The manufacturing technology of LCD is becoming skillful gradually and begins to popularize in recent years, and its relevant component is developed vigorously accordingly. In the numerous key components of LCD, back light module(BLM) is easiest to make, but its cost accounted is very high in specific gravity, so it attracts large quantities of manufacturers to plunge into the relevant studies. However, so far, most of studies concentrate on the light guide plate and the diffuser sheet, there are seldom researches corresponding to the brightness enhancement of the back light module while is relating to the prism sheet(brightness enhancement film, BEF). Therefore, this thesis will focus on the constructing of the optical module of the prism sheet and the effects of the prism sheet¡¦s structure parameter on the brightness enhancement. By utilizing optics simulation software ASAP to build and construct out the prism sheet optics module, one can analyze and discuss the effect of the variation of its structure parameter, such as prismatic degree(£c), prismatic structure(t), polyester substrate(T) and the refract rate of bottom sill on the brightness enhancement. It can be found from the result of simulation, relative to other structure parameter, the changing of the prismatic degree(£c) influence the brightness enhancement the most, and have the best result on 104 degree.

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Sport horse genetic evaluations are used throughout Europe to inform breeding practices. In England specifically, British Equestrian Federation Futurity evaluations are used to assess horse potential and to inform British breeding. Futurity premium scores are allocated to represent performance potential based on horse’s component traits (primarily conformation and locomotion). This study demonstrated that over half (61/106) questionnaire respondents believe that Futurity premium scores influence horse training decisions and monetary value. This is highly relevant to the industry as premium scores can therefore have economic and welfare implications. Therefore horse premiums must be reliable and indicative of future competition performance. Retrospective Futurity premiums (n=566) were investigated for reliability using the MiniTab™ v17 statistical package. Regression analysis of premium scores versus test variables demonstrated that whilst horse age and colour significantly correlated with Futurity premiums (P=0.017 and P=0.027 respectively); sex and test location did not (P >0.05). Regression analysis of components of horse competition records (lifetime points, placings, winnings, percentage scores and penalty points) versus Futurity premiums demonstrated limited correlations. British Eventing penalty point scores correlated with the majority of Futurity scores, BD percentage scores correlated with one and British Showjumping, none. British Eventing penalty point scores appear the most appropriate measure of performance as this method evaluates each phase of the individual’s competition, unlike points/placings. Futurity component scores demonstrated mixed results. A high Futurity score did not necessarily predict a high performance score. A key issue with the data was the fact that the horses examined were relatively young. Average horse age was 7 years and therefore these horses may not have been old enough to have developed their abilities towards their mature potential, limiting competition results therefore their records and consequently affecting analysis outcomes. Furthermore, industry practitioners have highlighted judge subjectivity as a limitation, however results suggest that test location (representing the judging panel) is not influential in scoring. As the Futurity develops, a larger dataset of older horses will become available which will provide further insight into the tests usefulness.

