Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / The law of attraction, which is referred to as a pseudo-science by most scientists, focuses on the ability of athletes to reach deep within their soul/ energy sources to re-align their thoughts and feelings in order to achieve their desired outcomes or goals. This study explores whether kickboxers within the African continent are using the phenomenon of the law of attraction in order to enhance their kickboxing performances. In context of law of attraction, kickboxers attract achievements or experiences that they focus on into their life’s, weather these are positive or negative. This means that if they stay focused on the good and positive things in their lives, they will automatically attract good and positive things into their lives. Being part of the cosmic Universe, we are, in our smallest form, nothing but energy with magnetic abilities, hence, we have the ability to attract things or push things away. This belief can contribute to the fulfilment of the desires of kickboxers and can ultimately enhance their sport performances. A qualitative methodology was followed to explore the use of the law of attraction by kickboxers within the sport of kickboxing to achieve optimal results. The population of this study was chosen from kickboxers in countries within the continent of Africa where kickboxing is practiced. These participants were elite athletes (international competitors). A semi-structured interview guide (questionnaire) was used to interview selected kickboxers. Data was recorded and analysed in order to verify the use of the phenomenon of the law of attraction. It was found that most of the participants were unaware that they were utilizing elements of law of attraction and that some elements are intertwined with various sport psychological tools being utilised for sport enhancement. Findings further indicated that the thought process of the participating kickboxers was occupied by various desires or goals that needed to be achieved. The kickboxers found it difficult to prioritize or to streamline their thoughts and this created a situation where energy flowed in the wrong direction. Their feelings in terms of what they thought, what they wanted to achieve and what they could achieve must be in sync. This did not come out strongly because the kickboxers concentrated on their own physical capabilities and kickboxing skills and, at the same time, felt very stressful prior to a kickboxing contest. It was recommended that the phenomenon of law of attraction should be explored more extensively in relation to its application in kickboxing and moreover in sport. It is further recommended that the study be repeated exploring the perspectives of the coaches in the application of law of extraction in their coaching techniques. This study concludes that the law of attraction is not used to its fullest extent in the practice of kickboxing even though some elements were already used by kickboxers.

Les matériaux polymères sont de plus en plus utilisés pour remplacer d’autres types de matériaux tels que la céramique ou le métal. Cependant, la majorité des polymères ont un désavantage : ils doivent être ignifugés. Néanmoins, grâce à la recherche dans le domaine des matériaux, des polymères haute performance qui résistent à la chaleur et aux scénarios feu ont été conçus. Malgré l’avantage technique qu’apportent ces matériaux, ils sont extrêmement chers. Le but de ce travail est de comprendre la réaction au feu des matériaux hautes performances afin de concevoir des retardateurs de flamme qui réagiraient comme ces polymères hautes performances quand ils sont soumis à des températures élevées ou dans un scénario feu. Dans cette optique, le comportement à haute température et la réaction au feu de trois matériaux hautes performances ont été étudiés : polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyimide (PI), et polybenzoxazole (PBO). Les mécanismes de décomposition de ces matériaux ont été évalués à travers différentes méthodes analytique telles que le pyrolyseur GCMS et l’ATG-FTIR. La cinétique de décomposition de ces matériaux a aussi été évaluée en utilisant l’ATG dynamique sous différentes atmosphères (azote, 2% oxygène, et air). Cela nous a permis d’acquérir du recul par rapport aux comportements thermiques de ces matériaux hautes performances, que nous avons pu exploiter pour définir des nouveaux retardateurs de feu. Ainsi, une série de retardateurs de flamme ont été synthétisés. Ces retardateurs de flamme font partie de la famille de bases de Schiff et comprennent le salen et ses dérivées, ainsi que certains de leurs complexes métalliques. Le comportement thermique et réaction au feu de ses retardateurs de flamme ont été évalués dans deux polymères : le polyuréthane thermoplastique, et le polyamide 6. Bien qu’une partie de ces retardateurs de feu aient montré peu d’effet au feu, certains ont montré une amélioration importante en termes de chaleur dégagée. Cette nouvelle approche vers la conception de charges ignifugeantes est prometteuse et peut être utilisée comme une méthode complémentaire pour la conception de matériaux haute performance à