Denna avhandling har godkänts i Sydafrika och sedan publicerats av Svenska Institutet för Missionsforskning (SIM) i efterhand.

This thesis describes how social work language practice circulates around the implementation process of an evidence based structured assessment tool – Savry. The purpose is to examine and understand the social workers language practice in a working group that uses this structured assessment tool in their work with youth. The purpose is also to look for dimensions of identity in terms of discourse. The ontological viewpoint is post-structuralism where language is in focus. The theoretical framework is discourse theory based upon the work of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. This theory is used as a basis of the creation of an analytical toolkit which emphasises the concept chains of equivalence and nodal points. The study is based upon qualitative interviews with social workers in a group in the social services for children and youth, who uses the evidenced based structured assessment tool - Savry. The study concerns the structuring around two identities. Theese identities circulate around the nodal point “knowledge” and defines it in two different ways through chains of equivalence. One of the identities equivalates scientific research to the nodal point knowledge, the other equivalates the unique experience to the same nodal point. Theese identities seames to be the result of a hegemonic strategy articulated by one of the two. The purpose of the strategy seams to be the incorporation of as many discursive elements as possible into one dominating discourse. This is also done through the principal exclusion of certain discursive elements, witch is the characterisation of power in discursive theory. The character of the struggle for dominance is not equal. It is instead characterised by the expansion of the chains of equivalence by the scientific knowledge based identity to incorporate discursive elements form other discourses. This is identified as a hegemonic strategy with the purpose of organising consent around the definition of the concept of knowledge and its consequences for social work practice.

CeCu_2Si_2 was the first heavy-fermion compound showing signatures of bulk superconductivity (T_c = 0.5 K). Further observations have put in evidence the correlations between superconductivity, magnetic order, Kondo physics, and quantum critical phenomena. In spite of the interest generated, a systematic study of such correlations was hampered by strong sample dependences. Fortunately, the inherent complexity associated to the stoichiometric composition has been recently understood. The availability of single-crystals with well-defined properties has thus reignited the interest in CeCu_2Si_2 as a window to novel phenomena, such as unconventional superconductivity. The present work summarizes the results of my doctoral research. It exemplifies the importance not only of high-quality materials, but also of suitable experimental techniques. A first step in this project involved the design of angle-dependent techniques in the milli-kelvin range, namely: electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity. It comprised the development of a rotational stage, the construction of sample holders, and the implementation of controlling and measuring components. In the second part of the project, electrical- and thermal-transport measurements on CeCu_2Si_2 were performed. Power-law behavior below T_c in the thermal conductivity suggests the presence of lines of nodes in the gap function. Also, the non-vanishing extrapolated residual terms (k_00/T ) support the presence of a residual density of states. The nodes are broadened by potential scattering, which appears to be significant in CeCu_2Si_2. The scattering hinders the determination of the symmetry of the order parameter and might be responsible for the observed isotropic angle dependence of the thermal conductivity. In contrast, angle-dependent measurements of the upper critical field exhibit a four-folded behavior, which also points towards the presence of nodes. By comparing with a weak-coupling model including the effects of Pauli limiting and anisotropic Fermi velocity, the results point towards a d_xy-wave symmetry of the order parameter. Such results represent the first angle-dependent measurements supporting a d-wave symmetry in CeCu_2Si_2.

Let G be a connected graph with n vertices and let x=(x1, ..., xn) be a real vector. A positive (negative) sign graph of the vector x is a maximal connected subgraph of G on vertices xi>0 (xi<0). For an eigenvalue of a generalized Laplacian of a tree: We characterize the maximal number of sign graphs of an eigenvector. We give an O(n2) time algorithm to find an eigenvector with maximum number of sign graphs and we show that finding an eigenvector with minimum number of sign graphs is an NP-complete problem. (author's abstract) / Series: Preprint Series / Department of Applied Statistics and Data Processing

