In this thesis we analyze the phase of the heavy symmetric top and the tippe top. These tops are two examples of physical systems for which the usefulness of integrals of motion and invariant manifolds, in phase space picture analysis, can be illustrated In the case of the heavy symmetric top, simplified proofs of stability of the vertical rotation have been perpetuated by successive textbooks during the last century. In these proofs correct perturbations of integrals of motion are missing. This may seem harmless since the deduced threshold value for stability is correct. However, perturbations of first integrals are essential in rigorous proofs of stability of motions for both tops. The tippe top is a toy that has the form of a truncated sphere equipped with a little peg. When spun fast on the spherical bottom its center of mass rises above its geometrical center and after a few seconds the top is spinning vertically on the peg. We study the tippe top through a sequence of embedded invariant manifolds to unveil the structure of the top's phase space. The last manifold, consisting of the asymptotic trajectories, is analyzed completely. We prove that trajectories in this manifold attract solutions in contact with the plane of support at all times and we give a complete description of their stability/instability properties for all admissible choices of model parameters and of the initial conditions. / <p>Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC-2004:35.</p>

Le Modèle Standard de la physique des particules décrit les particules elementaires et leurs interactions avec une grande précision. Il décrit trois des quatre interactions fondamentales connues entre les particules elementaires : les interactions faibles, fortes et électromagnétiques. Le Modèle standard fournit aussi une description précise des interactions électrofaibles jusqu’à des échelles d’énergie qui ont été étudies dans les expériences de physique de haute énergie. Les interactions ainsi que les désintégrations d'un grand nombre de particules découvert et observe tout au long des expériences différentes dans les 50 dernières années sont également décrites. En dépit de son succès, le Modèle Standard est loin d’être une théorie complète des interactions fondamentales car il n’intègre pas la théorie complète de la gravitation telle que décrite par la relativité générale, ni la prédiction de l’accélération de l'expansion de l'univers (qui pourrait être décrite par l’énergie noire). La théorie ne contient aucune particule de matière noire viable qui possède toutes les propriétés déduites de la cosmologie observationnelle. Également, elle ne prend pas en compte les oscillations de neutrinos (et leurs masses non nulles). On pense que la nouvelle physique doit exister conduisant a de nouvelles particules et phénomènes. L’échelle a laquelle cette nouvelle physique devrait appara&#305;tre n'est pas bien connue, cependant plusieurs arguments soulignent l’échelle du TeV et nécessitent une très haute énergie et des puissants collisionneurs de hadrons. Le Large Hadron Collider (LHC) est le plus grand accélérateur et collisionneur de particules existant. / The Standard Model of particle physics is very successful in describing elementary particles and their interactions with a great precision. It describes three of the four known fundamental interactions between elementary particles : the weak, the strong and the electromagnetic interactions. The Standard Model also provides an accurate description of the electroweak interactions up to energy scales that have been explored in high energy physics experiments. The interaction and decay of a large number of particles discovered and observed throughout different experiments in the last 50 years are also described. Despite its great success, the Standard Model falls short of being a complete theory of fundamental interactions because it does not incorporate the full theory of gravitation as described by general relativity, or predict the accelerating expansion of the universe (as possibly described by dark energy). The theory does not contain any viable dark matter particle that possesses all of the required properties deduced from observational cosmology. It also does not account for neutrino oscillations (and their non-zero masses). It is thought that new physics should exist leading to new particles and phenomena. The scale at which this new physics should appear is not well known, though several arguments point to the TeV scale and require a very high energy and powerful hadron collider. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the biggest existing particle accelerator and collider. It is designed to provide proton-proton collisions with an unprecedented center-of-mass energy of 14 TeV, with instantaneous luminosities up to 10^{34} cm&#8722;2s&#8722;1.

In software testing process a large amount of information is required and generated. This information can be stored as knowledge that needs to be managed and maintained using principles of knowledge management. Ontologies can act as a bridge by representing this testing knowledge in an accessible and understandable way.

