La distribution des aides directes de la PAC bénéficie-t-elle aux exploitations agricoles les plus favorables à l’environnement ? Suite à un état de l’art sur les méthodes d’évaluation environnementales existantes, le développement d’une méthode originale a permis de classer des exploitations agricoles du RICA en fonction de leurs effets sur l'environnement à partir d’une série d’indicateurs agro-environnementaux. Ces classes ont ensuite été mises en relation avec les montants d'aides perçus à l’hectare. Les résultats sont traités pour 3 OTEX (céréales et oléo-protéagineux, bovins lait, bovins viande). Associée à un examen approfondi des réformes de la PAC depuis 1992, cette étude empirique permet de prendre du recul sur les conséquences des décisions politiques. Il apparait que si les aides du 2nd pilier sont orientées en faveur des exploitations les plus favorables à l’environnement, leur poids reste trop faible par rapport aux aides du 1er pilier, dont les paiements par hectare sont plus élevés dans les exploitations moins vertueuses. Ceci est lié en grande partie au poids des DPU dans les paiements directs, et au choix français de baser leur calcul par rapport à l’historique de l’exploitation. C’est pourquoi les simulations de la redistribution des aides du 1er pilier à horizon 2019 montrent que le rééquilibrage de ces aides entre les exploitations par une harmonisation nationale contribuera à niveler les écarts de paiements directs du 1er pilier par hectare entre les exploitations. La comparaison avec le Royaume-Uni et l’Allemagne montre les effets de la subsidiarité, notamment lors du découplage : l’harmonisation des paiements découplés en permet aux exploitations les plus favorables à l’environnement de toucher des paiements directs par hectare plus élevés. / Does the CAP direct payment distribution benefit to the most environmentally friendly farms? Following an environmental assessment state of the art, a set of environmental indicators has been created to rank farms on their potential environmental impacts using FADN datas. Then, these classes have been connected with the amounts of direct payments received. Results are processed on three types of farm (specialized in cereals and oilseeds, meat cows and milk cows). Associated with a comprehensive study of the reforms of the CAP since 1992, this empirical study allows to stand back on the consequences of the political decisions. It seems that if the 2nd pillar direct payments are directed in favour of the more environmental friendly farms, their weight remains too low compared with the aids of the 1st pillar, which are higher in the less virtuous farms. This is largely connected to the weight of the DPU in the direct payments, and to the French choice to base their calculation with regard to the history of the farm. That is why the simulations of the redistribution of the subsidies of the 1st pillar on horizon 2019 show that the rebalancing of these payments between the farms by a national harmonization will contribute to level the gap of 1st pillar direct payments by hectare between french farms. The comparison with the United Kingdom and Germany shows the effects of the subsidiarity, in particular during the decoupling: the harmonization of the decoupled payments allows the most environmental friendly farms to get higher direct payments per hectare.

In this thesis some different modulation schemes for xDSL-techniques are compared. The investigated techniques are ADSL, G.lite, ADSL2, HDSL, SHDSL and VDSL. The modulation methods used are DMT, CAP and different versions of PAM. Several broadband techniques also use Trellis Coded Modulation (TCM) to increase the coding gain of the transmission. For each one of the different modulation methods the signal-to-noise ratio is calculated for generating a bit error rate probability of 10-7. This is the error rate that is demanded for several of the investigated standards. Comparison is also made of the transmission capacity of the channel and how sensitive the technique is for interference in a part of the frequency band. To compare the different modulation techniques, simulations of the modulations were made. The simulations were made with MatLab and Simulink. Unfortunately Simulink only supports one- and two-dimensional TCM. Therefore no good simulations of ADSL and ADSL2 with TCM were made, because those techniques use four-dimensional TCM.

