La douleur sociale est une forme de douleur non physique dérivant de la perception de l'exclusion sociale. L'importance de la compréhension de ses modulations comportementales et neuronales est fondamentale, car ses conséquences sur le long terme peuvent être très néfastes. Dans ce travail de thèse, j'ai exploré ces aspects à travers une étude comportementale à l‟aide d‟enregistrements par SCR (Skin Conductance Recording), et trois études en iEEG (électro-encéphalographie intracrânienne) chez des patients épileptiques. La première étude comportementale a exploré la direction dans laquelle l'exclusion sociale est influencée par une récompense et ses réactions sur le long terme. Ainsi, la récompense monétaire altère l'équilibre social et augmente l‟activité électrodermale. La personne ayant été exclue met alors en oeuvre des mécanismes de vengeance en défavorisant la personne qui l‟a exclue précédemment. Les études en iEEG ont été une fenêtre unique d'exploration du cerveau lors de différentes types de modulation de l'exclusion. Dans la première étude en iEEG, nous avons observé que la douleur sociale produit une activation des oscillations thêta (3-7 Hz), lors de d'exclusion, dans l'insula, l'ACC, le cortex préfrontal et le gyrus fusiforme. La deuxième étude iEEG s'est intéressée aux modulations produites par la douleur sociale dans BA 19 et BA 17 présentant des P1 d'amplitude majeure lors de l'observation des photos du joueur qui exclut. La troisième étude en iEEG a exploré la réponse neuronale de l'influence d'une variable monétaire lors de l'exclusion. Nos résultats démontrent que l'insula postérieure présente une activation thêta indépendante du fait que l'exclusion soit positive (exclusion et gain d'argent) ou encore négative (exclusion et perte d'argent), à la différence de l'insula antérieure, active seulement lors d'une exclusion négative

<p>Forebrain cholinergic projection systems innervate the entire cortex and hippocampus. These cholinergic systems are involved in a wide range of cognitive and behavioral functions, including learning and memory, attention, and sleep-waking modulation. However, the <italic>in vivo</italic> physiological mechanisms of cholinergic functions, particularly their fast dynamics and the consequent modulation on the hippocampus and cortex, are not well understood. In this dissertation, I investigated these issues using a number of convergent approaches.</p><p> First, to study fast acetylcholine (ACh) dynamics and its interaction with field potential theta oscillations, I developed a novel technique to acquire second-by-second electrophysiological and neurochemical information simultaneously with amperometry. Using this technique on anesthetized rats, I discovered for the first time the tight <italic>in vivo</italic> coupling between phasic ACh release and theta oscillations on fine spatiotemporal scales. In addition, with electrophysiological recording, putative cholinergic neurons in medial setpal area (MS) were found with firing rate dynamics matching the phasic ACh release. </p><p> Second, to further elucidate the dynamic activities and physiological functions of cholinergic neurons, putative cholinergic MS neurons were identified in behaving rats. These neurons had much higher firing rates during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, and brief responses to auditory stimuli. Interestingly, their firing promoted theta/gamma oscillations, or small-amplitude irregular activities (SIA) in a state-dependent manner. These results suggest that putative MS cholinergic neurons may be a generalized hippocampal activation/arousal network. </p><p> Third, I investigated the hypothesis that ACh enhances cortical and hippocampal immediate-early gene (IEG) expression induced by novel sensory experience. Cholinergic transmission was manipulated with pharmacology or lesion. The resultant cholinergic impairment suppressed the induction of <italic>arc</italic>, a representative IEG, suggesting that ACh promotes IEG induction. </p><p> In conclusion, my results have revealed that the firing of putative cholinergic neurons promotes hippocampal activation, and the consequent phasic ACh release is tightly coupled to theta oscillations. These fast cholinergic activities may provide exceptional opportunities to dynamically modulate neural activity and plasticity on much finer temporal scales than traditionally assumed. By the subsequent promotion of IEG induction, ACh may further substantiate its function in neural plasticity and memory consolidation.</p> / Dissertation

