The different reproductive strategies of males and females underlie differences in behavior that may also lead to differences in nutrient use between the two sexes. We studied sex differences in the utilization of two essential amino acids (EAAs) and one non-essential amino acid (NEAA) by the Carolina sphinx moth (Manduca sexta). On day one post-eclosion from the pupae, adult male moths oxidized greater amounts of larva-derived AAs than females, and more nectar-derived AAs after feeding. After 4 days of starvation, the opposite pattern was observed: adult females oxidized more larva- derived AAs than males. Adult males allocated comparatively small amounts of nectar-derived AAs to their first spermatophore, but this allocation increased substantially in the second and third spermatophores. Males allocated significantly more adult-derived AAs to their flight muscle than females. These outcomes indicate that adult male and female moths employ different strategies for allocation and oxidation of dietary AAs.

Le réseau électrique de bord des avions devient le principal vecteur de transmission de l'énergie utilisée en dehors de celle réservée à la propulsion. Le réseau électrique remplace progressivement les réseaux hydrauliques et aérauliques qui assurent respectivement les contrôles de vol et le confort dans la cabine des avions actuels. Pour transmettre une puissance électrique plus importante sans augmenter la masse des conducteurs, un nouveau standard a été défini, le réseau de bord des avions plus électriques sera continu et sa tension est fixée à 540V. En conséquence, les convertisseurs statiques seront systématiquement utilisés pour commander les actionneurs électriques. Des contraintes électriques nettement plus importantes seront appliquées aux bobinages des machines en plus de celles qui sont inhérente à l'aéronautique. Pour obtenir la sureté de fonctionnement requise, la surveillance du vieillissement de l'isolation des machines électriques embarquées devient indispensable. Le travail effectué dans cette thèse est centré sur la définition d’un nouvel indicateur de vieillissement de l’isolation des bobinages des machines électriques utilisées en aéronautique. Le nouvel indicateur delta-C est basé sur la corrélation entre l'augmentation de la capacité inter-spires du bobinage et la réduction des performances caractérisée principalement par la réduction du seuil d'apparition des décharges partielles. La partie expérimentale des travaux est importante; le mémoire donne les résultats des campagnes de vieillissement accéléré d'un grand nombre d'échantillons de fil émaillé standard. Ces résultats permettent de définir des seuils critiques des variations du nouvel indicateur delta-C en fonction du profil de mission de l'actionneur. Le nouvel indicateur delta-C est corrélé avec un paramètre facilement mesurable sur une machine électrique en fonctionnement qui est la fréquence de résonance du bobinage. Un outil numérique est développé pour déterminer les fréquences de résonances à surveiller en fonction de la géométrie et de la technologie du bobinage de la machine. Les prédictions des fréquences déterminées par l'outil numérique développé sont vérifiées par des mesures faites sur des bobines vieillies artificiellement. L'étude est étendue à l'influence du câble d'alimentation de la machine. Les limites de fonctionnement du système de surveillance proposé sont définies pour différentes distances entre la machine et le point de connexion des systèmes de mesure. / For modern aircrafts, the onboard electrical grid becomes the main energy transmission system apart from energy reserved for propulsion. Electrical systems are gradually replacing hydraulic and air systems providing respectively flight controls and cabin comfort in current aircrafts. To transmit higher electrical power without increasing the conductors’ masses, a new standard has been set, the grid of more electrical aircrafts will be 540 VDC. As a result, static converters will systematically be used to drive the electrical actuators. Substantially higher electrical constraints will be applied to electrical machine windings, in addition to those inherent in aeronautics. To obtain the required operational safety, the monitoring of the insulation for onboard electrical embedded machines has become indispensable. This thesis work is focused on the definition of a new aging indicator for the electrical insulation of machine used in aeronautics. The new delta-C indicator is based on the correlation between the increase in the turn-to-turn winding capacitance and reduction of performance mainly characterized by the decrease of Partial Discharge Inception Voltage (PDIV). The experimental part of this work is considerable; the thesis gives the results of accelerated aging tests on a large number of enameled wire standard samples. These results make it possible to define critical threshold for the new delta-C indicator depending on the mission profile of the actuator. The new delta-C indicator is correlated with an easily measurable parameter on an operating electrical machine, i.e. the resonance frequencies of the winding. A numerical tool was developed to determine the resonance frequencies to be monitored according to the geometry and the technology of the winding machine. The prediction frequencies determined by the developed numerical tool have been verified by measurements on artificially aged coils. The study has been extended to the influence of the supply cable of the electrical machine. The operating limits of the proposed monitoring system are defined for various distances between the electrical machine and the connection point of the measurement systems.

My dissertation research investigates the genetic architecture and evolutionary significance of physiological variation in two wildflower species, Ipomopsis aggregata and Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular, my work focuses on water use efficiency (WUE), a critical physiological trait that dictates plant growth and performance in resource-limited environments. I used a combination of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, field selection experiments, and classic quantitative genetics to investigate 1) the genetic architecture of water use efficiency and flowering time, 2) patterns of natural selection on water use efficiency, flowering time, and other ecological traits in I. aggregata, and 3) additive genetic variation, genetic correlations, and selection on water use efficiency, flowering time, and plasticity to drought in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using an Ipomopsis aggregata genetic mapping population, I identified four QTL underlying WUE, three QTL-QTL epistatic interactions, and evidence for a possible QTL x cytoplasmic interaction affecting WUE. I found a similar genetic architecture underlying flowering time, with four main effect QTLs that all adjacently localized to the same linkage groups as WUE, and three QTL-QTL epistatic interactions, which occur between the same chromosome pairs as the WUE interactions. The combined main and interactive effects explain 35% and 40% of the phenotypic variation in WUE and flowering time, respectively. The adjacent localization suggests a possible role for the evolution of co-inheritance or, if the true QTL positions actually overlap, a possible role for pleiotropy underlying the phenotypic correlation between WUE and flowering time. Additionally, these results suggest epistasis is a significant factor affecting phenotypic variation in nature. In a reciprocal transplant and water addition experiment, I demonstrated variable natural selection on WUE, flowering time, and nectar production in I. aggregata across elevation/habitat and differential water availability. At low elevation in the water addition treatment, natural selection favors early flowering and greater nectar sugar concentration, while dry conditions favor high WUE and early flowering time. At high elevation, where the growing season is shorter and drier, selection favors early flowering regardless of water addition. These results suggest natural selection on ecophysiological and floral traits varies with resource availability (e.g. water availability and pollinator visitation). Using data from a glasshouse experiment involving a global panel of accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana, I demonstrated strong positive genetic correlation between WUE and flowering time, as well as selection for low WUE and early flowering under experimental season-ending drought. Finally, I found significant genetic variation in plasticity as well as selection favoring greater WUE plasticity under drought, indicating plasticity to drought is adaptive in A. thaliana. / text