Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:48:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 71050100715.pdf.jpg: 20836 bytes, checksum: 2f3a403826784c59d194700c281860de (MD5) 71050100715.pdf: 2226737 bytes, checksum: e09731053a49c8d27f62a5765e6ada75 (MD5) 71050100715.pdf.txt: 450493 bytes, checksum: a07b8a6ca4b8e2f82af5525e738e0e07 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-11T00:00:00Z / This work had as objective to assess the relation between industrial concentrations and the financial performance of firms located in these places. Literature review sustained the formulation of the hypotheses of this work, which were based on the assumption that location in industrial concentrations provides firms superior return on assets, operational return on assets, asset turnover and organizational slack, when compared to non concentrated firms. Manufacturing industry of the state of São Paulo was the sector chosen for this analysis. For the mapping of industrial concentrations, data on the number of jobs and enterprises from RAIS databank was used, referring to 1996-2005 period. The identification of industrial concentrations allowed SERASA – a company focused on the analysis and information for credit decisions and support to businesses – to elaborate a database of companies located in the state of São Paulo, based on the provision of a list of all industrial sectors characterized by the presence of industrial concentrations. Initially with 8.637 records, the base was reduced to 4.280 records, corresponding to 509 firms belonging to 23 different industries. After data selection, the variable that identifies the areas of the state of São Paulo with industrial concentrations was added to SERASA databank, allowing, therefore, the fulfillment of the analyses of this work. By using the statistical technique of multilevel modeling, it was possible to conclude that there is not enough evidence to claim that location in industrial concentration provides firms superior return on assets, operational return on assets, asset turnover or organizational slack, when compared to non concentrated firms. However, decomposition of variance of these indicators allowed to conclude that “city’ and the way “city” and an “industry” interact play a major role in determining the variability of these indicators. This result suggests that location does matter to the way firms will perform. Analyses still allowed the estimation of the effect of each interaction between industry and city on the proposed indicators. Besides the great variability of these effects, it was not detected a significant difference between the effects of interactions with and without industrial concentrations. Therefore, other factors specific to these interactions, rather than industrial concentrations, would be able to explain why some interactions have very positive effects on their firms, while other have very low or negative effects. Limitations inherent to this work keep results from being generalized. However, one believes that its contributions are able to show new possibilities of research on the field of industrial concentration, so to understand the real importance of this phenomenon for the competitiveness of companies. / Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a relação entre as concentrações industriais e o desempenho financeiro das empresas nelas instaladas. A revisão de literatura sustentou a formulação das hipóteses deste trabalho, que partiram do pressuposto de que a localização em concentrações industriais proporciona às firmas maior retorno sobre ativos, retorno operacional sobre ativos, giro dos ativos e slack organizacional, em relação às empresas não concentradas. A indústria de manufatura do estado de São Paulo foi o setor escolhido para análise. Para o mapeamento das concentrações industriais, foram utilizados os dados da base de empregos e estabelecimentos da RAIS, referentes ao período 1996-2005. A identificação das concentrações industriais permitiu à SERASA, empresa de análises e informações para decisões de crédito e apoio a negócios, elaborar uma base de dados de empresas localizadas no estado de São Paulo, mediante o fornecimento da relação dos setores industriais caracterizados pela presença de concentrações. Inicialmente com 8.637 registros, a base foi reduzida a 4.280 registros, correspondentes a 509 firmas pertencentes a 23 diferentes indústrias. Após a seleção dos dados, a variável que identifica as áreas do estado de São Paulo com concentrações industriais foi inserida na base da SERASA, permitindo, dessa forma, a realização das análises deste trabalho. Por meio da técnica estatística de modelos multiníveis, foi possível constatar que não há evidências suficientes para afirmar que a localização em concentrações industriais proporciona às empresas maior retorno sobre ativos, retorno operacional sobre ativos, giro dos ativos ou slack organizacional, em relação às empresas não localizadas em concentrações. No entanto, a decomposição da variância desses indicadores permitiu constatar que o município e a forma como um município e uma indústria interagem são determinantes na variabilidade desses indicadores. Este resultado sugere que a localização importa, e muito, na forma como as empresas irão se desempenhar. As análises ainda permitiram estimar o efeito de cada interação entre indústria e município sobre os indicadores propostos. Além da constatação de uma grande variabilidade desses efeitos, não foi detectada uma diferença significativa entre os efeitos das interações com e sem concentrações industriais. Portanto, outros fatores específicos a essas interações, que não a concentração industrial, seriam capazes de explicar porque algumas interações possuem efeitos muitos positivos sobre suas empresas, enquanto outras, efeitos muito pequenos ou negativos. As limitações inerentes a este trabalho impedem a generalização de seus resultados. No entanto, acredita-se que as suas contribuições sejam capazes de mostrar novas possibilidades de pesquisa no campo das concentrações industriais, a fim de compreender a real importância deste fenômeno para a competitividade das empresas.

