The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if undergraduate students perceived that their college readiness was impacted by participation in Advanced Placement courses, dual-enrollment courses, or both. Perceptual data were gathered from freshmen and sophomores enrolled at East Tennessee State University using an online survey. The number of participants in this study was 265. Perceptions of the individual program components of both Advanced Placement and dual-enrollment courses were also assessed in relation to college readiness. The results of the study indicated that undergraduate students perceive instructor quality and course rigor of both AP and dual-enrollment as beneficial to their success in college. Participants also indicated that the college readiness skills acquired through program participation were beneficial to their college success to a significant extent in the areas of writing, time management, note-taking, study skills, independent learning, and reading complex text. When comparing results related to AP and dual-enrollment, participants assigned similar ratings to the college readiness skills assessed in all areas except independent learning. Participant responses indicated that they perceived dual-enrollment as more beneficial than AP in the area of independent learning. In response to an open-ended survey item, participants also reported that dual-enrollment courses were more beneficial than AP courses especially in regard to the transfer of course credit and instructor quality.

This document details original numerical studies performed by the author pertaining to solid propellant combustion. Detailed kinetic mechanisms have been utilized to model the combustion of the pseudo-propellants RDX/GAP and AP/HTPB. A particle packing model and a diffusion flame model have been utilized to develop a burning rate and an aluminum agglomeration model. The numerical model for RDX/GAP combustion utilizes a "universal" gas-phase kinetic mechanism previously applied to combustion models of several monopropellants and pseudo-propellants. The kinetic mechanism consists of 83 species and 530 reactions. Numerical results using this mechanism provide excellent agreement with RDX and GAP burning rate data, and agree qualitatively with RDX/GAP pseudo-propellant data. The numerical model for AP/HTPB combustion utilizes the same universal mechanism, with chlorine reactions added for modeling AP combustion. Including chlorine, there are 106 species and 611 reactions. Global condensed-phase reactions have been developed for six AP percentages between 59% and 80% AP. The AP/HTPB model accurately predicts burning rates, as well as temperature and species profiles. The numerical burning rate model utilizes a three-dimensional particle-packing model to generate cylindrical particle packs. Particle-size distributions have been modeled using a three-parameter lognormal distribution function. Pressure-dependent homogenization has been used to capture pressure effects and reduce cpu time. A "characteristic" burning path is found through each particle pack. Numerical results showed that different path-finding approaches work better depending on the propellant formulation and combustion conditions. Proposed future work and modifications to the present model are suggested. The numerical agglomeration model utilizes the same particle packing model and particle-size distribution function as in the burning rate model. Three preliminary models have been developed examining the ideas of pockets, separation distance, and aluminum ignition. Preliminary model results indicate the importance of predicting aluminum particle ignition. In the final model, the surface is regressed numerically through each particle pack. At each surface location, calculations are performed to determine whether aluminum particles combine and/or ignite. Ignition criteria have been developed from the results of the diffusion flame model and an analysis of particle-pack cross-sections. Numerical results show qualitative agreement with each experimentally observed trend. Proposed future work and modifications to the present model are suggested.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Inom ramen för både det svenska och finska pensionssystemet finns offentliga pensionsinstitut, vilka förvaltar obligatoriska och lagstadgade pensionsavgifter i syfte att främja finansiell stabilitet för statliga pensioner. Förvaltningen omfattar huvudsakligen investeringar, både i inhemska och utländska företag. I ett pågående mål i HFD har frågan om svensk kupongskatt på finska offentliga pensionsinstitut aktualiserats i relation till EU-rättens regler om fri rörlighet för kapital. Detta beror på att finska offentliga pensionsinstitut betraktas som utländska juridiska personer och därmed påförs kupongskatt på erhållna utdelningar, medan svenska offentliga pensionsinstitut, AP-fonderna, omfattas av undantaget för skattskyldighet för svenska staten. I ljuset av den pågående EU-rättsliga prövningen innebär de svenska reglerna en negativ särbehandling av de finska offentliga pensionsinstituten. Om denna särbehandling är tillåten eller ej avgörs av huruvida finska offentliga pensionsinstitut befinner sig i en objektivt jämförbar situation med de svenska