The aim of the thesis is to confront predominantly Celtic nations depicted in the comic series about Aste rix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderz with information derived from literary as well as archaeological sources and consequently to describe current stereotypes and political and social events appearing in the series. Since its origin, Asterix series has become a world phenomenon with readers across both the social and age spectrum. Numerous allusions to the recent past, which the authors decided to humorously comment on through their cartoon characters, can be found in the series. However, each of the stories takes place in the historical background of the times around the year 50 BC, and it seems interesting to observe to what extent Uderzo and Goscinny stick to the sources and when their fantasy takes over. Keywords: Asterix, René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo, phenomenon, Celtic nations, ancient times, the Gauls, the Belgae, the Picts, the present nations, international

Background In Swedish working life, exposure to cold and exposure to hand-arm vibration (HAV) are two common health hazards. Health effects of HAV in the neurosensory, vascular and musculoskeletal systems are collectively denoted hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), and have been thoroughly studied. Effects of cold exposure in terms of effects on the peripheral neurosensory and vascular system are on the contrary limited, especially in an occupational setting. Effects of cold exposure or cold injury have not previously been assessed with quantitative sensory testing (QST). Commonly reported symptoms after exposure to HAV and after cold injuries, includes cold sensitivity and sensation of cold. Cold sensitivity can also occur without previous exposure to vibration or cold and may have a major impact on quality of life. Other possible risk factors for cold sensitivity need to be assessed. Sensation of cold hands could theoretically imply an early manifestation of damage to the neurosensory or vascular system, and therefore be of importance to enable early detection of vascular and neurosensory HAVS. The purpose of this thesis was to increase the knowledge about health effects from cold and HAV on the peripheral neurosensory and vascular system, with an occupational perspective. The aims were: first, to identify and evaluate health effects and sequelae in the peripheral neurosensory and vascular system due to cold injury and cold exposure; second, to investigate if sensation of cold hands is a predictor for future onset of Raynaud's phenomenon or paresthesia; and third, to identify possible risk factors associated with cold sensitivity. Methods A case series on 15 military conscripts with local cold injuries in the hands or feet, involving QST and symptom descriptions, was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that cold injuries can result in similar neurosensory and vascular impairments as in HAVS. To assess health effects of cold exposure, a cohort study on 54 military conscripts in cold winter military training, with cold exposure assessments, was conducted. Possible health effects were assessed after 14 months of military training, containing considerable cold exposure, by means of QST, Finger systolic blood pressure after local cooling (FSBP) and a questionnaire. To investigate if sensation of cold hands is a predictor for vascular or neurosensory HAVS we investigated a cohort of 178 employees at a manufacturing company where HAV was a common exposure. The cohort was followed during 21 years and both vibration exposure and health outcomes were assessed regularly. Questionnaire items were used to assess sensations of cold hands as well as signs of Raynaud’s phenomenon and paresthesia. To identify risk factors for cold sensitivity a case-control study was conducted involving 997iiiparticipants from the general population in northern Sweden. The study was cross-sectional and explored possible risk factors for cold sensitivity. Results Cold injuries and cold exposure were associated with reduced sensibility in QST and increase severity and prevalence of neurosensory and vascular symptoms. Our results did not show any impairment in peripheral blood flow due to cold exposure, detectable by FSBP. The risk of developing Raynaud's phenomenon was increased for workers previously reporting sensation of cold hands (OR 6.3, 95% CI 2.3-17.0). No increased risk for paresthesia in relation to a sensation of cold hands was observed. The identified risk factors for cold sensitivity were frostbite in the hands, rheumatic disease, nerve injury in upper extremities or neck, migraine and vascular disease. When analysing women and men separately, women’s risk factors were frostbite in the hands, rheumatic disease, migraine and cold exposure. Men’s risk factors were frostbite in the hands, vibration exposure and nerve injury in upper extremities or neck. BMI > 25 was a protective factor for both men and women. Conclusion Cold injury and cold exposure are associated with impairments in the neurosensory system, detectable by QST. Symptoms such as sensation of cold hands and white fingers indicate vascular involvement, even though no vascular impairments due to cold exposure could be detected by objective measurements. A sensation of cold hands is a risk factor for development of Raynaud´s phenomenon, but not for paresthesia. At the individual level, reporting cold hands does not appear to be useful information when considering the possibility of a future development of Raynaud’s phenomenon. Frostbite in the hands is a risk factor for cold sensitivity among both women and men. For women rheumatic disease, migraine and cold exposure are also independent risk factors, and for men, exposure to HAV. Being overweight is a protective factor for both women and men.