In South Africa, there is a growing concern regarding the sustainability of bark harvesting due to the reduced availability of medicinal trees in natural areas and the slow growing and slow-reproducing nature of South Africa’s indigenous trees, of which some have specific habitat requirements and a limited distribution. With an estimated 80% of all Africans in South Africa still relying on plant material for their basic healthcare needs, approximately 200 000 traditional healers and an estimated 63 000 commercial harvesters, medicinal plants are being exploited to extinction. The aim of the study was to determine whether bridge-grafting could be used to restore growth in girdled Ocotea bullata and Curtisia dentata trees as these two medicinal tree species are listed on the South African Red List as ‘endangered’ and ‘near threatened’ due to overexploitation. These trees were also historically used in furniture production and general carpentry, which increased these trees’ vulnerability to extinction. Bridge-grafting is a technique widely described in horticultural literature but has not been used to restore growth in medicinal tree species with extensive harvesting damage. Metabolomics as analytical method is a relatively new science, but it is very useful, accurate and repeatable in obtaining knowledge on the metabolites present in a plant, and for determining the concentrations of metabolites. NMR metabolomics is, however, not sensitive enough to quantify metabolites with very low concentrations such as plant hormones. The results achieved showed that O. bullata and C. dentata responded differently to girdling and bridge-grafting regarding location of callus initiation, callus development, rate of callus development, basal shoot initiation and development and their sucrose source-sink relationships. NMR metabolomics showed that seasonality was an important factor affecting metabolite responses in both species. NMR metabolomics also showed that after one year, there were no differences in responses above and below the girdle wounds, nor were there differences between the grafted trees and the normal control trees. iv Although the method of bridge-grafting was successful in restoring the growth of O. bullata and C. dentata with this study, much more research needs to be conducted to prevent endangered girdled medicinal trees from becoming extinct, to maintain tree species diversity, genetic diversity and biodiversity. / School of Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Nature Conservation)

Au cours des dernières années, les efforts de recherche et de développement pour les capteurs de gaz se sont orientés vers l'intégration de nanomatériaux afin d'améliorer les performances des dispositifs. Ces nouvelles générations promettent de nombreux avantages notamment en matière de miniaturisation et de réduction de la consommation énergétique. Par ailleurs, la détection sous gaz (sensibilité, seuil de détection, temps de réponse, ...) s'en retrouve améliorée à cause de l'augmentation du ratio surface/volume de la partie sensible. Ainsi, de tels capteurs peuvent être intégrés dans des systèmes de détections ultrasensibles, autonomes, compactes et transportables. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons d'utiliser des réseaux verticaux de nanofils semi-conducteurs pour créer des dispositifs de détection de gaz hautement sensibles, sélectifs, avec une faible limite de détection (de l'ordre du ppb) et intégrable dans des technologies CMOS, tout en étant générique et adaptable à plusieurs types de matériaux afin de discriminer plusieurs gaz. Une première partie expose la mise au point d'un procédé grande échelle, reproductible, compatible avec l'industrie actuelle des semi-conducteurs (CMOS), pour obtenir un capteur basé sur une architecture 3D à nanofils. Le dispositif est composé de deux contacts symétriques en aluminium à chaque extrémité des nanofils, dont l'un est obtenu par l'approche dite du " pont à air ", permettant la définition d'un contact tridimensionnel au sommet du nanofil. La seconde partie présente les performances sous gaz des dispositifs développés et les mécanismes de fonctionnement. Le capteur démontre des performances record en matière de détection du dioxyde d'azote (30% à 50 ppb) en comparaison à l'état de l'art (25% à 200 ppb). De plus, cette approche permet de mesurer de très faibles concentrations de ce gaz (< 1 ppb) de manière sélective, dans des conditions proches des conditions réelles : humidité (testé jusqu'à 70% d'humidité) et mélange avec d'autres gaz plus concentrés et la réversibilité du capteur est naturelle et se fait à température ambiante sans nécessité des conditions particulières. / In recent years, efforts of research and development for gas sensors converged to use nanomaterials to optimize performance. This new generation promises many advantages especially in miniaturization and reduction of energy consumption. Furthermore, the gas detection parameters (sensitivity, detection limit, response time ...) are improved due to the high surface/volume ratio of the sensitive part. Thus, this sensors can be integrated in ultrasensitive detection systems, autonomous, compact and transportable. In this thesis, we propose to use 3D semiconductor nanowires networks to create highly sensitive and selective gas sensors. The objective of this work is to provide a highly sensitive sensor, featuring a low detection limit (in the ppb range) and embeddable in CMOS devices. In addition process is generic and adaptable to many types of materials to discriminate several gas and converge to electronic nose. The first part of the dissertation is based on development of a large scale, reproducible, compatible with Si processing industry and conventional tools (CMOS), to obtain a sensor based on a 3D nanowire architecture. The device is composed by two symmetrical aluminum contacts at each extremity of the nanowires, including a top contact done by air bridge approach. The second part of this work presents the gas performances of components and working mechanisms associated. A very high response (30%) is obtained at 50 ppb of NO2, compare to the state of the art, 25% reached for 200 ppb. This approach can measure selectively very low concentrations of gas (<1 ppb) in real working conditions: moisture (tested up to 70% moisture) and mixing with other more concentrated gas (interfering gas). In addition, the reversibility of the sensor is natural and occurs at room temperature without requiring specific conditions.

