Deliberate and accidental explosions along with the heightened risk of loss of life and property damage during such events have highlighted the need for research in the behaviour of materials under high strain rates. Where an extensive body of research is available on steel and concrete structures, little to no details on how to address the design or retrofitting of wood structures subjected to a blast threat are available. Studies reported in the literature that focused on full scale light-frame wood structures did not quantify the increase in capacity due to the dynamic loading while the studies that did quantify the increase mostly stems from small clear specimens that are not representative of the behaviour of structural size members with defects. Tests on larger-scale specimens have mostly focused on the material properties and not the structural behaviour of subsystems. Advancements in design and construction techniques have greatly contributed to the emergence of taller and safer wood structures which increase potential for blast threat. This thesis presents results on the flexural behaviour of light-frame wood stud walls subjected to shock wave loading using the University of Ottawa shock tube. The emphasis is on the overall behaviour of the wall subsystem, especially the interaction between the sheathing and the studs through the nailed connection. The approach employed in this experimental program was holistic, where the specimens were investigated at the component and the subsystem levels. Twenty walls consisting of 38 mm x 140 mm machine stress-rated (MSR) studs spaced 406 mm on center and sheathed with two different types and sheathing thicknesses were tested to failure under static and dynamic loads. The experimental results were used to determine dynamic increase factors (DIFs) and a material predictive model was validated using experimental data. The implications of the code are also discussed and compared to the experimental data. Once validated, an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model incorporating partial composite action was used to evaluate current analysis and design assumptions. The results showed that a shock tube can effectively be used to generate high strain-rate flexural response in wood members and that the material predictive model was found suitable to effectively predict the displacement resulting from shock wave loading. Furthermore, it was found that current analysis and design approaches overestimated the wall displacements.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A velocidade do som é uma propriedade que vem sendo cada vez mais utilizada em diferentes áreas tecnológicas. Além disso, a velocidade do som é uma propriedade termodinâmica que está associada a outras propriedades do meio como a compressibilidade isentrópica e isotérmica, entre outras. Neste contexto, muitos estudos foram realizados a fim de obter modelos precisos que possam representar fielmente a velocidade do som, sendo observados desvios absolutos médios entre 0,13 e 24,8%. Neste trabalho, um banco de dados de velocidade do som e massa específica à pressão atmosférica de n-alcanos, alcanos ramificados, n-alcenos, aromáticos, alcoóis, éteres e ésteres, foram compilados da literatura aberta. Utilizando estes dados e baseando-se no modelo de Wada por contribuição de grupo recentemente proposto, foi desenvolvido um novo modelo por contribuição atômica para predizer a velocidade do som de todas as famílias dos compostos investigados neste trabalho. É mostrado que o modelo proposto é capaz de prever a velocidade do som para os compostos destas famílias com desvios próximos da incerteza experimental calculada a partir de diferentes dados da literatura. Este trabalho também discute o efeito da ramificação das cadeias na constante Wada, ressaltando a importância de novas medições para este tipo de compostos. Além disso, observou-se que a literatura necessita de mais dados experimentais de velocidade do som, à pressão atmosférica e diferentes temperaturas para substâncias puras presentes em biodiesel e bio-óleo de pirólise rápida. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho fornece novos dados experimentais de velocidade do som e massa específica de cinco ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos, também conhecidos como FAMEs, (caprilato de metila, caprato de metila, palmitato de metila, estearato de metila e linoleato de metila), e sete componentes puros presentes em bio-óleo de pirólise à pressão atmosférica, de vários fenóis (fenol, o-, m- e p-cresol), dois éteres fenólicos (2-metoxifenol e eugenol) e um éster fenólico (salicilato de metila), a temperaturas de (288,15-343,15) K. O modelo preditivo de Wada atômico foi utilizado para calcular a velocidade do som dos FAMEs estudados neste trabalho, e os desvios foram comparados com o modelo de Wada por contribuição de grupo. O modelo atômico de Wada foi utilizado para prever a velocidade do som dos componentes puros presentes no bio-óleo de pirólise rápida experimentalmente estudados nesta dissertação. Além disso, os dados de massa específica e velocidade de som foram correlacionados