bas cout. / Polymeric materials have been increasingly used as replacement for other types of materials such as ceramics or metals. However, most polymers have a serious drawback: they need to be fire retarded. Nevertheless, thanks to advanced research in the field, high performance materials that resist high temperatures and fire scenarios have been developed. While these materials have extremely enviable properties, they are also very expensive. The aim of this PhD is to understand the fire behavior of high-performance polymers and design fire retardants that would mimic these high-performance materials under extreme heat or fire. To do so, the thermal and fire behavior of three high performance materials were studied: polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyimide (PI), and polybenzoxazole (PBO). Their thermal decomposition pathways were evaluated thanks to high temperature analytical techniques like pyrolysis-GC/MS and TGA-FTIR. Model based kinetics of the thermal decomposition of these polymeric materials were also elucidated by using dynamic TGA under three different atmospheres (nitrogen, 2% oxygen, and air). These provided insight regarding the thermal behavior high performance polymers, which were used to conceptualize novel potential fire retardants. Therefore, a series of fire retardants that have demonstrated similar behaviors as high performance polymers in fire scenarios were synthesized. These fire retardants include a Schiff base: salen and its derivatives, as well as some of their metal complexes. The thermal behavior and fire performances of these fire retardants were evaluated in two polymeric materials using a relatively low loading (< 10 wt%): thermoplastic polyurethane, and polyamide 6. While some of the fire retardants had little effect, in terms of fire retardancy, some candidates showed a significant improvement in terms of peak of heat release rate. This reverse approach towards designing fire retardants has shown some promise and can be used as a complementary method for the design of high-performance materials at lower cost.

School superintendents have been thrust into the complex world of technology leadership often armed with little technology related training or expertise. District and school leaders are often faced with purchase decisions of costly equipment and software with minimum knowledge of what impact it will have on their organization or specific knowledge of how it will be used to meet curriculum goals. With continued local, state, and federal support and rapid advances in technology, school superintendents are expected to provide leadership in this fast-changing arena. The purpose of this study was to define the role of the school superintendent as an effective technology leader in terms of knowledge, performances, and dispositions. The research questions guiding this study were: • What does a superintendent need to know about technology to be an effective technology leader? • What actions should be performed by a superintendent to be an effective technology leader? • What are indicators of a superintendent's disposition as an effective technology leader? The study was conducted using a three-round Delphi with an expert panel composed of 29 stakeholders with diverse perspectives in the area of school technology leadership. The findings in this study showed a group consensus on 27 knowledge items, 27 performance actions, and 35 dispositional indicators of school superintendents as effective technology leaders. The study contains criteria that may be useful in the development of technology related preparation practices for school superintendents. The findings may also be of interest to those concerned with professional development for superintendents or to those involved in the selection of superintendents for technology leadership positions. / Ed. D.

Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739) was one of the most prominent figures of the baroque guitar, both as composer and theorist. Despite his notability, his music and arrangements rarely find their way into the classical guitar repertoire. In modern guitar repertoire, it is common practice to arrange pieces from baroque composers such as Domenico Scarlatti, George Phillip Telemann, and Johann Sebastian Bach, none who wrote for guitar. My research involves doing an analysis of a historical transcription by Santiago de Murcia, and by doing so, share my insight into the possibilities, benefits, and idiosyncrasies of arranging baroque guitar works into the modern guitar. By analyzing Santiago de Murcia's Tocata de Coreli, a patchwork adaptation of Corelli's op. 5, my overarching objective is to empower modern guitarists to leverage this investigation and facilitate the creation of their own adaptations of baroque works. This documents not only the differences and similarities present in the original de Murcia manuscript print but how the study helped me develop a historically informed modern guitar transcription. Through this endeavor, I aspire to contribute to the broader discourse on the adaptation and preservation of baroque guitar repertoire within the contemporary musical landscape.

