L’objectif de cette étude était de démontrer que le léchage excessif de surface (LES) chez le chien représente un signe clinique d’un trouble digestif sous-jacent plutôt qu’un trouble obsessionnel compulsif. Vingt chiens présentés pour LES (groupe L) ont été divisés en 2 sous-groupes de 10 chiens chacun : L0, sans, et LD, avec des signes cliniques digestifs concomitants. Dix chiens en santé ont été assignés à un groupe contrôle (groupe C). Une évaluation comportementale complète, un examen physique et neurologique ont été réalisés avant un bilan diagnostic gastro-intestinal (GI) complet (hématologie, biochimie, analyse urinaire, mesure des acides biliaires pré et post-prandiaux et de l’immunoréactivité spécifique de la lipase pancréatique canine, flottaison fécale au sulfate de zinc, culture de selles, échographie abdominale et endoscopie GI haute avec prise de biopsies). En fonction des résultats, un interniste recommandait un traitement approprié. Les chiens étaient suivis pendant 90 jours durant lesquels le comportement de léchage était enregistré. Des troubles GI ont été identifiés chez 14/20 chiens du groupe L. Ces troubles GI sous-jacents incluaient une infiltration éosinophilique du tractus GI, une infiltration lymphoplasmocytaire du tractus GI, un retard de vidange gastrique, un syndrome du côlon irritable, une pancréatite chronique, un corps étranger gastrique et une giardiose. Une amélioration >50% en fréquence ou en durée par rapport au comportement de léchage initial a été observée chez une majorité de chiens (56%). La moitié des chiens ont complètement cessé le LES. En dehors du LES, il n’y avait pas de différence significative de comportement (p.ex. anxiété), entre les chiens L et les chiens C. Les troubles GI doivent être considérés dans le diagnostic différentiel du LES chez le chien. / The objective of this study was to characterize excessive licking of surfaces (ELS) in dogs and demonstrate that it can be a sign of underlying gastrointestinal (GI) pathology rather than an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Twenty dogs presented with ELS (L group) were divided in 2 subgroups of 10 dogs each: L0 without and LD with concomitant digestive signs. Ten healthy dogs were assigned to a control group (C group). Behavioral, physical and neurological examinations were performed prior to a complete work-up of the GI system (CBC, serum chemistry panel, urinalysis, assessment of total serum bile acids and canine specific pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, fecal flotation by zinc sulfate, fecal culture, abdominal ultrasonography and upper GI endoscopy with biopsies). Based on results, appropriate treatment was recommended. Dogs were monitored subsequently for 90 days during which the licking behavior was recorded. Gastrointestinal disorders were identified in14/20 L dogs. Underlying GI disorders included eosinophilic infiltration of the GI tract, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the GI tract, delayed gastric emptying, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, gastric foreign body and giardiasis. Significant improvement (>50%) in frequency or duration of the basal ELS behavior was observed in the majority of dogs (56%). Resolution of ELS occurred in half of the L dogs. Except for ELS, there was no significant difference in the behavior (e.g. anxiety) of L dogs and C dogs. GI disorders should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ELS in dogs

While sorting through my experiences as a student teacher, my research question has shifted from “How can teacher education be improved?” to “How is teacher education represented?” I am interested in the juxtaposition of these two inquiries, and use them not to suggest pedagogical rules, but to draw attention to the kinds of spaces such a juxtaposition opens up. The shift in my research question is influenced by the discursive turn—the movement from social justice theories to poststructuralist theories, from theories based on experience to theories based on discourse. Questions of representation are the focus not only of poststructuralist theories but also of psychoanalytic theories, or theories of the unconscious, and both theories acknowledge that representations of reality are excessive: they contain more and less than that which they represent (Orner et al., 2005). The concept of excess enables me to make sense of moments in my teacher education program that could not be contained by dominant educational discourses of knowledge, reflection, and inclusion. The excessiveness of a teaching strategy called the Six Thinking Hats troubles the theory/practice binary in discourses of knowledge. The excessiveness of an assignment about philosophies of teaching, and a class discussion in response to the film Submission trouble the enlightenment/ignorance binary in discourses of reflection. And, the excessiveness of my attempt to question curricular content troubles the normal/exceptional binary in discourses of inclusion. I use excessive moments from my teacher education program to question existing discourses, and to suggest that we need to change the stories we tell ourselves about education (King, 2003). Our current educational discourses perpetuate histories of violence that we have inherited, and I suggest that social justice, poststructuralist, and psychoanalytic theories will enable us to more effectively heal from these inherited histories. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2007-12-04 16:19:40.676 / This work was funded in part by a Canadian Graduate Scholarship granted by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (766-2006-0775).

