As attention of scholars shift from perils of presidentialism to perils of semipresidentialism in the recent decades, French style of cohabitation power sharing mode in the executive merits our endeavor to understand the micro-dynamics that is embedded in it. It includes how it emerged, how it was practiced and what consequences it produced. Such effort, if wisely applied, can probably be helpful in slowing down the rate of political system breakdown in many of the newly emerged democratic systems that emulate the French model. After an introduction to the blackbox of French cohabitation, the remainder of the dissertation is divided into eight chapters. Chapter 2 briefly reviews the existing literature on French cohabitation. Chapter 3 introduces the interpretive paradigm of qualitative research that is employed to analyze data and to facilitate theory building. In the 4th theoretical discussion chapter, three elements of practice theory approach ¡V temporality, duality of structure and unanticipated consequences are elaborated respectively. The three elements correspond to answer three research questions comprising how cohabitation emerged, how it was practiced and what kinds of consequences it produced. Chapter 5 to 8 display findings to the questions. They unravel for us other faces of French cohabitation which can be an active outcome of rationalization, a dynamic generator and a collective inevitable self-deception. Chapter 9 concludes by delineating theoretical and practical contribution of the dissertation.

Popular Object Oriented size metrics and estimation methods are examined. A case study is conducted. Five of the methods (&ldquo / LOC&rdquo / , &ldquo / OOPS&rdquo / , &ldquo / Use Case Points Method&rdquo / , &ldquo / J.Kammelar&rsquo / s Sizing Approach&rdquo / and &ldquo / Mark II FP&rdquo / ) are applied to a project whose requirements are defined by means of use cases. Size and effort estimations are made and compared with the actual results of the project.

A mature code-base of 1 300 000 LOC for a period of 20 months has been examined. This paper investigates if churn is a significant factor in finding refactoring candidates. In addition it looks at the variables Lines of Code (LOC), Technical Debt (TD), Duplicated lines and Complexity to find out if any of these indicators can inform a coder as to what to refactor. The result is that churn is the strongest variable out of the studied variables followed by LOC and TD. / En kodbas på 1 300 000 rader kod har undersökts under 20 månader. Denna uppsats undersöker om kodens användningsfrekvens är en signifikant faktor för att finna refaktoreringskandidater. Uppsatsen tittar även antal kodrader, teknisk skuld, antal duplicerade kodrader och komplexitet för att undersöka om dessa indikatorer kan informera en programmerare om vad som ska refaktoreras. Resultatet är att kodens användningsfrekvens är den starkaste variabeln följt av antal kodrader samt teknisk skuld.

Live simulations play an important role in allowing users to practice and develop skills they learn in training. Although live simulations are playing an increasingly important role in training, ways to improve them are not well understood or documented. In order to improve the efficacy of live simulation and maximize results from funds spent on training; this research examines the relationship between the affective variables of the participants and their performance in the live simulation. Prior to participating in the instructor development live simulation used in this study two training preference scales were administered to a group of trainees. These scales measured the trainees’ locus of control and immersion tendencies. During the live simulation the trainees’ performance was evaluated by a panel of expert observers. The trainees also self-reported their performance through the use of a self-rating instrument. Analysis of the data revealed significant positive correlations between the trainees’ internal locus of control and their performance in the simulation, both self-reported (p=0.026) and as reported by the expert observers (p=0.033). The correlation between immersion tendency scores and performance in the live simulation were mixed; while not always statistically significant they did reveal some slight positive correlation. This research did provide a number of lessons learned and implications for instructional and simulation developers wishing to employ live simulation in a training environment. These include performance of sub-populations within the greater population of subjects, consideration of roles assigned to participants, and the need to increase presence within the live simulation. Application of these lessons learned can reduce training costs and/or improve the effectiveness of live simulation in a training environment, this in turn can be of significant benefit to instructional and simulation designers. Additionally, understanding these relationships can lead iv to better assignments of roles or activities within live simulation and improve the transfer of experience from live simulation training to on the job performance. However, additional research needs to be conducted in order to make more conclusive statements regarding the most appropriate affective variable that would allow for predicting transfer of the simulated experience to the ‘real’ world, the individuals who would benefit most from live simulation, and to develop additional prescriptive methods for improving live simulation utilized in training environments.

