Simplicial complexes are mathematical objects whose importance stretches from topology to commutative algebra and combinatorics. In this thesis we focus on the family of balanced simplicial complexes. A d-dimensional simplicial complex is balanced if its 1-skeleton can be properly (d+1)-colored, as in the classical graph theoretic sense. Equivalently, a d-dimensional complex is balanced iff it admits a non-degenerate simplicial projection to the d-simplex. We present results on these complexes from a number of different points of view. After two introductory chapters, we exhibit in chapter 3 an infinite family of balanced counterexamples to Stanley's partitionability conjecture. These complexes, which are in addition constructible, answer a question of Duval et al. in the negative. Next we shift to combinatorial topology, and study cross-flips, i.e., local moves on balanced manifolds introduced by Izmestiev, Klee and Novik, which preserve both the coloring and the topological type. In chapter 4 we provide an explicit description and enumeration of an interesting subset of these moves and use it to prove a Pachner-type theorem. Indeed, we show that any two balanced combinatorial manifolds with boundary which are PL-homeomorphic can be transformed one into the other by a sequence of shellings and inverse shellings which preserve both the coloring and the topological type at each step. This solves a problem proposed by Izmestiev, Klee and Novik. Chapter 5 is devoted to the study of certain algebraic invariants of simplicial complexes in the balanced case. Here upper bounds for the graded Betti numbers of the Stanley-Reisner ring of balanced simplicial complexes are investigated in several level of generalities, and we show that they are sharper than in the general case. First, we employ Hochster formula to obtain inequalities for the case of arbitrary balanced complexes. Next, we focus on the balanced Cohen-Macaulay case and we obtain two upper bounds via two different strategies. Using similar ideas we also bound the Betti numbers in the linear strand of balanced normal d-pseudomanifolds, for d>2. Finally, we explicitly compute graded Betti numbers of the class of stacked cross-polytopal spheres, and conjecture that they provide a sharp upper bound for those of all balanced pseudomanifolds with the same dimension and number of vertices. In the last chapter, we implement cross-flips on balanced surfaces and 3-manifolds, and use this computer program to search for balanced manifolds on few vertices, possibly vertex-minimal. Reducing the barycentric subdivision of vertex minimal triangulations, we find a long list of balanced triangulations of interesting spaces on few vertices. Among those stand out a balanced vertex-minimal triangulation of the dunce hat (11-vertices) and of the 2- and 3-dimensional real projective space (9 and 16 vertices respectively). Using obstructions from knot theory and a careful choice of flips we find a balanced non-shellable 3-sphere and a balanced shellable non-vertex-decomposable 3-sphere on 28 and 22 vertices respectively. These are the smallest instances known in the literature.