<p>Within the past decade, advances in small-scale electronics have reduced power consumption requirements such that mechanisms for harnessing ambient kinetic energy for self-sustenance are a viable technology. Such devices, known as energy harvesters, may enable self-sustaining wireless sensor networks for applications ranging from Tsunami warning detection to environmental monitoring to cost-effective structural health diagnostics in bridges and buildings. In particular, flexible electroelastic materials such as lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) are sought after in designing such devices due to their superior efficiency in transforming mechanical energy into the electrical domain in comparison to induction methods. To date, however, material and dynamic nonlinearities within the most popular type of energy harvester, an electroelastically laminated cantilever beam, has received minimal attention in the literature despite being readily observed in laboratory experiments. </p><p>In the first part of this dissertation, an experimentally validated first-principles based modeling framework for quantitatively characterizing the intrinsic nonlinearities and moderately large amplitude response of a cantilevered electroelastic generator is developed. Nonlinear parameter identification is facilitated by an analytic solution for the generator's dynamic response alongside experimental data. The model is shown to accurately describe amplitude dependent frequency responses in both the mechanical and electrical domains and implications concerning the conventional approach to resonant generator design are discussed. Higher order elasticity and nonlinear damping are found to be critical for correctly modeling the harvester response while inclusion of a proof mass is shown to invigorate nonlinearities a much lower driving amplitudes in comparison to electroelastic harvesters without a tuning mass.</p><p>The second part of the dissertation concerns dynamical systems design to purposefully engage nonlinear phenomena in the mechanical domain. In particular, two devices, one exploiting hysteretic nonlinearities and the second featuring homoclinic bifurcation are investigated. Both devices exploit nonlinear magnet interactions with piezoelectric cantilever beams and a first principles modeling approach is applied throughout. The first device is designed such that both softening and hardening nonlinear resonance curves produces a broader response in comparison to the linear equivalent oscillator. The second device makes use of a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation wrought by nonlinear magnetic repelling forces to achieve a bistable electroelastic dynamical system. This system is also analytically modeled, numerically simulated, and experimentally realized to demonstrate enhanced capabilities and new challenges. In addition, a bifurcation parameter within the design is examined as a either a fixed or adaptable tuning mechanism for enhanced sensitivity to ambient excitation. Analytical methodologies to include the method of Harmonic Balance and Melnikov Theory are shown to provide superior insight into the complex dynamics of the bistable system in response to deterministic and stochastic excitation.</p> / Dissertation

No description available.

Friction-induced oscillations occur in many engineering systems, often resulting in noise, vibration, and excessive or uneven wear. This research addresses the suppression of such oscillations, especially with application to braking systems, through the use of high-frequency dither signals. Brake squeal is an annoying and elusive problem too often present in braking systems of automobiles, trucks and aircraft. In previous work, the effectiveness of high-frequency dither to eliminate squeal in an automotive disc brake assembly was demonstrated experimentally. The main features of the dither-squeal cancellation system was the application of a high frequency variation in the brake pressure force accomplished by means of a piezoelectric stack placed behind one of the brake pads. This thesis contains a theoretical and numerical treatment of the application of dither to frictional systems. Two types of systems are investigated. The first is a classic, mass-on-a-moving belt problem, which experiences friction-induced oscillations similar to those encountered in brake applications. The system is first studied using an analytical technique based on the method of averaging. It is shown that, depending on the system, friction, dither-waveform, and belt-speed parameters, dither can stabilize an unstable system. However, in some cases, dither can destabilize an initially stable system. These results are verified numerically using time integration. The second type of system analyzed in this thesis is an annular plate with a rotating frictional device. The method of multiple scales is used to predict subcritical regions of instability; the results are validated using Floquet theory. The thesis treats both tangential and normal dither, the latter being closer to the brake application. It is found that normal dither, in addition to being harder to analyze, is much less effective than tangential dither.

