La mise sur le marché de Micro Systèmes Electro Mécaniques Radio-Fréquences (MEMS RF) est freinée par leurs manques de maturités au niveau du flot de conception, de la mise en boîtier (packaging) et de la fiabilité. Dans ce contexte, nous mettons en évidence, une solution d'assemblage par report d'un capot avec un scellement en polymère adaptée aux micro-commutateurs RF. Afin de répondre aux enjeux de conception, nous avons identifié des besoins en terme de modélisation éléments finis (EF) multi-physique, permettant de générer des macro-modèles comportementaux. Ainsi, nous discutons des possibilités offertes par deux logiciels EF réellement multi-physique : ANSYS et COMSOL. Finalement, nous proposons une solution (boîtier micro-usiné en Foturan et scellement en polymère BCB) compatible avec les spécifications du cahier des charges. La fabrication et la caractérisation électrique d'un démonstrateur ont permis de valider cette technique simple de packaging quasi-hermétique.

<p>In this paper we are exploring the field of microfinance; financial services given to poor and low-income individuals who do not have access to formal financial markets. The purpose of our study is to investigate if the Credit with Education program provided by the microfinance institution RCPB in Burkina Faso has had an effect on</p><p>the participating women concerning their empowerment, knowledge about</p><p>management/micro enterprises and knowledge about child nutrition and health. We are using data from two surveys made in 2003 and 2004 by the consultant bureau Sud Consult that we are analysing in a qualitative manner in order to respond to our investigation question. This paper treats theories concerning the financial market and</p><p>the importance of education, health and women’s empowerment. We present facts about microfinance in general and in Burkina Faso in particular and we review earlier studies on the subject. Our findings suggest that the Credit with Education program has achieved to increase the women’s knowledge concerning child nutrition and</p><p>health. The program has had a smaller but still a notable effect concerning the empowerment of the women, specifically in the region of West. The program has failed to increase the knowledge of business management in the years studied. In our analysis we present suggestions of improvements of the program.</p> / <p>Dans ce dossier, nous explorons le domaine de la microfinance ; des services financiers destinés aux populations pauvres et aux individus aux revenus modestes qui n’ont pas accès aux marchés financiers. Le but de notre étude est d’examiner si le crédit avec éducation fournis par l’institution finansière RCPB au Burkina Faso, a eu des répercussions sur la prise de participation des femmes en ce qui concerne leur indépendence, leur connaissance du management/ PME et leur connaissance en matière de nutrition et de santé infantille. Nous utilisons les données de deux études menées en 2003 et 2004 par le cabinet de consulting Sud Consult que nous analysons qualitativement afin de répondre à notre question d’investigation. Ce dossier est basé</p><p>sur les théories concernant le marché financier, l’importance de l’éducation de la santé et de l’indépendance des femmes. Nous abordons les faits du points de vue de la microfinance en général et du Burkina Faso en particulier et nous examinons des études réalisées précedement traitant du même sujet. Nos résultats montrent que le crédit avec l’éducation ont largement participé à l’amélioration des connaissances des femmes en matiéres de nutrition et de santé infantile. Le programme a eu une influence plus modeste sur leur indépendence, particulièrement dans la région de l’ouest. Le programme n’a cependant pas réussi à améliorer leur connaissance du management durant la période analysée. Dans notre analyse nous présentons des propositions d’amélioration pour le programme.</p>

Thèse doctorat : Physique : Strasbourg 1 : 2006. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. 5 p.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-49). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MSD (EAP))--Universiteit van Pretoria, 2003.

Overuse of the Interstate and National Highway Systems has led many urban freeways to suffer from recurrent congestion and high crash rates. One method of ameliorating these problems is through the use of Active Traffic Management (ATM). Within ATM, the practice of speed harmonization is well suited to improving safety and reducing delay. In this study, speed harmonization is applied to a segment of Interstate Highway 35, just south of downtown Austin, Texas. First, the need for congestion and safety improvements will be established. Then, the framework of a speed harmonization system will be developed through a synthesis of speed harmonization best practice. Next, the speed harmonization framework will be evaluated for its impact on efficiency through the development of before and after micro-simulation models. Finally, the trajectory files generated from simulation will be analyzed using surrogate safety measures to assess the safety impact of the proposed speed harmonization system. / text

The objective of this thesis is to determine a method for computing the amount of capacitance in a power electronic converter required to melt a fuse in the event of a line to ground fault. DC micro-grids rely on power electronic converters to change voltage levels. All converters rely on semiconductor switches that must be protected from surges of fault current. This limits the power that a converter can supply to a fuse. In many cases, sufficient power may be achieved by appropriately sizing the converters’ output capacitor. / text

The paper evaluates the support needs of minority small business owners in Austin, Texas, based on a review of literature on support programs available around the country and primary research on the needs of local entrepreneurs. Research included a focus group with local small business owners served by BiGAUSTIN, a nonprofit business support organization, and a survey of 1900 business owners served by the organization in the past. Information was collected on the demographics and economic characteristics of 159 local firms, as well as on their interest in particular types of business training or support services. Based on survey findings, the paper concludes with recommendations for how Central Texas organizations can augment their programs to better assist small businesses in growth and development. / text