Les mycotoxines sont de métabolites secondaires produits par de nombreuses espèces fongiques. Les effets sanitaires induits par l’ingestion de ces substances sont bien documentés et certaines mycotoxines font désormais l’objet de réglementations quant à leurs teneurs maximales tolérables dans les aliments. Cependant, d’autres voies d’exposition à ces contaminants sont possibles. Si l’action irritante ou allergisante liée à l’inhalation de spores fongiques ou de fragments mycéliens a été démontrée, l’inhalation de mycotoxines est aussi suspectée d’induire certains troubles respiratoires ou certaines pathologies. En effet, les mycotoxines peuvent être retrouvées dans les spores mais également sur des particules plus fines facilement aérosolisables et donc susceptible d’être inhalées. Cependant, les données concernant le danger associé à l’exposition humaine aux mycotoxines par inhalation sont encore très parcellaires. Dans ce contexte, nos travaux ont eu comme objectif principal la caractérisation de l’aérosolisation des mycotoxines lors de la colonisation de différents matériaux rencontrés dans les environnements intérieurs par des moisissures toxinogènes. Tout d’abord nous avons étudié la croissance et la production de mycotoxines lors de la colonisation de matériaux de construction (papier peint, toile de verre peinte, papier peint vinyle, sapin) par trois espèces fongiques d’intérêt: Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium brevicompactum, Stachybotrys chartarum. Ces espèces ont été choisies à cause de leur présence fréquente dans les environnements intérieurs et de leur diversité d’organisation mycélienne. De plus, ces trois espèces produisent des toxines différentes: stérigmatocystine, acide mycophénolique et trichothécènes macrocycliques pour A. versicolor, P. brevicompactum et S. chartarum, respectivement. Ces travaux ont démontré que, pendant leur développement sur les matériaux testés, les trois espèces produisent des mycotoxines. Le matériau le plus favorable au développement fongique et à la toxinogénèse est le papier peint. L'acide mycophénolique, la stérigmatocystine et les trichothécènes macrocycliques peuvent ainsi être produits à des niveaux de 1.8, 112.1 et 27.8 mg/m2, respectivement, sur ce matériau. Ces toxines peuvent ensuite être partiellement aérosolisées. Nous avons montré que l’aérosolisation dépend des espèces et de leur structure mycélienne mais aussi des conditions de culture et du flux d’air. Ce transfert dans l'air est observé après des sollicitations aérauliques qui peuvent être rencontrées facilement dans les environnements intérieurs car elles correspondent au mouvement de personne dans une pièce (0.3 m/s), à la vitesse de l'air dans les diffuseurs de plafond (2 m/s), à des coutants d’air ou des claquements de porte (6 m/s). P. brevicompactum est l’espèce la plus facile à aérosoliser. La majeure partie de la charge toxique des aérosols est retrouvée dans des particules dont la taille correspond à celle de spores ou de fragments de mycélium. Cependant, pour les trichothécènes macrocycliques, des toxines ont également été trouvées sur des particules plus petites que les spores, qui pourraient être facilement inhalées par les habitants et pénétrer profondément dans les voies respiratoires. Afin de mieux caractériser le danger réel associé à l’inhalation de ces composés, des études de cytotoxicité ont été réalisés en utilisant des cellules pulmonaires et en comparant avec les résultats observés sur cellules digestives. La toxicité sur cellules pulmonaires est comparable à celle observée sur cellules digestives. Les trichothécènes macrocycliques sont beaucoup plus toxiques que les autres toxines testées avec des IC50 de l’ordre du ng/ml. Au final, nous avons évalué la persistance de ces contaminants lors de l’application d’eau de javel, procédé de décontamination le plus fréquemment utilisé. Nous avons montré qu’une procédure de nettoyage normale ne permet qu’une élimination partielle des moisissures. / Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by many fungal species. Health effects induced by the ingestion of these substances are well documented and some mycotoxins are now regulated for their maximum tolerable levels in foods. However, other routes of exposure to these contaminants are possible. Thus, if irritating or allergenic reactions related to the inhalation of fungal spores or mycelial fragments have been demonstrated, inhalation of mycotoxins is also suspected to be causing certain respiratory disorders or certain pathologies. Indeed, mycotoxins can be found in spores but also on finer particles which are easily aerosolized and therefore likely to be inhaled. However, data on the hazard associated with human exposure to mycotoxins by inhalation are still very fragmented. In this context, our main objective was to characterize the aerosolization of mycotoxins during the colonization of different materials encountered in indoor environments by toxinogenic molds. First we studied growth and production of mycotoxins during the colonization of building materials (wallpaper, painted fiberglass wallpaper, vinyl wallpaper, fir, fiberglass) by three fungal species of interest: Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium brevicompactum, Stachybotrys chartarum. These species were chosen because of their frequent presence in indoor environments and their diverse mycelial organization. In addition, these three species produce different toxins: sterigmatocystin, mycophenolic acid and macrocyclic trichothecenes for A. versicolor, P. brevicompactum and S. chartarum, respectively. These studies have shown that, during their development on tested materials, three species produce mycotoxins. The most favorable material for fungal development and toxinogenesis is wallpaper. Mycophenolic acid, sterigmatocystin and macrocyclic trichothecenes can thus be produced at levels of 1.8, 112.1 and 27.8 mg/m2, respectively, on this material. These toxins can then be partially aerosolized. We have shown that aerosolization depends on species and their mycelial structure, but also on culture conditions and airflow. This transfer to air is nevertheless observed after aeraulic solicitations which can be easily encountered in indoor environments because theycorrespond to the movement of people in a room (0.3 m/s), speed of air in ceiling diffusers (2 m/s), slamming doors or air drafts when opening windows(6 m/s). P. brevicompactum showed to be the easiest to aerosolize. The major part of the aerosols’ toxic charge is found in particles whose size corresponds to that of spores or mycelial fragments. However, for macrocyclic trichothecenes, toxins were also found in particles smaller than spores, which could easily be inhaled by occupants and penetrate deep into the respiratory tract. In order to better characterize the actual hazard associated with inhalation of these compounds, cytotoxicity studies have been performed using lung cells and comparing with results observed on digestive cells. Pulmonary toxicity is comparable to that observed in digestive cells. Macrocyclic trichothecenes are much more toxic than other tested toxins with IC50 in order of ng/ml. In parallel, we analyzed the VOCs specifically produced during active mycotoxinogenesis in order to identify potential biomarkers of the actual production of mycotoxins that could be used as tools for monitoring of indoor environments. Unfortunately, this approach has not, for the moment, led to the identification of specific targets. In the end, we evaluated the persistence of these contaminants during application of bleach, the most frequently used decontamination process. We have shown that a normal cleaning procedure allows only partial removal of mold.

