Dans la vie de tous les jours, lorsque nous regardons le monde qui nous entoure, nous bougeons constamment nos yeux. Notre regard se porte successivement sur différents endroits du champ visuel afin de capter l'information visuelle. Ainsi, nos yeux se stabilisent sur deux à trois régions différentes par seconde pendant des périodes appelées fixations. Entre deux fixations, nous réalisons des mouvements rapides des yeux pour déplacer notre regard vers une autre région ; on parle de saccades oculaires. Ces mouvements oculaires sont étroitement liés à l'attention. Quels sont les processus attentionnels mis en jeu lors de l'exploration de scènes ? Comment les facteurs liés à la scène ou à la consigne donnée pour l'exploration modifient-ils les paramètres des mouvements oculaires ? Comment ces modifications évoluent-elles au cours de l'exploration ? Dans cette thèse, nous proposons d'analyser conjointement les données oculométriques et électroencéphalographiques (EEG) pour mieux comprendre les processus attentionnels impliqués dans le traitement de l'information visuelle acquise pendant l'exploration de scènes. Nous étudions à la fois l'influence de facteurs de bas niveau, c'est-à-dire l'information visuelle contenue dans la scène et de haut niveau, c'est-à-dire la consigne donnée aux observateurs. Dans une première étude, nous avons considéré les facteurs de haut niveau à travers la modulation de la tâche à réaliser pour l'exploration des scènes. Nous avons choisi quatre tâches : l'exploration libre, la catégorisation, la recherche visuelle et l'organisation spatiale. Ces tâches ont été choisies car elles impliquent des traitements de l'information visuelle de nature différente et peuvent être classées en fonction de leur niveau de difficulté ou de demande attentionnelle. Dans une seconde étude, nous nous sommes focalisées plus particulièrement sur la recherche visuelle et l'influence de la contrainte temporelle. Enfin, dans une troisième étude, nous considérons les facteurs de bas niveau à travers l'influence d'un distracteur visuel perturbant l'exploration libre. Pour les deux premières études, nous avons enregistré conjointement les mouvements oculaires et les signaux EEG d'un grand nombre de sujets. L'analyse conjointe des signaux EEG et oculométriques permet de tirer profit des deux méthodes. L'oculométrie permet d'accéder aux mouvements oculaires et donc au déploiement de l'attention visuelle sur la scène. Elle permet de connaitre à quel moment et quels endroits de la scène sont regardés. L'EEG permet, avec une grande résolution temporelle, de mettre en avant des différences dans les processus attentionnels selon la condition expérimentale. Ainsi, nous avons montré des différences entre les tâches au niveau des potentiels évoqués par l'apparition de la scène et pour les fixations au cours de l'exploration. De plus, nous avons mis en évidence un lien fort entre le niveau global de l'activité EEG observée sur les régions frontales et les durées de fixation mais aussi des marqueurs de résolution de la tâche au niveau des potentiels évoqués liés à des fixations d'intérêt. L'analyse conjointe des données EEG et oculométriques permet donc de rendre compte des différences de traitement liées à différentes demandes attentionnelles. / In everyday life, when we explored the word, we moved continually our eyes. We focus your gaze successively on different location of the visual field, in order to get the visual information. In this way, our eyes became stable on two or three different regions per second, during period called fixation. Between two fixations, we make fast movements of the eyes to move our gaze to another position; it was called saccade. Eye movements are closely linked to attention. What are the attentional processes involved during scene exploration? How factors related to the scene or the task modify the parameters of eye movements? How these changes evolve during the exploration? In the thesis, we proposed to jointly analyze eye movements and electroencephalographic (EEG) data to better understand attentional processes involved during the processing of the visual information acquired during the exploration of scenes. We focused on low and high level factors. Low level factors corresponded to the visual information included in the scene and high level factors corresponded to the instruction give to observers. In a first study, we considered high level factors by manipulating the instructions for observers. We chose four tasks: free-exploration, categorization, visual search and spatial organization. These tasks were chosen because they involved different visual information processing and can be classified by level of difficulty or attentional demands. In a second study, we focused on the visual search task and on the influence of a time constraint. Finally, in a third study, we considered low level factors by analyzing the influence of a distractor disturbing the free-exploration of scenes. For the two first experiments, we jointly recorded eye movements and EEG signals of a large number of observers. The joint analysis of EEG and eye movement data takes advantage of the two methods. Eye tracking allowed to access to eye movements parameters and therefore to the visual attention deployment. It allowed knowing when and where the regions of the scene were gazed at. EEG allowed to access to differences on attentional processes depending on the experimental condition, with a high temporal resolution. We found differences between tasks for evoked potentials elicited by the scene onset and by fixations along the exploration. Furthermore, we demonstrated a strong link between the global EEG activity observed over frontal regions and fixation durations but also markers of the solving of the task on evoked potentials elicited by fixations of interest. Therefore, joint analysis of EEG and eye movement data allowed to report different processes related to attentional demanding.

