Sicyos deppei G. Don (Cucurbitaceae) is an invasive monoic annual tendril-bearing vine; it is endemic to Mexico, adapted to the rainfall cycle (June through the end of September) and produces spiny, single seeded fruits. Under serious infestation conditions, S. deppei grows extensively, covering native plants, crops and tree trunks. This study determined the breeding system and pollinators of S. deppei growing in three study sites at urban gardens and disturbed sites at the Campus of the Universidad de las Américas, Puebla in the city of San Andrés Cholula, Puebla (Mexico). Each female inflorescence had an average of 17 flowers at the three study sites. As a step prior to experiments, the timing for stigma receptiveness and pollen viability was determined with the Peroxtesmo KO test (PKO) and Diaminobenzidine test (DAB),respectively. Stigmas of female flowers reach maximum receptivity when flowers are at anthesis; receptivity decreases as the flower reaches the succeeding floral stages. Viability of pollen grains increases with flower development; viabilitypercentages at early stages of floral development are very low, as opposed to the higher percentages of pollen viability found in flowers at anthesis and following developmental stages. Breeding systems were tested for xenogamy and geitonogamy by hand pollinating female flowers. Breeding systems results demonstrated that S. i deppei has a mixed-mating system, being able to set fruit and seed when pollinated with pollen from different plants and from pollen of the same plants. The pollinators were determined with the single-visit method. The diversity of floral visitors in this study was low; the most effective pollinator for S. deppei in this study was Apis mellifera. Throughout the rainy season, this study also described the phenology of S. deppei at the plant and flower level, as well as total plant length. Each stage of development in male and female flowers lasts one day. At the end of the rainy season (N2010) individual plants measured between 947 and 270 cm. / CONACYT, NSERC-CANPOLIN

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of imagination in Immanuel Kant&amp / #8217 / s Critique of Pure Reason by means of a detailed textual analysis and interpretation. In my systematic reading of the Kantian text, I analyse how the power of imagination comes to the foreground of Kant&amp / #8217 / s investigation into the transcendental conditions of knowledge. This is to explain the mediating function of imagination between the two distinct faculties of the subject / between sensibility and understanding. Imagination achieves its mediating function between sensibility and understanding through its activity of synthesis. By means of exploring the features of the activity of synthesis I attempt to display that imagination provides the ground of the unification of sensibility and understanding. The argument of this study resides in the claim that the power of imagination, through its transcendental synthesis, provides the ground of the possibility of all knowledge and experience. This is to announce imagination as the building block of Kant&amp / #8217 / s Copernican Revolution that grounds the objectivity of knowledge in its subjective conditions. Therefore, the goal of this study is to display imagination as a distinctive human capacity that provides the relation of our knowledge to the objects.

Chez les oiseaux chanteurs, le chant des mâles véhicule des informations sur l’émetteur et sert pour la défense du territoire ainsi que pour l’attraction et la stimulation des femelles en vue de la reproduction. Le bruit urbain masque une partie de ces chants qui servent aux femelles à évaluer la qualité des mâles en période de reproduction. Dans un premier temps, ce doctorat s’intéresse aux effets du bruit urbain sur l’évaluation de la qualité des mâles et les conséquences reproductives lors du choix de partenaire et de l’investissement maternel dans les œufs chez le canari domestique. Les résultats indiquent que le bruit urbain diminue la réceptivité sexuelle des femelles ainsi que leur investissement dans les œufs par un effet de masquage des chants qui perdent ainsi leur attractivité vis-à-vis des femelles. Ces résultats appuient l’idée que le bruit urbain perturbe la communication vocale et peut en partie induire une réduction des densités de populations d’oiseaux dans les zones bruyantes.La communication suppose le transfert d’information. Chez les oiseaux chanteurs, le chant reflète la qualité des mâles laquelle peut être liée à l’expérience de l’individu et donc dépendre de l’âge. Dans une seconde partie, ce doctorat s’intéresse aussi au rôle de l’âge dans la production des chants chez le rougequeue noir en situation de compétition intrasexuelle. Les résultats montrent que les mâles de rougegqueue