Submitted by Franciele Moreira (francielemoreyra@gmail.com) on 2018-03-28T11:58:56Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Jeferson Arley Poveda Contreras - 2018.pdf: 763599 bytes, checksum: 6800571168e0aa9de85d151e4c912725 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-03-29T11:29:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Jeferson Arley Poveda Contreras - 2018.pdf: 763599 bytes, checksum: 6800571168e0aa9de85d151e4c912725 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-29T11:29:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Jeferson Arley Poveda Contreras - 2018.pdf: 763599 bytes, checksum: 6800571168e0aa9de85d151e4c912725 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-07 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / The goal of this work is study limit cycles of piecewise smooth vector fields. First, we present the basic theory, passing through the areas of analysis, qualitative theory of differential equations and algebra. We also present basic concepts of Filippov fields, which are indispensable for the study of piecewise smooth fields. In chapter one, was the main topic, a general method for finding limit cycles will be described; in the second chapter limit cycles are found in a piecewise smooth vector field with non-degenerate center being perturbed by a piecewise polynomial vector field. In the fourth chapter, we study limit cycles in piecewise smooth Hamiltonian fields. / O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar ciclos limite de campos de vetores suaves por parte. Primeiro apresentaremos a teoria básica, passando pelas áreas de análise, teoria qualitativa das equações diferenciais e álgebra. Apresentamos também conceitos básicos de campos de Filippov, os quais são imprescindíveis para o estudo dos campos suaves por partes. No capítulo dos, como tópico principal, será descrito um método geral para encontrar ciclos limite; no segundo três são encontrados ciclos limites em um campo de vetores suave por partes com um centro não degenerado sendo perturbado por um polinômio. No quarto capitulo estudaremos os ciclos limites de campos de vetores Hamiltonianos por parte.

Diversos estudos têm demonstrado que a atividade coordenada das células epiteliais com o estroma é fundamental no crescimento e diferenciação em situações fisiológicas e patológicas, inclusive no câncer. Vários relatos acentuam a importância do compartimento estromal nos tumores malignos e indicam fortemente que interações contínuas entre o carcinoma e as células estromais (resultando em regulamento e modulação recíproca) são condições prévias para desenvolvimento e progressão de carcinomas. Comparativamente, pouca informação está disponível sobre as características e o papel do estroma durante o processo carcinogênico e a maioria dos dados são baseados em estudos isolados. Nos animais tratados com o carcinógeno Dimetilhidrazina foi identificado na mucosa colônica o aparececimento de “Focos de Estroma Ativado” (FEA) que diferem do foco inflamatório esporádico encontrado na mucosa normal dos animais controles devido à imuno-expressão aumentada de células CD34, CD68, α-actina de músculo liso (ASMA), COX-2 positivas e densidade microvascular. Além disso, o FEA cercou um número aumentado de criptas colônicas em fissão que freqüentemente apresentavam células epiteliais com núcleos hipercromáticos. Este último achado pode sugerir correlação entre as alterações estromais e epiteliais dentro dos FEA. Embora esses achados sejam novos, são consistentes com observações prévias que o estroma tem um papel significante na carcinogênese. Juntamente com dados da literatura, este trabalho sugere que, no cólon, a “field cancerization” epitelial pode ser acompanhada através de alterações estromais e isto pode apontar novos marcadores de transformação neoplásica. / There has been considerable that the activity of epithelial cells with their stroma is fundamental in controlling growth and differentiation in normal and pathological situations, including cancer. A number of reports stress the importance of the stromal compartment in malignant tumors and strongly indicate that continuous interactions between the carcinoma and stromal cells (resulting in their reciprocal regulation and modulation) are prerequisites for carcinoma development and progression. Comparatively, less information is available about the features and role of the stroma for the carcinogenic process. In animals treated with the carcinogen Dimethyl-hydrazine we identified the appearing of mucosal “Activated Stromal Foci” (ASF) that differ from the sporadic inflammatory foci found in the normal mucosa of the control animals because of the presence of increased immune-expression of CD34, CD68, α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA), COX-2 positive cells and microvessel density. Furthermore, the ASF surrounded a increased number of colonic crypts in fission when compared to areas of normal stroma. This last finding suggests that stromal activation and epithelial changes may be correlated. These findings are novel but expected and consistent with previous observations that the stroma has a significant role in carcinogenesis. Taken together with literature data, our findings suggest that in the colon, the epithelial field cancerization may be accompanied by stromal changes and this may point to the finding of new markers of neoplastic transformation.

