Дисертації з теми "+685.9"

Дисертація на здобуття наукового ступеня доктора технічних наук за спеціальністю 05.13.06 – інформаційні технології (12 – Інформаційні технології). – Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут» Міністерства освіти і науки України, Харків, 2019 р. Об’єкт дослідження – процеси управління складними динамічними системами. Предмет дослідження – методи, моделі та інформаційна технологія оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами. Докторська дисертація є завершеною науково-дослідною роботою, що містить розв’язання важливої науково-прикладної проблеми розробки методів, моделей та інформаційної технології оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами, які характеризуються високим порядком моделей і великою кількістю параметрів та нелінійностей, на основі об’єднання програмних блоків моделей систем і методів оптимізації, критеріїв систем, подання інформації про динамічні процеси і процеси оптимізації, модулів методів інтегрування та структур даних на прикладі оптимізації систем управління енергоблоку АЕС з реактором ВВЕР-1000. У вступі обґрунтовано актуальність теми дисертаційної роботи, сформульовано мету та задачі дослідження, викладено наукову новизну і практичну цінність отриманих результатів, особистий внесок здобувача в розробку теми дисертаційної роботи. Наведено дані щодо впровадження результатів дисертаційних досліджень, їх апробацію та публікації. Перший розділ містить аналіз проблем інформаційних технологій управління складними динамічними системами, обґрунтування напрямку досліджень. Проведено аналіз сучасних інформаційних технологій управління та оптимізації з метою їх використання для оптимізації процесів управління складними динамічними системами. Як приклад складної динамічної системи розглянуто енергоблок АЕС з ядерним реактором ВВЕР-1000. Проаналізовані методи моделювання процесів в складних динамічних системах та аналізу інформаційних управляючих систем, показники якості інформаційно-управляючих систем і можливості їх застосування до процесів управління складними динамічними системами, існуючі підходи та методи синтезу інформаційно-управляючих систем, розглянуті обчислювальні методи оптимізації та можливості їх використання для оптимізації показників якості інформаційно-управляючих систем. Другий розділ присвячений розробці елементів інформаційної технології оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами. Розроблено наукові та методологічні основи створення та застосування інформаційної технології для управління складними динамічними системами, яка включає шість основних функціональних елементів – блок моделей систем, модуль методів інтегрування, блок обчислення критеріїв якості систем, блок методів оптимізації, блок представлення інформації та модуль структур даних з формуванням структур даних задач та процесів оптимізації та функціональну модель процесу оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами, що дозволяє записувати структури даних в файл з можливістю продовження процесу оптимізації складної динамічної системи та представлення його результатів в текстовій та графічній формах. У третьому розділі узагальнено принципи моделювання динамічних систем та розроблені конкретні моделі динамічних систем для інформаційної технології оптимізації управління на прикладі енергоблоку АЕС з реактором ВВЕР-1000 серії В-320. Запропоновані загальні моделі динамічних систем з відносними змінними стану, на основі яких побудовані нелінійні математичні моделі для об’єктів управління енергоблоку АЕС як складних динамічних систем. На підставі нейтронної кінетики реактора, поступового тепловиділення, теплових процесів в паливі, оболонках і теплоносії, зміні концентрацій ксенону і бору розроблені зосереджена та вертикально розподілена моделі ядерного реактора ВВЕР-1000 серії В-320. За рівняннями теплопередачі, матеріального і теплового балансу пароутворення, циркуляції, головного парового колектору, приводу клапана парової турбіни і виконавчого механізму регулюючого живильного клапана побудована модель парогенератора ПГВ-1000. За рівняннями тиску в постійних об’ємах парової турбіни, які включають витрату пари, рівняння частоти обертання ротора з використанням змінної потужності турбіни побудована модель парової турбіни К-1000-60/1500-2. Четвертий розділ присвячений узагальненню методів аналізу складних динамічних систем та аналізу процесів в реакторі ВВЕР-1000 серії В-320, парогенераторі ПГВ-1000, паровій турбіні К-1000-60/1500-2 на основі нелінійних математичних моделей цих об’єктів управління. Удосконалено методи аналізу математичних моделей динамічних систем з використанням матричних методів інтегрування систем диференціальних рівнянь – методу матричної експоненти та її інтегралу для інтегрування лінійних систем, системні методи першого, другого і третього ступенів для інтегрування нелінійних систем, що забезпечує підвищення точності та надійності побудови перехідних процесів в порівнянні з іншими методами. Виконано аналіз перехідних процесів в нелінійних зосередженої та вертикально розподіленої моделях реактора ВВЕР-1000 серії В-320, моделі парогенератора ПГВ-1000 та парової турбіни К-1000-60/1500-2. Для вертикально розподіленої моделі реактора обчислено аксіальний офсет. У п’ятому розділі розроблено моделі інформаційних управляючих систем для складних динамічних об’єктів на прикладі інформаційних управляючих систем енергоблоку з реактором ВВЕР-1000. Узагальнені моделі інформаційно-управляючих систем для ідентифікації параметрів інформаційних управляючих систем, а також для оптимізації параметрів регуляторів. Побудовані моделі інформаційних управляючих систем енергоблоку АЕС – нейтронної потужності ядерного реактора, рівня води в парогенераторі, частоти обертання ротора парової турбіни, усього енергоблоку для підтримки нейронної потужності реактора та підтримки тиску в головному паровому колекторі у вигляді систем диференціальних рівнянь, що включають вектори змінних стану, змінних та постійних параметрів, зовнішніх дій, що включені до блоку моделей систем інформаційної технології. Шостий розділ присвячений узагальненню моделей інформаційно-управляючих систем для ідентифікації її параметрів та використанню інформаційної технології для ідентифікації параметрів динамічних систем на прикладі інформаційно-управляючої системи парогенератора ПГВ-1000 та інформаційно-управляючих систем інших елементів другого контуру енергоблоку АЕС. Розроблені критерії та методи ідентифікації динамічних систем, сформована векторна цільова функція ідентифікації, розроблений метод її обчислення та для її оптимізації реалізовані методи безумовної оптимізації скалярних функцій з перезавантаженням операції порівняння. Побудовані загальні математичні моделі систем управління з ПІ регуляторами для ідентифікації параметрів об’єктів управління. Розв’язана задача ідентифікації параметрів моделі системи управління рівнем води в парогенераторі ПГВ-1000 за експериментальними даними. За результатами налагоджувальних випробувань систем управління дру- гого контуру енергоблоків АЕС з реакторами ВВЕР-1000 проведена ідентифікація параметрів для деаераторів, конденсаторів, головних парових колекторів, колекторів власних потреб, турбоживильних насосів, сепараторів пароперегрівачів, підігрівачів низького і високого тиску. Аналіз ступеня стійкості та меж області стійкості для цих систем управління обґрунтовує їх стійкість. Сьомий розділ присвячений узагальненню обчислення критеріїв якості інформаційно-управляючих систем – прямих показників якості і покращених інтегральних оцінок, формуванні на їх основі векторних цільових функцій та методів їх оптимізації, а також прикладам використання інформаційної технології оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами. Розроблені методи обчислення прямих показників якості динамічних систем та покращених інтегральних квадратичних оцінок, задачі оптимізації параметрів динамічних систем зведені до оптимізації векторних цільових функцій,що враховують вимоги реалізації системи, її стійкості, покращення показників якості. Для оптимізації векторних цільових функцій наведені методи оптимізації з одновимірним пошуком. З використанням інформаційної технології оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами на основі моделей інформаційних управляючих систем ядерного реактора ВВЕР-1000 серії В-320, парогенератора ПГВ-1000, парової турбіни К-1000-60/1500-2, систем другого контуру енергоблоку, всього енергоблоку АЕС з реактором ВВЕР-1000 в нормальних умовах експлуатації з частковим зниженням навантаження виконана оптимізація параметрів регуляторів за прямими показниками якості. Наведене техніко-економічне обґрунтування отриманих результатів використання інформаційної технології оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами підтверджує, що вона має суттєві технічні переваги, а її використання дозволяє зменшити витрати часових, апаратних, програмних та людських ресурсів при розробці та вдосконаленні складних динамічних систем за рахунок підвищення рівня автоматизації цих процесів.
Thesis for scientific degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences in specialty 05.13.06 “Information Technologies” (12 – Information Technologies). – National Technical University “Kharkіv Polytechnic Institute”, Ministry of education and science of Ukraine, Kharkіv, 2019. The object of research is the processes of control of complex dynamic systems. The subject of research is the methods, models and information technology of optimization of control of complex dynamic systems. The doctoral dissertation is a completed research work which contains the solution of an important scientific and applied problem of development of methods, models and information technology of optimization of control of complex dynamic systems characterized by high order of models and a large number of parameters and nonlinearities on the basis of combining program blocks of systems models and optimization methods, system criteria, information on dynamic and optimization processes, modules of integration methods and data structures as an example of optimizing the control of NPPs with WWER-1000. The introduction validates the relevance of the subject of the dissertation, formulates the purpose and objectives of the research, outlines the scientific novelty and practical value of the results obtained, the personal contribution of the applicant to the development of the subject of the dissertation. The data of the implementation of the results of the dissertation research, their validation and publications are provided. The first section contains the analysis of the problems of information technology control of complex dynamic systems, substantiation of the direction of research. The research analyzes modern information technologies of control and optimization with the purpose of their use for optimization of processes of complex dynamic systems control. As an example of a complex dynamic system the NPP unit with the WWER-1000 nuclear reactor is considered. The thesis analyzes methods of process modeling in complex dynamic systems and information control systems, quality indicators of information and control systems and possibilities of their application to the processes of control of complex dynamic systems, existing approaches and methods of synthesis of information control systems, computational optimization methods and possibilities of their use for optimization of quality indicators of information and control systems. The second section is devoted to the development of information technology elements of optimization of control of complex dynamic systems. The scientific and methodological foundations of creation and application of information technology for control of complex dynamic systems are developed which includes six basic functional elements, namely a block of systems models, a module of methods of integration, a block of calculation of criteria of quality of systems, a block of methods of optimization, a block of presentation of information and a module of data structures with the formation of data structures of tasks and processes of optimization and a functional model of process of optimization of control of complex dynamic systems that allows filing data structures with the ability to continue the process of optimizing the complex dynamic system and presenting the results in text and graphical forms. The third section summarizes the principles of dynamic systems modeling and develops specific models of dynamic systems for information technology control optimization, using the example of a B-320 series WWER-1000 reactor. General models of dynamic systems with relative state changes are proposed, on the basis of which nonlinear mathematical models for the control units of NPP units as complex dynamic systems are constructed. Based on the neutron kinetics of the reactor, gradual heat dissipation, thermal processes in the fuel, shells and coolant, changes in xenon and boron concentrations, concentrated and vertically distributed models of the WWER-1000 nuclear reactor of the B-320 series have been developed. According to the equations of heat transfer, material and thermal balance of steam generation, circulation, the main steam collector, the drive of steam turbine valve and the actuator of regulating feed valve, the model of PGV-1000 steam generator has been built. The K-1000-60 / 1500-2 steam turbine model is built based on the pressure equations in constant volumes of a steam turbine which include steam flow, the rotor speed equation using the turbine variable power. The fourth section is devoted to the generalization of methods of analysis of complex dynamic systems and analysis of processes in WWER-1000 reactor of B-320series, PGV-1000steam generator, K-1000-60 / 1500-2 steam turbine on the basis of nonlinear mathematical models of these objects of control. Methods of analysis of mathematical models of dynamic systems are improved with the use of matrix methods of integration of systems of differential equations that is the method of the matrix exponent and its integral for integration of linear systems, system methods of the first, second and third degrees for integration of nonlinear systems, which ensures the improvement of accuracy processes compared to other methods. The analysis of transients in nonlinear concentrated and vertically distributed models of the WWER-1000 reactor of the B-320 series, the model of the PGV-1000 steam generator and the K-1000-60 / 1500-2 steam turbine has been made. For the vertically distributed reactor model, the axial offset is calculated. In the fifth section models of information control systems for complex dynamic objects are developed, for example, information control systems of a power unit with WWER-1000 reactor. Models of information control systems for identification of parameters of information control systems and for optimization of parameters of regulators have been generalized. The thesis develops models of information control systems of NPP unit, namely the models of Neutron power of nuclear reactor, the model of water level in steam generator, the model of rotation speed of steam turbine rotor, the model of a whole power unit to maintain neural power of the reactor and to maintain the pressure in the main steam collector in the form of differential equations, systems of differential equations, variable and permanent parameters, external actions included in the block of models of systems of information technology. The sixth section is devoted to the generalization of models of information control systems for identification of their parameters and use of information technology for identification of parameters of dynamic systems exemplified by information control system of the PGV-1000 steam generator and information control systems of other elements of the second circuit of the NPP unit. Criteria and methods for the identification of dynamic systems have been developed, a vector target identification function has been formed, a method for its calculation has been developed, and methods for unconditional optimization of scalar functions with the restart of the comparison operation have been implemented for its optimization. Mathematical models of control systems with PI regulators to identify the parameters of control objects have been generalized. The task of identifying the parameters of the model of the water level control system in the PGV-1000 steam generator according to the experimental data has been done. The thesis carries out the identification of parameters for deaerators, condensers, main steam collectors, auxiliary collectors, turbo-feed pumps, separators of superheaters, low and high heaters according to the results of adjustment tests of control systems of the second circuit of NPP units with WWER-1000 reactors. The analysis of the degree of stability and the boundaries of the area of stability for these control systems substantiates their stability The seventh section is devoted to the generalization of the quality criteria for information control systems, namely, direct quality indicators and improved integral estimates, the formation of vector target functions and methods of their optimization based on them, as well as examples of use of information technology to optimize the control of complex dynamic systems. Methods of calculation of direct quality indicators of dynamic systems and improved integral quadratic estimations are developed, problems of optimization of parameters of dynamic systems are reduced to optimization of vector target functions that take into account the requirements of implementation of the system, its stability, improvement of quality indicators. One-way search optimization methods are provided to optimize vector target functions. Using information technology to optimize the control of complex dynamic systems based on models of information control systems of the WWER-1000 nuclear reactor of the B-320 series, the PGV-1000 steam generator, the K-1000-60 / 1500-2 steam turbine, the systems of the second circuit of the power unit, the entire NPP unit with the WWER-1000 reactor under normal operating conditions with partial load reduction, the parameters of the regulators have been optimized according to the direct quality indicators. The above feasibility study of the obtained results of the use of information technology optimization control of complex dynamic systems confirms that it has significant technical advantages, and its use allows reducing the time, hardware, software and human resources in the development and improvement of complex dynamic systems by increasing the level of automation of these processes.

