La Radiothérapie Conformationnelle par Modulation d’Intensité (RCMI) est aujourd’hui reconnue comme une technique de référence permettant d’augmenter le contrôle local de la tumeur tout en réduisant la dose reçue par les organes à risques avoisinants. Cependant, son développement est freiné par l’étape de préparation du traitement du patient qui nécessite une charge de travail considérable. Dans le but d’augmenter l’efficience de la mise en œuvre d’un traitement, deux axes de travail ont été déterminés. Le premier axe concernait l’optimisation automatique des incidences des faisceaux. Nous avons pour cela mis en œuvre un algorithme (le simplexe) qui a été intégré dans le système de planification de traitement. Il permet, à partir des objectifs dosimétriques fixés par l’utilisateur, de déterminer automatiquement les incidences de faisceaux optimales : irradiant suffisamment le volume cible tout en épargnant les organes à risques avoisinants. En plus d’un gain en temps, les résultats du simplexe ont montré – sur trois patients atteints d’un cancer de l’oropharynx – un gain en qualité par rapport à une sélection manuelle des faisceaux. En effet, pour une couverture du volume cible équivalente voire meilleure, il permet de réduire la dose reçue par les organes à risques. Le second axe concernait l’optimisation des contrôles pré-traitement. Nous avons pour cela utilisé une méthode industrielle : la Maîtrise Statistique des Processus (MSP) afin d’analyser rétrospectivement les résultats des contrôles de la dose absolue effectués avec la chambre d’ionisation au Centre Alexis Vautrin (CAV). Cette étude a montré l’intérêt de la MSP pour renforcer la sécurité des traitements grâce à la mise en place de cartes de contrôle. Elle a également montré que notre processus de délivrance de la dose était stable et statistiquement capable pour les traitements de la prostate, ce qui implique qu’une réduction du nombre de contrôles peut être envisagée pour ce type de traitement au CAV / Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is currently considered as a technique of choice to increase the local control of the tumour while reducing the dose to surrounding organs at risk. However, its routine clinical implementation is partially held back by the excessive amount of work required to prepare the patient treatment. In order to increase the efficiency of the treatment preparation, two axes of work have been defined. The first axis concerned the automatic optimisation of beam orientations. We integrated the simplex algorithm in the treatment planning system. Starting from the dosimetric objectives set by the user, it can automatically determine the optimal beam orientations that best cover the target volume while sparing organs at risk. In addition to time sparing, the simplex results of three patients with a cancer of the oropharynx, showed that the quality of the plan is also increased compared to a manual beam selection. Indeed, for an equivalent or even a better target coverage, it reduces the dose received by the organs at risk. The second axis of work concerned the optimisation of pre-treatment quality control. We used an industrial method: Statistical Process Control (SPC) to retrospectively analyse the absolute dose quality control results performed using an ionisation chamber at Centre Alexis Vautrin (CAV). This study showed that SPC is an efficient method to reinforce treatment security using control charts. It also showed that our dose delivery process was stable and statistically capable for prostate treatments, which implies that a reduction of the number of controls can be considered for this type of treatment at the CAV