com o modelo de Prigogine-Flory-Patterson (PFP). As propriedades foram bem representadas pelo modelo PFP, no entanto, para a velocidade do som o modelo apresenta desvios sistemáticos na dependência com a temperatura. O desempenho do modelo preditivo de Wada atômico foi considerado satisfatório, devido os desvios observados serem compatíveis ou até menores do que os desvios típicos obtidos na literatura com outros modelos correlativos para o cálculo da velocidade do som de outras substâncias / Speed of sound is a property that is being increasingly used in different technological areas. Furthermore, the speed of sound is a thermodynamic property which is associated with other properties of the medium, such as isentropic and isothermal compressibility, among others. In this context, many studies were carried out to obtain accurate models that can faithfully represent the speed of sound, with average absolute deviations between 0.13 and 24.8%. In this work a database of speed of sound and density at atmospheric pressure for n-alkanes, branched alkanes, n-alkenes, aromatics, alcohols, ethers and esters were collected from the open literature. Using these data a Wada group contribution model recently proposed was used as basis for the development of a new atomic contribution model to predict speed of sound for all families of compounds investigated in this work. It is shown that the proposed model is able to predict the speed of sound for compounds of these families with deviations close to the experimental reproducibility. This work also discusses the effect of branching on the Wadas constant, pointing out the importance of new measurements for this type of compounds. It was also observed that the literature needs more experimental data of speed of sound at atmospheric pressure and different temperature for pure compounds present in biodiesel and fast pyrolysis bio-oil. In this context, this work provides new experimental data of speed of sound and density for five Fatty Acid Methyl Esters, also know FAMEs, (Methyl Caprylate, Methyl Caprate, Methyl Palmitate, Methyl Stearate and Methyl Linoleate), and seven pure components of pyrolysis bio-oil at atmospheric pressure for several phenols (phenol, o-, m- and p-cresol), two phenolic ethers (2-methoxyphenol and eugenol) and one phenolic ester (methyl salicylate) at temperatures ranging from (288.15 to 343.15) K. The predictive atomic Wada model was used to calculate speed of sound of FAMEs studied in this work, and the deviations were compared with group contribution Wada model. An extension of atomic Wada model was used to predict the speed of sound of pure compounds of fast pyrolysis bio-oil experimentally studied in this thesis. Furthermore, data of densities and speed of sound are correlated with the Prigogine-Flory-Patterson (PFP) model. The properties are well described by the PFP model, however the model presents a systematical deviation on the temperature dependency of the speed of sound. The performance of the predictive atomic Wada model was very satisfactory because its deviations are comparable to, or better than, those obtained in the literature with other models

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A velocidade do som é uma propriedade que vem sendo cada vez mais utilizada em diferentes áreas tecnológicas. Além disso, a velocidade do som é uma propriedade termodinâmica que está associada a outras propriedades do meio como a compressibilidade isentrópica e isotérmica, entre outras. Neste contexto, muitos estudos foram realizados a fim de obter modelos precisos que possam representar fielmente a velocidade do som, sendo observados desvios absolutos médios entre 0,13 e 24,8%. Neste trabalho, um banco de dados de velocidade do som e massa específica à pressão atmosférica de n-alcanos, alcanos ramificados, n-alcenos, aromáticos, alcoóis, éteres e ésteres, foram compilados da literatura aberta. Utilizando estes dados e baseando-se no modelo de Wada por contribuição de grupo recentemente proposto, foi desenvolvido um novo modelo por contribuição atômica para predizer a velocidade do som de todas as famílias dos compostos investigados neste trabalho. É mostrado que o modelo proposto é capaz de prever a velocidade do som para os compostos destas famílias com desvios próximos da incerteza experimental calculada a partir de diferentes dados da literatura. Este trabalho também discute o efeito da ramificação das cadeias na constante Wada, ressaltando a importância de novas medições para este tipo de compostos. Além disso, observou-se que a literatura necessita de mais dados experimentais de velocidade do som, à pressão atmosférica e diferentes temperaturas para substâncias puras presentes em biodiesel e bio-óleo de pirólise rápida. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho fornece novos dados experimentais de velocidade do som e massa específica de cinco ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos, também conhecidos como FAMEs, (caprilato de metila, caprato de metila, palmitato de metila, estearato de metila e linoleato de metila), e sete componentes puros presentes em bio-óleo de pirólise à pressão atmosférica, de vários fenóis (fenol, o-, m- e p-cresol), dois éteres fenólicos (2-metoxifenol e eugenol) e um éster fenólico (salicilato de metila), a temperaturas de (288,15-343,15) K. O modelo preditivo de Wada atômico foi utilizado para calcular a velocidade do som dos FAMEs estudados neste trabalho, e os desvios foram comparados com o modelo de Wada por contribuição de grupo. O modelo atômico de Wada foi utilizado para prever a velocidade do som dos componentes puros presentes no bio-óleo de pirólise rápida experimentalmente estudados nesta dissertação. Além disso, os dados de massa específica e velocidade de som foram correlacionados com o modelo de Prigogine-Flory-Patterson (PFP). As propriedades foram bem representadas pelo modelo PFP, no entanto, para a velocidade do som o modelo apresenta desvios sistemáticos na dependência com a temperatura. O desempenho do modelo preditivo de Wada atômico foi considerado satisfatório, devido os desvios observados serem compatíveis ou até menores do que os desvios típicos obtidos na literatura com outros modelos correlativos para o cálculo da velocidade do som de outras substâncias / Speed of sound is a property that is being increasingly used in different technological areas. Furthermore, the speed of sound is a thermodynamic property which is associated with other properties of the medium, such as isentropic and isothermal compressibility, among others. In this context, many studies were carried out to obtain accurate models that can faithfully represent the speed of sound, with average absolute deviations between 0.13 and 24.8%. In this work a database of speed of sound and density at atmospheric pressure for n-alkanes, branched alkanes, n-alkenes, aromatics, alcohols, ethers and esters were collected from the open literature. Using these data a Wada group contribution model recently proposed was used as basis for the development of a new atomic contribution model to predict speed of sound for all families of compounds investigated in this work. It is shown that the proposed model is able to predict the speed of sound for compounds of these families with deviations close to the experimental reproducibility. This work also discusses the effect of branching on the Wadas constant, pointing out the importance of new measurements for this type of compounds. It was also observed that the literature needs more experimental data of speed of sound at atmospheric pressure and different temperature for pure compounds present in biodiesel and fast pyrolysis bio-oil. In this context, this work provides new experimental data of speed of sound and density for five Fatty Acid Methyl Esters, also know FAMEs, (Methyl Caprylate, Methyl Caprate, Methyl Palmitate, Methyl Stearate and Methyl Linoleate), and seven pure components of pyrolysis bio-oil at atmospheric pressure for several phenols (phenol, o-, m- and p-cresol), two phenolic ethers (2-methoxyphenol and eugenol) and one phenolic ester (methyl salicylate) at temperatures ranging from (288.15 to 343.15) K. The predictive atomic Wada model was used to calculate speed of sound of FAMEs studied in this work, and the deviations were compared with group contribution Wada model. An extension of atomic Wada model was used to predict the speed of sound of pure compounds of fast pyrolysis bio-oil experimentally studied in this thesis. Furthermore, data of densities and speed of sound are correlated with the Prigogine-Flory-Patterson (PFP) model. The properties are well described by the PFP model, however the model presents a systematical deviation on the temperature dependency of the speed of sound. The performance of the predictive atomic Wada model was very satisfactory because its deviations are comparable to, or better than, those obtained in the literature with other models

1 ABSTRACT Background Breast cancer cell population characteristics are used in common clinical practice for estimation of prognosis of the malignant disease (prognostic factors) and for prediction of reactivity of the tumor to certain therapeutic modality (predictive factors). Also axillary lymph node status is an independent prognostic factor in women with early breast cancer. Therefore, surgical excision and following histopathological examination of the nodes is the obligatory part of primary breast cancer surgery. The extension of axillary surgery varies widely, although sentinel lymph node biopsy is considered to be the standard procedure. However, it must be admitted that this type of procedure need not be optimal for all the breast cancer patients. Aims of the study The aim of this study is the verify the hypothesis whether or not the axillary lymph node metastatic affection can be effectively estimated using non-surgical methods - i.e. by evaluation of the combination of prognostic and predictive factors of the primary breast tumor. Statistical model composed on the basis of data of early breast cancer patients is the basic tool for this prediction. Application of this model In everyday practice can enable to adjust the extent of axillary surgery for each individual patient. Patients and methods A...