Nanobelts are a new class of semiconducting metal oxide nanowires with great potential for nanoscale devices. The present research focuses on the manipulation of SnO₂ nanobelts suspended in ethanol using microfluidics and electric fields. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) was demonstrated for the first time on semiconducting metal oxide nanobelts, which also resulted in the fabrication of a multiple nanobelt device. Detailed and direct real-time observations of the wide variety of nanobelt motions induced by DEP forces were conducted using an innovative setup and an inverted optical microscope. High AC electric fields were generated on a gold microelectrode (~ 20 µm gap) array, patterned on glass substrate, and covered by a ~ 10 µm tall PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) channel, into which the nanobelt suspension was introduced for performing the DEP experiments. Negative DEP (repulsion) of the nanobelts was observed in the low frequency range (< 100 kHz) of the applied voltage, which caused rigid body motion as well as deformation of the nanobelts. In the high frequency range (~ 1 MHz - 10 MHz), positive DEP (attraction) of the nanobelts was observed. Using a parallel plate electrode arrangement, evidence of electrophoresis was also found for DC and low frequency (Hz) voltages. The existence of negative DEP effect is unusual considering the fact that if bulk SnO₂ conductivity and permittivity values are used in combination with ethanol properties to calculate the Clausius Mossotti factor using the simple dipole approximation theory; it predicts positive DEP for most of the frequency range experimentally studied. A fluidic nanobelt alignment technique was studied and used in the fabrication of single nanobelt devices with small electrode gaps. These devices were primarily used for conducting impedance spectroscopy measurements to obtain an estimate of the nanobelt electrical conductivity. Parametric numerical studies were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics software package to understand the different aspects of the DEP phenomenon in nanobelts. The DEP induced forces and torques were computed using the Maxwell Stress Tensor (MST) approach. The DEP force on the nanobelt was calculated for a range of nanobelt conductivity values. The simulation results indicate that the experimentally observed behavior can be explained if the nanobelt is modeled as having two components: an electrically conductive interior and a nonconductive outer layer surrounding it. This forms the basis for an explanation of the negative DEP observed in SnO₂ nanobelts suspended in ethanol. It is thought that the nonconductive layer is due to depletion of the charge carriers from the nanobelt surface regions. This is consistent with the fact that surface depletion is a commonly observed phenomenon in SnO₂ and other semiconducting metal oxide materials. The major research contribution of this work is that, since nanostructures have large surface areas, surface dominant properties are important. Considering only bulk electrical properties can predict misleading DEP characteristics.

Orientador: Luiz Otavio Saraiva Ferreira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T16:27:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Espindola_AlexeyMarques_M.pdf: 1293939 bytes, checksum: 66ab2d16dc552294762d6c3708cda71b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Os sistemas microfluidicos estão evoluindo rapidamente, encontrando vastas aplicações na mais diversas áreas do conhecimento. Os Lab-on-Chips, LOCs, são dispositivos capazes de realizar análises químicas e bioquímicas em um único chip. Este dispositivo pode causar grande impacto no mercado de análises laboratoriais, por este motivo vem ganhando grande atenção Para realizar estas análises os LOCs necessitam de microbombas capazes de transportar quantidades ínfimas de fluidos em seus canais de maneira acurada e uniforme. Desta forma, o interesse em modelar e fabricar microbombas tomou-se uma área fértil para a pesquisa. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida a modelagem de uma microbomba peristáltica de elastõmero, tipo de bomba mais conveniente para Lab-on-Chips, utilizando a técnica de analogias eletro-mecânicas que consiste em representar um dispositivo por um circuito elétrico equivalente. As análises das simulações podem ser realizadas usando programas de análise de circuitos elétricos. Dois modelos foram apresentados neste trabalho. O primeiro é a reprodução do modelo de bomba criado por Jacques Goulpeau, em que o modelo de uma válvula é extrapolando para toda a microbomba. O segundo contém o circuito elétrico equivalente da bomba completa mostrando a interações entre suas partes. Os resultados mostram que o comportamento da microbomba não pode ser completamente descrito pelo modelo extrapolado a partir de uma válvula, devido às interações entre três válvulas. As simulações do circuito equivalente da bomba completa mostraram que os efeitos das interações entre as válvulas explicam claramente a diferença entre a vazão prevista pelo modelo de Goulpeau e os dados experimentais