750 000 emplois à sauvegarder. Ce nombre – mis en avant par l'ancienne députée de l'Hérault, Fanny Dombre-Coste, – souligne toute l'influence de la reprise de PME dans le développement de l'économie locale voire nationale. Toutefois, le repreneur, qui est un entrepreneur à part entière, est un acteur encore peu étudié, tant par les organismes professionnels que par les universitaires. Nous engageons alors une recherche pour combler ce manque et, sous une perspective entrepreneuriale, essayons de mieux comprendre le profil du repreneur. Pour circonscrire la question du profil, nous utilisons un concept central en entrepreneuriat : l'opportunité. Dès lors, en prenant appui sur la logique de Kirzner, la fonction du repreneur devient plus claire : il doit identifier des opportunités. Comment peut-il faire ? Il va utiliser sa vigilance. Cela nous amène à poser la problématique suivante : comment la vigilance entrepreneuriale du repreneur influence-t-elle la performance financière de la reprise ? Pour apporter des éléments de réponse, nous utilisons un raisonnement hypothético-déductif et réalisons une recherche quantitative. Cela nous amène à formuler des hypothèses pour in fine construire un modèle de recherche. Nous posons ainsi un lien entre la vigilance entrepreneuriale (Tang et al., 2012) et deux variables médiatrices : l'identification des opportunités (Ozgen et Baron, 2007) et l'orientation entrepreneuriale (Covin et Slevin, 1989). Ces deux variables sont ensuite reliées à la performance financière de la reprise – qui est une mesure subjective quant à l'évolution de huit indicateurs. Après avoir montré que la procédure MICIOM autorise une démarche comparative, nous testons notre modèle sur tous les repreneurs (n = 278) et procédons à une comparaison – qualitative puis grâce à une analyse multigroupe – entre les repreneurs mentorés (n = 199) et non mentorés (n = 79), et entre les repreneurs mentorés avant (n = 79) et après la reprise (n = 120). Les résultats de cette recherche montrent que la vigilance entrepreneuriale est un antécédent de la performance financière. Par ailleurs, ce travail souligne que le mentorat permet de mieux comprendre comment un entrepreneur réussit – au moins sur un plan financier – une reprise de PME. Dès lors, il semble pertinent de développer un volet cognitif dans les programmes d'accompagnement du repreneur mais également de travailler sur la relation de mentorat dans ce contexte singulier. / 750 000 employments to keep. This number, highlight by the former deputy of Herault, Fanny Dombre-Coste, underline influence of SME takeovers on development of local economy. However, buyer, an entrepreneur, is understudied. We then engaged an academic research in order to fill in this gap and, using an entrepreneurial perspective, we try to better understand buyer profile. To confine profile question, we use a central concept in entrepreneurship: opportunity. Then, leaning on Kirzner logic, buyer function become clearly: he has to identify opportunity. How can he do it? He is going to use his alertness. So, we ask the following problematic: how does buyer entrepreneurial alertness influence takeover financial performance? To answer, we use an hypothetico-deductive reasoning and realise a quantitative research. This lead us to formulate hypotheses and build a research model. We put a link between entrepreneurial alertness (Tang et al., 2012) and two mediator's variables: opportunity identification (Ozgen et Baron, 2007) and entrepreneurial orientation (Covin et Slevin, 1989). Then, this two variables are linked to takeover financial performance – which is a subjective measure of the evolution of height indicators. After used MICOM procedure, we test our model on all buyers (n = 278) and make a comparison – qualitative and using a multi-group analysis – between buyers supported by a mentor (n = 199) and non-supported (n = 79), and between buyers supported before (n = 79) and after takeover (n = 120). Firstly, results show that entrepreneurial alertness is an antecedent of financial performance. On the other hand, our research underline that mentorship has the potential to add substantially to our understanding of how buyer succeed – at least on an financial plan – SME takeover. Consequently, it seems relevant to develop a cognitive part in buyer support program and to work on mentorship in this singular context.

本文旨在通过对形式婚姻个案的分析，来探讨中国社会里的家庭与性的关系。形式婚姻是一种正在被中国同性恋者实践的互助合作型婚姻。具体而言，本文将主要关注两个问题：第一，家庭如何影响了其成年子女的性表达和性实践；第二，成年子女如何在家庭的影响下进行性表达和性实践。本文的分析材料主要包括 22份在中国某北方城市所作的深度访谈的录音整理、同性恋活动的田野笔记和形式婚姻网络聊天小组的聊天记录。本文发现，中国家庭可以通过四种机制对其成年子女的性产生重要影响，包括共同体维系、资源分配、福利供给和血缘延续。同时，成年子女在与这种四种机制所传递的压力进行策略性互动的情况下表达和实践他（她）们的性。另外，本文发现，同性恋者常常为了家庭的期望、舆论和和睦做出妥协与让步。因此，在有关中国家庭的研究中，个人主义的兴起不应被过分夸大。尽管形式婚姻是一个发生在中国社会中的个案，但是本文的发现亦有可能对有关非西方社会的家庭研究有所贡献。 / This paper tries to explore the relationship between family and sexuality in Mainland China through discussing the case of functional marriage, a reciprocal marriage conducted by the Chinese homosexuals. Specifically, the primary concern of this paper is how family shapes the expression and practice of sexuality of adult children and how adult children practice and negotiates their sexualities under the familial influences. Data for analysis in this paper includes full transcripts of twenty-two in-depth interviews in a northern city of China, field notes of homosexual activities and chat logs of on-line chatting groups for functional marriage. This paper empirically finds that Chinese families can exert considerable power on their adult children’s sexualities through four mechanisms - community maintenance, resource allocation, care provision and blood tie continuity. Concomitantly, adult children “do“ their sexualities in familial influence by strategically negotiating with power exerted through the four mechanisms. Moreover, by observing that the homosexuals’ personal desires and interests are often compromised to fulfill their families' expectations and consensus, this paper argues that the rising individualism emphasized by some studies of Chinese family should not be overstated. Though functional marriage is a case in the context of Chinese society, it may have some implications for other nonwestern societies in which family plays a central role in local culture and value system as well as in daily life. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Luo, Ming. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-60). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Chapter I. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- Background --- p.4 / Chapter III. --- Review of Literature --- p.6 / Chapter A. --- Research on Sexuality in the West --- p.6 / Chapter B. --- Family and Sexuality in Chinese Society --- p.8 / Chapter IV. --- Methods --- p.13 / Chapter A. --- Research Site --- p.13 / Chapter B. --- Data Collection --- p.14 / Chapter C. --- Analysis --- p.17 / Chapter V. --- Mechanisms of Family Pressure --- p.18 / Chapter A. --- Community Maintenance --- p.20 / Chapter B. --- Resource Allocation --- p.24 / Chapter C. --- Care Provision --- p.27 / Chapter D. --- Blood Tie Continuity --- p.31 / Chapter VI. --- Response and Contention of Family Member --- p.34 / Chapter A. --- Community Maintenance --- p.36 / Chapter B. --- Resource Allocation --- p.40 / Chapter C. --- Care Provision --- p.44 / Chapter D. --- Blood Tie Continuity --- p.48 / Chapter VII. --- Family and Sexuality: Conclusion and Discussion --- p.53 / Reference --- p.57