La production d'électricité dépend étroitement de la disponibilité d'une source froide. C'est la raison pour laquelle la plupart des centrales de grande puissance dans le monde sont construites près d'une source d'eau. Le problème de la source froide a été soulevé à plusieurs reprises en France, notamment après les canicules de 2003 et de 2006. Le refroidissement à l'air sec est une des options possibles. Cependant, étant donné le besoin de surface d'échange plus important, le changement de la source froide pour l'air ambiant n'est pas, dans la majorité des cas, viable économiquement.Une des solutions à ce problème imaginées à EDF était de changer l'architecture du cycle de production en considérant un cycle de production composé de deux cycles de Rankine en cascade, le premier fonctionnant avec de la vapeur d'eau et le deuxième fonctionnant avec de l'ammoniac dont la vapeur à basse pression est beaucoup plus dense que celle de l'eau. Cette solution permet de faciliter l'utilisation d'un aérocondenseur et de réduire la taille de la salle machine.En raison de la nature toxique et corrosive de l'ammoniac, il est intéressant d'étudier la possibilité de remplacer ce dernier par d'autres fluides plus adaptés, notamment en envisageant de nouveaux fluides pour lesquels peu ou pas de données sont disponibles. Nous comparons les fluides sur le plan énergétique et en terme de taille des composants de l'installation.Cette thèse illustre la démarche des différentes étapes de notre travail : la recherche de nouveaux fluides de travail, l'évaluation de performance du système en régime nominal et non-nominal, le dimensionnement des principaux composants du cycle ainsi que l'évaluation de coût et de gain économique éventuel. / This work considers a two stage Rankine cycle architecture slightly different from a standard Rankine cycle for electricity generation. Instead of expanding the steam to extremely low pressure, the vapor leaves the turbine at a higher pressure then having a much smaller specific volume. It is thus possible to greatly reduce the size of the steam turbine. The remaining energy is recovered by a bottoming cycle using a working fluid which has a much higher density than the water steam. Thus, the turbines and heat exchangers are more compact; the turbine exhaust velocity loss is lower. This configuration enables to largely reduce the global size of the steam water turbine and facilitate the use of a dry cooling system.The main advantage of such an air cooled two stage Rankine cycle is the possibility to choose the installation site of a large or medium power plant without the need of a large and constantly available water source; in addition, as compared to water cooled cycles, the risk regarding future operations is reduced (climate conditions may affect water availability or temperature, and imply changes in the water supply regulatory rules).The concept has been investigated by EDF R&D. A 22 MW prototype was developed in 70s using ammonia as the working fluid of the bottoming cycle for its high density and high latent heat. However, this fluid is toxic. In order to search more suitable working fluids for the two stage Rankine cycle application and to identify the optimal cycle configuration, we have established a working fluid selection methodology. Some potential candidates have been identified. We have evaluated the performances of the two stage Rankine cycles operating with different working fluids in both design and off design conditions. For the most acceptable working fluids, components of the cycle have been sized. The power plant concept can then be evaluated on a life cycle cost basis.

En médecine, les analyses de population à grande échelle ont pour but d’obtenir des informations statistiques pour mieux comprendre des maladies, identifier leurs facteurs de risque, développer des traitements préventifs et curatifs et améliorer la qualité de vie des patients.Dans cette thèse, nous présentons d’abord le contexte médical de la maladie d’Alzheimer, rappelons certains concepts d’apprentissage statistique et difficultés rencontrées lors de l’application en imagerie médicale. Dans la deuxième partie,nous nous intéressons aux analyses transversales, c-a-d ayant un seul point temporel.Nous présentons une méthode efficace basée sur les séparateurs à vaste marge (SVM)permettant de classifier des lésions dans la matière blanche. Ensuite, nous étudions les techniques d’apprentissage de variétés pour l’analyse de formes et d’images, et présentons deux extensions des Laplacian eigenmaps améliorant la représentation de patients en faible dimension grâce à la combinaison de données d’imagerie et cliniques. Dans la troisième partie, nous nous intéressons aux analyses longitudinales, c-a-d entre plusieurs points temporels. Nous quantifions les déformations des hippocampus de patients via le modèle des larges déformations par difféomorphismes pour classifier les évolutions de la maladie. Nous introduisons de nouvelles stratégies et des régularisations spatiales pour la classification et l’identification de marqueurs biologiques. / In medicine, large scale population analysis aim to obtain statistical information in order to understand better diseases, identify their risk factors, develop preventive and curative treatments and improve the quality of life of the patients.In this thesis, we first introduce the medical context of Alzheimer’s disease, recall some concepts of statistical learning and the challenges that typically occurwhen applied in medical imaging. The second part focus on cross-sectional studies,i.e. at a single time point. We present an efficient method to classify white matter lesions based on support vector machines. Then we discuss the use of manifoldlearning techniques for image and shape analysis. Finally, we present extensions ofLaplacian eigenmaps to improve the low-dimension representations of patients usingthe combination of imaging and clinical data. The third part focus on longitudinalstudies, i.e. between several time points. We quantify the hippocampus deformations of patients via the large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping frameworkto build disease progression classifiers. We introduce novel strategies and spatialregularizations for the classification and identification of biomarkers.

The work is devoted to Human-computer interaction and its main goal is to get closer to the field. The first part describes two main areas, namely Cognitive Science and Cogni-tive Psychology, from which HCI is based on. The second part deals specifically with Human-computer interaction, the history of the origins, aspects of human factor, ele-ments of interaction and modeling of interaction together with examples from everyday life.

