As people respond strongly to faces and facial features, both consciously and subconsciously, faces are an essential aspect of social robots. Robotic faces and heads until recently belonged to one of the following categories: virtual, mechatronic or animatronic. As an original contribution to the field of human-robot interaction, I present the R-PAF technology (Retro-Projected Animated Faces): a novel robotic head displaying a real-time, computer-rendered face, retro-projected from within the head volume onto a mask, as well as its driving software designed with openness and portability to other hybrid robotic platforms in mind. The work constitutes the first implementation of a non-planar mask suitable for social human-robot interaction, comprising key elements of social interaction such as precise gaze direction control, facial expressions and blushing, and the first demonstration of an interactive video-animated facial mask mounted on a 5-axis robotic arm. The LightHead robot, a R-PAF demonstrator and experimental platform, has demonstrated robustness both in extended controlled and uncontrolled settings. The iterative hardware and facial design, details of the three-layered software architecture and tools, the implementation of life-like facial behaviours, as well as improvements in social-emotional robotic communication are reported. Furthermore, a series of evaluations present the first study on human performance in reading robotic gaze and another first on user’s ethnic preference towards a robot face.

Sedan kassettbandet trängdes undan av CD:n under 90-talet har det fört en alltmer tynande tillvaro, fram tills att det relativt nyligen började uppstå små oberoende musikbolag som helt eller delvis släpper begränsade albumupplagor på kassett och en del rykten började gå att kassettbandet var på väg tillbaka. Även större band och skivbolag hakade på trenden och släppte större upplagor av vissa få utvalda album på just kassettband. Kan det vara möjligt att detta gamla och uträknade medium håller på att få en renässans i vår digitala guldålder? De förklaringsmodeller och teoretiska begrepp jag använt mig för att förklara detta fenomen är Nostalgi, Analogisering och Nätverkande. I ett stort antal artiklar och debatter ges olika svar och synpunkter på kassettbandets eventuella gåtfulla comeback och denna uppsats är tänkt att fungera som en slags kompassnål som pekar ut en riktning till följd av det material jag har tillgodogjort mig och redovisat i denna uppsats. Här återfinns också ett antal intervjuer med både privatpersoner och skivbutiker som fördjupar och resonerar kring orsak och verkan kring kassettfenomenet. De önskvärda hårda data och tillgänglig och tydlig statistik lyser med sin frånvaro då kassettband sällan återfinns på några listor eller mätningar eftersom de aldrig fick någon högre status trots sin enorma spridning, till skillnad mot vinylskivor och CD. Med denna uppsats görs ett försök att sammanställa en bild av denna övervintrade dinosaurie till audioformat och får, åtminstone delvis, en förklaring till sin egen överlevnad.

