<p>This study investigated, within the context of Brain Reserve Capacity (BRC) theory, whether repeated concussions resulted in residual deficits in cognitive and academic functioning of early adolescent rugby players relative to non-contact sports controls.</p>

The electric power is the modernized life cornerstone, is the economical development power. In recent years but as a result of the energy shortage, the fuel price anabatic wind rose, the peak load continued to grow, creates the electric power supply becoming serious. If the power supply cost is unable to respond in the electrovalence, how also creates the enterprise own to continue forever the management. This research main goal thoroughly is analyzing the Taiwan Telegraphic Transmission electrovalence structural model and the set price law, and the electrovalence difference¡£season electrovalence, the time electrovalence¡¤rationality, and on the external environment, faces the fuel price anabatic wind to rise and under the unreasonable low price electrovalence arduous situation, then discusses it in accordance to it road¡FFinally will attempt summarizes in accordance to the future transport business environment, the formulation electrovalence adjustment mechanism, will conform to present situation, will be full responded each kind of factor in the electrovalence, hoped for this research will be able to become the future to establish in the electrovalence model formulation process the reference. This study research for the document company, after the process material analysis, will establish "the most suitable electrovalence set price pattern" the factor induction to be as follows¡G (1) Brings into line with "the fuel cost". (2) To consider "the reserve capacity rate". (3) Enhancement breaks a contract the penal regulations. (4) To enhance the time electrovalence section several. (5) Change unreasonable electrovalence structure. (6) Reference various countries electrovalence model.

<p>This study investigated, within the context of Brain Reserve Capacity (BRC) theory, whether repeated concussions resulted in residual deficits in cognitive and academic functioning of early adolescent rugby players relative to non-contact sports controls.</p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study investigated, within the context of Brain Reserve Capacity (BRC) theory, whether repeated concussions resulted in residual deficits in cognitive and academic functioning of early adolescent rugby players relative to non-contact sports controls. / South Africa

Les capacités de réserve cérébrale représentent les capacités de résilience du cerveau face à différents processus lésionnels comme ceux induit par la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA). Plusieurs hypothèses ont été proposées afin d’expliquer ce mécanisme. Les deux concepts les plus validés sont celui de la réserve cérébrale faisant référence au substrat cérébral et la réserve cognitive faisant référence à la fonctionnalité cérébrale. Les données épidémiologiques puis d’imagerie ont permis d’identifier des expériences de vie associées à de meilleures capacités de réserve cérébrale. Le niveau d’études, la profession exercée et la pratique d’activités de loisirs sont ainsi des indicateurs du niveau potentiel de capacités de réserve d’un sujet. L’objectif général de ce travail de thèse avait pour objectif de mieux caractériser les relations entre ces indicateurs et les capacités de réserve cérébrale. Tout d’abord, nous nous sommes intéressés à la relation entre ces expériences de vie et le substrat cérébral à partir de données d’imagerie recueillies au cours du suivi de la cohorte des 3 cités à Bordeaux. Nous avons ainsi montré que seul le niveau d’éducation était associé à des différences de volume de substance grise et de substance blanche entre les sujets de haut et bas niveau d’études. Par ailleurs, les sujets de haut niveau d’études présentaient une progression moindre en hypersignaux de substance blanche au cours du suivi de la cohorte des 3 cités indépendamment de la présence de facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires. Le niveau d’étude semble avoir une place non négligeable dans la constitution des capacités de réserve cérébrale et aussi bien dans la réserve cognitive que la réserve cérébrale. Ceci explique le rôle protecteur du niveau d’études vis à vis du risque de démence. Dans un 3ème travail, nous nous sommes servis de cette relation particulière entre le niveau d’études et la démence afin d’illustrer comment un facteur social peut être un facteur