Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:25:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarcoVMN_TESE.pdf: 3982733 bytes, checksum: 381ae79721c75a30e3373fe4487512c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-05 / In this paper artificial neural network (ANN) based on supervised and unsupervised algorithms were investigated for use in the study of rheological parameters of solid pharmaceutical excipients, in order to develop computational tools for manufacturing solid dosage forms. Among four supervised neural networks investigated, the best learning performance was achieved by a feedfoward multilayer perceptron whose architectures was composed by eight neurons in the input layer, sixteen neurons in the hidden layer and one neuron in the output layer. Learning and predictive performance relative to repose angle was poor while to Carr index and Hausner ratio (CI and HR, respectively) showed very good fitting capacity and learning, therefore HR and CI were considered suitable descriptors for the next stage of development of supervised ANNs. Clustering capacity was evaluated for five unsupervised strategies. Network based on purely unsupervised competitive strategies, classic "Winner-Take-All", "Frequency-Sensitive Competitive Learning" and "Rival-Penalize Competitive Learning" (WTA, FSCL and RPCL, respectively) were able to perform clustering from database, however this classification was very poor, showing severe classification errors by grouping data with conflicting properties into the same cluster or even the same neuron. On the other hand it could not be established what was the criteria adopted by the neural network for those clustering. Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) and Neural Gas (NG) networks showed better clustering capacity. Both have recognized the two major groupings of data corresponding to lactose (LAC) and cellulose (CEL). However, SOM showed some errors in classify data from minority excipients, magnesium stearate (EMG) , talc (TLC) and attapulgite (ATP). NG network in turn performed a very consistent classification of data and solve the misclassification of SOM, being the most appropriate network for classifying data of the study. The use of NG network in pharmaceutical technology was still unpublished. NG therefore has great potential for use in the development of software for use in automated classification systems of pharmaceutical powders and as a new tool for mining and clustering data in drug development / Neste trabalho foram estudadas redes neurais artificiais (RNAs) baseadas em algoritmos supervisionados e n?o supervisionados para emprego no estudo de par?metros reol?gicos de excipientes farmac?uticos s?lidos, visando desenvolver ferramentas computacionais para o desenvolvimento de formas farmac?uticas s?lidas. Foram estudadas quatro redes neurais artificiais supervisionadas e cinco n?o supervisionadas. Todas as RNAs supervisionadas foram baseadas em arquitetura de rede perceptron multicamada alimentada ? frente (feedfoward MLP). Das cinco RNAs n?o supervisionadas, tr?s foram baseadas em estrat?gias puramente competitivas, "Winner-Take- All" cl?ssica, "Frequency-Sensitive Competitive Learning" e "Rival-Penalize Competitive Learning" (WTA, FSCL e RPCL, respectivamente). As outras duas redes n?o supervisionadas, Self- Organizing Map e Neural Gas (SOM e NG) foram baseadas estrat?gias competitivo-cooperativas. O emprego da rede NG em tecnologia farmac?utica ? ainda in?dito e pretende-se avaliar seu potencial de emprego como nova ferramenta de minera??o e classifica??o de dados no desenvolvimento de medicamentos. Entre os prot?tipos de RNAs supervisionadas o melhor desempenho foi conseguido com uma rede de arquitetura composta por 8 neur?nios de entrada, 16 neur?nios escondidos e 1 neur?nio de sa?da. O aprendizado de rede e a capacidade preditiva em rela??o ao ?ngulo de repouso (α) foi deficiente, e muito boa para o ?ndice de Carr e fator de Hausner (IC, FH). Por esse motivo IC e FH foram considerados bons descritores para uma pr?xima etapa de desenvolvimento das RNAs supervisionadas. As redes, WTA, RPCL e FSCL, foram capazes de estabelecer agrupamentos dentro da massa de dados, por?m apresentaram erros grosseiros de classifica??o caracterizados pelo agrupamento de dados com propriedades conflitantes, e tamb?m n?o foi poss?vel estabelecer qual o crit?rio de classifica??o adotado. Tais resultados demonstraram a inviabilidade pr?tica dessas redes para os sistemas estudados sob nossas condi??es experimentais. As redes SOM e NG mostraram uma capacidade de classifica??o muito superior ?s RNAs puramente competitivas. Ambas as redes reconheceram os dois agrupamentos principais de dados correspondentes ? lactose (LAC) e celulose (CEL). Entretanto a rede som demonstrou defici?ncia na classifica??o de dados relativos aos excipientes minorit?rios, estearato de magn?sio (EMG), talco (TLC) e atapulgita (ATP). A rede NG, por sua vez, estabeleceu uma classifica??o muito consistente dos dados e resolveu o erro de classifica??o apresentados pela rede SOM, mostrando-se a rede mais adequada para a classifica??o dos dado do presente estudo. A rede Neural Gas, portanto, mostrou- se promissora para o desenvolvimento de softwares para uso na classifica??o automatizada de sistemas pulverulentos farmac?uticos