Дисертація на здобуття наукового ступеня доктора технічних наук за спеціальністю 05.13.06 – інформаційні технології. – Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут» Міністерства освіти і науки України, Харків, 2019 р. Дисертацію присвячено розробці й обґрунтуванню методів, моделей та інформаційної технології оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами та їх дослідження для на прикладі енергоблоку АЕС. Проведено аналіз сучасних інформаційних технологій управління склад- ними динамічними системами. Розроблено наукові та методологічні основи створення та застосування інформаційної технології для управління складними динамічними системами. Запропоновано загальні моделі динамічних систем з відносними змінними стану, на основі яких побудовано нелінійні математичні моделі для об’єктів управління енергоблоку АЕС як складних динамічних систем. Удосконалено методи аналізу математичних моделей складних динамічних систем та виконано аналіз процесів в нелінійних моделях основних елементів енергоблоку АЕС. Узагальнено моделі інформаційно-управляючих систем для ідентифікації параметрів систем, а також для оптимізації параметрів регуляторів. Розроблено критерії оцінювання якості математичних моделей складних динамічних систем та виконано ідентифікацію параметрів моделей за експериментальними процесами в елементах енергоблоку АЕС. Розроблено інформаційну технологію оптимізації управління складними динамічними системами та приведено приклади її використання для оптимізації інформаційних управляючих систем енергоблоку АЕС. Результати досліджень дозволяють підвищити якість проектування систем управління складними динамічними об’єктами, підвищити ступінь наукової обґрунтованості технічних проектів з удосконалення систем управління енергоблоків АЕС.
Thesis for scientific degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences in specialty 05.13.06 – Information Technologies. – National Technical University "Kharkіv Polytechnic Institute", Ministry of education and science of Ukraine, Kharkіv, 2019. The dissertation is devoted to the development and justification of methods, models and information technology for optimizing control of complex dynamic systems and their study using the example of information and control systems of a nuclear power unit. The research analyzes modern information technologies of control and optimization with the purpose of their use for optimization of processes of complex dynamic systems control. As an example of a complex dynamic system the NPP unit with the WWER-1000 nuclear reactor is considered. The thesis analyzes methods of process modeling in complex dynamic systems and information control systems, quality indicators of information and control systems and possibilities of their application to the processes of control of complex dynamic systems, existing approaches and methods of synthesis of information control systems, computational optimization methods and possibilities of their use for optimization of quality indicators of information and control systems. The scientific and methodological foundations of creation and application of information technology for control of complex dynamic systems are developed which includes six basic functional elements, namely a block of systems models, a module of methods of integration, a block of calculation of criteria of quality of systems, a block of methods of optimization, a block of presentation of information and a module of data structures with the formation of data structures of tasks and processes of optimization and a functional model of process of optimization of control of complex dynamic systems that allows filing data structures with the ability to continue the process of optimizing the complex dynamic system and presenting the results in text and graphical forms. General models of dynamic systems with relative state changes are proposed, on the basis of which nonlinear mathematical models for the control units of NPP units as complex dynamic systems are constructed. Based on the neutron kinetics of the reactor, gradual heat dissipation, thermal processes in the fuel, shells and coolant, changes in xenon and boron concentrations, concentrated and vertically distributed models of the WWER-1000 nuclear reactor have been developed. According to the equations of heat transfer, material and thermal balance of steam generation, circulation, the main steam collector, the drive of steam turbine valve and the actuator of regulating feed valve, the model of PGV-1000 steam generator has been built. The K-1000-60/1500-2 steam turbine model is built based on the pressure equations in constant volumes of a steam turbine which include steam flow, the rotor speed equation using the turbine variable power. Methods of analysis of mathematical models of dynamic systems are improved with the use of matrix methods of integration of systems of differential equations that is the method of the matrix exponent and its integral for integration of linear systems, system methods of the first, second and third degrees for integration of nonlinear systems, which ensures the improvement of accuracy processes compared to other methods. The analysis of transients in nonlinear concentrated and vertically distributed models of the WWER-1000 reactor, the model of the PGV-1000 steam generator and the K-1000-60/1500-2 steam turbine has been made. For the vertically distributed reactor model, the axial offset is calculated. Models of information control systems for identification of parameters of information control systems and for optimization of parameters of regulators have been generalized. The thesis develops models of information control systems of NPP unit, namely the models of Neutron power of nuclear reactor, the model of water level in steam generator, the model of rotation speed of steam turbine rotor, the model of a whole power unit to maintain neural power of the reactor and to maintain the pressure in the main steam collector in the form of differential equations, systems of differential equations, variable and permanent parameters, external actions included in the block of models of systems of information technology. Criteria and methods for the identification of dynamic systems have been developed, a vector target identification function has been formed, a method for its calculation has been developed, and methods for unconditional optimization of scalar functions with the restart of the comparison operation have been implemented for its optimization. Mathematical models of control systems with PI regulators to identify the parameters of control objects have been generalized. The task of identifying the parameters of the model of the water level control system in the PGV-1000 steam generator according to the experimental data has been done. The thesis carries out the identification of parameters for deaerators, condensers, main steam collectors, auxiliary collectors, turbo-feed pumps, separators of superheaters, low and high heaters according to the results of adjustment tests of control systems of the second circuit of NPP units with WWER-1000 reactors. The analysis of the degree of stability and the boundaries of the area of stability for these control systems substantiates their stability. Methods of calculation of direct quality indicators of dynamic systems and improved integral quadratic estimations are developed, problems of optimization of parameters of dynamic systems are reduced to optimization of vector target functions that take into account the requirements of implementation of the system, its stability, improvement of quality indicators. One-way search optimization methods are provided to optimize vector target functions. Using information technology to optimize the control of complex dynamic systems based on models of information control systems of the WWER-1000 nuclear reactor, the PGV-1000 steam generator, the K-1000-60/1500-2 steam turbine, the systems of the second circuit of the power unit, the entire NPP unit with the WWER-1000 reactor under normal operating conditions with partial load reduction, the parameters of the regulators have been optimized according to the direct quality indicators.

In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis to treat patients with parenteral nutrition (PN) at home in an attempt to reduce costs and improve clinical outcomes. This increased interest in home parenteral nutrition (HPN) has stimulated researchers to investigate potential sources of instability. One of the more unstable groups in PN is micronutrients, which can be divided into two groups: vitamins and trace elements. This thesis investigates the effects of artificial light sources (cool white, warm white and UVA) on the physicoP chemical stability of vitamins. Vitamins were chemically analysed using a novel stability indicating HPLC assay that could quantify five waterPsoluble and three fatPsoluble vitamins simultaneously in one run. Samples were physically analysed by visual analysis, microscope analysis, laser diffraction, pH and osmolality. Initial experiments investigated the physicoPchemical stability of vitamins exposed to artificial light sources over a period of 24 hours. In cool and warm white light there was approximately a 20% loss of riboflavin and 10% loss of retinol. In UVA light there was approximately a 20% loss of retinol. All other analysed vitamins were stable over the time period to these artificial light sources. Further experiments investigated these conditions following 6 days of storage between 2P8 C. These experiments revealed similar results in the three types of artificial light source. v The protective effects of lipid emulsions on retinol were then investigated in containers and administration sets. Samples containing lipid emulsions in syringes and administration sets had a statistically significant increase in retinol stability. Nevertheless, degradation in excess of 10% still occurred in these groups. The protective mechanism of lipid emulsions was primarily though to be a result of light obscuration. However, soybean oil (SBO), a clear liquid, provided unexpected obscuration of UVA light suggesting it may reflect or absorb damaging rays thereby improving retinol stability.

La sempre maggiore importanza data al luogo, soprattutto dalla normativa attraverso il codice dei Beni Culturali e del Paesaggio, obbliga i progettisti a prestare maggiore attenzione al contesto in cui operano. I luoghi non possono più essere concepiti come spazi neutri capaci di accogliere qualsiasi forma di progetto, ma devono essere studiati e compresi nella loro essenza più profonda. In aiuto viene il concetto di Genius loci che fin dall'epoca romana soprassedeva i luoghi obbligando l'uomo a scendere a patti con esso prima di qualsiasi pratica progettuale. Nel tempo questo concetto si è trasformato ed ha mutato di senso, andando a coincidere con l'identità propria di un determinato luogo. Per luogo si intende una somma complessa di più elementi non scindibili e in rapporto tra loro nel costruirne l'identità specifica. Capire e rispettare l'identità di un luogo significa capire e rispettare il Genius loci. Filo conduttore di questa disamina è il saggio di Christian Norberg-Schulz “Genius loci. Paesaggio ambiente architettura”, in cui i temi del luogo e dell‟identità vengono trattati principalmente in chiave architettonica. Partendo da questo ho cercato di mettere in evidenza questi concetti in tre progetti sviluppati a scale diverse, evidenziandone l‟applicazione e le problematiche in tre ambiti differenti. I progetti presi in esame sono: in ambito rurale, l‟ecovillaggio sviluppato a San Biagio; in ambito urbano, la riqualificazione di un‟area industriale a Forlimpopoli; in ambito metropolitano, il progetto di abitazioni collettive a Bogotá.

