Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR has, in step with societal development and awareness, driven companies to take several aspects into account. Issues relating to climate, sustainability, social and financial issues are some of the meanings of social responsibility and to which companies are taking into account. The knowledge about the textile industry has broadened throughout society which has led to a certain awareness about what we buy. This makes CSR communication important. Recently, several companies in the fashion industry have chosen to introduce various recycling programs of clothing in an attempt to reduce its climate footprint and position themselves as more sustainable in the market. One example is the fast-fashion company NA-KD and their sustainable initiative NA-KD Circle. Previous research has demonstrated how the inclusion of CSR can be important for the brand's credibility and loyalty. Based on methods that have been linked to the theoretical framework studied, the study has applied rhetorical and semiotic analysis as well as Kim and Ferguson’s six dimensions of effective CSR. In addition to these, Stuart Hall's model of encoding and decoding has also been used to illuminate the reception of the respondents. With the help of semi-structured interviews, the study's second and third questions have been attempted to be answered. These have touched on the topics of whether NA-KD Circle can be perceived as effective CSR and how this affects young women's attitude towards NA-KD as a brand. The interviews were further analyzed with qualitative content analysis where two themes were identified. The women's attitude and influence towards NA-KD as a brand resulted in its image being more skeptical than unchanged. It can also be read that the recipients did not decode the material of NA-KD Circle in the way that the sender was striving for. The recipients partly received the message but applied their personal perspectives and interpretations to the material.

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In the fall of 2006, soils from three small valleys in the Laxemar/Oskarshamn area were sampled. A total of eight composite samples were characterized for a number of soil parameters that are important for geochemical sorption and were later also used in batch sorption experiments. Solid/liquid partition coefficients (Kd values) were then determined for seven radionuclides in each of the eight samples. To contribute to the interpretation of the sorption results together with the soil characterizations, this study aims to describe the sorption behavior of the radionuclides caesium, nickel and uranium and also discern which parameters that could provide a basis for estimating the strength of sorption of radionuclides in general. The methodology included quantitative methodologies such as compilation of chemical equilibrium diagrams by the software Hydra/Medusa and correlation analyses using the statistical software SPSS statistics. Based on the speciation diagrams of each radionuclide and identified important linear and non-linear relationships of the Kd values with a number of soil parameters, the following soil- and soil solution properties were found to have controlled the sorption of Cs, Ni and U, respectively, in the Laxemar soils. Cs: the specific surface area of the soil coupled to the clay content. Ni: the cation exchange capacity, alkaline solution pH, soil organic matter and dissolved organic matter. U: the cation exchange capacity, soil organic matter, dissolved organic matter, dissolved carbonate and alkaline solution pH. The soil that showed the strongest sorption varied between the nuclides, which can be related to the individual sorption behavior of caesium, nickel and uranium, as well as the different physicochemical properties of the soils. The parameters that should be prioritized in characterizations of soil samples are identified to be: solution pH, the cation exchange capacity, the specific surface area of the soil, soil organic matter and soil texture (clay content). / För att kunna fatta beslut relaterade till hypotetisk framtida kontaminering från slutförvar av radioaktivt avfall är det direkt avgörande att förstå mobiliteten av radioaktiva element i miljön. Sorption är en av de viktigaste kemiska mekanismerna som kan minska spridningen av radionuklider i vatten/jord/bergssystem, där nukliderna fördelar sig mellan vätskefasen och ytor på fasta partiklar i dessa system. Fördelningskoefficienter (Kd värden) används generellt som ett kvantitativt mått på sorptionen, där ett högt Kd värde innebär att en större andel av ämnet i fråga är bundet till den fasta fasen. Under hösten 2006 togs jordprover från tre dalgångar i