Additional information available on a CD stored at the Merensky Library.The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of quality in early learning centres which could serve as the groundwork for the development of an early learning quality assurance framework in South Africa. The data used reflects different beneficiaries‘ experiences of quality in early learning centres. The unique contexts of, and situations at early learning centres were considered. A theoretical framework, based on Woodhead‘s model on quality development, informed the study. The framework consists of input (structural), process and outcome quality indicators. In this explanatory instrumental case study framed within social constructionism, the researcher partnered with 235 teachers, 235 mothers and 235 teacher students from a middle income group, to generate mixed method data using surveys, as well as interviews and reflective journals in a statistical and thematical analysis. Beneficiaries‘ conceptualisations of quality mirrored accepted norms of quality in early learning centres. Beneficiaries indicated the following as indicative of quality: children‘s social-emotional well-being and holistic development, a normative foundation for values and respect, effective infrastructure and accountable learning. Aspects regarded as quality indicators by beneficiaries were available at early learning centres. In this regard early learning centres provided more indoor than outdoor facilities. The latter were mostly static outdoor structures which could negatively impact on sensory- and motor development. The promovenda developed a draft quality assurance framework based on the following criteria: school climate, infrastructure, curriculum, communication, teacher competence, learning environment, and support services. The findings show that aspects perceived by beneficiaries as quality indicators in an early learning centre are predominantly process indicators and hard to ‗measure‘ in a quantitative way. A quality school climate enables emotional and social well-being. In this regard, the findings suggest that for the beneficiaries quality concerns were not about that which early learning centres have provided in terms of facilities (input indicators), but rather about centres that promote children‘s holistic well-being. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study was initiated while the researcher was still an educator at' a secondary school in Cape' Town, South Africa. This was the period of the mid-1990s soon after the first democratically elected government assumed power in -South Africa: During this period of transition, large-scale reforms were expected on', the, education- front. Educational management and specifically school management were an integral part of these reforms. In terms of school management the idea of parents taking. on a greater .role was receiving wide support. School governing bodies (SGBs) comprising various constituencies and with greater powers were supposed to be the instrument spearheading change in school management. .This study traverses three levels of policy development: national, provincial and local (that is, school). It seeks to understand how school governance policy is developed and implemented using the principle of contestation to guide the analysis. The following questions guided the research: What were the contestations which led to the development of school governance policy at national level? How was provincial school governance policy developed from national policy and what were the areas of contention between the two? • What were the contestations resulting from implementation of school governance policy at the school level? At all three levels the discussion of the contestations was limited to the powers and functions of SGBs. By shedding more light on the above questions, it was hoped that the nature of policy contestation would become clearer. This in turn could enhance the study of policy This study was primarily qualitative in orientation with the principal means of data-gathering being: documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews and observation. Documents produced at the national and provincial levels (Acts, Bills, Reports, White Papers and so forth) as well as submissions made by various organizations from different sectors in society were carefully analysed using specific criteria. Other documents analysed included circulars from the provincial education department, documents discussed Within the school governing body selected for the study, and articles from newspaper publications. Interviews were conducted with key informants at national, provincial and school levels. At the school level, observation of five governing body meetings were undertaken analysis and development. This study revealed that the key issues in SGB functioning that formed the focus for contestation were: the charging of school fees; the':·employment of additional staff; admission-; language-; religious observance policy;". and relative powers of the MEe/HOD/SGBs. One of the greatest immediate challenges facing the majority of school governing bodies in South Africa is the lack of capacity in terms of material, financial and human resources. This study provides recommendations about how to address some of these challenges, and also identifies some important areas for future research.

