Most mature oil reservoirs or fields tend to perform below expectations, owing to high level of associated gas production. This creates a sub-optimal performance of the oil production surface facilities; increasing oil production specific operating cost. In many scenarios oil companies flare/vent this gas. In addition to oil production constraints, associated gas flaring and venting consists an environmental disasters and economic waste. Significant steps are now being devised to utilise associated gas using different exploitation techniques. Most of the technologies requires large associated gas throughput. However, small-scale associated gas resources and non-associated natural gas reserves (commonly referred to as stranded gas or marginal field) remains largely unexploited. Thus, the objective of this thesis is to evaluate techno- economic of gas turbine engines for onsite electric power generation called gas- to-wire (GTW) using the small-scaled associated gas resources. The range of stranded flared associated gas and non-associated gas reserves considered is around 10 billion to 1 trillion standard cubic feet undergoing production decline. The gas turbine engines considered for power plant in this study are based on simple cycle or combustion turbines. Simple cycle choice of power-plant is conceived to meet certain flexibility in power plant capacity factor and availability during production decline. In addition, it represents the basic power plant module cable of being developed into other power plant types in future to meet different local energy requirements. This study developed a novel gas-to-wire techno-economic and risk analysis framework, with capability for probabilistic uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. It comprises an iterative calculation of the probabilistic recoverable reserves with decline module and power plant thermodynamic performance module enabled by Turbomatch (an in-house code) and Gas Turb® software coupled with economic risk modules with @Risk® commercial software. This algorithm is a useful tool for simulating the interaction between disrupted gas production profiles induced by production decline and its effect on power plant techno-economic performance over associated gas utilization economic life. Furthermore, a divestment and make- up fuel protocol is proposed for management of gas turbine engine units to mitigate economical underperformance of power plant regime experienced due to production decline. The results show that utilization of associated gas for onsite power generation is a promising technology for converting waste to energy. Though, associated gas composition can be significant to gas turbine performance but a typical Nigerian associated gas considered is as good as a regular natural gas. The majority of capital investment risk is associated with production decline both natural and manmade. Finally, the rate of capital investment returns decreases with smaller reserves.

In environmental impact assessment (EIA), accident risk should be considered as one impact. However, few studies have compared assessed risk levels with documented accidents. There is thus a need for assessing accuracy of risk assessment methodologies. The aim of this study was to develop and examine a risk assessment guideline based on environmental assessment. The guideline examination was carried out along the railway and the road between Kiruna and Narvik, Northern Scandinavia. The examined hazards were avalanches, debris flows, rock falls, slush flows, torrents, moose and reindeer. Documented accidents were quantified into an accident level. For each hazard type, six sections/sites were assessed. The propensities of these hazards were analysed through environmental assessments, especially by utilising geomorphology. Then, the accident densities along the sections/sites were compared with assessed accident phase indices describing risk and hazard in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The average uncertainty factors for both the risk and the hazard indices were about 5. This implies a fairly good precision. Risk and hazard indices were also rated and compared to the accident density rates. Thereafter, railway and road information was split up as different proposal alternatives in an EIA context. The total risk for each proposal was compared with the total accident density. The risk assessment guideline proved to be cost-efficient, rapid and relatively reliable in comparing accident risk.

La politique criminelle est liée à un mode de fonctionnement particulier rattaché aux différences conceptuelles et structurelles des systèmes pénaux. Ainsi les solutions au phénomène criminel sont spécifiques à un mode de construction sociale dont la cohérence et l’efficience exigent la compatibilité de la conception de la politique criminelle avec le système pénal.La construction d’une justice pénale se distingue par sa configuration exclusive et par une lecture particulière des institutions qui la compose. Elle se réalise à travers un enchainement intellectuel spécifique qui intègre sa filiation historique, politique et sociale pour former un ensemble de références communes. / The conceptual and structural differences between penal systems and the operating mode of the criminal policies linked to these differences.The solutions to the criminal phenomenon are specific to a social construction model, which its consistency and efficiency require the compatibility of the criminal policy and the penal system.The construction of a criminal justice is distinguished by the exclusivity of its configuration and by a particular lecture of its institutions. It is performed throw an intellectual chaining that incorporates its historical, political and social filiations to realize a set of common references.