por ele obtidos, sendo possível ajustar o modelo aos dados experimentais / Abstract: Microfluidies systems are growing rapidly, finding a large nwnber of applications in many fields. Lab-on-ehips, LOC, are deviees that ean perform ehemical and biochemical analyses in a ehip. This device ean cause high impact on laboratorial analyses market, and then it is gaining large attention. In order to execute these analyses on LOC, mieropumps are necessary to transport a tiny quantity of fluid between the channeIs with accuracy and uniformity. Thus, the interests of modeling and fabrication mieropwnps are increasing and become a fertile research field. The goal of this work were a modeling of elastomer peristaltic micropwnp, the most suitable pwnp for LOCs, using the electro- mechanical analogy technique that consist in represent the device in a electrical equivalent networks. Then the simulation analyses can be done on electrical simulation tools. Two models were presented in this work. The first is reproduction of the pwnp model made by Jacques Goulpeau et aI., where the valve model is extrapolated to the whole mieropwnp. The second contains the electrical equivalent circuit that represents the whole device showing the interactions between its eomponents. The results showed that micropump behavior eouldn't completely deseribe by the extrapolated model ftom a valve, because the interactions between the three valves. The simulations of electrical equivalent eircuit of the whole pwnp showed that the interaction between the valves explain the difference between of flow rate foreseen by Goulpeau model and his experimental data, being possible to adjust the model to the experimental data / Mestrado / Mecanica dos Sólidos e Projeto Mecanico / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

L'élongation cellulaire de cellules cultivant bout comme hyphae fongueux, inculquez hairs, des tubes de pollen et des neurones, est limité au bout de la cellule, qui permet à ces cellules d'envahir l'encerclement substrate et atteindre une cible. Les cellules cultivant bout d'équipement sont entourées par le mur polysaccharide rigide qui régule la croissance et l'élongation de ces cellules, un mécanisme qui est radicalement différent des cellules non-walled. La compréhension du règlement du mur de cellule les propriétés mécaniques dans le contrôle de la croissance et du fonctionnement cellulaire du tube de pollen, une cellule rapidement grandissante d'équipement, est le but de ce projet. Le tube de pollen porte des spermatozoïdes du grain de pollen à l'ovule pour la fertilisation et sur sa voie du stigmate vers l'ovaire le tube de pollen envahit physiquement le stylar le tissu émettant de la fleur. Pour atteindre sa cible il doit aussi changer sa direction de croissance les temps multiples. Pour évaluer la conduite de tubes de pollen grandissants, un dans le système expérimental vitro basé sur la technologie de laboratoire-sur-fragment (LOC) et MEMS (les systèmes micro-électromécaniques) ont été conçus. En utilisant ces artifices nous avons mesuré une variété de propriétés physiques caractérisant le tube de pollen de Camélia, comme la croissance la croissance accélérée, envahissante et dilatant la force. Dans une des organisations expérimentales les tubes ont été exposés aux ouvertures en forme de fente faites de l'élastique PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) la matière nous permettant de mesurer la force qu'un tube de pollen exerce pour dilater la croissance substrate. Cette capacité d'invasion est essentielle pour les tubes de pollen de leur permettre d'entrer dans les espaces intercellulaires étroits dans les tissus pistillar. Dans d'autres essais nous avons utilisé l'organisation microfluidic pour évaluer si les tubes de pollen peuvent s'allonger dans l'air et s'ils ont une mémoire directionnelle. Une des applications auxquelles le laboratoire s'intéresse est l'enquête de processus intracellulaires comme le mouvement d'organelles fluorescemment étiqueté ou les macromolécules pendant que les tubes de pollen grandissent dans les artifices LOC. Pour prouver que les artifices sont compatibles avec la microscopie optique à haute résolution et la microscopie de fluorescence, j'ai utilisé le colorant de styryl FM1-43 pour étiqueter le système endomembrane de tubes de pollen de cognassier du Japon de Camélia. L'observation du cône de vésicule, une agrégation d'endocytic et les vésicules exocytic dans le cytoplasme apical du bout de tube de pollen, n'a pas posé de problèmes des tubes de pollen trouvés dans le LOC. Pourtant, le colorant particulier en question a adhéré au sidewalls du LOC microfluidic le réseau, en faisant l'observation de tubes de pollen près du difficile sidewalls à cause du signal extrêmement fluorescent du mur. Cette propriété du colorant pourrait être utile de refléter la géométrie de réseau en faisant marcher dans le mode de fluorescence. / Cellular elongation of tip-growing cells such as fungal hyphae, root hairs, pollen tubes and neurons, is limited to the tip of the cell, which enables these cells to invade the surrounding substrate and to reach a target. Tip-growing