The influence of Mohandas K. Gandhi on social and environmental movements in post-colonial India has been widely acknowledged. Yet, the contributions of two European associates of Gandhi, Madeleine Slade and Catherine Mary Heilemann, better known in India as Mira Behn and Sarala Behn, have not received the due attention of the academic community. This dissertation is an examination of the philosophy and social activism of Mira Behn and Sarala Behn and their roles in the evolution of Gandhian philosophy of socioeconomic reconstruction and environmental conservation in the present Indian state of Uttarakhand. Instead of just being acolytes of Gandhi, I argue that these women developed ideas and practices that drew upon from an extensive intellectual terrain that cannot be limited to Gandhi’s work. I delineate the directions in which Gandhian thought and experiments in rural development work evolved through the lives, activism, and written contributions of these two women. Particularly, I examine their influence on social and environmental movements, such as the Chipko and the Anti-Tehri Dam movements, and their roles in promoting grassroots social development and environmental sustainability in the mountain communities of Uttarakhand. Mira Behn and Sarala Behn’s integrative philosophical worldviews present epistemological, sociopolitical, ethical, and metaphysical principles and practices that have local and global significance for understanding interfaith dialog, social justice, and environmental sustainability and thus constitute a useful contribution to the theory and practice of human emancipation in our times.

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Purpose: To establish normative data for children on the Words-in-Noise Test (WIN; R. H. Wilson, 2003; R. H. Wilson & R. McArdle, 2007). Method: Forty-two children ineachof 7 age groups, rangingin age from6to12years (n = 294), and 24 young adults (age range: 18-27 years) with normal hearing for pure tones participated. All listeners were screened at 15 dB HL (American National Standards Institute, 2004) with the octave interval between 500 and 4000 Hz. Randomizations of WIN Lists 1, 2, and 1 or WIN Lists 2, 1, and 2 were presented with the noise fixed at 70 dB SPL, followed by presentation at 90 dB SPL of the 70 Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (T. W. Tillman & R. Carhart, 1966) words used in the WIN. Finally, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (L. M. Dunn & L. M. Dunn, 1981) was administered. Testing was conducted in a quiet room. Results: There were 3 main findings: (a) The biggest change inrecognition performance occurred between the ages of 6 and 7 years; (b) from 9 to 12 years, recognition performance was stable; and (c) performance by young adults (18-27 years) was slightly better (1-2 dB) than performance by the older children. Conclusion: The WIN can be used with children as young as 6 years of age; however, age-specific ranges of normal recognition performance must be used.

Yes / Ligands like alkanethiol (e.g. dodecanethiol, hexadecanethiol, etc.) and polymers (e.g. poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), polyethylene glycol-thiol) capped to the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are widely used in biomedical field as drug carriers and as promising materials for probing and manipulating cellular processes. Ligand functionalised AuNPs are known to interact with the pulmonary surfactant (PS) monolayer once reaching the alveolar region. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the interaction between AuNPs and PS monolayers. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, the effect of ligand density, and ligand length have been studied for two classes of ligands on a PS model monolayer consisting of DPPC, POPG, cholesterol and SP-B (mini-peptide). The ligands considered in this study are alkanethiol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) thiol as examples of hydrophobic and hydrophilic ligands, respectively. It was observed that the interaction between AuNPs and PS changes the biophysical properties of PS monolayer in compressed and expanded states. The AuNPs with hydrophilic ligand, can penetrate through the monolayer more easily, while the AuNPs with hydrophobic ligand are embedded in the monolayer and participated in deforming the monolayer structure particularly the monolayer in the compressed state. The bare AuNPs hinder to lower the monolayer surface tension value at the interface, however introducing ligand to the bare AuNPs or increasing the ligand length and density have an impact of lowering of monolayer surface tension to a minor extent. The simulation results guide the design of ligand protected NPs as drug carriers and can identify the nanoparticles' potential side effects on lung surfactant. / ZEH thanks the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Research Fund grant R19-0326 for providing funding. NSG acknowledges support from Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship.