AP-fonderna vid utdelningar från svenska företag. Genom analys av EU-domstolens praxis på området för källskatt på utdelningar, fokuserar uppsatsen på att bedöma om finska och svenska offentliga pensionsinstitut befinner sig i en objektivt jämförbar situation samt om en eventuell otillåten negativ särbehandling kan rättfärdigas på ett proportionerligt sätt. Analysen av EU-domstolens praxis och ändamålet med de svenska reglerna ger huvudsaklig vikt åt funktionen som instituten fyller inom respektive pensionssystem vid jämförbarhetsprövningen. Trots vissa skillnader mellan instituten, särskilt med hänsyn till att pensionssystemen är strukturerade på olika sätt, framstår det tydligt vid en analys av institutens funktion att de fyller samma roll. Inga objektiva skillnader återfinns mellan instituten som kan motivera en negativ särbehandling, vilket indikerar att det föreligger en objektivt jämförbar situation mellan de finska offentliga pensionsinstituten och de svenska AP-fonderna. När det gäller rättfärdigande med hänsyn till tvingande skäl av allmänintresse antyder analysen av EU-domstolens praxis en relativt restriktiv syn i både tillvägagångssätt och bedömning. Inom ramen för tvingande skäl av allmänintresse bedöms i denna uppsats (1) bevarande av skattesystemets inre sammanhang, (2) den välavvägda fördelningen av beskattningsrätten och (3) finansiell stabilitet inom ramen för socialpolitiken som allmänintresse. Efter att ha bedömt möjligheterna för rättfärdigande med dessa tre grunder anses ingen av dem kunna rättfärdiga det svenska kupongskatteuttaget på ett proportionerligt sätt. Därför, med hänsyn till att det föreligger en otillåten negativ särbehandling som inte kan rättfärdigas på ett proportionellt sätt, är det svenska kupongskatteuttaget på finska offentliga pensionsinstitut vid utdelning från svenska företag inte förenligt med EU-rättens regler om fri rörlighet för kapital. / Within the framework of both the Swedish and Finnish pension systems, there exist public pension institutions that manage mandatory and legislated pension contributions with the aim of promoting financial stability for state pensions. The management primarily involves investments in both domestic and foreign companies. In an ongoing case in the Supreme Administrative Court (HFD), the issue of Swedish withholding tax on Finnish public pension institutions has been brought into focus in relation to the rules of the European Union regarding the free movement of capital. This is due to Finnish public pension institutions being considered foreign legal entities and, consequently, being subject to withholding tax on received dividends, while Swedish public pension institutions, the AP funds, are exempt from Swedish taxation since they are covered by the income tax exemption for the Swedish state. In the context of the EU legal examination, the Swedish regulations result in a negative differential treatment of Finnish public pension institutions. Whether this differential treatment is permissible is determined by whether Finnish public pension institutions are in an objectively comparable situation with the Swedish AP funds concerning dividends from Swedish companies. Through an analysis of the European Court of Justice's jurisprudence on dividend withholding tax, the essay focuses on assessing whether Finnish and Swedish public pension institutions are in an objectively comparable situation and whether any impermissible negative differential treatment can be justified in a proportional manner. The analysis of the European Court of Justice's jurisprudence and the purpose behind the Swedish regulations places significant emphasis on the function that these institutions fulfill within their respective pension systems during the comparability assessment. Despite certain differences between the institutions, especially considering that the pension systems are structured differently, a clear analysis of the functions performed by the institutions suggests that they serve the same purpose. Hence, no objective differences between the institutions are found that can justify a differential treatment, indicating that there is an objectively comparable situation between Finnish public pension institutions and the Swedish AP funds. Regarding justification based on compelling reasons of public interest, the analysis of the European Court of Justice's jurisprudence suggests a relatively restrictive approach in both methodology and assessment. Within the realm of compelling reasons of public interest, this essay evaluates (1) the preservation of the internal coherence of the tax system, (2) the well-balanced distribution of taxation rights, and (3) financial stability within the framework of social policy as public interests. After assessing the justifiability based on these three grounds, none of them are deemed capable of justifying the Swedish withholding tax on Finnish public pension institutions in a proportional manner. Therefore, considering the existence of impermissible negative differential treatment that cannot be justified proportionally, the Swedish withholding tax on Finnish public pension institutions in the context of dividends from Swedish companies is not in line with the European Union's rules on the free movement of capital.

