Submitted by Emanuel Varela Cardoso (emanuel.varela@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-17T19:19:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 WALTER BELARMINO DA SILVA FILHO – DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGEM) 2017.pdf: 7502952 bytes, checksum: ae7fd33b1f96a68780e718b129b40e97 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T19:19:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 WALTER BELARMINO DA SILVA FILHO – DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGEM) 2017.pdf: 7502952 bytes, checksum: ae7fd33b1f96a68780e718b129b40e97 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-11-30 / O presente estudo documentado neste trabalho buscou o desenvolvimento, a partir das soluções apresentadas na literatura, de um dispositivo para a realização de ensaio de tração biaxial. Inicialmente realizado um estudo que foi condensado em um quadro de informações e posteriormente extraído os dados que serviram como base para o projeto. Aplicando a metodologia de projeto e analisado os dados iniciais, foi escolhido um dispositivo a ser acoplado em uma máquina de tração convencional, devido à facilidade na aplicação. Seguindo a metodologia, teve a etapa de projeto informacional, projeto conceitual, projet o preliminar, projeto detalhado, fabricação e teste. O teste do protótipo foi realizado com corpo de prova em formato de cruz segundo a norma ISO 16842:2014. Sendo possível o desenvolvimento de um dispositivo de ensaio biaxial baseado no mecanismo apresentado por Rohr, Harwick e Nahme para ser acoplado em uma máquina de ensaio de tração universal e utilizando um corpo de prova cruciforme. / The present study, which was documented in this paper, sought to develop a device for conducting a biaxial traction test using the solutions presented in the literature. Initially conducted a study that was condensed into an information frame and subsequently extracted the data that served as the basis for the project. Applying the design methodology and analyzing the initial data, a device to be coupled to a conventional traction machine was chosen due to its ease of application. Following the methodology, had the stage of informational design, conceptual design, preliminary design, detailed design, fabrication and testing. The prototype test was performed with a cross-shaped test piece according to ISO 16842: 2014. It is possible to develop a biaxial test device based on the mechanism presented by Rohr, Harwick and Nahme to be coupled to a universal traction test machine and using a cruciform test body.

The main question of this thesis is how clinical depression can and should be understood from the perspective of a Christian world view. The method is a contextual idea analysis and the main material for the analysis is five books about depression or psychological disorders from a Christian and theological viewpoint. On the basis of the material, six theological models for depression are found. The first three models are natural depression, in which the condition is viewed as structural to creation, depression as spiritual illness, in which it is viewed as based on sin and weak faith, and depression as spiritual growth, which links the condition to the dark night-tradition of sanctification. The final three are depression in a trinitarian model, which is a combinational model consisting of the above-mentioned models, depression as potentially transformative, in which the condition is viewed as a potential birthplace for personal growth, and depression as a Hagaric wilderness experience, which views the condition as meaningless suffering even though God is present. These models are then evaluated on two grounds. The primary ground is how well the models can be integrated with a cruciform theology. A cruciform theology stems from the belief that Jesus on the cross fully reveals the character of God as self-giving non-coercive love. The secondary ground is the pragmatic consequences the models may have for the person suffering from depression. Are the consequences of these theological models healing or destructive? Based on these two grounds, depression as potentially transformative, combined with a cruciform theology which entails some kind of free will theodicy and a view of God as passibleand suffering with the person struggling with depression, is proposed as the preferabletheological model for depression.