INTRODUÇÃO: O polimorfismo dentro do gene TCF7L2, rs7903146, é, até o momento, o marcador genético mais significantemente associado ao risco de diabetes mellitus tipo 2, sendo também associado à doença arterial coronariana. Contudo, pouco ainda se conhece sobre o papel funcional desse polimorfismo na patologia dessas doenças. O objetivo desse projeto foi investigar esse papel funcional, no fenótipo de células vasculares de músculo liso de 92 indivíduos, usando abordagens de comparação de níveis de expressão gênica e de comparação de correlações de expressão gênica, de modo que tais comparações fossem representadas visualmente como redes de interação gênica. MÉTODOS: Inicialmente, foram comparados os níveis de expressão de 41 genes (genes que possuem ou estão perto de variantes genéticas associadas ao diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e outros genes relacionados às vias de sinalização de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 ou às vias de proliferação celular) entre indivíduos com o alelo associado ao risco de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (CT e TT) e indivíduos sem o alelo de risco (CC) do rs7903146. Com a finalidade de se observar se os genes estavam se relacionando de modo diferente entre os grupos genotípicos, foram comparados os padrões de correlação de expressão dos 41 genes. RESULTADOS: Quanto às comparações de níveis de expressão entre os grupos, cinco formas de splicing do gene TCF7L2 e os genes CDKAL1, IGF2BP2, JAZF1, CDKN2B, CAMK1D, JUN, CDK4, ATP2A2, e FKBP1A apresentaram níveis de expressão significativamente diferentes. Quanto às comparações de correlação de expressão entre os grupos, os genes RXR?, CALM1, CALR e IGF2BP2 foram os que mostraram os mais diferentes padrões de correlação com os outros genes. CONCLUSÃO: Deste modo, o alelo de risco analisado é apontado como tendo influência em cis na regulação da expressão de determinadas formas de splicing do gene TCF7L2 em células vasculares de músculo liso; além de parecer influenciar nas expressões e nas interações de genes relacionados à homeostase glicolítica e/ou proliferação celular. Sendo assim, através de nossas análises identificaram-se possíveis candidatos-alvos no tratamento de redução do risco em indivíduos com alto risco de desenvolvimento de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e de doença arterial coronariana, especialmente os indivíduos que possuem os genótipos de risco analisados do gene TCF7L2 / INTRODUCTION: The SNP within the TCF7L2 gene, rs7903146, is, to date, the most significant genetic marker associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus risk, well as being associated with coronary artery disease. Nonetheless, its functional role in these diseases pathology is poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate this role, in vascular smooth muscle cells from 92 patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass surgery, using expression levels and expression correlation comparison approaches, which were visually represented as gene interaction networks. METHODS: Initially, the expression levels of 41 genes (seven TCF7L2 splice forms and other 40 relevant genes) were compared between rs7903146 wild-type (CC) and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (CT + TT) genotype groups. Next, the expression correlation patterns of the 41 genes were compared between genotypic groups in order to observe if the relationships between genes were different. RESULTS: Five TCF7L2 splice forms and CDKAL1, IGF2BP2, JAZF1, CDKN2B, CAMK1D, JUN, CDK4, ATP2A2 and FKBP1A genes showed significant expression differences between groups. RXR?, CALM1, CALR and IGF2BP2 genes were pinpointed as showing the most different expression correlation pattern with other genes. CONCLUSION: Therefore, type 2 diabetes mellitus risk alleles appear to be influencing TCF7L2 splice form\'s expression in vascular smooth muscle cells; besides it can be influencing expression and interactions of genes related to glucose homeostasis and/or cellular proliferation. Thereby, through our analysis were identified possible treatment target candidates for risk reduction in individuals with high-risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, especially individuals harboring TCF7L2 risk genotypes