La culture du palmier à huile en milieu villageois prend de plus en plus d'ampleur dans les zones tropicales où elle contribue pour une part importante à l'économie des pays. Au Bénin, les palmeraies villageoises sont en forte expansion dans un climat particulier caractérisé par des déficits hydriques annuels élevés. Les caractéristiques assez particulières de ces palmeraies villageoises, comme l'association des cultures vivrières dans les jeunes palmeraies, l'absence de fertilisation minérale durant tout le cycle de culture et l'exportation de tout ou partie de la biomasse recyclable, nous interrogent sur la durabilité du système de production. L'étude a été conduite dans le département du Plateau au sud-est du Bénin (2°30 - 2°45 E et 6°35 - 7°45 N). Une première étape de diagnostic de typologie des palmeraies a permis de constater que les palmeraies villageoises appartiennent majoritairement à des petits producteurs dont les faibles moyens financiers ne permettent pas de planter de grandes superficies, ni d'appliquer une fertilisation minérale aux palmiers. Les antécédents culturaux sont pour la plupart des champs de cultures vivrières. Au jeune âge, les palmeraies sont associées à des cultures vivrières très variées. Les pratiques de restitution des sous produits de transformation, limitées à quelques grands producteurs et les modes de gestion des feuilles d'élagage, distinguent les palmeraies villageoises. La gestion des feuilles d'élagage commence à 7 ans d'âge des palmeraies et va d'une restitution quasi-totale en andain à une restitution nulle de ces feuilles au sol.Dans ce contexte, le mode de gestion des feuilles d'élagage dans les palmeraies villageoises peut induire des effets différents sur le système sol-plante, et son impact agronomique et environnemental mérite d'être exploré. A cet effet, la typologie des palmeraies a orienté le choix d'une chronoséquence de palmeraies représentant les deux modes contrastés de gestion des feuilles d'élagage : la restitution totale en andain (RT) et la restitution nulle (RN). Cette chronoséquence a servi aux études comparatives de l'effet de ces modes sur les compartiments sol et plante du système de production.Dans le compartiment sol, les stocks de matière organique, les paramètres physico-chimiques, l'activité microbienne et le statut de la matière organique ont été étudiés. Les études au niveau de la plante ont concerné dans un premier temps les paramètres de développement (densité, longueur et surface) des racines primaires, secondaires et fines. Et dans un second temps, les biomasses et minéralo-masses aériennes de la plante. Les études de biomasse aérienne ont nécessité la mise au point de méthodes non destructrices basées sur des équations allométriques d'estimations des biomasses de la feuille et du tronc. / Smallholder oil palm plantations are taking increasingly importance in tropical areas where the crop contributes significantly to the economy of the countries. In Benin, smallholder oil palm plantations are in expansion in a particular context characterized by high annual water deficits. Smallholder plantations are characterized in particular by the association of food crops with the young palms, the absence of mineral fertilization throughout the growing cycle and the removal of all or part of recyclable biomass. These specific characteristics raise some questions about the sustainability of the production system. The study was conducted in the region of Plateau located in southeast of Benin (2º 30-2º 45 E and 6 ° 35-7 ° 45 N). A first step diagnosis of the plantations' typology showed that small farmers own the major part of plantations. These small farmers have limited financial resources that neither allow them planting large areas nor applying mineral fertilizers. Food crops represent predominantly the previous cropping history of the plantations. The young palm trees are always associated with various food crops. Practices of mill residues recycling, limited to a few large producers, and the management of pruned fronds distinguish the smallholder plantations. Management of pruned fronds starts at 7 years old of the palm plantation. There are various ways of management of pruned fronds, from total recycling (RT) to no recycling at all (RN).In this context, the management of pruned oil palm fronds in smallholder plantations may induce different effects on the soil-plant system, and its agronomic and environmental impact deserves to be investigated. For this purpose, the typology of plantations allows