Submitted by Deyse Queiroz (deysequeirozz@hotmail.com) on 2018-05-21T18:41:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 VALÉRIA FERNANDES DE OLIVEIRA SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGHT-2017.pdf: 2027743 bytes, checksum: 6ca8150b959fb0703c67f3a12bf50521 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-21T18:41:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 VALÉRIA FERNANDES DE OLIVEIRA SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGHT-2017.pdf: 2027743 bytes, checksum: 6ca8150b959fb0703c67f3a12bf50521 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-25 / O cultivo do meloeiro exerce importância social e econômica à Região Nordeste por levar rentabilidade de produtores. Os estresses abióticos são responsáveis pela perda de produção agrícola no mundo inteiro especialmente nas regiões semiáridas, sendo que a salinidade da água e do solo afeta o desenvolvimento e a produção de espécies hortícolas, logo a seleção de cultivares de meloeiro tolerante à salinidade é relevante para a exploração da cultura. Nesse sentido, o estudo teve como objetivo estudar a influência da salinidade da água e solo nos mecanismos fisiológicos envolvidos com o crescimento, eficiência fotossintética e produção de cultivares de meloeiro. O experimento foi realizado em dois ensaios em ambiente de casa de vegetação na Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologia Agroalimentar, Pombal-PB. No primeiro ensaio foi feita seleção de cultivares tolerantes ao estresse salino, testando-se seis cultivares de meloeiro, durante a produção de mudas, com delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 6x5, seis cultivares (Natal, Solares, Goldex, Mandacaru, Iracema e Amarelo Ouro) e cinco concentrações salinas na água de irrigação (0,3; 1,1; 1,9; 2,7; 3,5 dS m -1 CE) com quatro repetições. Foram aferidas mensurações biométricas, fisiológicas e fitomassa. O aumento da salinidade inibiu o desenvolvimento fenológico, aparato fotossintético e acúmulo de massa seca das mudas de meloeiro. As cultivares Natal, Iracema e Goldex foram as mais adaptadas, enquanto que Mandacaru, Solares e Amarelo Ouro as mais sensíveis às condições salinas na produção de mudas. Posteriormente foi realizado o segundo ensaio com o delineamento em blocos cazualizados em esquema fatorial 3x5, três cultivares (Iracema, Goldex e Natal) e cinco concentrações salinas no solo (0,3; 1,3; 2,3; 3,3; 4,3 dS m-1 CE), em quatro repetições para avaliação da biometria, fisiologia e produção. O experimento foi conduzido em vasos de 20 L em sistema tutorado. Os níveis de salinidade do estrato de saturação do solo foram obtidos a partir da dissolução do cloreto de sódio (NaCl), calculado conforme os tratamentos, considerando a salinidade incial do solo (0,3 dS m-1 ), o peso de solo por vaso (20 kg) e a porcentagem de saturação (23%). Nas condições em que o trabalho foi conduzido conclui-se que o aumento da salinidade da água de irrigação inibiu o desenvolvimento com danos fisiológicos as cultivares de meloeiro, mas, dentre as cultivares a Natal revelou maior tolerância aos sais e superou as demais em produtividade. / The cultivation of the melon exerts social and economic importance to the Northeast Region for increasing profitability of producers. Abiotic stresses are responsible for the loss of agricultural production worldwide, especially in semi-arid regions, where salinity of water and soil affects the development and production of horticultural species, so the selection of salinity-tolerant melon cultivars is relevant for the exploitation of culture. In this sense, the study aimed to study the influence of salinity of water and soil on the physiological mechanisms involved with growth, photosynthetic efficiency and production of melon cultivars. The experiment was carried out in two greenhouse experiments at the Federal University of Campina Grande, Agro-Food Science and Technology Center, Pombal-PB. In the first trial, a selection of cultivars tolerant to saline stress was carried out, six cultivars of melon were tested during the production of seedlings, with a randomized block design in a 6x5 factorial scheme, six cultivars (Natal, Solares, Goldex, Mandacaru, Iracema and ) And five saline concentrations in irrigation water (0.3, 1.1, 1.9, 2.7, 3.5 dS m -1 EC) with four replications. Biometric, physiological and phytomass measurements were measured. The increase in salinity inhibited the phenological development, photosynthetic apparatus and accumulation of dry mass of the melon seedlings. The cultivars Natal, Iracema and Goldex were the most adapted, while Mandacaru, Solares and Amarelo Ouro the most sensitive to salt conditions in the production of seedlings. The second experiment was carried out with a 3x5 factorial design, three cultivars (Iracema, Goldex and Natal) and five saline concentrations in the soil (0.3, 1.3, 2.3, 3.3, 4,3 dS m-1 EC), in four replicates for evaluation of biometry, physiology and production. The experiment was conducted in 20 L pots under tutorship. The salinity levels of the soil saturation stratum were obtained from the dissolution of sodium chloride (NaCl), calculated according to the treatments, considering the initial salinity of the soil (0.3 dS m-1 ), the soil weight (20 kg) and the saturation percentage (23%). In the conditions under which the work was carried out, it was concluded that the increase in the salinity of the irrigation water inhibited the development with physiological damages of the melon cultivars, but, among the cultivars at Natal, it showed higher tolerance to the salts and exceeded the others in productivity.