Laxemar/Oskarshamn. Totalt åtta jordprover karakteriserades för ett antal jordparametrar som är viktiga för geokemisk sorption och användes senare i batchförsök tillsammans med ett naturligt grundvatten. Fördelningskoefficienter (Kd värden) bestämdes för sju radionuklider (Cs, Eu, I, Ni, Np, Sr and U) för vart och ett av de åtta jordproverna. För att bidra till tolkningen av sorptionsresultaten tillsammans med jordprovernas egenskaper syftar denna studie till att beskriva sorptionsbeteendet hos radionukliderna caesium, nickel och uran samt urskilja vilka parametrar som kan fungera som grund för att uppskatta sorptionsstyrkan av radionuklider i allmänhet. För att uppnå detta syfte så har studien följande mål. Identifiera de jord- och marklösningsegenskaper som kontrollerar sorptionen av Cs, Ni respektive U i de åtta Laxemar proverna. Bestämma vilket Laxemar-jordprov som starkast sorberar de tre radionukliderna. Identifiera de jordparametrar som bör prioriteras vid jordkarakteriseringar, baserat på deras sorptionsinflytande, för att kunna uppskatta Kd värden endast med begränsad information om ett jordsystem. Metoden innefattade kvantitativa metoder såsom sammanställning av kemiska jämviktsdiagram med programvaran Hydra/Medusa och korrelationsanalyser med hjälp av statistikprogramvaran SPSS statistics. De kemiska jämviktsdiagrammen bidrog till att beskriva specieringen av respektive nuklid som en funktion av pH och korrelationsanalyserna bidrog till att identifiera linjära samband mellan par av variabler, tex mellan Kd och jordparametrar. Baserat på specieringsdiagrammen för varje radionuklid och identifierade viktiga linjära och icke-linjära förhållanden mellan Kd-värdena och ett antal jordparametrar har följande egenskaper hos jordarna och marklösningen visat sig huvudsakligen kontrollera sorptionen av Cs, Ni respektive U i de åtta Laxemar jordarna: För caesium gäller jordens specifika ytarea kopplad till lerinnehållet, medan för nickel är det katjonbytarkapaciteten, organiskt material, alkaliska pH-värden samt löst organiskt material. Sorptionen av uran befanns kontrolleras av katjonbytarkapaciteten, organiskt material, löst organiskt material, alkaliska pH-värden samt lösta karbonater. Den jord som visade starkast sorption varierar mellan de tre nukliderna, vilket kan relateras till nuklidernas individuella sorptionsbeteende i jord samt jordarnas olika fysikaliska och kemiska egenskaper. Parametrarna som bör prioriteras vid karaktärisering av jordprov identifierades vara: pH, katjonbytarkapaciteten, jordens specifika ytarea, mängden organiskt material samt jordtexturen (lerinnehåll).

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l’étude des mécanismes et des bilans de transfert des pesticides vers les cours d’eau sur deux bassins versants agricoles emboités, de tailles différentes en Gascogne (Sud Ouest de la France) : la Save à Larra (1110 km2).et le Montoussé (3,28 km2) à Auradé. Dans cette région, les pratiques d’une agriculture intensive conduisent à des risques importants pour les ressources en eau, notamment pendant les périodes de crue. C’est pour cela que nous avons porté une attention particulière dans cette étude à ces événements au cours desquels une grande quantité de contaminants sont transportés par les cours d’eau. Quatorze molécules de pesticides (herbicides et fongicides) largement utilisées sur ces bassins versants ont été étudiées grâce à un échantillonnage intensif, notamment en périodes de crue, durant deux années hydrologiques (2007/2008 et 2008/2009). La majorité des molécules étudiées présentent des concentrations qui dépassent les limites autorisées par l’Union Européenne pour l’eau potable (0.1 μg.L-1 pour chaque molécule et 0.5 μg.L-1 pour l’ensemble des molécules), notamment en périodes de crue. L’analyse des hystérésis mises en évidence sur les relations entre les concentrations (pesticides, MES, COD, POC) et les débits du cours d’eau permet de mieux comprendre les mécanismes de transfert des pesticides et de leurs paramètres de contrôle. Ces hystérésis montrent pour un même débit des concentrations différentes en montée et en descente de crue ; elles peuvent être dextres (sens des aiguilles d’une montre) ou senestres (sens inverse) suivant l’origine des molécules et l’écoulement responsable de leur transfert des sols vers les eaux. C’est pourquoi nous avons procédé dans cette étude à une séparation des différentes composantes (ruissellement superficiel, écoulement hypodermique, écoulement de nappe) de l’écoulement fluvial pour mieux comprendre la dynamique de transferts des pesticides et de leurs paramètres de contrôle. On peut ainsi mettre en évidence des relations positives entre MES, COD, COP ou certaines molécules de pesticides et les