discriminent l’âge de leurs compétiteurs sur la base de signaux acoustiques. Cependant, les mesures sur les chants n’ont pas pu mettre en évidence des marqueurs acoustiques variant avec l’âge. Ces résultats suggèrent la nécessité de prendre en compte les effets de l’âge dans la communication animale et les paramètres utilisés dans l’identification de l’âge. / In songbirds, male song conveys information about the emitter and has two main functions: the territorial defense on one side and the attraction and reproductive stimulation of the females on the other side. The urban noise partly masks male songs used by females to assess the quality of their potential breeding partner. In the first part of my thesis I investigated in the laboratory the impact of the urban noise on the females’ assessment of the male quality in terms of mate choice and maternal investment in eggs using the domestic canary as a model. The urban noise reduced the female sexual receptivity and their maternal investment in eggs when listening to highly attractive low-frequency male songs through a masking effect. My results support the idea that urban noise negatively impacts animal communication and may be one of the causes of the observed reduction in bird population densities living in noisy areas.Communication involves the transfer of information. In songbirds, songs reflect male quality which could be related to male experience and therefore to age. In the second part of my thesis I carried out a field study investigating the role of the age in song production during intrasexual competition using a migratory urban population of a highly territorial songbird, the black redstart. Males were able to discriminate the age of their rivals (one-year old versus older) on the basis of their songs. However, a detailed song analysis revealed no acoustic cues varying between one-year old versus older males. Our results confirm the importance of considering age effects in animal communication and the requirement to identify the cues used for these differential responses in relation to age classes.

Cette thèse vise à mettre en évidence les limites du contrôle passif en utilisant des éléments de rugosité miniaturisés. La topologie des écoulements induite par la présence d’une rugosité cylindrique et des générateurs de tourbillons miniaturisés a été étudiée pour analyser la dynamique pour des temps court et long. Différentes bifurcations supercritiques ont été examinées au moyen d’une analyse de stabilité globale. La bifurcation souscritique est déclenchée par des mécanismes de croissance transitoire de l'énergie ou par la réceptivité de modes globaux stables. Des structures deforçage optimal 3D sont extraites pour comprendre la distribution spatiale liée à la fréquence de résonance du système. La simulation numérique directe perturbée révèle le rôle central du mode global le moins stable dans les instationnarités non-linéaires observées. Une analyse détaillée des structures tourbillonnaires montre qu’elles sont principalement liées aux mécanismes linéaires sous-jacents. La principale caractéristique globale du mode propre est liée à la présence d’une zone de séparation en aval de la rugosité cylindrique. En utilisant des générateurs de tourbillon miniaturisés, cette zone de séparation est fortement diminuée et aucun mode global isolé est alors présent. La dynamique de l’écoulement se révèle être conduit non seulement par le nombre de Reynolds de rugosité et par son rapport d'aspect géométrique, mais aussi par le rapport entre la hauteur de la rugosité et l’epaisseur de couche limite. / This thesis aims at highlighting the limits of passive control by usingminiaturized roughness elements. The flow topology induced by the presence ofcylindrical roughness and miniaturized vertex generators has been studied to uncover asymptotic and short time dynamics. Supercritical bifurcations has been investigated by means of global stability analysis. Subcritical bifurcation are induced by transient growth of the energy or receptivity of stable global modes. 3D optimal forcing structures are extracted to figure out the spatial distribution linked to the resonant pulsation. Perturbed direct numerical simulation reveals the pivotal role of the less steady global mode in the non-linear unsteadiness. A detailed analysis of the flowstructures is provided and linked to the involved linear mechanisms. Global feature of the eigenmode are linked to the presence of the separation zone behind the cylindrical roughness. By using miniaturized vortex generators the separation zone is suppressed and no isolated global modes are present. The flow dynamics turns out to be driven not only by roughness Reynolds number and geometrical aspect ratio but also by the ratio between the roughness height and the boundary layer thickens.

