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Bottlebrush polymers are interesting topologies that have become increasingly relevant in various applications including rheology modifiers, super-soft elastomers, photonic crystals, anti-fouling coatings, the in vivo delivery of therapeutic agents, and as promising substrates in lithographic printing. These macromolecules are comprised of numerous polymeric side-chains densely grafted to a polymer backbone. The densely grafted nature of bottlebrush polymers results in steric repulsion between neighboring polymer chains, forcing these macromolecules to adopt a chain-extended conformation. Although these remarkable macromolecules have a many different applications, the transformative potential of the bottlebrush polymer topology has not been realized because the synthesis of high molecular weight bottlebrush polymers is challenging. This dissertation focusses on improving the synthesis of these large macromolecules using the grafting-through strategy in the first section and the transfer-to strategy in the second section. For the first time the effect of anchor group chemistry—the configuration of atoms linking the polymer to a polymerizable norbornene—was studied on the kinetics of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of macromonomers (MMs) initiated by Grubbs 3rd generation catalyst. A variance in the rate of propagation of >4-fold between similar MMs with different anchor groups was observed. This phenomenon was conserved across all MMs tested, regardless of solvent, molecular weight (MW), or repeat unit identity. Experimental and computational studies indicated that the rate differences likely resulted from a combination of varying steric demands and electronic structure among the different anchor groups. This new insight will allow others to achieve high MM conversion and prepare pure, high MW bottlebrush polymers by ROMP grafting-through. The second section of this dissertation deals with a little studied bottlebrush synthesis technique called the transfer-to method. This method is a hybrid of the grafting-from and grafting-to approaches in which the growing polymer side chains detach from the backbone, propagate freely in solution, and then reattach to the backbone in a chain transfer step. Several parameters were investigated to determine optimal conditions for this process. This study provides for the first time a guide to use the transfer-to method to produce high purity bottlebrush polymers with controllable backbone and side chain length. / Ph. D. / Bottlebrush polymers are interesting topologies that have become increasingly relevant in various applications including super-soft elastomers and drug delivery agents. These macromolecules are comprised of numerous polymeric side-chains densely grafted to a polymer backbone. The densely grafted nature of bottlebrush polymers results in steric repulsion between neighboring polymer chains, forcing these macromolecules to adopt a chain-extended or worm like conformation. Although these remarkable macromolecules have a many different applications, the transformative potential of the bottlebrush polymer topology has not been realized because the synthesis of large bottlebrush polymers is challenging. This dissertation focusses on improving the synthesis of these big macromolecules using the grafting-through strategy in the first section and the transfer-to strategy in the second section. For the first time the effect of anchor group chemistry—the configuration of atoms linking the polymer to a polymerizable norbornene—was studied on bottlebrush synthesis. A variance in how fast the polymerization took between similar MMs with different anchor groups was observed. Experimental and computational studies indicated that the differences likely resulted from a combination of varying steric demands and electronic structure among the different anchor groups. This new insight will allow others to achieve high MM conversion and prepare pure, high MW bottlebrush polymers by ROMP grafting-through. The second section of this dissertation deals with a little studied bottlebrush synthesis technique called the transfer-to method. This method is a hybrid of two well-known methods, grafting-from and grafting-to approaches, in which the growing polymer side chains detach from the backbone, polymerize freely in solution, and then reattach to the backbone in a chain transfer step. Several parameters were investigated to determine optimal conditions for this process. This study provides for the first time a guide to use the transfer-to method to produce high purity bottlebrush polymers with controllable sizes.

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

Legal regulation of taxation of income from leases The aim of this study was to explore the legal issues of taxation of rental income, mainly from the perspective of income tax and value added tax. The paper points out the various specifics and problematic provisions relating to the application of these taxes on rental income. In the work are utilized descriptive and analytical methods that best suit the focus of this work. The work is divided into four chapters, which deal with various aspects of taxation. The first one deals with the general theoretical introduction to the taxation, the short historical excursion is included. The second chapter deals with the taxation of income from lease income taxes. It shows the different possibilities of this tax in case of individuals and are not omitted legal persons with which the legislative regulation clearer. In the third chapter, you can find a legal assessment of the rental income from the perspective of value added tax. This issue is particularly important for business persons, whether individual or legal, as it directly affects them. In the final part of the paper is the comparison of the Slovak and Czech legislation above mentioned taxes. Slovak Republic was selected because in the past, joint development of both countries. Throughout the experiment...