The compound helicopter is a high speed design concept that is once again being explored due to the emerging requirements for rotorcraft to obtain speeds that significantly surpass the conventional helicopter. The speed of the conventional helicopter is limited by retreating blade stall, however the introduction of compounding delays the onset of this aerodynamic limitation until greater flight speeds. There are two common types of compounding known as lift and thrust compounding. Lift compounding, provided by the addition of a wing offloads the main rotor of its lifting responsibilities in high speed flight. Thrust compounding, provided by the addition of a propulsive source such as a propeller, provides additional axial force divorcing the main rotor of its propulsive duties at high speeds. The addition of compounding to the helicopter design can therefore increase the maximum speed of the aircraft. This increase in speed, provided that efficient hover capability is maintained, would make the compound helicopter suitable for various roles and missions in both military and civil markets. The compound helicopter is not a novel idea with many compound helicopter configurations flight tested in the 1960's. Due to these test programmes, as well as other studies, there is some material relating to the compound helicopter in the literature. However, the majority of the compound helicopter work describes flight tests of experimental aircraft or focuses on the design of the aircraft configuration. There are no systematic studies of the flight dynamics of compound helicopters which have been published. This Thesis targets this gap in the literature. Consequently, the aim of this Thesis is to investigate the effects of compounding on the conventional helicopter and how this addition to the helicopter design influences the flight mechanics of this aircraft class. With the renewed interest in the compound helicopter design this work is both original and timely. To investigate the flight dynamics of this aircraft class, two mathematical models of compound helicopter configurations are developed and compared with a conventional helicopter. The first compound helicopter configuration features a coaxial rotor with a pusher propeller providing additional axial thrust, and is referred to as the coaxial compound helicopter. The second configuration, known as the hybrid compound helicopter, features two wings each with a tip mounted propeller providing thrust compounding. The conventional helicopter features a standard helicopter design with a main rotor providing the propulsive and lifting forces, whereas a tail rotor, mounted at the rear of the aircraft, provides the yaw control. Other authors have focused on design considerations and have quantified all of the benefits of compounding but to date, a comprehensive study of the effect of compounding on the flight dynamics of a helicopter has not been published. The strategy of the work is to take the three aircraft configurations, the two compound helicopter configurations and the conventional helicopter, and determine their flight mechanics characteristics. Subsequently, the compound helicopter results can be compared with the baseline configuration, thereby isolating the effects of compounding. The flight mechanics characteristics that are determined in this Thesis include: trim, performance, stability and manoeuvrability attributes of the three helicopter configurations. These attributes are assessed by calculating the control angles which result in a steady flight condition and by the use of numerical linearisation and inverse simulation algorithms. All of these flight mechanics characteristics were assessed with the results, in some aspects, reinforcing the potential of the compound helicopter as well as highlighting some possible difficulties that will have to be addressed in the design of a compound helicopter.

For mm-waves, two types of low-loss waveguide are analysed, designed and measured. One is the hollow substrate integrated waveguide (HSIW) in which the inner dielectric of a traditional substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) is removed to resemble the propagation characteristics of a standard rectangular waveguide (RWG). The measured attenuation of a WR28-like HSIW is 2 Np/m or 17 dB/m throughout the Ka band. The second is the dielectric insular image guide (DIIG) in which an insular layer is added between the dielectric and the metallic ground to further reduce the conductor loss. The measured attenuation of a Ka band DIIG is 26 dB/m at 35 GHz. Based on the two waveguides, two high-gain antenna arrays operating in the Ka band are designed and measured. One is a 6 x 6 slot antenna array, centrefed by the HSIW. The Taylor-distribution technique is applied in two orthogonal directions to suppress the sidelobe level. The measured gain of this antenna array is 17.1 dBi at the centre frequency of 35.5 GHz. The other is a double-sided 10- element dielectric insular resonator antenna (DIRA) array, end-fed by the DIIG. The Taylor-distribution technique is also applied here to achieve a gain of 15.8 dBi at the centre frequency of 36 GHz. The great potential of these high-performance antennas is that they can be integrated with other microwave components (filters, power amplifiers, etc.) to form a complete front-end or transceiver in multi-chip module (MCM) technology.

The temporospatial controlled delivery of growth factors is crucial to trigger the desired healing mechanisms in target tissues. The uncontrolled release of growth factors has been demonstrated to cause severe side effects in its surrounding tissues. Thus, the first working hypothesis was to tune and optimize a newly developed multiscale delivery platform based on a nanostructured silicon particle core (pSi) and a poly (dl-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) outer shell. In a murine subcutaneous model, the platform was demonstrated to be fully tunable for the temporal and spatial control release of the payload. Secondly, a multiscale approach was followed in a multicompartment collagen scaffold, to selectively integrate different sets of PLGA-pSi loaded with different reporter proteins. The spatial confinement of the microspheres allowed the release of the reporter proteins in each of the layers of the scaffold. Finally, the staged and zero-order release kinetics enabled the temporal biochemical patterning of the scaffold. The last step of this PhD project was to test if by fully embedding PLGA microspheres in a highly structured and fibrous collagen-based scaffold (camouflaging), it was possible to prevent their early detection and clearance by macrophages. It was further studied whether such a camouflaging strategy was efficient in reducing the production of key inflammatory molecules, while preserving the release kinetics of the payload of the PLGA microspheres. Results demonstrated that the camouflaging allowed for a 10-fold decrease in the number of PLGA microspheres internalized by macrophages, suggesting that the 3D scaffold operated by cloaking the PLGA microspheres. When the production of key inflammatory cytokines induced by the scaffold was assessed, macrophages' response to the PLGA microspheres-integrated scaffolds resulted in a response similar to that observed in the control (not functionalized scaffold) and the release kinetic of a reporter protein was preserved.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-109).
This dissertation is about whether and how non-representational attitudes could play a role in our theories of rationality. In Chapter 1 ('Negation, expressivism, and intentionality') I argue that the best explanation for why two mental states are inconsistent need not presuppose that such states are representational-that they have, in the jargon, truth-conditions. I use this to provide a solution to the 'negation problem' for metaethical expressivism. In Chapter 2 ('Structuring logical space') I sketch an account of mathematical practice along non-representational lines. I show how it can do justice to the applicability of mathematics, and propose ways in which one's epistemic goals can impose substantial constraints on which mathematical theories to accept. Chapter 3 ('Good questions') provides a general account of the way in which rationality constrains changes in our hypothesis space. In particular, I show how some such changes can be better than others by placing the discussion within a general framework of rational dynamics, on which rational epistemic change involves maximizing expected epistemic utility.
by Alejandro Perez Carballo.
Ph.D.

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-23).
A furnace was designed and its heat transfer properties were analyzed for use in annealing thin-film tins-ulfide solar cells. Tin sulfide has been explored as an earth abundant solar cell material, and the furnace was developed to test the properties of annealed tin-sulfide thin films. Annealing is a highly temperature and time dependent process so the furnace must be able to reach the temperature to be tested quickly, maintain that temperature and once finished, cool down quickly. The furnace is composed of a quartz tube with two heated zones, both heated with nichrome wire and cooled with fans. The two zones were designed to reach temperatures of 600 C and 200 C and to be cooled at a rate of 10 C per minute.
by Raymond Lewis.
S.B.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-113).
As processors scale deep into the multi-core and many-core regimes, bandwidth and energy-efficiency of the on-die interconnect network have become paramount design issues. Recognizing potential limits of electrical interconnects, emerging nanophotonic integration has been recently proposed as a potential technology option for both on-chip and chip-to-chip applications. As optical links avoid the capacitive, resistive and signal integrity limits imposed upon electrical interconnects, the introduction of integrated photonics allows for efficient realization of physical connectivity that are costly to accomplish electrically. While many recent works have since cited the potential benefits of optics, inherent design tradeoffs of photonic datapath and backend components remain relatively unknown at the system-level. This thesis develops insights regarding the behavior of electrical and hybrid optoelectrical networks and systems. We present power and area models that capture the behavior of electrical interface circuits and their interactions with optical devices. To animate these models in the context of a full system, we contribute DSENT, a novel physical modeling framework capable of estimating the costs of generalized digital electronics, mixed-signal interface circuitry, and optical links. With DSENT, we enable fast power and area evaluation of entire networks to connect the dynamics of an underlying photonics interconnect to that of an otherwise electrical system. Using our methodolody, we perform a technology-driven design space exploration of intra-chip networks and highlight the importance of thermal tuning and parasitic receiver capacitances in network power consumption. We show that the performance gains enabled by photonics-inspired architectures can enable savings in total system energy even if the network is more costly. Finally, we propose a photonically interconnected DRAM system as a solution to the core-to-DRAM bandwidth bottleneck. By attacking energy consumption at the DRAM channel, chip, and bank level with integrated photoncis, we cut the power consumption of the DRAM system by 10x while remaining area neutral when compared to a projected electrical baseline.
by Chen Sun.
S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemistry, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 27).
The nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) center in diamonds have the potential to be an ultra-sensitive magnetic field sensor that is capable of detecting single spins. Implementing this sensor for general and nontransparent samples is not trivial. For N-V centers to be a useful probe, a way of positioning the NV center with nanometer accuracy while simultaneously measuring its fluorescence is needed. Here, a method of using N-V centers as magnetometer probes by combining this sensor with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is described. A custom AFM was built that allows optical monitoring of the cantilever tip and collection of fluorescence with a high-NA objective from the same side. The AFM has a large open bottom and top and thus provides dual optical access. The motion of the cantilever is measured by optical beam deflection so that a wide range of commercial cantilevers can be used. The AFM and the confocal microscope objective can be locked in position while a piezoelectric stage allows raster scanning of the substrate.
by Kevin Kai Chang.
S.M.

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 49).
The focus of this thesis is on the design and evaluation of a robust drive mechanism intended to robotically steer a thermal ablation electrode. The device is intended to enable more efficient kidney tumor ablation therapy guided by CT scanning. The steering mechanism is based on the concept of substantially straightening a pre-curved Nitinol stylet by retracting it into a concentric outer cannula, and re-deploying it at a different position. A drive mechanism was previously designed to actuate the cannula and stylet motions. While successfully demonstrating the concept, the previous prototype used a screw-spline mechanism that had a key and groove that were difficult to manufacture, assemble and align. To address the issue of the key being misaligned with the spline nut, an alternative, more robust means was considered for constraining the screw-spline from rotating. This was achieved through the design of a new profiled threaded shaft and nut that reduced the part count and simplified manufacturing and assembly. To determine the optimal parameters for the profile shape, an analytical expression was derived that related the tolerance between the nut and shaft to the angular backlash, which was validated using SolidWorks. A deterministic design process was then followed to size the actuators and transmissions for such drive mechanisms given a set of specifications for cannula/stylet force and speed. Specifically, the gear train was designed to ensure sufficient force for deploying a pre-curved needle from a cannula and into a gelatinous solid based on previously collected experimental data. Using this process, Faulhaber AM1524 micro-stepper motors with 15A planetary gearheads were selected that could provide 10 N and 20N of force to both the cannula and stylet (in line with the screws) at a speed of 7 mm/s. Accuracy and repeatability of the drive mechanism were measured in a bench-top experiment using calipers and a protractor and yielded sub-mm values for translation and approximately two degrees of play for rotation. Targeting experiments were also performed in ballistics gelatin and ex-vivo tissue samples where the distal tip of the stylet was recorded with a camera and CT scanner and demonstrated that the device is ready for testing with an integrated thermal ablation system.
by Carmen Marten-Ellis Graves.
S.B.

