identify the conditions, forms and the effects of an aesthetic favoring, from film to film, a dramaturgy of speech and gaze. From this perspective, we will study the staging of speech and the body in their relationship with places, considering the way in which this cinema constructs its characters through a theater of being and enhances them through the image. By framing that favors the capture of the body and its emotions, articulating plot in stages marked by a strong dramaticity, this cinema finally applies an aesthetics of fascination which is, ultimately, only the reflection, constantly thematized in the film, of an identification by the filmmaker of cinema as an ever renewed quest for the beauty of the world. The dramaturgical use the mechanism of chance, an equivalent principle, on the level of plot, of the deus ex machina, will make it possible, if necessary, to transform the character's deceptive quest into the joy of discovering that the Other was the man or woman we expected. And if, in such a narrative framework, there is a risk of excessive sentimentality, the works escapes it by the dynamis conferred by theatricality, playing with all the mechanisms of surprise, with the variation of registers and tones, finally introducing a certain irony into the discrepancy between what is shown – the image – and what is said – the discourse

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Engenharia Mecânica apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra.
Nem sempre é comum associar a prática de desporto à engenharia e tão pouco é viável comparar o corpo humano a qualquer engenho do tipo mecânico. No entanto, desporto e engenharia convergem num novo domínio de investigação - a engenharia no desporto. Estudos revelam a importância de trabalhar e exercitar o corpo humano com fins terapêuticos no que diz respeito à prevenção de lesões futuras, admitindo-se que o decréscimo da sedentariedade no quotidiano de um ser humano promove o aumento da esperança média de vida. Mas, será que os referidos ganhos são tão lineares quanto parecem? A verdade, nua e crua, reside no facto de toda e qualquer atividade, quando levada ao limite, ter os seus efeitos nefastos. Assim, associado à prática de qualquer desporto existe sempre um risco de ocorrência de lesões futuras, tipicamente relacionadas com as vibrações induzidas. Deste modo, eleva-se cada vez mais a necessidade de estabelecer uma norma internacional que sirva de padrão para o estudo do corpo humano como um todo, ao invés de o tratar como um produto de engenharia. Na presente dissertação é apresentada uma avaliação biomecânica que pretende desmistificar o efeito das vibrações, nos sistemas mão-braço e corpo inteiro, na prática de um desporto centenário como é o caso do ciclismo sendo que se estende a análise aos domínios do ciclismo de estrada (com segmentos de BTT), ciclismo de pista e ao treino de um atleta em rolos. O estudo compreende a utilização das normas internacionais ISO 5349 e ISO 2631, associadas ao estudo da vibração mão-braço (VMB) e da vibração corpo inteiro (VCI) respetivamente, sendo que os valores obtidos são comparados com dados de referência internacional, indicados pela diretiva nº2002/44/CE, atualmente em vigor no território nacional. O método experimental adotado consistiu na instrumentação da bicicleta, com a colocação de um acelerómetro no guiador para avaliação do sistema mão-braço e posteriormente no selim para aquisição de valores de aceleração de forma a avaliar o efeito das vibrações no corpo inteiro. Os principais resultados e conclusões deste trabalho indicam que, facilmente são ultrapassados os valores diários recomendados de exposição à vibração de tal modo que, a ocorrência de impactos e vibrações transientes conduz a uma elevada solicitação musculosquelética do praticante de ciclismo, nomeadamente ao nível de ombros, braços, punhos, joelhos, e coluna vertebral. Contudo, a exposição de um atleta, num dado desporto, a estas condições não é diária, devendo ser considerado um fator de recuperação, inerente ao período em que este não é exposto. No entanto a literatura científica não reúne dados suficientes para tratar essa ponderação de forma exímia pelo que não se considera esse parâmetro no presente estudo.