Coarse aggregate is often one of the largest volume occupying components in a portland cement concrete system. With increases in transportation costs and depletion of many of the aggregate sources currently in use the need to reevaluate the performance of aggregates in concrete has arisen. Current aggregate testing requirements for many organizations have not been updated in decades, even with the advancements in aggregate testing equipment that are currently available. This research project investigates current used and potential test methods for evaluating coarse aggregate for use in portland cement concrete. Testing focused on determining the most appropriate aggregate property to evaluate and then determining the correlation to mechanical concrete properties. Relationships between potential aggregate tests and currently used aggregate tests were evaluated to determine if compatible relationships between methods were evident. For this purpose concrete mixtures were made at a fixed aggregate volume to establish if a link was evident between aggregate test properties and concrete. To establish a link between laboratory and real world performance field sites with known distress were visited to better establish limits for aggregate testing requirements. Results obtained provided the basis for recommendations for testing requirements and limits to be used for aggregates in portland cement concrete. / text

Across vertebrates, the coordinated evolution and synchronous development of teeth and the mandible must require specific timing and positioning of gene expression. While debate persists about whether teeth have evolved before or after mandible, currently, the consensus is that these systems evolved at separate times and thus have discreet origins. This raises an important question of whether tooth and mandibular tissues have over the course of their evolution become developmentally co-dependent or, as separate evolutionary origins would imply, remain developmentally autonomous of each other. The molecular signaling that patterns the genesis of upper versus lower jaw skeletons, as well as specifies tooth type (i.e., molar vs. incisor) is relatively well understood. To date, the distinct genetic processes that drive tooth development distinct from jaw skeletal development has been little-studied, in no small part due to the technical complexity of this task. The main hypothesis of thesis is that a collection of genes acting within a gene regulatory network (GRN) drives odontogenesis with neither input from, nor influence on, jaw morphogenesis. The Transformation Related Protein (TRP63) is a master transcription factor that is vital to odontogenesis because TRP63 maintains the competence and proliferation of the epithelial layer of the tooth organ. Thus the “toothless” TRP63 homozygote mouse mutant (Brdm2 mutant) fails to develop teeth even though it develops a virtually unperturbed mandible. This combination of lower jaw morphogenesis in the absence of odontogenesis presents a rare model to study the genetic changes that occur when teeth but not jaws fail to form. A previous microarray gene expression analysis (Boughner laboratory, unpublished data) of mandibular prominences (MdPs) derived from embryonic day (E) 10-13 revealed that, compared to heterozygote (Trp63+/-) MdPs, in Brdm2 mutant MdPs, transcript levels of cerebellin 1 (Cbln1); keratin 2-8 (Krt2-8); phospholipid transfer protein (Pltp) and fermitin 1 (Fermt1) were altered in at least some of the four embryonic stages. Specifically Cbln1 and Krt2-8 were up-regulated while Pltp and Fermt1 were down-regulated. None of these four genes have previously been linked to odontogenesis yet all are potential candidates for a “tooth-specific” GRN. Using RT-qPCR analysis, I aimed to test the validity of the microarray work and confirmed its veracity by showing that, generally, Cbln1 and Krt2-8 mRNA were up-regulated, while Fermt1 (but not Trp63 or Pltp) mRNA was significantly down-regulated in the MdPs of Brdm2 mutant mice relative to Trp63+/- mice. Conversely, western blotting protein expression analysis showed little-to-no change among Brdm2 MdPs relative to either wild type (Trp63 +/+) or Trp63+/- embryos, making it difficult to tease out the precise relationship between CBLN1, FERMT1, KRT2-8, and PLTP and TRP63. These results show a lack of strong correlation between mRNA and protein expression. Because the mRNA analyses showed disturbances in the expression level in a few of these five genes within the MdPs during the earliest stages of tooth development, these genes remain candidates for an odonto-specific GRN. In complement to the genetic work, to characterize the tandem developmental morphology of tooth and jaw skeleton tissues, my work included developing a new tissue staining protocol. Using Protargol, a silver-based compound, to enhance in uncut mouse embryos contrast among tiny, soft oral tissues and visualize their organization in 3D and microscopic detail across several embryonic stages. This novel protocol offers a simple, easy-to-follow, and relatively inexpensive way to effectively stain whole embryos aged E10-15 for X-ray based micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) imaging using synchrotron and desktop scanning systems. Because the scan data are digital, this new method also allows more precise, accurate and rapid empirical studies of the sizes, shapes and positions of teeth as they form within the jaw to clarify how these tissues are integrated as they develop. The work presented in this thesis investigated tooth development exclusive of mandible development from complementary molecular and morphological points of view. Driven by the lack of understanding of the genetic mechanisms that orchestrate tooth with jaw skeletal development, this study has for the first time isolated a set of genes that are potential candidates for tooth formation only. These results set the stage for next steps in testing the developmental-genetics that enable teeth and jaws to “fit” together as they develop.