This research intended to evaluate three different materials, in vitro, for their capacity of sealing in root-end fillings. The sample was consisted by 30 single root teeth, having primarily realized root canal treatment and subsequently resected three mm from the apex, in an angle of 90° in relation to its long axis and in its apex, cavities with ultrasonic tips were prepared. Subsequently they were retro filled with different materials, randomized divided in three groups of ten teeth each, according to the retrofilling product. Group 1: mineral trioxide aggregate (gray MTA Angelus®); Group 2: mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA Endo Sealer CPM®) and Group 3: a phosphate tricalcium cement. Its evaluation in relation to the apical sealing was obtained through the microleakage test with the Rodamine B solution 0.2%. Subsequently, the teeth were sectioned in their long axis by taking one of the parts and evaluating it in a dentistry microscope. Their images were captured and analyzed in the Image Tool 2.0 Software to determine the microleakage zones. The data was statistically analyzed using the STATA 9.0 program. First, an exploratory analysis of the data was realized referring to the studied variables. The dependent variable considered in this study was the percentage of stained dentin, regardless of the type of sealant used in each resected root. The differences between the values of microleakage in each material were statistically evaluated by the Kruskal-Wallis test considering a minimum level of sufficiency up to 5%. Before the analysis, the Schapiro-Wilk test was applied to verify the normality of the data distribution. According to the test, a pattern of non-normal distribution of the dependent variable (p=0.002) could be observed. Higher values of infiltration could be observed in the group that used a tricalcium phosphate cement in relation to groups that used mineral trioxide aggregate (gray MTA- Angelus®) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA Endo Sealer CPM®) (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the values of infiltration between the MTA / Esta pesquisa teve por alvo a avaliação de três diferentes materiais, in vitro, quanto à sua capacidade de selamento em retrobturações. A amostra foi constituída por 30 dentes monorradiculares, tendo, primeiramente, realizado tratamento endodôntico e posteriormente apicetomizados a três mm do ápice, em um ângulo de 90° em relação ao seu longo eixo e, em seu ápice, confeccionadas cavidades com pontas ultrassônicas. Posteriormente foram retrobturados com materiais diferentes: divididos em três grupos aleatoriamente de dez dentes cada um, de acordo com o produto retrobturador. Grupo 1, agregado trióxido mineral (MTA cinza - Angelus®), Grupo 2, agregado trióxido mineral (MTA - CPM Endo Sealer®) e Grupo 3, cimento de α fosfato tricálcio. Sua avaliação em relação ao vedamento apical foi obtida através do teste de microinfiltração com a solução de Rodamina B 0,2%. Posteriormente os dentes foram seccionados em seu longo eixo, tomando-se uma das partes e, avaliando-se em microscópio Odontológico, suas imagens foram captadas e analisadas no Software Imagem Tool 2.0, para determinar as zonas de microinfiltração. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente, utilizando-se o programa STATA 9.0. Primeiramente se realizou a análise exploratória dos dados referentes às variáveis estudadas. A variável dependente considerada neste estudo foi o percentual de dentina corada, independentemente do tipo de material selador utilizado na apicectomia. As diferenças entre os valores de microinfiltração em cada material foram avaliadas estatisticamente através do teste de Kruskal-Wallis, considerando um nível mínimo de suficiência de até 5%. Previamente às análises, foi aplicado o teste de Schapiro-Wilk para verificar a normalidade de distribuição dos dados. De acordo com o teste, observou-se um padrão de distribuição não-nomal das variáveis dependentes. Maiores valores de infiltração puderam ser observados no grupo que utilizou o cimento de α fosfato tricálcio em relação aos grupos do agregado trióxido mineral (MTA cinza - Angelus®) e agregado trióxido mineral (MTA - CPM Endo Sealer®) (p<0,001). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa nos valores de infiltração entre os MTA (p>0,05).

The intrinsic plasticity of biological systems provides opportunities for rational design of selective and potent ligands. Increasingly, computational methods are being applied to predict biomolecular flexibility. However, the motions involved in these processes can be large and occur on time scales generally difficult to achieve with standard simulation methods. In order to overcome the intrinsic limitations of classical molecular dynamics, this Ph.D. project focuses on the application of advanced sampling computational techniques to capture the plasticity of diverse biological systems. The first of these applications involved the evaluation of the secondary structure of the N-terminal portion of p53 and its inverse, reverse and retro-inverso sequences by using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations in implicit solvent. In this study, we also evaluated the effects of reversal of sequence and stereochemistry in mimicking an inhibitory pharmacophoric conformation. The results showed how the ability to mimic the parent peptide is severely compromised by backbone orientation (for D-amino acids) and side-chain orientation (for reversed sequences). Moreover, the structural information obtained from simulations showed good agreement with NMR and circular dichroism studies, confirming the validity of the combination of replica exchange molecular dynamics with the ff99SB force field and Generalized Born solvent model for computational modelling of D-peptide conformations.In a second work, we explored conformations of the DFG motif of the p38α mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. To achieve this, we employed an advanced sampling simulation method that has been developed in-house, called swarm-enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (sesMD). In contrast to multiple independent MD simulations, swarm-coupled sesMD trajectories were able to sample a wide range of DFG conformations, some of which map onto existing crystal structures. Simulated structures intermediate between DFG-in and DFG-out conformations were predicted to have druggable pockets of interest for structure-based ligand design. Overall, sesMD shows promise as a useful tool for enhanced sampling of complex conformational landscapes. Finally, we used microsecond MD simulations to evaluate the molecular plasticity of R-spondins, a class of proteins involved in the activation of the Wnt pathway. The unbound R-spondin 1 is characterised by a closed conformation, while, when complexed to proteins LGR and RNF43/ZNRF3, assumes an open and more extended arrangement. This is true also for R-spondin 2, in both its unbound or bound forms. From our simulation, we find that the closed R-spondin 1 conformation is stable, whilst, R-spondin 1 and 2 from their open conformation explore several intermediate structures. In addition, we evaluated the druggability of a potential binding site located at the interface between the second and the third β-hairpin moiety of the first furin domain. The computational screening with small molecular fragments provided interesting insights about the druggability and the pharmacophoric features of the potential binding pockets identified, outlining promising future perspectives of structure-based design of Wnt pathway inhibitors.