Our aim was to analyse (i) the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the JUN and FOS core promoters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), knee-osteoarthritis (OA), and normal controls (NC); (ii) their functional influence on JUN/FOS transcription levels; and (iii) their associations with the occurrence of RA or knee-OA. JUN and FOS promoter SNPs were identified in an initial screening population using the Non-Isotopic RNase Cleavage Assay (NIRCA); their functional influence was analysed using reporter gene assays. Genotyping was done in RA (n = 298), knee-OA (n = 277), and NC (n = 484) samples. For replication, significant associations were validated in a Finnish cohort (OA: n = 72, NC: n = 548). Initially, two SNPs were detected in the JUN promoter and two additional SNPs in the FOS promoter in perfect linkage disequilibrium (LD). JUN promoter SNP rs4647009 caused significant downregulation of reporter gene expression, whereas reporter gene expression was significantly upregulated in the presence of the FOS promoter SNPs. The homozygous genotype of FOS promoter SNPs showed an association with the susceptibility for knee-OA (odds ratio (OR) 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–3.7, p = 0.0086). This association was successfully replicated in the Finnish Health 2000 study cohort (allelic OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.2–2.5, p = 0.006). FOS Promoter variants may represent relevant susceptibility markers for knee-OA.

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Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Les chimiokines sont parmi les premiers médiateurs de la réponse immunitaire inflammatoire. Le macrophage (M0) synthétise ces dernières et les relâche afin de recruter les leucocytes aux sites d'inflammation. L'expression des chimiokines est régulée principalement au niveau transcriptionnel. Un des facteurs reconnu comme étant impliqué dans leur régulation est le facteur de transcription AP-1. Cependant, aucun rôle dans l'induction des chimiokines n'a été identifié jusqu'à présent pour son co-activateur JABl. L'objectif des travaux présentés dans cette thèse était donc d'évaluer l'implication de JABl lors de l'expression des chimiokines par le M0, et d'étudier sa propre régulation cellulaire. Ainsi, nous avons démontré que l'induction de l'expression de chimiokines par le LPS (RANTES, MlP-la, MIP-lp, MIP-2, IP-10 et MCP-1) implique le facteur de transcripfion AP-1. De plus, il fut établi que 1'activation du M0 par le LPS induit la phosphorylation de JABl par les PKCa et p, et ce, principalement au niveau de son résidu serine en position 307. Enfin, puisqu'aucun régulateur de JABl ne fut identifié chez le M0 au repos jusqu'à présent, nous avons évalué la possibilité que la protéine tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) SHP-1 jouerait ce rôle, et ce, par le biais d'une interaction directe avec celui-ci. Il fut donc déterminé que chez le M0 au repos, la SHP-1 conserve l'activité de JABl à un niveau basai en s'y attachant. En absence de stimulation, cette interaction joue un rôle dans l'inhibition de l'expression de l'ARNm de quatre chimiokines (MlP-la, MIP-ip, MIP-2 et MCP-1) dépendante des cascades signalétiques des MAP kinases ERKl/2 et JNK, ainsi que de l'activité d'AP-1 et de JABl. Les travaux rapportés dans la thèse illustre donc le rôle de JABl dans l'expression des chimiokines essentielles lors de l'inflammation par le M0. Lors d'une stimulation au LPS, cette fonction semble être effectuée après sa propre phosphorylation par les PKC a et P, tandis qu'en absence de stimulation, l'expression indésirable de chimiokines par le M0 est en partie inhibée par l'interaction entre la PTP SHP-1 et JABl. Collectivement, ces résultats suggèrent un rôle positif pour JABl dans l'inflammation et révèlent deux nouveaux mécanismes pour sa propre régulation.