Cette thèse porte sur la construction médiatique de « l’affaire de la burqa » (2009-2010) et la problématisation scientifique de « l’affaire du foulard » (1989-2004) en France. Ces débats s’inscrivent dans une actualité marquée par l’émergence de projets d’interdiction du voile islamique dans les crèches (2008-2015), sorties scolaires (2007-2013), entreprises et universités (2013-2015). Des faits divers aux lois, les affaires du foulard et de la burqa mettent au jour la conversion des débats médiatiques en affaires nationales, nous informant alors sur la construction d’un agenda juridique autour des signes de l’islam. Au regard de ce contexte, ce travail interroge la manière dont la mise en visibilité médiatique accrue du voile participe à la reconfiguration des espaces publics. Dans une approche sémiotique en communication, appuyée sur les méthodes d’analyse de l’image et des discours, ce travail conjugue l’étude de « l’affaire de la burqa » dans la presse et « l’affaire du foulard » dans les revues en SHS. L’articulation des arènes médiatique et scientifique se fait dans une perspective de recherche « archéologique » consistant à lire l’actualité (« affaire de la burqa ») à la lumière d’un savoir scientifique sédimenté durant vingt ans de publication en SHS sur « l’affaire du foulard ». Cette étude démontre que « l’affaire du foulard » a inauguré une problématique au sujet de la visibilité islamique, tandis que « l’affaire de la burqa » a posé une question inédite sur la spatialité des signes de l’islam. Ce travail a mis au jour deux paradigmes d’analyse (visibilité-spatialité) devenus aujourd’hui centraux pour la recherche en SHS portant sur le voile ou le fait religieux islamique sous le prisme des médias. / This thesis focuses on the media construction of the "burqa affair" (2009-2010) and the scientific problematization of the "headscarf affair" (1989-2004) in France. These public debates are part of media and scientific current events marked by the emergence of many projects banning the Islamic veil in nurseries (2008-2015), school trips (2007-2013), enterprises and universities (2013-2015). From news stories to laws, headscarf and burqa affairs reveals the conversion of media controversies into national issues, informing us about building a legal agenda around the signs of Islam. Given this context, this work examines how the increased media setting of Islamic veils visibility takes part in the redefinition of public spaces. In a semiotics approach, based on methods of image and discourse analysis, this work combines the study of the "burqa affair" through the press and the "headscarf affair" through the Humanities and Social Sciences journals. The articulation of mediatic and scientific arenas is approached from an "archaeological" perspective consisting of reading recent news events ("burqa affair") in the light of a scientific-knowledge sedimented during twenty years of HSS publications on "headscarf affair". This study demonstrates that the "headscarf affair" has opened a problematic view in relation to the Islamic visibility, while the "burqa affair" has set a new question on the spatiality of the signs of Islam. This work has enable to update two analytical paradigms – visibility and spatiality – that became central to contemporary research in HSS regarding the issue of the veil or Islam through the prism of the media.