In environmental impact assessment (EIA), accident risk should be considered as one impact. However, few studies have compared assessed risk levels with documented accidents. There is thus a need for assessing accuracy of risk assessment methodologies. The aim of this study was to develop and examine a risk assessment guideline based on environmental assessment. The guideline examination was carried out along the railway and the road between Kiruna and Narvik, Northern Scandinavia. The examined hazards were avalanches, debris flows, rock falls, slush flows, torrents, moose and reindeer. Documented accidents were quantified into an accident level. For each hazard type, six sections/sites were assessed. The propensities of these hazards were analysed through environmental assessments, especially by utilising geomorphology. Then, the accident densities along the sections/sites were compared with assessed accident phase indices describing risk and hazard in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The average uncertainty factors for both the risk and the hazard indices were about 5. This implies a fairly good precision. Risk and hazard indices were also rated and compared to the accident density rates. Thereafter, railway and road information was split up as different proposal alternatives in an EIA context. The total risk for each proposal was compared with the total accident density. The risk assessment guideline proved to be cost-efficient, rapid and relatively reliable in comparing accident risk.

Ce mémoire est consacré aux œuvres de fiction de la cinéaste Paule Baillargeon. Il s'agit d'examiner le processus de subjectivation, en retraçant son parcours cinématographique par l'entremise de ses longs métrages de fiction, et de voir comment elle utilise le langage cinématographique de façon singulière en permettant une prise de parole alternative devant et derrière la caméra. Alors que le cinéma dominant persiste à catégoriser les œuvres des réalisatrices québécoises de "films de femmes" ou de "cinéma de femmes", un bref survol de l'évolution générale des femmes en fiction, et de l'expérience de Baillargeon en particulier, permet de rendre compte des difficultés d'accessibilité qui persistent pour elles dans ce secteur d'activités. Par la suite, l'analyse des quatre principales œuvres de la réalisatrice - Anastasie oh ma chérie (1977), La cuisine rouge (1980), Le sexe des étoiles (1993), Trente tableaux (2011) - témoigne de la nécessité de cette prise de parole alternative, mais aussi de l'interaction entre chacun des films et une théorie féministe spécifique, issue entre autres des travaux de Luce Irigaray et Judith Butler. / This thesis is devoted to the fiction long features of filmmaker Paule Baillargeon. Her career in cinema and her particular uses of the cinematic language, are examined to demonstrate the women's subjectivation process, by her "prise de parole" before and behind the camera. While mainstream cinema continues to categorize the work of Quebec filmmakers of women's films or women's cinema, a brief overview of their general evolution in fiction, and more specifically of Paule Baillargeon's experience, testifies of the accessibility problems that persists for them in this sector. Subsequently, the analysis of the four major works of fiction of the director - Anastasie oh ma chérie (1977), La cuisine rouge (1980), Le sexe des étoiles (1993), Trente tableaux (2011) - shows the need of an alternative speech and the interaction that occurs between the films and specific feminist theories, from Luce Irigaray to Judith Butler, among others.

La tâche de kinématogramme de points aléatoires est utilisée avec le paradigme de choix forcé entre deux alternatives pour étudier les prises de décisions perceptuelles. Les modèles décisionnels supposent que les indices de mouvement pour les deux alternatives sont encodés dans le cerveau. Ainsi, la différence entre ces deux signaux est accumulée jusqu’à un seuil décisionnel. Cependant, aucune étude à ce jour n’a testé cette hypothèse avec des stimuli contenant des mouvements opposés. Ce mémoire présente les résultats de deux expériences utilisant deux nouveaux stimuli avec des indices de mouvement concurrentiels. Parmi une variété de combinaisons d’indices concurrentiels, la performance des sujets dépend de la différence nette entre les deux signaux opposés. De plus, les sujets obtiennent une performance similaire avec les deux types de stimuli. Ces résultats supportent un modèle décisionnel basé sur l’accumulation des indices de mouvement net et suggèrent que le processus décisionnel peut intégrer les signaux de mouvement à partir d’une grande gamme de directions pour obtenir un percept global de mouvement. / Random dot kinematograms are used in visual psychophysics with the two-alternative forced-choice paradigm to study the process of simple perceptual decisions. Mathematical models of this process assume that stochastic motion evidence for the two alternative choices is encoded in the brain, and that the difference in evidence is accumulated towards a decision bound. However, no study to date has tested this assumption using stimuli with different levels of mutually opposing evidence in both directions. This thesis presents the results of two experiments using two novel stimuli with opposing coherent motion evidence. Over a variety of competing evidence combinations, subject performance was based on the net difference in the opposing signals. Furthermore, task performance was similar with both types of stimuli. These results support a decision model based on the accumulation of net evidence, and suggest that the decision process is capable of integrating motion evidence from a wide range of directions to obtain a global percept of motion.