In this thesis I will discuss and criticize different legitimation for lawmaking, including ancient and contemporary Chinese theories, and Western representative perspectives on lawmaking. I will disclose disadvantages of Chinese lawmaking system. As a new research project of Chinese law, I argue that both the traditional and contemporary Chinese lawmaking lacked elements of communication. The top-down lawmaking mode was the reality as well as the dominant theoretical justifications of legislation in China. I believe that the top-down lawmaking mode in China was insufficient in its justifications for legitimacy; neither was it beneficial for increasing the degree of individual freedom and rights. Therefore it is better to absorb positive Western lawmaking elements, especial taking a shift from a non-communicative mode to a more interactive and cooperative mode. Western theories of lawmaking could contribute to Chinese future legal reform. Theories of disagreement and individual freedom have positive contributions to this proposed change. After my introduction and analysis of Western theories, I attempted to escape from pure theoretic discussion about law and legality, and try to provide a practical application of communicative lawmaking in China. Relying on the contributions of Western lawmaking theories, but at the same time realizing their difficulties in their application in Chinese contexts, I believe that Confucianism, a Chinese philosophy of love and law could contribute to a discourse theory of lawmaking. The core of Confucianism, Ren (‘仁’ , loving the people, humanism) provided a possible theoretical background for a discourse theory. Professor Bankowski’s argument for the interplay of law and love, the inside and the outside systems, also initiated a debate for the communicative decision-making, and is thus employed to solve the difficulty of applying Western theories into Chinese contexts. The ‘appropriate’ lawmaking in this thesis refers to a communicative lawmaking mode, in contrast to the non-communicative mode that defended by Chinese legalism and contemporary justifications of lawmaking. I attempt to introduce this interactive and cooperative lawmaking structure to balance individual rights and state interests. This structure would go against the grain of the traditional top-down legislation. In this new structure individuals’ voice could be heard and paid attention to, which is a system of achieving Ren ( humanism).

Cette recherche se propose d'examiner l'évolution des symptômes d'un trouble déficitaire de l'attention/hyperactivité (TDAH), d'un trouble des conduites (TC) et d'un trouble de l'opposition avec provocation (TOP) de l'élève selon l'accord ou le désaccord entre les parents et les enseignants. Elle a aussi comme objectif de déterminer les répercussions d'un consensus inter-informateurs sur la fréquence et la satisfaction des services scolaires. L'échantillon est constitué de 341 élèves québécois âgés de 5 ans 7 mois à 13 ans 5 mois recevant des services d'aide spécialisés. Les parents et le personnel enseignant ont complété le DISC-2.25 . Les résultats posent que l'entente entre informateurs est spécifiquement associée aux deux variables retard scolaire et dépression des parents. L'accord entre informateurs est bénéfique à la trajectoire des enfants 24 mois plus tard surtout dans le cas des symptômes d'un TC et dans une moindre mesure de ceux d'un TOP. La fréquence des services augmente sensiblement pour les enfants avec des symptômes d'un TC lorsqu'il y a une reconnaissance mutuelle de ce trouble par les parents et les enseignants. Pour aucun des trois troubles, le niveau de satisfaction des parents de l'aide reçue n'est influencé par la présence d'une entente entre informateurs. La fréquence des services spécialisés reçus par l'enfant ne spécifie rien des mécanismes par lesquels le consensus entre informateurs influe positivement l'évolution des élèves 24 mois plus tard. Ce travail se termine par un questionnement sur les différences dans l'évaluation des troubles de comportement des élèves entre la France et le Québec et apporte plusieurs contributions pour la pratique, spécifiquement l'évaluation et l'intervention.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) uses precast, prestressed concrete panels (PCPs) as stay-in-place formwork for most bridges built in Texas. The PCPs are placed on the top flanges of adjacent girders and topped with a 4-in. cast-in-place (CIP) slab. This thesis is directed towards identifying and quantifying the serviceability implications of reducing the deck reinforcement across the interior spans of CIP-PCP decks. The goal of this research is to understand how the PCPs influence cracking and crack control in the CIP slab and to make recommendations to optimize the top mat reinforcement accordingly. Several tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of different top mat reinforcement arrangements for ability to control crack widths across PCP joints. The longitudinal reinforcement was tested using a constant bending moment test, a point load test, and several direct tension tests. Because of difficulty with the CIP-PCP interface during the longitudinal tests, direct tension tests of the CIP slab only were used to compare the transverse reinforcement alternatives. Prior to testing, various top mat design alternatives were evaluated through pre-test calculations for crack widths. Standard reinforcing bars and welded wire reinforcement were considered for the design alternatives. During this study, it was found that the tensile strength of the CIP slab is critical to controlling transverse crack widths. The CIP-PCP interface is difficult to simulate in the laboratory because of inherent eccentricities that result from the test specimen geometry and loading conditions. Furthermore, the constraint and boundary conditions of CIP-PCP bridge decks are difficult to simulate in the laboratory. Based on the results of this testing program, it seems imprudent to reduce the longitudinal reinforcement across the interior spans of CIP-PCP decks. The transverse reinforcement, however, may be reduced using welded wire reinforcement across the interior spans of CIP-PCP decks without compromising longitudinal crack width control. A reduced standard reinforcing bar option may also be considered, but a slight increase in longitudinal crack widths should be expected. / text

No description available.