La réutilisation des eaux usées traitées pour l’irrigation est globalement acceptée et pratiquée pour faire face à la pénurie d'eau et économiser les ressources de haute qualité. Bien que cette pratique présente des avantages indéniables et contribue à un usage plus durable de l'eau douce, elle n’est pas exempt de problèmes liés à l'impact potentiel sur la qualité des sols récepteurs et sur les cultures de micropolluants contenus dans l'eau réutilisée. Parmi ces polluants, les métaux lourds (ML) en concentrations traces jouent un rôle primordial en raison de leur présence systématique dans l'eau utilisée et de leur persistance une fois libéré dans l'environnement. Le devenir des ML dans les sols peut difficilement être prédit parce que les mécanismes de mobilité à travers les sols sont extrêmement variés et liés à des phénomènes simultanés et très complexes impliquant différents équilibres chimiques. Les ML, comme beaucoup d'autres contaminants, ne sont pas seulement partagé entre la phase immobile (le sol) et les phases mobiles présentes dans l'eau. En effet, les colloïdes et les nanoparticules agissent comme une troisième phase mobile, avec leurs propres propriétés rhéologiques et des vitesses de migrations qui leur sont propres. Ce dernier aspect a été l'un des principaux objectifs d’étude de la thèse. Plusieurs essais expérimentaux ont été menés en irriguant un sol standard selon l'Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE) avec une eau usés traités réel et / ou synthétiques, contenant des ML en concentrations traces. Pour chaque test, un sol spécifique (avec différentes teneurs en matière organique) et des eaux usées traitées de composition différente (avec différentes concentrations en métaux traces, de salinité, de la teneur en matière organique pour les eaux usées synthétiques, ou des eaux usées traitées réelles) ont été choisi afin d'évaluer les effets des conditions différentes sur le devenir global des ML. L'augmentation de la matière organique du sol de 2,5 à 10% a linéairement amélioré la mobilité des Cd, Cu et Ni avec une augmentation de la mobilité maximum de 35,6, 43,7 et 49,19% pour le Cd, Cu et Ni, respectivement. Pour la plupart des expériences, les ML ont été capturés dans la couche superficielle du sol (0,5 à 1 cm). Néanmoins, des pics de contamination ont été détectés à des profondeurs différentes dans les couches plus profondes du sol. L’étude de la composition des lixiviats montre des variations de concentrations fonction du métal étudié et des caractéristiques du sol et des eaux usées. Des pics de métaux dans le lixiviat sont apparus en même temps que la libération de la matière et / ou la libération de silicates organiques, ce qui démontre l'implication significative des colloïdes dans le transport des métaux. La concentration en sodium (20 mM) a été démontrée un impact fort sur la réduction de la mobilisation colloïdale et que plus de 95% du métal apporté a été détecté dans la couche superficielle du sol en dépit de sa teneur en matière organique. La salinité affiche donc des effets significatifs. L'irrigation avec des eaux usées traitées présentant une très haute teneur en Ca et Mg (111 et 134 mg / L, respectivement) a abouti à la libération moyenne plus élevée de silicium à partir de la matrice inorganique du sol (8,2 mg / L) par rapport à la faible salinité des eaux usées artificielle (1,9 mg / L). Par conséquent, la mobilisation ultérieure de Cd, Cu, Ni et Zn a été observée lorsque le sol a été irrigué avec des eaux usées traitées réelles. Une caractérisation spectroscopique avancée des lixiviats a été réalisée pour identifier les agrégats colloïdaux libérés par le sol dans le but d’en déterminer leur nature, leurs propriétés chimiques et leur état d'agrégation / Reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural purposes is worldwide accepted and practiced to face water scarcity and save high quality resources. Although such practice has undoubtable advantages and is certainly more sustainable respect to the use of fresh water, it is not exempt from severe concerns related to the potential impact on the receiving soil and on the crops of potentially harmful pollutants contained in the reused water at trace levels. Among these pollutants, trace heavy metals (HMs) play a primary role due to their spread presence in the used water and to their persistence once released in the environment. The fate of HMs in the soils can be hardly predicted as mechanisms of mobility through soils are extremely diverse and related to highly complex simultaneous phenomena and chemical equilibria. HMs, in fact, as many other contaminants, are not only partitioned between the solid immobile and the water mobile phases. Indeed, colloids and nanoparticles act as a third mobile phase, with their own rheological properties and velocity. This latter aspect has been one of the main focus of the thesis. In details the thesis describes the results of several experiments conducted irrigating the OECD standard soil with real and/or synthetic wastewater, containing HMs in trace. For each test a specific soil (e.g. varying the organic matter content) and wastewater composition (e.g. varying the metals concentration, the salinity, the organic matter content, or testing real treated wastewaters) has been chosen in order to evaluate the effects of different conditions on the overall HMs fate. The increase of soil organic matter from 2,5 to 10% linearly enhanced the mobility of Cd, Cu and Ni up to a maximum mobility increase of 35.6, 43.7 and 49.19 % for Cd, Cu and Ni, respectively. In most experiments metals accumulated in the top soil layer (0.5 - 1 cm). Nevertheless peaks of contamination were detected at different depths in the soil deeper layers and at different leaching time in the leachates depending on the metal and on the soil and wastewater characteristics. Peaks of metals in the leachate appeared simultaneously with release of organic matter and/or release of silicates, demonstrating outstanding involvement of colloids in metals transport. Sodium concentration (20mM) decidedly reduced colloidal mobilization whereas more than 95 % of the influent metal was detected in the top layer despite the soil organic matter content. Salinity displayed different effects. The irrigation with real treated wastewater with quite high content of Ca and Mg (111 and 134 mg/L, respectively) resulted in higher average release of silicon from the soil inorganic matrix (8.2 mg/L) compared to the low salinity artificial wastewater (1.9 mg/L). Consequently higher mobilization of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn was observed when the soil was irrigated with real treated wastewater. An advanced spectroscopical characterization of the leachates was performed to identify such colloidal aggregates. The observation of 3D excitation-emission matrix demonstrated in all the leachates samples the presence of fulvic (230-450 nm ex-em fluorescence area) and humic (330-445 nm ex-em) substances. In this context, a novel analytical method was developed to quantify phenolic substances in soil matrices allowing the monitoring of humic matter migration in soil profiles. The novel method was more accurate and more precise respect to the traditional one, allowing to obtain higher recovery of total phenols in peat soil (15.5 % increase) with a decrease of the coefficient of variation (30.1% decrease). Organic water soluble colloids were extracted from the peat used to prepare the OECD standard soil and characterized. Results of size exclusion chromatography highlighted the supramolecular structure of the extracted organic matter. Such structure was further confirmed through fluorescence and 1H-NMR spectroscopy

Des xénolites de péridotite provenant de deux localités du sud du Massif Central Français (Allègre et Mont Coupet), émis avec des modes éruptifs différents, ont été étudiés pour définir l’évolution du manteau sous continental et pour étudier le comportement de Li et H lors des réactions fluides roches lors de leur remonté vers la surface. Un ensemble de 6 xénolites représentatifs a été sélectionné pour chaque localité. La description pétrologique et minéralogique de chaque échantillon a été associée à la mesure des compositions chimiques en éléments majeur (par microsonde électronique) et trace (par LA-ICP-MS) des principales phases minéralogiques (Olivine, Pyroxène, Amphibole). La teneur et la composition isotopique du Li ont été mesurées par microsonde ionique (SIMS), et les teneurs en eau par spectroscopie infrarouge à transformée de Fourrier (FTIR) et SIMS dans les pyroxènes et les olivines. Pour les xénolites d’Allègre, les anomalies négatives en HFSE et les rapports LREE/HREE élevés reflètent un métasomatisme lié à des liquides carbonatitiques, succédant à un processus de fusion partielle du manteau lithosphérique. Pour les échantillons du Mont Coupet, Les anomalies négatives en Ti et Nb des Cpx de tous les échantillons et les anomalies négatives de Zr et Hf pour deux échantillons plus fortement métasomatisés (MC38 et MC34) soulignent également un métasomatisme carbonatitique. Les amphiboles des échantillons MC36 et MC53, dont l'origine doit être associée à des fluides de subduction, sont à l’équilibre avec les Cpx coexistant, ce qui indique que le fluide qui a permis leur formation n’a pas enrichi les Cpx en LREE ou LILE. La composition isotopique de des xénolites d’Allègre montre qu’ils ont été affectés par un métasomatisme en au moins deux étapes par des fluides différents. Les teneurs très élevées en Li des Cpx (jusqu'à 50 ppm) et l’enrichissement même modéré des bordures des olivines sont attribués à un apport de Li par diffusion depuis le magma hôte. Par contre, les compositions isotopiques pauvres en 7Li préservées au coeur des Ol (δ7Li jusqu’à -25‰) suggèrent l’existence d’un autre évènement métasomatique ayant affecté les péridotites avant leur remonté vers la surface. En revanche, les minéraux des xénolites de Mont Coupet ont des concentrations en Li similaires à celles du manteau, avec une répartition à l’équilibre entre les minéraux. Cependant les valeurs de δ7Li négatives observées pour les Cpx et Opx de certains échantillons suggèrent une interaction avec un fluide en quantité limitée et une composition isotopique négative. La préservation du fractionnement