The master´s thesis deals with concrete properties and it introduces problematics of building survey. In each part the study deals with diagnostic methods used for building construction. Then it closely examines selected methods, which are used for recognisability of steel reinforcement in concrete. In the practical part I conducted two engineering surveys of reinforced concrete industrial buildings. The main aims were to identify the position of reinforcement in selected elements of crane runway and to evaluate the quality of used concrete. The last part of thesis is focused on static assessment of short corbel of crane runway.

A commercial non-contact atomic force microscope was improved to achieve utmost resolution on a routine basis. This system was used to study the (110) surface of rutile titanium dioxide. The focus was on understanding contrast formation in terms of tip-sample interaction mechanisms. Moreover, chromium and antimony-doped titanium dioxide was investigated. The implications of transition-metal doping on the surface structure of this highly interesting photocatalyst was studied at the atomic scale.

No description available.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-ionizing form of medical imaging which has practical uses in diagnosing, characterizing, and studying diseases in vivo. Current clinical practice utilizes a highly trained radiologist to view MR images and qualitatively diagnose, characterize, or study a disease. There is no easy way to compare qualitative data. That is why developing quantitative measures in MRI show promise. Quantitative measures of disease can be compared across a population, MRI sites, and over time. Osteoarthritis is one disease where those who have it may benefit from the development of quantitative MRI measures. Those benefits may include earlier diagnosis and treatment of the disease or treatment which may halt or even reverse the damage from the disease.The work presented in this dissertation focuses on analyzing and developing new methods of radiofrequency (B1) field mapping to improve quantitative MRI measures. The dissertation opens with an introduction and a brief primer on MRI physics, followed by an introduction to B1 and flip-angle mapping in MRI (Chapters 1-3). Chapter 4 presents a careful statistical analysis of a recent and popular B1 mapping method, the Bloch-Siegert shift (BSS) method, along with a comparison of the technique to other common B1 mapping methods. The statistical models developed in chapter 4 are verified using both Monte Carlo simulation and actual MRI experiments in phantoms. Chapter 5 analyzes and details the potential errors introduced in B1 mapping when a 3D slab-selective excitation is employed. A method for correcting errors introduced by 3D slab-selective B1 mapping is then introduced in chapter 6, along with metrics to quantify the error involved. The thesis closes with a summary of other scientific contributions made by the author in chapter 7. The chapters comprising the bulk of the presented research (4-7) are briefly summarized below. Chapter 4, the statistical analysis of B1 mapping methods, demonstrates the effectiveness of deriving the B1 estimate from the phase of the MR image. These techniques are shown to perform particularly well in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) applications. However, there are benefits and drawbacks of each B1 mapping technique. The BSS method deposits a significant amount of radiofrequency (RF) power into the patient, causing a concern that tissue heating may occur. The Phase-Sensitive (PS) method of B1 mapping outperforms the other techniques in many situations, but suffers from significant sensitivity to off-resonance. The Dual-Angle (DA) method is very simple to implement and the analysis is straightforward, but it can introduce significant mean bias in the estimate. No B1 mapping technique performs well for all situations. Therefore, the best B1 mapping method needs to be determined for each situation. The work in chapter 4 provides guidance for that choice. Many B1 mapping techniques rely on a linear relationship between flip angle and transmit voltage. That assumption breaks down when a 3D slab-selective excitation is used. 3D slab-selective excitation is a common technique used to reduce the field-of-view (FOV) in MRI, which can directly reduce scan time. The problem with slab-selective excitation in conjunction with B1 mapping has been documented, but the potential errors in B1 estimation have never been properly analyzed across different techniques. The analysis in chapter 5 demonstrates that the errors introduced in B1 mapping using a slab-selective excitation in conjunction with the ubiquitous DA B1 mapping method can be significant. It is then shown that another B1 mapping technique, the Actual Flip Angle Imaging (AFI) method, doesn't suffer from the same limitation. The analysis presented in Chapter 6 demonstrates that some errors introduced by 3D slab-selective B1 mapping may be modeled and corrected allowing the use of 3D slab-selective excitation to reduce field-of-view, and potentially reduce scan time. The errors are modeled and corrected with a general numerical method using Bloch simulations. The general method is applied to the DA method as an example, but is general and could easily be extended to other methods as well. Finally, a set of metrics are proposed and briefly explored that can be used to better understand the topology and severity of errors introduced into B1 mapping methods. With a better understanding of the errors introduced, the need for correction can be determined. Chapter 7 details other significant ancillary contributions made by the author including: (1) presentation of a new B1 mapping method, the decoupled RF-pulse phase-sensitive B1 mapping method, which has potential for parallel transmit MRI; (2) demonstration of an ultra-short TE method which has potential for imaging Alzheimers brain lesions in vivo; (3) introduction of a new steady-state diffusion tensor imaging technique; (4) phase-sensitive B1 mapping in sodium is demonstrated, a feat not previously demonstrated; (5) a comparison between a dual-tuned and single-tuned sodium coil; (6) introduction of a water- and fat-separation technique using multiple acquisition SSFP; (7) an inter-site and inter-vendor quantitative MRI study is introduced; (8) a relaxation and contrast optimization for laryngeal imaging at 3T is introduced; and (9) diffusion imaging with insert gradients is introduced.

