Carbon and phosphorus have often been compared owing to their diagonal relationship on the periodic table. However, relative to carbon, there remains an enormous breadth of polyphosphorus chemistry that is unexplored, particularly in the area of cationic phosphorus. A key step in the systematic and rational development of larger catenated organo-polyphosphorus cations is a fundamental understanding of the reactivity of small cationic building blocks. The smallest catenated framework in this context is the phosphinophosphonium monocation [R3P-PR2]+ (or phosphine-stabilized phosphenium cation), which can be prepared with a variety of functional groups at either phosphorus centre. This dissertation explores the diverse reactivity of chloro-substituted phosphinophosphonium cations, with a particular focus on reductive coupling as a synthetic route to novel catena-phosphorus systems. The resulting cationic frameworks are comprehensively described in terms of their diasteroisomerism, solution dynamics, and solid-state structural features. Additionally, fundamental electrochemical investigations of these diphosphorus cations are outlined as a tool for understanding and quantifying the reactivity of phosphenium cations. Finally, extension of reductive coupling methodology to the first chlorostibinophosphonium cations presents a promising outlook towards the catenation of the heavier pnictogen cations.

Magistro baigiamojo darbo teorinėje dalyje analizuojami įvairūs virpesių lygio mažinimo būdai bei schemos laivuose. Aprašoma virpesių klasifikacija, pagrindiniai virpesių žadintojai laive, virpesių skaičiavimo būdai. Eksperimentinėje dalyje pateikiama kelto „Optima Seaways“ siurblio virpesių matavimo metodika. Nagrinėjami reiso Klaipėda-Karlshamnas-Klaipėda metu atliktų matavimų rezultatai bei nustatomos tiriamo siurblio padidinto virpesių lygio priežastys. Paskutinėje darbo dalyje pateikiamas racionalus sprendimas, reikalaujantis minimalių lėšų ir laiko sanaudų, tiriamo siurblio virpesių lygio sumažinimui. / The theoretical part of the Master’s thesis analyzes various vibration reduction systems and schemes in ships. Classification of vibrations on board, main vibration sources and vibration calculations are presented. The experimental part presents methodic for vibration measuring of ferry “Optima Seaways” pump. Vibration data, received during passage Klaipėda- Karlshamn- Klaipėda, is analyzed and reason of high pump vibration level is identified. Last part of thesis presents rational solution, with minimal cost and time expenses, for reduction of pump vibration level.

Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars are the pre-main sequence progenitors of main sequence A and B stars, and are characterized observationally by strong emission in spectral lines and significant infra-red excess that results from their presence in dust-obscured regions. These stars are usually surrounded by a complex environment composed of gas and dust and often a significant stellar wind and a circumstellar disc. This complex circumstellar environment can have a significant affect on their spectral energy distributions, leading to large systematic uncertainties in determinations of their effective temperatures from photometric methods. In an attempt to improve temperature determinations for HAeBe stars, we have conducted an experiment to evaluate the potential of high-resolution spectra to constrain their atmospheric parameters. To this end, high-resolution (R~68 000) and low-resolution (R~1500) spectra obtained using the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter (at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope) and the FORS1 spectropolarimeter (at the Very Large Telescope) have been used with an automatic spectrum fitting procedure. This procedure compares spectroscopic data to a grid of synthetic LTE, solar abundance spectra, spanning a range in effective temperature, surface gravity, and micro-turbulence. This analysis was applied to the spectra of a sample of twelve previously well-studied HAeBe stars. Our temperatures were found to be consistent with previously published values, while providing much lower uncertainties - in some cases about 5 times smaller. Numerous methods were investigated to obtain these quantitative uncertainties (chi-squared statistics, Bayesian analysis, Monte Carlo bootstrap method, individual temperature sensitive line region analysis). We conclude that our method can be used to efficiently and effectively obtain temperatures of HAeBe stars in addition to providing us with a characterization of the degree of departure of the spectrum from solar abundance, LTE photospheric models. / Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2009-02-13 10:23:04.9

This paper examines the way in which two contemporary Canadian women writers, Anne Carson and Gail Scott, integrate subjective theory into two of their respective texts (Carson's Men In the Off Hours, and Scott's Main Brides). This study rejects the presentation of a single protagonist and instead focuses heavy emphasis upon the presentation of subjective experiments. In this paper the subjects in Men In the Off Hours and Main Brides are examined through the desires they exhibit for the absent other---that which the subject perceives he/she does not have---as central to his/her own conception of him/her self. The paper first acknowledges that subjective theory, the quest for the self, has maintained a central position in scholarly studies. It then proceeds to disseminate and critique Lacanian subjective theory thereby setting the stage for close readings of Carson's Men In the Off Hours through theorist Julia Kristeva's notion of abjection, and of Scott's Main Brides through Jacques Derrida's theory of the borderline. The paper closes by questioning the possibility of a fully realized subject.