isotopique du Li entre les pyroxènes et olivines indique que cette interaction a du avoir lieu peu de temps avant l'entrainement des xénolites vers la surface. Les fluides métasomatiques à l’origine des valeurs de δ7Li négatives observées à Allègre et à Mont Coupet sont liés à un environnement de subduction, probablement lié à l'orogenèse varisque dans le cadre régional du FMC. Les teneurs en eau mesurées dans les xénolites d’Allègre vont de 10,6 à 12,4 ppm, des valeurs beaucoup plus faible que celle du manteau source des MORB. Ceci s’explique par une perte d’eau associée au dégazage du magma lors du refroidissement du lac de lave. L’absence de variation cœur-bord montre une distribution de l’eau à l’équilibre entre les xénolites et la lave hôte. A l’inverse, les xénolites du Mont Coupet ont pu conservé leur teneur en eau acquise en profondeur, contrôlée par les processus de fusion partielle qui ont affecté les péridotites. Cependant, l'échantillon MC34, affecté par le métasomatisme carbonatitique, a la plus haute teneur en eau parmi ces xénolites. Inversement, les échantillons MC36 et MC53 qui contiennent des amphiboles, n’ont pas des teneurs en eau élevées, suggérant que l'agent métasomatique responsable de la formation des amphiboles n'a pas enrichi en eau les autres phases de la péridotite. / Peridotite xenoliths sampled from two volcanoes erupting in different modes in two localities, Allègre and Mont Coupet, in the southern domain of the French Massif Central (FMC), have been investigated to constrain the evolution of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle beneath the FMC and the behaviors of Li and H during melt-rock reactions. To answer these questions, a set of 6 representative xenoliths was selected for each locality, and described for their mineralogy and petrography. In-situ measurements were then performed for major and trace elements in Ol, Cpx and Amp when existing, via EPMA and LA-ICP-MS respectively, for Li concentrations and isotopic compositions in pyroxenes and Ol (via SIMS), and water concentrations in minerals (via FTIR and SIMS). Negative HFSE anomalies and markedly high LREE/HREE ratios reflect a carbonatite-related metasomatism following an earlier partial melting process in the lithospheric mantle under Allègre. The Ti and Nb negative anomalies in Cpx from all the Mont Coupet samples and Zr-Hf negative anomalies in Cpx from two most strongly metasomatized samples MC38 and MC34 also point to a carbonatite-related mantle metasomatism. Amp in samples MC36 and MC53, whose origin should be associated with fluids from the subducting slab, have equilibrated most of the trace element composition with coexisting Cpx and the modal metasomatism responsible for the Amp genesis haven’t refertilized Cpx in LREE and LILE. Lithium isotope systematics indicates that Allègre xenoliths were overprinted by (at least) a two-stage metasomatism by melts of different origins. Exceptionally high Li concentrations in Cpx (up to 50 ppm by weight) and slightly increased Li contents at Ol rims are ascribed to a diffusive Li uptake from infiltrating melts derived from the host magma. On the other hand, extremely light Li isotopic compositions preserved in Ol cores (with δ7Li as low as -25‰) suggest another metasomatic event prior to xenolith entrainment by the host magma. In contrast, xenoliths from Mont Coupet have Li concentrations in constituent minerals similar to the normal mantle, and display nearly equilibrated inter-mineral Li partitioning and homogeneous intragranular Li distribution in every phase. The negative δ7Li values of Cpx and Opx in some samples were brought by the exchange with a small-volume melt with Li concentration similar to the normal mantle and light Li isotopic compositions. The preservation of inter-mineral large Li isotopic fractionation currently observed in these samples indicates that the percolation of the melt should occur shortly prior to the entrainment of Mont Coupet peridotite xenoliths by the host magmas. The metasomatic agents, accounting for negative δ7Li values in Ol cores in Allègre xenoliths and in Cpx and Opx in some Mont Coupet xenoliths, are related to a subduction environment. In the regional framework of the FMC, the subduction event most likely occurred during the Variscan orogeny. Water content in Allègre xenoliths ranges from 10.6 to 12.4 ppm in weight, much lower than the water content in the MORB source mantle. It implies that water were lost during the degassing of the host magma during slow cooling of the lava lake. No core-rim variations from profile analysis suggest that xenoliths have achieved water diffusive equilibrium with the host magmas. Peridotite xenoliths from Mont Coupet have retained their original water content from the mantle depths. Partial melting has controlled the water content in most samples from Mont Coupet. However, the subsequent carbonatite-related metasomatism has affected the sample MC34, which had the highest water content among the Mont Coupet xenoliths. And the aqueous agent responsible for presence of Amp in samples MC36 and MC53 has not lead to the considerable increase of water content.