Current design models, approaches and theories are highly fragmented, have seldom been compared with one another, and rarely attempted to be consolidated. Novelty is a measure of creativity of engineering products and positively influences product success. Using physical laws and effects for designing can improve the chances of creativity but they cannot be used directly owing to their inadequate current representations. It is important to address activities, outcomes, requirements and solutions in designing. Conceptual design is an early phase in engineering design and needs to be supported better. A systematic approach for designing often increases effectiveness and efficiency. Thus, the broad objective of this thesis is to develop and validate a comprehensive understanding of how designing occurs during the conceptual phase of engineering design, and to support variety and novelty of designs during this phase. The approach followed is: (a) formulate and validate an understanding of novelty and its relationships to the designing constructs, in current designing, and(b)develop and validate a support, founded on the current designing, to improve novelty. The understanding and the support are addressed, respectively, through an integrated model and a systematic framework for designing; the model and the framework comprise activities, outcomes(including laws and effects), requirements and solutions. An integrated model of designing, GEMS of SAPPhIRE as req-sol is developed by combining activities(Generate, Evaluate, Modify, Select– GEMS), outcomes (State change, Action, Parts, Phenomenon, Input, oRgans, Effect–SAPPhIRE), requirements (req) and solutions (sol), identified from a comprehensive survey of existing design models and approaches. Validation of SAPPhIRE model with existing systems indicates that the model can be used to describe analysis and synthesis, both of which together constitute designing. Validation of the integrated model using existing videos of design sessions, to check if all its constructs are naturally used in designing, reveals that:(a) all the constructs are naturally used;(b) not all the outcomes are explored with equal intensity;(c) while high numbers of action and parts are observed, only low numbers of phenomenon, effects and organs are found. Empirical study using another set of design sessions to study the relationships between novelty and the outcomes reveals that novelty of a concept space depends on the variety of the concept space, which in turn depends on the variety of the idea space explored. Novelty and variety of a concept space also depend on the number of outcomes explored at each abstraction level. Thus, phenomena and effects are also vital for variety and novelty. Based on the above, GEMS of SAPPhIRE as req-sol framework for designing is proposed. The framework is divided into: Requirements Exploration Stage(RES) and Solutions Exploration Stage(SES). In RES and SES, requirements and solutions respectively at all the abstraction levels including SAPPhIRE are generated, evaluated, modified and selected. The framework supports task clarification, conceptual and early embodiment phases of designing, and provides process knowledge. Comparison of the framework against existing design models, theories and approaches reveals that:(a) not all existing models, theories and approaches address activities, outcomes, requirements and solutions together;(b) those that address all these constructs together do not make a distinction between requirements and solutions; and(c) no model or approach explicitly addresses novelty. The usability of the framework and Idea-inspire is assessed by applying them in an industrial project for designing novel concepts of lunar vehicle mobility system. The use of this combined support enables identification of critical requirements, development of a large variety of ideas and concepts. One of these concepts is physically and virtually modelled, and tested, and is found to satisfy all the requirements. A catalogue of physical laws and effects is developed using SAPPhIRE model to provide assistance to designers, especially for phenomena, effects and organs. Observations found during this development are reported. A comparative validation of the framework and the catalogue for their support to design for variety and novelty is done using comparative observational studies. Results from the observational studies reveal that the variety and the novelty of concept space improve with the use of the framework, or with the frame work and the catalogue, as compared to variety and novelty with no support.

Många elektriska apparater är i behov av reaktiv effekt för att kunna fungera. Transport av reaktiv effekt tar onödig plats av den tillgängliga kapaciteten i elnätet, därför används kondensatorbatterier nära slutanvändaren för att generera reaktiv effekt. Därmed genereras och förbrukas den reaktiva effekten i en avskild del av nätet. Tillkoppling av kondensatorbatterier ger upphov till transienter som kan skada andra närliggande komponenter. Utifrån det verkliga ställverket Stallbacka i Trollhättan har denna rapport analyserat de transienter som uppstår efter tillkoppling av ett kondensatorbatteri inom mellanspänningsområdet. Analysen har innefattat hur stora transienterna blir efter olika förutsättningar och scenarier. Resultatet visade att transienterna i detta fall aldrig nådde upp till några allvarliga nivåer, och därmed klarade komponenterna sig med god marginal. Huruvida transienterna påverkar elkvaliteten är oklart, då det inte finns några definierade krav. Slutligen skulle ett beräkningsverktyg för förutspådda transienter tas fram. Beräkningsverktyget blev aldrig fullständigt på grund av den ohanterliga lösningen som erhölls. / Many electrical devices need reactive power to operate. Transmission of reactive power occupies a proportion of the available capacity in the power system and therefore capacitor banks are used near to the end user to generate reactive power. Thus, the reactive effect is generated and consumed in a separate part of the power system. Capacitor banks switching causes transients which may damage the surrounding components. Based on the real substation Stallbacka in Trollhättan, this study has analysed capacitor banks switching transients within the medium voltage level. The analysis has covered the size of these transients according to different conditions and scenarios. The result showed that the transients in this case never reached serious levels, thus there was no impact on the components. It is not clear whether the transients affect the power quality because there are no defined limits.  A calculation tool to the predicted transients was supposed to be created in the process. This calculation tool was never completed due to the unmanageable solution that was obtained.