De nombreuses études ont permis de développer des modèles de plasticité cristalline rendant compte de l’anisotropie d’un monocristal. Les matériaux à solidification dirigée (DS) peuvent être simulés avec des modèles semblables, sous réserve de connaître la morphologie et l'orientation cristallographique des grains contenus dans la pièce. Pour éviter ces analyses microstructurales coûteuses, il est possible de développer des approches, déterministes ou analysant les dispersions de la réponse sur un lot de << pièces synthétiques >> résolues par la méthode des éléments finis. Dans cette étude, nous avons tenté d'apporter les outils nécessaires aux deux types de modélisation. Avant tout, un modèle du monograin de DS200+Hf a été identifié pour une gamme de température allant de l’ambiante à 1200°C. Ensuite, plusieurs montées d'échelle ont été envisagées, d'abord sur un volume élémentaire représentatif (VER) puis sur une structure tridimensionnelle (éprouvette cruciforme). Sur le VER, la réponse de plusieurs modèles micromécaniques a été confrontée à des calculs de référence utilisant la méthode des éléments finis. Puis, le comportement mécanique d'une éprouvette cruciforme en DS200+Hf a été étudié, en réalisant des essais expérimentaux biaxiaux qui, ensuite, ont permis d'évaluer les prévisions du modèle. Ces résultats amènent à s'interroger sur la modélisation adaptée aux structures oligogranulaires (i.e. constituées d’un faible nombre de grains) : faut-il mailler explicitement l'échelle locale (les grains) dans la structure ou malgré la non-séparabilité des échelles, le modèle homogénéisé continue-t-il de fournir des résultats satisfaisants ? / Various studies were aimed at developing crystal plasticity models to account for the anisotropic mechanical behaviour of single crystals. Directionally solidified (DS) materials can be modeled using such approaches, taking into account the underlying crystallographic structure. It requires the knowledge of the position, shape and crystallographic orientations of grains. To prevent heavy microstructure analyses, other models have to be developed for industrial calculations, using homogenization theory or considering a batch of synthetic pieces calculated using Crystal Plasticity Finite Elements Method (CPFEM). The aim of this thesis is to bring computational tools to carry out the two types of modeling for industrial applications. First of all, a crystal plasticity model for one grain of DS200+Hf is defined ranging from room temperature to 1200°C. Some scale transition rules, using full-field or mean-field approaches, are studied first in the theoretical case of a representative volume element (RVE) and then on tri-dimensional structures in order to access overall and local responses. For the RVE responses, micromechanical models are compared with a reference produced by CPFEM for various loadings. Moreover, the mechanical behaviour of a DS200+Hf cruciform specimen is studied. Biaxial tests with digital image correlation allow us to check the model predictions. These results raise questions about the modeling of oligogranular structures (i.e. with a small number of grains): should it be accepted that the local scale must be explicitly meshed, or, despite the fact that scale separability is not ensured, can we consider that the homogenized model still produces reliable results?

ABSTRACT Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in Taiwan. The development of hepatocellular carcinoma is a multi-step process associated with alterations in genes expression such as activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Mutation/deletion of tumor suppressor gene p53 occurs in 40-50% HCC. Moreover, patients with p53 inactivation have significantly shorter survival after surgery. Inactivation of p53 leads to chromosome instability and may alter expression of its downstream target genes including 14-3-3s for cell cycle arrest or PUMA for apoptosis induction. In this thesis study, we employed five human hepatoma cell lines and ten surgical HCC samples containing paired normal and tumor tissues to investigate 14-3-3s and PUMA expression during liver carcinogenesis. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that 14-3-3s mRNA expression was detected in well and poorly differentiated hepatoma cells except Mahlavu cells. Western blot analysis further validated such finding that 14-3-3s protein is not detectable in Mahlavu cell. In human surgical HCC tissues, qRT-PCR showed that 14-3-3s mRNA was elevated in 90% of HCC tissues. Western blot analysis indicated that 14-3-3s protein level was increased in 60% of HCC tissues. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 14-3-3s was up-regulated in 50% of HCC tissues comparing with their adjacent non-tumor tissues. Together, these results indicated that 14-3-3s expression was up-regulated in HCC. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis indicated that PUMA mRNA and protein levels were decreased in human and rat hepatoma cells. In human surgical HCC tissues, qRT-PCR showed that PUMA mRNA was reduced in 60% of HCC tissues. Western blot analysis indicated that PUMA protein level was decreased in 100 of HCC tissues. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PUMA was down-regulated in 70% of HCC tissues comparing with their adjacent non-tumor tissues. Together, these results indicated that PUMA expression was down-regulated in HCC. In the future, large-scale analysis using more HCC samples will be required to delineate the correlation of 14-3-3s/PUMA expression with clinical parameters of HCC.