Le devoir d’accommodement raisonnable a fait couler beaucoup d’encre, au Québec et ailleurs au Canada, au cours de la dernière décennie. Depuis la première fois où elle fût énoncée par la Cour suprême du Canada en 1985, les tribunaux ont été appelés à se prononcer à maintes reprises sur cette notion. Partant d’un concept juridique vague et peu précis, les décideurs ont cherché à définir le concept d’accommodement raisonnable à travers une étude approfondie de sa seule limite : la contrainte excessive. Il est désormais acquis que les employeurs ont l’obligation d’adapter le travail et les lieux de travail pour permettre aux personnes handicapées d’avoir accès à l’emploi sans discrimination. Le syndicat, tout comme le salarié visé par une demande d’accommodement, a également l’obligation de collaborer à la recherche de mesures de redressement. Ce mémoire propose une étude jurisprudentielle des concepts d’accommodements raisonnables et de contrainte excessive. Notre analyse portera sur les décisions des tribunaux judiciaires et administratifs rendues au Québec entre 1999 et 2010. La présente étude a pour objet principal d’analyser l’étendue de la notion de contrainte et à la circonscrire avec clarté et précision. / The obligation of reasonable accommodation has been the object of much discussion during the last decade, in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. Since this issue was first broached by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1985, the courts and tribunals have had many occasions to render decisions on the topic. Starting at the onset with a very vague and indistinct legal concept, decision makers have since sought to define the concept of reasonable accommodation through studying its only limit: undue hardship. It is now accepted that the employers must adapt work and workplaces to enable disabled workers with an access to employment without discrimination. Trade unions, just like employees aimed by a request for accommodation, also both have the obligation to collaborate in the search of measurements of rectification. This Master’s thesis proposes a jurisprudential study of the concepts of reasonable accommodation and undue hardship. Our analysis will relate to the decisions of the judicial and administrative tribunals rendered in Quebec between 1999 and 2010. The present study has for main objective to analyze the extent of the concept of undue hardship and to define it clearly and with precision.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

In terms of section 186(1)(e) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 constructive dismissal occurs where an employee terminated a contract of employment with or without notice because the employer made continued employment intolerable. Work stress is becoming more and more imminent in the workplace. Some employees feel that the amount of work stress also makes their continued employment intolerable, and then they claim constructive dismissal. This raises the question whether the courts should apply the same tests they apply in constructive dismissal cases as well as in cases where the employee resigns because of work stress. But, if the same tests that are used to determine if there has been a constructive dismissal are used in a case where an employee resigns because of work stress, a real danger exists because then it can lead to the misuse of a claim of constructive dismissal by employees who cannot handle a minimum amount of work stress. Over the years the courts have indicated that they apply an objective test in cases of constructive dismissal. This leads to the argument whether subjectivity should play a role, and whether one should look at the subjective perspective of both the employer and the employee. This research looks at numerous court decisions, from both the South African legal system as well as the United Kingdom legal system, in order to determine which tests the South African courts need to apply when they are confronted with a constructive dismissal claim where the employee resigned due to work stress. Constructive dismissal – resignation – work stress – stress due to an excessive workload – work stress and employee wellness – stress based claims. / Thesis (LL.M. (Labour Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Technologies such as horizontal wells and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing have made ultra-low permeability shale and tight gas reservoirs productive but the industry is still on the learning curve when it comes to addressing various production issues. Some of the problems encountered while hydraulically fracturing these reservoirs are the absence of frac barriers, thinner shales and the increased presence of geological hazards. Induced vertical fractures sometimes extend to an underlying aquifer and become a conduit to the well. We have developed a low-concentration, low-viscosity and delayed-crosslink polymeric gel system as a water shutoff agent for hydraulically-fractured tight gas and shale reservoirs, where some fractures might connect to water rich zones. The system also is a significant improvement over traditional flowing gels for fracture water shutoff in conventional reservoirs because of these features. The gel uses high molecular weight hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) at low polymer concentrations with a delayed organic crosslinker. This crosslinker is more environmentally benign and provides much longer gelation time and stronger final gels than comparable polymer loadings with chromium carboxylate crosslinkers at higher temperatures. The low viscosity system allows low-pressure extrusion of gelant into the narrow-aperture fractures present in unconventional gas reservoirs. The gelant can be pumped at low pressures due to lower polymer concentrations and delayed gelation point. This allows the potential to seal problem zones that are producing excess water even when the fractures conducting water have very narrow apertures. By impeding water production, the gel system developed here can effectively delay water loading thereby avoiding abandonment or installation of expensive equipment with increased operational costs, thus extending life and reserves of unconventional gas wells.