The group 2 late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, also known as the dehydrins, are intrinsically disordered proteins that are expressed in plants experiencing extreme environmental conditions such as drought or low temperature. In this work, we study the potential roles that dehydrins may have in stabilizing membranes and actin microfilaments during cold stress. We have cloned and expressed in E. coli two dehydrins from Thellungiella salsuginea, denoted TsDHN-1 (acidic) and TsDHN-2 (basic). These proteins were expressed as SUMO-fusion proteins for in vitro phosphorylation by casein kinase II (CKII), and for structural analysis by CD and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We show using transmission-FTIR spectroscopy that ordered secondary structure is induced and stabilized in these proteins by association with large unilamellar vesicles emulating the lipid compositions of plant plasma and organellar membranes. The increase in secondary structure by membrane association is further facilitated by the presence of Zn2+. Lipid composition and temperature have synergistic effects on the secondary structure. Our single molecule force spectroscopy studies also suggest tertiary folding of both TsDHN-1 and TsDHN-2 induced by association with lipids. From Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer compression studies, and from topographic studies using atomic force microscopy at variable temperature, we conclude that TsDHN-1 stabilizes the membrane at lower temperatures. Finally, we show that the conformations of TsDHN-1 and TsDHN-2 are affected by pH, interactions with cations and membranes, and phosphorylation. Actin assembly by these dehydrins was assessed by sedimentation assays, and viewed by transmission electron and atomic force microscopy. Phosphorylation enabled both dehydrins to polymerize actin filaments, a phenomenon that may occur in the cytosols of plant cells undergoing environmental stress. These results support the hypothesis that dehydrins stabilize plant organellar membranes and/or the cytoskeleton in conditions of stress, and further that phosphorylation may be an important feature of this stabilization. / NSERC

No description available.

Cette thèse se propose d’analyser le fantastique littéraire en France et en Roumanie par une méthode double : l’histoire des influences et des transferts culturels (approche diachronique) et l’étude de certains aspects communs aux textes fantastiques identifiés dans la poétique de la (dé)construction (approche synchronique).Le corpus comprend des contes fantastiques provenus des espaces littéraires du XIXe siècle français (Mérimée, Gautier, Maupassant, Villiers de l’Isle-Adam ou Barbey d’Aurevilly) et roumain (Mihai Eminescu, Ion Luca Caragiale, Gala Galaction et Mateiu Caragiale). Bien que certains récits de ces derniers dépassent de peu le cadre strictement temporel du XIXe siècle, le choix est motivé par un certain décalage temporel entre les deux littératures, par l’appartenance de ces écrivains à une première étape du fantastique littéraire roumain et, dans le cas de Mateiu Caragiale, par l’intertextualité explicite avec Le rideau cramoisi de Barbeyd’Aurevilly.L’étude prend comme fil conducteur l’idée de (dé)construction, prise non pas dans le sens philosophique de la méthode déconstructionniste conçue par Derrida, mais dans la lignée de la thèse formulée par Irène Bessière, notamment le double mouvement qui traverse le récit fantastique, la construction et la déconstruction d’univers.Dans la première partie, la (dé)construction est rapportée au niveau de l’onomastique du fantastique (histoire du mot et de ses dénominations), car le terme « fantastique » est associé aux récits d’Hoffmann dans la traduction fautive de Loève-Veimars et un discours théorique et critique est construit à partir de Charles Nodier. La (dé)construction est aussi envisagée du point de vue de l’identité du fantastique en tant que genre littéraire. D’un côté, le fantastique puise ses sources, surtout thématiques, à la matière des mythes, des textes religieux, des croyances populaires, des légendes, des idéologies, des progrès scientifiques, etc. De l’autre côté, le remaniement fantastique (sa poétique) consiste à construire un « rapport fantastique » entre le réel et les autres éléments généralement considérés comme surnaturels, invraisemblables ou impossibles donnés pourtant comme sérieux, perceptibles et donc possibles.La deuxième partie déroule un panorama d’histoire littéraire comparée franco-roumaine, où sont mises en question deux figures étrangères, Hoffmann et Poe, ainsi que les particularités de l’émergence du fantastique dans la littérature française et dans la littérature roumaine, liées au romantisme dans les littératures ouest-européennes, et au légendaire et au magique dans la littérature roumaine. On parle de (dé)construction des modèles étrangers – jeu de traduction chez Ion Luca Caragiale, imitation chez Nicolae Gane, etc. – et de construction d’un discours fantastique autochtone.La troisième partie analyse quelques aspects qui caractérisent