La leucémie lymphoïde chronique (LLC) est la forme adulte la plus fréquente dans le monde occidental. Les patients atteints présentent un parcours clinique très variable. Il s’avère important d’identifier de nouveaux marqueurs pronostiques et de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques afin d’optimiser à la fois la prise en charge du patient et le traitement. Une étude antérieure de notre groupe révèle une surexpression en ARN du marqueur UGT2B17dans les lymphocytes d’un sous-groupe de patients LLC. Les niveaux d’expression UGT2B17 élevés sont associés à un mauvais pronostic et une réponse réduite aux traitements utilisant la fludarabine (FC/FCR). Bien que les UGT soient connus pour leur rôle important dans l’inactivation et l’élimination des médicaments, ces enzymes régulent aussi l’équilibre de molécules endogènes, notamment les hormones stéroïdiennes. L’hypothèse du projet de doctorat stipule qu’UGT2B17 module des fonctions cellulaires favorisant la progression de la LLC et la résistance aux médicaments. Ces effets peuvent être médiés via sa fonction enzymatique i) en modifiant certains substrats endogènes, entraînant un effet sur les voies cellulaires, influençant le profil oncogénique des cellules LLC et ii) en inactivant les composés pharmacologiques, entraînant ainsi une réponse réduite au traitement anti leucémique. Une première étude a permis d’établir les liens entre les niveaux d’expression d’UGT2B17, l’exposition hormonale, et la survie des patients leucémiques (n=156). Nos travaux révèlent une perturbation des niveaux hormonaux chez les patients atteints de LLC comparés aux sujets sains. De plus, les niveaux de certaines hormones stéroïdiennes sont associés à la survie des patients et ce, de manière différente selon le sexe. Cela suggère un dimorphisme sexuel quant à l’influence des voies hormonales sur la progression de la maladie. Toutefois, ces effets semblent indépendants du statut génétique et d’expression d’UGT2B17, l'UGT prédominante dans les lymphocytes B. Conformément à la signature pronostique défavorable associée à UGT2B17 in vivo, sa surexpression dans des modèles cellulaires est associée à une prolifération accrue des lymphocytes B. Les analyses transcriptomiques révèlent qu'un taux élevé d'UGT2B17 est associé à une altération de gènes liés à la prostaglandine E2 (PGE₂), à la fois dans les modèles et dans une cohorte de 448 patients LLC. Les analyses fonctionnelles montrent que le PGE₂ favorise l’apoptose des cellules leucémiques de patients et réduit la prolifération des modèles cellulaires. Son effet est partiellement aboli par l’expression élevée d’UGT2B17. Les analyses enzymatiques démontrent qu’UGT2B17 inactive PGE₂ par sa conjugaison à l’acide glucuronique (GlcA), ce qui entraîne la formation de deux glucuronides (G). Ceci est soutenu par l’inactivation efficace de PGE₂ en PGE₂-G dans les cellules de patients atteints de LLC exprimant UGT2B17. Pour cette seconde étude, nous concluons que la glucuronidation du PGE₂ par l’enzyme UGT2B17 altère les effets anti-oncogéniques de PGE2 dans les cellules leucémiques, contribuant possiblement à la progression de la maladie chez les patients atteints de LLC présentant des niveaux élevés d'UGT2B17. Nous avons par la suite étudié l’implication de l’enzyme UGT2B17 dans l'inactivation de la fludarabine et de thérapies ciblées émergentes, et si cette voie affecte la réponse au traitement. Des niveaux élevés d'UGT2B17 sont associés à une sensibilité réduite à la fludarabine, l'ibrutinib et l'idelalisib dans deux modèles cellulaires lymphoïdes. Comme chez les patients atteints de LLC traités à la fludarabine, l'exposition des modèles à la l'ibrutinib et l'idelalisib induit l'expression d’UGT2B17. Nos résultats révèlent que l'UGT2B17 affecte possiblement la signalisation de la protéine kinase activée par l'AMP (AMPK) et que son expression est régulée par un promoteur alternatif. Outre la fludarabine, l'ibrutinib et l'idelalisib, nous avons démontré la formation de glucuronides par spectrométrie de masse pour un nombre important de médicaments utilisés en LLC. La majorité de ces antileucémiques sont conjugués par UGT1A4, alors que la fludarabine, le venetoclax, le cerdulatinib et le chlorambucil sont également conjugués par UGT2B17. Les glucuronides de la fludarabine et de l’ibrutinib sont détectés en circulation des patients LLC traités. Ces données supportent un mécanisme spécifique pour la modification de la réponse au médicament par UGT2B17 impliquant l’inactivation directe du médicament dans les cellules B néoplasiques, contribuant ainsi à la réponse au traitement chez les patients atteints de LLC présentant des niveaux élevés d'UGT2B17. Cependant, nos résultats suggèrent des mécanismes additionnels pour les molécules qui ne sont pas des substrats de l’enzymeUGT2B17.

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Economic indicators, like GDP per capita, are commonly used as indicators of welfare. However, they have a very limited and narrow scope, excluding many potentially important welfare determinants, such as health, relative income and religion - not surprising since they were not originally designed to fill this role. There is thus growing acceptance, and use of, subjective measure of wellbeing, (called ‘happiness’ measures) both worldwide and in South Africa. Happiness economics does not propose to replace income based measure of wellbeing, but rather attempts to compliment them with broader measures, which can be important in making policy decisions that optimise societal welfare. This paper tests for differences in subjective wellbeing between race groups in South Africa, and investigates the determinants of self-rated life satisfaction (happiness) for each group. Using the 2008 National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) data, descriptive methods (ANOVA) and an ordered probit model are applied. Results indicate that reported happiness differs substantially among race groups, with black South Africans being the least happy group despite changes since the advent of democracy in 1994. Higher levels of educational attainment increase satisfaction for the whole sample, and women are generally less happy than men (particularly black women). As found in many other studies, unemployed people have lower levels of life satisfaction than the employed, even when controlling for income and relative income. The determinants of happiness are also different for each race group: While white South Africans attached greater importance to physical health; employment status and absolute income matter greatly for black people. For coloured people and black people, positional status (as measured by relative income) is an important determinant of happiness, with religious involvement significantly contributing to the happiness of Indian people.

La schizophrénie est considérée comme l’une des maladies les plus incapacitantes, associée à des coûts sociaux directs et indirects majeurs, tels que la stigmatisation et la perte de productivité. Le premier épisode psychotique, qui survient habituellement à la fin de l’adolescence ou au début de l’âge adulte, peut grandement compromettre la réalisation d’objectifs professionnels. Parmi les déterminants associés au fonctionnement socioprofessionnel chez les personnes qui présentent un premier épisode psychotique, la cognition semble jouer un rôle clé. En effet, les résultats de plusieurs études suggèrent que la cognition est significativement associée au retour à l’école ou au travail chez les personnes qui présentent un premier épisode psychotique. Afin de déterminer la magnitude des associations entre la cognition et le fonctionnement socioprofessionnel chez les personnes qui présentent un premier épisode psychotique, une méta-analyse a été réalisée. L’évaluation des références identifiées a mené à l’inclusion de quatre études (N = 729). Une taille d’effet faible à modérée entre la cognition globale et le fonctionnement socioprofessionnel général (Zr = 0.21) a été trouvée. L’analyse descriptive révèle que la neurocognition globale, l’apprentissage verbal et le style attributionnel sont associés au fonctionnement socioprofessionnel. L’analyse descriptive des résultats révèle également des associations entre les symptômes négatifs et positifs, le fonctionnement social, la motivation ainsi que l’amotivation sociale et le fonctionnement socioprofessionnel. Les lignes directrices sur le plan de la recherche et de la clinique sont discutées en lien avec le concept de fonctionnement socioprofessionnel, les instruments clés et les mises en garde méthodologiques. Un modèle des composantes du fonctionnement socioprofessionnel est également proposé en conclusion afin de rendre compte du caractère multidimensionnel et complexe de ce concept. Finalement, une discussion à propos de l’élargissement de certains modèles pertinents est effectuée afin de considérer davantage la cognition et le premier épisode psychotique dans les interventions favorisant le rétablissement socioprofessionnel.
Schizophrenia is considered as one of the most debilitating mental illness and is associated with major indirect social costs, such as productivity lost. The first episode of psychosis, which usually occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood, may hamper the achievement of professional goals. Among the determinants associated with vocational functioning in first-episode psychosis, cognition seems to play a key role. Indeed, results of several studies suggest that cognitive deficits are significantly associated with returning to school or to work in first-episode psychosis. A meta-analysis was conducted in order to determine the magnitude of the associations between cognition and vocational functioning in first episode psychosis. Screening of identified references led to the inclusion of four articles (N = 729). Small to moderate association was found between global cognition and global vocational functioning (Zr = 0.21). The descriptive analysis showed that global neurocognition, verbal learning and attributional style were associated with vocational functioning. The descriptive analysis also revealed associations between positive and negative symptoms, social functioning, motivation as well as social amotivation and vocational functioning. Research and clinical guidelines will be discussed with regards to the concept of vocational functioning, key instruments and methodological caveats. A model of the components of vocational functioning will be discussed in order to better appreciate the multidimensional and complex nature of this concept. Finally, a discussion about the extension of relevant model is carried out in order to better consider cognition and first episode psychosis in interventions promoting vocational recovery.

