Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.49).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Catholic University of America, 1927. / Biographical sketch.

Consommer à emporter dans la rue est devenue manière courante de manger, nous avons donc définit cette forme d’alimentation sous le terme de bouffe de foire en interrogeant les différents facteurs de cette nouvelle façon de consommer tout en la situant de manière historique et théorique à l’aide de notions telles que la modernité alimentaire, la mondialisation et le métissage entre autres facteurs. C’est par le « triangle du manger » que nous avons abordé les formes de sociabilités en lien avec cette alimentation selon trois terrains différents : les étudiants de Poitiers, les touristes de La Rochelle et les actifs de Niort dont l’analyse nous a permis de mettre au jour les significations et les conséquences de cette forme d’alimentation en lien avec les notions d’espace et de temps porteuses de nouveaux rituels. C’est surtout par la fonction que lui accorde le mangeur que se révèle les formes de partage ou de non-partage nous permettant de montrer les jeux, le rapport au corps et les formes ludiques de l’aliment lui-même. / Eating out take-away food in the street has become common practice. This eating habit is labelled here: “fair food” (“bouffe de foire”) and its various dimensions are explored and seen in a historical and theoretical perspective, making use of notions such as food modernity, globalization, crossbreeding, among others. The « food triangle / pyramid » is used to examine the forms of sociability associated with this food consumption. The studies were conducted on three different fields: the students in Poitiers, the tourists in La Rochelle and the working population in Niort. These case studies highlight the significance of this trend and its impact on notions such as space and time, associated with new rituals. The forms of sharing or non-sharing are mostly revealed through the meaning the eater associates this food intake with. This in turn enables to evidence such aspects as: the games involved, the relation to the body it suggests and the entertainment provided by the food itself.

This dissertation informs readers about self-made interactive aid, enabling to understand the problematic of the construction of the triangle. The basic information about this aid, it´s preference and usage is illustrated on some several cases of the solution to tasks of the construction of the triangle. The interactive aid is appropriate for teaching, but also for consesutive usage about the solution of concrete tasks.

No description available.

This thesis explores the field of legged robots with reduced degree-of-freedom (DOF) leg mechanisms. Multi-legged robots have drawn interest among researchers due to their high level of adaptability on unstructured terrains. However, conventional legged robots require multiple degrees of freedom and each additional degree of freedom increases the overall weight and complexity of the system. Additionally, the complexity of the control algorithms must be increased to provide mobility, stabilization, and maneuvering. Normally, robotic legs are designed with at least three degrees of freedom resulting in complex articulated mechanisms, which limits the applicability of such robots in real-world applications. However, reduced DOF leg mechanisms come with reduced tasking capabilities, such as maintaining constant body height and velocity during locomotion. To address some of the challenges, this thesis proposes a novel bipedal robot with reduced DOF leg mechanisms. The proposed leg mechanism utilizes the Reuleaux triangle to generate the foot trajectory to achieve a constant body height during locomotion while maintaining a constant velocity. By using a differential drive, the robot is also capable of steering. In addition to the analytical results of the trajectory profile of each leg, the thesis provides a trajectory function of the Reuelaux triangle cam with respect to time such that the robot can maintain a constant velocity and constant body height during walking. An experimental prototype of the bipedal robot was integrated and experiments were conducted to evaluate the walking capability of the robot. Ongoing future work of the proposed design is also outlined in the thesis. / Master of Science / Bipedal robots are a type of legged robots that use two legs to move. Legs require multiple degrees of freedom to provide propulsion, stabilization, and maneuvering. Additional degrees of freedom of the leg result in a heavier robot, more complex control method, and more energy consumption. However, reduced degree of freedom legs result in a tradeoff between certain tasking capabilities for easier controls and lower energy consumption. As an attempt to overcome these challenges, this thesis presents a robot design with a reduced degree of freedom leg mechanism. The design of the mechanism is described in detail with its preliminary analysis. In addition, this thesis presents experimental validation with the robot which validates that the robot is capable of moving with constant body height at constant velocity while being of capable of steering. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the future work.