Le peptide RFRP-3 joue un rôle dans la régulation de l’axe hypothalamo-hypophyso-gonadotrope des mammifères. Le but de cette étude était de déterminer l’implication du RFRP-3 dans la régulation de l’axe reproducteur du hamster Syrien. Nos résultats montrent que le RFRP-3 stimule l’axe gonadotrope chez le hamster Syrien mâle, tandis qu’il a des effets variables chez la femelle. En effet, chez la femelle le peptide inhibe l’axe reproducteur lorsqu’il est administré au moment du pic pré-ovulatoire de LH le jour du proestrus, et n’a pas d’effet pendant le diestrus. Nous avons poursuivi notre étude par la caractérisation des sites d’action du RFRP-3 chez le hamster Syrien, en démontrant que l’effet du peptide sur l’axe gonadotrope est médié directement ou indirectement par les neurones à GnRH. De plus, nous avons écarté l’hypothèse d’un effet hypophysiotrope du peptide chez cette espèce. Pour conclure, les résultats présentés soulèvent de nombreuses questions quant aux effets espèce- et genre-dépendants du RFRP-3 sur l’axe gonadotrope du mammifère. / RFRP-3 has been shown to play a role in the regulation of the mammalian hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The aim of this work was to determine the involvement of RFRP-3 in the regulation of the Syrian hamster reproductive axis. We report unprecedented results indicating that RFRP-3 stimulates the male Syrian hamster gonadotrophic axis, whereas it has variable effects in female Syrian hamsters. Indeed, in females the peptide inhibits the reproductive axis at the time of the LH surge on the day of proestrus, and has no effect during diestrus. We went on to characterize RFRP-3 sites of action in the Syrian hamster brain, and show that the effect of the peptide on the gonadotrophic axis is mediated directly or indirectly via GnRH neurons. Moreover, we clearly rule out the possibility of a hypophysiotrophic effect of RFRP-3 in this species. Taken together, the present data raise interesting questions regarding species- and sex-dependent effects of RFRP-3 on the mammalian gonadotrophic axis.

