This study was designed for the investigation of antioxidative, and antimicrobial properties of Quercus brantii L. (Q.brantii.) seed extract. Phenolic profile of the total extract was determined by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and confirmed by High Resolution Mass Spectroscopy (HRMS). Solvent fractionation was performed to seperate bioactive compounds in total extract by using solubility differences. In comparison of fractions, ethyl acetate and diethyl ether phases have revealed highest antioxidant effect. Due to the low yield and high number of the molecules in ethyl acetate fraction, HRMS was used to characterize the compounds. On the other hand, in diethyl ether fraction, there was a single major compound which showed high antioxidant activity. The major compound, was purified by column chromatography and characterized by NMR, IR and HRMS as methyl gallate. E.coli, P.mirabilis, S.aureus, S.pyogenes bacterial strains were used to determine the antimicrobial activity of Q. brantii seed crude extract, fractions and isolated compound by disc diffusion, MIC and MBC methods. Isolated methyl gallate and ethyl acetate fraction displayed a significant effect on all bacterial strains as high as reference antibiotics. Consequently, crude Q. branti extract, isolated methyl gallate and ethyl acetate fraction could be considered as powerful antimicrobial agents, and at the same time efficacious antioxidants.

Glutathione S-transferases (GST, EC2.5.1.18) are a family of multifunctional, dimeric enzymes that catalyse the nucleophilic attack of the tripeptide glutathione (&amp / #947 / -L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-L-glycine) on lipophilic compounds with electrophilic centres. The primary function of GSTs is generally considered to be the detoxification of both endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Cytosolic GSTs have been grouped into eleven distinct classes as: (A) / Alpha, (M) / Mu, (P) / Pi, (S) / Sigma, (T) / Theta, (Z) / Zeta, (F) / Phi, (U) / Tau, (B) / Beta, (O) / Omega and (L) / Lambda. iv In this study, the total RNAs from Pinus brutia needles were isolated, GST Zeta cDNA was prepared by RT-PCR, the length of the insert was elongated by applying 5&#039 / RACE (Rapid Amplification for cDNA ends) method and the identity of the insert was checked by sequencing. The amino acid sequence of GST-Zeta was deduced as composed of 226 amino acids. The genomic DNA was also isolated from Pinus brutia needles, amplified by PCR and sequenced, and compared to the sequence of cDNA. The expression level of GST-Zeta in individual trees of Pinus brutia were examined by Northern blot analysis, and compared to their thiol contents. The mRNA levels varied up to three-fold, whereas GSH amounts varied approximately 1.8 fold, and there were no correlation between the GST-Zeta expression and GSH concentration. GST enzyme with activity towards CDNB was isolated and purified from Pinus brutia needles in 1.95 % yield with a purification factor of 15.45-fold. The purification protocol included a sequential chromatography on Sephadex G-25 column, DEAE cellulose anion exchanger liquid chromatography column, and S-hexylglutathione agarose affinity columns. The purified GST showed specific activity towards CDNB as 2022 nmole/min/mg. The GST purified from needles had a molecular weight (Mr) value of about 24.000 which was confirmed by SDS-PAGE.

