Presented in this thesis are the following experimental and theoretical investigations carried out on the three-layer electromagnetically coupled (EMC) circular microstrip antennas and their arrays. 1.Three-Layer EMC Circular Microstrip Antenna A three-layer EMC circular microstrip antenna consists of a probe-fed circular microstrip patch having two parasitically excited circular microstrip patches (without ground planes) stacked above it, with air gaps in between successive substrates. In the "inverted" configuration, the parasitic patches are on the lower (nearer to the driven substrate) surface of the substrate. An exhaustive experimental study of the resonant frequencies, input impedance, impedance bandwidth and radiation characteristics of this antenna, has been carried out for both the "normal" and the "inverted" configurations. Based on this experimental study, the design and optimisation of the antenna have been discussed and experimentally tested. In the S-band, it is found that an impedance bandwidth as high as 20 percent coupled with good patterns, high gain and low cross-polarisation levels, have been obtained. 2.Three-Layer EMC Circular Microstrip Antenna Arrays Experimental work has also been carried out on linear arrays of three-layer EMC circular microstrip antennas. The design of a linear array both in the E- and H- planes, of the three-layer microstrip antennas in their "normal" as well as "inverted" configurations, has been discussed and realisation carried out. Impedance bandwidths of the arrays have been experimentally found to be the same as that of the three-layer antenna element High gain and good pattern shape with sidelobes as well as cross-polarisation levels better than -20 dB through a scan angle of 40°, have been realised. A study of the mutual coupling between two-layer as well as three-layer EMC circular patch elements has also been carried out for the useful range of interelement spacings. 3.Theoretical Analysis of Resonant Frequencies of Multilayer Patch Structures Theoretical investigations have been carried out on the resonance properties of single-layer and multilayer EMC patch structures employing the full-wave analysis based on spectral domain immittance approach. The impedance Green's functions for all these structures have been derived from the combination of equivalent transverse transmission lines concept Galerkin's method is employed in the spectral (Hankel) transform domain where two sets of disk current expansions are used for obtaining die characteristic equation. By solving the characteristic equation, the resonant frequencies are obtained for various values of the parameters of the layered antenna.