This research explores culture-led regeneration; specifically, how and why small, community-based culture-led regeneration projects potentially affect their respective communities. Methodology is founded on an in-depth case study of The Edge Artist Village in Winnipeg, supported by a literature review, quantitative research examining property values, and archival research. The practicum shows that The Edge Artist Village has had a tremendous impact on the community of North Main Street. While various stakeholders interpreted The Edge‘s impact in different ways, perceptions of safety in the community have improved, and long vacant buildings in the neighbourhood are finding new tenants. This study makes recommendations as to how planners can potentially play a role in encouraging culture-led regeneration projects such as The Edge Artist Village, and suggests ways in which private developers and municipal government can collaborate more effectively to support their communities.

Moving groups are associations of stars which originated from the same star forming region. These groups are typically young (< 200 Myr) since they have not dissipated into the galactic field population. Over the last 15 years, roughly 10 such moving groups have been found with distances < 150 pc (7 with distances < 100 pc), each with a unique velocity and position. This work first investigates the likelihood to resolve star from two moving groups (AB Doradus and Beta Pictoris) using high spacial resolution optical interferrometry and found 5 AB Doradus stars and 1 Beta Pictoris star with declinations > -30 could be spacially resolved. To more deeply characterize individual groups, we used the 2.7m telescope at the McDonald Observatory to observe 10 proposed AB Doradus stars and 5 proposed Octans-Near stars (3 probable members, 2 possible) with high resolution (R ~60,000) optical spectroscopy. Each group is characterized in three ways: (1) Chemical analysis to determine the homogeneity among members, (2) Kinematic traceback to determine the origin, and (3) Isochrone fitting to determine the age. We find the 8 stars in our AB Doradus sample are chemically homogeneous with [M/H] = -0.03 ± 0.06 dex, traceback to an age of 125 Myr, and the stars in this mass range are on the main sequence. The two deviants are a metal rich, potentially younger member and a metal poor, young star likely not associated with AB Doradus. In our Octans-Near sample, we find the 3 probable members have [M/H] = -0.06 ± 0.11, the stars do not trace back to a common origin, and the probable members are on the main sequence. In addition to these tests, we found that the probable members are slightly more lithium depleted than the Pleiades, implying an age between 125 and 200 Myr. Finally, we investigate systematic trends in fundamental stellar parameters from the use of different techniques. Preliminary results find differences in temperatures between interferrometric and spectroscopic techniques to be a function of temperature with a interferrometric temperatures being cooler by an average of 36 ± 115 K. We also calculated the chemical abundances as a function of condensation temperature for our moving group sample and predict 2 stars in AB Doradus could represent the initial star forming environment and discuss the implications for planet hosting stars in nearby moving groups. This updated characterization technique allows for a deeper understanding of the moving group environment. As future, high precision instruments emerge in astronomy (Jame Webb Space Telescope, GAIA, 30m class telescopes), moving groups are ideal targets since these associations will help us understand star forming regions, stellar evolution at young ages, constrain stellar evolutionary models, and identify planetary formation and evolution mechanisms.

Fragmented and adversarial are words used routinely to describe firstly the structure of the construction industry, and secondly the inherent culture that continues to exist within it. Both are characteristics that ultimately serve to not only routinely constrain the efficiency, performance and resultant productivity of the New Zealand building sector, but moreover they persist to play a part in increasing related costs whilst diminishing the quality of the built environment surrounding us. The ubiquity of the outsource model goes some way towards mitigating much of the risk and financial encumbrances that large construction companies have historically faced. But consequentially it is directly responsible for an industry now propagated mostly by small, specialist trade subcontracting organisations that for the most part are reliant upon securing work through construction companies. Contiguous to a degree is the propensity of an industry focussed upon procuring construction by means of competitive tendering, an approach whereby successful bids are traditionally weighted towards those incorporating the lowest initial cost. To garner an understanding of the role that contextual significance plays in construction procurement this study was facilitated by utilising a constructivist grounded theoretical approach. Data was generated by the way of fifty interviews with construction industry stakeholders, inclusive of Sub-Contractors, Main Contractors, Consultants, Architects and Clients. Subsequent analysis reveals that in response to power asymmetry and other environmental conditions, organisations have developed numerous proactive, reactive and opportunistic strategies and behaviours that become evident as the procurement process progresses. This study highlights and explains the relationships and factors from which an industry actor’s rationale is drawn. Furthermore, however, it argues that the proponents of construction industry procurement will when necessary, relax their ordinarily pre-conditioned moral constraints and consciously venture into business practices considered by their peers to be somewhat immoral.