Tropical forests restoration is an important tool for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. We can ally both of these elements, according to the biodiversity and ecosystem (BEF) functioning theory, which says that diversity enhances ecosystem functions, as primary productivity. Nevertheless, the greatest part of BEF studies up to very recently have focused on grasslands and not on as complex ecosystems as tropical forests. It is necessary to better understand above- and below-ground processes through which biodiversity acts on ecosystem functions. This work aimed to investigate effects of tree richness on both above- and below-ground ecological processes. It was based on two tropical forests undergoing restoration, in Sardinilla (Panama) and in Anhembi (Brazil). The former was especially designed for BEF studies and allowed to untangle effects of biodversity on ecosystem functions. The latter had more than a hundred species in plots and permitted investigation of the effects of high tree richness levels. In both Sardinilla and Anhembi, we investigated if tree richness levels affected an above-ground ecological process, light interception, and which mechanisms could be related to it. Richness could enhance light interception and mechanisms as spatial (horizontal and vertical) and temporal light distribution. It promoted both selection and complementarity effects. In Anhembi, we investigated if species richness influenced below-ground processes related to soil carbon stocks. Stand richness enhanced fine root production and stock. Effects of stand number of species on litter decomposition and stock were not linear. Richness of litter content, however, did not affect its decomposition rates. Number of stand species did not influence litter production. Differences of litter production, stock and fine root production among distinct richness levels did not change over the time. However, distribution of fine roots over the space, within different layers of soil, was affected by number of tree species. We concluded that even very high richness levels could not saturate some of the ecological processes studied. Diversity acted on both above- and below-ground processes, in various and sometimes opposite ways, counting on multi-direction feedbacks. It is very important to understand these mechanisms in order to potencialize biodiversity convervation and carbon sequestration by tropical forest restoration. Future studies may focus on untangling effects of diversity on below-ground processes (which have not been exhaustively explored in research), on understanding how high diversity levels affects natural regeneration and on investigationg functional traits provided by different species. / A restauração de florestas tropicais é uma importante ferramenta para a mitigação de mudanças climáticas e conservação de biodiversidade. Essas duas medidas podem ser aliadas, de acordo com a teoria de biodiversidade e funcionamento de ecossistemas (BEF, do inglês: biodiversity and ecosystem functioning), segundo a qual a diversidade pode favorecer funções do ecossistema, como a produtividade primária. Entretanto, a maior parte dos estudos de BEF até muito recentemente focaram em campos de gramíneas e não em ecossistemas tão complexos quanto florestas tropicais. É necessário entender tanto processos acima quanto abaixo do solo pelos quais a biodiversidade atua no funcionamento de ecossistemas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar o efeito da riqueza de espécies arbóreas em processes ecológicos acima e abaixo do solo. Ele se baseou em duas áreas de estudo, em Sardinilla (Panamá) e em Anhembi (Brasil). A primeira foi especialmente projetada para estudos de BEF e permitiu destrinchar efeitos da biodiversidade em funções do ecossistema. A segunda possuía parcelas com mais de cem espécies, permitindo explorar os efeitos de altos níveis de riqueza. Tanto em Sardinilla quanto em Anhembi, investigamos se a riqueza de espécies arbóreas influenciou um processo ecológico acima do solo, a interceptação de luz, bem como mecanismos que podem estar associados a ele. A riqueza de espécies aumentou a interceptação de luz pelo dossel e estimulou mecanismos como a distribuição de luz ao longo do espaço (horizontal e vertical) e tempo. Ela promoveu tanto efeito de seleção quanto de complementaridade. Na área de Anhembi, investigamos se a riqueza de espécies influenciou processes abaixo do solo relacionados ao estoque de carbono nesse compartimento. A riqueza no dossel aumentou a produção e o estoque de raízes finas. Número de espécies do dossel teve efeito não linear sobre taxas de decomposição e estoque de serapilheira. A riqueza do conteúdo da serapilheira, contudo, não influenciou sua decomposição. O número de espécies do dossel também não influenciou a produção de serapilheira. As diferenças de produção e estoque de serapilheira e de produção de raízes finas, entre diferentes níveis de riquezas, não se alteraram ao longo do tempo. Contudo, o número de espécies arbóreas promoveu maior distribuição de raízes finas em diferentes camadas do solo. Concluímos que elevados níveis de riqueza não saturaram alguns processes ecológicos estudados. A diversidade foi capaz de atuar em processos tanto acima quanto abaixo do solo, por vários meios, muitas vezes em sentidos opostos, contando com feedbacks multidirecionais. É muito importante entender esses mecanismos para potencializar a conservação da biodiversidade e a provisão de funções ecossistêmicas, no processo de restauração de florestas tropicais, em um contexto internacional de necessidade de mitigação de mudanças climáticas. Estudos futuros devem focar em efeitos da diversidade em processos abaixo do solo (que são os menos abordados em estudos até o momento), em entender como altos níveis de diversidade podem afetar a regeneração natural em florestas e em explorar os atributos funcionais apresentados por cada espécie.