La communication cellulaire est un phénomène important pour le maintien de l’homéostasie des cellules. Au court des dernières années, cette sphère de recherche sur la signalisation cellulaire a connue des avancées importantes au niveau de l’identification des acteurs principaux impliqués dans la reconnaissance extracellulaire des signaux, ainsi que la compréhension des voies de signalisation engagées par les cellules pour répondre aux facteurs extracellulaires. Malgré ces nouvelles informations, les diverses interrelations moléculaires entre les acteurs ainsi que les voies de signalisation cellulaire, demeurent mal comprises. Le transfert d’énergie de résonance de bioluminescence (BRET) permet la mesure d’interactions protéiques et peut être utilisé dans deux configurations, le BRET480-YFP (connu aussi comme le BRET1) et le BRET400-GFP (connu aussi en tant que BRET2). Suite à l’oxydation de son substrat, la luciférase de renilla peut transférer son énergie à une protéine fluorescente, uniquement si elles sont à proximité l’une de l’autre (≤100Å). La combinaison dans un seul essai des BRET480-YFP et BRET400-GFP, a permis de suivre trois paires d’interactions, sur une même population cellulaire. Par contre, l’utilisation de deux substrats pour la réaction de bioluminescence rend impossible la mesure simultanée des différents signaux de BRET, pour ce trois nouvelles configurations de BRET ont été mises au point en utilisant des nouvelles protéines fluorescentes. Ainsi deux des nouvelles couleurs de BRET ayant des émissions résolues, le BRET400-BFP et le BRET400mAmetrine ont pu être combinées pour mesurer l’engagement par un RCPG d’une protéine G, ainsi que l’accumulation du second messager. La combinaison de ces BRET a également permis de révéler la formation d’un complexe entre le récepteur α2A adrénergique (α2AAR), Gαi1, le dimère Gβγ ainsi que la kinase des récepteurs couplés aux protéines G (GRK2), suite à l’activation du récepteur. De plus, seule l’entrée de GRK2 semble être en mesure de causer la désensibilisation du α2AAR, en s’intercalant entre Gαi1 et Gβγ. Par contre, la stabilisation de l’interaction entre α2AAR et la β-arrestine2 semble nécessiter l’activité kinase de GRK2. Une autre étude a révélé l’importance de différentes Gα pour la mobilisation du calcium, suite à l’activation du récepteur aux opioïdes de type delta (DOR). Suite à la surexpression de Gα de la famille Gαq, il a été possible de mesurer une influence de ces Gα sur la mobilisation du calcium. Toutefois, cette réponse calcique mesurée en présence des Gαq demeure sensible aux prétraitements à la toxine de Bordetella pertussis, qui inhibe sélectivement l’activité des Gαi. De plus, la co-expression de Gαi et Gαq permet de potentialiser la mobilisation de calcium, démontrant une interrelation entre ces deux familles de protéine Gα, pour la signalisation du DOR. Afin de démontrer l’interrelation directe, des expériences de BRET ont été réalisées entre différentes Gα. En plus de montrer la formation de complexes sélectifs entre les Gα, les expériences de BRET réalisées en parallèle d’analyses de séquences de Gα, ont également mis à jour un site de sélectivité d’interaction entre les Gα, l’hélice α4. Suite à la transposition de cette hélice α4 de Gα12 sur Gαi1, qui normalement n’interagissent pas, il a été possible de forcer l’interaction entre Gα12 et Gαi1, confirmant ainsi que cette hélice α contient l’information permettant une sélectivité d’interaction. Au cours de cette thèse, il a été possible de générer de nouvelles méthodes de mesure d’interactions protéiques qui permettent de multiplexer différents signaux, ce qui a permis de mettre à jour de nouvelles interactions entre divers effecteurs de la signalisation de RCGP / Cellular communication is an important phenomenon for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Recently, important progress has been made in the cell signalling research field concerning the identification of the major actors and the cellular pathways engaged in response to these extracellular factors. However, in spite of this new information, the interrelationships at the molecular level between the various cellular actors and the different signalling pathways remain badly understood. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) monitors interactions between proteins and can be used in two configurations, the BRET480-YFP (also known as BRET1) and the BRET400-GFP (also known as BRET2). Following oxidation of its substrate, renilla luciferase transfers its energy to a fluorescent protein, only if they are in close proximity (≤100Å). By combining the BRET480-YFP and BRET400-GFP in one assay, it is possible to follow three pair-wise interactions in the same cellular population. However, using two bioluminescence reaction substrates limits the possibility of measuring the different BRET signals simultaneously. In order to measure multiple BRET signals simultaneously, three new BRET configurations, based on the BRET400-GFP, were developed using fluorescent proteins with different emission wavelengths. Two of the new BRET colors which have resolved emission wavelengths, the BRET400-BFP and BRET400mAmetrine, were combined for measuring the heterotrimeric G protein engagement by the vasopressin V2 receptor, as well as the accumulation of the second messenger. Combining these new BRET techniques reveals for the first time the formation of a complex between the α2A adrenergic receptor (α2AAR), Gαi1, the Gβγ dimer and G protein-receptor kinase (GRK2) following receptor activation. Moreover, only the entry of GRK2 into the receptor complex is required for the α2AAR desensitization, by inserting between Gαi1 and Gβγ. On the other hand, the stabilization of the interaction between α2AAR and β-arrestin2 requires the kinase activity of GRK2. Another study revealed the importance of multiple Gα subunits for calcium mobilization induced upon activation of the delta opioid receptor (DOR). Gαq subfamily member overexpression altered the DOR-induced calcium mobilization, but this Gαq calcium mobilization remained sensitive to pre-treatement pertussis toxin, through selective inhibition of the activity of Gαi members. Moreover, Gαi and Gαq co-expression potentiated calcium mobilization, suggesting an interrelationship between these two Gα families in DOR signaling. This Gαi and Gαq interrelationship could result from the formation of a complex close to the receptor. In order to test this hypothesis, BRET experiments were performed, with the aim of measuring the presence of complexes between different Gα. In addition to demonstrating complex formation between Gα subunits, the BRET experiments in parallel with sequence analysis, also revealed a selective interaction site between the Gα, the α4 helix. By swapping the a4 helix of Gαi with the α4 helix of Gα12, which doesn’t normally interact with Gα12, it was possible to force the interaction between Gα12 and Gαi to confirm that this α helix contains information concerning the selectivity of interactions between Gα subunits. During this thesis, new methods were to detect protein interactions and multiplexing these methods allowed the detection of novel interactions between signalling effectors of GPCRs.