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Passarelas de pedestres mistas (aço-concreto) e de aço são frequentemente submetidas a ações dinâmicas de magnitude variável, devido à travessia de pedestres sobre a laje de concreto. Estas ações dinâmicas podem produzir vibrações excessivas e dependendo de sua magnitude e intensidade, estes efeitos adversos podem comprometer a confiabilidade e a resposta do sistema estrutural e, também, podem levar a uma redução da expectativa de vida útil da passarela. Por outro lado, a experiência e o conhecimento dos engenheiros estruturais em conjunto com o uso de novos materiais e tecnologias construtivas têm produzido projetos de passarelas mistas (aço-concreto) bastante arrojados. Uma consequência direta desta tendência de projeto é um aumento considerável das vibrações estruturais. Com base neste cenário, esta dissertação visa investigar o comportamento dinâmico de três passarelas de pedestres mistas (aço-concreto) localizadas no Rio de Janeiro, submetidas ao caminhar humano. Estes sistemas estruturais são constituídos por uma estrutura principal de aço e laje em concreto e são destinados à travessia de pedestres. Deste modo, foram desenvolvidos modelos numérico-computacionais, adotando-se as técnicas tradicionais de refinamento presentes em simulações do método de elementos finitos, com base no uso do software ANSYS. Estes modelos numéricos permitiram uma completa avaliação dinâmica das passarelas investigadas, especialmente em termos de conforto humano. As respostas dinâmicas foram obtidas em termos de acelerações de pico e comparadas com valores limites propostas por diversos autores e normas de projeto. Os valores de aceleração de pico e aceleração rms encontrados na presente investigação indicaram que as passarelas analisadas apresentaram problemas relacionados com o conforto humano. Assim sendo, considerando-se que foi detectado que estas estruturas poderiam atingir níveis elevados de vibração que possam vir a comprometer o conforto dos usuários, foi verificado que uma estratégia para o controle estrutural era necessária, a fim de reduzir as vibrações excessivas nas passarelas. Finalmente, uma investigação foi realizada com base em alternativas de controle estrutural objetivando atenuar vibrações excessivas, a partir do emprego de sistemas de atenuadores dinâmicos sintonizados (ADS). / Steel and steel-concrete composite pedestrian footbridges are frequently subjected to dynamic actions with variable magnitudes due to the pedestrian crossing on the concrete deck. These dynamic actions can produce excessive vibrations and depending on their magnitude and intensity, these adverse effects can compromise the structural systems response and its reliability and may also lead to a reduction of the expected footbridge service life. The structural engineers experience and knowledge together with the use of newly developed materials and technologies have produced steel-concrete composite daring footbridges. A direct consequence of this design trend is a considerable increase of structural vibrations. Based on this scenario, this dissertation aims to investigate the dynamic behaviour of three steel-concrete composite pedestrian footbridge submitted to human walking vibration, located at Rio de Janeiro. These structural systems are composed by steel structure and a concrete slab and are destined for pedestrian crossing. Computational models were developed adopting the usual mesh refinement techniques present in finite element method simulations using ANSYS software. These numerical models have enabled a complete dynamic evaluation of the investigated footbridges especially in terms of human comfort and its associated vibration serviceability limit states. The dynamic responses were obtained in terms of peak accelerations and were compared to the limiting values proposed by authors and design standards. The peak acceleration values found in the present investigation indicated that the analysed footbridges have presented problems related to human comfort. Considering that it was detected that these structures could reach high vibration levels that might compromise the footbridge users comfort, it was proposed a structural control system in order to reduce the excessive vibrations. Thus, an investigation was performed based on some structural control alternatives for attenuating excessive vibrations using tuned mass damper (TMD) systems.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Um aumento crescente dos problemas estruturais associados à vibração excessiva de pisos de edificações de estruturas mistas (aço-concreto) e de concreto armado devido a atividades humanas rítmicas constitui a principal motivação para o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de projeto respaldada na obtenção da resposta dinâmica de pisos mistos (aço-concreto) e de concreto armado, quando submetidos a cargas dinâmicas humanas rítmicas. Para tal, os modelos estruturais estudados baseiam-se em pisos de edificações mistas (aço-concreto) e de concreto armado submetidos a aulas de ginástica aeróbica. São empregadas técnicas usuais de discretização, via método dos elementos finitos (MEF), por meio do programa ANSYS. Um estudo paramétrico foi realizado sobre os modelos estruturais investigados e foram obtidos valores elevados para as acelerações de pico violando os critérios de projeto e indicando níveis de vibrações excessivas. Considerando-se os aspectos mencionados anteriormente foi desenvolvida uma estratégia com base em alternativas viáveis para o controle estrutural, objetivando a atenuação das vibrações excessivas a partir da instalação de atenuadores dinâmicos sincronizados (ADS) nos pisos analisados. / The increasing incidence of building vibration problems due to human rhythmic activities led to a specific design criterion to be addressed in structural design. This was the main motivation for the development of a design methodology centred on the composite (steel-concrete) and reinforced concrete building floors dynamic response when submitted to dynamic loads due to human rhythmic activities. The structural system is composed by a composite (steel-concrete) and a reinforced concrete building floor subjected to aerobics. The proposed analysis methodology adopted the usual mesh refinement techniques present in the finite element method (FEM) simulations implemented in the ANSYS program. An extensive parametric study was developed and the results have demonstrated that the analysed composite and reinforced floor have presented high values of accelerations and excessive vibrations. Considering all aspects mentioned before, it was developed a structural control strategy aiming to reduce the floor excessive vibrations. Finally, an investigation was performed based on some structural control alternatives for attenuating excessive vibrations using Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) systems.