The graduation thesis deals with the topic employee benefits in the Czech Republic. It focuses more closely on the most frequent ones (meal allowances, using a company car for private purposes, life and pension insurance, education of the employees, beverages and refreshment provided to the employees or gifts). Furthermore it analyses a current trend in providing employee benefits with regard to the financial crisis, it outlines a mathematical solution of the employee benefits and a view of relevant legal enactment.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att söka djupare förståelse för Gen-Z konsumenters lojalitet i form av hur deras attityder och beteende skiljer sig mot Fast Fashion handel och hur sambandet mellan dem kan se ut. Vidare syftar denna studie att identifiera konsekvenserna av de olika uppfattningarna i form Word of Mouth. Forskningsfrågor: <ul type="disc">Hur ser konsumenternas bild ut av ett varumärke inom Fast Fashion och vad beror detta på? Hur ser skillnaden ut mellan konsumenters attityd och beteende gentemot ett Fast Fashion varumärke? Hur ser konsumenters lojalitet ut i helhet till ett Fast Fashion varumärke baserat på attitydmässiga samt beteendemässiga faktorer? Metod: Studien är av kvalitativ ansats och datan har samlats in med hjälp av fokusgrupper samt djupintervjuer i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Teoretisk referensram: De teorier som används i denna studie är Varumärkesbild, Varumärkesattityd, Varumärkeslojalitet, Lojalitetsmodell samt Lojalitetsindelning av Dick och Basu (1994), Lojalitetspyramiden av Aaker (1991) och slutligen Word of Mouth. Slutsatser: Slutsatserna är att respondenterna har en negativ varumärkesbild av H&amp;M som varumärke. Det identifierades även en motsägelse mellan respondenters attityder och beteenden då de skilde sig åt markant. Respondenternas lojalitet till varumärket visade sig vara väldigt svag. De negativa attityderna visade sig även ha stor påverkan på Word of Mouth som sprids konsumenter emellan. / Aim: The aim of this study is to search for a deeper understanding of Gen-Z’s consumer loyalty in the form of their attitudes and behaviour towards Fast Fashion and how the relationship between these factors can look like. Furthermore this study aims to identify the consequences of the the different perceptions in the form of Word of Mouth. Research questions: <ul type="disc">What does consumers brand image look like when it comes to a Fast Fashion brand and what does it depend on? What are the differences between consumers attitudes and behaviour towards a Fast Fashion brand? What does consumers loyalty look like in its whole to a Fast Fashion brand based off attitudinal and behavioural factors? Method: This study is based on a qualitative approach and the data has been collected through semi-structured interviews. Both focus groups and individual interviews have been conducted. Theoretical framework: The theories that have been applied are Brand Image, Brand Attitude, Brand Loyalty, Loyalty Model and Loyalty Classification by Dick &amp; Basu (1994), Loyaltypyramid (Aaker 1991) and finally Word of Mouth. Conclusions: The conclusions are that the respondents has got a negative image of H&amp;M as a brand. A contradiction was also identified between the respondents attitudes and behaviour considering they were very different. The loyalty towards the brand was not very strong. The negative attitudes of the respondents had an significant influence on the brands Word of Mouth.

Ownership of land and its transfer from the perspective of tax legislation Abstract The thesis deals with ownership of land and its transfer from the perspective of tax legislation. The aim of the thesis is to describe tax obligations connected with the ownership of land and with the transfers of ownership of land in the Czech Republic and further to consider the appropriateness of current legislation and its potential changes. The issue of tax regulations related to the ownership of land and its transfer is closely linked to the civil law. Introductory part of the thesis is therefore devoted to the theoretical introduction of the issue with respect to both financial law and civil law. The first chapter defines the term real estate and land. The second chapter describes and overviews forms of transfer of ownership of real estate and shortly also the issue of real estate cadaster. The fourth and fifth parts are the crucial ones with respect to the whole thesis. The fourth part overviews the responsibilities relating to the ownership of real estate particularly with regard to the land tax. In the following subchapters the author describes structural tax elements of the land tax and further deals with appropriateness of the land tax and its potential changes. The author perceives the land tax as justifiable by...