This thesis fills in the gaps in the existing theory of wave phenomena in thick diffraction gratings at extreme angles of scattering, i.e. when the scattered wave propagates parallel or almost parallel to the grating boundaries. A consistent theory of a new type of Bragg scattering of bulk and guided optical modes in thick uniform and non-uniform, dissipative and non-dissipative, slanted periodic gratings has been developed. This type of scattering is called extremely asymmetrical scattering (EAS). One of the main distinctive features of EAS is the strong resonant increase of the scattered wave amplitude compared to the amplitude of the incident wave. Several unique combinations of strong resonances shaping a complex multi-resonant pattern of EAS in different types of gratings have been predicted and investigated theoretically and numerically. This includes the prediction of a new resonant wave effect in non-uniform gratings with varying phase – double-resonant EAS, the discovery of several sharp and strong resonances with respect to scattering angle in gratings with the scattered wave propagating almost parallel to the grating boundaries (grazing-angle scattering (GAS)) for the case of second-order scattering, and the prediction of a new type of eigenmode in gratings with second-order scattering (especially in gratings with large amplitude). In addition, several other important practical problems that may be crucial for the experimental observation and application of EAS and GAS have been solved. These are the determination of the tolerance of EAS to small grating imperfections, e.g., fluctuations of the grating amplitude, prediction of unusually high sensitivity of second-order EAS to small variations of mean structural parameters, determination of the effect of weak dissipation on EAS, etc. Physical reasons for the predicted resonances and effects are explained. In particular, the crucial role of the diffractional divergence for EAS and GAS has been revealed, especially for non-uniform gratings. Methods of analysis involve the approximate and rigorous approaches. The approximate method is based on understanding the role of the diffractional divergence in the geometry of EAS and the two-wave approximation (valid for any types of waves). The rigorous approach is based on the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) and, in particular, the known enhanced T-matrix algorithm (by Moharam, et al.) that is numerically stable for narrow and wide gratings with arbitrary amplitude (valid only for bulk electromagnetic waves).

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions la synchronisation, qui est un phénomène bien répandu dans la nature. Elle a été observée pour la première fois par Huygens en 1665. En se basant sur les résultats de la contrôlabilité frontière exacte, pour un système couplé d’équations des ondes avec des contrôles frontières de Neumann, nous considérons la synchronisation frontière exacte (par groupes), ainsi que la détermination de l’état de synchronisation. Ensuite, nous considérons la contrôlabilité exacte et la synchronisation exacte (par groupes) pour le système couplé avec des contrôles frontières couplés de Robin. A cause du manque de régularité de la solution, nous rencontrons beaucoup plus de difficultés. Afin de surmonter ces difficultés, on obtient un résultat sur la trace de la solution faible du problème de Robin grâce aux résultats de régularité optimale de Lasiecka-Triggiani sur le problème de Neumann. Ceci nous a permis d’établir la contrôlabilité exacte, et, par la méthode de la perturbation compacte, la non-contrôlabilité exacte du système. De plus, nous allons étudier la détermination de l’état de synchronisation, ainsi que la nécessité des conditions de compatibilité des matrices de couplage. / This thesis studies the widespread natural phenomenon of synchronization, which was first observed by Huygens en 1665. On the basis of the results on the exact boundary controllability, for a coupled system of wave equations with Neumann boundary controls, we consider its exact boundary synchronization (by groups), as well as the determination of the state of synchronization. Then, we consider the exact boundary controllability and the exact boundary synchronization (by groups) for the coupled system with coupled Robin boundary controls. Due to difficulties from the lack of regularity of the solution, we have to face a bigger challenge. In order to overcome this difficulty, we take advantage of the regularity results for the mixed problem with Neumann boundary conditions (Lasiecka and Triggiani) to discuss the exact boundary controllability, and by the method of compact perturbation, to obtain the non-exact controllability for the system.