A synthetic pathway towards the cap-structure of 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine containing a methylene modified triphosphate bridge have been investigated. The modification to the triphosphate bridge is hoped to slow down cap degradation and give the connected  oligunucleotide an increased lifetime. This could result in an better understanding of nuclear transport of oligonucleotides and could thereby helping to develop new treatments for different diseases. The synthesis relies on a coupling reaction between the 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine 5’phosphate and 2’-O-methyladenosine with a 5’-pyrophosphate where the central oxygen has been replaced by a methylene group. The reaction pathway consists of 9 steps of which 8 steps have been successfully performed. The last step, which includes a coupling reaction, was attempted but without successful identification and isolation of the cap-structure, and will need further attention. The reaction has been performed in a milligram scale with various yields. / Presentation utförd

La synthèse des sélénoprotéines fait appel à un mécanisme de recodage traductionnel d’un codon UGASec. Chez les mammifères, ce processus est conditionné par le recrutement de facteurs spécialisés dans la région 3’UTR des ARNm de sélénoprotéines, au niveau d’une tige-boucle appelée SECIS. Lors de ma thèse, nous avons montré que certains ARNm de sélénoprotéines possèdent une coiffe hyperméthylée m32,2,7G à leur extrémité 5’, à la manière d’ARN non-codants, et ne sont pas reconnus efficacement par le facteur canonique d’initiation de la traduction eIF4E. Nous avons déterminé le mécanisme de biogenèse de cette coiffe qui fait appel à la Triméthyl-guanosine synthase, et avons montré que les ARNm de sélénoprotéines coiffés m32,2,7G sont traduits in vivo. Par ailleurs, nos résultats indiquent que l’initiation de la traduction des ARNm de sélénoprotéines suit un mécanisme atypique qui ferait intervenir des éléments structuraux de l’ARNm, la région 3’UTR et une GTPase encore inconnue. / Selenoprotein synthesis requires co-translational recoding of in-frame UGA codons. In mammals, this process is governed by the recruitment of dedicated factors on a hairpin structure, called SECIS, in the 3’UTR of selenoprotein mRNAs. During my PhD, we showed that several selenoprotein mRNAs bear a hypermethylated m32,2,7G cap and undergo a similar 5’ end maturation pathway than non-coding RNAs. This cap biogenesis mechanism involves the enzyme Trimethyl-guanosine synthase, m32,2,7G capped selenoprotein mRNAs are not efficiently recognized by the canonical translation initiation factor eIF4E but are translated in vivo. Furthermore, our results suggest the existence of an atypical mechanism of translation initiation for selenoprotein mRNAs. This process involves structural RNA determinants, the 3’UTR region and a GTPase that remains to be identified.

This diploma thesis tackles the issue of key reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (hereinafter "CAP") made by the European Union (hereinafter "EU") during the last years and includes the context and the reasons which led to it. Despite the range of positive results which the CAP of the EU brings, it is followed by controversy. Agriculture as a topic rouses emotions and remains to be a delicate theme which often divides politicians. Disputes concerning conception of the policy are lead not only on the European and domestic level but also on the grounds of international organisations. Those which I would like to emphasize are particularly negotiations before the World Trade Organisation which tries to liberalize the international trade. A focus of this thesis is put on analysis of the development after year 2003 when the last significant turnover of the policy took place. Since this turnover until today we are witnessing only gradual changes. The aim of this thesis to analyse and evaluate whether if and in what areas did the EU make a change in the policy which reacted on its's objective issues and critics. After a brief introduction of the policy, the first part of the thesis focuses on specific problematic issues of the CAP that are criticised. I will attempt to describe and explain selected...