Die Regelungen zur Unabhängigkeit des Abschlussprüfers insbesondere bei Abschlussprüfungen konzernverbundener Unternehmen sind in den letzten Jahren - zuletzt in Folge der Finanzkrise 2007-2009 – auf den Prüfstand gestellt worden. Mit der Verordnung (EU) Nr. 537/2014 und der Richtlinie 2014/56/EU und deren Anwendung zum 17.06.2016 sowie der Umsetzung der europäischen Vorgaben auf nationaler Ebene durch das AReG und das APAReG sollte die Unabhängigkeit des Abschlussprüfers gestärkt werden. Eine Untersuchung des Rechtsrahmens vor und nach der Umsetzung der sog. EU-Abschlussprüferreform 2014 in deutsches Recht zeigt auf, an welchen Stellen Verbesserungen erfolgt sind und an welchen Stellen noch immer Handlungsbedarf besteht. / The regulations regarding the independence of the auditor in particular when the subject of the audit is an affiliated company, have been critically questioned, at least as a consequence of the financial crisis 2007-2009. With the Regulation (EU) Nr. 537/2014 and the Directive (EU) 2014/56/EU and their application until 17.06.2016, as well as the implementation of the European requirements at national level by AReG and APAReG, the independence of the auditor should be strengthened. An analysis of the legal framework before and after the implementation of the so-called EU audit reform 2014 into German law, demonstrates where improvement has been achieved and where there is still a need for action.

Tableau d’honneur de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales, 2013-2014. / Les romans d’enfance de Réjean Ducharme (L’océantume, L’avalée des avalés, Le nez qui voque) se caractérisent par des personnages narrateurs hégémoniques qui s’escriment contre les autres discours romanesques, de façon à ériger leur langage en vérité unique, en parole absolue. Ils profitent des privilèges énonciatifs que leur accorde leur statut pour couvrir de leur voix un espace maximal au sein des œuvres et disqualifier, par des procédés tant monovocaux (critique directe) que bivocaux (ironie, parodie), les discours d’autrui. Il en résulte un monopole qui amoindrit la teneur hétérologique des romans et la centralise autour d’une instance de parole dominante. L’autocratisme désigne, dans une perspective générale, cette posture à l’égard des autres, qui témoigne d’un fort désir d’autonomie. Dans une perspective plus restreinte, il désigne également une posture narrative qui instaure, par le biais de la régulation des discours à laquelle elle procède, une forme romanesque particulière : la poétique narrative de l’emprise.

Le roman Nuka part d'un voyage à Kuujjuaq. L'objectif était de donner un souffle nouveau à l'imaginaire du Nord, mais plus que cela, une voix aux enfants du Grand Nord. À travers les yeux d'une enfant, Nuka, âgée de neuf ans, un monde se crée, à travers les yeux du lecteur, une conscience s'éveille. Deux réalités s'affrontent et l'enfant doit trouver sa propre voie, d'où l'importance de la quête : le voyage dans la toundra et le voyage qui s'opère à l'intérieur d'elle-même. La partie reflexive s'appuie sur le motif du voyage dans l'imaginaire du Nord dans la littérature québécoise au XXe siècle. La ligne est bien mince entre le voyage réel et le voyage imaginaire. Il s'agit de tenter d'en délimiter les contours. Mais l'effet de flou s'amplifie dans le Nord. Il impose ses propres règles à ses habitants et aux voyageurs qui s'y risquent. À cela se mêlent le sentiment d'étrangeté et la découverte de l'autre, ce qui implique une tout autre prise de conscience. Le roman Nuka rejoint La Rivière sans repos de Gabrielle Roy en ce sens.