[EN] The main objective pursued in this thesis is that of conducting an enquiry on Catalogue d¿oiseaux, observed through the eyes of the performer, using its second and fourth books as the focus of this study when addressing its aesthetic and pianistic approach. The need to gain a closer view of the piece from a performer's perspective arises from the paradox between the importance of this composition in Olivier Messiaen's catalogue of compositions and the real meaning the piano score has among pianists of today. Due to the evolution of the author's composition language, which is expressed in greater conceptual complexity, Catalogue d¿oiseaux generates a series of performance-related questions, distancing it from other "traditional" pianistic productions. This factor often leads to apriorism and axioms that generate excessively polarised views on the performance of the piece. In order to resolve this clash between antagonistic approaches, a methodology has been applied which is based on tracing the "notion of a piece" by studying the timing of the composition, conducting a formal analysis and considering the ornitophonical transcriptions. This theoretical framing acts as a vehicle to uncover the performative nature of Catalogue, where analysing the transcripts, understanding the importance of the time element and assimilating the writing of the two books are tools to relieve a more open musical creation, an aspect confirmed in the study as regards the traditional performance of the work. All of that shows a composition that breaks free from simplistic postulates, offering the pianist a universe of performing possibilities that go beyond any old debate regarding the performance of this extraordinary score of piano literature. The study concludes with a sound recording of the two books and the inclusion of the two pieces in a recital for the Young Performers Cycle of Seville's Maestranza Theatre. Furthermore, part of the research material has been used to write two articles for Melómano Magazine, which are included as annexes, and in some conferences-concerts about the pianism of Olivier Messiaen at different Spanish conservatoires and universities in 2017 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Olivier Messiaen¿s death.
[ES] El propósito fundamental que se ha perseguido en esta tesis es el de realizar una indagación, observada desde el prisma del intérprete, de Catalogue d¿oiseaux, utilizando su segundo y cuarto cuaderno como objeto de estudio a la hora de abordar su enfoque estético y pianístico. La necesidad de aproximarse a la obra desde una óptica interpretativa surge de la paradoja existente entre la importancia que esta composición ocupa en el catálogo compositivo de Olivier Messiaen y el peso real que la partitura posee entre los pianistas actuales. Debido a la evolución del lenguaje compositivo del autor, que se plasma en una mayor complejidad conceptual, Catalogue d¿oiseaux genera una serie de interrogantes de orden interpretativo que la alejan del resto de la producción pianística "tradicional". Este factor se traduce, frecuentemente, en apriorismo y axiomas que generan visiones excesivamente polarizadas sobre la ejecución de la obra. Para solventar este atrincheramiento entre planteamientos antagónicos, se ha empleado una metodología basada en trazar una "idea de obra" a través del estudio de la ubicación temporal de la composición, el análisis formal y la apreciación de las transcripciones ornitofónicas. Este encuadre de índole teórico actúa de vehículo para desgranar la naturaleza interpretativa de Catalogue, donde acercarse a las transcripciones, entender la importancia del elemento temporal y asimilar la escritura de estos dos cuadernos sirven de herramientas para revelar una creación musical mucho más abierta, aspecto que se corrobora con el estudio la tradición interpretativa de la obra. Todo ello muestra una composición que escapa de postulados simplistas, ofreciendo al pianista un universo de posibilidades interpretativas que supera cualquier viejo debate en torno a la ejecución de esta partitura colosal de la literatura pianística. El estudio llevado a cabo cristaliza con la grabación sonora de ambos cuadernos, así como la inclusión de ambas piezas dentro de un recital para el ciclo de "Jóvenes Intérpretes" del Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla. Del mismo modo, parte del material de investigación ha servido para la confección de dos artículos para la revista Melómano que se incluyen como anexos, así como la impartición de una serie de conferencias-conciertos alrededor del pianismo de Olivier Messiaen en diversos conservatorios y universidades españolas el próximo año 2017 con motivo del 25º aniversario de la muerte de Olivier Messiaen.
[CAT] El propòsit fonamental que s'ha perseguit en aquesta tesi és el de realitzar una indagació, observada des del prisma de l'intèrpret, de Catalogue d¿oiseaux, utilitzant el seu segon i quart quadern com a objecte d'estudi a l'hora d'abordar el seu enfocament estètic i pianístic. La necessitat d'aproximar-se a l'obra des d'una òptica interpretativa sorgeix de la paradoxa existent entre la importància que aquesta composició ocupa en el catàleg compositiu d'Olivier Messiaen i el pes real que la partitura posseeix entre els pianistes actuals. A causa de l'evolució del llenguatge compositiu de l'autor, que es plasma en una major complexitat conceptual, Catalogue d¿oiseaux genera una sèrie d'interrogants d'ordre interpretatiu que l'allunyen de la resta de la producció pianística "tradicional". Aquest factor es tradueix, freqüentment, en apriorisme i axiomes que generen visions excessivament polaritzades sobre l'execució de l'obra. Per a solucionar aquest atrinxerament entre plantejaments antagònics, s'ha emprat una metodologia basada a traçar una "idea d'obra" a través de l'estudi de la ubicació temporal de la composició, l'anàlisi formal i l'apreciació de les transcripcions ornitofòniques. Aquest enquadrament d'índole teòric actua de vehicle per a desgranar la naturalesa interpretativa de Catalogue, on acostar-se a les transcripcions, entendre la importància de l'element temporal i assimilar l'escriptura d'aquests dos quaderns serveixen d'eines per a revelar una creació musical molt més oberta, aspecte que es corrobora amb l'estudi la tradició interpretativa de l'obra. Tot açò mostra una composició que escapa de postulats simplistes, oferint al pianista un univers de possibilitats interpretatives que supera qualsevol vell debat entorn de l'execució d'aquesta partitura colossal de la literatura pianística. L'estudi dut a terme cristal·litza amb l'enregistrament sonor de tots dos quaderns, així com la inclusió d'ambdues peces dins d'un recital per al cicle de "Joves Intèrprets" del Teatre de la Maestranza de Sevilla. De la mateixa manera, part del material de recerca ha servit per a la confecció de dos articles per a la revista Melómano que s'inclouen com a annexos, així com la impartició d'una sèrie de confèrencies-concerts al voltant del pianisme d'Olivier Messiaen en diversos conservatoris i universitats espanyoles el pròxim any 2017 en motiu del 25è aniversari de la mort d'Olivier Messiaen.
Benítez Suárez, G. (2016). Catalogue d'oiseaux, O. Messiaen: un estudio de su universo interpretativo a través de II. Le Loriot y IV. Le Traquet Stapazin [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/68509
TESIS

Generate a proposal for improvement in the implementation of the magical township program focused on the municipality of Ixtapan de la Sal, based on the case studies Tepozotlan, and Metepec, considering the variables of legal, operational, social instrumentation and the participation of the population as an element of impact in the development of the program.
Generar una propuesta de mejora en la instrumentación del programa de pueblos mágicos enfocada hacia el municipio de Ixtapan de la Sal, a partir de los estudios de caso Tepozotlan, y Metepec, considerando las variables instrumentación jurídica, operacional, social y la participación de la población como elemento de impacto en el desarrollo del programa.

Design of a natural landscape for Eco-tourism in Sultepec, Mexico, in which the natural space is intervened with environmentally friendly architecture
Diseño de un paisaje natural para Eco-turismo en Sultepec, México, en el que se interviene el espacio natural con arquitectura ambientalmente amigable

La población humana mundial sigue aumentando con gran rapidez, en México para 2017 hay una población de 123.5 millones, y, de igual manera, se incrementa la demanda de productos pecuarios como la leche, carne y huevo; de tal forma que las empresas dedicadas a la agricultura y ganadería coinciden en la necesidad de lograr una mayor eficiencia productiva y rentabilidad económica; el caso de la ovinocultura no es la excepción; empero, esta actividad tiene la opción de producir a base de forrajes usados en condiciones de pastoreo, lo cual le permite disminuir los costos de producción, resultando esto en una gran ventaja sobre otras empresas como la avícola y porcina (Church et al., 2002). El manejo agronómico de la pradera, así como el pastoreo animal, son aspectos fundamentales para explotar el potencial genético de las diferentes especies de gramíneas de clima templado como es el caso del ryegrass (Lolium perenne); sin embargo, en muchas ocasiones su desconocimiento ocasiona el fracaso de los sistemas de producción animal en pradera (Núñez et al., 1995). Ofrecer y suministrar un forraje de buena calidad puede significar una mayor rentabilidad en la empresa ganadera; hay parámetros que determinan la calidad de los pastos, uno de ellos es su composición química, la cual se estima al practicar un análisis químico proximal del forraje, determinando el contenido de cenizas, fibra ácido detergente (FAD), fibra neutro detergente (FND), proteína cruda (PC), fibra cruda (FC), extracto etéreo (EE), extracto libre de nitrógeno (ELN), además del contenido de calcio, (Ca), fósforo (P), potasio (K), magnesio (Mg), y de los microelementos como manganeso (Mn), zinc (Zn), cobre (Cu), selenio (Se) y hierro (Fe) (Mc Donald et al., 1995). La fracción de un alimento que, después de ser ingerida y digerida, no aparece en las heces fecales, debido a su desintegración y absorción, se denomina fracción digerida o digestible (Fondevila y Barrios, 2001). La digestibilidad de la materia orgánica es un factor de suma importancia para determinar el valor nutritivo de un forraje, esa digestibilidad se modifica a medida que las plantas maduran con disminución de la proteína y aumento de la fracción fibrosa a base de los carbohidratos estructurales (Mc Donald et al., 1995). La digestibilidad de los forrajes puede variar dependiendo de factores asociados a los animales, y también según la especie vegetal, su edad y manejo agronómico (Bogdan, 1997). El grado de digestibilidad de las plantas completas y de sus fracciones puede precisarse a través de métodos in vitro, uno de ellos es el método por producción de gas (Theodorou et al., 1994), en el cual el gas producido provee datos útiles sobre la digestión de las fracciones solubles e insolubles del alimento. La evaluación de la pradera permite determinar la calidad nutritiva del forraje para aprovechar al máximo el material disponible a ser proporcionado a los animales en las mejores condiciones para su óptima producción (Duthil, 1989; Church et al., 2002).

TESIS DE LICENCIATURA PARA OBTENER EL TÍTULO DE LICENCIADA EN DERECHO
Por la acusación, nos referimos a un juicio político contra el presidente; como sabemos todas las constituciones que manejan un sistema presidencial dan un poco de poder al mismo, analizamos la responsabilidad de la ley para proceder por las acciones ilegales de aquellos en quienes recae el poder, el juicio político es una figura legal interesante, el procedimiento ha resultado ser un instrumento terriblemente imperfecto, sin embargo su existencia es esencial para la república. El desarrollo político en cada país ha causado una explosión de experiencia, conocimiento, éxito y fracasos, el proceso de acusación en la teoría, permiten el medio para sostener al presidente y jueces responsables ante la gente. El abuso de autoridad o el fracaso de sostener las responsabilidades no pueden ser toleradas.

Los ambientes de altas elevaciones proporcionan terreno fértil para el estudio de posibles variaciones morfofisiológicas en vertebrados, esto debido a cambios en parámetros ambientales como bajas temperaturas y una menor disponibilidad de oxígeno, entre otras. En el caso de reptiles resulta especialmente interesante, ya que estos organismos al ser ectotermos no pueden producir calor corporal de forma autónoma, por lo que dependen de la temperatura ambiental en conjunto con estrategias morfológicas y conductuales para mantener su temperatura corporal en un rango funcional. Sceloporus grammicus es una especie de lagartija perteneciente a la familia Phrynosomatidae, presenta una amplia distribución altitudinal que supera los 4000 m. por lo que representa un buen modelo estudio para estudiar potenciales variaciones morfofisiológicas. El objetivo de este trabajo es comparar las características hematológicas y algunos rasgos de termorregulación en la lagartija Sceloporus grammicus en un gradiente altitudinal que abarca poblaciones a 2500, 3400 y 4300 m. En la parte hematológica se evaluó el conteo de eritrocitos, porcentaje de hematocrito, concentración de hemoglobina, área celular, electrolitos, presión de gases, lactato y glucosa; para termorregulación se tomó en cuanta la temperatura de selección, índices de termorregulación de Hertz, temperaturas críticas, velocidad de calentamiento y reflectancia de la coloración dorsal. Los resultados indican que los rasgos sanguíneos se comportan de forma asintótica, mientras que los valores de gasometría no muestran diferencias significativas. Los rasgos de termorregulación muestran que a pesar de los ambientes de alta elevaciones son menos adecuados para las lagartijas no muestran cambios en la temperatura de selección y velocidad de calentamiento, sin embargo la población media muestra mayor resistencia a bajas y altas temperaturas, por otra parte la reflectancia de la coloración dorsal es menor a bajas temperaturas y altas elevaciones, por lo que la población más alta es más oscura. En conclusión Sceloporus grammicus presenta cambios morfofisiológicos para mantener la homeostasis en respuesta a cambios en las condiciones ambientales de altas elevaciones.
CONACYT

En el estudio se emplearon los datos de 750 canales de ovinos procedentes de diferentes sistemas de producción (intensivo, semiintensivo y extensivo), genotipos (pelo, lana y pelo x lana) y sexos (hembras y machos). Se realizaron análisis de correlación y regresión lineal múltiple, y se obtuvieron ecuaciones de predicción para área del músculo Longissimus dorsi y para el espesor de la grasa subcutánea, utilizando el peso a la matanza y algunas variables morfométricas de la canal.