Objetivo: Avaliar, em uma amostra de CAPSad das regiões Sul e Sudeste do município de São Paulo, a satisfação dos usuários com o serviço e a mudança percebida por esses usuários com relação à assistência recebida e investigar as variáveis associadas. Metodologia: Pesquisa avaliativa, de método quantitativo transversal, descritivo e exploratório que integra um projeto matricial desenvolvido para avaliar medidas de impacto das políticas para ações em álcool e outras drogas. Coletaram-se 114 entrevistas em cinco CAPSad das regiões Sul e Sudeste do município de São Paulo; inicialmente foram sorteados 150 usuários para compor a amostra, por método aleatório simples sem reposição. A coleta foi realizada entre o ano de 2013 e o primeiro semestre de 2014. As variáveis dependentes foram a satisfação global com os serviços e mudança percebida após o tratamento; as variáveis independentes referiam-se às características socioeconômicas e clínicas dos usuários dos serviços e à satisfação global (para o caso de análise univariada e múltipla de correlação com a mudança percebida). Realizou-se análise descritiva, univariada e múltipla por meio de regressão de Mínimos Quadrados Ordinários. O nível de significância foi de 5%; sendo aceito o nível de significância de 30% para entrada das variáveis independentes no modelo múltiplo. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo (Protocolo: 1.001/2011). Resultados: As variáveis independentes, renda familiar no último mês (p=0,043; =0,190) e escolaridade (p=0,031; =-0,203), apresentaram correlação com a satisfação global; e a variável situação conjugal (p=0,040; =-0,196) apresentou correlação com a mudança percebida. Pela análise múltipla, a variável escolaridade apresentou correlação com a satisfação global (p-valor0,05), e as variáveis etnia, renda familiar no último mês, internação psiquiátrica anterior ao tratamento no CAPSad e presença de outro problema de saúde permaneceram no modelo múltiplo como variáveis de controle (r2=0,06). As variáveis situação conjugal e satisfação global apresentaram correlação com a mudança percebida (p-valor0,05) e as variáveis etnia, internação psiquiátrica anterior ao tratamento no CAPSad, presença de outro problema de saúde e hábito de fumar permaneceram no modelo como variáveis de controle (r2=0,13). A distribuição da satisfação e da mudança percebida pelos usuários apresentaram desvio à direita, indicando escores altos; com distribuição normal. Conclusões: Poucos estudos correlacionam variáveis sóciodemográficas e clínicas com a satisfação global com o serviço e a mudança percebida, mas essas variáveis mostraram importante correlação no presente estudo. A satisfação global com o serviço mostra ser fator preditivo de maiores escores de mudança percebida, portanto é um fator importante de avaliação para que resultados clínicos objetivos sejam alcançados. São necessários mais estudos inferenciais sobre a satisfação com o serviço e a mudança percebida. / Objective: To evaluate, in a sample of CAPSad in Southern and Southeastern regions of São Paulo, the satisfaction of users about the services and change perceived, regarding the care received and to investigate the associated varia-bles. Methodology: an evaluative study, cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory using quantitative methods. This study incorporates a matrix project developed to measure and assess the impact of the policy actions for alcohol and other drugs. Data was collected with 114 interviews in five CAPSad in Southern and Southeastern regions of São Paulo; 150 users initially were drawn for the sample by simple random method without replacement. Data collection was conducted between 2013 and the first half of 2014. The dependent variables were overall satisfaction with services and perceived change after treatment; the independent variables were related to socioeconomic and clinical characteristics of users of the services and overall satisfaction (in the case of univariate and multivariate analysis of correlation with the perceived change). It was conducted a descriptive, univariate model followed by multiple analysis, using the method of ordinary least squares. The significance level was 5%; the variables entered in the multiple model had a significance level of 30% or less. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Nursing, University of São Paulo (Protocol: 1001/2011). Results: The independent variables family income in the past month (p = 0.043; = 0.190) and education (p = 0.031; = -0.203) correlated with overall satisfac-tion; and the variable marital status (p = 0.040; = -0.196) correlated with the perceived change. By multivariate analysis schooling variable correlated with overall satisfaction (p-value 0,05), and ethnicity variables, household income last month, previous psychiatric hospitalization and treatment at CAPSad pres-ence of other health problems remained in the model multiple as control variables (r2 = 0.06). The variables marital status and overall satisfaction correlated with the perceived change (p-value0,05) and ethnicity variables, previous psychiatric hospitalization treatment at CAPSad, presence of other health problems and smoking variables remained in the model as control (r2 = 0.13). The distribution of satisfaction and perceived by the users change showed a shift to the right, indicating higher scores; with approximately normal distribution. Conclusions: Few studies have correlated sociodemographic and clinical varia-bles and overall satisfaction with the service and the perceived change, but these variables showed significant correlation in the present study. Overall satisfaction with the service proves to be predictive of higher scores of perceived change, so it is an important evaluation factor for clinical outcome goals are achieved. More inferential studies on satisfaction with the service and the perceived changes are needed.