Contrat par lequel les parties terminent une contestation née ou préviennent une contestation à naître, la transaction présente a priori une utilité remarquable pour la matière pénale. L'identification de la logique transactionnelle suppose toutefois que de tels procédés répressifs mettent un terme définitif au litige et ce au moyen de concessions de la part de l'auteur des faits et des autorités ou administrations chargées des poursuites. Seules la transaction pénale et la composition pénale revêtent ces qualités. Une telle transposition implique que la matière en cause puisse connaître d'un règlement des suites de l'infraction déterminé par les parties, hors du juge, mais aussi d'un règlement définitif. Les caractéristiques des alternatives aux poursuites témoignent alors de la réception de la technique transactionnelle dans la matière pénale. Ce constat ne peut pour autant suffire, la transposition de la transaction suppose également l'insertion d'un contrat dans le processus répressif. La mise à l'épreuve de la transaction à la matière pénale conduit à relever certains obstacles, tenant au consentement de l'auteur des faits ou encore à l'indisponibilité de l'action publique. Cette opposition conduit à une adaptation de la transaction à la matière pénale. Les alternatives aux poursuites révèlent l'existence de mesures à caractère répressif, proposées à l'auteur des faits et acceptées par lui dans un cadre déjudiciarisé : les sanctions transactionnelles. La reconnaissance de cette catégorie spécifique de sanctions permet d'entrevoir un certain nombre d'améliorations, afin que ces sanctions transactionnelles soient le fruit d'un accord équitable / Contract with which parties settle or prevent a complaint, the compromise seems to be an outstanding and useful tool in criminal process. However, the identification of the settlement approach presupposes that repressive processes permit to settle the dispute definitively, with concessions from the perpetrators and the Authorities. Only two mechanisms of criminal settlement take on these qualities. Such adaptation implies that the parties could settle the consequences of an offence, without any involvement of a magistrate, but also definitively. The characteristics of the alternative prosecution measures attest the use of the settlement technique in criminal law. However, this aknowledgment is not enough since the transposition of the compromise settlement requires also to introduce a contract in the prosecution process. The comparison of the compromise contract with criminal matter reveals an opposition, some difficulties due to the consent of the perpetrators or Public prosecution. These difficulties necessary lead the settlement to be adapted to this matter. Without the contractual side, the alternative prosecution measures are considered as repressive measures, proposed to the perpetrator and accepted by him outside the formal judicial frame : settlement sanctions. Recognition of this specific sanctions category allowed improvements in order to achieve the settlement sanctions are the result of a fair agreement

L'eczéma allergique de contact (EAC) est une pathologie inflammatoire cutanée de plus en plus fréquente. Il s’agit d’une sensibilisation vis-à-vis de substances chimiques, appelées haptènes, qui sont en contact répété avec la peau. A l’heure actuelle, le pouvoir sensibilisant d’une molécule est évalué principalement grâce à des modèles animaux. Cependant, dans un contexte européen exigeant le développement de méthodes alternatives, la compréhension et la reproduction in vitro des mécanismes de l’EAC permettent le développement de nouvelles stratégies. Le but de ce travail, réalisé sur des cellules dendritiques (DCs) et la lignée humaine U937, est de mettre en évidence les événements précoces de la signalisation intracellulaire à l’origine de l’activation des DCs induite par des allergènes, et notamment par le composé mercurique thimerosal. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que l’induction d’un stress oxydant par les allergènes est un mécanisme induit précocement. L’utilisation d’antioxydants montre que ce mécanisme participe de manière directe à l’initiation du processus d’activation des DCs (expression du CD86 et sécrétion d’IL-8) et de l’apoptose. Le stress oxydant, caractérisé par une production d’ERO associée à une chute du potentiel membranaire mitochondrial et une déplétion en glutathion intracellulaire, est un acteur majeur de la signalisation induite par les allergènes et notamment dans la réponse induite par le thimerosal et le DNCB. Plus particulièrement, ce travail démontre le rôle des groupements thiols dans l’initiation de la transduction du signal aboutissant à l’activation des DCs. Par ailleurs, une signalisation calcique, dépendante du stress oxydant, a également été mise en évidence en réponse aux allergènes. Ces résultats mettent en valeur l’importance de l’étude de la réactivité des allergènes vis-à-vis des groupements thiols et de la nécessité de tenir compte du potentiel oxydant (rédox) des haptènes ainsi que du métabolisme cellulaire dans la mise en place de modèles prédictifs in vitro. / Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD) resulting from skin sensitization is a frequent inflammatory skin disease linked to the use of chemicals, called haptens. At this time, the sensitizing potential of a new chemical is evaluated on animal models. However, new European legislation requires alternative methods for skin sensitization. In this context, a better knowledge of ACD and the capacity to reproduce in vitro its mechanisms lead to the development of new alternative methods. The aim of this study performed with human dendritic cells (DCs) and the human cell line U937 was to determine the early events involved in dendritic cell activation induced by contact sensitizers and especially by the mercury compound thimerosal. Data show that oxidative stress induced by sensitizers is an early signaling event leading to DC activation (expression of CD86 and IL-8 release) and to apoptosis. Using antioxidants, our data show that oxidative stress, characterized by ROS production in correlation with the depletion of the mitochondrial membrane potential and of intracellular glutathione, is a key player in signal transduction induced by sensitizers, especially in the response of DCs towards thimerosal and DNCB. More specifically, these studies demonstrate that thiol groups play a direct role in the initiating events leading to DC activation. In addition, calcium influx was detected in DCs exposed to sensitizers, in correlation with oxidative stress. These data highlight the great interest in the development of a hapten-protein binding assay based on thiol groups and the necessity to better understand the redox status of chemicals as well as cell metabolism for predicting skin sensitization.