O presente Trabalho de Investigação Aplicada tem como finalidade investigar e analisar as capacidades e requisitos que uma Bateria de Artilharia Antiaérea tem, ao nível do Comando e Controlo, para participar em missões no âmbito da Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte e em missões no território nacional. A parte prática do trabalho teve lugar no Regimento de Artilharia Antiaérea nº 1, tendo por base, análise de documentos, entrevistas e relatos de experiências pessoais dos militares com experiência de comando de Baterias de Artilharia Antiaérea. Este trabalho inicia-se com a referência ao atual ambiente operacional, às novas ameaças, com particular ênfase para as ameaças aéreas. Faz-se ainda referência ao sistema de Defesa Aérea da Organização do Atlântico Norte e ao Sistema de Defesa Aéreo Nacional, referindo a importância da utilização da Artilharia Antiaérea nos dias de hoje, face às novas ameaças. Com esta investigação, pretende-se identificar quais os elementos necessários ao nível do Sistema de Comando e Controlo das Baterias de Artilharia Antiaérea atuais. Para que possam participar em missões no âmbito da Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte, podendo estar integradas no sistema de defesa aéreo do teatro da respetiva missão, e ainda, em missões do território nacional, integrando-se no Sistema de Defesa Aéreo Nacional. No final apresentam-se a respetivas conclusões que resultam desta investigação, para que se possa responder à questão central que deu origem ao trabalho. Concluindo que, o sistema de Comando e Controlo atual da Artilharia Antiaérea Portuguesa não está preparado para atuar, de uma forma integrada, numa missão no âmbito da Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte, e, em território nacional apresenta algumas lacunas sendo necessária a implementação de um Sistema Automático de Comando e Controlo, assim como a aquisição de novos radares com capacidade 3D.
Abstract This research aims to investigate and analyze the capabilities and requirements that a Portuguese Air Defense Artillery Battery has, at the Command and Control, for missions under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and missions in the national territory. The practical part of the work took place in the Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and it was based in document analysis, interviews and personal experiences with the military command experience of Air Defense Artillery Battery. This research begins with a reference to the current operational environment, new threats, with particular emphasis for aerial threats. It also makes reference to the air defense system of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the National Air Defense System, referring to the importance of using Air Defense Artillery today, according with the new threats. This work aims to identify the necessary elements of Command and Control of the current Battery. In order to participate in missions under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to be integrated into air defense system of the theater of the relevant mission, and yet, on missions in national territory, integrated into the National Air Defense System. At the end the conclusions that result from this research are presented in order to answer the central question that originated this thesis. Concluding that the current Command and Control System of the Portuguese Air Defense Artillery is not prepared to act integrated in a mission under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty, and, in national territory has some shortcomings, it is necessary to implement an Automated Command and Control System as well as the acquisition of new radars

Throughout our history, the singing voice has been a fundamental tool for musical expression. While analysis and digital synthesis techniques have been developed for normal speech, few models and techniques have been focused on the singing voice. The central theme of this research is the development of models aimed at the characterization and synthesis of the singing voice. First, a spectral model is presented in which asymmetric generalized Gaussian functions are used to represent the formant structure of a singing voice in a flexible manner. Efficient methods for searching the parameter space are investigated and challenges associated with smooth parameter trajectories are discussed. Next a model for glottal characterization is introduced by first presenting an analysis of the relationship between measurable spectral qualities of the glottal waveform and perceptually relevant time-domain parameters. A mathematical derivation of this relationship is presented and is extended as a method for parameter estimation. These concepts are then used to outline a procedure for modifying glottal textures and qualities in the frequency domain. By combining these models with the Analysis-by-Synthesis/Overlap-Add sinusoidal model, the spectral and glottal models are shown to be capable of characterizing the singing voice according to traits such as level of training and registration. An application is presented in which these parameterizations are used to implement a system for singing voice enhancement. Subjective listening tests were conducted in which listeners showed an overall preference for outputs produced by the proposed enhancement system over both unmodified voices and voices enhanced with competitive methods.

The aim of this dissertation is to gain a better understanding of the peculiar growth processes of boron nitride (BN) crystals. BN can grow in graphite-like or diamond-like structures. The diamond-like crystal structure is the global energy minimum at zero temperature and pressure, while the graphite-like structure is metastable. However, when one tries to grow BN at low temperature and pressure, the structure that emerges is the metastable graphite-like structure. Only under high temperature and pressure is one able to produce the diamond-like BN. The question is: Why does BN grow so easily in the (metastable) graphite-like structure at low temperature and pressure? One possible explanation is that very small clusters of BN are actually more stable in the graphite-like structure. When the crystal grows to larger and larger structures, eventually the diamond-like structure will become more stable. The assumption is that the crystal is trapped on the graphite-like side of the energy barrier, and so only high temperature and pressure will allow it to change into the more stable structure, the diamond-like BN. In this dissertation we use theoretical calculations employing density functional theory (DFT) in the local density approximation (LDA) with a plane wave basis set to examine the validity of this explanation. We therefore calculate small clusters of boron and nitrogen atoms and find a very stable building block for BN to be the hexagonal BN ring consisting of three boron and three nitrogen atoms. With this building block we create larger structures, attaching the BN rings in the plane or stacking them in columns. The graphite-like structure can easily be reproduced and is definitely (meta)stable. But we are unable to produce a diamond-like structure within the size of structures that we investigated. This means that the dense structure is not only less stable for small systems, it is actually unstable.
xvi, 181 leaves

El estudio de la mecánica computacional de fallo ha ganado creciente popularidad en los últimos años. Modelizar el comportamiento poscrítico de estructuras puede alcanzar un grado elevado de complejidad, debido a la multiplicidad de aspectos que es necesario considerar.
Desde el punto de vista de la mecánica de medios continuos, el fallo está estrechamente relacionado con la localización de deformaciones. Se dice que un sólido presenta localización de deformaciones cuando existen bandas en las cuales se producen modos de deformación intensos. Este fenómeno ha sido clasificado como una inestabilidad material, ya que está ligado a modelos constitutivos con ablandamiento o con reglas de flujo no asociadas. Un enfoque fenomenológico del problema de localización de deformaciones permite su estudio mediante saltos en el campo de desplazamientos, conocidos como discontinuidades fuertes.
Este trabajo propone varias técnicas numéricas que contribuyen a la modelización de discontinuidades fuertes en sólidos bidimensionales dentro del marco de la mecánica de medios continuos. Con este objetivo, se hace una revisión sistemática de los fundamentos teóricos con los cuales se puede emprender el estudio del fallo en estructuras sin salir del ámbito de la mecánica de medios continuos clásica.
En primer lugar, mediante el análisis de bifurcación discontinua, se establecen las condiciones necesarias para la aparición de discontinuidades en sólidos. A continuación, se analizan las implicaciones de adoptar la cinemática de discontinuidades fuertes en el contexto de la modelización constitutiva de medios continuos mediante el análisis de discontinuidades fuertes. Establecidas estas herramientas conceptuales, se procede a estudiar una serie de formulaciones de elementos finitos con discontinuidades internas que posibiliten la simulación numérica eficiente de la evolución de interfaces de discontinuidad en sólidos.
El marco de trabajo escogido se basa en el planteamiento de las ecuaciones de gobierno del problema de valores de contorno mediante una formulación de varios campos. A partir de un análisis comparativo, se determina que el elemento más eficiente es el conocido como elemento asimétrico. Su uso implica la utilización de algoritmos de trazado del camino de la discontinuidad. Luego de estudiar este tipo de algoritmos, se propone uno que, basado en una analogía con el problema de conducción del calor, permite determinar todos las posibles líneas de discontinuidad para cada paso en un proceso de carga. Este algoritmo es especialmente eficiente para gestionar la evolución de varias líneas de discontinuidad.
Se estudian, además, algunos posibles problemas de estabilidad que podrían surgir. La adición de un término viscoso a la ecuación de equilibrio se adopta como solución a las posibles inestabilidades. Finalmente, se presenta una serie de ejemplos que ponen de manifiesto la potencia de las técnicas propuestas.
The study of Computational Failure Mechanics has attracted increasing attention over the past years. Modelling the postcritical behaviour of structures is by no means trivial, due to high level of complexity that it can reach . From the continuum mechanics point of view, failure is tightly related to strain localization. When bands with modes of intense deformation are observed in a solid, it is said to undergo strain localization. It has been classified as a material instability due to its close relationship with constitutive models either equipped with strain softening or having non-associative flow rules.
From a phenomenological standpoint, strain localization can be regarded as an interface where a jump in the displacement field develops. These jumps in the displacement field are termed strong discontinuities. In this work, several techniques that contribute to the continuum modelling of strong discontinuities in two-dimensional solids are proposed.
To this end, a systematic review of the fundamentals of the study of failure in solids within the context of Classical Continuum Mechanics is made. First, the necessary conditions for the appearance of discontinuities in solids are established by using the socalled discontinuous bifurcation analysis. Then, the implications of adopting the strong discontinuity kinematics plus the use of continuum constitutive models are studied by means of the so-called strong discontinuity analysis. With these concepts on hand, the study of finite elements with embedded discontinuities is undertaken. A very general multi-field statement of the governing equations of the boundary value problem is used as the framework to formulate the different families of elements. The comparative analysis of all the formulations leads to the conclusion that the so-called non-symmetric element is the most efficient. However, the use of this element entails the necessity of a tracking algorithm. This kind of algorithms are also studied. A tracking algorithm based on a heat-conduction-like boundary value problem that gives all the possible discontinuity lines for a given time step in a loading process is proposed. This algorithm is specially suitable for managing multiple discontinuity interfaces. The problems of stability and uniqueness that can appear when simulating the evolution of discontinuity interfaces are analyzed and the addition of a regularizing damping term to the momentum balance equation was proposed. Finally, the proposed techniques were tested by means of some numerical examples.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2007.
Thesis research directed by: Curriculum and Instruction. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.