to choose a chronosequence of palm plantations representing two contrasting ways of managing pruned fronds: RT of fronds piles and RN practices. This chronosequence was used to compare the effect of management of pruned fronds on soil and plant compartments.In the soil compartment, organic matter stocks, chemical parameters, microbial activity and status of organic matter were studied. The studies at the plant level concerned, first, the development parameters (density, length and surface area) of primary, secondary and thin roots; and second, the above ground biomass and mineral-mass of the plant. The studies of the aboveground biomass required to develop non-destructive methods based on allometric equations to estimate biomass of frond and trunk.On the agronomic view, the RT practice after 10 years of fronds recycling induced a significant effect on soil fertility parameters. Organic matter and nitrogen stocks at 0-50 cm depth increased by 70% and 50%, respectively, under frond piles compared to inter-rows without fronds. Surprisingly, the RN practice did not induce a decrease of organic matter stock over time. The increase of carbon and nitrogen stocks after 10 years of fronds recycling, improved soil parameters on the first 20 cm depth. The soil was enriched in organic matter (20gC.kg -1) and nitrogen (1.5gN.kg -1). The sum of exchangeable cations and cationic exchange capacity reached average values (7meq.100g -1) two times higher than the cases of no recycling of fronds. Calcium and magnesium contents increased while potassium contents are very low. The pH increased to 0.5 units and the soil shifted from acid to slightly acid status. Total recycling of fronds induced an increased soil microbial activity witch changed the quality of soil organic matter. So, the carbon content of fine organic fractions (< 20μm) increased to 40% at 0-5 cm and to 15% at 20-30 cm, compared to the no recycling of pruned fronds.

Esta tese é o resultado dos meus quatro anos de investigação e vivências em que meu corpo de pesquisadora performer foi sendo contaminado pelas informações dos ambientes em que circulou. A hipótese está amparada por uma investigação que foi se processando em busca pelas opressões que cerceiam meu corpo, de mulher, mulher negra, feminista, periférica. Essas contaminações encarnearam meu corpo num processo de embrutecimento, que se materializa em Bruta. Destaca-se, neste contexto, o pensamento do Teatro Invisível de Augusto Boal (2009), em diálogo com a performance estudada por autoras como Josette Féral (2015), Ileana Diéguez (2011), Diana Taylor (2013) e Judith Butler (2003 e 2018). Nesses diálogos, meu corpo foi se contaminando também pela Teoria Corpomídia (Katz e Greiner, 2006), num processo criativo em que arte e vida, agir e conhecer, ocupam um mesmo espaço (Bastos, 2017). A metodologia inspira-se nas fases da Lua, enquanto evocação da Mulher nas suas diversas instâncias, das implicações de vivências na elaboração de um discurso. Meu deslocamento dá-se pela via de um relato: uma artista do corpo em suas performances invisíveis, isto é, manifestações de uma experimentação performativa, que emerge da necessidade de compartilhar este processo em que o corpo foi encarneando Existências Bruta. / This thesis is the result of four years of investigation and experiences where my body as a researcher performer was contaminated by information from the environments it circulated. The hypothesis is supported by an exploration in search of the oppressions surrounding my body, that of a woman, of a black woman, of a feminist, a marginalized body. These exposures infleshened my body in a process of brutishness, which culminated in Raw. Highlighted, in this context, is the thinking of the Invisible Theatre from Augusto Boal (2009), in dialogue with performances studied by Josette Féral (2015), Ileana Diéguez (2011), Diana Taylor (2013) e Judith Butler (2003 e 2018). With these dialogues, my body was also exposed to Teoria Corpomídia (Katz e Greiner, 2006), in a creative process where art and life, acting and knowing, occupy the same space (Bastos, 2017). The methodology is inspired by the phases of the moon, as evocation to Woman in their several instances, the implications from experiences to elaboration of a speech. My movement happens through a narration: an artist of the body in her invisible performances, therefore, manifestations of a performative experimentation that emerges from the necessity of sharing this process where the body was infleshning Raw Existences.