As bromeliáceas são plantas ornamentais tropicais com uma grande diversidade de cores e formas que as tornam extremamente apreciadas. Os estudos da biologia floral, associado aos sistemas reprodutivos das espécies vegetais, são de fundamental importância para subsidiar a condução de programas de melhoramento genético e conservação de espécies, além de auxiliar na determinação do grau de compatibilidade entre genótipos e eventuais barreiras reprodutivas. O objetivo da presente tese é estudar aspectos da biologia floral e reprodutiva, conservação dos grãos de pólen, estudos de compostos voláteis em flores e hibridação interespecífica e intergenérica em Bromeliaceae com potencial ornamental. Foi observada grande variabilidade genética entre as espécies estudadas, no que diz respeito à morfologia dos grãos de pólen e estigma. Altas taxas de germinação e viabilidade polínica foram obtidas para as diferentes espécies, e a receptividade do estigma está relacionada com a antese. Essas características associadas têm grande importância para a fertilização e, consequentemente, para a produção de sementes, desta forma são essenciais para a produção de híbridos e conservação de espécies. Para a conservação dos grãos de pólen, o melhor resultado foi obtido com a desidratação prévia por 3 h em sílica e conservação em nitrogênio líquido (-196°C). A partir de flores de treze espécies, foram identificados 71 compostos voláteis, alguns deles com importância na indústria de alimentos, cosméticos, perfumes, indústria química e farmacêutica. Dentre as dezessete espécies estudadas, mais de 50% apresentaram autoincompatibilidade, e algumas apresentaram autogamia, demonstrando que essas espécies apresentam autopolinização espontânea. Agamospermia foi observada em apenas duas espécies. Noventa e cinco combinações entre 17 espécies de Aechmea e Ananas (Bromelioideae) e Alcantarea e Vriesea (Tillandsioideae) foram realizadas. O sucesso nas hibridações corresponde a 33,74%, sendo que 24,96% envolveram as variedades botânicas do gênero Ananas. Entre as hibridações intergenéricas, apenas duas combinações foram obtidas com sucesso: V. michaelii x Al. nahoumii e V. simplex x Al. nahoumii. As possíveis causas da autoincompatibilidade e incongruência nesses cruzamentos estão relacionadas a diferentes eventos no tubo polínico, como: deposição irregular de calose no tubo polínico; enovelamento dos tubos polínicos no estilete; paralisação do crescimento do tubo polínico no estilete, entre outros. Sugere-se que a autoincompatibilidade seja gametofítica, evitando a autofertilização. Estudos mais aprofundados contribuirão para caracterizar as causas e as potenciais medidas para superar a autoincompatibilidade. Os resultados aqui apresentados trazem contribuições importantes para estudos de hibridação em Bromeliaceae, visando à obtenção de novidades para o mercado de plantas ornamentais, bem como contribuições para a caracterização e conservação de espécies dessa importante família / Bromeliads are tropical ornamental plants with a wide variety of colors and shapes that make them widely and extremely appreciated. The study of aspects of the floral biology, associated with the reproductive systems of these species are of fundamental importance for breeding and species conservation programs, assisting in the determination of the degree of compatibility between combination of genotypes, as well as potential reproductive barriers. The aim of this research is to study aspects of floral and reproductive biology, conservation of pollen grains, studies of volatile compounds in flowers and intergeneric and interspecific hybridization in Bromeliaceae with ornamental potential. High genetic variability was observed among the species studied, regarding the morphology of the pollen grains and stigma. High rates of germination and pollen viability were observed for the different species, and stigma receptivity showed the highest at anthesis. These characteristics are of great importance for fertilization and further seed production, thus are essential for the production of hybrids and species conservation. Preservation of pollen grains, showed the best results with a 3 h dehydration pre-treatment in silica