The minimalist approach to natural human language argues that the syntax of a language L maps a certain structure to a certain form at PF and to a certain meaning at LF. With the above in mind, the ideal perhaps scenario, in terms of transparency, would be that the mapping between form and meaning would be one to one. In other words, there is as much form as there is meaning. This would further imply that the mapping between form and meaning is symmetric. The present thesis studies some aspects of the form and meaning of two kinds of wh-constructions in Modern Greek, i.e., questions and sluicing, and shows that the relevant mapping may not necessarily be one to one. With respect to questions, it is argued that the same form may correspond to more than one meaning. As regards sluicing, it is proposed that there is less form than meaning. On the face of the previous, the argument will be as follows. Syntax generates form, and restricts part of meaning, while additional aspects of meaning are facilitated by PF, regarding wh-questions, and LF, concerning sluicing. Finally, since PF contributes to meaning, LF sees PF, and vice versa. / Το μινιμαλιστικό πλαίσο προσέγγισης της φυσικής ανθρώπινης γλώσσας υποστηρίζει ότι η σύνταξη μιας γλώσσας Γ αντιστοιχεί μια ορισμένη μορφή με μια ορισμένη δομή στην ΦΔ, και με μία ορισμένη σημασία στην ΛΔ. Με αυτό ως δεδομένο, το ιδεατό ίσως σενάριο, όσον αφορά στην διαφάνεια, θα ήταν ότι η αντιστοίχιση μεταξή μορφής και σημασίας είναι ένα προς ένα. Με άλλα λόγια, υπάρχει τόση μορφή όση και σημασία. Κάτι τέτοιο θα υπονοούσε επίσης ότι η αντιστοίχιση μορφής-σημασίας είναι συμμετρική. Η παρούσα διατριβή μελετά ορισμένες πτυχές δομών ερώτησης μερικής αγνοίας, και δομών εκκένωσης, στα Νέα Ελληνικά, και δείχνει ότι η εν λόγω αντιστοίχιση δεν είναι απαραίτητα ένα προς ένα. Όσον αφορά στις δομές ερώτησης μερικής αγνοίας, υποστηρίζεται ότι η ίδια μορφή μπορεί να σχετίζεται με περισσότερες από μια σημασίες. Σχετικά με τις δομές εκκένωσης, προτείνεται ότι φέρουν λιγότερη μορφή απο σημασία. Με βάση τα παραπάνω, το επιχείρημα θα έχει ως εξής. Η σύνταξη παράγει μορφή, και περιορίζει μέρος της σημασίας, ενώ ένα άλλο μέρος της σημασίας εισάγεται από την ΦΔ, όσον αφορά στις ερωτήσεις μερικής αγνοίας, και την ΛΔ, σχετικά με τις δομές εκκένωσης. Τέλος, αφού η ΦΔ συνεισφέρει στην σημασία, τότε η ΛΔ δομή βλέπει την ΦΔ, και αντιστρόφως.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans un projet de cerner des modes d’expression de la quantification dont le statut paraît plus marginal que d’autres. À côté d’une abondante littérature sur les déterminants quantifieurs, par exemple, l’étude des locutions adverbiales quantifiantes et intensifiantes n’est pas encore très élaborée. La présente étude se consacre en conséquent à une locution adverbiale à la marge de l’analyse de la quantification : jusqu’à un certain point. Elle s’appuie sur un corpus (écrit) d’occurrences tirées de différentes sources. La première partie présente trois études individuelles sur les lexies qui constituent la locution, la préposition jusque, le déterminant complexe un certain et le nom point. La deuxième partie présente une vue d’ensemble des emplois contemporains de jusqu’à un certain point, démontre le figement de la locution en synchronie et dresse le tableau de son évolution depuis son apparition dans Frantext en 1671. Six emplois actuels se dégagent : endophrastique, jusqu’à un certain point fonctionne comme un adverbe de complétude, de degré ou « limitatif ». Exophrastique, la locution fonctionne comme un adverbe modal, une enclosure (shield ou approximator). Il existe des occurrences hybrides entre quantification et modalisation. Enfin, la locution peut fonctionner comme un pivot argumentatif qui a des propriétés d’un modalisateur déréalisant. La troisième partie examine le statut d’adverbial de jusqu’à un certain point, son interaction avec différents types de prédicats, le rôle que joue sa position dans l’énoncé, sa conceptualisation sur un mode cognitiviste et son rôle d’opérateur discursif participant à l’agencement de l’argumentation. / This thesis stems from a project aimed at exploring marginal quantifying expressions. Whereas there is an abundant literature on quantifying determiners, for instance, the study of quantifying/intensifying adverbial phrases is not very advanced yet. This thesis thus focuses on a quantifying adverbial phrase on the margins of quantification research: jusqu’à un certain point (to a certain extend/up to a certain point). The analysis is based on a written corpus using different sources. Part one offers three studies of the adverbial phrase’s constituents, the preposition jusque, the determiner un certain and the noun point. Part two introduces an overview of the current uses of jusqu’à un certain point, shows the adverbial phrase’s synchronic fixation and describes its evolution since its first appearance in Frantext in 1671. Six contemporary uses can be distinguished: endophrastic jusqu’à un certain point functions as an adverb of completion, degree or “limit”. Exophrastic jusqu’à un certain point functions as a modal, a hedge (shield or approximator). There are hybrid cases activating quantitative and modal values in parallel. Finally, the adverbial phrase can function as an argumentative pivot with properties of a modalisateur déréalisant of Ducrot. Part three examines the adverbial status of jusqu’à un certain point, its interaction with different predicate types, the role played by its syntactical position, its conceptualization within a cognitive semantic perspective and its role as a discourse operator participating in the articulation of argumentation.