Introdução: A redefinição das políticas de atenção a Saúde Mental no Brasil redirecionou também a atenção aos usuários de álcool e outras drogas, como dispositivo central a política do Ministério da Saúde instituiu em 2002, em todo o território nacional, os Centros de Atenção Psicossocial em Álcool e Outras Drogas. Considerando que se trata de serviços de saúde pública, com pouco mais de uma década de existência, os processos avaliativos desses equipamentos tornam-se relevantes. Objetivo: Avaliar a estrutura, o processo e os resultados do tratamento recebido de uma amostra de CAPS ad do munícipio de São Paulo-SP. Metodologia: Estudo avaliativo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo e exploratório, realizado em 12 CAPSad do município de São Paulo-SP, com abordagem Donabediana. A amostra do estudo constituiu-se de 760 participantes divididos entre profissionais, usuários e familiares de usuários dos CAPSad. Para a coleta dos dados foram aplicados: um questionário sócio demográfico, a SATIS-BR para profissionais, usuários e familiares, a EMP para usuários e familiares e a EAFAAA para os profissionais. Resultados: Na dimensão de estrutura foi evidenciada percepção favorável dos usuários e familiares, contraditoriamente aos profissionais que apresentaram uma percepção mediana. Em relação ao processo as atividades terapêuticas desenvolvidas foram heterogêneas, com ênfase nos atendimentos individuais e nas atividades grupais desenvolvidas com os usuários dentro dos CAPS e pouca integração aos outros equipamentos de saúde ou dos recursos do território. Quanto aos resultados obtivemos níveis elevados de satisfação com o serviço (SATIS_BR), por parte dos usuários (escore médio 4,71) e familiares (4,23); enquanto que por parte dos profissionais o grau de satisfação apresentou-se entre a indiferença e a satisfação (3,77). Com relação à mudança que os usuários e seus familiares perceberam após o inicio do tratamento no CAPSad, medida pela EMP, observou-se que ambos perceberam melhoras, sendo a média do usuário 2,62 e do familiar 2,50. Os resultados obtidos com a EAFAAA sugerem que os profissionais do CAPS ad apresentam atitudes positivas frente ao usuário de AOD, com um escore médio de 3,5. Conclusões: Esses resultados sugerem que os CAPSad, apesar de algumas fragilidades, cumprem com o seu papel por meio do estabelecimento de vínculos, da construção da co-responsabilidade e de uma perspectiva ampliada da clínica, transformando esses serviços em locais de acolhimento e enfrentamento coletivo das situações ligadas ao uso de AOD. Alertamos que algumas semelhanças encontradas entre o CAPS de Saúde Mental e o CAPS ad podem contribuir para a perpetuação da vigência do modelo jurídico moral que vê o usuário de AOD como marginal ou doente, não abarcando todas as possibilidades de trabalho existentes nessa área / Introduction: The Mental Health policies redefinition in Brazil also redirected attention to the users of alcohol and other drugs. And, as a central device in the 2002 policy, it was established the Psychosocial Care Centers in alcohol and Other Drugs (CAPSad) as a public health services to treat the addicts. Thus, after more than a decade of CAPSads establishment, it is relevant an evaluation processes of these services. Objective: The aim was evaluate the CAPS ads structure, its therapeutic process, and its treatment outcomes for addiction in the municipality of São Paulo-SP. Methodology: It was a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory evaluation study, conducted in 12 CAPSad of São Paulo, and based in the Donabediana approach. The sample consisted of 760 participants, as CAPSads professionals, patients and patients families. For data collection it was used: a demographic questionnaire, the Scale of Satisfaction with Mental Health Services (SATIS-BR) for professionals, patients and patients families, the Scale Perceived Change (EMP) for patients and patients families, and Scale of Attitudes Towards Alcohol, Alcoholism and Alcoholics (EAFAAA) for professionals. Results: Regarding the structures dimension, it