Inledning: Agila metoder är ett etablerat arbetssätt inom IT och systemutveckling som nu tagit sig in i andra sammanhang, däribland i HR-funktioner där det benämns agil HR. För att förklara hur idéer förändras när de landar i olika sammanhang brukar begreppet översättning införas, där översättning av en idé kan ta olika form beroende på det sammanhang som det hamnar i. Fält förklaras inom nyinstitutionell teori som ett område eller interaktioner inom en specifik domän. En allt vanligare företeelse idag är att fält tenderar att interagera varpå nya praktiker uppstår. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att utifrån ett nyinstitutionellt perspektiv öka förståelsen för fältinteraktioners uppkomst och deras påverkan på idéers översättning. Metod: Studien har ett nyinstitutionellt samt hermeneutisk perspektiv och har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod. En fallstudie har utförts där intervjuer har varit den primära datainsamlingsmetoden med totalt tolv medverkande. Tillsammans täcker de diskursen kring agil HR, där även sekundärdata i form av bloggar och hemsidor har använts. Slutsats: Studien visar att agil HR har uppkommit genom fältinteraktioner hos fältet IT och fältet HR. Inom denna fältinteraktion kan två arenor urskiljas vilka har olika beroenden till fältet IT, som resulterat i olika översättningar av agil HR. Olikheterna förklaras av institutionella och situationsspecifika drivkrafter i omgivningen vilka skapar olika beroenden samt maktobalanser inom arenorna. Beroendet skapas antingen via en integrationsmekanism eller som en kedjereaktion av redan existerande beroenden. / Background: Agile methods is an established approach within IT and software development that has recently appeared in other contexts, in HR-functions named Agile HR. To explain how ideas travel and land in different situations, the concept of translation is usually introduced. Translation of an idea means that an idea can take different appearance depending on the situation. Fields are explained in institutional theory as an area, or interactions within a specific domain. An increasingly common phenomena today is that fields interact and when so, new practices can emerge. Aim: The aim of the study is to, from an institutional perspective, increase the understanding of the emergence of field interaction and its impact on the translation of ideas. Methodology: The study has taken an institutional and hermeneutic perspective and has been conducted with a qualitative method. A case study has been completed where interviews have been the primary method of data collection, with twelve participants in total. Together they cover the discourse about Agile HR. Secondary data from blogs and webpages have also been used. Conclusion: The study conclude that Agile HR emerge from interactions between the field IT and the field HR. Within the field interaction two arenas being identified with different dependence to the interacting field IT. This generates different translations of Agile HR. The differences are being explained by institutional and contingency factors within the environment that create power asymmetries. The dependence emerge from an integration mechanism or from a chain reaction of already existing dependence.

La thèse, inscrite en octobre 2009, a été rattrapée par l’actualité, suite aux submersions liées à la tempête Xynthia de février 2010. En raison du changement climatique et de la pression foncière toujours plus forte sur le littoral, la vulnérabilité des activités humaines à la submersion marine ne fera que croître, en fonction de l’élévation du niveau marin. Les outils juridiques doivent donc se renouveler : non seulement ils doivent garantir que cesse l’urbanisation sur les zones vulnérables du littoral, mais ils doivent également accompagner la relocalisation de certains biens ou activités déjà menacés en associant acteurs publics et assureurs. L’anticipation nécessaire aujourd’hui doit permettre de réfléchir de façon participative aux notions de solidarité, d’équité, ainsi qu’à l’acceptabilité des solutions à mettre en œuvre à l’avenir. La thèse porte sur les moyens juridiques et assurantiels qui peuvent être mis en œuvre pour réduire la vulnérabilité des biens et des activités humaines face aux submersions marines, et sur la mise en œuvre de moyens de protection, de prévention, et/ou d’adaptation pour réduire les conséquences humaines et économiques de ce risque. L’observation des outils existants et de leurs limites conduit à rechercher et proposer de nouveaux mécanismes juridiques innovants. Parallèlement à la question du rôle des acteurs publics, étatiques ou locaux, se pose celle de l’assurabilité de ce risque émergent et de l’impact qu’il peut avoir sur les enjeux financiers des assureurs. De fait, le rôle que ces derniers peuvent jouer dans l’élaboration de stratégies de prévention ou de mitigation de ces risques peut s’avérer important / This thesis, registered in October 2009, has been effected by recent revents; the floods that were caused by the storm, Xynthia, in February, 2010. Due to the climate change and to the land pressure still stronger on the coast, the vulnerability of the human activities in the flooding will only increase, according to the rise of the marine level. The legal tools thus have to be renewed: they have not only to guarantee the stop of the urbanization on the vulnerable zones of the coast, but they also have to accompany the relocation of some properties or activities already threatened by associating public actors and insurers. Today, the necessary anticipation has to allow to think in a participative way about the notions of solidarity, equity, and also the acceptability of the solutions to be implemented in the future. This thesis concerns the implementation of legal and insurance means to reduce the vulnerability of the properties and human activities in front of the floodings, and of the means of protection, prevention, and/or adaptation to reduce the human and economic consequences of this risk. The observation of the existing tools and their limits, leads to look for and to propose new innovative legal mechanisms. At the same time, as the question of the role of the public, state or local actors, settles the insurability of this emergent risk and the impact he can have on the financial stakes of the insurers. Actually, the role which the insurers can play in the elaboration of strategies of prevention or mitigation of these risks can become important