This thesis is based on my stay at a retro "ROH recreation - holidays in Tatras as 'then'" organized and provided by one Czech travel agency whose major customers are elderly people. The thesis focuses especially on the motivation of these people to buy such a product, and describes how they spend a holiday like that. This detailed description is an extremely important starting point for clarifying the phenomenon known as nostalgia, which is also in relation to post-communist countries referred to as 'ostalgia". Using the concepts of social memory I show that next to the officially accepted version of history there is a large number of alternative and often contradictory "memories" based on small personal histories of everyday life, which do not include Communism as a political system, but "ordinary" life in the communist times. The main goal of my thesis is to try to find the answers to the question, whether that what the older generation misses is really the communist regime itself, or the sentence "it was better under communism" hides something completely different from mere identification with a particular political establishment. Key words: ROH recreation; communism; retro; nostalgia; social memory; habitus

During the construction of the new 3 story, 25,000+ square foot police station, a decision was made to participate in the LEED program to ensure the building had low operating costs, reduced emissions, conserved water and overall energy. The design of the building includes a primary-secondary ground source heat pump (GSHP) loop, a Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS) with Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) wheel, all controlled by CO2 monitoring through Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) to supply heat pumps located in each space; all monitored by a Building Automation System (BAS). The building’s future energy performance was predicted through an energy simulation model (ESM) software. Measurement and verification (M&V) was then performed on the building to determine its actual energy performance. Data was collected through the building’s electrical meters, the building automation system (BAS), and other techniques to determine discrepancies. Installed electrical submetering along with ESM results helped identify faults on a subcomponent level. This bottom up approach helped drive a successful retro-commissioning of the building systems reducing energy consumption. This thesis will detail a methodology for retro-commissioning of underperforming new-construction buildings. Optimization of the building’s systems will be facilitated through utilization of the M&V and ESM data. Discussed will be techniques and strategies to benchmark the building’s systems, providing utility from the retro-commissioning and M&V results, to determine the value of the ESM. Last will be to discuss and demonstrate the future benefits of utilizing this real-time data to help building operators reduce, manage, and sustain their energy consumption profiles.

In chapter I Photo-retro-Diels-Alder (PrDA) reactions of a variety of Diels Alder (DA) adducts were studied. Experimental results showed that the photoreactivity (quantum yield) depends on the electron-donating ability of the diene component and the electronwithdrawing ability of the dienophile component. The mechanism was studied by trapping the reaction intermediate, O2 quenching and femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. All the results support a mechanism that involves a charge-separated intermediate generated from a singlet excited state. The PrDA reaction may find applications in photoresponsive materials, photolithography, drug delivery and mechanistic research. Chapter II shows two applications of the PrDA reaction. The first, being the formation of the 2 nd -ring DA adduct together with the central-ring adduct in a reaction of pentacene and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) at room temperature. DFT calculations showed that the difference between the free energy of the two isomers is about 3.9 kcal/mol. Photo- and thermally induced isomerization between the central-ring adduct and the 2nd -ring adduct were studied in solutions and in polymer films. In solution, the less stable 2nd -ring adduct can be completely converted to the more stable central-ring adduct either thermally or photochemically, but the reverse transformation does not occur. In a polymer matrix, isomerization can be photochemically induced in both directions at different wavelengths, which results in a photoswitchable system. Formation of pentacene in the photochemical experiments was also observed, which supports an isomerization process involving a photoretro-Diels Alder (PrDA) reaction. iv The second application was the design and synthesis of a polymer with an anthracene diketone moeity which could undergo a PrDA reaction which should result in significant conductivity changes. Although the synthesis of this type of polymer was unsuccessful during this study, we still believe in the theoretical soundness of the synthesis and utility of this type of polymer. Chapter IV undertakes the study of a class of photoacids which are based on a merocyanine core. These photoacids have been studied and characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and the pH of two photoacids have been shown to decrease by 2.0 units upon irradiation with blue light. In addition, the relaxation times of these photoacids have been studied in water and ethanol. We have taken one step further and synthesized and characterized three polymers which have a photoacid moeity in them. These polymers respond to visible light reversibly in solution and in solid state.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

No description available.

No description available.