Les objectifs de cette thèse sont d'étudier les effets respiratoires de la pollution atmosphérique en prenant en compte 3 niveaux d'exposition: les niveaux macroscopique, semi-individuel et individuel.Pour le niveau macroscopique, nous avons étudié les effets sanitaires des émissions des feux de forêts dans une étude de type écologique. Au travers d'une revue de la littérature, nous avons observé que plusieurs études épidémiologiques avaient mis en évidence l'association entre l'exposition aux émissions des feux et l'augmentation des maladies cardiopulmonaires et la mortalité pour les individus habitant à proximité. La principale limite à ces études est donnée par l'évaluation de l'exposition. Dans une étude de cas sur les incendies de Marseille de 2009, nous avons observé des effets à la limite de la signification 8 et 9 jours après l'exposition entre les concentrations des particules fines(PM2.5 ) issues des incendies et les effets respiratoires.Pour le niveau semi-individuel, nous avons étudié le lien entre la pollution domestique et professionnelle et les maladies respiratoires chez des agriculteurs auvergnats dans le cadre d'une étude de type transversale. Nous avons observé que les dérivés halogénés et l'étyl-butoxyacetate étaient associés de façon significative aux maladies des petites voies aériennes. La concentration de benzène dans la pièce de vie principale de la ferme était significativement associée à une augmentation du risque d'asthme. Enfin, l'utilisation de l'acide mercapturique, dans le cadre d'une étude de type cas témoin nichée nous a permis de mesurer la dose interne d'exposition du benzène parmi des enfants de l'étude et son lien avec l'asthme. / The objectives of this thesis were to study the respiratory effects of air pollution by taking into account three levels of exposure: the macroscopic, semi-individual and individual levels. For the macroscopic level, we studied the health effects of emissions from forest fires in an ecological study. Through a literature review, we found that several epidemiological studies have shown the association between exposure to wildfire emissions and increase cardiopulmonary disease and mortality for the people living nearby. The main limitation of these studies is given by the exposure assessment. In a case study of the wildfire occurred in Marseille in the summer 2009, we observed effects at the limit of significance 8 and 9 days after exposure between concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) from fire and respiratory effects .For semi-individual level, we have studied the link between domestic and occupational pollution and respiratory diseases among farmers from Auvergne using a cross-sectional study. We observed that the halogenated hydrocarbons and Etyl-butoxyacetate were significantly associated with the small airways disease. Benzene concentration in the living room of the farm was significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma. Finally, the use of a biomarker (the mercapturic acid) in the context of a case-control study allowed us to measure the internal dose of the exposure to benzene and its link with asthma among children included the study.

