Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006.

University, Diss., 2003--Bonn.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MScEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Keywords: Coupled resonator filters, Co-axial line resonators, Basic Coupling Design, Co-axial resonator filter The study of the basic dynamics of filters, with the emphasis on coupled resonator filters, is presented. Special attention is paid to the synthesis of doubly terminated coupling matrices using the Darlington method. Due to restrictions placed on the filter by the equivalent circuit used, a coupling matrix reduction is applied to the resulting coupling matrix. An investigation is performed on A/2 co-axial line resonators, with the emphasis on rectangular co-axial line resonators with a round center conductor. The basic definition of the coupling coefficient is revisited and it is calculated using the method based on Bethe's theory and Cohn's experimental work. A 4th-order co-axial resonator filter operating at 3 GHz is designed using the theory outlined in this thesis. The measured response is in good agreement with the theory in terms of the center frequency, but disagree in terms of the coupling coefficient, bandwidth and Q-factor. The reasons for this, as well as suggestions for improving the accuracy of the parameters mentioned, are given. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sleutelwoorde: Gekoppelde resoneerder filters, Ko-aksiale lyn resoneerders, Basiese Koppeling Ontwerp, Ko-aksiale resoneerder filter Die studie van die basies dinamika van filters, met die klem op gekoppelde resoneerder filters, is voorgelê. Spesiale aandag is gegee aan die sintese van dubbelbelaste koppel matrikse met die gebruik van die Darlington metode. As gevolg van die beperkings wat op die filter geplaas word deur die gebruik van die ekwivalent stroombaan, word 'n koppel matriks vermindering gebruik. 'n Ondersoek is gedoen op A/2 ko-aksiale lyn resoneerders, met die klem op reghoekige ko-aksiale lyn resoneerders met 'n ronde binnegeleier. Die basiese definisie van die koppel koëffisiënt is hersien en dit is bereken met die gebruik van die metode wat baseer is op Bethe se teorie en Cohn se experimentele werk. 'n 4de-orde ko-aksiale resoneerder filter wat opereer by 3 GHz is ontwerp met die gebruik van die teorie wat in hierdie tesis gaskets word. Die gemete weergawe is in goeie ooreenkoms met die teorie in terme van die senter frekwensie, maar verskil in terme van die koppel koëffisiënt, bandwydte en Q-faktor. Die rede hiervoor, as ook voorstelle vir die verbetering van die akkuraatheid van die parameters wat genoem is, IS gegee.

Die Familie der Adhesion-G-Protein-gekoppelten Rezeptoren (aGPCR) stellt die zweitgrößte Gruppe der GPCR dar. Ein strukturelles Charakteristikum der aGPCR ist der modular aufgebaute N-Terminus, welcher eine GPCR-proteolytic site (GPS) mit einem konservierten Spaltungsmotiv enthält. Trotz der hohen medizinischen Relevanz dieser Rezeptorgruppe sind für die meisten der 33 humanen Vertreter der aGPCR bis heute weder Funktion noch endogener Agonist bekannt. Um sie jedoch zukünftig als potentielle Angriffspunkte diagnostisch und therapeutisch nutzen zu können, kommt der umfassenden Charakterisierung der aGPCR hinsichtlich ihrer Aktivierungsmechanismen und Signaltransduktion große Bedeutung zu. In dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass eine kurze Peptidsequenz im C-terminalen Bereich des N-Terminus (Stachel-Sequenz genannt) als gebundener Agonist der aGPCR fungiert und G-Protein-vermittelte Signalwege aktiviert. Dazu wurden ortsgerichtete Mutagenesestudien durchgeführt und synthetisierte Peptide analog der Stachel-Sequenz der aGPCR in funktionellen second messenger-Akkumulationsexperimenten getestet. Während die Untersuchungen des Aktivierungsmechanismus an den bereits initial charakterisierten Rezeptoren GPR126 und GPR133 unternommen wurden, konnten 11 weitere aGPCR hinsichtlich ihrer Kopplung an G-Proteine, Expression und ihres autoproteolytischen Spaltungsverhaltens in vitro analysiert werden. Dabei ist herauszustellen, dass alle untersuchten aGPCR an das Gs-Protein koppeln. GPR115, GPR116 und GPR128 zeigten sogar eine multiple Kopplung an Gs-, Gq- und Gi-Proteine. Weiterhin konnte dargelegt werden, dass die Zerstörung hoch konservierter Disulfidbrückenbindungen innerhalb der GPS durch Aminosäuresubstitution in einer konstitutiven Aktivierung des Wildtyp-Rezeptors resultiert.