路易士‧卡洛爾的《愛麗絲夢遊記》(Alice in Wonderland, 1865) 及《穿越明鏡》(Through the Looking-Glass, 1871) 是十九世紀極為出名的兒童文學。兩本書中都描述一位名為愛麗絲的女孩如何進入一個奇幻的國度而展開旅程，以及當中她所遇見的各種角色。這兩本書不只豐富有趣，更充滿了諧擬以及邏輯和文字遊戲，使其成為現今許多學者研究的對象。但是，兩本書的相似性使得一般讀者或是學者在閱讀時，都將其視為同一則故事。然而，在仔細探索後，會發現卡洛爾在寫作過程中，很明顯地把兩本書做了區分。本論文因此試圖將兩本書進行比較分析，來重新檢視兩個奇幻世界以及兩個愛麗絲的差異性。 本文第一章為概論，簡單介紹卡洛爾及其兩本作品。第二章運用德勒茲和加達利的概念，針對仙境與鏡中世界的空間的進行比較。從文本例證中可看出，第一本書中的仙境近似一個「平滑空間」(smooth space)，而第二本中的鏡中世界則如同一個「褶縐空間」(striated space)。此差異性更凸顯了這兩段故事的不同。第三章主要應用透納的理論來探討主角愛麗絲與兩個空間的關係。透納利用范‧杰內普的「儀式理論」(rites of passage)發展出「閾限」(liminality)的觀念，並用此觀念來解讀正在進行生命儀式的個體以及其所屬的階段。許多學者認為兩段故事是在描述愛麗絲長大的過程，因此她的旅程可被視為她經歷生命儀式─成年禮的歷程。然而，雖然兩本書中的兩個空間均可被視為一種「閾限空間」(liminal space)，但只有鏡中世界塑造了一個成功的生命儀式，使愛麗絲在最後得以達到象徵性的成年。另一方面，由於仙境中缺乏線性進展，無法構成一個有效的生命儀式，導致第一本書中的愛麗絲到最後還是以小孩之姿結束在此空間的旅程。第四章援引兩位學者的文章來探討愛麗絲在兩個空間中身體呈現的差異以及和愛麗絲自我發展的相關性。由於愛麗絲在仙境中維持一個小孩的身分，她的身體與行為不會造成社會的威脅，在空間中也就不會受任何拘束。反之，在愛麗絲即將長大的鏡中世界中，其女性的身體卻必須受到限制。因此，在鏡中世界的愛麗絲不僅身體未出現任何變化，她的任何身體的慾望也必須受到克制。這與在第一本書中的身體再現是全然迥異的。第五章則是本文的結論；總結這兩本書的差異性，而身為讀者的我們也應正視其中的區別，進而能夠更加了解卡洛爾筆下的兩個奇幻世界以及兩位均名為愛麗絲的主角。 / Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have brought laughter to children as they journey with Alice through the fantasy worlds ever since their first publication in the 19th century. Filled with Carroll’s witty parodies and plays of logic, the books quickly become two of the most widely studied children fantasies. Both books are about a little girl named Alice who crosses a barrier and enters a fantastical dream world, in which she meets a variety of strange creatures. With the similarity of structures, the two books are often regarded as one single work in modern days. However, upon close examination, it is quite evident that the two works are of entirely different entities, and should be read accordingly. In my thesis, I explore the possibility of reading the books separately by comparing and contrasting Carroll’s creation of the two worlds, as well as the two different developments of Alice within the books. In chapter one, I give an overall summary of the author and a brief introduction of the background of the Alices. Chapter two focuses on the two spaces of Wonderland and Looking-Glass World. Using Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s notion of smooth and striated space, this chapter delineates how Wonderland is more like a smooth space with its rhizomatic routes and a lack of center, whereas the linearity of Looking-Glass World appears to be closer to a striated space. This critical difference highlights the individualization between the two worlds. Chapter three investigates the relationship between Alice and the two spaces by adopting Victor Turner’s concept. Drawing on Arnold van Gennep’s notion of the rites of passage, Turner proposes the concept of liminality, which is the state of an individual when he or she is undergoing a rite of passage. Most scholars suggest that both Alice books depict Alice’s development to adulthood, which makes Alice’s journeys through the two worlds rites of passage. However, while both spaces can be said to be liminal spaces for Alice, only Looking-Glass World constitutes a completed rite of passage for her, in which she reaches a symbolic maturity at the end. With no linear progression, Wonderland fails to be a rite of passage, and hence Alice comes out still as the child she is going in. Chapter four concentrates on the bodily manifestation of Alice, and how they relate to the difference in Alice’s self development in the two books. Drawing on Donald Rackin’s and Anna Krugovoy Silver’s articles, I find that Alice’s exuberant bodily manifestation and vigorous expression of bodily desires in Wonderland is due to the fact that Alice remains a young child, and that her immature body does not cause a threat to the Victorian society. Hence, Carroll allows her to be the fully embodied girl in the first book. In Looking-Glass World, in which Alice is on the verge of growing up, her body must be restrained. Thus, her body stays static and her bodily desires are contained, very different from the bodily representation in the first book. In Wonderland and Looking-Glass, Carroll has created two very enchanting stories, with two distinctive fantasy worlds and two separate developments of Alice. Conclusively, I believe that Carroll meant for them to be treated as two separate books, with two different spaces of the dream worlds and two protagonists by the name of Alice.