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / In South Africa, demographics consequently play a prominent role in public policy and the country (rainbow nation) or often called a World in One Country, provide interesting interactions between the whites, coloured and blacks. South Africa remains the highest-ranked country in sub-Saharan Africa and the second-placed among the BRICS economies. Furthermore, the country benefits from the large size of its economy, particularly by regional standards, but the profile of various immigrant groups is poorly understood, thereby creating ambivalence in policy frameworks. A, major weakness of research in this area has been the tendency to study causes and impacts of migration separately, which constitute largely separate strands of migration literature. More in general, the scholarly debate has tended to separate the determinants and impacts of migration artificially from more general processes of socioeconomic contexts. Thus, there is a clear need to study migrant profiles in their wider societal context, which makes this study contemporaneous. Our research profiles both the demographics and socioeconomic dynamics of the French immigrants in South Africa on one hand and highlights the differences between French emigrants in Western Cape, South Africa and their counterparts residing in France vis-à-vis South Africans in Western Cape. In determining, the effect of socioeconomic and demographic profiles of the French immigrants in the Western Cape, a Google web design was used. Prior to this, a pilot study using samples of French and Anglophones persons was done to validate the instrument. Two questionnaires were used for the study; one in English and the other in French. Likert scales, multiple choice, open ended and close ended questions were contained in our instrument. Only registered households with French Consulate were included in the population sample. The population of South Africans is much younger than that of the French in Western Cape or French in France. The latter group is ageing but lives longer than the South Africans because of advancement in health infrastructure. Thus, the French community in the Western Cape are better placed economically, socially, and health-wise compared to the South Africans (WC) and the French in France. However, in few areas like education, rent and medical insurance coverage, the French in France are better placed than the French and South Africans in the Western Cape, because of structural issues peculiar in a country like South Africa. These social issues in France have more optimality than in South Africa. Our results further confirm the validity of the New Economics of Labour Migration Theory, which recognises the role of households as against individuals in jointly making the decision to migrate. Migration of a household member is a way to spread the risk of insufficient household income. Nonetheless, the survey indicates that the Western Cape is a city of choice for French migrants. However, a comparative analysis of the influx of the French to other regions would further show the real reasons for French deciding to pitch tent in a particular region. Analysis suggests an imbalance in the labour supply of the French immigrants which could be a structural phenomenon akin to also to the South Africans themselves. Enlightenment programmes for the target population and host population could help in this regard to balance the labour mix. There is no doubt that the socioeconomic impact of migration has been intensively studied by scholars, but it is still often driven by ill-informed opinions, which, in turn, can lead to public resentment towards migration. This is exactly the case for South Africa that has witnessed rounds of xenophobic attacks on migrants. These negative assessments risk on-going efforts to adapt migration policies to the new economic and demographic challenges facing many countries. Results confirm that labour supply becomes the pull factor for the French immigrants. Furthermore, it is likely that the bureaucratic set up at the Home Affairs is still inhibiting the French Immigrants from processing their documentation. On the average, it takes about 2 to 3 years to process legal permit documents for foreigners in South Africa. This process could be discouraging others from migrating to South Africa. Also, the xenophobic syndrome and inconsistent policy framework could also be a deterrent to foreigners who genuinely want to reside on a permanent basis in the country. The development potential of migrants is not expressed to its fullest extent, partly because of the lack of migration-supporting policies, which pushes many migrants to illegality despite the demand for their labour in certain sectors. Being undocumented not only encourages exploitation in the workplace but also prevents migrants from contributing to the development of the host country by paying taxes. A step in the right direction would be to encourage government service providers to mainstream migration into policies and programmes. This would set the framework for greater respect for migrants' rights, as well as facilitate the integration of migrants and acknowledge their contribution to the development of host and home countries.