In July 2013 the OECD, to tackle multinational tax avoidance, published its Action Plan against base erosion and profit shifting. The Action Plan suggests a variety of legislative and administrative measures to eliminate frictions from interactions between domestic tax laws and international tax treaties, including potential double non-taxation of businesses operating in several countries. By virtue of the OECD's structure, the proposed measures have been designed and developed predominantly by representatives from the tax administrations of OECD member countries. Our research investigates the views and opinions of other stakeholders in this process, namely tax experts from practice. We conduct a conjoint analysis, surveying experts in international taxation regarding their perceptions and beliefs on the effectiveness of the proposed actions. We find that experts rank actions that are aimed at enhancing international coordination and cooperation, as well as actions that reduce legal uncertainty, higher than other actions. Of lesser importance are antitreaty-abuse measures, further transparency at the taxpayer level and amendments to the definition of permanent establishment. (authors' abstract) / Series: WU International Taxation Research Paper Series

This paper presents new empirical evidence on the determinants of corruption, focussing on the role of globalization and inequality. The estimates for a panel of 102 countries over the period 1995-2005 point to three main results: i) Detection technologies, reflected in a high level of development, human capital, and political rights reduce corruption, whereas natural resource rents increase corruption. ii) Globalization (in terms of both trade and financial openness) has a negative effect on corruption, which is more pronounced in developing countries. iii) Inequality increases corruption, and once the role of inequality is accounted for, the impact of globalization on corruption is halved. In line with recent theory, this suggests that globalization - besides reducing corruption through enhanced competition - affects corruption also by reducing inequality. / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Las empresas modernas actualmente realizan una gestión sostenible, para preservar integridad en las personas y trabajadores, confiriendo seguridad, salud, responsabilidad social y respeto por el medio ambiente para evitar que sus residuos generados por diversas actividades originen la preocupación social y conflictos sociales. Los PCBs han sido empleados en múltiples actividades industriales, sus características físico químicas; los cuales fueron difundidos en la vida cotidiana como ejemplo refrigerante en transformadores y conductores eléctricos, los cuales son empleados de manera masiva por las empresas de distribución eléctrica como ELECTRONORTE S.A. Era necesario revertir esta situación en los activos contaminados con PCB´S en la empresa eléctrica ELECTRONORTE S.A. Esta propuesta toma como base el compromiso de Perú mediante el Convenio de Estocolmo sobre COPs. Los resultados alcanzados verifican la bondad de la propuesta de un sistema de gestión y control de transformadores de potencia contaminados con PCB´S en la empresa eléctrica ELECTRONORTE S.A., mediante el método de Descloración.

Dans cette thèse, je traite la question de la Deixis sur trois niveaux du langage : Syntaxique, phonétique et gestuel. L’idée principale, c’est que la Deixis ne s’arrête pas sur le fait de pointer un objet présent et peut aller plus loin avec des caractéristiques beaucoup plus abstraites. Cette thèse est accomplie sur trois parties fondamentales. La première partie contient un chapitre définitoire et dans le deuxième chapitre je présente les trois processus fondamentaux de la Deixis : la catégorisation, la nomination et la mémorisation. Dans la deuxième partie, j’étudie les processus cognitifs de la Deixis d’un point de vue dynamique et se servir des théories et concepts pour éclaircir la méthodologie utilisée. J’explique la dynamique de la Deixis Ad Oculos et la Deixis Am Phantasma en montrant comment cette dynamique est complètement dépendante des représentations personnelles du sujet. Les concepts de partage et d’égocentrage nous donnent un sens aux analyses que nous pourrons utiliser comme critères pour décider si un tel sujet a une bonne gestuelle communicative pour passer clairement son message à l’autrui. Ces concepts pourront être bien intéressantes en ce qui concerne des recherches étudiant le comportement des acteurs et les études de détection. Ainsi, avec quelques recherches plus profondes nous pourrons créer des listes de critères et de caractéristiques qui nous aideront à distinguer et détecter un comportement correct d’un autre qui est incorrecte. De même, nous pourrons définir un comportement normal d’un autre anormal et appliquer ces indices et critères sur des enfants souffrant d’incapacité pour s’exprimer tels que des enfants dyslexiques et autistes. / In this thesis, I treat with the question of Deixis on three levels of language: Syntax, phonetic and gestural. The main idea is that the Deixis does not end on pointing out a present object and can go further with more abstract features. This thesis has three basic parts. The first contains a definitional chapter and in the second chapter I present the three basic processes of Deixis: categorization, nomination and memorization. In the second part, I study the cognitive process of Deixis from a dynamic point of view and use theories and concepts to clarify its methodology. I explain the dynamics of Deixis Ad Oculos and Deixis Am Phantasm showing how this dynamic is completely dependent on the personal representations of the subject. The concepts share and egocentrage give us a sense of analysis that we can use as criteria to decide whether such subject has good communicative gesture to clarify his message to others. These concepts can be very interesting in terms of research regarding actor’s behavior and detection studies. Thus, with some deeper research we can create lists of criteria and characteristics that will help us to distinguish and detect the appropriate behavior from the inappropriate one. Similarly, we can define normal behavior from the abnormal one and apply these criteria and indicators on children with disabilities, such as dyslexia and autism, to help them to express themselves in the future.

