The Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine is a promising engine concept that emits low concentrations of NOx and particulates and still has a high efficiency. Since the charge is auto-ignited, the auto-ignition quality of the fuel is of major importance. It has been shown in several studies that neither of the classical measures of auto-ignition quality of gasoline-like fuels, RON and MON, can alone describe this in all conditions in HCCI combustion. However, even in such cases it is possible to combine RON and MON into an octane index, OI, that describes the auto-ignition quality well in most conditions. The octane numbers are combined into the OI with the variable K according to the following equation: OI = (1-K)RON + K MON = RON – K S The OI of a sensitive fuel is the equivalent of the octane number of a primary reference fuel with the same resistance to auto-ignition in the tested condition. The K-value is dependent on the temperature and pressure history. A generic parameter Tcomp15, the temperature at 15 bar during the compression, was introduced to describe the temperature and pressure history. It was found that the K-value increases with increasing Tcomp15 and two linear equations have been suggested to describe this relationship. At high or low Tcomp15 it has been found that the sensitivity of the fuel octane quality on combustion phasing is small and the auto-ignition quality defined by the OI scale does no longer play a big role. NO affects the combustion phasing of gasoline-like fuels. This effect is most significant at low concentration where it advances the combustion phasing considerably. At higher conditions its influence is different for different fuels. A sensitive fuel is considered a good HCCI fuel since its OI changes in the same direction as the octane requirement of the engine, which would make the engine management easier. It is also likely that a sensitive fuel will enable a wider operating range. The auto-ignition quality of diesel-like fuels was studied in tests with three different strategies of mixture formation. In these tests it was found that the ignition delay increased with lower cetane number and that the cetane number described the auto-ignition quality well, even for fuels of significantly different physical properties. The experiments were, however, made at a limited range of operating conditions and low load. A good diesel-like HCCI fuel should be easy to vaporize to facilitate homogeneity. It should have a high resistance to auto-ignition, not necessarily the highest, one that allows both high and low loads at a given compression ratio. Finally, it should also function well with the injection system without a significant decrease in injection system life length. / QC 20100917

Les troubles anxieux font partie des troubles psychiatriques les plus diagnostiqués chez les enfants et les adolescents (Cartwright-Hatton, McNicol, & Doubleday, 2006; Costello, Egger, Copeland, Erkanli, & Angold, 2011; Merikangas et al., 2010; Rapee, Schniering, & Hudson, 2009). Plusieurs études s’intéressent donc à leur étiologie afin d’optimiser les traitements et la prévention (Bosquet & Egeland, 2006; Manassis & Bradley, 1994). Plusieurs facteurs de risque ont été mis de l’avant à travers les années et l’attachement fait partie de ceux-ci (Nolte, Guiney, Fonagy, Mayes, & Luyten, 2011). En effet, l’insécurité d’attachement chez l’enfant a été empiriquement associée à des plus hauts niveaux d’anxiété et de symptômes intériorisés que la sécurité d’attachement (Brumariu & Kerns, 2010a; Brumariu & Kerns, 2010b; Brumariu & Kerns, 2013; Brumariu, Kerns, & Seibert, 2012; Colonnesi et al., 2011; Groh, Roisman, van IJzendoorn, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Fearon, 2012 ; Ivarsson, Granqvist, Gillberg, & Broberg, 2010; Madigan, Atkinson, Laurin, & Benoit, 2013; Madigan, Brumariu, Villani, Atkinson, & Lyons-Ruth, 2016; Manassis, 2001). Néanmoins, les résultats de ces études n’offrent pas de consensus en ce qui a trait aux associations spécifiques entre, d’une part, les différents patrons d’attachement et, d’autre part, les différents symptômes anxieux (Brumariu & Kerns, 2010b). La présente thèse a pour principal objectif de clarifier les liens existant entre l’attachement et l’anxiété. Pour ce faire, les représentations d’attachement de 30 jeunes âgés entre 8 et 16 ans provenant d’une clinique pédopsychiatrique de troubles anxieux ont été mesurées à l’aide de l’Entrevue d’attachement de l’enfant (Child Attachment Interview, CAI). Les analyses ont plus précisément visé à étudier la distribution de l’attachement dans un échantillon clinique, ainsi qu’à observer si des liens spécifiques pouvaient être trouvés entre l’attachement, considéré de manière catégorielle et continue, et l’anxiété, considérée de manière développementale et médicale. Les résultats aux analyses de la présente thèse mettent principalement de l’avant des relations distinctes entre l’attachement et l’anxiété selon chaque trouble anxieux. En effet, le trouble d’anxiété de séparation serait associé à l’insécurité d’attachement, le trouble d’anxiété généralisé serait associé à la sécurité d’attachement, et, finalement, la phobie spécifique et le trouble panique ne seraient pas associés à l’attachement. Ces résultats seront discutés à la lumière de la théorie actuelle et les forces et les limites de l’étude seront exposées. Brièvement, ces résultats démontrent qu’il serait pertinent de poursuivre l’étude des liens entre l’anxiété et l’attachement en considérant la différence pouvant exister entre chaque trouble anxieux. Finalement, à un niveau clinique, alors que de plus en plus d’interventions basées sur l’attachement sont développées pour les enfants et les adolescents (Diamond, Wagner, & Levy, 2016; Emery, 2016; Huber, McMahon, & Sweller, 2015; Kobak, Zajac, Herres, & Krauthamer Ewing, 2015), les présents résultats démontrent que celles-ci pourraient présenter une pertinence variable selon le trouble anxieux.