Corrosion of steel tendons is a major problem for post-tensioned concrete, especially because corrosion of the steel strands is often hard to detect inside grouted ducts. Non-metallic tendons can serve as an alternative material to steel for post-tensioning applications. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), given its higher strength and elastic modulus, as well as excellent durability and fatigue strength, is the most practical option for post-tensioning applications. The primary objective of this research project was to assess the feasibility of the use of innovative carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons and to develop guidelines for CFRP in post-tensioned bridge applications, including segmental bridges and pier caps. An experimental investigation and a numerical simulation were conducted to compare the performance of a scaled segmental bridge model, post-tensioned with two types of carbon fiber strands and steel strands. The model was tested at different prestress levels and at different loading configurations. While the study confirms feasibility of both types of carbon fiber strands for segmental bridge applications, and their similar serviceability behavior, strands with higher elastic modulus could improve structural performance and minimize displacements beyond service loads. As the second component of the project, a side-by-side comparison of two types of carbon fiber strands against steel strands was conducted in a scaled pier cap model. Two different strand arrangements were used for post-tensioning, with eight and six strands, respectively representing an over-design and a slight under-design relative to the factored demand. The model was tested under service and factored loads. The investigation confirmed the feasibility of using carbon fiber strands in unbonded post-tensioning of pier caps. Considering both serviceability and overload conditions, the general performance of the pier cap model was deemed acceptable using either type of carbon fiber strands and quite comparable to that of steel strands. In another component of this research, creep stress tests were conducted with carbon fiber composite cable (CFCC). The anchorages for all the specimens were prepared using a commercially available expansive grout. Specimens withstood 95% of the guaranteed capacity provided by the manufacturer for a period of five months, without any sign of rupture.

This thesis applies a novel method of change detection, the Landsat Image Stack Trend Analysis method to the monitoring of retrogressive thaw slumps in the Richardson Mountains, NWT. This method represents a significant improvement upon previous methods of thaw slump monitoring, which utilized air photos and high-resolution satellite imagery. This method applies Tasseled Cap brightness, wetness and greenness indices to Landsat TM/ETM images acquired between 1985 and 2011 and analyzes the temporal change of each pixel for the different indices values. This method is useful in retrogressive thaw slump monitoring in two ways. First, by creating a map showing the linear change over time from 1985 to 2011, retrogressive thaw slumps can be easily identified, as they are more dynamic than the surrounding tundra. In total, 251 thaw slumps were identified within an area of roughly 18 000km2. Second, thaw slump activity, from initiation, growth and stabilization can be studied by plotting the annual vegetation index pixel values of adjacent pixels in a thaw slump. This method allows for the efficient extraction of annual thaw slump headwall retreat rates, provided the availability of cloud-free imagery. The retreat rates of 16 slumps were extracted, which were found to have an average annual retreat rate of 11.8 m yr-1.

Trenden inom världsekonomin har på senare år indikerat på en mognad där tillväxten ligger på låga tal historisk. Detta har tvingat centralbanker runt omkring jorden att drastiskt ta till åtgärder för att stimulera tillväxten. Reporäntan har använts som det mest centrala instrumentet för detta ändamål. Sverige är ett levande exempel på detta, där de har sänkt räntan lägre än den fruktade nollnivån och har i dagsläget en ränta på -0,5 %. Effekterna av reporänteförändringar på aktievärdering har studerats brett och den ackumulerade åsikten bland forskare är att räntan påverkar aktiemarknaden direkt. De historiska studierna som har utförts fokuserar på hur marknaden som helhet påverkas där de individuella företagseffekterna hamnar i skymundan. Därför har denna studie fokuserat på att undersöka dessa branschrelaterade effekter av en ränteförändring på individuella företag inom de valda branscherna. Detta område har undersökts med hjälp av en eventstudie.  Resultaten från studien visar på homogena effekter för mindre bolag där dessa får en större påverkan vid förändringar än stora bolag. Detta visar sig även mellan de olika branscherna. De observerade branscherna är sällanköpsvaror och dagligvaror, de branschspecifika effekterna som studien visar är att dagligvaror påverkas signifikant mer än sällanköpsvaror. Vidare visar resultatet att företagsstorlek har en större påverkan än branschtillhörighet, där small-cap bolag inom sällanköpsvaror har större påverkan än large-cap bolag inom dagligvaror. En negativ förändring går även att hänvisa till mer homogena rörelser för branscherna samt de olika storlekarna. Vidare gav positiva nyheter en mer heterogen rörelse där de mindre bolagen ej korrelerade med dem större. / In recent years, the trend in the world economy has indicated a maturity in growth which is low in historical terms. This has forced central banks around the world to drastically act to stimulate growth. The prime rate has then been used as the most central instrument for this purpose. Sweden is a living example of this as they have lowered interest rates below the dreaded zero level and currently have an interest rate of -0.5 %. The effects of prime rate changes on stock valuation have been studied widely, and the accumulated opinion among researchers is that interest rates directly affect the stock market. The historical studies that have been carried out focus on how the market as a whole is affected where individual effects on businesses end up in the dark. Therefore, this study has focused on investigating these industry-related effects of an interest rate change on individual companies in the chosen industries. The results from the study show homogenous effects for smaller companies, where the impact is greater on them in addition to larger companies. This is also apparent between the different industries. This area of concerns has been studied with an event study. The observed industries are consumer discretionary and commodities, the industry-specific effects shown by the study are that commodities are significantly more affected than consumer discretionarys’. Furthermore, the results show that company size is a greater indicator than industry due to the greater effect on small companies within consumer discretionary than on larger companies in the commodities sector. A negative change can also be referred to more homogeneous movements for the industries as well as the different business sizes. In addition, positive news gave a more heterogeneous move where the smaller companies did not correlate with the larger ones.