Cette étude met à l'épreuve l’hypothèse selon laquelle « pour qu’il y ait « histoire », roman, il faut qu’il y ait obstacle à la réalisation de [l’amor] » (Pierre Gallais). Les obstacles à la (re)constitution du couple amoureux reviennent avec récurrence dans les romans de couple de l’époque médiévale, aussi bien en Orient qu’en Occident, et méritent d’être mis en avant. Les interroger, c’est rappeler que la lecture de Floire et Blanchefleur nous invite, par moments, à le comparer à deux autres intrigues amoureuses : l’une persane (Varqe et Gulšāh), l’autre arabe ('Urwa et 'Afrā’). C’est essayer de découvrir ou redécouvrir les affinités thématiques et les relations de parenté entre ces textes. C’est rappeler que les amours heureuses n’ont pas d’histoire et qu’aimer conduit souvent à s’exposer aux autres, à l’opposition parentale et plus généralement à la société. C’est montrer que l’amour s’accroît avec la séparation et la souffrance. C’est tenter de mettre en relief le paradoxe sur lequel reposent ces romans : l’obstacle, qui à première vue semble inquiéter les couples en herbe et condamner leurs idylles, s’avère finalement un élément indispensable de l’intrigue amoureuse qui ne fait que célébrer l’intrépidité des jeunes amants. C’est montrer que dans ces textes, aucun des obstacles rencontrés ne finit par disjoindre les amants. Enfin, c’est montrer comment les conversions finales, aussi bien individuelles que collectives, finissent par conférer à ces textes une dimension civilisatrice, « une tendance orientalisante », voire « un « orientalisme » romanesque ». / This study examines the hypothesis according to which “for there to be a “story”, a novel, there needs to be an obstacle hindering the realization of [love]” (Pierre Gallais). The obstacles of the lovers’ union reoccur in love stories from medieval times, as much in the Orient as in the Occident. These obstacles merit being brought to attention. To examine them is to recall that the reading of anonymous French idyll invites us, at times, to compare it to two amorous plots: one being Persian (Varqe and Gulšāh), the other Arabic ('Urwa and 'Afrā’). The thematic affinities between these related texts do not extinguish in any circumstance the originality of each novel. It should be noted that stories are not created from fortunate love and that to love often drives one to expose himself to others, parental opposition and to society. It shows love is only intensified with separation and suffering. It attempts to emphasize the paradox upon which these novels are based: the obstacle, which at first glance appears to worry the aspiring couples and condemn their idyll, decisively proves an indispensable element of the romantic plot which serves only to celebrate the intrepidity of young lovers. It is demonstrated in these texts that none of the obstacles encountered succeed in separating the lovers. Finally, it shows how individual and collective conversions finish by conferring a civilizing dimension to the texts, “an orientalizing tendency”, indeed “a Romanesque ‘Orientalism’”.

Depuis les années 1950, la société occidentale vit de profondes modifications : la famille nucléaire laisse la place à de nouveaux construits familiaux et la société hétéronormative est de plus en plus remise en question par les chercheurs et théoriciens du mouvement queer. Les rapports amoureux ne se constituent plus nécessairement autour d’un homme et d’une femme et de nouvelles structures amoureuses sont recensées, dont les relations triangulaires. En marge de cette présence dans la société, les relations triangulaires sont aussi observées depuis quelques décennies au cinéma et elles intéressent de plus en plus de chercheurs. À l’aide des travaux de Serge Chaumier sur la représentation des triades au cinéma et de la recherche sur les coalitions au sein des triades de Theodore Caplow, nous souhaitons observer les rôles et les fonctions du tiers afin de savoir s’il contribue à la reconfiguration de la société patriarcale. Nous effectuons cette recension des rôles et des fonctions du tiers dans trois films français (Wild Side, Sébastien Lifshitz, 2004; Les Chansons d’amour, Christophe Honoré, 2007; À trois on y va, Jérôme Bonnell, 2015) à l’aide de l’analyse de contenu qualificative, qui nous permet de définir avec plus de précision ces nouvelles constructions identitaires. S’inscrivant dans la poursuite des recherches de Chaumier, notre étude permet de mieux comprendre les nouveaux rôles du tiers au cinéma : il est aujourd’hui perçu davantage comme un allié plutôt qu’une menace. De plus, il est moins représenté à titre d’amant caché. Par contre, les dictats de la société patriarcale imposent toujours leur joug et forcent souvent les relations triangulaires à vivre cachées ou à se déconstruire.