In recent years, the wireless industry has witnessed tremendous development for the defense and commercial segments. The explosive growth in the modern radio frequency and microwave systems leads to an increased interest in the research of miniaturized microwave circuits with superior performance. Broadband components, in particular band pass filters (BPFs) and couplers are some of the widely used components in the modern communication systems, software defined radios, cognitive radios, imaging systems and positioning radars. In order to meet these requirements, the use of innovative geometries, a thorough understanding of their behavior by appropriate analytical techniques and the use of appropriate fabrication approaches are essential. This thesis is an effort in this direction. In this thesis work, an aperture in the ground plane is used to achieve the tight coupling in the edge and broadside-coupled coupled lines which may be otherwise difficult due to the fabrication limitations. Since microstrip lines with an aperture in the ground plane are found to be very useful in various MIC and MMIC components, closed form analytical expressions developed here will be useful for their initial synthesis. The performances of components using these are enhanced using open/short circuited resonators, spurlines and stubs. A quasi-static approach has been investigated to obtain simple closed form expressions for a microstrip line with a rectangular aperture in the ground plane. The effect of a rectangular aperture in the ground plane has been incorporated in the commonly used expressions of a regular microstrip line by introducing the concept of an equivalent effective height. The expressions for the effective height microstrip geometries with defected ground are obtained and this has been further extended to various possibilities of two-conductor and three-conductor coupled lines. Analysis of the filters and the couplers are mainly based on the even and odd mode propagation characteristics of coupled lines. This approach is extended in this thesis for three conductor coupled lines. Novel broadband BPFs and couplers and dual band pass filters employing various coupled line configurations and defected ground have been developed in this research work. Most of these components have been implemented on a regular microwave laminate or LTCC medium (planar or multi-layer) and tested for the required RF performances. The experimental results were compared against the analytically computed results based on the circuit models and the full wave simulations using electromagnetic (EM) simulations for the validation. The results are in good agreement. With practical requirements of the organization in mind, additional design elements such as open circuit stubs have been incorporated in some of these designs to achieve the desired performance. It is expected that the wideband filter (3.0GHz to 3.8GHz) and the broadband coupler (4GHz to 6GHz) developed in this thesis work would be deployed in systems developed at the Central Research Laboratory, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore, India. In summary, the present doctoral work strives to (i) establish a simplified analysis method for the microstrip lines and coupled microstrip lines with a rectangular aperture in the ground plane, (ii) extend the even and odd mode analysis of the coupled lines for several new coupled line configurations, (iii) design novel broadband microwave filters, dual band filter and couplers using both these, (iv) fabricate these devices using the planar technologies including LTCC, and (v) validate the analysis and design with important practical applications.

The aim of this study is to determine the content of toxic and essentials elements in samples of nuts and seeds produced by ecologic agriculture and to compare results with nuts and seeds from conventional agriculture production. These nuts and seeds can be bought in the Czech market (except bio pine nuts, bio pecan nuts and bio pistachios). The amount of elements was analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after previous digestion of samples using microwaves. This study summarizes the main physiological functions of toxic and essentials elements. Results were also compared with another studies. It does not results from all measured amounts of all essential elements, that bio nuts and seeds have higher amounts of these elements; however, all amounts of toxic elements in bio nuts and seeds are lower than in the no-bio ones. For more precise results it would be necessary to measure more samples.

V současnosti jsme svědky stále zvyšujících se nároku na rychlost přenosu a zpracování signálu a kapacitu pamet’ových zařízení. Proto se pozornost výzkumných pracovníku zaměřuje k plně optickým zařízením, která by mohla splnit zmíněné požadavky. Jednou z intenzívně zkoumaných možností je využití mikroprstencových optických rezonátoru. Při výzkumu je nutné využít numerických metod, které simulují šíření optického záření v dané struktuře. K tomuto účelu existuje celá rada metod, které se liší v efektivitě výpočtu, použitých aproximacích, i možnostech použití. Cílem této práce bylo vyvinout dvě jednoduché a praktické numerické metody pro modelování šíření pulzního záření v nelineárních vlnovodných strukturách. Přítom bylo požadováno, aby, na rozdíl od obecně známé a často využívané metody konečných diferencí v časové oblasti (FD-TD), bylo možné metody snadno aplikovat při studiu nelineárních struktur založených na mikroprstencových rezonátorech. Proto vyvinuté metody používají některé aproximace, zejména aproximaci pomalu proměnné obálky. Výhodou metod je vysoká rychlost a skromné požadavky na výpočetní zdroje. Obě metody vycházejí ze zkutečnosti, že naprostá většina nelineárních struktur založených na mikroprstencových rezonátorech se skládá ze dvou základních prvku: obyčejných vlnovodu a vlnovodných vazebních clenu. První metoda řeší vázané parciální diferenciální rovnice, které popisují šíření obálky pulzu ve struktuře. Přitom je použito tzv. „up-wind“ schéma vhodné pro parciální diferenciální rovnice popisující šíření vln. Druhá metoda vychází z první; rozdíl je v popisu vazby mezi dvěma vlnovody. Pokud se v první metodě uvažuje realistická vazba rozložená na určité délce, pak druhá metoda je založena na představě vazby nacházející se v jednom místě. Díky tomu je možné integrovat příslušné rovnice a dosáhnout výrazného urychlení výpočtu. Kvazianalytický charakter druhé metody umožňuje dále snadnou klasifikaci různých typu ustálených řešení. Vzhledem k těmto vlastnostem byla druhá metoda využita k výzkumu samovolné generace optických pulzu ve strukturách skládajících se z vázaných prstencových rezonátoru. Obě metody, které byly vyvinuty během této práce, představují rychlé a fyzikálně názorné alternativy k metodě FD-TD, a tak lze očekávat, že mohou hrát důležitou roli při výzkumu nelineárních vlnovodných struktur.