We prove the existence and linear stability of quasi-periodic breather solutions in a 1d Hamiltonian lattice of identical, weakly-coupled, anharmonic oscillators with general on-site potentials and under the effect of long-ranged interaction, via de KAM technique. We prove the persistence of finite-dimensional tori which correspond in the uncoupled limit to N arbitrary lattice sites initially excited. The frequencies of the invariant tori of the perturbed system are only slightly deformed from the frequencies of the unperturbed tori.

In this work, the effect of rotation on the oscillation frequencies of some radially and nonradially oscillating Delta-Scuti stars have been explored. Rotation has been considered as a perturbation and treated up to the second order. Series of evolutionary models have been calculated for the oscillating stars in question and compared with the observational parameters. Three stars are considered: V350 Peg with no rotation, CC And with a rotational velocity Vsini=20 km/s, and BS Tuc with Vsini=130 km/s. We find that splitting in the oscillation frequencies are conspicuous especially in fast rotating stars, with a considerable contribution from the related terms due to second order effect.

The OPERA experiment is designed to perform first direct observation of $nu_{tau}$ appearance in an almost pure $nu_{mu}$ beam. The OPERA detector is a hybrid set-up which combines a lead/emulsion target with various electronic detectors. It is located in Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS), 730 km away from CERN where neutrino beam is produced. A good electron identification in the ECC brick would also allow OPERA to search for $nu_{mu}rightarrownu_{e}$ oscillations. We have studied electron identification in the Emulsion Cloud Chamber (ECC) brick which was exposed to CERN SPS H4 electron beam. Emulsion scanning was performed in LNGS scanning laboratory. FEDRA framework was used for the data analysis. In total, we have found 30 electron showers in the brick. The characteristics of each shower have been studied. The background base-track contamination in the shower was estimated as $20pm 4$. This is mainly due to shower overlap of electrons and passing through cosmic rays.

A study of the hydraulic jump on a trapezoidal prismatic channel and roughened beds is presented. Extensive measurements have been made regarding the characteristics of hydraulic jumps as sequent depths, wing fluctuations, energy dissipation and jump length on artificially roughened beds for Froude numbers between 4.16 and 14.58. Three different types of prismatic roughness elements and nine different roughness patterns were installed separately on channel bottom and side walls throughout the experiments to obtain rough surfaces. Strip roughness elements were built from fiberglass sheets and implemented perpendicular to the flow direction. To avoid cavitation, roughness elements were designed in that way that the crests of the elements are not protruding into the flow. The founded properties were compared with the available data in literature and with the properties of hydraulic jump occurred on smooth bed.

Boom cranes are one of the most dynamically complicated types of cranes because they possess rotational joints as opposed to the linear tracks of bridge and gantry cranes. In addition, if the boom crane is placed on a mobile base, additional complexity is added to the system. However, mobile boom cranes have huge potential benefits as they can be quickly transported from one location to another. Furthermore, if they utilize their mobile base during lifting operations, then they can have an extremely large workspace. All cranes share the same limiting weakness; the payload oscillates when the crane moves. A command-generation approach is taken to control the payload oscillation. Input shaping is one such command-generation technique that modifies the original reference command by convolving it with a series of impulses. The shaped command produced by the convolution can then move the crane without inducing payload oscillation. Input shaping can accommodate parameter uncertainties, nonlinearities, multiple modes of vibration, and has been shown to be compatible with human operators. This thesis focuses on three aspects of mobile boom cranes: 1) dynamic analysis, 2) input-shaping control, and 3) experimental testing. A majority of the thesis focuses on analyzing and describing the complicated dynamics of mobile boom cranes. Then, various input-shaping controllers are designed and tested, including two-mode shapers for double-pendulum dynamics. In order to experimentally verify the simulation results, a small-scale mobile boom crane has been constructed. The details of the mobile boom crane and its important features are presented and discussed. Details of the software used to control the crane are also presented. Then, several different experimental protocols are introduced and the results presented. In addition, a set of operator performance studies that analyze human operators maneuvering the mobile boom crane through an obstacle course is presented.