Les protéines membranaires occupent en moyenne 50% de la masse des membranes cellulaires. Cependant, certaines membranes spécialisées peuvent avoir de 20 à 90% de leur masse en protéines. Dans ce cadre, l'importance de l'assemblage des protéines membranaires dans des complexes cohérents, dynamiques et fonctionnels n'est plus à démontrer.Mon projet s'inscrit dans la compréhension des forces qui mènent à l'assemblage des protéines membranaires. J'utilise pour cela le modèle de l'Aquaporine Z (AqpZ) d'Escherichia coli. En premier lieu, j'ai mis en oeuvre une approche de dynamique moléculaire gros grains avec des forces de biais adaptatifs pour étudier les relations entre orientations de deux monomères d'AqpZ. Il existe, de façon surprenante, des forces se propageant à longue distance vraisemblablement par les lipides qui biaisent les orientations relatives entre les protéines.Un deuxième axe de mon travail est l'étude des enrichissements lipidiques autour de l'AqpZ native ou mutée, à différentes distances, avec l'utilisation d'une membrane complexe rendant compte de la diversité lipidique de la membrane interne d'E.coli. Dans cette analyse, la cardiolipine est enrichie à proximité de la protéine. Enfin, j'ai construit un système contenant 125 monomères d'AqpZ dans une membranes simple ou complexe, qui représentent 50% en masse en protéines. Ce système m'a permis de questionner l'évolution spontanée d'un tel système encombré, mais aussi le devenir des forces à longue distance et des lipides enrichis à la surface de la protéine dans ce contexte. / Membrane proteins represent on average 50% of the mass of cellular membranes. However, specialized membranes can have from 20 to 90% of their mass in proteins. In this context, the importance of the assembly of membrane proteins in coherent, dynamic and functional complexes isn't to be proven anymore. The goal of my project is to understand the different forces that lead to the assembly of membrane proteins. For this aim, I am using the Aquaporin Z (AqpZ) model protein from Escherichia coli, which is studied in our laboratory. First, I use a coarsed grain molecular dynamics approach with adaptive biasing forces to study the relations between orientations of two AqpZ monomers. Surprisingly, there are forces propagating at long distance, presumably by the lipids which in turn bias the relative orientations between the proteins. The second axis of my work is the study of lipid enrichments around native or mutated AqpZ, at different distances, with the use of a complex membrane accounting for the lipid diversity of the inner membrane of E.coli. In this analysis, cardiolipin is enriched near the protein. Finally, I built a system containing 125 AqpZ monomers in a simple or complex membrane, which represents 50% protein by weight. This system allowed me to examine the spontaneous evolution of such a crowded system, but also to investigate the fate of the long distance forces and the lipid enrichments at the protein surface in this context.

Neste trabalho, apresentamos uma extensão da técnica de varredura-Z baseada na análise espectral da evolução temporal da transmitância, quando um feixe laser é modulado numa freqüência f. As componentes de Fourier da evolução temporal da transmitância em f e 2f estão respectivamente relacionadas com os efeitos lineares e não-lineares e sua razão pode ser usada na eliminação de efeitos lineares. Este método, denominado varredura-Z resolvida em frequência, permite um aumento significativo na sensibilidade da técnica de varredura-Z em medidas de absorvedores lentos. Tal método se combinado com \"EZ-scan\" permite medidas de modulação de fase correspondentes a distorções da frente de onda de &#955;/105. A aplicabilidade bem como a sensibilidade desta técnica foram demonstradas em medidas realizadas em absorvedores lentos, especificamente o rubi e o aluminato de gadolínio dopado com cromo. Tais materiais são convenientes para estes fins, pois já tiveram suas não-linearidades investigadas anteriormente por diversos métodos. Como aplicação da técnica fizemos medidas das propriedades ópticas lineares e não-lineares em uma amostra de vidro fluoroindato dopado com cromo. Observamos que os valores de n2 (&#955;) seguem a curva de absorção desse material, e propomos um modelo que relaciona a origem da não-linearidade com as transições eletrônicas que ocorrem na região do visível. / This work presents an extension of the Z-scan technique based on the spectral analysis of the transmittance time-evolution when the laser beam is modulated at a frequency f. The Fourier components of the transmittance time-evolution at f and 2f are respectively related to the linear and nonlinear effects and their ratio can be used to eliminate spurious linear effects. This method, known as frequency resolved Z-scan, allows a significative increase in the sensitivity of the Z-scan technique for measurements of slow absorbers. When combined with the EZ-scan technique, it can measure transmittance changes corresponding to wavefront distortions of &#955;/105. The demonstration of the technique was carried out for slow absorbers, ruby and chromium-doped gadolinium aluminate. Such materials were conveniently chosen for this purpose since their optical nonlinearities are well stablished. As an application, we present linear and nonlinear optical properties of a chromium-doped fluorindate glass sample. We found that the values of n2 (&#955;) follow the absorption curve in this material and we have proposed a model which relates the origin of the nonlinearity with the electronic transitions that occur in the visible region of the spectrum.