I denna kandidatuppsats undersöks uppfattningen av översatta texter hos en grupp med italienska som förstaspråk i syfte att redovisa om ett preferensmönster finns gällande tilltal, idiomatiska uttryck, meningsbyggnad och meningslängd. Texter som är undersökningens material i denna studie översätts enligt Nidas principer om formell och dynamisk ekvivalens och definieras enligt Tourys teorier. Undersökningen genomförs genom ett antal öppna frågor som ställs till respondenterna under semistrukturerade intervjuer. Slutsatserna dras från diskussionen av respondenternas svar kopplad till teorin samt redovisning av resultat för preferensmönstret. Studien visar att kontext, forum och målgruppen är avgörande för valet av översättningsstrategin.Förslag på vidare forskning ges i det slutliga kapitlet med formulering av hypotes gällande behovet att bestämma översättningsstrategi och tillämpning av normer enligt texttyp och målgrupp. / This bachelor’s thesis is a study of perception of translated texts in a group of people with Italian as their first language. The aim of this work is to investigate whether a pattern in the preference of form of address, idiomatic expressions and syntax can be identified. The texts that are used in this study are translated according to Nida’s principles of formal and dynamic equivalence and are defined according to Toury’s theories.The study is conducted thanks to a set of open questions asked to the responders in semi-structured interviews. The conclusions are derived from the analysis of the responders’ answers in relation to the theories mentioned and the pattern of preferences revealed. The study shows that context, forum and target group are crucial for the choice of which translation strategy it will be used,Finally, we outline a proposal for further research to test the hypothesis that translation strategies and application of norms should be chosen according to the type of text and the target group.Nyckelord

Although several studies have proven the accuracy of using a non-contact, air-coupled receiver in nonlinear ultrasonic (NLU) Rayleigh wave measurements, inconsistent results have been observed when working with narrow specimens. The objectives of this research are first, to develop a 3D numerical finite element (FE) model which predicts nonlinear ultrasonic measurements and second, to apply the validated model on the narrow waveguide to determine causes of the previously observed experimental issues. The commercial FE-solver ABAQUS is used to perform these simulations. Constitutive law and excitation source properties are adjusted to match experiments conducted, considering inherent effects of the non-contact detection, such as frequency dependent pressure wave attenuation and signal averaging. Comparison of “infinite” and narrow width simulations outlines various influences which impair the nonlinear Rayleigh wave measurements. When the wave expansion is restricted, amplitudes of the fundamental and second harmonic components decrease more significantly and the Rayleigh wavefronts show an oscillating interaction with the boundary. Because of the air-coupled receiver’s finite width, it is sensitive to these edge effects which alter the observed signal. Thus, the narrow specimen adversely affects key factors needed for consistent measurement of material nonlinearity with an air-coupled, non-contact receiver.

In this thesis, the implementation of the incremental scheme for open-shell systems with unrestricted Hartree-Fock reference wave functions is described. The implemented scheme is tested within robustness and performance with respect to the accuracy in the energy and the computation times. New approaches are discussed to implement a fully automated incremental scheme in combination with the domain-specific basis set approximation. The alpha Domain Partitioning and Template Equalization are presented to handle unrestricted wave functions for the local correlation treatment. Both orbital schemes are analyzed with a test set of structures and reactions. As a further goal, the DSBSenv orbital basis sets and auxiliary basis sets are optimized to be used as environmental basis in the domain-specific basis set approach. The performance with respect to the accuracy and computation times is analyzed with a test set of structures and reactions. In another project, a scheme for the optimization of auxiliary basis sets for uranium is presented. This scheme was used to optimize the MP2Fit auxiliary basis sets for uranium. These auxiliary basis enable density fitting in quantum chemical methods and the application of the incremental scheme for systems containing uranium. Another project was the systematical analysis of the binding energies of four water dodecamers. The incremental scheme in combination with the CCSD(T) and CCSD(T)(F12*) method were used to calculate benchmark energies for these large clusters.