Shallow lakes in Muskoka-Haliburton have been largely ignored in previous limnological and paleolimnological studies, as many are considered to be less desirable for cottage development and other cultural activities. Nonetheless, shallow lakes offer important habitat for many animals. 30 oligo- and mesotrophic, shallow lakes were chosen for a paleolimnological study to assess the impacts of multiple stressors on cladoceran invertebrates. Fossil cladoceran remains preserved in the sediment samples of the study lakes were used to evaluate the nature and magnitude of any changes in assemblages from both modern and pre-industrial times. Relationships between present-day assemblages and key environmental variables were investigated using redundancy analysis, which identified that lake area (p<0.01) and Secchi depth (p<0.05) were significant predictors of assemblage composition in the shallow lakes. Secchi depth was not correlated to water clarity measures, as it usually is, but rather to macrophyte abundance. The modern-day assemblages were compared to the pre-industrial assemblages using the snapshot “top-bottom” paleolimnological approach. The top and bottom assemblages were compared using an ANOSIM which was not significant (p=0.2), confirming that modern assemblages were similar to pre-industrial assemblages in shallow lakes. Full core analysis from three shallow lakes also showed only subtle changes in littoral assemblage composition through time, further supporting results from the top/bottom study. The changes recorded were mainly in the pelagic taxa, with the littoral taxa relatively very stable through time. These small, shallow lakes were then compared and combined with a deep lake set from the same region. The results show some striking differences between shallow and deep lakes. For example, pelagic taxa appear to be driving changes within assemblages across a depth gradient, with most of the changes in the deeper lakes. Water chemistry has an increasingly important role in structuring cladoceran assemblage as lakes become deeper, although lake morphometry does play an important role in defining cladoceran assemblages in all the study lakes. Cladoceran assemblages in shallow lakes appear to be more stable than deeper lakes, despite being exposed to the same regional stressors, such as acidification, calcium decline, and climate change. / Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-12-31 13:41:52.662

Då konsumenter idag är mer benägna att påtala brister i reklam, är det av intresse för företaget bakom den aktuella reklamen att häva missnöjet samt att skapa en långsiktig lösning som förebygger att missnöje återkommer. Syftet med denna uppsats är att redogöra för hur företag, med Top Toy som exempel, kan arbeta för att mildra och häva det missnöje som härrör från reklamkampanjer, samt hur företag kan arbeta för att lära sig av denna process. Detta undersöks genom en fallstudie av leksaksföretaget Top Toy, som under en fyraårsperiod mottog klagomål på sina könsstereotypa leksakskataloger och successivt arbetade för att nå en lösning som kunde eliminera missnöjet. För att uppfylla syftet genomfördes studier av sekundärdata samt en kvalitativ undersökning bestående av en ostrukturerad samt två semi- strukturerade intervjuer; dels med en anställd hos Reklamombudsmannen, dels med ledningsassistenten på Top Toy. Resultatet påvisar en företagsprocess åsyftande att häva samt mildra kundmissnöjet, utifrån vilken Top Toy har lärt sig och skapat en långsiktig lösning i form av en könsneutral leksakskatalog. Slutsatsen av uppsatsen är att lärande utifrån kundmissnöje är möjligt och kan ha en positiv inverkan på företags verksamhet.

Three experiments examine how collaboration influences visual search performance. Working with a partner or on their own, participants reported whether a target was present or absent in briefly presented search displays. The search performance of individuals working together (collaborative pairs) was compared to the pooled responses of the individuals working alone (nominal pairs). Collaborative pairs were less likely than nominal pairs to correctly detect a target and they were less likely to make false alarms. Signal detection analyses revealed that collaborative pairs were more sensitive to the presence of the target and had a more conservative response bias than the nominal pairs. This pattern was observed when the search difficulty was increased and when the presence of another individual was matched across pairs. The results are discussed in the context of task sharing, social loafing and current theories of visual search.