The past thirty years have seen many advances in medicine. One of the most significant developments has been in the use of the laser. This instrument has been used in a number of surgical therapies including the removal of vascular lesions and the removal of tattoos. Lasers for the treatment of vascular lesions have progressed from early devices which ablated the skin surrounding the ectatic vessels and thus caused scarring, to devices which use selective thermolysis and leave the texture of the skin unchanged. Two such devices are the flash-lamp pumped pulsed dye laser and the copper vapour laser. This thesis investigates what is known about the processes that occur in the skin following the treatment of vascular lesions with these lasers. The purpura-like response of the pulsed dye laser is due to a stationary coagulum of erythrocytes in the treated vessels. The blanching caused by the copper vapour laser is less well understood. We photograph the treatment process, and quantitatively measure the light remitted from the skin. We conclude that blanching is caused by a combination of vasoconstriction, as proposed by Marini et al. (1992), and destruction of epidermal melanin. It is observed that light coloured vascular lesions blanch faster and require more energy to blanch than dark lesions. These phenomena are related to the smaller size of the ectatic vessels in light coloured lesions. The use of Q-switched ruby lasers for removal of tattoos has long been established. However such devices are expensive and are unable to remove red pigments. This thesis reports on progress made towards the development of a cheaper flash-lamp based system which might be able to remove all pigment colours.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine career progression for ground combat arms officers in the Marine Corps Reserve, and to identify gaps between current and optimal career progression. Recent policy changes provide the catalyst for this thesis. On 4 December 2006, the Marine Corps announced the implementation of the Officer Candidate Course-Reserve. At the time, active component manpower practices and historically high retention rates resulted in reduced numbers of officers leaving active duty following their initial service obligation. Those officers who transitioned into the Reserve Component did so at grades more senior than required to fill junior officer billets. These factors combined to create a gap between RC junior company grade leadership requirements and the inventory of junior company grade officers. As the Marine Corps begins to staff reserve ground combat arms and engineer platoon and company commanders at 100% of manning, the requirement exists to develop a career path that provides the breadth of experience and expertise desired in its future leaders. However, challenges arise regarding the early to mid-stages of career progression due to training opportunities and PME requirements being less readily available to reserve officers than to their active component counterparts.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: ‘Going green’ draws its origins from the ‘green’ in politics, which was first used as a party name by the German Greens (Die Grünen) in the late 1970s, which, although not the first green party, through media hype triggered the conception of a green movement in the early 1980s. This was voiced through green parties across the globe. Green is now seen as a buzzword and is often used as shorthand for discussing sustainability. It has since gained support leading to the gathering of more than 100 heads of state at the Earth Summit, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 and provided the necessary platform to launch a global campaign. It initially began in developed nations, in particular European countries, but has since spread to developing countries, despite receiving abundant opposition both from developed and developing nations, due to its impact on the oil and coal sectors. The purpose of this research is to determine the core motivation behind companies going green. The researcher does this through a qualitative study of the motivations and contextual factors that induce ecological responsiveness ranging from day to day business practices to the ecological design of their offices. The researcher tests the hypothesis, namely climate change mitigation, which is developed through the literature study and adopted to evaluate the four case studies selected. The researcher builds up his argument in chapters 3 to 5, which draw on the literature studied and first discuss Government’s response to climate change, then the interventions in place to address climate change and finally look at the four case studies. Climate change and its relevance to companies is the key motivation behind deciding on this topic and it is discussed throughout the thesis. Companies interviewed in this thesis expressed concern about it, although it was not always the primary motivation. Some had already introduced measures to address it and were continually looking at new ways of mitigating it. Similarly, the companies interviewed and others analysed were all concerned about introducing cost saving measures, which had the added advantage of being of benefit to the environment. Genuine reasons for mitigating climate change and concern over the future of the planet put forward by certain companies, while protecting profit margins were given by others. All served to achieve one goal to protect the environment through the sustainable use of natural resources and ultimately to enhance companies’ public images as being green companies. This study is divided into a literature review and case studies, where literature pertaining to climate change, renewable energy, sustainable building, corporate governance, green jobs and others was sourced from government gazettes, newspapers, academic studies, books, documentaries, journals, magazines and internet sources. These serve to develop and support the case studies, which take the form of interviews done with owners and workers from the selected companies.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om groen te wees is ‘n uitdrukking wat van die politiek afkomstig is. Die naam is eers deur die Duitse Groenparty (Die Grünen) in die laat sewentiger jaar gebruik en alhoewel dit nie eintlik die eerste groenparty was, het dit deur middel van die media gelei tot die totstandkoming van die groenbeweging in die vroeer tagtige jare. Die naam “groen” is deur groenpartye wêreldwyd gebruik en ‘groen’ word deesdae as ‘n bynaam gebruik as ‘n mens van verdedigbaarheid praat. In 1992 te Rio de Janeiro, Brazil het die groenbeweging sterk steun gevind toe meer as 100 staatshoofde by die ‘Earth Summit’ bymekaar vergader het. Oorspronklik het die groenbeweging in die ontwikkelde nasies, veral Europese nasies, begin maar het daarna tot die ontwikkelende nasies uitgebrei. Maar daar was heelwat teenstand van beide ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende nasies, weens die ekonomiese uitwerking op die olie en steenkool industriëe. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal watter motiverende faktore maatskappye inagneem as hulle “groen” gaan. Die skrywer versoek om vas te stel deur middel van ‘n kwalitatiewe studie van die motiverende en samehangende faktore wat ekologiese antwoordendheid teweegbring. Hierdie faktore beweeg van daaglikse besigheidspraktyke tot die ekologiese beplanning van die kantore. Die skrywer gebruik die versagting van klimaatverandering as ‘n toets, wat deur die literatuurstudie ontwikkel is en wat verwys word as die sleutelmotivering wat tot groening lei, en wat gebruik word om die vier uitgesoekte studies te beoordeel. Elkeen van die studies word volgens hierdie kriteria bepaal. Die skrywer pas hierdie kriteria ook op voorbeelde wat gebruik word om die vier uitgesoekte studies te steun. Die skrywer bou in hoofstukke 3 tot 4 sy argument op. Daar word die regering se reaksie tot klimaatverandering en groot besigheid se antwoord op regeringsbeleid uiteengesit. Ons sien ook die bemiddelinge wat in staat gestel is om klimaatverandering teen te staan; daarna word die agtergrond oor die logiese gronde vir die verkiesing van die vier gevallestudies bespreek, en laastens word die eintlike gevallestudies behandel. Klimaatverandering en die relevantheid daarvan is die sleutelmotivering vir die keuse van hierdie onderwerp en dit word deurgaans in die proefskrif bespreek. Dit is die een gemeenskaplike faktor waaroor die vier ondervraagde maatskappye getoets is; hulle het reeds stappe geneem om dit teen te staan en soek aanhoudend om die uitwerking van klimaatverandering te versag. ‘n Oorsig van die algemene literatuur en sakestudies, die literatuur wat spesifiek op klimaatverandering van toepassing is, hernieubare energie, verduurbare geboue, maatskaplike beheer, ‘groen’ werk en klimaatverandering te versag. Inligting afkomstig van staatskoerante, koerante, akademiese studies, boeke, dokumentere studies, joernale, tydskrifte en internet bronne. Altesame het hierdie bronne bygedra tot die ontwikkeling en steun van die gevallestudies, wat hoofsaaklik die vorm van onderhoude met werkgewers en werknemers van uitgesoekde maatskappye gevat het.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 23, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Mengshi Lin. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Couple therapy is successful in treating relationship distress. However, couple therapy does not benefit everyone. Consequently, it is important to study factors that predict therapeutic success. One such factor is what predicts the development of the therapeutic alliance in couple therapy. The purpose of this study was to code therapist behaviors, therapist warmth, empathy, presence, validation, collaboration, and technique factors (systemically-based techniques and session structure), in the first session of couple therapy to examine their ability to predict two aspects of the therapeutic alliance, between- and within-alliance, after the session for males and females. The hypotheses were tested utilizing multiple one-way ANOVAs. Results indicated that none of the therapist variables predicted either of the outcome alliance variables for males or females. More research needs to be done to find what therapist behaviors predict the therapeutic alliance.

Magister Public Health - MPH
There is growing awareness that drinking water can become contaminated following its collection from safe communal sources such as boreholes, as well as during transportation and storage in the house. Drinking water is the most important source of gastroentric diseases worldwide, mainly due to post collection contamination of drinking water. Globally, waterborne diseases are a major public health problem, causing millions of deaths annually. Aim: To determine the association between household drinking water handling practices and bacteriological quality of drinking water at the point-of-use in the rural communities of Murewa district in Zimbabwe.

A partir da investigação das atividades de campanha eleitoral promovidas pelas associações existentes no cenário urbano da cidade de Porto Alegre da década de 1920 percebemos o código operado por essa comunidade para agir, codificar e interpretar o campo político. Através deste conceito de cultura política rearticulamos os significados atribuídos às associações, a sua dinâmica burocrática, às atividades de mobilização e arregimentação eleitoral. Identificando as regularidades desse espaço de sociabilidade e apontamos como esses agentes coletivos e outros personagens atribuem significados às representações e práticas sociais deste campo enquanto estratégia de projeção e legitimação de seus interesses individuais e coletivos.

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This document addresses the application of resonant and repetitive controllers – designed with the aid of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI) – to active roller guides for high speed elevators. The active roller guides are used to reject lateral vibrations arising from irregularities in the alignment guides. The development of the controllers is based on a linear mathematical model in state space that represents the dynamics of the system in two orthogonal planes. A computational model was constructed and used to conduct computer simulations with the proposed controllers. The efficiency of the proposed controllers will be illustrated through simulation examples. This document was achieved in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard Brasil Ltda. using incentives of Brazilian Informatics Law (Law no 8. 2. 48 of 1991).
Este trabalho apresenta a aplicação de controladores ressonantes e repetitivos em conjunto com a formulação baseada em desigualdades matriciais lineares (do inglês, Linear Matrix Inequalities - LMI ), para controlar um sistema de roletes de guias ativos para elevadores de alta velocidade. Esses roletes de guias têm como função rejeitar vibrações laterais provenientes das irregularidades nas guias de alinhamento. O desenvolvimento dos controladores é baseado no uso de um modelo matemático linear em espaço de estados que representa a dinâmica do sistema em dois planos ortogonais. Um modelo computacional foi construído e utilizado para a realização de simulações computacionais com os controladores propostos. A eficiência dos controladores propostos será ilustrada através de exemplos de simulação. O presente trabalho foi alcançado em cooperação com a Hewlett- Packard Brasil Ltda. e com recursos provenientes da Lei de Informática (Lei no 8. 248, de 1991).

O presente documento regista o desenvolvimento de um projecto na área da gestão de stocks na CIE Plasfil, em âmbito de estágio curricular pela Universidade de Aveiro. A gestão dos processos logísticos relacionados com a gestão de stocks pode fornecer um contributo significativo para o aumento da competitividade das organizações a operar na indústria automóvel, quer ao nível dos custos, quer da qualidade do serviço prestado. A meta a alcançar com o presente projecto é a de auxiliar os processos logísticos da CIE Plasfil, através da construção de modelos de cálculo dos lotes económicos de produção e stocks de segurança. É utilizada a Política de Revisão Contínua para a determinação dos lotes económicos de produção, através da inclusão dos custos de stockagem calculados. O modelo de determinação dos stocks de segurança é formatado de acordo com a realidade organizacional, através da identificação, avaliação e imputação dos impactos dos factores de risco identificados nos níveis de stock. Verificou-se que podem ser obtidas poupanças pela utilização de lotes económicos, que variam de acordo com os critérios de volume de vendas e custo de produção. Com o modelo criado para o cálculo de stocks de segurança é possível manter níveis baixos de stock na ausência de risco de falhas nas entregas. Os factores de risco identificados ajudam a organização a precaver-se contra estas falhas.
This report documents a project developed in the area of inventory management at CIE Plasfil, framed in a curricular internship by Universidade de Aveiro. The management of logistics processes related to inventory management may provide a meaningful contribution for automotive industry organizations to attain a competitive edge, both in terms of costs and quality of the service provided. The main goal to achieve with this project is to assist the CIE Plasfil logistics processes through the construction of mathematical models to calculate economic production batches and safety stock levels. The Continuous Review Policy is used for the determination of economic production batches through the inclusion of the calculated stock costs. The safety stock model is designed according to the organizational reality through the identification, assessment and imputation of the impacts of the identified risk factors on stock levels. It was found that savings can be obtained by the use of economic batches, which varies according to the criteria of sales volume and production cost. With the model created for the calculation of safety stocks, it is possible to maintain low levels of stock in the absence of risk of failed deliveries. The identified risk factors help the organization to safeguard itself against these failures.

Rangelands within the Great Basin are responsible for the provision of multiple resources that humans depend on for a variety of reasons. Ranchers in this region are dependent on public lands to remain economically viable in their cattle operations. As a majority of land in this region is publically owned, there are varying interests at play in what should and could be the focus of management. Ranchers are charged with implementing strategies aimed at conserving these landscapes and their motivations for what to manage may significantly influence resource provision from Intermountain West ecosystem. In this study, I sought to understand what resources ranchers manage and why ranchers manage for certain resources. I also sought to understand operational characteristics which allow or inhibit them from managing for a suite of resources. My study population was ranchers throughout the Intermountain West who depend on public lands to graze their cattle. I utilized interviews as well as mail-in surveys to broadly understand what ranchers value about rangelands. From both qualitative and quantitative data, I found that ranchers make management decisions to encourage productivity, maintain a ranching legacy and remain autonomous in their operation. Managing to encourage these three ideals could ensure that their operations remain viable for their family in the future. I also found that based on size of operation, how active ranchers are on their operation, and how income dependent they are on their operation contribute to managing for more and a certain type of resource. Overall, this research was designed to encourage management for a suite of resources on rangeland landscapes. Ranchers seem to manage most highly for resources directly beneficial to their operation. By educating and incentivizing ranchers to manage more broadly for resources that benefit a broader public on public lands which we all hold claim to, resilience of both human communities as well as the ecosystem itself will be enhanced.