was found a favorable structures perception of patients and their families, and a median professionals structures perception. Respecting the therapeutic process, the results showed that the activities were heterogeneous, with emphasis on individual sessions, and group activities with the CAPSads patients, it was observed also a little integration with other health services, and health territorial resources. The SATIS_BR results showed high satisfactions levels for patients (mean score 4,71) and their families (mean score 4,23) ; while the professionals\' satisfaction presented between indifference and satisfaction (mean score 3,77). Regarding the change that patients and their families noticed after the start of treatment in CAPSad, measured by the EMP, it was observed that both improved, the average patients was 2,62 and the average their families was 2,50. Finally, the EAFAAAs results showed that CAPSads professionals have positive attitudes towards the addicts, with a mean score of 3,5. Conclusions: These results suggest that CAPSad, despite some weaknesses, fulfill their role, through the establishing of linkages, construction of co-responsibility and because of the broader clinical perspective, what make these services as a place of refuge and a place of collective coping situations involving the addiction. We caution that some similarities found between the CAPS Mental Health and the ad CAPS may contribute to the perpetuation of the legal validity of the moral model that sees the users of alcohol and other drugs as marginal or sick, not covering all the possibilities of existing work in this area

睡眠失功能信念在慢性失眠的病理上扮演重要的角色，可能讓個體產生不良睡眠行為與過度睡前激發狀態，進而造成失眠。而癌症相關失眠患者由於其病理的獨特性也可能出現其獨特的睡眠失功能信念，本研究探討在癌症相關失眠的病理機轉中加入癌症相關睡眠失功能信念，是否可較單純一般慢性失眠之睡眠失功能信念對癌症相關失眠有更全面的了解。而癌症相關失眠具有許多不同於一般慢性失眠的要素，其中除了與疾病相關的特殊睡眠失功能信念外，尚有可能與睡眠困擾相關的癌因性疲憊干擾存在。因此，本研究的目的在探討：1）加入癌症相關的睡眠信念之整合睡眠失功能信念與失眠症狀的關聯性是否與單純一般的睡眠失功能信念有所不同；2）其影響路徑是否透過不良睡眠行為與睡前激發狀態影響失眠嚴重度；3）疲憊嚴重度是否使整合睡眠失功能信念對不良睡眠行為的預測力增加。本研究使用問卷調查對混合癌症患者進行各因素的測量後 (N=148)，運用結構方程模型進行路徑與因果分析，研究結果顯示，在疲憊嚴重度較高時，加入癌症相關睡眠失功能信念的整合睡眠失功能信念，其中「對失眠之負向影響預期與擔憂」向度會透過睡前生理激發狀態對「失眠對白天功能影響」程度有正向預測力、而「安眠藥物對疾病影響」向度對「失眠對白天功能影響」程度有負向預測力、不良睡眠行為對「失眠對白天功能影響」程度有正向預測力、一般睡眠失功能信念之預測路徑則多透過認知激發狀態影響；在疲憊嚴重度較低時，「對失眠之負向影響預期與擔憂」向度對「失眠對白天功能影響」程度有正向預測力、「睡眠與健康及病後修復關聯性的信念」向度對「失眠對白天功能影響」程度有負向預測力、「安眠藥物對疾病影響」向度對「睡眠困難」與「主觀痛苦」程度有正向預測力、一般睡眠失功能信念可預測之細項有所減少。研究結果顯示一般睡眠失功能信念會透過睡前認知激發影響失眠嚴重度，而加入癌症睡眠失功能信念後的整合睡眠失功能信念會透過睡前生理激發影響失眠嚴重度，疲憊嚴重度在其中扮演調節變項的角色，疲憊程度高低會使癌症睡眠失功能信念透過不同路徑影響失眠嚴重度。 / Dysfunctional beliefs about sleep play an important role in the pathological mechanism of chronic insomnia. Sleep-related behaviors and presleep arousal may mediate the relationship between the dysfunctional beliefs and severity of insomnia. Since cancer-related insomnia is associated with specific physiological and psychological conditions, there are specific dysfunctional beliefs that might have different influence to patients' sleep. Also, cancer-related fatigue could be closely related to sleep disturbance in cancer patients and demands to be explored. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study is to explore: 1) whether adding cancer-related dysfunctional sleep beliefs to general dysfunctional sleep beliefs would show different pattern of association with severity of insomnia, comparing to the pattern of general dysfunctional sleep beliefs alone; 2) whether the sleep behavior and presleep arousal mediate the relationship between the dysfunctional beliefs to severity of insomnia in this path of model or not; 3) whether the severity of fatigue is a moderator of the predictibility of combided dysfunctional sleep beliefs to sleep-related behavior. The study recruited 148 mixed cancer diagnosis patients. They were instructed to fill out a package of questionnaires to assess their dysfunctional sleep beliefs, insomnia severity, cancer-related fatigue, etc. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted for path analysis and causality test. Accroding to the result of SEM, presleep arousal was found to be a mediator of the positive association between the beliefs about “expectation and worries of negative consequence of insomnia” and daytime difficulties among subjects with high level of fatigue. Also the beliefs about “harmfulness of hypnotic” have negative predictibility to “daytime difficulty” in these subjects. Sleep behavior, on the other hand, have positive prediction to the “daytime difficulty”. General sleep dysfunctional beliefs showed pathway through presleep cognitive arousal level. For subjects with lower level of fatigue, the beliefs about “expectation and worries of negative consequence of insomnia” have positive association with the “daytime difficulty”. The beliefs about “beliefs about association between sleep and health and recovery from illnesss” were shown to have negative prediction to the “daytime difficulty”. The belief about “hypnotic related to disease” showed positive association with the “sleep difficulty” and associated “distress”. General sleep dysfunctional beliefs had less predictive factors. Based on the results of this study, adding cancer-related dysfunctional sleep beliefs was shown to have different relationship with severity of insomnia compared to general sleep dysfunctional beliefs. General dysfunctional sleep beliefs showed a pathway to insomnia severity through the mediation presleep cognitive arousal level. On the other hand, combided sleep dysfunctional beliefs showed a pathway to insomnia severity through the mediation of presleep somatic arousal level. Furthermore, severity of fatigue is a moderator. Subjets differed in the level of fatigue showed different path from combided dysfunctional sleep beliefs to severity of insomnia.

Agriculture is a climate sensitive sector whether it changes moderately and slowly or radicallyand rapidly. Many studies that focus on the vulnerability of agriculture, use climate scenariosand crop models to assess the potential impacts. This study seeks to identify (1) farmers‘awareness and perceptions of climate variability and change; (2) the types of adjustments theyhave made in their farming practices in response to these changes (farm responses, adaptivestrategies); and (3) other external factors (government policies, social, technological andeconomic conditions) that have significant impact on the farming activities.The results indicate that climate change and variability already have and will have mostlynegative impacts on agriculture. Prolonged dry spells and heat in the summer, less summerrain combined with higher temperatures, more heavy rainfall, more forest or grass fires andextreme weather: drought, flood, storms have been identified as highest climatic burdens toagriculture. An advanced start of the growing season is the the only truly positive change forthe majority of farmers. Apart from that several non-climatic factors were identified assignificant, among them political: high level of bureaucracy, lack of public trust in socialinstitutions, political instability; economical: incentives, for example tax exemption orreduction, access to subsidies and funds, economic growth and development, long-lastingeconomic recession; technological and infrastructural: access to advanced technologies,infrastructure and settlement development and poor road and railroad system; and social:population migration within Europa, ageing of population and population decrease. Thesesocio-economic factors play significant roles in overcoming the risks and building adaptivecapacity. This study shows that a variety of strategies and methods have been applied toreduce the vulnerability. Most often it is a farm level managerial decision, like, adjustedtiming of farm operations, changed crop variety and types, reduced number of livestock,improved technological base or increased income by off farm jobs.Finally we can conclude that even though individual farms have capacity to reducevulnerability, one must not underestimate the role of government and industry to decrease thedamages, take advantage of opportunities or cope with consequences. Farmer decision tomake changes in farming activities is rarely based on one risk alone.