In dieser schattenwirtschaftlichen Kausalanalyse wurden entsprechend der Thematik aus der Sicht des Autors relevante Ursachen für eine expandierende Schattenökonomie in Russland vertiefend untersucht. Ein entscheidender Faktor bei der Begünstigung der Second Economy kann darin gesehen werden, dass es dem Staat im bisherigen Verlauf der Transformation nicht ausreichend gelang seine Rolle als Garant für die Schaffung und Einhaltung von festen Regeln einerseits sowie einen weitergehenden Rückzug aus unmittelbar wirtschaftlichen Abläufen andererseits in wünschenswertem maße zu realisieren. Mit den Zugängen sollte in einer fundierten Ursachenanalyse mehr Licht in das Dunkel expandierender schattenwirtschaftlicher, korrupter Erscheinungen fallen und dabei kausale Verknüpfungen zwischen den Zugängen ersichtlich werden. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Rahmenbedingungen, Motivation und der Entscheidungsbildung von Wirtschaftssubjekten wurde anhand 3 theoretischer Ansätze näher analysiert. Die aus den statistischen Schätzungen ersichtliche weit verbreitete Suche nach „unsozialen“ Vorteilen kann auch als eine Orientierungslosigkeit bezüglich der Akzeptanz gesetzlicher Regeln des gesellschaftlichenZusammenlebens durch die russische Bevölkerung angesehen werden. Ein Umdenken würde voraussetzen, dass die Gesetzgebung einer ständigen Begutachtung durch gewählte demokratische Gremien unterliegt und die Menschen weniger gegängelt, bevormundet werden wie in sowjetischer Periode. Viele der Vorschläge zur Reduzierung der russischen Schattenwirtschaft stellen ein Kurieren an Symptomen dar und sind auch als Reflex auf bestimmte Interessenpositionen anzusehen. Die Untersuchung zeigt, wohin eine Wirtschaft steuern kann, wenn sie nicht die erforderlichen Rahmenbedingungen erhält, die juristischen Gesetzesgrundlagen aus den genannten Gründen heraus zunehmend missachtet werden (eigene, ungeschriebene Regeln dafür gelten) sowie das Sozialsystem nicht bzw. nicht mehr erforderliche Mindestsicherheiten bieten kann. Deshalb erscheint es notwendig, die schattenökonomischen Vorgänge Russlands nicht als „fremde Phänomene“ eines „weit entfernten“ Landes zu betrachten. Vielmehr muss bei realistischer Betrachtung der Tatsache ins Auge gesehen werden, dass diese „russische Problematik“ einer expandierenden Second Economy außerhalb von Gesetz und Statistik in Deutschland und anderen westlichen Staaten nicht diese Dimension annahm. Mit zunehmender Wirtschaftskrise wird auch in der Bundesrepublik die Schattenökonomie als eine Antwort auf ungelöste Schwierigkeiten in der Wirtschafts-, Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik zu einem Problemfaktor heranwachsen, dem zukünftig mehr Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet werden sollte. / In this causal analysis of the shadow (black) economy, the relevant reasons for the expanding shadow economy in Russia have been looked into from the author’s point of view and in accordance with the topic. A crucial factor in favouring the Second Economy can be seen in the fact that during the previous course of the transformation the state hadn''t succeeded in realizing its part as a guarantor of the creation and observance of the solid rules on the one hand, and as a guarantor of the largely reduction of the regulated economic relations to an acceptable extent on the other hand. Examining the aspects in this causal form should help to cast more light into the shadows of the expanding black economy and its corruptive forms making the causal connections between them more obvious. The connection between the basic conditions, the motivation and the way of decision forming by the economists was thoroughly analyzed on the basis of three theoretical points. The widely spread search for the “unsocial” advantages, which is obvious from the statistical estimations, can be considered also as the lack of direction (Orientierungslosigkeit) in regard to the acceptance of the lawful rules in social live by the Russians. Rethinking would presuppose that the legislation should be subject to the regular examination through the chosen democratic committees and the people not be kept tied and patronized, like in the Soviet period. Many of the suggestions on the reduction of the Russian shadow-economy suppose the cure of the obvious symptoms and are to be regarded also as a reflex on the certain positions of interest. The above study gives the insight into such aspects as: where the national economy can steer 1) if it has no basic conditions; 2). if the fundamental legal principles by the mentioned reasons are