Deliberate and accidental explosions along with the heightened risk of loss of life and property damage during such events have highlighted the need for research in the behaviour of materials under high strain rates. Where an extensive body of research is available on steel and concrete structures, little to no details on how to address the design or retrofitting of wood structures subjected to a blast threat are available. Studies reported in the literature that focused on full scale light-frame wood structures did not quantify the increase in capacity due to the dynamic loading while the studies that did quantify the increase mostly stems from small clear specimens that are not representative of the behaviour of structural size members with defects. Tests on larger-scale specimens have mostly focused on the material properties and not the structural behaviour of subsystems. Advancements in design and construction techniques have greatly contributed to the emergence of taller and safer wood structures which increase potential for blast threat. This thesis presents results on the flexural behaviour of light-frame wood stud walls subjected to shock wave loading using the University of Ottawa shock tube. The emphasis is on the overall behaviour of the wall subsystem, especially the interaction between the sheathing and the studs through the nailed connection. The approach employed in this experimental program was holistic, where the specimens were investigated at the component and the subsystem levels. Twenty walls consisting of 38 mm x 140 mm machine stress-rated (MSR) studs spaced 406 mm on center and sheathed with two different types and sheathing thicknesses were tested to failure under static and dynamic loads. The experimental results were used to determine dynamic increase factors (DIFs) and a material predictive model was validated using experimental data. The implications of the code are also discussed and compared to the experimental data. Once validated, an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model incorporating partial composite action was used to evaluate current analysis and design assumptions. The results showed that a shock tube can effectively be used to generate high strain-rate flexural response in wood members and that the material predictive model was found suitable to effectively predict the displacement resulting from shock wave loading. Furthermore, it was found that current analysis and design approaches overestimated the wall displacements.

Nous avons développé une méthode de contributions de groupes permettant d'estimer, en fonction de la température, le coefficient d'interaction binaire (kij) de l'équation d'état de Peng Robinson. Notre approche rend cette équation d'état prédictive. Douze groupes sont définis et il est possible d'estimer les kij pour n'importe quel mélange renfermant des alcanes, des aromatiques, des naphtènes et du CO2. Les diagrammes de phase et lieux des points critiques des systèmes binaires sont bien prédits par le modèle baptisé PPR78 (Predictive 1978, Peng Robinson equation of state). Ce modèle permet également de traiter efficacement les mélanges multiconstituants comme les pétroles bruts et les gaz naturels. A l'aide d'une cellule haute pression, des mesures d'équilibres liquide - vapeur ont été réalisées pour la première fois sur deux systèmes binaires : CO2 méthylcyclopentane et CO2 isopropylcyclohexane. Des mesures ont également été faites sur un mélange renfermant du CO2 et cinq hydrocarbures / A group contribution method allowing the estimation of the temperature dependent binary interaction parameter (kij) for the Peng Robinson equation of state is proposed. Doing so, a new predictive thermodynamic model is born. Twelve groups are defined and it is now possible to estimate the kij for any mixture containing alkanes, aromatics, naphthenes and CO2, whatever the temperature. The model, called PPR78 (Predictive 1978, Peng Robinson equation of state), gives a good description of the phase diagrams and critical locus of binary systems. This predictive model can be successfully employed for the simulation of many mixtures such as natural gases and petroleum fluids. Using a high pressure visual cell, vapor liquid equilibria measurements were made for two binary systems: CO2 methylcyclopentane and CO2 isopropylcyclohexane. For these two systems, no literature data were available. Finally, we measured bubble and dew points on a five component hydrocarbon mixture in the presence of CO2

This thesis deals with thermoregulation in red wood ants, in Formica rufa group. Our aim was to better understand the mechanisms by which red wood ants maintain thermal homeostasis in their nests. Red wood ants are known to keep high and stable temperatures in their nests from spring to autumn. Most emphasis is placed on the role of the nest mound as a solar collector or on a heat production by microbial community present in the nest material. However, some researchers believe that wood ants are able of active nest thermoregulation in which they can affect the nest temperature by behavioural reactions, mainly by sun basking, increased metabolic heat production or heat transport. The thesis consists of three research articles. The first one is focused on the timing of thermoregulation in red wood ants, the second one investigates in more detail one specific aspect of red wood ant thermoregulation - a sun basking behaviour. These two papers provide data from long-term field observations and experiments. The last paper is based on laboratory experiments where we tested a hypothesis resulting from field observations. Thanks to the field research we found out that ant activity (traffic on ant trails) significantly correlates with nest temperature; once the activity decreased the thermal homeostasis...