<p>This thesis, consisting of six papers and a summary, studies the area of continuous time financial mathematics. A unifying theme for many of the problems studied is the implications of possible mis-specifications of models. Intimately connected with this question is, perhaps surprisingly, convexity properties of option prices. We also study qualitative behavior of different optimal stopping boundaries appearing in option pricing.</p><p>In Paper I a new condition on the contract function of an American option is provided under which the option price increases monotonically in the volatility. It is also shown that American option prices are continuous in the volatility.</p><p>In Paper II an explicit pricing formula for the perpetual American put option in the Constant Elasticity of Variance model is derived. Moreover, different properties of this price are studied.</p><p>Paper III deals with the Russian option with a finite time horizon. It is shown that the value of the Russian option solves a certain free boundary problem. This information is used to analyze the optimal stopping boundary.</p><p>A study of perpetual game options is performed in Paper IV. One of the main results provides a condition under which the value of the option is increasing in the volatility.</p><p>In Paper V options written on several underlying assets are considered. It is shown that, within a large class of models, the only model for the stock prices that assigns convex option prices to all convex contract functions is geometric Brownian motion.</p><p>Finally, in Paper VI it is shown that the optimal stopping boundary for the American put option is convex in the standard Black-Scholes model. </p>

The context of this thesis is the numerical simulation of turbulent flows at moderate Reynolds numbers and the improvement of the capabilities of an in-house 3D unsteady and incompressible flow solver called SFELES to simulate such flows. In addition to this abstract, this thesis includes five other chapters. The second chapter of this thesis presents the numerical methods implemented in the two CFD solvers used as part of this work, namely SFELES and PHASTA. The third chapter concentrates on the implementation of a new library called FlexMG. This library allows the use of various types of iterative solvers preconditioned by algebraic multigrid methods, which require much less memory to solve linear systems than a direct sparse LU solver available in SFELES. Multigrid is an iterative procedure that relies on a series of increasingly coarser approximations of the original 'fine' problem. The underlying concept is the following: low wavenumber errors on fine grids become high wavenumber errors on coarser levels, which can be effectively removed by applying fixed-point methods on coarser levels. Two families of algebraic multigrid preconditioners have been implemented in FlexMG, namely smooth aggregation-type and non-nested finite element-type. Unlike pure gridless multigrid, both of these families use the information contained in the initial fine mesh. A hierarchy of coarse meshes is also needed for the non-nested finite element-type multigrid so that our approaches can be considered as hybrid. Our aggregation-type multigrid is smoothed with either a constant or a linear least square fitting function, whereas the non-nested finite element-type multigrid is already smooth by construction. All these multigrid preconditioners are tested as stand-alone solvers or coupled with a GMRES (Generalized Minimal