O presente estudo tem como escopo examinar os limites constitucionais da influência da tributação nas atividades econômicas dos Contribuintes, à luz dos princípios e postulados da livre iniciativa, da livre concorrência, da igualdade, da proporcionalidade e da proibição do excesso. A indagação geral que impulsionará a pesquisa é a seguinte: pode a tributação, de forma indistinta, determinar como os Contribuintes devem agir ao plasmar suas atividades econômicas, ou há algum limite a partir do qual a influência da tributação sobre as livres escolhas dos Contribuintes não pode mais avançar? Quais as normas resultantes das interações entre direito tributário e direito econômico? Quais limites a igualdade impõe ao uso de medidas extrafiscais? De quais ferramentas dispõe o aplicador para realizar a liberdade econômica e a igualdade? Como a tese do legislador negativo representa um entrave para a realização dos princípios e postulados em questão? Quais paradigmas estão por trás de tal tese? Mais especificamente, examinaremos alguns casos concretos que ilustrem os problemas em questão e permitam um aprofundamento dos pontos discutidos na pesquisa. O primeiro caso será o das empresas excluídas do SIMPLES cuja exclusão esteja motivada pelo simples exercício de determinada atividade econômica, buscando elucidar se tal discriminação encontra suporte no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, considerando o seguinte: existindo um critério objetivo para definir quais empresas podem gozar dos benefícios do SIMPLES, qual seja, a receita bruta anual da empresa, pode o Poder Legislativo adotar critério distintivo diverso (a atividade econômica desenvolvida pela empresa) para fins de enquadramento no referido regime tributário? Tal discriminação em função da atividade econômica do Contribuinte encontra respaldo na Constituição Federal? Se a liberdade econômica é um limite à tal discriminação, quais são seus elementos e eficácia jurídica? O segundo caso, que impõe questionamentos semelhantes, é o da exclusão da possibilidade de creditamento da mão-de-obra de pessoas físicas utilizada como insumo por Contribuintes do PIS e da COFINS não-cumulativos. / This paper aims to verify which are the constitutional limitations to the influence of taxation over taxpayers’ economic activities, in the light of the principles and postulates of freedom of enterprise, free competition, equality, proportionality and the prohibition of excessive influence. The general enquiry that will guide this research is the following: can taxation, indistinctly, determine how taxpayers shall act when choosing and directing their economic activities, or are there some limitations that compel the government to not influence taxpayers' economic choices? What are the norms resulting from interactions between tax law and economic law? What limits does equality imposes to the use of behavior influent taxation? Which are the tools available to the judges to promote economic freedom and equality? How does the thesis of negative legislative power represents an obstacle to the achievement of such principles and postulates by the courts? What are the paradigms behind such thesis? More specifically, we are going to examine some cases that illustrate the problems abovementioned and allow us to go deeper in points discussed in this research. The first case is the exclusion of companies from tax benefit program called SIMPLES (for small business), whose exclusion is determined by the simple fact of exercise of a specific economic activity. We are going to exam it in order to elucidate if Brazilian law sustains such discrimination, considering the following: if the law choses one criteria to grant the tax benefits of SIMPLES (company's economic size measured by gross income), can the legislator choose another criteria (company's economic activity) to exclude it from the tax benefit program? Is it grounded in Brazilian Constitution the discrimination based upon the simple adoption of an economic activity? If freedom of enterprise is a limitation to such discrimination, which are its elements and legal effectiveness? The second case, which implies similar questions, is the exclusion of the possibility of crediting the labor of natural persons used as an input for taxpayers of non-cumulative PIS and COFINS (social contributions over gross income - VAT).