En mammographie numérique, il existe deux approches pour évaluer la qualité de l’image. Dans la première approche, une méthode visuelle basée sur un observateur humain permet la détectabilité des lésions en radiographie mammographique. Malheureusement, cette approche subjective de qualité nécessite d’importantes ressources humaines et du temps lors de son implémentation. Dans une deuxième approche, des paramètres objectifs et indépendants de l’observateur humain, présentant une relation avec la résolution et le contraste de l’image (MTF et NPS), sont utilisés pour une évaluation de la performance des détecteurs. Cependant, il n’existe pas de relation directe entre ces paramètres et la détectabilité des lésions. Une méthode permettant d’avoir une approche de la qualité de l’image, à la fois indépendante de facteurs humains et présentant une relation directe avec la détectabilité des lésions, permettrait d’utiliser l’équipement mammographique de manière optimale. Ce travail de thèse présente le développement d’une telle méthode, consistant à générer par ordinateur des images virtuelles à partir d’un modèle « Source à rayons X/Détecteur numérique », qui prend en compte les valeurs mesurées de la MTF et du NPS des équipements mammographiques en conditions cliniques d’utilisation. De par les résultats obtenus dans notre travail, nous avons contribué à établir le lien entre les caractéristiques physiques des détecteurs et la qualité clinique de l’image dans les conditions habituelles d’exposition. De plus, nous suggérons l’utilisation de notre modèle pour déterminer rapidement les conditions optimales en mammographie, aspect essentiel pour la radioprotection des patientes / In digital mammography two approaches exist to estimate image quality. In the first approach, human observer assesses the lesion detection in mammograms. Unfortunately, such quality assessment is subject to inter-observer variability, and requires a large amount of time and human resources. In the second approach, objective and human-independent parameters relating to image spatial resolution and noise (MTF and NPS) are used to evaluate digital detector performance; even if these parameters are objective, they are not directly related to lesion detection. A method leading to image quality assessment which is both human independent, and directly related to lesion detection is very important for the optimal use of mammographic units. This PhD thesis presents the steps towards such a method: the computation of realistic virtual images using an “X-ray source/digital detector” model taking into account the physical parameters of the detector (spatial resolution and noise measurements) measured under clinical conditions. From results obtained in this work, we have contributed to establish the link between the physical characteristics of detectors and the clinical quality of the image for usual exposition conditions. Furthermore, we suggest the use of our model for the creation of virtual images, in order to rapidly determine the optimal conditions in mammography, which usually is a long and tedious experimental process. This is an essential aspect to be taken into account for radioprotection of patients, especially in the context of organized mass screening of breast cancer

La tomoscintigraphie myocardique est considérée comme un examen de référence pour le diagnostic et l'évaluation de la maladie coronarienne. Mise au point dans les années 1980, cette technique est en pleine mutation depuis l'arrivée de nouvelles caméras à semi-conducteurs. Deux caméras à semi-conducteurs, dédiées à la cardiologie nucléaire et utilisant des détecteurs de Cadmium Zinc Telluride sont actuellement commercialisées : la Discovery NM-530c (General Electric) et la DSPECT (Spectrum Dynamics). Les performances de ces caméras CZT ont été évaluées : 1) à la fois sur fantôme et sur des examens d'effort provenant de patients à faible probabilité de maladie coronaire, et 2) avec les paramètres d'acquisition et de reconstruction utilisés en clinique. Les résultats ont démontré la nette supériorité des caméras CZT en termes de sensibilité de détection, de résolution spatiale et de rapport contraste sur bruit par rapport à la génération de caméras d'Anger. Ces propriétés vont permettre de diminuer très fortement les temps d'acquisition et les activités injectées, tout en améliorant la qualité des images. Néanmoins, on connaît encore mal les limites et possibles artéfacts liés à la géométrie particulière d'acquisition. C'est pourquoi nous avons développé, avec