RESidual) method. After analyzing the accuracy of the solutions obtained with our solvers on a typical test case in fluid mechanics (unsteady flow past a circular cylinder at low Reynolds number), their performance in terms of convergence rate, computational speed and memory consumption is compared with the performance of a direct sparse LU solver as a reference. Finally, the importance of using smooth interpolation operators is also underlined in this work. The fourth chapter is devoted to the study of subgrid scale models for the large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows. It is well known that turbulence features a cascade process by which kinetic energy is transferred from the large turbulent scales to the smaller ones. Below a certain size, the smallest structures are dissipated into heat because of the effect of the viscous term in the Navier-Stokes equations. In the classical formulation of LES models, all the resolved scales are used to model the contribution of the unresolved scales. However, most of the energy exchanges between scales are local, which means that the energy of the unresolved scales derives mainly from the energy of the small resolved scales. In this fourth chapter, constant-coefficient-based Smagorinsky and WALE models are considered under different formulations. This includes a classical version of both the Smagorinsky and WALE models and several scale-separation formulations, where the resolved velocity field is filtered in order to separate the small turbulent scales from the large ones. From this separation of turbulent scales, the strain rate tensor and/or the eddy viscosity of the subgrid scale model is computed from the small resolved scales only. One important advantage of these scale-separation models is that the dissipation they introduce through their subgrid scale stress tensor is better controlled compared to their classical version, where all the scales are taken into account without any filtering. More precisely, the filtering operator (based on a top hat filter in this work) allows the decomposition u' = u - ubar, where u is the resolved velocity field (large and small resolved scales), ubar is the filtered velocity field (large resolved scales) and u' is the small resolved scales field. At last, two variational multiscale (VMS) methods are also considered. The philosophy of the variational multiscale methods differs significantly from the philosophy of the scale-separation models. Concretely, the discrete Navier-Stokes equations have to be projected into two disjoint spaces so that a set of equations characterizes the evolution of the large resolved scales of the flow, whereas another set governs the small resolved scales. Once the Navier-Stokes equations have been projected into these two spaces associated with the large and small scales respectively, the variational multiscale method consists in adding an eddy viscosity model to the small scales equations only, leaving the large scales equations unchanged. This projection is obvious in the case of a full spectral discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations, where the evolution of the large and small scales is governed by the equations associated with the low and high wavenumber modes respectively. This projection is more complex to achieve in the context of a finite element discretization. For that purpose, two variational multiscale concepts are examined in this work. The first projector is based on the construction of aggregates, whereas the second projector relies on the implementation of hierarchical linear basis functions. In order to gain some experience in the field of LES modeling, some of the above-mentioned models were implemented first in another code called PHASTA and presented along with SFELES in the second chapter. Finally, the relevance of our models is assessed with the large eddy simulation of a fully developed turbulent channel flow at a low Reynolds number under statistical equilibrium. In addition to the analysis of the mean eddy viscosity computed for all our LES models, comparisons