Bedrock geology of the East Brookfield quadrangle (EBQ), based on new 1:24000 scale mapping, consists of an interfolded sequence of Rangeley Fm. and Paxton Fm. metasediments, intruded by Early Mississippian tonalitic to granitic orthogneisses and underlain in the western half by folded orthogneisses of unknown age. Pervasive flattening strains have created planar, generally NNE-SSW striking and consistent moderately west dipping foliations. Generally strike-parallel stretching lineations and boudinage structures, with rarer dip parallel stretching lineations, reflect extrusion of CMZ metasediments and orthogneisses with a flattening component. Mapping in the EBQ demonstrates that a transition between deformational mechanisms of the southern Central Maine Zone is located there. Evidence for previously mapped faults was not observed during mapping. Alternatively, map scale folds terminating in the East Brookfield quadrangle likely accommodated the across-strike shortening and repetition of lithologic units of the CMZ during Acadian orogenesis. Aeromagnetic patterns and outcrop data approximate a map scale, east-verging and west-dipping, shallowly north-plunging isoclinal fold consisting of interlayered mafic and felsic gneisses. Constrictional and flattening strains documented in the deformation features of the East Brookfield quadrangle suggest that it is located on/near the eastern margin of the zone of transpression approximated by the Bronson Hill gneiss domes. Outcrop- to meter-scale folds with hinge axes sub-parallel to parallel with regional lineations suggest constrictional deformation in a transpressional regime. Deformation features associated with map-scale folding, extrusion/extension, and flattening of CMZ lithologies in the East Brookfield quadrangle support a regime of transpressional deformation caused by oblique convergence of Avalonian terrane with Laurentia. U-Pb ages and outcrop structural relationships suggest that regional flattening and folding was syn- to late-orogenic in nature and Carboniferous or younger in age. All previous structural fabrics are transposed by late regional flattening. Lithologies of the East Brookfield quadrangle exemplify the nature of the Acadian granulite-facies high, displaying a peak metamorphic assemblage of Crd + Grt + Sil + Kfs that has undergone retrograde reactions to produce Bt + Sil. Retrograde metamorphism and deformation occurred during strike-parallel extrusion of CMZ lithologies. Retrograde minerals define kinematic/shear sense indicators that record an overall top to the NNE or ENE asymmetry on vertical faces and dextral west side north on horizontal surfaces. Progressive deformation of CMZ lithologies through transpressional mechanisms is proposed as an alternative to the sequential development of Acadian deformational features in three separate stages.

Un des freins majeurs au développement de la manipulation d'objet avec une main robotisée est sans aucun doute leur fragilité. C'est l'une des raisons pour laquelle un système bras-main anthropomorphe, extrêmement robuste, est développé au centre de robotique et de mécatronique de DLR. Le système est unique à la fois par sa complexité, utilisant 52 moteurs et plus de200 capteurs, ainsi que par ses capacités dynamiques. En effet, ce nouveau système a la particularité d'être mécaniquement flexible ce qui offre la possibilité de stocker de l'énergie à court terme et remplit ainsi deux fonctions essentielles pour un robot humanoïde: les impacts sont filtrés et les performances dynamiques sont augmentées.Dans cette thèse, on se concentre plus particulièrement sur la main. Elle dispose de 19 degrés de liberté dont chacun est actionné par deux tendons flexibles antagonistes. La rigidité des tendons étant non linéaire il est possible, tout comme peut le faire l'être humain, de co-contracter les <> et donc d'ajuster la rigidité des doigts afin de s'adapter au mieux aux tâches à effectuer. Cependant, cette flexibilité entraine de nouveau défis de modélisation et de contrôle. L'état de l'art se concentre majoritairement sur le problème de la répartition des forces internes ou du contrôle d'articulation flexible mais peu de travaux considèrent les deux problèmes simultanément.Le travail présenté dans la première partie de la thèse se concentre sur la modélisation de la main et du poignet. Les problématiques spécifiques aux systèmes actionnés par des tendons, tels que les matrices de couplage et l'estimation du déplacement des articulations à partir du déplacement des tendons, sont étudiées.La seconde partie se concentre sur le contrôle d'articulations actionnées par des tendons flexibles antagonistes. Les problèmes de distribution des forces internes et de correction de la rigidité perçue par l'utilisateur sont présentés.Des approches de contrôle linéaire et non linéaire sont utilisées et des expériences sont réalisées pour comparer ces approches. En particulier, il est montré que le <>, une méthode de contrôle non linéaire peut être utilisée et permet d'obtenir le comportement d'impédance souhaité tout en garantissant la stabilité en boucle fermée.

La thématique de la thèse est très vaste. Sont présentées les grandeurs cinématiques locales ou régionales qui agissent sur le corps humain. La deuxième partie de la thèse décrit les méthodes optiques, par lesquelles on peut mesurer les vibrations produites par les machines-outils sur le système humain main-bras au cours de l'activité au travail. Dans la troisième partie sont donnés les effets négatifs des vibrations qui se produisent sur le système humain main-bras pendant l'exposition aux vibrations. La quatrième partie de cette thèse contient la base théorique des techniques optiques utilisées pour mesurer les vibrations. Le chapitre cinq présente la méthodologie d'expérimentation pour mesurer les vibrations. Les résultats des mesures sont indiqués dans le sixième chapitre de la thèse. Dans le chapitre sept on présente la modélisation mécanique et mathématique du système humain main-bras avec trois degrés de liberté et le dernier chapitre contient les conclusions finales.