This thesis presents novel materials for photovoltaic conversion. The materials described are solution-processable organic semiconductors and have been used in the fabrication of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). The widely used PEDOT:PSS layer was investigated in P3HT and PTB7 photovoltaics. By doping, the efficiencies recorded were amongst the highest reported in the field using a conventional architecture. Two low band-gap BODIPY-based polymers were introduced and shown to have properties favourable for optoelectronics. Photovoltaics consisting solely of the polymers as the active component surpassed the performance expected without the use of an acceptor, indicating ambipolar behaviour, which was verified by charge carrier mobility measurements. When blended with an acceptor, the devices demonstrated a short-circuit current density similar to that of P3HT, a well-studied and successful OPV material. They also revealed a broad spectral response and were shown to operate as photodiodes. Two small molecules containing diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and BODIPY were introduced and characterised. The addition of thiophenes red shifted the absorption but did not result in a sufficient bathochromic shift. Instead, a propensity to aggregate limited the performance. PLQY measurements showed the aggregation to quench luminescence. The study demonstrated the importance of controlling aggregation for efficient devices. Two solution-processable small molecules with a germanium-bridged spiro centre were investigated, and the molecular, electrochemical and optical properties discussed. The small molecule with shorter conjugation length exhibited an interesting packing motif shown to be favourable for charge transport. The mobility measurements were an order of magnitude higher than those reported for sexithiophene, a small molecule analogue, and the same order of magnitude as P3HT. The two-dimensional charge transporting nature of the material was verified with two independent techniques: time of flight (TOF) and organic field-effect transistor (OFET) measurements. The mobility of the material was found to vary with annealing, a result of morphological changes. These were studied with optical, electron and scanning probe microscopies. By controlling the morphology with the implementation of a well-defined annealing method, it was possible to improve the performance of OFETs and planar-heterojunction OPVs. Solution-processed bulk-heterojunction OPVs were fabricated, characterised and optimised with Ge spiro molecules. A PCE similar to that of P3HT, 2.66 %, was achieved for the one, whilst a PCE of 1.60 % was obtained for the other. The results are encouraging, and there is scope for improvement by increasing the overlap between the absorption and solar spectrum, for example.

There are two general ways to introduce functionalities into a polymeric structure: functionalization of the monomeric units before polymerization and postfunctionalization of the preformed polymer. Building libraries of polymers with different functionalities can be completed with significantly less effort by the second method, as each postfunctionalization of a single batch of polymeric backbone can involve as little as one synthetic step. One method of building a polymeric backbone for postfunctionalization involves the synthesis of hyperbranched conjugated polymers (HCPs) from AB2 monomeric units. A polymer formed from n AB2 monomeric units should contain n reactive B groups, which act as sites of functionalization. Utilizing this principle, two different hyperbranched poly(phenylene vinylene-phenylene ethynylene) scaffolds were synthesized and studied in both their inherent properties and functionalization. The first HCP synthesized was compared against a monomeric cruciform model and a linear polymer with a similar structure. The hyperbranched polymer has red-shifted absorption and emission in comparison to the cruciform model and linear polymer. The HCP quenches paraquat more efficiently than the linear polymer by a factor of about two, suggesting a greater rate of energy transfer. The functionalization of HCPs was studied; iodine groups decorating the HCPs were replaced with terminal alkynes by Pd-catalyzed coupling, providing a library of 24 differently functionalized HCPs. Elemental analyses of the postfunctionalized polymers show nearly complete substitution of the iodine groups. The postfunctionalized polymers show increased fluorescence compared to the original iodine decorated polymers, due to the loss of the heavy atom effect inducing iodine groups. The emissions of the postfunctionalized polymers in solution show a strong dependence on the groups attached to the conjugated structures, with emission maxima ranging from 505 nm to 602 nm; quantum yields range from 0.7% to 25%. Solid-state emission studies show stronger and more red-shifted spectra compared to emissions observed in solution.