Police officers are exposed to occupational stressors that can negatively affect their job performance. Spirituality has received scholarly attention as a potential therapeutic strategy to assist individuals working under stressful conditions. Research indicated that police culture often overlooks the spiritual well-being of police officers. Much of the police literature on stress and spirituality has been examined using quantitative methods of inquiry. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore police officers' perceptions regarding the use of spirituality to manage occupational stress and job performance. Fry's spiritual leadership theory provided the framework for the study. Semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 6 participants were analyzed for codes and themes using Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method. Findings revealed that participants used their spirituality to cope with police stress and improve job performance, which created a healthy work-life balance, enhanced decision-making, and provided a greater sense of self-awareness. Consistent with spiritual leadership theory, participants perceived police work as a noble calling and that spirituality through faith-based belief systems and a deep connection to the communities they serve had a meaningful impact on their well-being and commitment to the organization. Findings may encourage law enforcement leaders, administrators, and trainers to recognize the possible benefits of nurturing the spiritual dimension within officers and to consider incorporating spirituality into standard training practices, organizational policies, and employee wellness programs.

TCP was conceived to ensure reliable node-to-node communication in moderate-bandwidth, moderate-latency, WANs. As it is now a mature Internet standard, it is the default connection-oriented protocol in networks built from commodity components, including Internet data centers. Data centers, however, rely on high-bandwidth, low-latency networks for communication. Moreover, their communication patterns, especially those generated by distributed applications such as MapReduce, often take the form of synchronous multi-node to node bursts. Under the right conditions, the network switch buffer overflow losses induced by these bursts confuse TCP's feedback mechanisms to the point that TCP throughput collapses. This collapse, termed TCP Incast, results in gross underutilization of link capacities, significantly degrading application performance. Conventional approaches to mitigating Incast have focused on single-path solutions, for instance, adjusting TCP's receive windows and timers, modifying the protocol itself, or adopting explicit congestion notifications. This thesis explores complementary multi-path approaches to avoiding Incast's onset. The principal idea is to use the regularity and high connectivity of typical data center networks, such as the increasingly popular fat-tree topology, to better distribute multi-node to node bursts across the available paths, thereby avoiding the switch buffer overflows that induce TCP Incast. The thesis's main contributions are: (1) development of new oblivious, multi-path, routing schemes for fat-tree networks, (2) derivation of relations between the schemes and Incast's onset, and (3) investigation of a novel "front-back" approach to minimizing the packet reordering introduced by multipath routing. Formal analyses are focused on relating schemes' worst-case loading of certain network resources - expressed as oblivious performance ratios (OPRs) - to Incast's onset. Potential benefits are assessed through ns-3 simulations on fat-trees under a variety of communication patterns. Results indicate that over a variety of experimental conditions, the proposed schemes reduce the incidence of TCP Incast compared to standard routing schemes.

Nothing in the modern consumer society is consumed with more relish as criticism of consumption. Merely to consume appears to be morally reprehensible ? one should produce, make, be creative. What You Want Whenever You Want It is a project that reflects on contemporary culture, including movements of taste, tempo and style. It embraces the rich and varied iconography of popular culture ? films, advertising, images, packaging, fashion and music. By seeking, absorbing and emulating the content of these cultural iconography and collaging them together, i have developed my own idiosyncratic view on consumerism, specifically in relation to Western popular culture. According to Boris Groys, the act of shopping may often be misconstrued as a frivolous or meaningless activity. Wandering idly, touching, selecting and consuming are generally viewed as the primary urban leisure occupation of affluent Western society. Purchasing goods is an activity that does more than just satisfies one's general needs or desires. Rather, shopping is a communal and public ritual through which identity is created and altered (Hollein, M. 2002: 14). What You Want Whenever You Want It Whenever you want it is a mixed media body of artworks. The primary material is 'fuzzy' felt fabric. The felt used throughout my body of work is prepared using artificial fibres. Synthetic felt is available in a reasonably wide variety of loud and vibrant colours. The highly absorbent and dense texture of felt permits intense colour that is both bold and eye-catching. I have used the plasticity of the synthetic felt to create conceptual ties to the superficial and theatrical nature of Western contemporary culture, because this synthetic material allows me to emulate the striking and mesmerizing nature of my content. Each work in What You Want Whenever You Want It uses modes of art-making that involve collage and appropriation. The project customizes and recombines various existing elements of the commercial world. These modes of art making have enabled me to explore materiality through the juxtaposition of existing media. Collage as a fine arts medium has been significant in reflecting the social, political and cultural climate of the world throughout various movements in modern art (Waldman, D. 1992: 8). This body of work engages with collage as a medium as it allows me to re-contextualize existing fragments of media and make it into a new product on its own. In the recombination of these fragments, I aim to communicate new viewpoints on consumerism and Western popular culture. This thesis paper works to explicate my process and my artwork. It proceeds in sections titled 'The Materiality of Felt', 'Felt Suit (After Beuys)', 'On Form, (Robert Morris)', 'Experience (Mike Kelley)', 'The Impact of Collage' and notes on individual artworks. Firstly, The Materiality of Felt explains and explores the materiality of felt, focusing on its relevance to my artwork. Secondly, I discuss the artists that influence my work. Thirdly, I explore the history, impact and meaning of collage in terms of my art-making process. The fourth section focuses on individual artworks and content. Both the work and production process is described.

This thesis examines the struggles for moral, cultural and political control of the Scottish Highlands during the period, c.1918-1945. Using library and archival material it demonstrates how a range of contesting landscape narratives, each based on an amalgam of myth, ideal and reality, were constructed for a region holding a peculiarly intense significance in the Scottish and British consciousness. By dissecting four inter-related debates about where, and to whom, the Highlands belonged, the thesis considers several overarching themes; questions of nationhood, citizenship, tradition, modernity and the division of power in society are all addressed. Firstly, it examines the creation of a sophisticated landowning mythology to counter increasingly vociferous public opposition to the elite sporting industry. Secondly, it explores how this landowning hegemony was threatened by the rise of a populist outdoor movement, and asserts that only through steady institutionalisation and the discrete involvement of reactionary interests was the vibrant recreative community emasculated. Thirdly, it analyses conflicts over the conceptualisation of the Highlands as a location suitable for modern industry, infrastuctural improvement and economic development. Examples of proposed hydro-electric power schemes are used to frame key arguments of opposition and promotion. Fourthly, it investigates the campaign mounted to re-appropriate the Highland land resource as a means to inspire agrarian and cultural revival. The role of Scotland's nationalist literary community is determined as crucial to the creation of a sophisticated, if ultimately idealistic, ruralist mythology. Despite the emergence of these oppositional narratives the thesis contends that the persistence of a feudal, sporting tradition in the Highlands reflected both the immutability and ingenuity of the established landowning hegemony. Significantly, dominant cultural constructions of Highland landscape and identity originating during the inter-war period retain much of their power to the present day.

The deleterious effects of not completing high school in the United States and around the world in the current monetary, societal, and employment climate make efforts toward increasing graduation rates an imperative. The impetus for educational reform for improving graduation rates is even more salient for students with disabilities who graduate at lower rates than their peers without disabilities (Stetser & Stillwell, 2014). To provide the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) necessary to engage in this reform, data-systems with accurate and timely information are necessary. This research included construction of Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models to investigate the individual- and school-level predictor variables associated with on-time high school graduation for students with disabilities. To that end, the research examined the relationships among (1) individual student demographic background variables (2) individual academic and behavioral school related variables (3) school-wide characteristics of the schools that students in the research study attended and (4) on-time graduation as defined by the Federal Uniform Graduation Rate criteria. This research revealed significant relationships between on-time graduation and individual-level variables for students with disabilities including grade point average, attendance, and primary disability labels of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities across grade levels. Additional significant predictors were found at specific grade levels (e.g., socio-economic status and education in a more restrictive environment). Implications for research to practice include a focus on early intervention prior to high school to increase odds of on-time graduation for students with disabilities and inclusion of additional variables for students with disabilities in Early Warning Systems (EWS). Additionally, customizing EWS through analysis of predictor sensitivity for specific populations by school district or school was discussed.

The thesis examines how the criminal justice system treats Aboriginal people. While the survey is principally concerned with examining evidence of systemic discrimination, it points out from the beginning that an ineffective justice system needs reform even if it is fair in all respects. I believe the present justice system generally does not protect Aboriginal victims and communities, and intrudes excessively into the lives of offenders without realizing substantial benefits. The thesis concludes that discrimination against Aboriginal persons is widespread in the criminal justice system, and that the system is not serving Aboriginal people well, whether as victims, offenders, or communities. One of the recommendations proposed is for the establishment of Aboriginal justice systems, including criminal law-making powers. Other recommendations are directed at that part of the justice system that will always be governed within the present jurisdictional structures, and calls for blunt measures to make the justice system more effective in protecting victims and reducing discrimination against Aboriginal persons. The thesis concludes that the problems with the justice system are fundamental and in many ways involve inherent contradictions in its operation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

L’être humain est un être de relation. Il naît et grandit en lien avec l’autre, et ce n’est que graduellement que s’établit un « je », un « tu » et, dans une spirale continue, à la fois le rapport à soi et à autrui. La relation se fonde donc sur le lien intersubjectif et la communication s’active au gré des résonances qui font écho au vécu des différentes personnes en contact les unes avec les autres. De la naissance à la mort, la personne sera constamment et immédiatement renvoyée à l’expérience du « nous », du soi, de l’autre et du lien qui les unit. L’expérience d’un « nous » englobe ce que chacun transporte dans l’instant de rencontre et révèle la singularité du moment. Ceci s’applique à toutes les situations, et en particulier au processus de psychothérapie et de supervision. L’objet de la présente recherche est précisément de démontrer l’existence et les contours de la réalité intersubjective et des résonances mutuelles qui prennent place au cours de séances de thérapie et de supervision. La présente étude explorera donc plus finement, en tenant compte du discours et des associations intérieures des protagonistes, les processus intersubjectifs et les résonances qui s’opèrent entre le client, le thérapeute et le superviseur. Bien que le savoir clinique reconnaisse aujourd’hui que l’intersubjectivité opère en thérapie et en supervision, les recherches empiriques sur les processus et les formes que prennent les mouvements d’intersubjectivité et de résonances qui se produisent à l’occasion de ces interactions, sont limitées. Car si la valeur intersubjective de la psychothérapie et de la supervision est aujourd’hui reconnue, l’explicitation de la nature des processus intersubjectifs en jeu reste à faire. Dans cette recherche exploratoire, l’auteur suit pas à pas, à l’aide du verbatim des séances et des impressions ou échos personnels subséquents des protagonistes, le fil des interactions intersubjectives et le jeu des résonances personnelles qui s’instaurent entre un client, un thérapeute et un superviseur au fil de dix rencontres de thérapie et de supervision. La méthodologie est qualitative et l’approche, phénoménologique et inductive. Les analyses sont séquentielles et portent sur deux niveau : un niveau macroscopique visant à faire ressortir les mouvements intersubjectifs et un niveau microscopique visant à faire émerger le sens et la nature des résonances. Il en ressort que le jeu des influences mutuelles et bidirectionnelles est présent tout au long du processus de thérapie et de supervision. À partir de ce constat, des commentaires sont émis au sujet des interinfluences qui prennent place tout au long des processus de thérapie et de supervision.

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Chemistry
Anions are ubiquitous and very important species in biological, medicinal, industrial and environmental processes. In biology, anions are essential for normal metabolic functions, where their specific recognition, transport and detection play a very important role. On the other hand, the uncontrolled release of anions into the environment poses a significant threat. The development of synthetic receptors capable of sequestering anions should, therefore, provide solutions to a number of problems of current interest. To be suitable for real-life applications, as for instance the detection and quantification of biologically active anions in clinical laboratories or the environmental monitoring and/or removal of pollutants, synthetic receptors need to be able to function in aqueous solution. However, due to the high dielectric constant and good hydrogen bond donor and acceptor capabilities, water is the most challenging medium for anion recognition.(...)
The work described in this thesis was entirely carried out in Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal. Pedro Mateus has received financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, ref. SFRH/BD/36159/2007.