Tropical forests restoration is an important tool for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. We can ally both of these elements, according to the biodiversity and ecosystem (BEF) functioning theory, which says that diversity enhances ecosystem functions, as primary productivity. Nevertheless, the greatest part of BEF studies up to very recently have focused on grasslands and not on as complex ecosystems as tropical forests. It is necessary to better understand above- and below-ground processes through which biodiversity acts on ecosystem functions. This work aimed to investigate effects of tree richness on both above- and below-ground ecological processes. It was based on two tropical forests undergoing restoration, in Sardinilla (Panama) and in Anhembi (Brazil). The former was especially designed for BEF studies and allowed to untangle effects of biodversity on ecosystem functions. The latter had more than a hundred species in plots and permitted investigation of the effects of high tree richness levels. In both Sardinilla and Anhembi, we investigated if tree richness levels affected an above-ground ecological process, light interception, and which mechanisms could be related to it. Richness could enhance light interception and mechanisms as spatial (horizontal and vertical) and temporal light distribution. It promoted both selection and complementarity effects. In Anhembi, we investigated if species richness influenced below-ground processes related to soil carbon stocks. Stand richness enhanced fine root production and stock. Effects of stand number of species on litter decomposition and stock were not linear. Richness of litter content, however, did not affect its decomposition rates. Number of stand species did not influence litter production. Differences of litter production, stock and fine root production among distinct richness levels did not change over the time. However, distribution of fine roots over the space, within different layers of soil, was affected by number of tree species. We concluded that even very high richness levels could not saturate some of the ecological processes studied. Diversity acted on both above- and below-ground processes, in various and sometimes opposite ways, counting on multi-direction feedbacks. It is very important to understand these mechanisms in order to potencialize biodiversity convervation and carbon sequestration by tropical forest restoration. Future studies may focus on untangling effects of diversity on below-ground processes (which have not been exhaustively explored in research), on understanding how high diversity levels affects natural regeneration and on investigationg functional traits provided by different species. / A restauração de florestas tropicais é uma importante ferramenta para a mitigação de mudanças climáticas e conservação de biodiversidade. Essas duas medidas podem ser aliadas, de acordo com a teoria de biodiversidade e funcionamento de ecossistemas (BEF, do inglês: biodiversity and ecosystem functioning), segundo a qual a diversidade pode favorecer funções do ecossistema, como a produtividade primária. Entretanto, a maior parte dos estudos de BEF até muito recentemente focaram em campos de gramíneas e não em ecossistemas tão complexos quanto florestas tropicais. É necessário entender tanto processos acima quanto abaixo do solo pelos quais a biodiversidade atua no funcionamento de ecossistemas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar o efeito da riqueza de espécies arbóreas em processes ecológicos acima e abaixo do solo. Ele se baseou em duas áreas de estudo, em Sardinilla (Panamá) e em Anhembi (Brasil). A primeira foi especialmente projetada para estudos de BEF e permitiu destrinchar efeitos da biodiversidade em funções do ecossistema. A segunda possuía parcelas com mais de cem espécies, permitindo explorar os efeitos de altos níveis de riqueza. Tanto em Sardinilla quanto em Anhembi, investigamos se a riqueza de espécies arbóreas influenciou um processo ecológico acima do solo, a interceptação de luz, bem como mecanismos que podem estar associados a ele. A riqueza de espécies aumentou a interceptação de luz pelo dossel e estimulou mecanismos como a distribuição de luz ao longo do espaço (horizontal e vertical) e tempo. Ela promoveu tanto efeito de seleção quanto de complementaridade. Na área de Anhembi, investigamos se a riqueza de espécies influenciou processes abaixo do solo relacionados ao estoque de carbono nesse compartimento. A riqueza no dossel aumentou a produção e o estoque de raízes finas. Número de espécies do dossel teve efeito não linear sobre taxas de decomposição e estoque de serapilheira. A riqueza do conteúdo da serapilheira, contudo, não influenciou sua decomposição. O número de espécies do dossel também não influenciou a produção de serapilheira. As diferenças de produção e estoque de serapilheira e de produção de raízes finas, entre diferentes níveis de riquezas, não se alteraram ao longo do tempo. Contudo, o número de espécies arbóreas promoveu maior distribuição de raízes finas em diferentes camadas do solo. Concluímos que elevados níveis de riqueza não saturaram alguns processes ecológicos estudados. A diversidade foi capaz de atuar em processos tanto acima quanto abaixo do solo, por vários meios, muitas vezes em sentidos opostos, contando com feedbacks multidirecionais. É muito importante entender esses mecanismos para potencializar a conservação da biodiversidade e a provisão de funções ecossistêmicas, no processo de restauração de florestas tropicais, em um contexto internacional de necessidade de mitigação de mudanças climáticas. Estudos futuros devem focar em efeitos da diversidade em processos abaixo do solo (que são os menos abordados em estudos até o momento), em entender como altos níveis de diversidade podem afetar a regeneração natural em florestas e em explorar os atributos funcionais apresentados por cada espécie.