Fluoxetin är den aktiva substansen i många serotoninreglerande läkemedel som förs in i vattendrag. Substansen har visats påverka beteende av vattenlevande organismer som fiskar, mollusker och kräftdjur genom att öka deras djärvhet. I denna studie undersöktes fluoxetins akuta (på vildfångade individer) och kroniska (på labbuppfödda individer) effekter av koncentrationerna 0, 3 och 30 ng L-1 på Asellus aquaticus (sötvattengråsugga) antipredatorbeteende. Detta gjordes genom tre beteendetest: (1) tid att lämna refug, (2) spontan aktivitet samt (3) flyktbeteende under predationsrisk. Överlag hittades få eller inga effekter på A. aquaticus från fluoxetin. De effekter som dock påverkade individer signifikant visade att exponerade individer flydde en signifikant kortare (30 %) tidsperiod från en simulerad predatorattack. Utöver denna huvudeffekt av fluoxetin hittades även signifikanta skillnader i fluoxetins påverkan på de två grupperna, när individer blev utsatta för den högsta koncentrationen ökade vildfångade individer sin aktivitet (38 % fler stopp och 49 % mer rörelse) medan labbuppfödda individer sänkte sin aktivitet (43 % färre stopp och 37 % mindre rörelse). Individer som inte var exponerade visade signifikanta skillnader i alla beteendetest för de två grupperna. Det är troligt att beteendeskillnader är en följd av olika uppfödningsmiljöer, dock går det inte att utesluta att ändrade genfrekvenser uppkommit. Studien lyser sken på behovet av fler studier av långtidsexponering av läkemedelsrester, de är sällan akut giftiga men har däremot subletal påverkan i låga doser. / Fluoxetine is the active substance in many selective serotonin reuptake inhibitive pharmaceuticals that currently enters surface waters. The substance has been shown to affect behaviors of water living organism such as fish, molluscs and crustaceans by making them less cautious. This study investigated the acute (on wild caught individuals) and chronic (on lab reared individuals) effects of fluoxetine on the antipredator behavior of Asellus aquaticus for three concentrations; 0,3 and 30 ng L-1. Three tests were used to determine the effects: (1) time to leave a shelter, (2) spontaneous activity and (3) escape behavior under predation risk. Few statistically significant effects of fluoxetine on A. aquaticus were found. However, individuals exposed to fluoxetine had a significantly shorter (30 %) escape period. Besides this main effect of fluoxetine, significant interactions between the two groups and fluoxetine were also found. When exposed to the highest concentration wild caught individuals increased their spontaneous activity (38 % more stops and 49 % more movement), while lab reared individuals reduced their activity (43 % fewer stop and 37 % less movement). Furthermore, non-exposed individuals from the two groups behaved significantly different in all the tests. It is likely that the differences in behavior occurred due to environmental effects of laboratory rearing, although altered gene frequencies cannot be excluded. This study emphasizes the need for development of methods for more chronic testing of pharmaceuticals, especially considering that pharmaceuticals are seldom acutely toxic but often has sub lethal effects in low doses.

Si l‘indépendance des autorités de concurrence est souvent justifiée par le besoin d‘une expertise objective, ce besoin ne suffit pourtant pas à la légitimer. Créées en contradiction apparente avec le principe de séparation des pouvoirs, les autorités de concurrence « indépendantes » ne peuvent trouver leur légitimité que dans la conjonction de diverses garanties institutionnelles, et de différents mécanismes de contrôle et procédures. S‘interroger sur la place de l‘indépendance des autorités de concurrence en Colombie suppose alors l‘identification de ces garanties et mécanismes. Leur analyse sera menée à travers une étude comparative de leur statut au regard de celui des autorités de concurrence française et américaine, dont les modèles ont influencé la constitution des autorités colombiennes. Elle permet de constater que les composantes de l‘indépendance varient et qu‘il n‘en existe pas un seul modèle à travers le monde. La présente étude conduit aussi à relever que certaines garanties statutaires de l'indépendance, pourtant accordées aux autorités de concurrence française et américaine et leur permettant disposer d‘un grand degré de liberté décisionnelle, ne sont pas octroyées aux autorités colombiennes. Assurer un degré plus important d‘indépendance aux autorités de concurrence en Colombie, par l‘attribution de certaines de ces garanties, requiert un renforcement des mécanismes de contrôle, procédures et voies de participation des citoyens dans la prise des décisions. L‘étude de la construction de l‘indépendance des autorités de concurrence, dans ses dimensions organique et fonctionnelle, doit donc être suivie par celle de ces contrôles. Un équilibre dans les contrôles constitue un facteur non seulement de légitimité, mais aussi un moyen de sauvegarder leur indépendance vis-à-vis des éléments extérieurs susceptibles d‘y porter atteinte. / Although Competition Agencies‘ independence is commonly explained through the necessity of objective expert decision-making, such necessity is not sufficient to legitimize their isolation from the government. Absent of democratic foundations and in apparent contradiction with the principle of Separation of Powers, "Independent" Competition Agencies attain their legitimacy from the conjunction of multiple institutional guarantees, control mechanisms and procedures, none of which may overshadow the others. Any effort to determine the role that the idea of independence plays in the institutional design of Colombian competition agencies requires an examination of these guarantees and mechanisms, as well as a comparison of their status to that of French and American agencies; whose institutional arrangement has influenced the constitution of Colombian authorities. Whilst the components of the independence vary in every analyzed jurisdiction (as there is not a unique institutional scheme of ―Independent‖ Agency), this study reveals that certain institutional guarantees recognized to agencies in France and in the United States, which grant them vast discretionary decision-making power, are not present in the specific case of Colombian agencies. Assuring a higher level of independence for Colombian competition authorities, by conferring them some of these guarantees, lean on a simultaneous effort to reinforce control mechanisms, procedures and instruments for citizen participation in the regulatory process. The construction of the independence of Competition Agencies – in both its organizational and functional dimensions – commands the design of institutional constraints. Maintaining a balance over these constraints to agency discretion not only constitutes a source of legitimacy, but equally becomes an effective means to safeguard their independence from external factors.