Syftet med min uppsats har varit att jämföra Arne Næss livsfilosofi med Viktor E. Frankls syn på livet. Jag ville ta reda på vad de grundar sin positiva livsfilosofi på, samt undersöka vilka skillnader det finns i deras sätt att lägga den grunden på. Jag har använt mig av en jämförande metod och utgått ifrån Arne Næss Livsfilosofi och Ekologi, samhälle och livsstil och Viktor E. Frankls Livet måste ha en mening och Viljan till mening. Jag upptäckte att Næss bygger en stor del av sin livsfilosofi på tankar från filosofen Spinoza. Han har även inspirerats av Gandhi och hans metoder att lösa konflikter utan våld. Jag fann att naturen och miljön är viktig för Næss. Han har sedan 1970-talet varit engagerad i miljön och utvecklade en ekosofi. Den bygger på att använda sig av klokhet och visdom i frågor som rör samhället, miljön och människorna. Jag anser att Næss syn på Gud som skaparen som finns i allt har varit en grundläggande tanke hos honom när han utvecklade sin ekosofi.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / Trypanosoma cruzi, o agente etiolÃgico da doenÃa de Chagas, continua a ser um problema de saÃde pÃblica nas AmÃricas. No presente estudo, foram avaliados os efeitos da L-aminoÃcido oxidase isolatada do veneno da Bothrops marajoensis (LAAOBmar) sobre todas as formas evolutivas do T. cruzi. A atividade antiparasitÃria foi avaliada atravÃs da cultura de parasitas tratados com diferentes concentraÃÃes da fraÃÃo em estudo. Epimastigotas foram cultivados em meio LIT, a 28ÂC na presenÃa LAAOBmar por 48 e 72 horas. Tripomastigotas foram obtidos a partir dos sobrenadantes de cÃlulas LLC-MK2 infectadas, ressuspensos em meio MEM com 2% de FBS e tratados durante 24 h. LAAOBmar mostrou uma atividade significativa contra epimastigota (CI50 48h = 6,31μg/mL; CI50 72 h = 5,85μg/ml) e tripomastigotas (CL50 24h = 0,17μg/mL) e diminuiu a sobrevivÃncia das formas amastigotas intracelular em cÃlulas LLC-MK2. A anÃlise do possÃvel envolvimento do perÃxido de hidrogÃnio foi realizada por adiÃÃo de catalase no meio, uma enzima que atua como retirador de H2O2. A morte celular mostrou que o efeito citotÃxico da LAAOBmar à reduzido, mas nÃo completamente abolido pela presenÃa da catalase. A anÃlise por microscopia confocal de epimastigota tratados com LAAOBmar mostrou coloraÃÃo com iodeto de propÃdio (IP), indicativo de perda de integridade da membrana, e perda do potencial de membrana mitocondrial, observado por coloraÃÃo de cÃlulas tratadas com rodamina 123 (Rod123) . AlÃm disso, nos ensaios de citometria de fluxo com anexina V e iodeto de propÃdio sugerem diminuiÃÃo da permeabilidade da membrana. A anÃlise ultraestrutural de epimastigotas e tripomastigotas, mostrou alteraÃÃes morfolÃgicas drÃsticas na mitocÃndria do parasita com a rede de kDNA rompido. O aumento de perfis de retÃculo endoplasmÃtico, aumento da eletrondensidade das membranas mitocondriais, a perda da organizaÃÃo interna do parasita, inchaÃo do corpo da cÃlula com o aparecimento de organelas deformada, formaÃÃo de estruturas de mielina-like indicativo de atividade autofÃgica, tambÃm foram observados nos parasitas tratados. Em conclusÃo, o LAAOBmar mostrou efeitos citotÃxicos em T. cruzi e esta aÃÃo à apenas parcialmente dependente da produÃÃo de H2O2 pela LAAOBmar. AlÃm disso, LAAOBmar induziu alteraÃÃes morfolÃgicas e fisiolÃgicas compatÃveis com perda de viabilidade e a morte.

abstract: The construction industry is very mundane and tiring for workers without the assistance of machines. This challenge has changed the trend of construction industry tremendously by motivating the development of robots that can replace human workers. This thesis presents a computed torque controller that is designed to produce movements by a small-scale, 5 degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arm that are useful for construction operations, specifically bricklaying. A software framework for the robotic arm with motion and path planning features and different control capabilities has also been developed using the Robot Operating System (ROS). First, a literature review of bricklaying construction activity and existing robots’ performance is discussed. After describing an overview of the required robot structure, a mathematical model is presented for the 5-DOF robotic arm. A model-based computed torque controller is designed for the nonlinear dynamic robotic arm, taking into consideration the dynamic and kinematic properties of the arm. For sustainable growth of this technology so that it is affordable to the masses, it is important that the energy consumption by the robot is optimized. In this thesis, the trajectory of the robotic arm is optimized using sequential quadratic programming. The results of the energy optimization procedure are also analyzed for different possible trajectories. A construction testbed setup is simulated in the ROS platform to validate the designed controllers and optimized robot trajectories on different experimental scenarios. A commercially available 5-DOF robotic arm is modeled in the ROS simulators Gazebo and Rviz. The path and motion planning is performed using the Moveit-ROS interface and also implemented on a physical small-scale robotic arm. A Matlab-ROS framework for execution of different controllers on the physical robot is described. Finally, the results of the controller simulation and experiments are discussed in detail. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2019