Bacterial diversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships have received considerable attention during the last three decades and tend to be positive in most cases. However, most studies were done in closed systems and largely ignored the importance of placing local communities into the metacommunity context, in which dispersal can be a crucial factor modifying community diversity and composition and ecosystem functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of both diversity and dispersal on the responses of bacterial community to a starvation perturbation. To achieve this, we implemented a batch culture experiment using the dilution-to-extinction approach to create a diversity gradient of local bacterial community richness. Different dispersal rates were manipulated by transferring cells in different quantities from a regional source to the cultures, and they were then exposed to a perturbation by transferring them into water from another lake which differed in organic carbon content and quality. We evaluated the BEF relationship by measuring the bacterial community composition using t-RFLP and multiple ecosystem functions. Generally, our results demonstrated that diversity and dispersal have an interactive and positive effect on ecosystem functioning. In particular, dispersal had a stronger and more pronounced effect on ecosystem functioning when bacterial diversity was low. When evaluating the responses of bacterial community respiration, no significant difference was observed among different treatments, however, there were clear differences in substrate utilization patterns, implying that specific functions, such as decomposing certain substrates, are more sensitive to a perturbation than general functions, such as respiration. Therefore it is important to include multiple functional parameters when studying BEF relationships and, in particular, when applying our knowledge to the conservation of natural environments.

In this paper, we searched the parameter of BEF (Brightness enhancement film) using commercial FRED server for backlight module. The pattern analysis was carried out to understand its characteristic. The current structures used in LCD backlight are double-layer BEF. In addition, BEF of 3M takes the lion¡¦s share. But this may increase the thickness and cost of backlight module. In order to avoid those disadvantages, we tried to design single-layer BEF and characterize the effect through parameters study by using FRED software simulation. pyramid-shaped microlens array of BEF was constructed. Therefore, the effect of the variation of the structure parameters can be analyzed, such as prismatic degree (£c), prismatic structure on the brightness enhancement. It can be found from the result of simulation that the changes of the prismatic degree (£c) of 85 degree influence the brightness enhancement the most.

Sir Henry Wilson remains one of the most controversial British Army generals of the Great War. A colourful character in life, he attracted admirers and detractors in equal measure; in death, his reputation was ruined by a biography based on his personal diaries. The Wilson of the historiography is, at best, a politician rather than a soldier, at worst an ambitious Francophile intriguer. This thesis looks beyond this accepted characterisation, reassessing his role in the formation of British and Allied strategy in the final months of the war. Wilson attained influence, and subsequently power, when Lloyd George consulted him after failing to persuade Britain’s leading generals to change their strategic focus. The thesis re-examines Wilson’s policy critique, which led to the creation of the Supreme War Council, and negated plans for a major Allied offensive on the Western Front in 1918. This thesis aims to shine new light on Wilson’s work on the Council, with an analysis of its policy recommendations. The research will also explore the manpower crisis, the key issue for the entente in this period, and Wilson’s contribution to the establishment of Allied unity of command. The diplomatic skills Wilson deployed to defuse serious strains between the entente powers will be examined, with particular reference to his time as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. His contribution to the debate on Britain’s post-war imperial grand strategy will also be evaluated. The thesis will refute the long-established onedimensional view of Wilson and suggest that he played a more influential role in British strategic development than has hitherto been acknowledged.

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