Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores (Telecomunicações). Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 2010

Long Interspersed Element 1(LINE1 or L1), along with the parasitic Short Interspersed Element (SINE), are the only two currently active retrotransposons in the human genome. These genetic elements are capable of causing DNA damage through their mobilization and the enzymatic activities of the L1-encoded Open Reading Frame 2 (ORF2) protein (ORF2p). The L1 ORF2p contains four annotated domains important to retrotransposition. These include the endonuclease (EN) and reverse transcriptase (RT) domains, as well as the Z domain and the cysteine rich domain (Cys). While much is known about the enzymatic activities of the EN and RT domains, and individual amino acids important to retrotransposition have been identified in the Z and Cys domains, more than 50% of the 150kDa ORF2p amino acid sequence serves no known function. I hypothesized that the unannotated areas of the ORF2p, specifically the sequence C-terminal to the EN domain and N-terminal to the Z domain as well as the sequence C-terminal to the Cys domain, contained amino acids important to the retrotransposition process. Specifically, I hypothesized that they contained amino acids involved in the activity of the EN domain, RT domain, or interaction with the L1 ORF1p. To test this hypothesis, I developed a technique termed Bipartile Alu Retrotransposition (BAR) that utilized EN and RT-containing ORF2 fragments combined with the Alu retrotransposition reporter construct. This system allowed me to define a new ORF2p region, which I termed Cryptic. This region contains an essential WD pair important for cDNA syntheses by the ORF2p. This WD pair is also involved in the regulation of the EN domain activity. I also discovered a putative PCNA binding domain that is essential for retrotransposition. Additionally, I identified the region in Cryptic that is involved in the previously reported differences in subcellular localization and cytotoxic potential of EN-containing ORF2p fragments. Using truncated ORF2p fragments generated for use in BAR, I also made several discoveries concerning the extreme C-terminus of the ORF2p. Notably, I discovered that the extreme C-terminal end of the ORF2p is dispensable for retrotransposition. I also identified a human-specific Y residue that is important for Alu retrotransposition driven by the ORF2p. / 1 / Claiborne Magnant Christian

<p>This essay investigates the function of fictional space and thematics in Line Knutzon’s dramatic works.</p><p>My main theoretical concept is thematic unity, factors that unite several plays by one author.</p><p>I have found three major themes: the encounter, identity and childhood, which I study in five of Knutzon’s plays: The Splint In The Heart, The Latest Thing, First You’re Born, The Air Others Breathe and The Time Will Soon Come.</p><p>I study three aspects of space: fictive space, where the play is set, the characters’ inner space and exterior space, that which is outside fictive space: society. Fictive space is shown mainly via dialogue and context.</p><p>It is evident that the themes, most clearly visible in the five chosen plays, are very important in Line Knutzon’s dramatic works. Most typical is the way she portrays childhood memories, in monologues showing that her characters exist in a “hole”, in the void between childhood and adulthood.</p><p>My investigation leads to the conclusion that Knutzon deals with existential matters: there is a kind of constant chaos, within her characters, expressed in actions and thoughts. This chaos also influences the fictive space, where the play is set.</p><p>I can discern a pattern, showing that my three chosen themes and the three functions of space intersect and interact: in their mixture can the characters’ dilemmas and existential questions be found. This is, in my view, the core of Line Knutzon’s work.</p>

During the past three decades, the success of the Toyota Production System has spurred research in the area of manufacturing systems engineering. Two research fields, productivity and quality, have been extensively studied and reported separately both in the manufacturing systems research literature and the practitioner, but there is a lack of research in the intersection of these areas. In addition to that, most studies on the relationship among manufacturing system design, quality and productivity are based on anecdotal evidence or qualitative reasoning that lack sound scientific quantitative foundations. This study tries to establish a scientific foundation to investigate how production system design and operation influence productivity and product quality by developing conceptual and computational models and performing experiments. By doing so, this study will show an important part of the way to produce high quality products with minimum cost. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1971. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

This essay investigates the function of fictional space and thematics in Line Knutzon’s dramatic works. My main theoretical concept is thematic unity, factors that unite several plays by one author. I have found three major themes: the encounter, identity and childhood, which I study in five of Knutzon’s plays: The Splint In The Heart, The Latest Thing, First You’re Born, The Air Others Breathe and The Time Will Soon Come. I study three aspects of space: fictive space, where the play is set, the characters’ inner space and exterior space, that which is outside fictive space: society. Fictive space is shown mainly via dialogue and context. It is evident that the themes, most clearly visible in the five chosen plays, are very important in Line Knutzon’s dramatic works. Most typical is the way she portrays childhood memories, in monologues showing that her characters exist in a “hole”, in the void between childhood and adulthood. My investigation leads to the conclusion that Knutzon deals with existential matters: there is a kind of constant chaos, within her characters, expressed in actions and thoughts. This chaos also influences the fictive space, where the play is set. I can discern a pattern, showing that my three chosen themes and the three functions of space intersect and interact: in their mixture can the characters’ dilemmas and existential questions be found. This is, in my view, the core of Line Knutzon’s work.

The major of this study is to examine Human Resource Management Competencies of Line Manager and identify their affectability.This study perceived 20 competencies in five domains: business management competencies, human resource functional expertise, revolutionary ,self-development and support & service for employee to examine their importance through the Analytical Hierarchy Process, AHP.

This thesis develops an automatic lighting supervisory system (ALSS) which integrates the broadband power line communication (BPLC). The microprocessor, power line communication module and other hardware/firmware are applied in the ALSS to execute the optimal electric energy and lighting control to improve the energy usage efficiency. The ALSS consists of energy control module, BPLC module, and terminal control center. Energy control module provides the functions of electric power measurement, on/off control and lighting control. Furthermore, bidirectional communication between energy control unit and control center is possible via the usage of BPLC communication module. In this thesis, a terminal control center supports the functions of monitoring, recording and alarming. Also, it can allow users to adjust the setting values of the energy control module. Finally, the proposed ALSS is installed to a real lighting system to verify its effectiveness and value.

Due to the complexity of body-shape, the investigation of hydrodynamic forces on mooring lines, especially those comprised of chain segments, has not been conducted to a sufficient degree to properly characterize the hydrodynamic damping effect of mooring lines on the global motions of a moored offshore platform. In the present study, an experimental investigation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of various mooring elements is implemented through free and forced oscillation tests. Since no direct measurement capability for distributed hydrodynamic forces acting on mooring line segments such as chain and wire rope is available yet, an indirect measurement technique is introduced. The technique is based on the fact that hydrodynamic forces acting on a body oscillating in still water and on a stationary body in an oscillatory flow are equivalent except for the additional inertia force, the so-called Froude-Krylov force, present in the latter condition. The time-dependent displacement of a slender body moving in calm water is acquired through optical tracking with a high speed camera. The distributed hydrodynamic measurements are then used to obtain the force by solving the equation of motion with the boundary condition provided from tension measurements. Morison’s equation is employed along with Fourier analysis to separate the inertia and drag components out of the total fluid force. Given the experimentally-derived information on hydrodynamic behavior, the resistance provided by a mooring line to a floating structure is briefly studied in terms of damping and restoring force in a coupled dynamic system.

In this thesis, we design and implement an On-Line assessment system. It is interoperable to every E-Learning platforms conformed to SCORM. In this On-Line assessment system, we provide seven kinds of test formats; it can dynamic adjust the pointer of difficulty; in the ¡§New Examination Paper¡¨ function, we increase module, it can lighten the load of teacher when they set the examination paper; When students on their examinations, every students will see different sequence of questions and items in questions.