and conservation in liquid nitrogen (-196°C). A large number of volatile compounds, totally 71, were identified from flowers of thirteen species. Some of these compounds have already been shown to be important in the food industry, cosmetics, perfumes, chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Among the seventeen species, more than 50% presented selfincompatibility and some species presented autogamy, demonstrating that these species present spontaneous self-pollination. Agamospermy was observed in only two species. Ninety-five combinations among 17 species of Aechmea and Ananas (Bromelioideae) and Alcantarea and Vriesea (Tillandsioideae) were performed, with a 33.74% rate of success, with 24.96% involving the botanical varieties of Ananas. Only two, among the intergeneric combinations, were successful, V. michaelii x Al nahoumii and V. simplex x Al nahoumii. Possible causes of self-incompatibility and incongruity in these combinations were related to different events during pollen tube growth, such as the irregular deposition of callose in pollen tubes; entangled pollen tubes in the style; arrest of pollen tube growth in the style, among others. We suggest that the self-incompatibility is gametophytic, preventing selffertilization. Further studies will help to characterize the causes and potential measures to overcome self-incompatibility. The results provide important contributions to studies of hybridization in bromeliads, aiming to produce new hybrids for the ornamental plants market, as well as contributions to the characterization and conservation of this important family of plants

Essa pesquisa tem como objeto a musealização da arqueologia marítima na cidade de Santos. Para tanto, recorreu ao estudo de recepção com estudantes de uma escola municipal de Santos visando a coletar dados norteadores de política de comunicação inerente ao processo de musealização. O propósito é trabalhar com a arqueologia pública, utilizando-se de estratégias participativas que aproxime as pessoas da ciência arqueológica considerando o museu e seu público. O estudo apresenta as pesquisas em arqueologia na cidade de Santos. Essas investigações trouxeram outras possibilidades de leituras para a história da cidade oriundas do campo arqueológico. Porém, muitas das coleções geradas por elas estão guardadas em outras cidades. Por esse motivo, é de suma importância que esse material permaneça em Santos, para que a comunidade santista tenha acesso a esses conhecimentos via comunicação museológica e a linguagem expositiva. O museu assume contemporaneamente um importante papel, para instigar seu público a participar da valorização e preservação desse patrimônio. Como patrimônio da união os vestígios arqueológicos marítimos musealizados devem estar a serviço da sociedade e a sociedade a serviço da preservação de forma a construir caminhos e soluções coletivamente. / This research has the objective of musealization of maritime archaeology in the city of Santos. For accomplishing that goal this research used the study of receptivity with students of a city public school to collect guiding data of the communication policy inherent to that process of musealization. The purpose is to work with the public archaeology using participative strategies that gather the people and the archaeological science, taking into consideration the museum and its audience. This study presents archaeological researches in the city of Santos. From those searches new possibilities of revisiting the history of the city arose originated from the archaeological field. However many of those archaeological collections are kept in other cities. For this reason it is of utmost importance that those archaeological findings stay in Santos so that its community has access to such knowledge through museological communication and expositive language. So the museum assumes contemporaneously a most important role by instigating its audience to participate in the valuation and preservation of such asset. As a Brazilian asset those musealized archaeological vestiges should stay to the service of the society and the society should stay to the service of preservation so to collectively build ways and solutions.