plant cells are surrounded by the stiff polysaccharidic wall that regulates the growth and elongation of these cells, a mechanism that is very different from non-walled cells. Understanding the regulation of the cell wall mechanical properties in controlling growth and cellular functioning of the pollen tube, a rapidly growing plant cell, is the goal of this project. The pollen tube carries sperm cells from the pollen grain to the ovule for fertilization and on its way from the stigma towards ovary the pollen tube physically invades the stylar transmitting tissue of the flower. To reach its target it also has to change its growth direction multiple times. To assess the behavior of growing pollen tubes, an in vitro experimental system based on lab-on-chip (LOC) technology and MEMS (microelectro-mechanical systems) was designed. Using these devices we measured a variety of physical properties characterizing the pollen tube of Camellia, such as growth velocity, invasive growth and dilating force. In one of the experimental set-ups the tubes were exposed to slit-shaped openings made of elastic PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) material allowing us to measure the force a pollen tube exerts to dilate the growth substrate. This invasion capacity is crucial for pollen tubes to allow them to enter narrow intercellular spaces within the pistillar tissues. In other assays we used the microfluidic set-up to test whether pollen tubes can elongate in air and whether they have a directional memory. One of the applications that the lab is interested in is the investigation of intracellular processes such as the motion of fluorescently labelled organelles or macromolecules while the pollen tubes grow within the LOC devices. To prove that the devices are compatible with high-resolution optical microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, I used the styryl dye FM1-43 to label the endomembrane system of Camellia japonica pollen tubes. Observation of the vesicle cone, an aggregation of endocytic and exocytic vesicles in the apical cytoplasm of the pollen tube tip, did not pose any problems in pollen tubes located within the LOC. However, the particular dye in question adhered to the sidewalls of the LOC microfluidic network, making viewing of pollen tubes close to the sidewalls difficult because of the highly fluorescent signal of the wall. This property of the dye might be useful to image the network geometry when operating in fluorescence mode.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Today, the growing and aging population, and the rise of new global threats on human health puts an increasing demand on the healthcare system and calls for preventive actions. To make existing medical treatments more efficient and widely accessible and to prevent the emergence of new threats such as drug-resistant bacteria, improved diagnostic technologies are needed. Potential solutions to address these medical challenges could come from the development of novel lab-on-chip (LoC) for point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics. At the same time, the increasing demand for sustainable energy calls for the development of novel approaches for energy conversion and storage systems (ECS), to which micro- and nanotechnologies could also contribute. This thesis has for objective to contribute to these developments and presents the results of interdisciplinary research at the crossing of three disciplines of physics and engineering: electrokinetic transport in fluids, manufacturing of micro- and nanofluidic systems, and surface control and modification. By combining knowledge from each of these disciplines, novel solutions and functionalities were developed at the macro-, micro- and nanoscale, towards applications in PoC diagnostics and ECS systems. At the macroscale, electrokinetic transport was applied to the development of a novel PoC sampler for the efficient capture of exhaled breath aerosol onto a microfluidic platform. At the microscale, several methods for polymer micromanufacturing and surface modification were developed. Using direct photolithography in off-stoichiometry thiol-ene (OSTE) polymers, a novel manufacturing method for mold-free rapid prototyping of microfluidic devices was developed. An investigation of the photolithography of OSTE polymers revealed that a novel photopatterning mechanism arises from the off-stoichiometric polymer formulation. Using photografting on OSTE surfaces, a novel surface modification method was developed for the photopatterning of the surface energy. Finally, a novel method was developed for single-step microstructuring and micropatterning of surface energy, using a molecular self-alignment process resulting in spontaneous mimicking, in the replica, of the surface energy of the mold. At the nanoscale, several solutions for the study of electrokinetic transport toward selective biofiltration and energy conversion were developed. A novel, comprehensive model was developed for electrostatic gating of the electrokinetic transport in nanofluidics. A novel method for the manufacturing of electrostatically-gated nanofluidic