in terms of shear stress, root mean square velocity fluctuation and mean velocity are performed with a fully resolved direct numerical simulation as a reference. The fifth chapter of the thesis focuses on the numerical simulation of the 3D turbulent flow over a re-entry Apollo-type capsule at low speed with SFELES. The Reynolds number based on the heat shield is set to Re=10^4 and the angle of attack is set to 180º, that is the heat shield facing the free stream. Only the final stage of the flight is considered in this work, before the splashdown or the landing, so that the incompressibility hypothesis in SFELES is still valid. Two LES models are considered in this chapter, namely a classical and a scale-separation version of the WALE model. Although the capsule geometry is axisymmetric, the flow field in its wake is not and induces unsteady forces and moments acting on the capsule. The characterization of the phenomena occurring in the wake of the capsule and the determination of their main frequencies are essential to ensure the static and dynamic stability during the final stage of the flight. Visualizations by means of 3D isosurfaces and 2D slices of the Q-criterion and the vorticity field confirm the presence of a large meandering recirculation zone characterized by a low Strouhal number, that is St≈0.15. Due to the detachment of the flow at the shoulder of the capsule, a resulting annular shear layer appears. This shear layer is then affected by some Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and ends up rolling up, leading to the formation of vortex rings characterized by a high frequency. This vortex shedding depends on the Reynolds number so that a Strouhal number St≈3 is detected at Re=10^4. Finally, the analysis of the force and moment coefficients reveals the existence of a lateral force perpendicular to the streamwise direction in the case of the scale-separation WALE model, which suggests that the wake of the capsule may have some preferential orientations during the vortex shedding. In the case of the classical version of the WALE model, no lateral force has been observed so far so that the mean flow is thought to be still axisymmetric after 100 units of non-dimensional physical time. Finally, the last chapter of this work recalls the main conclusions drawn from the previous chapters.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2006 S. 1-125 : 4 uppsatser

This thesis, consisting of six papers and a summary, studies the area of continuous time financial mathematics. A unifying theme for many of the problems studied is the implications of possible mis-specifications of models. Intimately connected with this question is, perhaps surprisingly, convexity properties of option prices. We also study qualitative behavior of different optimal stopping boundaries appearing in option pricing. In Paper I a new condition on the contract function of an American option is provided under which the option price increases monotonically in the volatility. It is also shown that American option prices are continuous in the volatility. In Paper II an explicit pricing formula for the perpetual American put option in the Constant Elasticity of Variance model is derived. Moreover, different properties of this price are studied. Paper III deals with the Russian option with a finite time horizon. It is shown that the value of the Russian option solves a certain free boundary problem. This information is used to analyze the optimal stopping boundary. A study of perpetual game options is performed in Paper IV. One of the main results provides a condition under which the value of the option is increasing in the volatility. In Paper V options written on several underlying assets are considered. It is shown that, within a large class of models, the only model for the stock prices that assigns convex option prices to all convex contract functions is geometric Brownian motion. Finally, in Paper VI it is shown that the optimal stopping boundary for the American put option is convex in the standard Black-Scholes model.