débits des écoulements de surface (ruissellement superficiel ou écoulement hypodermique suivant les caractéristiques physico-chimiques des molécules). Les calculs de flux des différents pesticides exportés par les cours d’eau montrent que 60 à 90% (suivant les molécules) des transports annuels se font durant les épisodes de crue. Les flux spécifiques (masse exportée par unité de surface) calculés sont plus importants sur le bassin versant de la Save que sur celui du Montoussé et les relations flux spécifiques-débits mettent en évidence des concentrations plus élévées sur la Save où l’utilisation des pesticides est globalement plus importante que sur le Montoussé où les pratiques sont raisonnées. L’analyse des pesticides dans l’eau filtrée et non filtrée nous a permis d’estimer la distribution de chaque molécule entre les phases particulaires et dissoutes (Kd). De plus, les valeurs de flux calculés pour chaque crue nous ont permis d’estimer un Kd moyen pour chaque molécule. Ces valeurs de Kd présentent une très bonne relation avec les valeurs de Kow (coefficient de partage octanol-eau) extraites de la littérature. De même, les pourcentages calculés de chaque pesticide exporté sous forme particulaire sont aussi très bien corrélés au Kow de chaque molécule. / The mechanisms of pesticides transport to stream flow were studied in two agricultural nested catchments of different size in Gascogne region (South West of France): the Save river basin at Larra (1110 km2) and the Montoussé experimental watershed at Auradé (3.28 km2). The intensive agricultural practices used in this region lead to an important risk for water resources by pesticides, especially during storm events. This is why we have paid special attention on storm events when a large quantity of contaminant was transported during hydrological periods. Fourteen molecules of pesticides (herbicides and fungicides) were investigated during the study period. Both of these groups are widely used for agricultural purposed in these catchments. The results achieved over the two years monitoring (2007-2009) enable us to emphasize the principal processes, implied in pesticide transfer on these agricultural catchments. The majority of compounds are detected during storm runoff events. And, the average concentrations of some pesticides are exceeded at the authorization limit of the European Union for pesticide concentrations in drinking water (0.1 µg.L-1 for individual pesticides and 0.5 µg.L-1 for total pesticides). To better understand the mechanisms of pesticide transport hysteresis, patterns on the concentration-discharge relationship (result of different concentration of pesticides in rising and falling limb of storm) were studied. However, clockwise or anticlockwise hysteresis patterns could be observed for some molecules of pesticide and their controlling factors such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and total suspended matters (TSM) according to their transfer dynamic in the catchment. We proceeded with hydrograph separation of the main stormflow components (surface runoff, subsurface flow and groundwater) so that the main pesticide routing could be traced for its soil-river transfers. We also came to the conclusion that there is a positive relationship between riverine TSM, DOC and pesticide, concentrations and the discharges of surface or subsurface runoffs according to pesticide properties. Pesticide flux calculation shows between 60 to 90% of the molecule transport takes place during storm periods. Specific flux calculation also demonstrated the higher flux value in Save catchment than in Aurade with higher pesticide concentration for a given specific discharge. The latter result may be due to the more consumption of pesticide in Save catchment. The analyses of pesticides both in filtered and unfiltered water enabled us to estimate the distribution of pesticides into particulate and dissolved phases. Moreover, the pesticide flux values allow calculating average partition coefficients kd between dissolved and particulate fractions which present good relationship with Kow values (octanol-water) extracted from literature. The percentage of each pesticide transported as particulate forms is also well correlated to Kow.

Goal of this work is to write an optimized program for visualization of 3D scenes using ray tracing method. First, the theory of ray tracing together with particular techniques are presented. Next part focuses on different approaches to accelerate the algorithm. These are space partitioning structures, fast ray-triangle intersection technique and possibilities to parallelize the whole ray tracing method. A standalone chapter addresses the design and implementation of the ray tracing program.