It is not usually common to associate sports to engineering. In fact, it is not even feasible to compare the human body to any sort of mechanical device. However, sport and engineering have been converging in a brand new researching area – sports engineering. Studies report the importance of working and exercising the human body for therapeutic purposes, in order to prevent future injuries assuming that active people are estimated to have a greater life expectancy. But, are these sort of gains as linear as they seem to be? The truth, in an unvarnished way, is that any kind of activity, when pushed to the very limit, has their adverse effects. Thus, practicing a sport implies a sustained risk of developing injuries due to induced vibrations which increases the need to create an international regulation to serve as standard for the study of human body as a whole, rather than treating it as a product of engineering. This work presents a biomechanical assessment that aims at demystifying the effect of vibrations for both the arm-hand and whole body systems, considering the practice of a centenary sport such as cycling. The study comprehends an analysis on road cycling domains (with segments of mountain biking), track cycling and the exercise of an athlete in rollers, requiring the use of international regulamentation ISO 5349 and ISO 2631, related to the study of arm-hand vibration and whole body vibration respectively, and the values obtained are compared with referred data, indicated by the directive nº2002/44/CE, currently in force in the country. The adopted experimental method consists in instrumenting a bicycle with the allocation of tri-axial accelerometer on the handlebar to acquire data on the harm-and system and subsequently introduced in the seat post to quantify the effect of the induced vibrations imposed to the whole body system. The results indicate that the recommended daily dose of exposure to vibrations is highly exceeded, which means that impacts and transient vibrations lead to a higher musculoskeletal request particularly in what concerns shoulders , arms, wrists, knees and spine. However, it is common that a certain athlete in a given sport does not exercise in a daily basis meaning that it should be imposed a recovery factor relative to the period the athlete is not exposed. On the other hand, lectures do not gather enough data to address this weighting factor and the current study will do the same.

Present-day observations near Antarctica’s ice sheets suggest anthropogenic warming is affecting ocean circulation, with implications for further ice sheet melt, and changes to global thermohaline circulation. The mechanisms for ocean-ice sheet-sea ice changes are uncertain, and it is unclear how they will respond to warmer than present climates. Sediment records on the Antarctic continental margin provide evidence of significant changes with respect to productivity, ice sheet size and ocean circulation, on glacial to interglacial timescales. In this thesis, I describe the integrated response of the Adélie region of East Antarctica to past orbital forcing driven climate, including during the warmer than present Last Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) to provide clues to its future response. I have studied five marine sediment cores from the continental shelf and slope of the Antarctic margin to understand the changes in regional oceanography, regional ice sheet size, seasonal sea ice and primary productivity to deduce the relationships between these components, during glacial cycles over the past >240 k yrs. I use an integrated approach employing sedimentological (grain size, structure, Ice Rafted Debris/ IRD), micropaleontological (diatom data) and geochemical (biogenic silica and X-ray fluorescence/ XRF data) proxies. First, in Chapter 3, I describe the last deglacial retreat of the ice sheet, from the outer continental shelf of the Mertz Trough in the Adélie region. Three facies are identified in core TAN1302-68 based on sedimentological, geochemical, and biogenic changes. Facies III comprises a pebble structure, with high coarse sand to granule count and a geochemically and texturally homogenous matrix, suggesting an ice sheet covered this site. Overlying is Facies IIa, a massive interval with IRD (~1mm sized dispersed grains) and slight changes in Fe and Fe/Ti. Above it is Facies IIb, a laminated interval with IRD, and significant sedimentological (comprising decrease in coarse sand to granule counts in comparison to III; and an increase in very fine to fine sand in the sediment matrix to 39%) and geochemical (Si/Al, Ba/Ti, Fe, Ti, Zr/Rb) changes. Facies IIa is suggestive of an ice shelf distal environment, while the rapid changes in Facies IIb, suggests an ice shelf calving zone. At the top is Facies I, a massively bedded, geochemically homogenous sediment, with a high very fine to fine sand fraction (39%) and increased biogenic silica, Si/Al, and Ba/Ti suggesting open ocean setting with higher productivity and active bottom currents. Based on radiocarbon dating and sedimentation rates of ~2.3 cm/k yr, the ice sheet retreated over this core site at <14 k yr, while ice shelf calving occurred between ~12-8 k yr, during which time, at ~10 k yr, stronger bottom currents developed on the shelf. I suggest the