I yrken med möten med människor som varit utsatta på något sätt och behöver stöd i en förändringsprocess krävs en kompetens för att möta den hjälpsökandes behov. Ständiga möten med människor i en utsatt situation alstrar ett lärande även hos den som förväntas stötta och uppmuntra till förändring. Föreliggande studie avser att undersöka upplevelser av lärande hos individer som arbetar med kvinnor utsatta för våld i en nära relation. Sex kvinnor i en mellanstor kommun i Sverige har deltagit i studien. De arbetar antingen yrkesmässigt eller ideellt i två samverkande verksamheter med utsatta kvinnor. Totalt har elva intervjuer genomförts där förfarandet haft en kvalitativ ansats. Det insamlade materialet har analyserats med en tolkande fenomenologisk analys, där resultatet består av följande tre teman: Ett omedvetet och medvetet lärande, formellt lärande samt informellt lärande. Resultatet visar också hur informanterna upplever olika förutsättningar för lärande samt vilken betydelse lärandet får för den dagliga verksamheten. Deltagarna upplever att de ständigt lär av andra och sig själva, där samarbete och samverkan är viktiga förutsättningar för att det dagliga arbetet skall fungera. Lärande är betydelsefullt för verksamhetens utveckling, individens personliga utveckling och för att den utsatta kvinnan skall få god hjälp. För att kunna lära behövs förutsättningar som exempelvis engagemang och intresse. Och för att dessa ska tillgodoses krävs förutsättningar av mottaglighet och utrymme som ges och fås, dels av individen själv men främst av individer i verksamheternas nätverk. / In occupations where encounters with people who have been exposed in some way and are in need of support in a process of change, competence is required to meet the needs of that person. Every encounter with people in vulnerable situations generates situations of learning also for the person that is expected to give support and encourage change. The present study aims to examine the experiences of learning within individuals who work with women victims of domestic violence. Six women in a medium-sized municipality in Sweden participated in the study. They either work with salaries or voluntarily in two collaborative units with abused women. A total of eleven interviews were conducted where the approach had a qualitative alignment. The collected material was analyzed with an interpretative phenomenological analysis and the result consists of the three following themes: Unconscious/conscious learning, formal learning and informal learning. The result also shows how the participants experience different conditions for learning and the importance learning adress to the daily worklife. Furthermore, the participants experience a constant learning from both other individuals and herself, where cooperation and collaboration are essential for the function of daily work. Learning is important for development of the workplace, personal development and so that the abused woman will get the help she need. To be able to learn, there are necessary preconditions such as commitment and interest. And for these to be met, other conditions are required such as receptivity and space, which are provided and obtained partly by the individual herself but mostly by individuals in the network surrounding the work places.

Formal dialogues between an employee and a manager have long existed as a tool to achieve organizational goals and to develop employees as well as the organization. Development requires the exchange of feedback between employees and managers which is considered as one of the most important parts of the performance appraisal talk. Despite the purpose of the talk, previous research proves a dissatisfaction with the talks among the employees and an uncertainty with its practical usefulness. It is of significance that employees have a positive attitude towards the performance appraisal talk and its use in order to create favorable effects for the organization. Therefore, this study aims to understand employees and managers perception of the performance appraisal talk and to form an understanding with the parties receptivity towards feedback during the talks.   The purpose of this study has been fulfilled through a total of eight interviews with employees and managers in Handelsbanken.   The result of the interviews show that all respondents have a positive attitude towards performance appraisal talks, and both managers and employees agreed that the talk is of high significance. The purpose of the talk is to notice, develop and support the employees, create common goals and to exchange feedback between the parties. The interviews indicate that all respondents are receptive towards both positive and negative feedback during the performance appraisal talk. According to the managers and employees, the receptivity to feedback depends on the individual and the current situation. Positive feedback is preferred and feels easier to receive and process, but at the same time, negative feedback is also regarded as needful. / Formella samtal mellan medarbetare och chef har länge existerat i organisationer som ett verktyg för att nå satta mål i organisationen och bana väg för utveckling av både medarbetare och organisation. Utveckling förutsätter att feedback utbyts mellan parterna vilket bedöms som ett av samtalets viktigaste funktioner. Trots samtalets syfte, påvisar tidigare forskning attdet finns tveksamhet och missnöje bland anställda kring samtalets praktiska användbarhet. Det är av betydelse att anställda har en positiv inställning till medarbetarsamtal och dess funktion för att det ska skapa gynnsamma effekter för organisationen. Studien syftardärmed till att förstå medarbetares respektive chefers uppfattning om medarbetarsamtal samt skapa förståelse för parternas mottaglighet för feedback i samtalen. Forskningsmetoden följer en kvalitativ ansats och en fallstudiehar genomförts på olika kontor i Handelsbanken. För att uppnå studiens syfte har totalt 8 semi-strukturerade intervjuer genomförts med chefer och medarbetare på kontorsnivå. Resultatet visaratt samtligarespondenter har en positiv inställning till medarbetarsamtal på arbetsplatsen och både chefer och medarbetare var ense om att samtalet är betydelsefullt. Resultatet tyder på att medarbetarsamtalet handlar om att uppmärksamma, utveckla och stödja medarbetarna. Samtalet syftar även till att skapa en gemensam syn kring mål samtattförmedla feedback mellan chef och medarbetare. Samtliga respondenteri studienär mottagliga för både positiv och negativ feedback i samband med samtalen. Enligt både chefs-och medarbetarperspektivet är mottagligheten för feedback beroende av individen och situationen. Positiv feedback föredras och upplevs vara lättare att motta samt bearbeta, men samtidigt anses det behövligt att även motta negativ feedback.