This thesis explores the role and representation of the natural world in a selection of Canadian dystopian novels: After the Fact (1986) by Hélène Holden, Voices in Time (1986) by Hugh MacLennan, Oryx and Crake (2004) and The Handmaid's Taie (1985) by Margaret Atwood. In order to argue that Canadian dystopian fiction varies from conventional literary dystopias because of its predominant use of nature, this thesis first examines the influence that archetypal images and symbols of nature have on specific dystopian conventions in Holden's and MacLennan's respective novels. Then, this study looks at how Atwood's critique of nature as a victim in Oryx and Crake and The Handmaid's Taie engages with ecocritic and ecofeminist ideas causing a breakdown in the generic conventions of Atwood's dystopian novels. / Cette thèse explore le rôle et la représentation de la nature dans les romans dystopiques canadiens suivants: After the Fact (1986) d'Hélène Holden, Voices in Time (1986) de Hugh MacLennan, Oryx andCrake (2004) et The Handmaid's Taie (1985) de Margaret Atwood. Ayant pour objectif de démontrer que la fiction canadienne dystopique se distingue de la littérature dystopique traditionnelle en fonction de son utilisation dominante de la nature, cette thèse examine l'influence des images, des symboles et des archétypes de la nature sur les conventions dystopiques spécifiques à After the Fact de Holden et Voices in Time de MacLennan. Ensuite, cette étude analyse la représentation de la nature comme victime dans Oryx and Crake et dans The Handmaid's Taie de Atwood qui diffère des conventions traditionnelles du roman dystopique en s'inspirant des idées découlant de l'écoféminisme et de l'écocritique.

This study addressed five key applications of paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS): (i) comparative analysis of the microporous substrate with the cellulose-based substrate in drug detection; (ii) detection of more than 190 fentanyl analogs with their fragmentation pattern can be implemented in the future reference for quicker, accurate and sensitive determination; (iii) exploring sweat in a fingerprint to be considered an alternate method to recognize non-invasive markers of metabolites, lipids, narcotics, and explosive residues that can be used in forensic testing applications; (iv) extending and improving better, cost-effective and quick real-time monitoring of the diseased stage using biofluid samples to obtain vastly different lipid information in viral infection such as COVID-19; and (v) mass spectral detection in chemical warfare agent (CWA) stimulant gas exposure with microporous structure absorbency capabilities in air quality monitoring. This novel synthetic material is known as Teslin® (PPG Industries), consisting of a microporous polyolefin single-layered silica matrix, can be used for precise, sensitive, selective, and rapid sample analysis with PS-MS. The Teslin® substrate provided longer activation time for samples and an active signal with a higher concentration of ion formation and mobility compared to cellulose-based papers. Direct analysis of multiple samples showed that, besides being more sensitive to the study and highly efficient with less sample size and spray solvent needed, Teslin® had less interaction with paper source molecules. For less than 60 seconds of processing time, PS-MS can be used as a rapid detection tool, with limited sample preparation requiring less than one microgram of the sample. Overall, the data in this analysis indicate the capacity of the PS-MS as an alternative approach for direct chemical analysis in many applications. Specifically, the waterproof and microporosity characteristics of Teslin® have proven its usefulness in detecting a variety of chemical components in liquid, solid, and gaseous phases without requiring any chemical treatment or substrate alteration.

La première partie de ce document est constitué de la pièce de théâtre Hiver. Cette pièce relate l’histoire de Felipe, Musina et Gilles, trois sans-abri qui vivent ensemble l’espace de quelques jours. Felipe a été recueilli par Musina après que sa mère biologique l’ait abandonné au cours d’une tempête de neige, alors qu’il était allé se réchauffer dans les toilettes d’un restaurant. Depuis ce temps, Felipe et Musina sont devenus très proches. Musina aime Felipe à la fois comme un frère, comme un ami et comme un fils. Quant au petit, il est amoureux de Musina. Gilles se greffe à eux pendant trois jours. C’est alors qu’il sera confronté à son lourd passé. La pièce se termine tragiquement par le suicide de Felipe et de Musina et l’arrestation de Gilles. La seconde partie du document comprend l’essai. Il porte sur la figure du sans-abri dans Fragment de théâtre I de Samuel Beckett, L’opéra de quat’sous de Bertolt Brecht et Hiver, notre pièce de théâtre. On y dissèque ce type de personnage pour en comprendre les fonctions, les particularités et la symbolique. Cette seconde partie est elle-même divisée en deux chapitres. Le premier retrace les caractéristiques des personnages de Fragment de théâtre I et de L’opéra de quat’sous et tente de préciser si l’on peut les qualifier de sans-abri. Quant au deuxième chapitre, il identifie les points de convergences et de divergences entre Fragment de théâtre I de Samuel Beckett, L’opéra de quat’sous de Bertolt Brecht et Hiver.