de maladie chronique liée à l’âge et comment en le modifiant, on peut éventuellement modifier la survenue de cette maladie. Enfin, nous nous sommes intéressés à la relation entre la pratique d’activités de loisirs au cours de la retraite et le risque de démence à partir des données de la cohorte Paquid. La pratique de jeux de société est associée à un moindre risque de démence mais le lien fort avec la cognition ne permet pas d’éliminer une causalité inverse. Cependant, un engagement plus important dans la pratique d’activités de loisirs au cours de la retraite est associé à un risque moindre de démence équivalent à des sujets ayant toujours pratiqué des activités. Des essais d’intervention permettraient de confirmer l’effet bénéfique de la pratique d’activités de loisirs sur la cognition et le risque de démence. / The brain reserve capacities represent the resilience of the brain to cope against different pathological processes such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this mechanism. The two most validated concepts are the brain reserve referring to brain volume and cognitive reserve referring to brain function. Epidemiological and imaging data helped identify life experiences associated with better brain reserve capacities. Thus, the education, occupation and practice of leisure activities are recognized as proxies of the brain reserve capacities. The main objective of this thesis aimed to better characterize the relationship between these proxies and the brain reserve capacities. First, from brain imaging data collected during follow-up of the three cities cohort of Bordeaux, we examined the relationship between life experiences and brain volume. Only the education was associated with differences in gray and white matter volume. In addition, highly educated subjects had a smaller progression of white matter hyperintensities during the follow-up of this cohort independently of the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. Education seems to have a significant role in the formation of brain reserve capacities in both cognitive reserve and brain reserve. This explains the protective role of educational level against dementia. In a third work, we used this particular relationship between educational level and dementia to illustrate how a social factor can be a factor of a chronic disease related to aging and can modify the occurrence of this disease. Finally, we are interested in the relationship between the practice of leisure activities during retirement and the risk of dementia from data of Paquid study. The practice of playing board games is associated with a lower risk of dementia, but the strong link with cognition not eliminates reverse causality. However, a greater engagement in the practice of leisure activities in retirement is associated with a lower risk of dementia similar to subjects who always practiced activities. Intervention trials could confirm the beneficial effect of the practice of leisure activities on cognition and dementia risk.

Como produto de engenharia, os componentes das redes de distribuição de energia elétrica são, pela sua própria natureza, susceptíveis a falhas de funcionamento ou a ações de manutenção que impedem a operação de alguma instalação. No sentido de manter o desempenho adequado, nessas condições, são adotados critérios de planejamento e projeto que prevêem redundâncias de instalações, de forma que haja a continuidade de fornecimento de energia mesmo com componentes fora de operação. Com alguma freqüência os sistemas de potência, principalmente em seus segmentos de transmissão e de distribuição de energia, adotam critérios de planejamento de suas instalações que consideram reserva de capacidade local (\"N-1\"local) para garantir a continuidade do serviço quando um de seus componentes está fora de operação. Esse critério se reveste de um conceito qualitativo na medida que, em geral, não quantifica o prejuízo e o transtorno que uma falha pode provocar, nem os recursos operativos que podem permitir ao sistema suportar ações de manutenção programada, sendo dessa forma, insuficiente para a perfeita avaliação de alternativas de expansão da rede de distribuição. Por outro lado, cálculo da Energia Não Distribuída - END - de forma probabilística para as falhas e de forma sistemática para eventuais interrupções durante as ações de manutenção preventiva é um recurso mais elaborado, de caráter quantitativo, para o dimensionamento da reserva de capacidade dos sistemas elétricos e portanto, de alternativas de expansão. Com a introdução de dispositivos