strong bottom current is likely the commencement of Dense Shelf Water formation in the Adélie region. Secondly, in Chapter 4, I describe bottom currents, ice sheet dynamics and productivity on the Adélie continental slope, from the MIS 7 interglacial to the Holocene. The data is based on four cores: two cores from 2,600 m (TAN1302-58; TAN1302-30) and two cores from 3,000 m depth (TAN1302-44; TAN1302-39), collected from the WEGA and G channels. I characterise four different facies, which form a pattern down core. Using visual logs, productivity data (Si/Al and Ba/Ti, and biogenic silica) and IRD counts I associate these facies with interglacial (Facies 1), glacial (Facies 2), deglacial (glacial retreat; Facies 2A) and glaciation (glacial advance; Facies 1A) climates. I suggest sediments in three cores are deposited by contour currents (thermohaline induced bottom currents), based on evidence of traction structures, gradation, and coarsening, and consistency of biogenic silica and IRD data. I relate these characteristics to records of Adélie Antarctic Bottom Water down slope flow, based upon changes in sediment matrix texture, related to the decrease in very fine to fine sand content down slope. Facies 1 suggests MIS 7, MIS 5e and Holocene interglacial environments are fairly similar, comprising strong bottom currents (very fine to fine sand up to 43%), active ice sheet retreat (IRD is 2-15 grains/g), and low to high productivity (biogenic silica is 4-22%). Facies 2 suggest MIS 4-2 and MIS 6 glacials featured a stable ice sheet (IRD is 2-4 grains/g), lower productivity (biogenic silica is 2-11%), and generally reduced bottom current strength (very fine to fine sand is 0-10%). However, MIS 6 contains multiple traction structures, while MIS 4-2 contains locally increased sand and biogenic silica, suggesting a different source of bottom current during MIS 6, and a locally greater velocity of bottom current occurred at times during MIS 4-2. Facies 1A, suggests MIS 5/4 glaciation comprised low to moderate productivity (4-11%), and locally strong bottom currents, as evidenced by increased sand fraction and traction structures on the upper slope. Facies 2A suggests MIS 2/1 and MIS 6/5 deglacial comprised low to moderate productivity (2-10%) and generally slower bottom currents. The features of the glaciation and deglacial facies suggest stable ice sheets at these times. The fourth core (TAN1302-39) is influenced by turbidity current and debris flow deposits, with some influence of contourite deposits especially at its base, where carbonate facies is found. Lastly, in Chapter 5, I describe diatom assemblages from core TAN1302-44, from the base of the WEGA channel, studying the section from MIS 6/5 deglacial (~140 k yr) to the Holocene. I find diatom assemblages vary on glacial to interglacial timescale, according to the facies described in Chapter 4, suggesting diatoms reflect glacial cycles, likely in relation to regional sea ice and oceanographic changes. Using Principal Component Analysis, I have identified three main assemblages. PC1 comprises open ocean and seasonal sea ice species (Thalassiosira antarctica, Thalassiosira lentiginosa, Actinocyclus actinochilus, Asteromphalus hyalinus, Thalassiosira sp 2, Eucampia antarctica, and Fragilariopsis kerguelensis). PC1 is associated with the interglacial facies and suggests seasonal sea ice paleoenvironments and nutrients are similar between MIS 5e and Holocene. However, the unusual abundance of Thalassiosira antarctica resting spore and Thalassiosira lentiginosa (up to 40-60%), suggests some reworking by bottom currents and dissolution has affected the preservation of this assemblage. PC 2 comprises sea ice and coastal species (Fragilariopsis obliquecostata, Rhizosolenia styliformis, Asteromphalus parvulus and Chaetoceros dichaeta). It is associated with the glacial facies, but also with glaciation and deglacial facies, suggesting MIS 4-2 glacial, MIS 6/5 and MIS 2/1 deglacial and MIS 5/4 glaciation (especially MIS4-2 glacial) exhibit increased length of sea ice season relative to interglacials, but not a permanent sea ice cover. The gradual increase of PC 2, in the glaciation and throughout the glacial facies, suggests the sea ice season length gradually builds up with cooling, and rapidly disintegrates with warming. Lastly, PC 3 comprises warmer water/nutrient rich species (Thalassiothrix antarctica, Chaetoceros bulbosum and Thalassiosira oestrupii), which is associated with the deglacial and glaciation facies, suggesting increased upwelling of a water mass, which I infer is the Circumpolar Deep Water. To my knowledge, this study is among a few to present evidence of glacial Antarctic Bottom Water production from the Adélie Land region of East Antarctica. Furthermore, I present the first integrated sedimentological and XRF/ geochemical data set describing the timing and initial rate of ice sheet retreat from the Antarctic margin, from the Mertz Trough. This is the first study to describe contourite traction structures within the Quaternary glacial facies comprising ripples, mud off shoots, flaser bedding, pebble lined laminae, from the Adélie region and the Antarctic margin, and among just a few studies to describe the diatom assemblages for the last glacial cycle from the Antarctic continental margin.