membranes was developed, using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in deep anodic alumina oxide (AAO) nanopores. Finally, a preliminary investigation of the nanopatterning of OSTE polymers was performed for the manufacturing of polymer nanofluidic devices. / <p>QC 20140509</p> / Rappid / NanoGate / Norosensor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:21:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Andre Luiz Gomide de Morais.pdf: 1627953 bytes, checksum: 05ab427707618c3afdeb890e320268e6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-13 / Introduction Strategies to obtain the working length to prepare and fill the root canals has been relevant theme of discussion in endodontics. The purpose of this study was to compare in vivo the canal root working length measures determined by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with the ones obtained by using periapical radiograph and electronic apex locator. Methods The root canal working lengths of 30 single-rooted teeth from 19 patients whose diagnosis was apical periodontitis were evaluated. Initial periapical radiographs for diagnosis and treatment planning, employing the parallelism technique, were taken. CBCT images were acquired with i-CAT system (aiming of diagnosing the cases of apical periodontitis that showed to be complex and doubtful) and measured with specific function of i-CAT software. The coronal opening was made, the root canals were irrigated with sodium hypochlorite solution 2.5%, being performed the exploration and initial emptying of root canal. After, the preparation of the inlet orifice and of the cervical root third was carried out . The minor foramen was located using Root ZX® locator by advancing a stainless steel K-file that best suited the root canal, according to the manufacturer´s instructions. The radiographic measurement was made by advancing a stainless steel K-file in the root canal, until its tip was 1.0 mm from the root apex (determined from the measures obtained by the electronic ape locator). These 3 working length were tabulated and compared. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences between working lengths methods. The significance was set at &#945;=5%. Results The mean values and standard deviations for working length determination by electronic apex locator, periapical radiograph and CBCT images were 21.5 ± 3.1, 21.32 ± 3, 21.4 ± 2.7, respectively. Significant differences were not verified statistically (P>0.05). Conclusions CBCT images working length determination showed to be as similar as the determinations obtained by using periapical radiograph and electronic apex locator. / Introdução: Estratégias para obtenção do comprimento de trabalho para preparar e obturar canais radiculares têm sido tema relevante de discussão em Endodontia. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar in vivo as medidas de comprimento de trabalho do canal radicular determinadas por meio da tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico (TCFC) com as obtidas por meio de radiografia periapical e localizador apical eletrônico. Metodologia: Foram avaliados os comprimentos de trabalho dos canais radiculares em 30 dentes de 19 pacientes com diagnóstico de periodontite apical. Radiografias periapicais iniciais de diagnóstico e plano de tratamento, empregando a técnica do paralelismo, foram realizadas. As imagens de TCFC foram obtidas usando o sistema i-CAT (com o intuito de diagnosticar os casos de periodontite apical que se mostraram complexos ou duvidosos) e foram medidas a partir de função específica do programa desse sistema. Foi realizada a abertura coronária, os canais radiculares foram irrigados solução de hipoclorito de sódio a 2,5%, sendo realizada a exploração e o esvaziamento inicial do canal radicular. Depois foi realizado o preparo do orifício de entrada e do terço cervical da raiz. O forame apical foi localizado usando o localizador Root ZX® por meio do avanço de uma lima tipo K-file que melhor se adaptasse ao canal radicular de aço inoxidável no canal radicular, de acordo com instruções do fabricante. A medida radiográfica foi feita por meio da colocação de uma lima tipo K-file de aço inoxidável no canal radicular, até que sua ponta estivesse a 1,0mm do ápice radicular (determinado pelas medidas obtidas com o localizador apical eletrônico). Essas três medidas de comprimento de trabalho foram tabuladas e comparadas. O teste de Kruskal-Wallis foi empregado para analisar as diferenças entre os métodos de obtenção dos comprimentos de trabalho. O nível de significância foi estabelecido em &#945;=5%. Resultados: O valor médio e os desvios-padrões para a determinação do comprimento de trabalho por meio de imagens de TCFC, localizador apical eletrônico e radiografia periapical foram de e 21,4 ± 2,7, 21,5 ± 3,1, 21,32 ± 3, respectivamente. Diferenças significantes entre as medidas obtidas pelos três métodos não foram verificadas (p>0.05). Conclusões: A determinação do comprimento de trabalho em imagens de TCFC mostrou ser tão similar quanto às determinações obtidas por meio do método radiográfico e do localizador apical eletrônico.