A concessão de serviço público é tradicionalmente concebida como um arranjo contratual que tem como características essenciais entre outras (i) a exploração do serviço por conta e risco do concessionário e (ii) a remuneração do prestador por meio da cobrança de tarifas. Entretanto, essa definição clássica das concessões tem sido gradativamente alterada, em grande medida como consequência do aperfeiçoamento dos modos de delegação da prestação de serviços de utilidade pública, ocorrido para atender às crescentes e variadas demandas sócio-econômicas. Prova disso é a previsão no direito brasileiro das parcerias público-privadas sob as modalidades de concessão patrocinada e administrativa. Diante desses fatores, hoje não é mais possível aludir à concessão de serviços públicos como se fosse um conceito único e padronizado. Essa reavaliação da noção de concessão apresenta implicações no tocante à remuneração do concessionário ao menos em três pontos. Em primeiro lugar, a técnica concessória tem sido utilizada para o desenvolvimento de atividades de diversas naturezas, não reconduzíveis necessariamente à noção de serviço público, nas quais a cobrança de tarifas não é possível ou ao menos não é conveniente o que demanda a busca por outras fontes de recursos, inclusive de origem estatal. Em segundo lugar, tem-se reconhecido espaços de liberdade ao concessionário para a fixação de sua remuneração, muitas vezes em ambiente concorrencial o que envolve a submissão das concessões à regulação econômica. Em terceiro lugar, vem-se reconhecendo a conveniência da exploração econômica intensiva de todas as possibilidades geradas pelo serviço delegado, de forma a permitir a obtenção de receitas marginais. Essas circunstâncias inegavelmente conferem maior complexidade à remuneração do prestador. O presente trabalho pretende aprofundar o estudo das formas de remuneração do concessionário no âmbito das concessões comum, patrocinada e administrativa. Serão examinadas a cobrança de tarifas (inclusive em regime de flexibilidade tarifária), a remuneração do concessionário por meio do emprego de recursos públicos e o desenvolvimento de atividades geradoras de receitas marginais. / La concession de service public est traditionellement conçu comme une arrangement contractuelle caracterisé par (i) l exploitaion du service à frais et risques du concessionaire et (ii) la perception de redevances directement sur les usagers du service. Néanmoins, la définition classique de concession a été graduelment alteré, en grand part à consequence du perfectionement du modes de délégation de prestation des services dintérêt général, produit pour accomplir les croissants et variés demandes socio-économiques. La prévision dans le droit brésilien du partenariats public-privé sour les modalités de concession subsidé et concession administratif démontre cet process. La notion de concession de service public, telle quelle figure dans les schémas classiques, ne peut donc être reduite à un concept unique et stéréotypé. Cette revaluation de la notion de concession a au moins trois types de implications dans la rémunération du concessionaire. En premiére lieu, le système concessif a été utilisé pour metre en oevre diférénts activitées, que ne peut être réduite obligatoirement à la notion de service public, dans lequelles la tarification ne a pas possible ou adéquat donc la necessité de rechercher autres sources de recours, inclusivement des apports pour la personne publique concédante. En second lieu, il y a la possibilité de fixation de tarif à la volonté des gestionnaires, fréquentment aux règles de libre concurrence subordonnée à la régulation économique. En troisième lieu, il y a la convenance de exploitation économique intensif de toutes les possibilités dérivés du service delegué, au point de permettre lobtention de recettes alternatives. À cause de ces circumstances la rémuneration du concessionaire est devenu incontestablement plus complexe. Le présent dissertation a pour ambition approfondir le débat sour les modes de rémunération du concessionaire dans les concessions commun, subsidé et administratif. Ils seront examinées la peception de redevances directement sur les usagers du service (inclusivement sour le schéma de flexibilité tarifaire), la rémunération pour la personne publique concédante et le développement de activitées pour lobtention de recettes alternatives.