ATP synthase est une protéine essentielle associée à la membrane interne mitochondriale, qui synthétise l'ATP par couplage d’un transport de protons au travers de la membrane, en dissipant un gradient électrochimique de protons créé par la chaîne respiratoire. Cette réaction assure l’alimentation en énergie des processus biologiques cellulaires. Si la membrane mitochondriale se dépolarise, la réaction inverse d’hydrolyse d’ATP est rapidement bloquée par un inhibiteur soluble naturel de l’ATPase mitochondriale, IF1. Cette régulation efficace et réversible évite le gaspillage de l’énergie par la cellule. Chez la levure, IF1 est une petite protéine de 63 amino-acides. Elle se fixe sur l'une des trois interfaces catalytiques de l’ATP synthase et inhibe l’hydrolyse d’ATP. Bien que les structures cristallographiques des complexes F1-ATPase inhibés par IF1 aient été résolus, l'étape initiale de reconnaissance et celle du verrouillage d’IF1 restent peu claires au niveau moléculaire.Pendant ma thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés au mécanisme d’inhibition de l’ATPase par IF1. Par des analyses des structures disponibles et des alignements de séquence, nous avons sélectionné de nombreux résidus localisés dans différentes régions des sous-unités α et β de l'ATP synthase de Saccharomyces cerevisiae et susceptibles de participer au processus de fixation d'IF1. En utilisant le mutagenèse dirigée combinée à des experiences cinétiques, nous avons étudié les effects des mutations sur l’inhibition de l’ATP synthase par IF1 chez Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Dans ce travail, nous avons identifié des résidus ou motifs des sous-unités α et β de l’ATP synthase impliqués dans les étapes de reconaissance et/ou verrouillage d’IF1, ce qui nous permet de compléter les études structurales et d'esquisser un mécanisme de fixation d'IF1. / ATP synthase is an essential protein complex located in the mitochondrial inner membrane, which synthesize ATP by coupling to a rotary proton transport across the membrane at the expense of the electrochemical proton gradient created by the electron transport chain. This reaction guarantees the supply of energy to biological processes in a cell. When mitochondria get deenergized, i.e. the protomotive force across the mitochondrial inner membrane collapses, the ATP synthase switches from ATP synthesis to hydrolysis. This hydrolytic activity is then immediately prevented by a natural soluble mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor, IF1. This efficient reversible inhibition system protects cells from wasting energy. In yeast, IF1 is a small protein consisting of 63 amino acids. It binds to one of the three (αβ) catalytic interfaces of ATP synthase and thereby blocks the rotary catalysis. Although the crystal structure of the dead-end IF1 inhibited F1-ATPase complex has been resolved, IF1 initial binding and locking to ATPase still remain unclear events at the molecular level.During my thesis, we have been interested in the dynamic mechanism of ATPase inhibition by IF1. By means of analyses of published structures and protein sequence alignment, we selected numerous residues located in different regions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATP synthase α, β subunits, which might potentially paticipate in IF1 binding process. Using site-directed mutagenesis combined with kinetic experiments, we studied the effect of mutations of the selected candidates on the rate and extent of ATPase inhibition by IF1. In this way we identified residues or motifs in ATP synthase α, β subunits involved in IF1 recognition and/or locking steps, which allows complementing structural studies and drawing an outline of IF1 binding.

Le recyclage des résidus organiques (RO) en agriculture pourrait permettre de limiter l’utilisation des ressources minérales de phosphore (P), à condition de déterminer leur efficacité pour fournir du P aux cultures. L’objectif de ce travail était donc d’étudier les mécanismes déterminant l’effet des RO apportés au sol sur la biodisponibilité du P pour la plante (phytodisponibilité). Ce travail a été basé sur cinq essais de terrain à La Réunion, fertilisés sur une décennie avec des fertilisants organiques ou minéraux, et sur des expérimentations d’incubations en conditions contrôlées et de cultures de plantes en pot. Le P inorganique (Pi) et organique (Po) disponible du sol a été déterminé par des extractions (eau, Olsen), la technique des diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) et la dilution isotopique associée à des membranes échangeuses d’ions. La capacité de sorption en Pi des sols a été évaluée avec des courbes de sorption. Le P phytodisponible a été déterminé en mesurant le P prélevé par la plante. Dans les différents types de sol (andosol, andique cambisol, nitisol et arenosol), l’apport de RO a augmenté le Pi disponible relativement au Po, suggérant que la minéralisation du Po issu des RO n’est pas un facteur limitant la disponibilité du Pi. Les RO ont augmenté le Pi disponible principalement par l’augmentation du pH du sol et par conséquent la diminution de sa capacité de sorption de Pi. Le P phytodisponible a augmenté avec le Pi disponible du sol, mais a diminué avec l’augmentation du pH du sol. Au-delà de la dose de P, l’effet de l’apport de RO à long-terme sur la phytodisponibilité du P semble principalement contrôlé par l’évolution induite du pH du sol. / Application of organic residues (OR) on agricultural soils could reduce the use of mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizers, but this implies to determine the efficiency of OR to meet crop requirements. We thus aimed to study mechanisms determining the effects of OR on P bioavailability to plants (phytoavailability). Our work was based on five field trials with decadal organic or mineral fertilization located in Réunion island, and on incubations and plant growth experiments under controlled conditions. Available inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po) was determined using extractions (water, Olsen), the diffusive gradients in thin films technique (DGT) and the isotopic dilution associated to anion exchange membranes (EAEM). Phytoavailable P was determined as the plant P uptake. Soil Pi sorption capacity was determined using sorption curves. For all soil types studied (andosol, andic cambisol, nitisol, and arenosol), RO increased mainly available Pi and had few effects on available Po, which suggests that mineralization of Po applied with RO does not limit Pi availability. Application of RO increased available Pi mainly by increasing soil pH and consequently by decreasing soil Pi sorption capacity. Phytoavailable P increased with soil available Pi, but decreased with increasing soil pH. Our work suggests that except the dose of P applied, effect of RO on P phytoavailability depends mainly on soil pH changes induced.