Dans ce travail nous montrons pour la première fois que l'eau représente un élément crucial dans l'organisation des chaînes de la PANI. La formation de petites cristallites primaires de la PANI lors de la polymérisation est favorisée par l'intercalation des molécules d'eau entre les chaînes grâce à la forte hydratation des azotes amines. Une telle hydratation est également responsable de la croissance anisotrope des eristallites primaires sur un support solide lors de l'évaporation de l'eau. L'axe de croissance par la jonction des azotes amines grâce à des liaisons hydrogènes permettant l'intercalation des molécules d'eau dans le réseau cristallin de la PANI représente l'axe de la plus forte énergie de cohésion (la longueur des fibres). Cela favorise non seulement la formation des fibres perpendiculaires à la surface du support mais aussi la « transmission » de l'orientation des a-n interactions à une échelle macroscopique (jusqu'au 300 µn1, ce qui correspond à l'épaisseur des films) et finalement le transport des charges favorisé le long des fibres. Le transport des charges entre des atomes reliés par les liaisons hydrogènes à des distances plus courtes que celles assurées par les interactions n-g devrait ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives dans la création de l'électronique à base de semi-conducteurs organiques. L'introduction des anions «destructeurs» dans l'eau (tels que HCOO") est une condition indispensable pour l'hydratation des azotes amines des chaînes de la PANI. La présence des chlorures en forte concentration assure une neutralisation des charges positives (des azotes imines protonés). Une deuxième conséquence de l'augmentation de la force ionique du milieu aqueux consiste en la diminution des angles de torsion le long de la chaîne (résultats confirmés par les simulations). Les deux phénomènes favorisent la formation des cristaux de la PANI lors de la polymérisation. Il faut souligner que la formation des films auto-orientés et hautement cristallins (taux de cristallinité plus que 80%) a partir d'un système hétérogène (suspension aqueuse) par un simple séchage sur un support solide est un phénomène sans précédent dans le domaine de la cristallisation des polymères. Les anions « destructeurs » de l'eau favorisent la pénétration de l'eau dans les films de PANI semi-cristallins et même hautement cristallins. Nous montrons que le transport des SO42- dans une membrane à base de poly(vinyle chlorure) devient beaucoup plus important après un dépôt de la PANI sur sa surface, tandis que la présence de cette couche de PANI n'influence pas le transport les chlorures. Cela représente une nouvelle perspective pour la détection des anions fortement hydratés. Notre présentons un nouveau regard sur l'origine de la couleur de la PANI et des relations entre sa couleur et la conductivité. En utilisant les films de PANI hautement cristallins et ceux formés par une mono-couche de particules de diamètre de 30nm (obtenus par la technique de Langmuir-Blodgett, LB) en tant que « films models » nous montrons pour la première fois que la couleur de la PANI est le résultat non seulement du degré de protonation et/ou d'oxydation, mais aussi de la taille des éléments interagissant avec la lumière. Si cette taille est comprise entre 400 et 800 nm, la diffusion de la lumière contribue dans la couleur de la PANI. A son tour, la taille des éléments interagissant avec la lumière dépends de l'hydratation de la PANI déterminant la capacité de former les agrégats. Puis que les deux types de films de PANI sont constitués par les éléments d'une taille inférieure à 400 min, ils sont violets (une couleur attribuée à la forme pernigraniline : l'isolant), mais en même temps conducteurs. Les films hautement cristallins n'absorbent pas d'eau dans la solution aqueuse de EICI et par conséquent ne changent pas leur couleur, tandis que dans la solution d'acide formique ils absorbent 14% d'eau et deviennent bleus, mais jamais verts et sont à nouveau violets après […] / In this work we show for the first time that water is a crucial component in organizing chains of PANI. The formation of sine crystallites of the primary PANI during the polymerization is promoted by the intercalation of water molecules between the chains due to strong hydration of amino nitrogen. Such hydration is also responsible for the anisotropie growth of primary crystallites on a solid support during the evaporation of water. The growth axis by the junction of the amino nitrogen through hydrogen bonds to the intercalation of water molecules in the ciystal lanice of the PANI axis represents the largest cohesive energy (fiber length). This not only promotes the formation of fibers perpendicular to the substrate surface but also the "transmission" orientation of it-7C interactions at a macroscopic scale (up to 300 µ.m, which corresponds to the thickness of the film) and finally transportation expenses helped along the fiber. The transport of charges between atoms connected by hydrogen bonds at distances shorter than that provided by lt-7t interactions should open new perspectives in the development of electronics based on organic semiconductors. The introduction of "destructive" anions in the water (such as HCOO") is a prerequisite for the hydration of amino nitrogen of the PANI chains. The presence of chloride in high concentration ensures neutralization of positive charges (the protonated imine nitrogen). A second consequence of increasing the ionic strength of aqueous medium is in the lower torsion angles along the chain (results confirmed by simulations). Both phenomena promote the formation of crystals of PANI during the polymerization. It should be noted Chat the formation of self-directed films and highly crystalline (degree of crystallinity less than 80%) from a heterogeneous system (aqueous suspension) by a simple drying on a solid support is a phenomenon without precedent in the field of crystallization of the pol iners. Water "Destructive" anions promote the penetration of water in the films of PANI semi-crystalline and highly crystalline even. We show that the transport of SO 42-in a membrane of poly (vinyl chloride) is much more important after a deposit of PANI on its surface, while the presence of the PANI layer does not influence the chloride transport. This represents a new perspective for the detection of strongly hydrated anions. We present a new view on the original color of the PANI and the relationship between color and conductivity. Using films of highly crystalline PANI and those formed by a single layer of particles of 30nm diameter (obtained by Langmuir-Blodgett technique, LB) as a "film models" we show for the first time that the color of PANI is the result not only of the degree of protonation and / or oxidation, but also the size of elements interacting with light. If this size is between 400 and 800 mn, the scattered light contributes to the color of the PANI. In turn, the size of elements interacting with the light depends on the hydration of the PANI determining the ability to form aggregates. Then the two types of PANI films are formed by the elements of a size below 400 nm, they are purple (a color assigned to the form pernigraniline: insulation), but at the same time conducting. The highly crystalline films do not absorb water in the aqueous solution of HC1 and therefore do not change their color, white in the solution of formic acid they absorb 14% water and turn blue, but never green are purple again after drying. More permeable to water, the LB films of PANI are green after immersion in an acid environment regardless of the type of acid used and are pwpW again after drying.