France Télécom possède des armoires de télécommunication dont la puissance est limitée à cause de la dissipation thermique des équipements actifs qui entraîne une augmentation de leur température interne. La puissance des équipements limite le nombre de clients qu'il est possible de connecter aux services des réseaux à hauts débits. En plus de cette contrainte, les armoires sont soumises à des effets liés au climat (ensoleillement) qui peuvent être sévères et difficiles à maîtriser. Ceci nécessite l'intégration de systèmes de refroidissement permettant de maintenir la température des composants en dessous de la limite imposée (55°C). C'est dans cet objectif que ce travail de thèse a été mené au sein du laboratoire FEMTO-ST en collaboration avec le service R&D de France Télécom à Lannion. Le refroidissement par changement de phase est favorisé pour maintenir la température de fonctionnement du système stable et pour être utilisé dans les systèmes à haute densité de puissance. Les boucles diphasiques sont des systèmes de refroidissement pour le contrôle thermique et fonctionnent passivement sans pompage mécanique du fluide caloporteur. Après une étude bibliographique sur les boucles de refroidissement diphasiques et leurs applications, on a constaté que les boucles thermosiphons sont particulièrement adaptées aux applications où le faible coût, l'efficacité énergétique et la fiabilité d'entretien sont souhaités. Cette étude a été conduite en suivant un cahier de charge proposé par France Télécom qui consiste à : (i) développer un modèle numérique permettant de modéliser les transferts échangés entre l'armoire de télécommunication et le milieu ambiant, (ii) mener une étude expérimentale en vue de concevoir une boucle thermosiphon pour le refroidissement d'armoires de télécommunication.Le mémoire de cette thèse montre la limitation des systèmes de refroidissement classiques utilisant des écoulements d'air en convection forcée ou autre fluides sans changement de phase. Un modèle numérique est développé afin de permettre la prédiction des températures à l'entrée des boitiers chauffants pour différentes conditions climatiques. Le choix est porté sur l'utilisation d'une modélisation par réseau nodal. La modélisation est effectuée en tridimensionnel et en régime transitoire. Nous avons également modélisé le rayonnement solaire auquel est soumise l'armoire de télécommunication. Le modèle développé a été validé en effectuant une comparaison entre les résultats issus de la modélisation et ceux obtenus à partir des expériences menées au laboratoire et à la plateforme CLIMA chez France Télécom. Les essais sont effectués en régime transitoire en imposant une puissance électrique et en faisant varier la température ambiante ou la densité de flux thermique solaire. L'ensemble des résultats obtenus ont permis de constituer une base de données. Le deuxième objectif fixé dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse est la conception d'un système de refroidissement sous forme d'une boucle thermosiphon. La contrainte principale qui a guidée cette conception était le fait que la boucle doit refroidir l'armoire et assurer une température d'air à l'entrée des équipements inférieure à la limite imposée par la norme ETSI. Ceci nous a mené à concevoir un prototype de boucle thermosiphon dont la puissance thermique qu'il doit dissiper est imposée. On a montré que ce prototype permet de dissiper des puissances thermiques allant jusqu'à 470 W en utilisant une petite charge de npentane. Nous avons effectué des essais sur le refroidissement du prototype d'armoire de télécommunication en utilisant la boucle thermosiphon légèrement modifiée. On montre que les performances thermiques obtenues en utilisant un mode de refroidissement en boucle thermosiphon sont meilleures. Les boucles thermosiphons semblent intéressantes pour un refroidissement passif de matériels déployés dans un réseau de télécommunication...

Šiame darbe apžvelgiama Vilniaus Universiteto Širdies ligų ir kraujagyslių klinikoje 1991−2008 metais sukaupta patirtis taikant nemedikamentinį gydymą pacientams su supraventrikulinėmis tachikardijomis ir skilveliniais ritmo sutrikimais. Apibendrinome nemedikamentinio gydymo rezultatus 1693 pacientams: 753 pacientams su atrioventrikulinio mazgo paroksizmine tachikardija, 657 pacientams su papildomais laidumo takais, 169 pacientams su skilvelinėmis tachikardijomis. Be to, apibendrinome kardioverterių defibriliatorių implantavimo rezultatus 118 pacientų. Nustatėme, kad atrioventrikulinio mazgo tachikardijos kateterinės abliacijos efektyvumas 99,2%, komplikacijų dažnis 0,53%. Įrodėme, kad saugu atlikti „lėtos“ zonos abliaciją pacientams su ilgu PQ intervalu. Papildomų laidumo takų kateterinė abliacija buvo efektyvi 98,1% atvejų, komplikacijų dažnis 1,7%. Papildomų laidumo takų grupėje sudėtingiausios lokalizacijos yra užpakalinė pertvarinė dalis ir vidurinė pertvarinė dalis (pastaroji – dėl rizikos sukelti III laipsnio AV blokadą). Skilvelinių tachikardijų kateterinės abliacijos rezultatas priklauso nuo etiologijos. „Idiopatinių“ skilvelinių tachikardijų atvejais kateterinės abliacijos efektyvumas viršija 90%. Koronarinės širdies ligos ir kardiomiopatijų atvejais kateterinė abliacija mažiau efektyvi (~60%). Kardioverterių defibriliatorių grupėje iki 11 m. stebint pacientus, defibriliatorius suveikė 68,6% atvejų. / This paper reviews the 1991−2008 experience with non-pharmacological treatment of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias in the Clinic of Heart and vessel diseases of Vilnius University. We summarized the results of managing 1693 patients: 753 patients with atrioventricular nodal tachycardia, 657 patients with accessory pathways, 169 patients with ventricular tachycardias, and 118 patients with implanted cardioverter defibrillators. We have shown that the success rate of catheter ablation for atrioventricular nodal tachycardia is 99.2% with complication rate 0.53%. The safety of ablating the “slow” pathway in patients with prolonged PQ interval has been shown. The success rate of catheter ablation of accessory pathways is 98.1% with 1.7% complication rate. The most complex accessory pathway localization for ablation was posteroseptal area and midseptal area (the latter because of the risk to induce a complete atrioventricular block). The result of catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia depends on etiology. For “idiopathic” ventricular tachycardias success rate exceeds 90%. In patients with coronary heart disease and cardiomyopathies, catheter ablation is less effective (60%). During the follow-up with duration up to 11 years, 68.6% of patients with implanted cardioverter defibrillators have experienced therapy delivered by the device.