Raytracing is a basic technique for displaying 3D objects. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the possibility of implementing raytracer using a programmable GPU. The algorithm and its modified version, implemented using "C for CUDA" language, are described. The raytracer is focused on displaying dynamic scenes. For this purpose the KD tree structure, bounding volume hierarchies and PBO transfer are used. To achieve realistic output, photon mapping was implemented.

Title: “Let’s do good”? – a qualitative study of fast fashions sustainability communication and generation z’s critical view. In recent years, the fast fashion industry has received an abundance criticism for their negative climate impact. The purpose of this study is to compare the companies NA-KD and Gina Tricot and their sustainability communication, and how consumers in generation Z perceive their communication and if they can influence the industry to be more sustainable with participatory culture in social media. To get answers on how generation Z experiences the fashion companies' communication, focus group interviews were conducted with participants aged 18–26. The authors have also studied material from the companies’ websites through a multimodal critical discourse analysis. Theories that have been applied to the study are critical discourse theory, convergence- and participatory culture, and greenwashing. The result from the study shows that both companies are using colors and environment which are associated with the environmental movements when it comes do their sustainability communication, but also greenwashing. As both companies apply greenwashing one can assume that it can lead to more customer having a critical view of sustainability communication from fast fashion firms. The participants perceived the companies' sustainability communication as visual appealing, but the content did not meet expectations. Furthermore, social media was considered important for the industry's change as important, but that it requires a person with a big platform to reach out to many people.

What are the power relations between the fashion company Na-kd, influencers, and the general public? This study problematizes and concretizes the events surrounding the fashion company Na-kd that took place at the end of 2020 and is further discussed as an example of so-called cancel culture. The study explores the cancel culture phenomenon through the theoretical framework of Michel Foucault; including power, punishment, and discipline. By way of a Foucauldian discourse analysis, we have identified three main discourses: the boycott discourse, the violation discourse, and the discourse regarding subject positions. The analysis also identified the following subject positions as active partakers in the discourse: followers, company, influencer, woman, and boycotter which are discussed and analyzed in terms of how they relate to one another. The study’s key findings include the problematic use of boycott culture as a concept and whether it can be applied to companies or not, the shift of responsibility from company to influencers (i.e. individuals), and how great the power of the followers actually is. / Hur ser maktförhållandena ut mellan Na-kd, influerare och allmänheten? Studien problematiserar och konkretiserar händelserna kring modeföretaget Na-kd som ägde rum i slutet på 2020, och diskuteras vidare som ett exempel på bojkottskultur. Vidare i studien så utforskas bojkottskultur som fenomen utifrån det teoretiska ramverket Michel Foucault innefattande makt, straff och disciplin. För skapandet av en enhetlig undersökning så används Michel Foucaults diskursanalys, där tre huvuddiskurser identifieras: bojkottsdiskursen, diskursen om överträdelser inom fallet och subjektspositioner. Avslutningsvis diskuteras de identifierade subjektspositionerna; följare, företag, influerare, kvinna och bojkottare och hur dessa i förlängningen relaterar till varandra. Studiens huvudsakliga resultat  utmynnar i huruvida bojkott som begrepp går att applicera på ett företag eller inte, hur förflyttningen av ansvar från företaget till influerare sker och hur stor följarnas makt faktiskt är.