In this work 3 different proteins are subjected to investigations on their structural, dynamic and functional properties by SDSL EPR spectroscopy, combined with in silico structure prediction and modeling: the pore-forming bacterial toxin colicin A in its membrane-bound form and its corresponding immunity protein Cai, and the Na+/proline symporter PutP. Colicin A (ColA) is a plasmid-encoded water-soluble pore-forming toxin produced by certain E. coli strains that kills unprotected cells of related strains by inserting a pore-forming subdomain into the cytoplasmic membrane to form voltage-dependent ion channels. Detailed structural data for the membrane-bound channel, in the closed as well as in the open state, is still missing, thus in the present study, the in vitro investigation by site-directed spin labeling and EPR spectroscopy has been substantially extended. The results indicate that a larger fraction of the protein than previously suggested penetrates into the hydrophobic core of the membrane, and distance measurements by pulse and cw EPR spectroscopy provide evidence that ColA in lipid bilayer membranes forms an oligomeric structure. Pulse EPR distance measurements under in vivo conditions reveal clear indications for an oligomeric ColA structure also in vivo. The results of all EPR measurements were combined to construct a dimer model for the colicin A closed channel state conformation. The immunity protein Cai, an integral inner membrane protein, protects the producing E. coli cell from the cytotoxic activity of its corresponding toxin (colicin A), by preventing channel opening by a yet unknown mechanism. ESR measurements for single spin label probes attached to ColA in the presence and absence of the immunity protein Cai reveal a clear influence on the ColA helices of the pore-forming domain in the presence of Cai as previously postulated. The data suggest that Cai induces a conformational change in/for the voltage sensor helix H6 of ColA, forming a “locked” inactive channel conformation that is not capable of voltage sensing and channel opening. Initial experiments with spin labeled wt-Cai in the presence and absence of unlabeled ColA suggest a more compact structure in the presence of ColA. PutP is an integral membrane protein located in the cytoplasmic membrane of E. coli, being responsible for the coupled transport of Na+ and proline in a 1:1 stoichiometry. It belongs to the family of sodium solute symporters (SSSF). Three dimensional structural data for PutP are at the moment not available, but a homology model has been developed based on the crystal structure of another member of this protein family, the Na+/galactose symporter vSGLT of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The observed periodicity in spin label mobility and polarity measurements suggest a secondary structure of the extracellular Loop eL4 of PutP of two α-helical segments eL4a and eL4b, and imply the idea of eL4 functioning as an external gate to the SSSF. The ligand-induced changes observed in mobility, polarity and accessibility upon substrate binding support this notion, thus providing further insights into the mechanistic basis of sodium solute symport.

No description available.

Often hailed as “China’s Stephen King,” Chinese psychological suspense author Cai Jun occupies a position at the peak of the new wave of young authors flooding China’s popular literature market. In order to understand Cai’s popularity as an author, the impact his works and writing have on this market, and how he creates his particular brand of suspense fiction, it is both necessary to put his works into a larger context and analyze his writing. This thesis provides a brief overview of the recent literary scene in China, from the rise of internet literature and the comeback of genre fiction to the advent of mooks, the evolution of young adult literature, and the development of the author marketing industry, and also addresses the “pure vs. popular” controversy in China’s literary world, identifies how Cai fits into these trends, and determines who Cai is as a writer in terms of genre, story content, and literary reception through the translation and analysis of Cai’s short story “Kidnapped.”

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:36:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MonicaRO_TESE.pdf: 9199361 bytes, checksum: c0ccdbb9830c327846e159e62e15732a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-03 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / The flyingfish, Hirundichthys affinis (G?nther, 1866) (Exocoetidae) and ballyhoo half beak, Hemiramphus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiramphidae) are marine fish species of commercial value, which contribute to artisanal fishery production of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Besides the economic importance, these fish are important from an ecological point of view, being components in pelagic food chain, where they are the preferred prey of larger predators of high commercial value. This study aimed to determine the reproductive strategies of H. affinis and H. brasiliensis and the fishery production of H. affinis in the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte. The results are presented in the form of six cientific articles and a review paper. The first article presents the morphometric measurements and meristic counts which confirmed the taxonomic status, population structure in length-weight and the gonad development of H. affinis through macroscopic observations of the ovaries and testes. Females of this species were bigger and heavier than males. The second article describes the reproductive tactics, such as, sex ratio, length at first sexual maturity, histological aspects of gonads, fecundity and spawning season, that indicate the reproductive strategy of H. affinis. The third article shows annual changes in the fishery production of H. affinis in Cai?ara do Norte, during the period of 1993 to 2010, emphasizing the relevance of this fish in total fishery production of Rio Grande do Norte, besides registering the fall in production in the years 2008 to 2010. The fourth article describes the population structure, with respect to the length and weight, the length-weight relationship, growth type and sex ratio of Hemiramphus brasiliensis. The fifth article describes the reproductive biology of H. brasiliensis, with details about sex ratio, length at first sexual maturity, fecundity, type of breeding and spawning season. The sixth article deals with the reproductive strategy of H. brasiliensis. The review paper presents the topic of age determination of tropical fish using analysis of otoliths. Both species use the coastal waters of Cai?ara do Norte for reproductive purposes. The flying fish, H. affinis migrates from the oceanic waters to the coastal waters to reproduce, coinciding with the rainy season. H. affinis presents total spawning and a seasonal reproductive strategy. However, H. brasiliensis lives and reproduces in the coastal waters displaying partial spawning and an equilibrium reproductive strategy / O peixe-voador, Hirundichthys affinis (G?nther, 1866) (Exocoetidae) e a agulha preta, Hemiramphus brasiliensis (Linnaeus,1758) (Hemiramphidae) s?o peixes marinhos de valor comercial, que contribuem para a produ??o pesqueira artesanal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Esses peixes s?o importantes na teia alimentar pel?gica, pois constituem as principais presas preferidas de predadores de alto valor comercial. Este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar as estrat?gias reprodutivas de H. affinis e de H. brasiliensis e a produ??o pesqueira de H. affinis no litoral Norte do Rio Grande do Norte. Os resultados est?o apresentados sob a forma de seis artigos cient?ficos e um artigo de revis?o. O primeiro artigo aborda as medidas morfom?tricas e contagens mer?sticas que confirmaram a taxonomia da esp?cie, a estrutura da popula??o em peso-comprimento e o desenvolvimento das g?nadas de H. affinis, atrav?s de observa??es macrosc?picas dos ov?rios e test?culos. Foi verificado que as f?meas s?o maiores e mais pesados do que os machos. O segundo artigo descreve ?s t?ticas reprodutivas, tais como, propor??o sexual, comprimento da primeira matura??o sexual, aspectos histol?gicos das g?nadas, fecundidade e per?odo de desova, que indicam a estrat?gia reprodutiva de H. affinis. O terceiro artigo mostra a varia??o anual da produ??o de H. affinis em Cai?ara do Norte, durante o per?odo de 1993 a 2010, dando ?nfase a relev?ncia desse peixe na produ??o pesqueira no RN, incluindo o registro da queda na produ??o durante os anos de 2008 a 2010. O quarto artigo apresenta a estrutura populacional, no que tange ao comprimento e peso, a rela??o peso-comprimento, o tipo de crescimento e a propor??o sexual de Hemiramphus brasiliensis. O quinto artigo apresenta a biologia reprodutiva de H. brasiliensis, com detalhes sobre a propor??o sexual, o comprimento da primeira matura??o sexual, a fecundidade, o tipo e o per?odo de desova. O sexto artigo descreve a estrat?gia reprodutiva de H. brasiliensis. O artigo de revis?o aborda o tema de determina??o da idade dos peixes tropicais atrav?s de ot?litos. As duas esp?cies utilizam o litoral de Cai?ara do Norte para fins reprodutivos. H. affinis migra das ?guas oce?nicas para as ?guas costeiras, coincidindo com o per?odo chuvoso. H. affinis apresenta desova total e a estrat?gia reprodutiva do tipo sazonal. Enquanto, H. brasiliensis vive e reproduz nas ?guas costeiras apresentando desova parcelada e uma estrat?gia reprodutiva do tipo de equil?brio

La pensée du vide anime les spiritualités de l’Extrême-Orient ; vide du taoïsme, vide du bouddhisme et leur rencontre dans des synthèses diverses. Elle est au cœur de l’art des lettres. Les artistes contemporains chinois ont reçu l’influence de l’art moderne occidental et, depuis une trentaine d’années de l’art contemporain ; certains d’entre eux ont su interroger cette matière nouvelle à l’aide d’une pensée clairement nourrie par la tradition. Loin d’être synonyme d’absence, le vide dans ces démarches rejoint une acceptation d’un réel lui-même soumis à la respiration du monde. Huang Yongping et Cai Guoqiang offrent deux exemples d’une approche où la question de l’identité et du dialogue avec l’Occident trouve son dépassement dans une stratégie récusant le dualisme qui prévaut habituellement dans ce genre de débat. Le monde occidental a été pour sa part fasciné depuis des siècles par l’art et par la pensée de l’Extrême-Orient. Le vide y a souvent pris les couleurs du néant dans un sens négatif (Hegel, Schopenhauer et Nietzsche). D’autres sources cependant sont venues enrichir l’ouverture à cette pensée. On ne citera ici que l'inspiration du bouddhisme zen si importante dans l'après-guerre (les publications récentes de Jacquelynn Baas, de Helen Westgeest et des auteurs rassemblés à l'occasion de l'exposition américaine The Third Mind en témoignent). Les artistes que j'ai retenus ici : Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein, Robert Irwin, ont chacun un rapport original avec ce corpus d’images, de notions et d’expériences sans ignorer des apports proprement occidentaux. / Eastern spirituality is driven by thought about emptiness : that of Taoism and of Buddhism and their coming together in various syntheses. It is at the heart of the art of scholars. Contemporary Chinese artists have been influenced by Western modern art and, for the last thirty years, by contemporary art. Some of these artists have succeeded in using thought nourished by tradition in order to examine this new field. Far from being synonymous with absence, emptiness in these processes corresponds to an acceptance of a reality itself subordinated to the breathing of the world. Huang Yongping and Cai Guoqiang provide two examples of an approach in which the questions of identity and of dialogue with the West find its overcoming in a strategy disclaiming the dualism which usually prevails in this kind of debate. The Western world has been fascinated by the art and thought of the East for centuries. Emptiness has often been treated as nothingness in a negative sense (Hegel, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche). Other sources, however, have made us more open to the thought about emptiness. The inspiration of Zen Buddhism is only one example : recent publications by Jacquelynn Baas, Helen Westgeest and the authors gathered together by the American exhibition The Third Mind, all bear witness to its importance in the post-war period. The artists that I have selected here, Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein and Robert Irwin, each have an original relationship with this corpus of images, concepts and experiences without ignoring the specifically Western contributions.

The goal of this study was to evaluate biomechanical differences between healthy subjects and those with ankle instability during the gradual onset of lower extremity fatigue from a landing activity. An understanding of these differences is needed in order to prevent future injury to or further debilitation in individuals with ankle instability. A functional fatiguing activity was designed to focus fatigue on the quadriceps muscles, as those are the muscles most frequently fatigued during sport. Measures were taken throughout the progression of fatigue with a force plate and a motion tracking system and included vertical ground reaction force and lower extremity kinetics, kinematics, and energetics. The time required to reach self-reported fatigue and a balance assessment, the Star Excursion Balance Test, before and after the onset of fatigue was also recorded. Significant differences were observed between groups in peak ground reaction force, ground reaction force impulse, and frontal plane ankle joint impulse. Results indicated that subjects with ankle instability not only exhibited a different baseline for most measurements than normal subjects, but also managed the progression of fatigue differently. With this information and information from further studies, recommendations and/ or training schemes could be made and implemented to help those with ankle instability avoid recurrent injuries.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

This thesis investigates how changing Vietnamese state control over the Vietnam-China border has impacted cross-border trade networks and livelihoods of border residents in Lao Cai province, North Vietnam. The investigation uses information from qualitative research with 91 marketplace traders and border officials at four crossing points in the province. I find that state control over the border and cross-border trade has increased as this trade has been progressively brought within legal parameters from 1954 to 2005. / By taking a commodity chain approach to investigate the trade networks of three locally produced goods that move across the border I discuss the complex interactions of state policy, social relations and location factors in shaping contemporary cross-border trade. This investigation suggests that state policy to encourage small scale cross-border trade and new tradable commodities are increasing the livelihood options available to border residents in the province.