automáticos e meios de comunicação na rede de distribuição é possível a realização de manobras e transferências de carga de maneira a garantir a continuidade do fornecimento em níveis aceitáveis, substituindo, muitas vezes a instalação de novas estruturas como alimentadores ou mesmo subestações. Disto resulta uma redução de custo proporcionada pela otimização da capacidade instalada, necessária para reserva de contingência, sem prejuízo do desempenho e da qualidade de serviço. O escopo deste trabalho é propor uma metodologia de planejamento fundamentada no custo da interrupção como uma alternativa ao critério N-1, de forma a permitir a avaliação tanto da aplicação de recursos de automação como também dos recursos convencionais de expansão da rede. A validação da metodologia proposta está ilustrada numa aplicação apresentada neste texto. / Concerning the components of an electrical distribution network and their susceptibility to functional failures or need for maintenance actions, planning and project criteria should be adopted to assure continuity of energy supply even though some components may be out of work. Traditionally the power systems, especially in power transmission and distribution, adopt the N-1 criterion in the planning of its installations to keep the service continuity when one of the components is out of work. This criterion is based on a qualitative concept, in general, it does not quantify the loss and the inconvenience that a failure can cause, neither the operative resources that can allow the system to support programmed maintenance actions, thus being, insufficient for the perfect evaluation of expansion alternatives of the distribution network. Whereas, the Non Distributed Energy calculus - NDE - a probabilistic approach for failures and a systematic approach for interruptions during the preventive maintenance actions is a more elaborated resource, based on a quantitative concept, for the dimensioning of capacity reserve of the electric systems and therefore, the expansion alternatives. The introduction of the automatic devices and communication technologies in the distribution network make it possible to do maneuvers and load transfers in order to keep the supply continuity on acceptable levels, substituting, many times, the installation of new structures as feeders or even substations. The result is being cost reduction provided by the optimization from installed capacity, necessary to contingency reserve, without affecting the performance and service quality. The scope of this work is to propose a planning methodology based on the cost of the NDE, which enables the evaluation of both the automation resources and conventional resources as well. In this work you shall find an application of the methodology in a case study.

Como produto de engenharia, os componentes das redes de distribuição de energia elétrica são, pela sua própria natureza, susceptíveis a falhas de funcionamento ou a ações de manutenção que impedem a operação de alguma instalação. No sentido de manter o desempenho adequado, nessas condições, são adotados critérios de planejamento e projeto que prevêem redundâncias de instalações, de forma que haja a continuidade de fornecimento de energia mesmo com componentes fora de operação. Com alguma freqüência os sistemas de potência, principalmente em seus segmentos de transmissão e de distribuição de energia, adotam critérios de planejamento de suas instalações que consideram reserva de capacidade local (\"N-1\"local) para garantir a continuidade do serviço quando um de seus componentes está fora de operação. Esse critério se reveste de um conceito qualitativo na medida que, em geral, não quantifica o prejuízo e o transtorno que uma falha pode provocar, nem os recursos operativos que podem permitir ao sistema suportar ações de manutenção programada, sendo dessa forma, insuficiente para a perfeita avaliação de alternativas de expansão da rede de distribuição. Por outro lado, cálculo da Energia Não Distribuída - END - de forma probabilística para as falhas e de forma sistemática para eventuais interrupções durante as ações de manutenção preventiva é um recurso mais elaborado, de caráter quantitativo, para o dimensionamento da reserva de capacidade dos sistemas elétricos e portanto, de alternativas de expansão. Com a introdução de dispositivos automáticos e meios de comunicação na rede de distribuição é possível a realização de manobras e transferências de carga de maneira a garantir a continuidade do fornecimento em níveis aceitáveis, substituindo, muitas vezes a