En esta Tesis se ha realizado análisis, diseño y caracterización de los amplificadores de bajoruido y banda ancha en tecnología de GaAs PHEMT con aplicación a los módulos posteriores delradiómetro del instrumento de baja frecuencia del satélite Planck. La Tesis se compone de las siguientes partes:- Introducción y estudio del funcionamiento del radiómetro del instrumento de baja frecuencia de Planck.- Diseño y caracterización de amplificadores de bajo ruido utilizando tecnología de GaAs. Se presentan diseños MMIC en la banda Ka y en la banda Q, y un diseño MIC en la banda Q.- Diseño y construcción de los módulos posteriores en las bandas de 30 y 44 GHz. Se presentan varios prototipos fabricados en ambas bandas, así como medidas de cada uno de los subsistemas que los forman.- Desarrollo de técnicas de medida para receptores de banda ancha con detección directa y su aplicación a la caracterización de los módulos posteriores, mostrando el funcionamiento de los prototipos representativos para las dos bandas de frecuencia.- Integración de los módulos posteriores con los módulos frontales y presentación de algunos de los resultados de medida de los radiómetros completos. / This Thesis deals with the analysis, design and characterization of broadband low noise amplifiersin GaAs PHEMT technology with application to the radiometer Back-End Modules for the Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI). The Thesis is composed of the next parts:- Introduction and study about the radiometer of the Planck low frequency instrument.- Design and characterization of low noise amplifiers using GaAs technology. Ka-band MMIC designs and Q-band MMIC and a MIC design are presented.- Design and assembly of the 30 and 44 GHz back-end modules. Several prototypes have been manufactured in both frequency bands and the most representative test results of each subsystem are presented.- Development of measurement techniques for broadband direct detection receivers and their application to the characterization of the back-end modules. Performance of representative prototypes in both frequency bands is included.- Integration of the back end modules and front end modules and significant results of the tests for a radiometer in each frequency band.

Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada to have routinely tested the antimicrobial susceptibility of all provincially reported human cases of campylobacteriosis. From 1999 to 2006, 1378 human Campylobacter species infections were tested for susceptibility at the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory using the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance panel and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints. Of these, 1200 were C. jejuni, 129 were C. coli, with the remaining made up of C. lari, C. laridis, C. upsaliensis and undifferentiated Campylobacter species. Campylobacter coli had significantly higher prevalences of ciprofloxacin resistance (CIPr), erythromycin resistance (ERYr), combined CIPr-ERYr resistance and multidrug resistance (to three or greater drug classes) than C. jejuni. Logistic regression models indicated that CIPr in C. jejuni decreased from 1999 to 2004 and subsequently increased in 2005 and 2006. The risk of CIPr was significantly increased in the winter months (January to March) compared to other seasons. A comparison of logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard survival models found that the latter were better able to detect significant temporal trends in CIPr and tetracycline resistance by directly modeling MICs, but that these trends were more difficult to interpret. Scan statistics detected significant spatial clusters of CIPr C. jejuni infections in urban centers (Saskatoon and Regina) and temporal clusters in the winter months; the space-time permutation model did not detect any space-time clusters. Bernoulli scan tests were computationally the fastest for cluster detection, compared to ordinal MIC and multinomial antibiogram models. eBURST analysis of antibiogram patterns showed a marked distinction between case and non-case isolates from the scan statistic clusters. Multilevel logistic regression models detected significant individual and regional contextual risk factors for infection with CIPr C. jejuni. Patients infected in the winter, that were between the ages of 40-45 years of age, that lived in urban regions and that lived in regions of moderately high poultry density had higher risks of a resistant infection. These results advance the epidemiologic knowledge of CIPr C. jejuni in Saskatchewan and provide novel analytical methods for antimicrobial resistance surveillance data in Canada. / Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory (Saskatchewan Ministry of Health); Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses (Public Health Agency of Canada); Centre for Foodborne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (Public Health Agency of Canada); Ontario Veterinary College Blake Graham Fellowship

We begin with a short analysis of the history of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). We then discuss the merits and demerits of the regime, such as the arguments between finality, speediness, and correctness. Following from this, historical reforms are discussed, and whether those issues have gotten worse or better since these discussions. The modern problems are discussed, leading to the explanation of the “legitimacy crisis”. As Appellate Mechanisms (AM) and Investment Court Systems (ICS) both propose multi layered systems, we argue whether ISDS must be a “one bite at the apple” system. We expand on the issues of regulatory chill, before showing the contradictions in the granting of awards. From this, a discussion is raised on the advantages of a tenured system of adjudicators, particularly in reference to their apparent bias. We delve deeper into the direct consequences of the perceived issues of ISDS, in the context of human rights, the environment, and other issues of sovereignty.As more reforms are suggested, the question of “what makes arbitration, arbitration?” is raised. From here, we may begin to suggest reforms based on which key factors are to be preserved. Firstly, we discuss current reform options, such as the Mauritius Convention. We take inspiration from existing AM, and prior discussions on the implementation of such a system across the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) frameworks. We analyse whether these discussions have led to change by comparing trends in drafting.Thereon, we offer suggestions of reform. ICS and how this would be implemented, what it would look like structurally, and its positive and negative effects. Using the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and other contemporary ICS reform suggestions, we gain some knowledge of what an ICS regime could and should look like, the implementation of AM previously discussed in this regime, and other. Finally, we offer a different solution to the problems, yet less pragmatic, the termination of arbitration.

Background Broth microdilution (BMD) is a gold-standard reference method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics. For this, a standardized concentration of bacterial inoculum (2e5–8e5 colony-forming units, CFU/ml) is added to progressively higher concentrations of antibiotics. Bacteria stop growing at a particular antibiotic concentration termed MIC. Like other assays, various biological and/or technical factors can affect BMD results.   Aims To investigate the effects of inoculum concentration (5e4–5e6 CFU/ml), growth-medium concentration (cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton Broth (CAMHB)), ranging 0.5x to 2x (1x as standard)) and age (<6-months or >1-year old) of fastidious medium on MIC results. And to compare BMD results using 5 different brands of CAMHBs and 1 cation-non-adjusted MH-broth (non-CAMHB).   Methods 12 isolates of bacteria (gram-positive (n=3), gram-negative(n=5), fastidious isolates (n=7)) and custom-made antibiotics-containing plates for gram-positive (11 antibiotics) or gram-negative bacteria (10 antibiotics) were used. Overnight-grown colonies were used to prepare BMD solutions (MH-broth + inoculum +/- fastidious) which were plated on antibiotic-plates as well as diluted prior to plating on agar-plates. Antibiotic- and agar-plates were incubated (18–20hr, 35°C) and used to determine MICs (following European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing instructions) and actual number of viable bacteria in BMD solutions, respectively.   Results Increasing inoculum concentration increased MICs of all antibiotics except cefoxitin. Piperacillin–tazobactam, levofloxacin, benzylpenicillin and ampicillin were especially sensitive to increase in inoculum and showed a 4-fold increase in >50% isolates. MICs for tobramycin, tigecycline and gentamicin increased by 2-fold in >50% isolates every time MH-broth concentration increased. Age of fastidious medium had no decipherable pattern of effects on MIC. All MH-broths gave similar results except when testing daptomycin which gave higher MICs with non-CAMHB compared to CAMHB.    Conclusion This research reveals some technical factors affecting MIC results. These results could help define parameters for automated BMD-performing-systems. However, this research shows only trends as more replicates are needed to determine statistically significant results.