increasingly disregarded but some unwritten rules are accepted; 3). if the social system can not offer the necessary minimum security any longer. Therefore, it appears to be necessary not to consider the shade-economic processes of Russia as the foreign phenomena of a "far distant " country. More than that, one must contemplate the fact that this "Russian problematic system" of the expanding Second Economy outside the law and statistics couldn’t reach such enormous dimensions in Germany and other Western states. In the conditions of the growing economic crisis the shadow-economy would certainly become a problem factor also in the Federal Republic of Germany being a reaction on unsolved difficulties in its economic, labour market and social policy. More attention should be dedicated to this problem in future.

Cette thèse se propose d’étudier la grammaticalisation, processus d’évolution linguistique par lequel les éléments fonctionnels de la langue se trouvent remplacés au cours du temps par des mots ou des constructions de contenu, c’est-à-dire servant à désigner des entités plus concrètes. La grammaticalisation est donc un cas particulier de remplacement sémantique. Or, la langue faisant l’objet d’un consensus social bien établi, il semble que le changement sémantique s’effectue à contre-courant de la bonne efficacité de la communication ; pourtant, il est attesté dans toutes les langues, toutes les époques et, comme le montre la grammaticalisation, toutes les catégories linguistiques. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions d’abord le phénomène de grammaticalisation d’un point de vue empirique, en analysant les fréquences d’usage de plusieurs centaines de constructions du langage connaissant une ou plusieurs grammaticalisations au cours de l’histoire de la langue française. Ces profils de fréquence sont extraits de la base de données de Frantext, qui permet de couvrir une période de sept siècles. L’augmentation de fréquence en courbe en S concomitante du remplacement sémantique, attestée dans la littérature, est confirmée, mais aussi complétée par l’observation d’une période de latence, une stagnation de la fréquence d’usage de la construction alors même que celle-ci manifeste déjà son nouveau sens. Les distributions statistiques des observables décrivant ces deux phénomènes sont obtenues et quantifiées. Un modèle de marche aléatoire est ensuite proposé reproduisant ces deux phénomènes. La latence s'y trouve expliquée comme un phénomène critique, au voisinage d’une bifurcation point-col. Une extension de ce modèle articulant l’organisation du réseau sémantique et les formes possibles de l’évolution est ensuite discutée. / This work aims to study grammaticalization, the process by which the functional items of a language come to be replaced with time by content words or constructions, usually providing a more substantial meaning. Grammaticalization is therefore a particular type of semantic replacement. However, language emerges as a social consensus, so that it would seem that semantic change is at odds with the proper working of communication. Despite of this, the phenomenon is attested in all languages, at all times, and pervades all linguistic categories, as the very existence of grammaticalization shows. Why it would be so is somehow puzzling. In this thesis, we shall argue that the components on which lies the efficiency of linguistic communication are precisely those responsible for these semantic changes. To investigate this matter, we provide an empirical study of frequency profiles of a few hundreds of linguistic constructions undergoing one or several grammaticalizations throughout the French language history. These frequencies of use are extracted from the textual database Frantext, which covers a period of seven centuries. The S-shaped frequency rise co-occurring with semantic change, well attested in the existing literature, is confirmed. We moreover complement it by a latency part during which the frequency does not rise yet, though the construction is already used with its new meaning. The statistical distribution of the different observables related to these two phenomenal features are extracted. A random walk model is then proposed to account for this two-sided frequency pattern. The latency period appears as a critical phenomenon in the vicinity of a saddle-node bifurcation, and quantitatively matches its empirical counter-part. Finally, an extension of the model is sketched, in which the relationship between the structure of the semantic network and the outcome of the evolution could be discussed.