instalação de novas estruturas como alimentadores ou mesmo subestações. Disto resulta uma redução de custo proporcionada pela otimização da capacidade instalada, necessária para reserva de contingência, sem prejuízo do desempenho e da qualidade de serviço. O escopo deste trabalho é propor uma metodologia de planejamento fundamentada no custo da interrupção como uma alternativa ao critério N-1, de forma a permitir a avaliação tanto da aplicação de recursos de automação como também dos recursos convencionais de expansão da rede. A validação da metodologia proposta está ilustrada numa aplicação apresentada neste texto. / Concerning the components of an electrical distribution network and their susceptibility to functional failures or need for maintenance actions, planning and project criteria should be adopted to assure continuity of energy supply even though some components may be out of work. Traditionally the power systems, especially in power transmission and distribution, adopt the N-1 criterion in the planning of its installations to keep the service continuity when one of the components is out of work. This criterion is based on a qualitative concept, in general, it does not quantify the loss and the inconvenience that a failure can cause, neither the operative resources that can allow the system to support programmed maintenance actions, thus being, insufficient for the perfect evaluation of expansion alternatives of the distribution network. Whereas, the Non Distributed Energy calculus - NDE - a probabilistic approach for failures and a systematic approach for interruptions during the preventive maintenance actions is a more elaborated resource, based on a quantitative concept, for the dimensioning of capacity reserve of the electric systems and therefore, the expansion alternatives. The introduction of the automatic devices and communication technologies in the distribution network make it possible to do maneuvers and load transfers in order to keep the supply continuity on acceptable levels, substituting, many times, the installation of new structures as feeders or even substations. The result is being cost reduction provided by the optimization from installed capacity, necessary to contingency reserve, without affecting the performance and service quality. The scope of this work is to propose a planning methodology based on the cost of the NDE, which enables the evaluation of both the automation resources and conventional resources as well. In this work you shall find an application of the methodology in a case study.

Die Bedeutung kognitiver Entwicklungskapazität (Plastizität) und ihrer altersabhängigen Grenzen für Theorien kognitiven Alters wird thematisiert. Für kognitive Basisprozesse wird erwartet, daß die durch Training umgesetzte Entwicklungskapazität älterer Menschen zwar ausreicht, die Ausgangsleistung junger Erwachsener zu übertreffen, daß aber aufgrund altersbedingter Grenzen der Entwicklungskapazität nur sehr wenige ältere Erwachsene das Leistungsniveau trainierter junger Erwachsener erreichen werden. Am Beispiel eines Gedächtnistrainingsprogrammes zur Erhöhung der Merkfähigkeit für Wortlisten werden zwei Forschungsstrategien vorgestellt: (a) das Training von sehr leistungsfähigen älteren Erwachsenen und (b) Längsschnitt-Einzelfall-Studien. Die experimentellen Befunde bestätigten die theoretischen Erwartungen. Zwar waren die Leistungen der besten älteren Erwachsenen etwa doppelt so hoch wie die untrainierter junger Erwachsener, aber die durch das Training aufgedeckten Altersverluste konnten auch in bis zu 75 weiteren Übungsstunden nicht behoben werden. / The relevance of developmental reserve capacity (plasticity) and associated age-related limits for theories of cognitive aging is discussed. For basic cognitive mechanisms, older adults' developmental reserve capacity is expected to be sufficient to surpass young adults' baseline performance. Aging-related limits of this reserve, however, will allow only very few older adults to achieve levels of performance characteristic of trained young adults. Two research strategies (designed to engineer a mnemonic skill for serial recall of words) are described: (a) training of positively selected, mentally very fit older adults and (b) longitudinal single case studies. Experimental results were in agreement with the theoretical expectations. The best older adults scored about twice as high as untrained young adults but even with up to 75 additional experimental sessions the age difference generated by the cognitive intervention was not overcome.