la rhétorique du fantastique, en soulignant les procédés par lesquels l’art de la persuasion se manifeste paradoxalement tant comme garantie que comme sape des stratégies textuelles : la littéralisation des figures au niveau de la fiction ; l’hypervisibilité des figures (l’hyperbole, l’hypotypose) ; le résidu littéral du discours figuré en tant que principe de suggestion du surnaturel, l’objet en tant qu’indice réaliste et support des « déviations » fantastiques / The present study is aimed at examining the fantastic as a literary genre by means of a twofold endeavour,which could be seen both as a diachronic (the history of cultural influences and transfers) and as a synchronicone (an investigation into several aspects that are related to a common modality of fantastic texts identified inthe poetics of (de)construction).The corpus of this paper is made up of fantastic stories created by several French writers that are traditionallyassociated with various trends or literary movements - Mérimée, Gautier, Maupassant, Villiers de l’Isle-Adam or Barbey d’Aurevilly – to whom we will add Romanian fantastic texts written by such various literaryfigures as Mihai Eminescu, Ioan Luca Caragiale, Gala Galaction and Mateiu Caragiale. Some of the worksproduced by the Romanian writers mentioned above surpass the strict temporal framework of the XIXthcentury, yet our choice is motivated by the fact that the texts under scrutiny are traditionally considered asbelonging to a first stage of the Romanian fantastic prose. As far as Mateiu Caragiale is concerned, we haveexceptionally chosen to deal with the short story entitled Remember from the perspective of the explicitintertextuality with Barbey d’Aurevilly’s Le rideau cramoisi.At the core of our investigation of the literary fantastic (in this context limited to short stories) we haveplaced the idea of (de)construction, which is to be followed on three levels: an onomastic level (the transitionfrom the term “fantastic” to the fantastic genre in literature), a diachronic level (the emergence of the fantastic as a literary genre and its identity, an issue to be addressed from the perspective of literary historyand the theory of reception) and a rhetorical level in its broad sense (a poetics of fantastic prose fiction). Wewill emphasize the fact that our intention is not to use the idea of (de)construction in the strict sense of thephilosophical concept launched by Jacques Derrida. The significance of (de)construction employed in thispaper is based on a thesis already formulated by Irene Bessière - the poetics of uncertainty that is related totwo projects that are opposite, but still coexist, i.e. the construction and deconstruction of the real.The first level of approaching (de)construction in the wider context of the fantastic prose coincides with thefirst part of our paper, which includes various definitions of the fantastic, different types of approaches andboundaries that can be applied to it and the famous dichotomy between the fantastic and the miraculous. Theterm “fantastic” was proposed by the French through Loève-Veimars’s erroneous translation, as a label forHoffmann’s tales, while Nodier launches a theoretical and critical discourse on the fantastic. The attempts to define the fantastic from different perspectives reveal some common aspects that itpossesses, thus assuming the shape of a process of (de)construction. We mainly take into account twodirections, a general one whose stake is the supernatural, and a restrictive one trying to set boundaries. (De)construction is also discussed from the perspective of the identity of the fantastic genre. On the one hand, thefantastic resorts to external thematic sources (the mythical miraculous, the legendary, the religious, modernideologies, scientific progress etc.), on the other hand, the modern reconstruction of these sourcespresupposes a new poetics, which consists in building a “fantastic report” between a real world and thoseelements that are generally considered supernatural, implausible, impossible or illogical, presented in such amanner as to produce the illusion of reality.. / Lucrarea de faţă îşi propune o examinare a fantasticului ca gen literar printr-un demers dublu, diacronic(istoria influenţelor şi transferurilor culturale) şi sincronic (cercetarea câtorva aspecte care ţin de o modalitatecomună textelor fantastice identificată în poetica (de)construcţiei).Corpusul este constituit din povestiri fantastice ale mai multor scriitori francezi care sunt asociaţi unorcurente sau mişcări literare diferite – Mérimée, Gautier, Maupassant, Villiers de l’Isle-Adam sau Barbeyd’Aurevilly – cărora le adăugăm texte fantastice româneşti, aparţinând lui Mihai Eminescu, Ion LucaCaragiale, Gala Galaction şi Mateiu Caragiale. Câteva dintre operele scriitorilor români amintiţi depăşesccadrul strict temporal al secolului al XIX lea, alegerea noastră fiind motivată de faptul că textele la care nereferim sunt considerate ca făcând parte dintr-o primă etapă a prozei fantastice româneşti. În ceea ce îlpriveşte pe Mateiu Caragiale, am ales să analizăm în mod excepţional nuvela Remember, din perspectivaintertextualităţii explicite cu nuvela Le rideau cramoisi a lui Barbey d’Aurevilly.