The conserved secondary structural RNA motifs of EncephaloMyoCarditis Virus (EMCV) have been well characterised biochemically and shown to play an important role in translation initiation by a novel cap-independent mechanism called Internal Ribosomal Entry Site (IRES). However, the three dimensional structure and interactions of these conserved motifs are not known, and hence the mechanism is not fully understood. The NMR results described in this thesis have provided, for the first time, new structural knowledge on the conformation of these motifs, their affinity for Mg2+ and their intermolecular interactions. RNA motifs selected from two separate domains (I and J) of the IRES structure were investigated using a range of 2D and 3D NMR techniques. The apical ‘hammerhead’ region of the I domain contains a highly conserved 16mer RNA which hosts a stable and mutationally sensitive G547CGA550 tetraloop. Sequence specific assignments were carried out on this motif, along with its Mg2+ complex, and a large number of NMR experimental constraints were generated for the RNA structure determination. Similarly, high resolution NMR structures of a distal 17mer RNA, which has been predicted to be a potential receptor for the GCGA tetraloop, and its Mg2+ complex were also produced. Thus, we were able to demonstrate that Mg2+ stabilises the RNA tertiary structure via non-specific interactions. Since the largest changes were induced at the tetraloop motif, we propose that Mg2+ stabilises the 16mer into an optimum conformation which is essential for IRES function. The determination of the structures of the above motifs led us to investigate the 16mer-17mer binary (1:1) complex at 1 GHz, in the presence of Mg2+. Significant changes were observed in the 1H and 31P chemical shift, NOE intensity and line width, clearly demonstrating RNA-RNA interactions taking place between the two components. The most interesting result to emerge was the distinct absence of NOEs from G547{NH} of the stable tetraloop, thus highlighting an important structural role for this functionally critical residue. Since no previous work has shown a clear interaction between the two RNAs, the results obtained in this project provide the first direct experimental evidence for intramolecular interactions in the I domain of EMCV IRES.Finally, we show how isotopically labelled RNAs can be successfully used as an aid in NMR assignment, analysis and structure determination. The J domain of EMCV IRES binds to eIF4GII protein and is essential for translation initiation. A suite of 3D NMR techniques were carried out on a highly enriched and uniformly 13C, 15N-labelled 39mer RNA. Several key features of the RNA, which may be involved in protein recognition, were identified. Further, a selectively 19F-labelled 16mer RNA from the I domain, was also studied to show how fluorine NMR can be used to probe RNA structure, dynamics and interactions. The RNA motifs of the EMCV IRES were shown to exhibit high stabilities, which are brought about by the complex folding of the various secondary structural elements involving RNA- Mg2+, RNA-RNA and RNA-protein tertiary interactions. It is these vital interactions that enable the IRES to recruit the ribosome in the translation initiation step of protein synthesis, and have laid a strong foundation for further NMR investigation of the whole IRES.