[pt] Este trabalho apresenta diversas metodologias para o cálculo de pagamento pela reserva de capacidade do sistema. A remuneração da reserva oferecida pelo sistema vem sendo cada vez mais discutida, principalmente, devido ao aumento de competição no setor elétrico e sua possível influência negativa na confiabilidade de suprimento. O estudo da confiabilidade do sistema tem uma ligação direta com este problema, pois os seus índices podem medir a importância da reserva de potência para o desempenho do sistema. Da mesma forma, a precificação de reserva procura refletir os requisitos de confiabilidade do sistema. Com isto é esperado que os agentes procurem agregar reserva ao sistema quando devidamente compensados por isto. As diversas maneiras de obterem-se os índices de confiabilidade são apresentadas, bem como as vantagens e desvantagens de cada uma. Os métodos discutidos são importantes para o sistema brasileiro, pois levam em consideração a confiabilidade composta geração- transmissão. Em um país com grande extensão territorial e com uma malha de transmissão na avaliação do risco do sistema. Foram utilizados como casos exemplos para este trabalho um sistema teste de 3 barras criado especialmente para este estudo, o IEEE-MRTS (IEEE-Modified Realiability System), e um equivalente do Sistema Sul-Sudeste Brasileiro. Finalmente, são discutidas as diversas maneiras que os agentes podem pagar e receber pela reserva operativa. O objetivo é tentar reduzir ao máximo a grande variância existente neste pagamento, pois se este valor for calculado em tempo real, é fácil perceber que os geradores receberão muito pouco em épocas de pequena demanda de energia, e por outro lado, receberão altas quantias nos instantes de pico de carga ou períodos secos. / [en] This work presents various methodologies for the calculation of payment through system capacity reserve. The remuneration of energy reserve offered by the system is been more and more discussed, mainly owing to increase of competition in electrical sector and its possible negative influence in supply reliability. The study of system reliability has a direct connection to this problem, because their indices can measure the importance of energy reserve for the performance of the system. Furthermore, the reserve tariff tries to reflect system reliability requirements. So, the system wait for investments of agents, when their receive correct remuneration for this. The various ways of getting the reliability indices are shown, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each one. The methods discussed are important for the Brazilian System because they take into consideration the generation-transmission reliability, while the methods used in the majority of other countries only taking consideration the generation. In large countries and with a transmission network completely interconnected as in Brazil, it is indispensable the study of the impact of transmission network in the evaluation of system risk. The cases studies for this work have used the IEEE-MRTS (IEEE-Modified Reliability System), a test system of three buses specially designed for this study and a equivalent of South-Southeast Brazilian Case (SSB). Finally, different way that agents can pay or receive in a accord with capacity of operative reserve are discussed. The objective is to try to reduce the maximum the great variation existing in this payments, because if this value was calculated in real time is easy to see that the generation will receive much less in time of low energy demand, and on the other hand, will receive high amounts in times of the load peak or dry periods.

The design of traffic signal control plan is directly related to the level of traffic congestion experienced both at the junction level and the network particularly in urban areas. Ensuring signals are well designed is one of the most cost-effective ways of tackling urban congestion problems. Signal time plans are designed with the help of signal optimization models. Optimization can either be done for multiple or single objectives and is formulated as a problem of finding the appropriate cycle lengths, green splits, and offsets. Some of these objective functions include; better mobility, efficient energy use, and environmental sustainability. LinSig and TRANSYT are two of the most widely used traffic signal optimization tools in Sweden. Each of them has an inbuilt optimization function which differs from the other. LinSig optimizes based on delay or maximum reserve capacity while TRANSYT optimization is based on performance index (P.I) involving delay, progression, stops and fuel consumption.This thesis compared these optimization models through theoretical review and application to a case study in Norrköping. The theoretical review showed that both TRANSYT and LinSig have objective functions based on delay and its derivatives. The review also showed that these models suffer from the inability to accurately model block back as they are based on the assumption of vertical queuing of traffic at the stop line. Apart from these similarities, these two models also have significant variations with respect to modeling short congested sections of the network as well as modeling mixed traffic including different vehicle classes, pedestrians, and cyclists.From the case study, TRANSYT showed longer cycle time compared to LinSig in both scenarios as its optimization objectives include both delay and stops while LinSig accounts for only delay. The Allocation of phase green splits and individual junction delay was comparable for undersaturated junctions while congested network sections had significant differences. Total network delay was, however, less in LinSig compared to TRANSYT. This could be attributed to different modeling criteria for mixed traffic and congested network in addition to the fact that cyclists were not modeled in TRANSYT. VISSIM simulation of the two-signal time plans showed that network delay and queue lengths from TRANSYT signal timings are much less compared to LinSig time plans. A strong indication of better signal coordination.