Reward prediction errors are quantitative signed terms that express the difference between the value of an obtained outcome and the expected value that was placed on it prior to its receipt. Positive reward prediction errors constitute reward, negative reward prediction errors constitute punishment. Reward prediction errors have been shown to be powerful drivers of reinforcement learning in formal models and there is thus a strong reason to believe they are used in the brain. Isolating such neural signals stands to help elucidate how reinforcement learning is implemented in the brain, and may ultimately shed light on individual differences, psychopathologies of reward such as addiction and depression, and the apparently non-normative behaviour under risk described by behavioural economics. In the present thesis, I used the event related potential technique to isolate and study electrophysiological components whose behaviour resembled reward prediction errors. I demonstrated that a candidate component, “feedback related negativity”, occurring 250 to 350 ms after receipt of reward or punishment, showed such behaviour. A meta-analysis of the existing literature on this component, using a novel technique of “great grand averaging”, supported this view. The component showed marked asymmetries however, being more responsive to reward than punishment and more responsive to appetitive rather than aversive outcomes. I also used novel data-driven techniques to examine activity outside the temporal interval associated with the feedback related negativity. This revealed a later component responding solely to punishments incurred in a Pavlovian learning task. It also revealed numerous salience-encoding components which were sensitive to a prediction error’s size but not its sign.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / This study aimed at identifying the factors contributing towards work related neck pain amongst university administrative staff, its impact on everyday life activities and in turn its prevalence. A quantitative descriptive cross sectional study design was used amongst the administrative staff at the University of The Western Cape, South Africa. Data collection was carried out with the help of a questionnaire which was administered by the researcher in person. Data was analysed with both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS and SAS for windows. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was done. The results of this study revealed a very high prevalence of work related neck pain amongst university administrative staff. / South Africa

Company law traditionally regulated capital by use of the capital maintenance principle. The Companies Act 71 of 2008 replaces the capital maintenance regime with one based on solvency and liquidity. This dissertation aims at analysing the capital rules relating to financial assistance as they are contained in the Companies Act 71 of 2008. This includes the provision of financial assistance for the purpose of or in connection with the purchase or subscription of securities in the company (section 44) and the provision of financial assistance to directors and prescribed officers of the lending company or of a related or inter-related company, or to a related or inter-related company (sections 45). The solvency and liquidity test, which is required to be applied when a company intends to provide financial assistance is analysed at the outset of the study. The work of renown authors are used for purposes of the study. The solvency and liquidity test comprises of two elements, namely solvency and liquidity. Each element of the test as well as the assets to be considered and valuation thereof is analysed. The greatest problem with regard to the test is which assets to include when the company is part of a group of companies and the lack of provision for the protection of preferential liquidation rights in all instances. Clarity is called for in these regards. Where there is a question as to valuation method of the assets, it is submitted that it is best left to be determined by the directors. The provision of financial assistance in terms of section 44 is analysed in detail. The provision of financial assistance to a person for the purpose of or in connection with the purchase of securities in a company is allowed, subject to certain conditions and requirements. Companies are also allowed to impose further conditions or requirements in the Memorandum of Incorporation. The key terms are defined and analysed, as well as the conditions or requirements for the provision of financial assistance. The scope of application of the section is cast incredibly wide due to the wide definition of “securities” and the extension of the application to financial assistance for securities in a “related or inter-related” company. The provision of financial assistance in terms of section 45 is analysed in the same manner (albeit in less detail) as section 44. The biggest problem here again is its wide scope of application due to the extension of application to provision of financial assistance to a “related or inter-related” company or director or a prescribed officer thereof. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Mercantile Law / unrestricted

La cryptogéine, une protéine sécrétée par l’oomycète Phytophthora cryptogea, provoque la mise en place de mécanismes de défense chez le tabac, mobilisant au cours des étapes précoces de la signalisation associée, des protéines localisées dans la membrane plasmique (MP). Une fraction membranaire résistante à la solubilisation par les détergents (DIM pour Detergent Insoluble Membrane), enrichie en stérols et en sphingolipides avait été purifiée à partir de la MP de tabac : cette fraction contenait plusieurs protéines impliquées dans la cascade de signalisation induite par la cryptogéine. Chez l’animal, l’association dynamique de protéines à des microdomaines riches en stérols et sphingolipides en réponse à un stress biotique joue un rôle essentiel dans la régulation de la signalisation cellulaire. L’objectif de ce travail était de tester l’hypothèse qu’un tel phénomène puisse se produire dans notre modèle d’étude. La comparaison du protéome de fractions DIMs, purifiées à partir de cellules traitées ou non pendant 5 minutes à la cryptogéine a été réalisée à l’aide d’un marquage isotopique (15N ou 14N) et d’une approche de protéomique quantitative. Le premier résultat est que l’abondance de la majorité des protéines n’est pas modifiée dans les DIMs en réponse à la cryptogéine. Une seule protéine est enrichie dans les DIMs, une isoforme de 14-3-3, tandis que quatre dynamines (DRPs pour Dynamin Related Proteins), impliquées dans le trafic vésiculaire, sont exclues des DIMs en réponse à la cryptogéine. L’étude d’une des dynamines identifiées, DRP1A, a été menée. Nous avons caractérisé les différents gènes codant DRP1A dans le génome du tabac, puis utilisé une approche ARN antisens pour altérer l’expression de cette protéine et nous avons étudié sa localisation subcellulaire à l’aide d’anticorps spécifiques et en observant en microscopie confocale cette protéine fusionnée à la GFP. Cette approche a permis de confirmer la présence de DRP1A dans la fraction DIMs et la diminution transitoire de son association à cette fraction en réponse à la cryptogéine, suite à une dissociation de la fraction membranaire. Ces travaux constituent la première mise en évidence d’une association/dissociation dynamique de protéines aux DIMs de plantes en réponse à un stimulus biologique / Cryptogein, a protein secreted by the oomycete Phytophthora cryptogea, induces defense mechanisms in tobacco. Several proteins involved in the associated signaling pathway were identified and localized on the plasma membrane (PM). A fraction resistant to solubilization by detergent named DIMs for Detergent Insoluble Membranes, enriched in sterols an sphigolipids had been isolated from tobacco PM. It was proved to contain proteins previously identified as actors of the signaling cascade triggered by cryptogein. In animal cells, the dynamic association of proteins to sterol and sphingolipid rich microdomains under the influence of a biological stimulus plays an essential role in the regulation of cellular signaling. The purpose of this work was to test the hypothesis that such a phenomenon might occur in our model. The comparison using isotopic labeling (15N or 14N) and quantitative proteomics, of the composition of DIMs extracted from tobacco cells treated or not by cryptogein, revealed that, although the association to DIMs of most proteins remained unchanged, five proteins had their relative abundance modified after 5 minutes of treatment. One of these was a signaling protein (a 14-3-3 protein) and the four others were related to cell trafficking (4 DRPs, Dynamin Related Proteins). We characterized the DRP1A gene family in tobacco, and set up an antisens RNA antisense to down-regulate the expression of this protein. We studied the intracellular localization of DRP1 using specific antibodies and a GFP fusion. The results confirmed the presence of DRP1 in DIMs and its depletion from this fraction upon cryptogein treatment, through a dissociation from the PM. This is the first evidence of a dynamic association/dissociation of proteins to microdomains in plants upon a biological stimulus