Invasive exotic species threaten the biodiversity and function of native ecosystems. Existing models, attempting to predict and control successful invaders, often emphasize isolated stages of in their life history and fail to formalize interactions between exotic species and recipient environments. In order to elucidate key mechanisms in the success of select invaders, I investigated the role of dispersal, establishment, proliferation, and persistence in their threat to natural areas. Focusing on Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada, I integrated the native climatic range and biological traits of 251 exotic vascular plants reported inside and outside the park. Based on their climatic range in Europe, 155 among 174 exotic plant species absent from the Park were predicted to establish within its boundaries; among these, 40 clonal perennials were considered the highest threat to the Park’s biodiversity. Focusing on smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.), a Eurasian perennial, threatening the structure and function of native prairies throughout the Great Plains, I extended my research to investigate the role of dispersal, establishment, proliferation, and persistence in characterizing its threat to the endemic diversity of northern fescue prairies, protected within Riding Mountain National Park. Patterns of smooth brome invasions were contingent on the type of propagules dispersed. The shallow dispersal gradient of individual florets combined with the steeper gradient of panicles and spikelets suggested that smooth brome is capable of simultaneously invading along dense fronts as well as by establishing isolated foci. While low correlations between the number of dispersed seeds and their recruitment suggested post-dispersal transport, seedling establishment remained contingent on prairie diversity. Seedling biomass increased with declining plant diversity, however, its impact depended on the availability of soil nitrogen. As a result, disturbed areas, preserving the root function of native plants, resisted smooth brome establishment. Even though low nitrogen contributed to a decline in seedling biomass, physiological integration between ramets facilitated their vegetative proliferation in low resource environments. Despite its rapid establishment and proliferation, smooth brome productivity declined at the center of invading clones. Although field and greenhouse observations failed to implicate soilborne pathogens, reasons for the observed decline remain unresolved. My research demonstrates that while Riding Mountain National Park and other natural areas in western Canada will continue to be impacted by exotic plants, integrating key stages in their life history provides an important conceptual framework in predicting their threat to natural areas and prioritizing management. / October 2008

Los sistemas flexibles de alta resistencia anclados al terreno son una de las distintas técnicas existentes para la estabilización de taludes, ya sean de roca o de suelos. Están constituidos por una membrana (red de cables o malla de alambre) sujeta al terreno mediante placas de anclaje, cables de refuerzo y bulones. En la mayor parte de los modelos de cálculo existentes se supone un comportamiento activo del sistema, es decir, que evita que se produzcan deslizamientos a través de una supuesta pretensión del sistema y convexidad del terreno. El sistema ejercería una presión normal al terreno que incrementa la tensión tangencial en la superficie potencial de deslizamiento evitando que se alcance la rotura del terreno. En esta tesis se han medido las fuerzas en distintos componentes del sistema desde el momento de la instalación, y se ha comprobado que la pretensión es muy reducida. Por otro lado, la supuesta convexidad del terreno raramente tiene lugar. Todo esto conduce a demostrar la hipótesis de comportamiento pasivo del sistema, es decir, que éste contiene a la masa inestable una vez que se ha producido la rotura. Es por ello que se ha considerado el desarrollar un nueva metodología de cálculo basada en un comportamiento pasivo. La nueva metodología consiste en realizar una simulación numérica dinámica en 2D de la interacción sistema flexible - masa inestable – talud estable. Partiendo de las dimensiones de un círculo de rotura en suelos o una cuña en roca, se deja caer la masa inestable con la fuerza de la gravedad. En su caída, la masa inestable deformará a la membrana, cables de refuerzo y bulones desarrollándose en ellos tensiones que deberán considerarse para su correcto dimensionamiento. En el caso particular de los taludes de suelos, se ha recurrido a la modelización de la masa inestable mediante la discretización por puntos SPH (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics). / Highly resistant flexible systems anchored to the ground are among the techniques for slope stabilisation, either soil or rock. The system is formed by a membrane (cable net or wire mesh) tightened to the ground through spike plates, reinforcement cables and bolts. In the majority of the existing design models, an active behaviour of the system is considered; which means, that it is able to avoid ground sliding through a pretension of the system and the convexity of the slope surface. The system would exert a normal pressure over the ground that increases the shear stress in the potential slip surface avoiding that failure takes place. In this thesis, forces on different system components have been measured, finding that the pretension force is very low. On the other hand, the supposed ground convexity rarely exists. All this demonstrates that actual system behaviour is passive; which means that it is able to contain the unstable mass once the failure has already occurred. Therefore, a new design methodology based on a passive behaviour has been developed. The new methodology consists in performing a dynamic numerical simulation in 2D of the interaction flexible system – unstable mass – stable slope. Starting from specific known dimensions of slip circle in soils or a wedge in rocks, unstable mass falls only under the action of gravity. During its falling, the unstable mass deforms the membrane, reinforcement cables and bolts. Maximum stresses developed in these components should be considered for their design. In the particular case of soil slopes, unstable mass has been discretised with the mesh free method SPH (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics).