The work in this thesis was undertaken to explore both the effect of heteroatoms on the semiconducting properties of star-shaped thienoacenes, and to expand the scope of these materials to fields outside of organic semiconductors. Overall, new star-shaped molecules were prepared with a view towards applications such as thin film transistors, as the organic linker component in metal-organic frameworks, and as ligands that could coordinate to transition metals through the sulfur atom. The first chapter describes the properties of star-shaped molecules, the theory underlying their semiconducting behaviour, and the previous work that motivated the research contained herein. The second chapter of this thesis outlines the synthetic methodology that was utilized to achieve the molecular targets, as well as the characterization techniques that are used to reveal the properties of organic semiconductors. The third chapter of this thesis describes the synthesis and optoelectronic properties of novel nitrogen-containing semiconductor molecules called thienoacridines, and their comparison to carbon-and-sulfur based analogues, thienoanthracenes. The fourth and fifth chapters concern the synthesis of functionalized star shaped thienylbenzene molecules. In Chapter 4, these molecules are decorated with carboxylic acid groups so that they may act as tetrapodal MOF linkers. In Chapter 5, they are equipped with N-aryl(azomethine)thiophene moieties to explore sulfur coordination and act as ligands. The sixth chapter provides conclusion to this work, and possible future directions of the research conducted herein.

The controversy surrounding the period 1928-1930, the period of Li Li-san's leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, is the central topic of this paper. The controversy itself is over what role the Comintern played in the formation of what is commonly referred to as the "Li Li-san line." The conclusions drawn in this paper show that, though the Comintern did play a small part in the formation of Li's policy, that, nevertheless, his line was of his own making. The disastrous attempt at urban insurrection in 1930 was of Li's own doing: he had been receiving signals for some time that his policies were contradictory to those of the Comintern. In order to give the reader a sense of how this leadership controversy and the policy differences arose, there is also a presentation of some of the background information regarding the labor movement and the CCP's role in it, and Li Li-san himself -his part in the labor movement and his own personality. / Arts, Faculty of / Political Science, Department of / Graduate

Energy consumption in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) involving multiple sensor nodes is a crucial parameter in many applications like smart healthcare systems, home automation, environmental monitoring, and industrial use. Hence, an energy-efficient cluster-head (CH) selection strategy is imperative in a WSN to improve network performance. So to balance the harsh conditions in the network with fast changes in the energy dynamics, a novel energy-efficient adaptive fuzzy-based CH selection approach is projected. Extensive simulations exploited various real-time scenarios, such as varying the optimal position of the location of the base station and network energy. Additionally, the results showed an improved performance in the throughput (46%) and energy consumption (66%), which demonstrated the robustness and efficacy of the proposed model for the future designs of WSN applications.

Tidigare empiriska studier har visat att kontorstyper har en inverkan på arbetstrivseln hos medarbetarna och tidigare studier har även visat att det finns en skillnad mellan de olika könen när det kommer till hur kontorstypen påverkar de anställda. Syftet med detta arbete är därför att beskriva hur ett öppet kontorslandskap påverkar arbetstrivseln hos medarbetarna samt om trivseln skiljer sig mellan kvinnor och män. Studien är utförd med den kvalitativa forskningsmetoden, med en abduktiv forskningsansats, en tolkande och hermeneutisk epistemologisk inriktning och en konstruktionistisk ontologisk inriktning. Studien utgår från två valda teorierna som beskriver faktorer som påverkar trivsel, nämligen tvåfaktorsteorin och Angelöws teori, där de sju trivselfaktorerna själva arbetet, prestation, personlig utveckling, kommunikation, gemenskap, ledning och uppskattning valts ut att vidare tillämpa. För att samla in det empiriska materialet har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med 12 personer som arbetar i ett öppet kontorslandskap. Utifrån det insamlade materialet framgår både positiva och negativa åsikter gällande det öppna kontorslandskapets påverkan på de olika trivselfaktorerna. Det öppna kontorslandskapet har främst en positiv påverkan på personlig utveckling, kommunikation, gemenskap och uppskattning och en negativ påverkan på själva arbetet och prestation. De faktorer där könsskillnaderna är som mest tydliga är vid själva arbetet, prestation, personlig utveckling och ledning. Däremot finns det inga tydliga könsskillnader gällande faktorerna kommunikation, gemenskap och uppfattning. Slutsatsen visar att ett öppet kontorslandskap påverkar arbetstrivseln hos medarbetarna både på ett positivt och negativt sätt och trivseln skiljer sig mellan kvinnor och män, då kvinnor upplever att det öppna kontorslandskapet påverkar trivseln mer negativt än vad män gör.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a virtual layer in the paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT). It inter-relates information associated with the physical domain to the IoT drove computational systems. WSN provides an ubiquitous access to location, the status of different entities of the environment, and data acquisition for long-term IoT monitoring. Since energy is a major constraint in the design process of a WSN, recent advances have led to project various energy-efficient protocols. Routing of data involves energy expenditure in considerable amount. In recent times, various heuristic clustering protocols have been discussed to solve the purpose. This article is an improvement of the existing stable election protocol (SEP) that implements a threshold-based cluster head (CH) selection for a heterogeneous network. The threshold maintains uniform energy distribution between member and CH nodes. The sensor nodes are also categorized into three different types called normal, intermediate, and advanced depending on the initial energy supply to distribute the network load evenly. The simulation result shows that the proposed scheme outperforms SEP and DEEC protocols with an improvement of 300% in network lifetime and 56% in throughput.

High-oxidation state main-group metal complexes are potential alternatives to transition metals for electrophilic C-H functionalization reactions. However, there is little known about how selection of the p-block, main-group metal and ligand impact C-H activation and functionalization thermodynamics and reactivity. Chapter 2 reports density functional theory (DFT) calculations used to determine qualitative and quantitative features of C-H activation and metal-methyl functionalization energy landscapes for reaction between high-oxidation state d10s0 InIII, TlIII, SnIV, and PbIV carboxylate complexes with methane. While the main-group metal influences the C-H activation barrier height in a periodic manner, the carboxylate ligand has a much larger quantitative impact on C-H activation with stabilized carboxylate anions inducing the lowest barriers. For metal-methyl reductive functionalization reactions, the barrier heights, are correlated to bond heterolysis energies as model two-electron reduction energies.In Chapter 3, DFT calculations reveal that arene C-H functionalization by the p-block main-group metal complex TlIII(TFA)3 (TFA = trifluoroacetate) occurs by a C-H activation mechanism akin to transition metal-mediated C-H activation. For benzene, toluene, and xylenes a one-step C-H activation is preferred over electron transfer or proton-coupled electron transfer. The proposed C-H activation mechanism is consistent with calculation and comparison to experiment, of arene thallation rates, regioselectivity, and H/D kinetic isotope effects. For trimethyl and tetramethyl substituted arenes, electron transfer becomes the preferred pathway and thermodynamic and kinetic calculations correctly predict the experimentally reported electron transfer crossover region.In Chapter 4, DFT calculations are used to understand the C-H oxidation reactions of methane and isobutane with SbVF5. SbVF5 is generally assumed to oxidize methane through a methanium-methyl cation mechanism. DFT calculations were used to examine methane oxidation by SbVF5 in the presence of CO leading to the acylium cation, [CH3CO]+. While there is a low barrier for methane protonation by [SbVF6]-[H]+ to give the [SbVF5]-[CH5]+ ion pair, H2 dissociation is a relatively higher energy process, even with CO assistance, and so this protonation pathway is reversible. The C-H activation/[]-bond metathesis mechanism with formation of an SbV-Me intermediate is the lowest energy pathway examined. This pathway leads to [CH3CO]+ by functionalization of the SbV-Me intermediate by CO, and is consistent with no observation of H2. In contrast to methane, due to the much lower carbocation hydride affinity, isobutane significantly favors hydride transfer to give tert-butyl carbocation with concomitant SbV to SbIII reduction. In this mechanism, the resulting highly acidic SbV-H intermediate provides a route to H2 through protonation of isobutane.

No description available.

The system H₂O-CH₄ is found in a variety of geological environments in the earth’s crust, from sedimentary basins to low grade metamorphic terrains. Knowledge of the PressureVolume-Temperature-Composition (PVTX) properties of the H₂O-CH₄ system is necessary to understand the role that these fluids play in different geological environments. In this study the properties of the H₂O-CH₄ fluid system at elevated temperatures and pressures has been investigated experimentally to determine the PVTX properties of H₂O-CH₄ fluids in the P-T range equivalent to late diagenetic to low grade metamorphic environments, and XCH₄≤4mol%. A study has also been conducted to determine methane hydrate stability over the temperature range of -40~20°C. Synthetic fluid inclusions were employed in both studies as miniature autoclaves. Experimental data for the PVTX properties of H₂O-CH₄ fluids under late diagenetic to low grade metamorphic conditions was used to calculate the slopes of isoTh lines (the line connecting the P-T conditions of the inclusions at formation and at homogenization) at different PTX conditions. An empirical equation to describe the slope of iso-Th line as a function of homogenization temperature and fluid composition was developed. The equation is applicable to natural H₂O-CH₄ fluid inclusions up to 500°C and 3 kilobars, for fluid compositions ≤4 mol% CH₄. The Raman peak position of CH₄ gas is a function of the pressure and temperature. This relationship was used to determine the pressure along the methane hydrate stability curve in the H₂O-CH₄ system. The combined synthetic fluid inclusion, microthermometry and Raman spectroscopy method is a novel experimental approach to determine the P-T stability conditions of methane hydrates. The method is fast compared to conventional methods, and has the potential to be applied to study other gas hydrate systems. / Ph. D.

Submitted by Clebson Anjos (clebson.leandro54@gmail.com) on 2015-05-12T18:02:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 5617719 bytes, checksum: 8f901a0142ff1f0773560c695eccf12a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-12T18:02:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 5617719 bytes, checksum: 8f901a0142ff1f0773560c695eccf12a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The internet, together with the available tools for the web, has been a means widely used by organizations to the functions of access, use and dissemination of information. On the other hand, the expansion of the web has generated certain information barriers, such as excessive accumulation of information and creation of interactive systems inadequate and/or poorly structured. Given this fact, this study aimed to analyze the digital information environment of the Humanities Center of the Federal University of Campina Grande, composed of website and blog, based on the interrelationship of the principles of Information Architecture and Usability criteria, since interfaces not structured properly can generate dissatisfaction on users and rejection with their use. While the Information Architecture envisages the construction of systems with optimized informational structures, the Usability aims to facilitate the use of interfaces for its users, efficiently and effectively within a specific context of use. As a result, we obtained a study descriptive, whose methodology was based on the process of methodological triangulation, reflected in the choice of different methods used in collection and analysis of data. The data collection was carried out with the application of a subjective evaluation questionnaire to the coordinators of the Humanities Center/UFCG, representative group of the digital information environment of the Humanities Center, and an inspection based on a checklist based on criteria and recommendations consistent with the research objectives. After quantitative and qualitative data analysis, there were similarities between the main points highlighted in the responses provided by the participants research users and the results generated with the evaluation checklist, among which are: the inadequate structure and the absence and the lack of content update of the website/blog CH. From the results obtained with the analysis, a list of recommendations was prepared for a possible reconstruction of the investigated systems (website and blog). / A internet, juntamente com as ferramentas disponíveis para a Web, tem sido um meio bastante utilizado pelas organizações para as funções de acesso, uso e disseminação da informação. Por outro lado, a expansão da web tem gerado determinadas barreiras informacionais, tais como o acúmulo excessivo de informações e a concepção de sistemas interativos inadequados e/ou mal estruturados. Diante deste fato, esta pesquisa teve por objetivo analisar o ambiente informacional digital do Centro de Humanidades (CH) da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, composto de website e blog, com base na inter-relação dos princípios da Arquitetura da Informação e dos critérios de usabilidade, visto que interfaces não estruturadas adequadamente podem gerar insatisfação nos usuários e rejeição quanto a sua utilização. Enquanto a Arquitetura da Informação vislumbra a construção de sistemas com estruturas informacionais otimizadas, a Usabilidade visa facilitar a utilização das interfaces por seus usuários, de forma eficiente e eficaz dentro de um contexto específico de uso. Como resultado, obteve-se um estudo de natureza descritiva, cuja metodologia se fundamentou no processo de triangulação metodológica, refletida na escolha de diferentes métodos empregados na coleta e análise de dados. A coleta de dados se deu com a aplicação de um questionário de avaliação subjetiva aos coordenadores do Centro de Humanidades/UFCG, grupo representativo dos usuários do ambiente informacional digital daquele Centro, e com uma inspeção baseada em um checklist formulado a partir de critérios e recomendações condizentes aos objetivos da pesquisa. Após a análise quantitativa e qualitativa dos dados obtidos, verificaram-se similaridades entre os principais pontos destacados nas repostas fornecidas pelos usuários participantes da pesquisa e os resultados gerados com a avaliação por checklist, entre os quais estão: a estruturação inadequada e a ausência ou desatualização do conteúdo informativo do website/blog do CH. A partir do resultado obtido com a análise, foi elaborada uma lista de recomendações para uma possível reconstrução dos sistemas investigados (website e blog).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:20:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ElaineMCS_DISSERT.pdf: 1122648 bytes, checksum: 6799bd6d6705938226a50b68e58d09c9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-28 / A pretens?o deste trabalho foi o de analisar o discurso da revista semanal Veja sobre o governo de Hugo Ch?vez Fr?as, atual presidente da Rep?blica Bolivariana da Venezuela. Atrav?s da leitura das reportagens, procuramos apresentar o comportamento da revista em rela??o ao se governo e a forma que sua pol?tica ? classificada, representada. Reunimos edi??es da revista, entre 1998 a 2002, in?cio do seu governo - eleito em dezembro de 1998, toma posse no in?cio de 1999, per?odo da tentativa de golpe (frustrada) em abril de 2002. O trabalho procura mostrar como as mat?rias n?o s?o isentas e que h? um claro posicionamento ideol?gico da revista, que se insere no conjunto mais geral da m?dia conservadora e anti-Ch?vez. O presidente, eleito e reeleito democraticamente, aparece sempre nas diversas reportagens da revista caracterizado como golpista, ditador, populista, fanfarr?o. O nosso objetivo ? o de revelar como Veja criou uma imagem negativa do presidente da Venezuela, coerente com os princ?pios neoliberais defendidos pela revista. A Venezuela com Hugo Ch?vez, com a chamada Revolu??o Bolivariana , realiza uma experi?ncia singular de governo num pa?s de larga tradi??o antidemocr?tica e afirma caminhar na contracorrente do pensamento hegem?nico neoliberal. Em contrapartida, a revista Veja se apresenta com um representante da burguesia financeira e importante sujeito na constru??o e continuidade do neoliberalismo