abstract: The effect of reduced frequency on dynamic stall behavior of a pitching NACA0012 airfoil in a turbulent wake using Direct Numerical Simulations is presented in the current study. Upstream turbulence with dynamically oscillating blades and airfoils is associated with ambient flow unsteadiness and is encountered in many operating conditions. Wake turbulence, a more realistic scenario for airfoils in operation, is generated using a small solid cylinder placed upstream, the vortices shed from which interact with the pitching airfoil affecting dynamic stall behavior. A recently developed moving overlapping grid approach is used using a high-order Spectral Element Method (SEM) for spatial discretization combined with a dynamic time-stepping procedure allowing for up to third order temporal discretization. Two cases of reduced frequency (k = 0:16 and 0:25) for airfoil oscillation are investigated and the change in dynamic stall behavior with change in reduced frequency is studied and documented using flow-fields and aerodynamic coefficients (Drag, Lift and Pitching Moment) with a focus on understanding vortex system dynamics (including formation of secondary vortices) for different reduced frequencies and it’s affect on airfoil aerodynamic characteristics and fatigue life. Transition of the flow over the surface of an airfoil for both undisturbed and disturbed flow cases will also be discussed using Pressure coefficient and Skin Friction coefficient data for a given cycle combined with a wavelet analysis using Morse wavelets in MATLAB. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2017

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Marcos Gomes Eleutério da Luz / Coorientador: Prof. Dr. Madras Gandhi Viswanathan / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Curso de Pós-Graduação em Física. Defesa: Curitiba, 28/03/2013 / Bibliografia: fls. 127-137 / Resumo: Esta dissertação visa discutir e analisar em primeiro lugar certas formações do português brasileiro, tais como: a apresentação do Pedro, a aprovação do Pedro, das quais é possível se extraírem tanto uma leitura mais agentiva do sintagma preposicionado [do Pedro], quanto uma leitura de objeto afetado ou tema, ao contrário do que foi apontado por Scher (2004). A discussão se estende também para construções como: a destruição do muro do Pedro, a desarrumação da cozinha do bebê, defendendo a ideia de que, apesar da coocorrência dos dois argumentos introduzidos pela preposição "de?, um deles pode receber leitura agentiva, distanciando-se dos dados do grego analisados por Alexiadou (2001). Tendo como objetivo específico descobrir quais mecanismos da língua subjazem ao fenômeno observado, adota-se como arcabouço teórico a proposta inaugurada por Halle e Marantz (1993) e Marantz (1997), denominada Morfologia Distribuída, teoria de cunho não lexicalista que entende que as mesmas operações sintáticas realizadas na derivação de sentenças, atuam na formação de palavras. De maneira particular, o estudo desenvolvido por Oliveira (2009), acerca do processo de derivação prefixal e sufixal do português brasileiro, é aqui considerado. Em linhas gerais propõe-se que a depreensão da leitura agentiva do único argumento realizado na nominalização, ou de um deles no caso de os dois argumentos serem realizados, deve-se à presença de um núcleo funcional "Voz? a disponibilizar uma posição sintática, permitindo o licenciamento do argumento agente, por conseguinte a leitura agentiva. Quando "Voz? não está presente na estrutura da nominalização, a leitura do argumento será a de objeto afetado ou tema. / Abstract: The present dissertation aims to discuss and analyse particular word structures from the Brazilian Portuguese, such as: a apresentação do Pedro, a aprovação do Pedro, which can provide either a more agentive reading of the prepositional phrase, or an object or theme-oriented reading, contrary to what was pointed by Sher (2004). The discussion can also be extended to structures such as: a destruição do muro do Pedro, a desarrumação da cozinha do bebê, defending the idea that in spite of the co-occurrence of the two "arguments" introduced by the preposition "de", one of them can be read as "agentive", drifting apart from the analysis of the Greek, made by Alexiadou (2001). Intending specifically to discover which mechanisms underlie that phenomenon, the theoretical framework adopted is the study by Halle e Marantz (1993) and Marantz (1997), known as "Distributed Morphology". This theory, with a non-lexicalist approach, interprets that the syntactic operations performed in the derivation of sentences, act in word formation. In particular, the study by Oliveira (2009), concerning the process of suffix and prefix derivation in the Brazilian Portuguese, is considered in this dissertation. In general, it is proposed that the understanding of agentive interpretation of the only argument held in nominalization, or one of them if both arguments are made, is due to the presence of a functional core 'Voice' providing a syntactic position, allowing the licensing of the agent argument, and therefore the "agentive interpretation". When 'Voice' is not present in the structure of nominalization, the interpretation of the argument will be oriented to the affected object or theme.