În centrul investigaţiei fantasticului literar (limitat aici la povestiri scurte), am pus ideea de (de)construcţie,pe care o urmărim la trei niveluri : un nivel onomastic (trecerea de la termenul « fantastic » la genul fantasticîn literatură), un nivel diacronic (apariţia fantasticului ca gen literar şi identitatea acestuia, o problemăabordată din perspetiva istoriei literare comparate şi a teoriei receptării) şi un nivel retoric, în accepţie largă(o poetică a prozei fantastice). Subliniem faptul că nu folosim ideea de (de)construcţie în sensul strict alconceptului filosofic lansat de Jacques Derrida. (De)construcţia, aşa cum este întrebuinţată în lucrarea faţă,are ca sursă o teză formulată deja de Irène Bessière: poetica incertitudinii care se raportează la două proiecteopuse, dar coexistente, construcţia şi deconstrucţia realului. Primul nivel de abordare a (de)construcţiei în proza fantastică coincide cu prima parte a lucrării: definiţiilefantasticului, diversele tipuri de abordări şi delimitări ale acestuia şi dicotomia fantastic / miraculos.Cuvântul „fantastic” este propus de francezi, prin traducerea eronată a lui Loève-Veimars, ca etichetă pentrupovestirile lui Hoffmann; în acelaşi timp, Nodier lansează un discurs teoretic şi critic asupra fantasticului.Încercările de definire a fantasticului, din perspective diverse pun în evidenţă aspecte comune ale acestuia,constituindu-se într-un proces de (de)construcţie conceptuală. Reţinem două direcţii, una generală a căreimiză este supranaturalul si una restrictivă care încearcă să fixeze graniţe. (De)construcţia este pusă în discuţieşi din perspectiva identităţii genului fantastic. Pe de o parte, fantasticul face apel la surse tematice externe(miraculosul mitic, legendar, religios; ideologiile moderne, progresul ştiinţific, etc.), pe de altă parte,reconstrucţia modernă a acestor surse tematice înseamnă o nouă poetică, care constă în construirea unui „raport fantastic” între un univers real şi acele elemente considerate în mod general supranaturale,neverosimile, imposibile, sau nelogice, prezentate în aşa fel încât lasă iluzia unei realităţi.Cea de a doua parte a tezei este consacrată unui parcurs istoric al fantasticului literar, printr-o abordarecomparatistă, punând în discuţie efectul receptării operei lui Hoffmann şi a lui Poe în spaţiul literar francez,rolul traducerilor-adaptări după Poe făcute de Ion Luca Caragiale, dar şi aspecte care apropie şi diferenţiazăexperienţa scriptică a fantasticului, legat de romantism în literatura occidentală, legat, mai degrabă, delegendar şi magic în literatura română. Vorbim despre (de)construcţia modelelor străine şi despre construireaunui discurs fantastic autohton..

Esta dissertação trata da avenida Farrapos, uma das principais radiais da cidade de Porto Alegre. Embora inaugurada no ano de 1940, desde 1914 já existia como proposta. Estava inserida no contexto de mudanças ocorridas em Porto Alegre que tinham por objetivo modernizar a cidade, adaptando-a às novas exigências. Apesar de sua importância e do patrimônio arquitetônico que nesta se encontra, a avenida Farrapos não recebe a atenção que merece visto que aquela área da cidade sofreu um processo de degradação, que resultou no repúdio da maioria das pessoas. Neste estudo, buscou-se resgatar elementos históricos, urbanos e arquitetônicos da referida via, a fim de resgatar a sua importância e identificar em que aspectos esta foi resultado da “modernidade”.

Esta dissertação trata da avenida Farrapos, uma das principais radiais da cidade de Porto Alegre. Embora inaugurada no ano de 1940, desde 1914 já existia como proposta. Estava inserida no contexto de mudanças ocorridas em Porto Alegre que tinham por objetivo modernizar a cidade, adaptando-a às novas exigências. Apesar de sua importância e do patrimônio arquitetônico que nesta se encontra, a avenida Farrapos não recebe a atenção que merece visto que aquela área da cidade sofreu um processo de degradação, que resultou no repúdio da maioria das pessoas. Neste estudo, buscou-se resgatar elementos históricos, urbanos e arquitetônicos da referida via, a fim de resgatar a sua importância e identificar em que aspectos esta foi resultado da “modernidade”.

Esta dissertação trata da avenida Farrapos, uma das principais radiais da cidade de Porto Alegre. Embora inaugurada no ano de 1940, desde 1914 já existia como proposta. Estava inserida no contexto de mudanças ocorridas em Porto Alegre que tinham por objetivo modernizar a cidade, adaptando-a às novas exigências. Apesar de sua importância e do patrimônio arquitetônico que nesta se encontra, a avenida Farrapos não recebe a atenção que merece visto que aquela área da cidade sofreu um processo de degradação, que resultou no repúdio da maioria das pessoas. Neste estudo, buscou-se resgatar elementos históricos, urbanos e arquitetônicos da referida via, a fim de resgatar a sua importância e identificar em que aspectos esta foi resultado da “modernidade”.