O modelo de promoção da inovação em saúde predominante na atualidade é baseado na proteção da propriedade intelectual por meio da concessão de patentes. A patente permite ao seu titular explorar o objeto protegido com exclusividade por um determinado período de tempo, no qual seria obtido o retorno do investimento feito na pesquisa e desenvolvimento do produto. A obtenção de retorno do custo da P&D pela comercialização do produto final, potencializada pelo monopólio conferido pela patente, faz com o que o detentor da tecnologia estabeleça preço de venda elevado. O sistema de patentes potencializa, assim, a maximização de lucros das empresas farmacêuticas, ampliando seu interesse no desenvolvimento de produtos rentáveis e na mercantilização da saúde. Foram identificadas e sistematizadas evidências que demonstram que a aplicação do sistema de patente na área da saúde tem gerado problemas de inovação, ao direcionar recursos de P&D voltados para a produção de produtos rentáveis e não voltados a atender necessidades de saúde; e de acesso, uma vez que o preço elevado excluí milhões de pessoas do consumo do produto. Ficou demonstrada a necessidade de busca de medidas para superação desses problemas. Identificou-se medidas existentes dentro do sistema de patentes que poderiam ser utilizadas para minimizar os problemas identificados em curto e médio prazo, com uma abordagem caso a caso. Optou-se por utilizar uma abordagem sistêmica, demonstrando a necessidade de medidas alternativas ao sistema de patentes para resolução dos problemas identificados a longo prazo. A identificação de medidas alternativas foi realizada por meio da revisão de mais de uma centena de propostas enviadas em chamada aberta e recomendações feitas por diferentes órgãos da Organização Mundial de Saúde no período de 2003 a 2012. As medidas identificadas foram descritas, sistematizadas e analisadas. Conclui-se que a principal proposta atualmente em discussão é a criação de um Fundo Global de P&D, no marco de uma Convenção Global de P&D em saúde, que financiaria a P&D mediante a concessão de prêmios, e não de patentes. Os resultados da P&D seriam tratados como bens públicos, e poderiam ser produzidos por qualquer interessado. Esse modelo visa desvincular os custos da P&D do preço final do produto. Com isso, tem o potencial de solucionar os problemas de inovação e acesso à saúde identificados no sistema de patentes. No entanto, enfrenta grande oposição dos defensores do sistema de patentes, principalmente grandes empresas farmacêuticas interessadas na ampliação da mercantilização da saúde. / The model for promoting innovation in health prevalent nowadays is based on the protection of intellectual property by granting patents. The patent allows the holder to exploit the protected object with exclusivity for a certain period of time, in which he could obtain the return of investment made in research and development. The need to obtain the return of the investments made on R&D by selling the final product, boosted by the monopoly conferred by the patent, allows the patent holder to establish high price. The patent system maximizes profits of pharmaceutical companies, expanding its interest in developing profitable products and in health commodification. We identified and systematized evidence to show that the application of the patent system in the health sector has generated innovation problems, by directing R&D resources to the production of profitable products and not driven by health needs; and access, since the high price excludes millions of product consumption. It was demonstrated the need for seeking measures to overcome these problems. We identified existing measures within the patent system that could be used to alleviate the problems identified in the short and medium term, with a case-by-case approach. We chose to use a systemic approach, demonstrating the need for alternative measures to the patent system to resolve the problems identified in the long-term. The identification of alternative measures was conducted through review of more than a hundred proposals submitted in open call and recommendations made by different bodies of the World Health Organization from 2003 to 2012. The measures identified have been described, systematized and analyzed. It is concluded that the main proposal currently under discussion is the creation of a Global R&D Fund, as part of a Global R&D Convention on health, which would finance R&D by granting prizes, and not patents. The results of R&D would be treated as public goods, and could be produced by any interested party. This model aims to delink the costs of R&D from the final price of the product. Thus, it has the potential to solve the problems of innovation and access to health identified in the patent system. However, it faces strong opposition from advocates of the patent system, especially large pharmaceutical companies interested in expanding health commodification.