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

A computer program has been written to perform production optimization in submersible pump lifted wells.Production optimization was achieved by the principles of Nodal Analysis Technique which was applied between the reservoir and the wellhead ignoring the surface choke and separator.computer program has been written according to two lifting environment,which are:pumping with only liquid,pumping with both liquid and gas.

Power distribution networks (PDNs) are conducting structures employed in semiconductor systems with the aim of providing circuits with reliable and constant operating voltage. This network has non-neglible electrical parasitics. Consequently, when digital circuits inside the chip switch, the supply voltage delivered to them does not remain ideal and exhibits spatial and temporal voltage fluctuations. These fluctuations in the supply voltage, known as the power-supply noise (PSN), can affect the functionality and the performance of modern microprocessors. The design of this PDN in the chip is an important part in ensuring power integrity. Modeling and simulation of the PSN in on-chip PDNs is important to reduce the cost of processors. These PDNs have irregular geometries, which affect the PSN. As a result, they have to be modeled. The problem sizes encountered in this simulation are usually large (on the order of millions), necessitating computationally efficient simulation approaches. Existing approaches for this simulation do not guarantee at least one of the following three required properties: computationally efficiency, accuracy, and numerically robustness. Therefore, there is a need to develop accurate, numerically robust, and efficient algorithms for this simulation. For many interconnects (e.g., transmission lines, board connectors, package PDNs), only their frequency responses and SPICE circuits (e.g., nonlinear switching drivers, equivalent circuits of interconnects) terminating them are known. These frequency responses are usually available only up to a certain maximum frequency. Simulating the electrical behavior of these systems is important for the reliable design of microprocessors and for their faster time-to-market. Because terminations can be nonlinear, a transient simulation is required. There is a need for a transient simulation of band-limited frequency-domain data characterizing a multiport passive system with SPICE circuits. The number of ports can be large (greater than or equal to 100 ports). In this simulation, unlike in traditional circuit simulators, normal properties like stability and causality of transient results are not automatically met and have to be ensured. Existing techniques for this simulation do not guarantee at least one of the following three required properties: computationally efficiency for a large number of ports, causality, and accuracy. Therefore, there is a need to develop accurate and efficient time-domain techniques for this simulation that also ensure causality. The objectives of this Ph.D. research are twofold: 1) To develop accurate, numerically robust, and computationally efficient time-domain algorithms to compute PSN in on-chip PDNs with irregular geometries. 2) To develop accurate and computationally efficient time-domain algorithms for the causal cosimulation of band-limited frequency-domain data with SPICE circuits.

Title: “We are everywhere” – an analysis of the discourse surrounding AIK football club on social media   The purpose of this study is to discern what the discourse surrounding Swedish football club Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) and its fans look like on the social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is done by examining every post by AIK on these platforms and the fan response to each post. The opportunities for clubs such as AIK to communicate directly with its fans has increased greatly with the invention of social media, and this breakthrough in communication has also had the added effect of allowing fans to much easier voice their own opinions. Thus, we are presented with an area of communication that represents an interesting object of study.   The method used is based partly on Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffes theory on discourse analysis and partly on Roland Barthes theory on myths. Both theories offers some tools for analysis and when combined provides the opportunity for in-depth study. The results show that the discourse is largely centred around nodal points such as “Love”, and “the Club Emblem”. Through these AIK communicate the importance of itself to its fans and gives them a reason to “be a part of something greater”. Some of the myths found such as the “Family myth” or the “Hero myth” adds to this notion. However, the supporters don’t always agree with AIK which is why another major theme in the discourse was their “Criticism”. The supporters could also be found arguing among themselves about what being an AIK-fan meant which exposed the “True-fan myth”. Through all of this the study found sign of an underlying importance of active participation within the fandom, which enhanced the experience of being a supporter.   Key words: AIK, discourse analysis, fandom, supporter, myth, nodal point, communication, football