la plateforme de simulations Monte Carlo GATE, un simulateur numérique spécifique de la caméra DSPECT. Nous avons pu ensuite le valider en comparant des données effectivement enregistrées aux données simulées. Ce simulateur pourrait aider à optimiser les protocoles de reconstruction et d'acquisition, en particulier les protocoles les plus complexes (acquisitions double traceur, études cinétiques) / Myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is considered as the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Developed in the 1980s with rotating Anger gamma-cameras, this technique could be dramatically enhanced by new imaging systems working with semi-conductor detectors. Two semiconductor cameras, dedicated to nuclear cardiology and equipped with Cadmium Zinc Telluride detectors, have been recently commercialized: the Discovery NM- 530c (General Electric) and the DSPECT (Spectrum Dynamics). The performances of these CZT cameras were compared: 1) by a comprehensive analysis of phantom and human SPECT images considered as normal and 2) with the parameters commonly recommended for SPECT recording and reconstruction. The results show the superiority of the CZT cameras in terms of detection sensitivity, spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio, compared to conventional Anger cameras. These properties might lead to dramatically reduce acquisition times and/or the injected activities. However, the limits of these new CZT cameras, as well as the mechanism of certain artefacts, remain poorly known. That?s why we developed, with the GATE Monte Carlo simulation plateform, a specific simulator of the DSPECT camera. We validated this simulator by comparing actually recorded data with simulated data. This simulator may yet be used to optimize the recorded and reconstruction processes, especially for complex protocols such as simultaneous dual-radionuclide acquisition and kinetics first-pass studies

Esta tese é o resultado dos meus quatro anos de investigação e vivências em que meu corpo de pesquisadora performer foi sendo contaminado pelas informações dos ambientes em que circulou. A hipótese está amparada por uma investigação que foi se processando em busca pelas opressões que cerceiam meu corpo, de mulher, mulher negra, feminista, periférica. Essas contaminações encarnearam meu corpo num processo de embrutecimento, que se materializa em Bruta. Destaca-se, neste contexto, o pensamento do Teatro Invisível de Augusto Boal (2009), em diálogo com a performance estudada por autoras como Josette Féral (2015), Ileana Diéguez (2011), Diana Taylor (2013) e Judith Butler (2003 e 2018). Nesses diálogos, meu corpo foi se contaminando também pela Teoria Corpomídia (Katz e Greiner, 2006), num processo criativo em que arte e vida, agir e conhecer, ocupam um mesmo espaço (Bastos, 2017). A metodologia inspira-se nas fases da Lua, enquanto evocação da Mulher nas suas diversas instâncias, das implicações de vivências na elaboração de um discurso. Meu deslocamento dá-se pela via de um relato: uma artista do corpo em suas performances invisíveis, isto é, manifestações de uma experimentação performativa, que emerge da necessidade de compartilhar este processo em que o corpo foi encarneando Existências Bruta. / This thesis is the result of four years of investigation and experiences where my body as a researcher performer was contaminated by information from the environments it circulated. The hypothesis is supported by an exploration in search of the oppressions surrounding my body, that of a woman, of a black woman, of a feminist, a marginalized body. These exposures infleshened my body in a process of brutishness, which culminated in Raw. Highlighted, in this context, is the thinking of the Invisible Theatre from Augusto Boal (2009), in dialogue with performances studied by Josette Féral (2015), Ileana Diéguez (2011), Diana Taylor (2013) e Judith Butler (2003 e 2018). With these dialogues, my body was also exposed to Teoria Corpomídia (Katz e Greiner, 2006), in a creative process where art and life, acting and knowing, occupy the same space (Bastos, 2017). The methodology is inspired by the phases of the moon, as evocation to Woman in their several instances, the implications from experiences to elaboration of a speech. My movement happens through a narration: an artist of the body in her invisible performances, therefore, manifestations of a performative experimentation that emerges from the necessity of sharing this process where the body was infleshning Raw Existences.