Ce mémoire propose d’analyser une série phénomène à travers le concept de série monde développé dans les études télévisuelles et cinématographiques. Notre objet d’analyse est Xena la guerrière (Syndication 1995-2001), une série des années 1990 connue à l’ère contemporaine pour son phénomène de fandom autour de la série et des personnages Xena et Gabrielle. Les séries de la fin des années 1990 s’inscrivent dans une ère de transition, où numérique et mutations narratives vont participer à la création d’objets denses et complexes. Nous tenterons d’établir un parallèle entre la structure d’une série télévisée et sa réception qui reposent toutes les deux sur une logique de densification, à observer sous différentes formes : l’extension, la continuité et la dérivation, ainsi que sur deux niveaux : le texte et le fandom. L’analyse diégétique de la série nous permettra d’établir une conception de la série comme une expérience dense et complexe qui invite et suggère une pluralité interprétative. Les spectateurs/fans investissent l’objet de différentes façons jusqu’à produire des lectures riches et variées. Définir un phénomène sériel reviendrait donc à s’intéresser à cette corrélation : producteurs, texte, fans et contextes, qui permet l’expansion de l’objet dans de multiples directions. L’analyse de Xena la guerrière autour d’une logique de densification nous permettrait de mieux comprendre certains phénomènes de fandom autour de séries contemporaines. / This dissertation proposes an analysis of a series phenomenon through the concept of world series developed in television and film. Our object of analysis is Xena: Warrior Princess (Syndication 1995-2001), a television series from the 1990s known in the contemporary era for the phenomenon of fandom created around the series and characters Xena and Gabrielle. The series of the late 1990s are part of an era of transition, where digital and narratives mutations come together in the creation of dense and complex objects. We will try to draw a parallel between the structure of a television series and its reception, both of which are based on a logic of densification, to be observed in different forms: extension, continuity, and derivation, as well as on two levels: the text of Xena and the fandom of Xena. The diegetic analysis of the series will allow us to establish the conception and origins of the series as something dense and complex that invites and suggests a plurality of interpretations. Spectators/fans invest time and effort in the show in a variety of ways to produce rich and varied interpretations and fandom content. Defining a serial phenomenon would therefore take us back to examining the correlation of: producer, text, fans, and context, which allows this expansion of the series in multiple directions. The analysis of Xena: Warrior Princess around a logic of densification will allow us to better understand certain phenomena of fandom around contemporary series.

This thesis is focused on fatigue behaviour of aluminium alloy 2024-T351 in low cycle and extremely low cycle fatigue regime. Test specimens were firstly subjected to quasi-static tensile and compression tests to establish basic mechanical properties of the experimental material. Fatigue tests were conducted in strain-control mode, when cyclic plastic response and S-N curves were determined. All of the experiments were conducted at room temperature. Shapes of mechanical hysteresis loops are dependent on the strain amplitude and clearly exhibit cyclic plasticity of the alloy. Cyclic deformation curve was fitted by power regression function and subsequently compared with the tensile test. Experimental data of the S-N curves were fitted by Manson-Coffin and Wöhler-Basquin law. The discrepancy of the fatigue data was observed in the extremely low cycle fatigue regime. Based on this phenomenon, new regression function was used to overcome shortening of fatigue life in the extremely low cycle regime.

The subject of this thesis is the analysis of the negative effects associated with the operation of a trailer for a personal vehicle with respect to the design speed, technical checks and analysis related legislation. Its work is drawn from the measurement, cooperation with leading Czech production plant trailers Vezeko s.r.o., an organization engaged in the implementation of engineering controls DEKRA Automobil a.s. and available literature, including electronic resources. Results of the work end with proposals for specific measures to minimize the identified adverse effects.