Transition from laminar to turbulent flow has beentraditionally studied in terms of exponentially growingeigensolutions to the linearized disturbance equations.However, experimental findings show that transition may occuralso for parameters combinations such that these eigensolutionsare damped. An alternative non-modal growth mechanism has beenrecently identified, also based on the linear approximation.This consists of the transient growth of streamwise elongateddisturbances, mainly in the streamwise velocity component,called streaks. If the streak amplitude reaches a thresholdvalue, secondary instabilities can take place and provoketransition. This scenario is most likely to occur in boundarylayer flows subject to high levels of free-stream turbulenceand is the object of this thesis. Different stages of theprocess are isolated and studied with different approaches,considering the boundary layer flow over a flat plate. Thereceptivity to free-stream disturbances has been studiedthrough a weakly non-linear model which allows to disentanglethe features involved in the generation of streaks. It is shownthat the non-linear interaction of oblique waves in thefree-stream is able to induce strong streamwise vortices insidethe boundary layer, which, in turn, generate streaks by thelift-up effect. The growth of steady streaks is followed bymeans of Direct Numerical Simulation. After the streaks havereached a finite amplitude, they saturate and a new laminarflow, characterized by a strong spanwise modulation isestablished. Using Floquet theory, the instability of thesestreaks is studied to determine the features of theirbreakdown. The streak critical amplitude, beyond which unstablewaves are excited, is 26% of the free-stream velocity. Theinstability appears as spanwise (sinuous-type) oscillations ofthe streak. The late stages of the transition, originating fromthis type of secondary instability, are also studied. We foundthat the main structures observed during the transition processconsist of elongated quasi-streamwise vortices located on theflanks of the low speed streak. Vortices of alternating signare overlapping in the streamwise direction in a staggeredpattern. Descriptors:Fluid mechanics, laminar-turbulenttransition, boundary layer flow, transient growth, streamwisestreaks, lift-up effect, receptivity, free-stream turbulence,nonlinear mechanism, streak instability, secondary instability,Direct Numerical Simulation. / QC 20100518

A focus has been put on the stability characteristics of different flow types existing on air vehicles. Flow passing over wings and different junctions on an aircraft face numerous local features, ranging from different pressure gradients, to interacting boundary layers. Primarily, stability characteristics of flow over a wing subject to negative pressure gradient is studied. The current numerical study conforms to an experimental study conducted by Saric and coworkers, in their Arizona State University wind tunnel experiments. Within that framework, a passive control mechanism has been tested to delay transition of flow from laminar to turbulence. The same control approach has been studied here, in addition to underling mechanisms playing major roles in flow transition, such as nonlinear effects and secondary instabilities. Another common three-dimensional flow feature arises as a result of streamlines passing through a junction, the so called corner-flow. For instance, this flow can be formed in the junction between the wing and fuselage on a plane. A series of direct numerical simulations using linear Navier-Stokes equations have been performed to determine the optimal initial perturbation. Optimal refers to a perturbation which can gain the maximum energy from the flow over a period of time. Power iterations between direct and adjoint Navier- Stokes equations determine the optimal initial perturbation. In other words this method seeks to determine the worst case scenario in terms of perturbation growth. Determining the optimal initial condition can help improve the design of such surfaces in addition to possible control mechanisms. / <p>QC 20130604</p> / RECEPT