Esse é um trabalho teórico e experimental em que princípios básicos de mecânica estatística são utilizados para entender a dinâmica de micro e nano esferas acopladas direta e indiretamente a células aderentes vivas, objetivando a caracterização mecânica das mesmas. Dentre esses princípios básicos estão inclusos, principalmente, conceitos relacionados à difusão. Na difusão clássica, tem-se uma dependência linear do deslocamento quadrático médio com o tempo. Caso contrário, quando o expoente é diferente de um, tem-se o que se chama de difusão anômala. Caso seja maior que um, o processo é superdifusivo, e se menor que um, subdifusivo. Para se estudar o comportamento mecânico de sistemas complexos pode-se usar micro e nanoesferas como elementos de análise. Essas esferas são dispostas no material a ser estudado, e observando a sua dinâmica é possível caracterizar o processo que conduziu essa dinâmica e consequentemente inferir propriedades físicas do material. Nesse trabalho aplicam-se técnicas de rastreamento de partículas, microscópicas e nanoscópicas, para estudar propriedades dinâmica de células, especialmente difusibilidade, remodelação da estrutura celular e campos de força. Para isso foram utilizadas duas técnicas experimentais de rastreamento de micro e nanoesferas e modelos fenomenológicos e de mecânica estatística. Essas propriedades dinâmicas tem uma grande semelhança com materiais vítreos moles. Nesse contexto, certas funções celulares, como divisão, contração, difusão, requerem que as células apresentem fluidez similarmente a um líquido, enquanto que para outras funções, como manter a sua estrutura celular, elas devam ter uma aparência mais rígida. Essas características assemelham-se a um material vítreo, onde desordem e metastabilidade são características subjacentes de suas funções mecânicas. Os resultados experimentais apresentados aqui evidenciam essa metaestabilidade na forma de anomalias e correlações temporais dos vários dados coletados. Também explicamos os dados experimentais encontrados em termos das atividades metabólicas e a remodelação ativa do citoesqueleto. Mostra-se também os dados obtidos para músculo cardíaco em plena atividade pulsátil. Os resultados aqui obtidos têm aplicações diretas em pesquisa básica e clínica. / This is a theoretical and experimental work in which basic principles of statistical mechanics are used to understand the dynamics of micro and nano spheres attached directly or indirectly to living adherent cells, with the aim of the mechanical characterization of them. Among these basic principles, mainly concepts related to diffusion are included. In classical diffusion, there is a linear dependence of the mean squared displacement in time. Otherwise, when the exponent is diferent than one , there is what is called anomalous diffusion. If it is bigger than one, the process is superdiffusive, and if it is smaller than one, subdiffusive. To study the mechanical behavior of complex systems,micro and nanospheres can be used as analysis elements. These spheres are arranged in the material to be studied, and from observation of the dynamics is possible to characterize the leading process of this dynamic and therefore infer physical properties of the material. In this work, particle tracking techniques, for microscopic and nanoscopic spheres, are applied to study dynamic properties of cells, especially diffusivity, remodeling of the cell structure and force fields. For that we used two experimental techniques of tracking of micro and nanospheres, and phenomenological and statistical mechanics models. These dynamic properties have a great similarity to soft glassy materials. In this context, certain cellular functions such as division, contraction, diffusion, require that cells present fluidity similarly to a liquid, while for other functions, such as keeping the cellular structure, they should have a stiffer appearance. These characteristics resemble a glassy material, where disorder and metastability are underlying characteristics of their mechanical functions. The experimental results presented here show this metastability as anomalies and temporal correlations of the various data collected. We also explain the experimental data found in terms of metabolic activity and the active remodeling of the cytoskeleton. Also data obtained for heart muscle in full pulsatile activity is showed. The results obtained have direct applications in basic and clinical research.