Dans un contexte de durcissement des règlementations thermiques, la maîtrise de l'étanchéité à l'air des bâtiments est essentielle pour atteindre les objectifs de consommation énergétique. Les fuites d'air parasites à travers l'enveloppe, dues aux défauts de conception ou à une mauvaise mise en oeuvre, mènent à une surconsommation énergétique, mais aussi à des pathologies liées à l'humidité, mettant en péril la durabilité du bâti et la santé des occupants. Le risque lié à l'humidité est particulièrement présent dans les cas des enveloppes légères à ossature bois, sensibles aux transferts d'air.Il est donc nécessaire de mieux comprendre et de quantifier l'impact de ces transferts d'air sur le champ hygrothermique et sur le flux de chaleur au niveau d'un défaut d'étanchéité. Dans ce but, deux modèles numériques traitant les transferts couplés 'air-chaleur' et couplés 'air-chaleur-humidité' sont développés. Le second modèle est d'abord validé en 1D à l'aide de benchmarks numériques. Ensuite, des mesures de température dans un isolant en ouate de cellulose traversé par un flux d'air humide sont comparées avec les sorties des modèles. Une bonne concordance mesures-modèles est obtenue. Le modèle 'air-chaleur-humidité' s'avère plus précis pour prédire le champ de température que le modèle 'air-chaleur'.Suite à cette validation 2D du modèle couplé 'air-chaleur-humidité', celui-ci est appliqué à une géométrie de défaut complexe, mettant en jeu des isolants poreux perméables à l'air en contact avec des fines lames d'air. Ce défaut se veut réaliste, puisqu'il est issu de campagnes de mesures nationales qui ont permis d'identifier les points sensibles des enveloppes à ossature bois vis à vis des fuites d'air parasites. Des simulations sont réalisées avec des conditions aux limites variables en température et humidité sur des temps longs (quatre ans), en exfiltration et en infiltration d'air. Ces études permettent de dégager certaines tendances vis-à-vis des risques liés à l'humidité. Ainsi, l'exfiltration provoque une humidification significative de l'assemblage tandis que l'infiltration mène à un séchage. Une méthodologie pour évaluer les flux thermiques à l'échelle du défaut est également proposée.Dans une dernière partie, une approche simplifiée est proposée pour prendre en compte l'impact des défauts d'étanchéité à l'air sur la déperdition thermique à l'échelle bâtiment. La perte thermique supplémentaire générée par un défaut d'étanchéité peut être caractérisée par un coefficient de perte thermique propre au défaut, et le couplage du flux d'air avec l'enveloppe a une influence significative sur l'évaluation du flux déperditif total. Enfin, l'influence des transferts d'humidité sur les tendances observées est discutée. / Within the context of more stringent buildings codes, mastering airtightness is of importance to achieve energy efficient buildings. Unintended air leakage through the building envelope, which is due to bad design and poor workmanship, not only increases energy consumption, but also leads to moisture disorders, affecting building durability and occupants health. This moisture risk is present in particular for lightweight structures such as timber frame buildings, which are sensitive to air leakage.It is therefore necessary to better understand and to assess the impact of unintented air transfers on the hygrothermal field and the heat flux in the vicinity of an airtightness defect. To this end, two numerical models are developped, dealing with Heat-Air (HA) and Heat-Air-Moisture (HAM) transfer respectively. The HAM model is firstly validated in 1D using numerical benchmarks from literature. Then, temperature measurements in a cellulose insulation layer subjected to moist air flow are compared with the models outputs, and good agreement is obtained. The HAM model provides a better prediction of the temperature field compared to the HA model.Following this 2D experimental validation of the HAM model, it is applied to a complex defect geometry, including porous insulation materials and thin air gaps. This defect is meant to be realistic, as it is drawn from a measurement campaign aiming to identify typical envelope leakage points encountered in timber frame buildings.Long term simulations are performed under transient temperature and humidity conditions, in case of air exfiltration and air infiltration. This study helps identifying tendencies towards moisture risk: infiltrating air flow dries the assembly whereas exfiltrating air flow humidifies it. A methodology to assess heat fluxes through the defect is presented.Finally, a simplified approach is derived from the detailed HAM-model, to take into account the contribution of airtightness defects on the total heat loss on the building scale. It is shown that the additional heat loss induced by an airtightness defect may be described by a specific heat loss coefficient. In addition, the coupling between air flow and envelope has a significant impact on total heat flux calculations. The influence of moisture transfers on observed tendencies is also discussed.