The Fantastic Machine - the story of a man who struggles to keep family & friends safe when evil visits 1905 Portland, Oregon.

The goal of the thesis is an architectural study of Exposition Hall for the okapi, bongo and the hippos, including open-air concept. The pavilion has an organic, regular shape of drop, which is the entry point deformed inwards. The face is made of aluminum facade system. The interior of the pavilion evoking a rainforest environment with rooflights and pillars in the shape of trees. Around the pavilion to span the different paddocks lined visitor's tour, seats and view points.

In this dissertation, I wrestle with how literature has helped frame how modern cities have been understood, and how neighborhood change within them has been interpreted, since the dawn of the modern city in the early twentieth century U.S. Moving from Chicago at the time of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to 1920s Harlem, to postwar Chicago, then back again to 1960s-era Harlem before focusing on the first “brownstoning” era in Brooklyn, I analyze how literature has shaped and contested the terms through which urban neighborhood change was and still is understood—terms like “community,” “integration,” “segregation,” and, on a more housing-specific note, “tenements” and “slums.” Its aim is to demonstrate the necessity of applying close reading to cities in order to understand and address urban problems appropriately in light of their context(s). It also seeks to illustrate how literature can be and has been used as a tool for imagining more equal and more just forms of cities, forms occasionally reached for but never fully attained.

Argumentation is widely regarded as both a productive path and a critical objective of education. However, poor performance remains a serious problem at all ages in assessments of expository writing in which students are asked to make an argument in support of a claim. An apprenticeship model is proposed as a mechanism in the development of skill in dialogic argumentation, with this skill serving as a bridge to individual written argument. In a multi-week intervention, young adolescents were paired with a series of both more skilled and similarly skilled partners, anonymously, in conducting one-on-one electronic dialogs on controversial issues. A comparison group was included who engaged in the same intervention and assessments, but their dialogic partners were confined to similar ability peers. The more skilled adult partner displayed skilled forms of counterargument and use of evidence to support claims as well as frequent questioning with respect to the partner’s statements and meta-talk about the discourse itself. Effects on students’ individual argument skill on a new topic were assessed by means of both a (solitary) individually constructed dialog and an individual essay. In both the dialogs and essays, the experimental group showed greater skills in using evidence to support a claim, generating advanced counterarguments, and constructing integrative critical arguments coordinating two contrasting claims, relative to the comparison group. These results lend support to the power of apprenticeship in individual argument skill development. Both groups also advanced in individual dialogic argument skills following their engagement in argumentation, a result thereby demonstrating the passage of higher-order intellectual skills from a social to individual level. Besides their educational implications, the theoretical significance of these results in relation to both an apprenticeship model and a dialogical model of argument skill development was discussed.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur blottlagd exposition (informationsförmedling) i filmdialog påverkar en filmpubliks intresse att se vart en fiktionsberättelse leder. Studien är centrerad runt ett experiment där en testpublik fick lyssna på två för undersökningen producerade dialogscener vari expositionen var blottlagd i den ena och dramatiserad i den andra. Därefter fick testpubliken svara på enkätfrågor som undersökte deras upplevelse av scenerna. Svaren på enkätfrågorna analyserades till sist i samband och jämförelse med konventionell manusteori. Uppsatsens resultat pekar på att dialog med blottlagd exposition till viss del övermättar publikens behov för information och förståelse, vilket förminskar deras intresse att se vart en fiktionsberättelse leder. Resultaten visade dock även att brister i förståelse, trots att de kan öka intresse, förhindrar publikens förmåga att engagera sig i en fiktionsberättelse.

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