M.Tech (Department of Tourism Management, Faculty of Human Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Tourism is an extremely important sector in any economy of a country and is a package of combined services and goods. There are a variety of types of tourism, and tourism also has a variety of sectors and characteristics. Customer satisfaction is very important within any organisation, because it provides a variety of benefits. The Kano model and many theories assist in understanding customer satisfaction and the factors that better influence the satisfaction of the customers. To accurately measure the satisfaction of customers, there are a variety of guidelines to follow to develop a well-developed questionnaire. The main goal of this study was to determine customer satisfaction and the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction, based on a case study at a tourism establishment (accommodation establishment) in the Vaal Region. The objectives were to conduct a literature review to identify the factors that affect customer satisfaction at an accommodation establishment and develop a measuring instrument to determine customer satisfaction at an accommodation establishment. Furthermore, an empirical analysis was conducted to measure the level of performance of the identified factors at an accommodation establishment in the Vaal Region. Additionally, to determine the factors that contribute to the satisfaction of the customers at a specific accommodation establishment in the Vaal Region. Thereafter, determine the difference between the factors that are regarded as important contributors to customer satisfaction and the factors with which customers are satisfied with at an accommodation establishment. Moreover, determine the difference between customer satisfaction factors across trip-related and demographic variables at an accommodation establishment. Finally, recommendations were made regarding the empirical results and for future research. The research followed a case study approach using quantitative, exploratory and descriptive research to administer and test the questionnaire, and to evaluate the satisfaction of the customers. Furthermore, the study used a non-probability method, convenience sampling. The sample size of the study was 132 customers at the accommodation establishment and a questionnaire was used to measure the satisfaction of the customers. The results indicated that the majority of the respondents were totally satisfied with certain aspects at the accommodation establishment. In total 11 factors were identified that contribute to customer satisfaction, and a total of 10 factors were identified that influence the satisfaction level of the customers. There was a statistical significant correlation between the factors with which customers are satisfied with, the factors that the customers regard as important, other trip-related and demographic variables. It can be seen that the accommodation establishment must take into account the factors which influence customer satisfaction to obtain higher customer satisfaction by.

Malgré sa récente remise en lumière, le cinéma muet est toujours menacé de disparition, du fait notamment de la décomposition des supports nitrate avec le temps. On estime que 80 pour cent de la production cinématographique mondiale de 1895 à 1929 serait de nos jours perdue, rendant d’autant plus cruciale la restauration des films muets subsistants. Malheureusement, un siècle après, ces films se présentent souvent dans des versions incomplètes et parfois différentes de celles d’origine. Ce travail de recherche s’inscrit dans ce cadre et démontre plus spécifiquement l’apport fondamental des documents d’archives non-film d’époque dans les processus de restauration de films muets. Ces documents, qui constituent désormais les seules sources attestant de la forme d’origine et complète de ces œuvres, permettent notamment, par comparaison avec les films incomplets, l’identification des versions conservées et la reconstruction des trames narratives. Cette réflexion théorique sur les principes directeurs de la restauration de films [I] est ensuite mise en pratique au travers de notre analyse des éléments de restauration du fonds d’archives non-film de la société de production américaine Triangle Film Corporation (1915-1919) conservés par la Cinémathèque française [II] puis, grâce à l’exploitation de ces éléments, au travers de notre contribution aux restaurations des versions françaises du western The Desert Man (La Cité du désespoir, William S. Hart, 1917) et du drame historique The Despoiler (Châtiment, Reginald Barker, 1915) [III] ; deux films Triangle jusqu’alors considérés comme perdus qui constituent les seuls éléments filmiques localisés à ce jour dans le monde / Despite its recent re-lighting, silent cinema is still threatened by disappearance, notably because of nitrate film decomposition over time. It is estimated that 80 per cent of the world cinema production from 1895 to 1929 is currently lost, which makes silent film restoration even more crucial for those that still exist. Unfortunately, a century later, those films often remain in incomplete versions, sometimes even different from the original ones. This research work falls within this scope and specifically demonstrates the essential input of non-film archival documents of the time in silent film restoration processes. Those documents from now on represent the only sources attesting the original and complete form of those films. They notably allow, by comparing them with the incomplete films, both the identification of the preserved versions and the reconstruction of the narrative spine. This theoretical reflection on film restoration guiding principles [I] is then put into practice first through our examination of the restoration elements of the non-film archive collection of the American production company Triangle Film Corporation (1915-1919) preserved by the Cinémathèque française [II] then, based on the exploitation of these elements, through our contribution to the restorations of the French versions of the western The Desert Man (La Cité du désespoir, William S. Hart, 1917) and the historical drama The Despoiler (Châtiment, Reginald Barker, 1915) [III] ; two Triangle films so far presumed lost that constitute the only film elements located in the world until now.