Military spouses are often left at home when their service member deploys to areas outside the United States. These deployments can have a lasting impact on the military spouses' perception of marital happiness. Communication problems can occur within the marriage and military spouses may use their religious orientation to alleviate the stress that comes from deployments. This quantitative study used an online survey method to conduct bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis from a sample of 128 military spouses. This study focused on the family stress theory and used the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale, Extrinsic and Intrinsic Religious Orientation Scale, and Primary Communication Inventory. Bivariate correlations indicated a significant relationship between communication, extrinsic religious orientation, intrinsic religious orientation, and marital happiness. Multiple regression indicated a strong significant relationship with communication and a negative significant relationship with extrinsic and intrinsic religious orientation. After controlling for the covariates, communication and age of spouse were significant, while the remaining variables were nonsignificant. In addition, binary logistic regression was conducted, and communication and intrinsic religious orientation were significant, while extrinsic religious orientation was nonsignificant with marital happiness. The experiences that military spouses undergo with deployments may be useful for therapists, chaplains, or military leaders to provide learning techniques on coping after deployments, promote longevity with military marriages through premarital workshops, chaplain-sponsored marital retreats, and marriage therapy for military spouses to promote marital happiness.

<p>Through the years customer orientation is an area of marketing that has received much attention. One of the key aspects of customer orientation is the “ability of the salespeople to help their customers”. There has been research on how salesperson’s behavior influences customer orientation. However, previous research has been conducted on the business unit level. At the moment there is no research done on how a salesperson’s individual behavior affects a company’s overall customer orientation. Therefore, this dissertation will try to fill the research gap on how salesperson’s individual behavior affects overall customer orientation.The study is performed on the three major electronic retail stores in the Swedish market. Twelve types of behaviors were selected and were tested with the mystery shopper method and observations of customers in the stores. Two other behaviors of salespeople were discovered. The results show that many of the behaviors described in theories do apply to salesperson’s individual behavior. However, there are some behaviors that are more common than others. The conclusion is that even though there are some common salespeople behaviors, it is very individual how salespeople behave towards customers.</p>

The purpose of this study was to analyze the change in gay/lesbian friendships after the disclosure of their sexual identity. Six specific areas were examined: (1) what are the circumstances under which persons find out their close friends are gay/lesbian (hereafter referred to as the event), (2) do relationships change when close friends find out about the participants' sexual identity, (3) if the relationship changes, how does it change (hereafter referred to as the relational outcome), (4) which events are associated with which relational outcomes, (5) how satisfied are the gays/lesbians with their relational outcomes, and (6) what are the gays'/lesbians' perceived causes of the relational outcomes. The results of this study indicated that the majority of the participants disclosed their sexual identity to their close friends. And they did so in an attempt to be honest, to avoid hiding who they are, and to be able to talk about their sexual identity freely. Most of the participants reported being quite satisfied with the relationships which became more close or stayed the same. Most of the participants reported being somewhat unsatisfied with the relationships which became more distant or terminated. The way in which the friends found out about the participants' sexual identity was not related to whether or not the relationship became more close or more distant. The participants believed their relationships became more close because they were honest. However, the participants believed their relationships became more distant because their friends were homophobic. This research is significant because it may help counselors, therapists, and practitioners coach gay men and lesbians when their relationships deteriorate or are strained. This research may also enable gay men and lesbians to be aware of potential factors which might affect their relationships with their friends after disclosure occurs. In addition, this research may equip gay men and lesbians with information to enable them to make educated decisions on discussing their sexual identity with their friends. Furthermore, the results from this research might provide suggestions to individuals who have gay friends to help them make the coming-out process easier for their gay friends. / Graduation date: 1998

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2005.

Through the years customer orientation is an area of marketing that has received much attention. One of the key aspects of customer orientation is the “ability of the salespeople to help their customers”. There has been research on how salesperson’s behavior influences customer orientation. However, previous research has been conducted on the business unit level. At the moment there is no research done on how a salesperson’s individual behavior affects a company’s overall customer orientation. Therefore, this dissertation will try to fill the research gap on how salesperson’s individual behavior affects overall customer orientation.The study is performed on the three major electronic retail stores in the Swedish market. Twelve types of behaviors were selected and were tested with the mystery shopper method and observations of customers in the stores. Two other behaviors of salespeople were discovered. The results show that many of the behaviors described in theories do apply to salesperson’s individual behavior. However, there are some behaviors that are more common than others. The conclusion is that even though there are some common salespeople behaviors, it is very individual how salespeople behave towards customers.

The purpose of the architecture of software systems in business organizations is to support those organizations in achieving business goals. In software development organizations the design of an architecture is a collective effort that involves various organizational stakeholders and designers, who identify, interpret, and reason about intents, and communicate, delegate, commit to, and implement intents and decisions. Current architectural design descriptions are by-and-large based on block-and-arrow notations representing "coarse-grained" solution elements of the system. They lack explicit representation for modeling and analyzing the decision-making of stakeholders and architectural designers who hold different organizational responsibilities, and pursue conflicting and/or synergistic business or system goals, while collectively pursuing organizational objectives. This thesis considers the proposition that a distributed intentionality perspective is applicable in the design of software system architectures. During architectural design, relationships between intentional actors define the context in which intentional actors pursue business and system goals and in which they negotiate architectural decision-making. The objective of this research is to investigate what an Intentional Architecture Language (IAL) could be like that utilizes intentional and organizational modeling and analysis concepts to support architectural decision-making efforts in organizational settings. Drawing from prior work on organizational modeling and analysis, this thesis first defines a core IAL, and then explores its use to model and analyze architectural decision-making both reported in the literature and empirically observed at a number of commercial projects in industry. Drawing from these explorations, this thesis proposes a number of extensions to the core IAL, discusses lessons learned, and points to the advantages and limitations in using an IAL to model and analyze architectural decision-making in an organizational setting.