Decades have passed since the realisation that a protein’s amino acid sequence can contain all the information required to form a complex three-dimensional fold. Until recently, these encoded structures were thought to be crucial determinants of protein function. Much effort was directed to fully understand the mechanisms behind how and why proteins fold, with natively unfolded proteins thought to be experimental artefacts. Today, the field of natively unfolded – or so-called intrinsically disordered – proteins, is rapidly developing. Protein disorder content has been positively correlated with organismal complexity, with over thirty percent of eukaryotic proteins predicted to contain disordered regions. However, the biophysical consequences of disorder are yet to be fully determined. With the aim of addressing some of the outstanding questions, the work described in this thesis focuses on the relevance of structure within disordered proteins. Whilst populating a variety of conformations in isolation, a subset of disordered proteins can fold upon binding to a partner macromolecule. This folded state may be present within the ensemble of conformations sampled by the unbound protein, opening the question of what comes first: folding or binding? Protein engineering techniques were employed to alter the level of residual ‘bound-like’ structure within the free conformational ensemble, and the consequences on coupled folding and binding reactions were investigated. Resultant changes in the rate of association are easily imaginable; yet, this work demonstrates that the majority of the observed changes in binding affinity were due to alterations in the rate of dissociation, thus altering the lifetime of the bound complex. Promiscuous binding is a touted advantage of being disordered. If many disordered proteins, each with their own conformational ensemble, can bind and fold to the same partner, then where is the folding component encoded? Does the partner protein template the folding reaction? Or, is the folding information contained within the disordered protein sequence? Utilising phi-value analysis on the BCL-2 family of proteins, residues in the disordered sequence were probed to ascertain which form contacts at the transition state of the reaction. Comparison with phi-value analyses of alternative pairs – sharing either the ordered or disordered protein – provides insight into the encoding of these interactions. In the context of a bimolecular reaction, the amino acid sequence of the disordered protein was shown to determine the interactions within the transition state. Thus, analogous to the discovery from decades’ past, it is the sequence of the protein that folds which encodes its pathway, even when binding is a prerequisite.

The thesis explores middle managers sensemaking processes of a University’s social responsibility and sustainability (SRS) strategy during a period of change. Overall the thesis establishes links between middle managers simultaneous sensemaking processes, dynamics of loosely coupled organizational contexts and organizational responses to unexpected outcomes as they impact strategy creation processes in organisations. Three main issues evolve. Firstly, middle managers in loosely coupled organisations consist of two different sets (administrators and academics). Based on their nature of work in particular, administrators and academics select different sets of dominant and subtle sensemaking frames to make sense of organizational strategies. Generally, while administrators select sensemaking frames which emanate from existing strategic processes, academics select autonomous cues which exist outside strategic processes. Administrators and academics sensemaking processes are therefore not a single level or consecutive processes as typically researched, but rather occur as simultaneous sensemaking processes. Six dominant simultaneous sensemaking frames are identified and described. Secondly, the thesis examines less explored aspects of debates on loosely coupled systems. It investigates specific patterns of coupledness in middle managers strategic work and relationships. It identified and described patterns of administrative work which are tightly coupled and patterns in academic work which are loosely coupled. Thirdly, distinct links are identified between middle managers simultaneous sensemaking processes and unexpected strategy outcomes. This further led to exploring how organizations respond to unexpected sustainability initiatives, especially in light of integrating them into already existing strategy outcomes. Three integration strategies are identified and described.