Contexte. Les premières années de vie apparaissent particulièrement propices au développement de la sensibilisation allergénique. Objectifs. Cette thèse vise à : i) décrire les profils de sensibilisation allergénique chez le nourrisson et l’enfant, ii) étudier l’association entre ces profils et la morbidité allergique et iii) identifier les facteurs de risque de cette sensibilisation. Méthodes. Dans le cadre du suivi de la cohorte prospective de naissances en population générale Pollution and Asthma Risk: an Infant Study (PARIS), la sensibilisation allergénique a été évaluée chez 1 860 nourrissons à 18 mois et 1 007 enfants à 8/9 ans par dosage des IgE spécifiques dirigées contre 16 et 19 allergènes, respectivement. Les informations concernant la santé et le cadre de vie des enfants ont été recueillies par questionnaires standardisés répétés. Des profils de sensibilisation et des profils de morbidité ont été identifiés par classification non supervisée et mis en relation par régression logistique multinomiale. Enfin, les facteurs associés à la sensibilisation allergénique chez le nourrisson ont été étudiés par régression logistique multivariée. Résultats. Dès 18 mois, 13,8% des enfants étaient sensibilisés et 6,2%, multi-sensibilisés. À 8/9 ans, ces prévalences étaient de 34,5% et 19,8%, respectivement. Les profils de sensibilisation identifiés chez le nourrisson (3) et dans l’enfance (5) différaient au regard de la morbidité allergique. L’analyse étiologique a permis de préciser le rôle des expositions précoces aux allergènes et aux microorganismes sur la sensibilisation allergénique. Conclusion. Cette thèse contribue à une meilleure compréhension de l’histoire naturelle de la sensibilisation allergénique, et ce, dès les premières années de vie. Cette connaissance est essentielle à la prévention des maladies allergiques qui en découlent. / Background. The first years of life appear to be critical for the development of allergic sensitization. Objectives. This thesis aims: i) to describe allergic sensitization profiles in infants and children, ii) to assess the link between these sensitization profiles and allergic morbidity, and iii) to identify risk factors for allergic sensitization. Methods. This work concerns children involved in the Pollution and Asthma Risk: an Infant Study (PARIS) population-based prospective birth cohort. Allergic sensitization was assessed in 1,860 18-month-old infants and 1,007 8/9-year-old children by specific IgE measurements towards 16 and 19 allergens, respectively. Lifelong health and living condition data were collected by repeated standardized questionnaires. Sensitization profiles and morbidity profiles were identified using unsupervised classification, and related to each other by multinomial logistic regression. Finally, risk factors for early allergic sensitization were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. Results. As soon as 18 months of age, 13.8% of children were sensitized and 6.2%, multi-sensitized. When 8/9 years old, corresponding prevalence was 34.5% and 19.8%, respectively. Sensitization profiles identified in infancy (3) and in childhood (5) differed in terms of allergic morbidity. Risk factor analysis allowed to clarify the role of early exposure to allergens and microorganisms on allergic sensitization. Conclusion. This thesis improves the natural history of allergic sensitization understanding, as soon as the first years of life. This knowledge is essential for subsequent disease preventing.

The Trinity River flows through the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex in north central Texas where it receives effluents from numerous point sources including seven large regional wastewater treatment facilities. Historically, the Trinity River has been impacted by massive wastewater loadings which often constitute > 80% of the total river discharge during low flow periods. Normally, high mass loadings correspond to the summer months, compounding the effects of a naturally stressful period, characterized by high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Samples from 12 stations were collected quarterly over an 18 month period from the Trinity River and two tributaries. Water samples were analyzed for a variety of water quality variables, including metals, priority pollutants, pesticides, and general water quality parameters. Water samples were also tested for acute and subchronic effects with several test species. Fish were collected at each station and assemblages were characterized using traditional classification techniques and the Index of Biotic Integrity. In addition, sediment samples were assessed for toxic effects which could have adversely impacted fish recruitment and in situ biomonitoring experiments were performed. Quantitative habitat characterization analyses were performed to gain additional information that could possibly explains differences in fish assemblage structure related to habitat variability. Data were analyzed using regression, univariate, multivariate, and descriptive statistical techniques and new approaches for analyzing impact assessment data were discussed. Results indicated that the most substantial impacts on fish assemblages were confined to a segment of the river where a sequence of point sources, in close proximity to each other, were overloading the river's capacity to sufficiently dilute and/or detoxify the effluent. Data also indicated the presence of episodic toxicity from nonpoint sources. In addition, toxic effects in sediment samples and differences in habitat were detected and may have contributed to measured differences among fish assemblages in the Trinity River.