This work deals with conception and implemetation of tools for finding approximate palindromes in DNA sequences. The work focuses on the description of DNA structure, and on the function of palindromes in DNA sequences, and on the description of methods for finding approximate palindromes. Main part of thesis is focused on conclusion and description of implementation approximate palidromes finding tool.

Previous studies of short DNA hairpins have revealed that loop and stem sequences can significantly affect the thermodynamic stability of short DNA hairpins. Nevertheless, there has not been sufficient investigation into the pressure-temperature stability of DNA hairpins, and the current thermodynamic knowledge of DNA hairpins’ stability is limited to the temperature domain. In this work, we report the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the helix-coil transition temperature (TM) for eleven short DNA hairpins at different salt concentrations by performing UV-monitored melting. The studied hairpins form by intramolecular folding of 16-base self-complementary DNA oligo¬deoxy¬ribonucleotides. Model dependent (van’t Hoff) transition parameters such as ΔHvH and transition volume (ΔV) were estimated from analysis of optical melting transitions. Experiments revealed the ΔV for denaturation of these molecules range from -2.35 to +6.74 cm3mol-1. The difference in the volume change for this transition is related to differences in the hydration of these molecules.

Previous studies of short DNA hairpins have revealed that loop and stem sequences can significantly affect the thermodynamic stability of short DNA hairpins. Nevertheless, there has not been sufficient investigation into the pressure-temperature stability of DNA hairpins, and the current thermodynamic knowledge of DNA hairpins’ stability is limited to the temperature domain. In this work, we report the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the helix-coil transition temperature (TM) for eleven short DNA hairpins at different salt concentrations by performing UV-monitored melting. The studied hairpins form by intramolecular folding of 16-base self-complementary DNA oligo¬deoxy¬ribonucleotides. Model dependent (van’t Hoff) transition parameters such as ΔHvH and transition volume (ΔV) were estimated from analysis of optical melting transitions. Experiments revealed the ΔV for denaturation of these molecules range from -2.35 to +6.74 cm3mol-1. The difference in the volume change for this transition is related to differences in the hydration of these molecules.

Text in German with summaries in German and English / Die Kreuzestheologie erlebt seit Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts eine anhaltende Renaissance. Die vorgelegten Beiträge gehen zwar von gemeinsamen Wurzeln aus, verzweigen sich jedoch in vielfältige, teilweise disparate Entwürfe. Deshalb ist neu zu fragen, was Kreuzestheologie ist. Die Antwort wird in sieben Schriften des Corpus Paulinum gesucht, welche auf ihren kreuzestheologischen Gehalt befragt werden. Dabei zeigt sich trotz unterschiedlich häufiger Verwendung der kreuzestheologischen Begriffe durchwegs die entscheidende Bedeutung des Kreuzes Jesu in den theologischen Grundlinien. Kreuzesaussagen erscheinen immer im Zusammenhang mit den zentralen Thesen der paulinischen Briefe. Der exegetische Befund führt zum Schluss, dass bei der paulinischen Kreuzestheologie von einem theologischen Ansatz zu sprechen ist, der zurecht umfassenden und kritischen Anspruch auf christliche Theologie und kirchliche Praxis erhebt. / The “theology of the cross” has seen a remarkable come-back since the beginning of 20th century. While the various contributions share similar roots, they differ widely in their approaches and constructions. Therefore, the simple question regarding the nature of a theology of the cross has to be raised again. This study seeks answers in seven writings of the Corpus Paulinum, which will be examined for their use of references to Jesus’ death on the cross. Although these letters differ significantly in their use of crossrelated terminology, they consistently testify to the crucial significance of the cross of Jesus in their theological paradigm. Statements about the cross are always an essential ingredient in the argumentation of these letters. The exegetical survey leads to the conclusion that Pauline theology of the cross is an all-encompassing and critical approach and principle for Christian theology and ecclesial practice. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)