Experimental results concerning plasma turbulence pumped in theionosphere by powerful radio waves suggest that the turbulence is due todeterministic chaos. To investigate the possibility of deterministic chaosin the ionosphere coupled wave systems have been studied to see chaoticdynamics. If coupled waves can exhibit chaos it is a possible way tomodel ionospheric chaos. The result showed that chaos was present inboth wave systems studied which means that they could possibly explainthe chaos, to verify this more studies needs to be done on theparameters relevant to the coupled wave systems in the ionosphere andfind if they are in a regime where chaos develops / Studier av plasmaturbulens i jonosfären som pumpas av kraftfulla radiovågor antyder att turbulensen är kopplat till deterministiskt kaos. För att undersöka möjligheten för deterministiskt kaos i jonosfären studeras kopplade vågsystem om de kan innehålla kaotiska regimer. Om dessa system visar kaotiskt beteende skulle de kunna användas för att beskriva kaos i jonosfären. Resultatet visade att kaos var närvarande i de kopplade vågsystem som studerats, för att verifiera om de kan användas för att beskriva kaos i jonosfären måste närmare studier av de parametrar som modellen använder sig av göras för att se om de faller inom ett intervall där kaos uppstår.

Submitted by Emanuel Varela Cardoso (emanuel.varela@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-28T20:15:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DIEGO ALBERTO ACEVEDO BUENO – DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGEEI) 2015.pdf: 8647076 bytes, checksum: c16b323a227c1c3224d8f023324db513 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-28T20:15:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DIEGO ALBERTO ACEVEDO BUENO – DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGEEI) 2015.pdf: 8647076 bytes, checksum: c16b323a227c1c3224d8f023324db513 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08 / CNPq / Esta dissertação examina seis topologias hibridas assimétricas com acoplamento magnético. O termo topologia hibrida assimétrica se refere a qualquer topologia que combine os princípios das topologias clássicas com duas fontes de tensão isoladas ou mais com tensões diferentes. Das topologias propostas, quatro possuem saída única conectada ao ponto intermediário do barramento e as restantes dispõem de saída diferencial usando outro braço de dois níveis. Para simplificar o estudo destas topologias, desenvolveu-se um modelo elétrico e magnético detalhado dos indutores acoplados usando componentes de modo comum e diferencial. Posteriormente, esse modelo foi inserido no modelo do conversor para o desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de controle da corrente de saída e da corrente de modo diferencial garantindo a operação em modo de condução continua com número reduzido de componentes. Os modos de operação e as respectivas estratégias de modulação são apresentados. Além disso, o efeito da diferença das tensões de polo máximas sobre o desempenho dos conversores e na escolha do indutor acoplado foi analisado. Para avaliar o desempenho destas topologias, foram realizadas simulações com os modelos completos das chaves e dos diodos usando o software PSIM fixando a potência de saída para todas as topologias em 1 kVA. Também, alguns resultados experimentais em malha aberta são apresentados para validar os modelos desenvolvidos / This paper examines six asymmetric hybrid topologies with magnetic coupling. The term “asymmetric hybrid topology” refers to any topology that combines the principles of classical topologies with two isolated voltage sources or more with different voltages. From these topologies, four have single-ended output connected to the midpoint of dc-link and the remaining has differential output employing another two-level arm. To simplify the analysis, a detailed electric and magnetic model of the coupled inductors was developed appealing to common- and differential-mode components. Subsequently, this model was inserted into the model of the converter for developing a control strategy for the output and the differential mode currents, ensuring the operation in continuous conduction mode with a reduced number of components. The modes of operation and the modulation strategies are presented. In addition, the difference of the maximum pole voltages was analyzed for determining its effect on the converter performance and the coupled inductor selection. To evaluate the performance of these topologies, simulations were performed with the complete models of switches and diodes using the PSIM software by setting the output power at 1 kVA for all topologies. Also, experimental open loop results are presented to validate the developed models.