The objectives of this work are to review, investigate and model the microwave planar filters of the modern wireless communication system. The recent main stream of microwave filters are classified and discussed separately. Various microwave filters with detailed applications are investigated in terms of their geometrical structures and operational performances. A comprehensive theoretical study of microwave filters is presented. The main types of microwave filters including the basic low-pass filters such as Butterworth and Chebyshev filters are fully analysed and described in detail. The transformation from low-pass prototype filters to high-pass filters, band-pass filters and band-stop filters are illustrated and introduced. Research work on stepped impedance resonator (SIR) and asymmetric stepped impedance resonator (ASIR) structure is presented. The characteristics of λg/4, λg/2 and λg (λg is the guided wavelength of the fundamental frequency in the free space) type SIR resonators, and the characteristic of asymmetric SIR resonator are categorized and investigated. Based on the content mentioned above, novel multi-standard high performance asymmetric stepped impedance resonator single-wideband and dual-wideband filters with wide stopbands are proposed. The methodologies to realize wide passband and wide stop-band filters are detailed. In addition, multi-standard high performance triplewideband, quadruple-wideband and quint-wideband filters are suggested and studied. The measurement results for all prototype filters agree well with the theoretical predictions and simulated results from Ansoft HFSS software. The featured broad bandwidths over single/multiple applicable frequency bands and the high performances of the proposed filters make them very promising for applications in future multistandard wireless communication.

En un análisis sísmico tradicional, se considera principalmente la existencia de fuerzas sísmicas que actúan unidireccionalmente en dos o tres direcciones independientes. Sin embargo, se ha demostrado que la naturaleza del movimiento sísmico es errática, es decir, que las acciones sísmicas actúan en diferentes direcciones hacia la estructura. En el presente estudio, se analizó las respuestas de 4 modelos estructurales con una geometría arquitectónica escalonada usando un Análisis Modal Espectral (AME) y un Análisis Lineal Tiempo Historia (ALTH), con ángulos de incidencia con incrementos cada 10°, de manera que se evidencie los efectos de la bidireccionalidad sísmica frente al unidireccional a través de las respuestas máximas de los modelos. Para el ALTH, se consideraron 3 registros sísmicos ocurridos en Lima-Perú en un tipo de suelo rígido obtenidos a través de la red acelerográfica nacional peruana CISMID. Los resultados alcanzados muestran que, para el Análisis Modal Espectral (AME) el ángulo de incidencia mayor donde se presentan mayores repuestas es 45° para los 4 modelos, y para el ALTH los ángulos de incidencia son variables. Asimismo, en ambos análisis dinámicos, evaluando la bidireccionalidad sísmica se obtienen respuestas de 10 a 40% más que un análisis unidireccional. / In a traditional seismic analysis, it is mainly considered the existence of seismic forces that work unidirectionally in two or three independent directions. However, it has been demonstrated that the nature of the seismic movement is erratic, that is to say, that the seismic actions act in different directions towards the structure. In the present study, the responses of 4 structural models with a staggered architectural geometry were analyzed using a Spectral Modal Analysis (SMA) and a Linear Time History Analysis (ALTH), with incidence angles increased every 10°, so as to evidence the effects of the seismic bidirectionality against the unidirectional one through the maximum responses of the models. For the ALTH, 3 seismic records were considered, which occurred in Lima-Peru in a type of rigid soil obtained through the Peruvian national accelerographic network CISMID. The results achieved show that, for the Spectral Modal Analysis (SMA), the incidence angle where the greatest responses are presented is 45° for the 4 models, and for the ALTH the incidence angles are variable. Moreover, in both dynamic analyses, evaluating the seismic bidirectionality, responses are obtained from 10 to 40% more than a unidirectional analysis. / Trabajo de investigación

<div>The design of bridges prior to 1994 was carried out by either the Load Factor Design (LFD) or the Allowable Stress Design (ASD) methodologies. Load rating of these bridges was primarily conducted by Load Factor Rating (LFR). In 1994, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) developed and encouraged the use of a probabilistic-based method titled Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) for carrying out bridge design. A new methodology consistent with LRFD was also developed and adopted for conducting load rating. Thus, a new Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) was adopted by AASHTO in 2001 for load rating. Today, the bridges that were designed by the old LFD methodology are rated by both LFR and LRFR. Continued development suggests that load rating in future will be based only on LRFR, therefore LRFR is the recommended method for carrying out load rating of bridges even if they were designed by LFD. </div><div><br></div><div>The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) came across some LFD designed bridges which were adequate by LFR methodology, i.e., produced a rating factor of more than 1.0, but inadequate for LRFR. The load ratings were carried out using AASHTOWare Bridge Rating (BrR) software. These bridges belonged to five different limit states: lateral torsional buckling, changes in cross-section along the member length, tight stringer spacings, girder end shear and moment over continuous piers. </div><div><br></div><div>This research study explores the inherent differences between LFR and LRFR to justify the inconsistencies in the rating values. To find an explanation for these discrepancies, load ratings of these bridges were carried out extensively on AASHTOWare BrR. To verify the results produced by BrR, a separate analysis was also conducted using Mathcad and structural analysis results from SAP2000 for comparison purposes. Finally, the study also recommends some modifications in the BrR software that can be adopted for each of the above-mentioned limit states to resolve inconsistencies found between LFR and LRFR rating values. </div><div><br></div>

The objectives of this work are to review, investigate and model the microwave planar filters of the modern wireless communication system. The recent main stream of microwave filters are classified and discussed separately. Various microwave filters with detailed applications are investigated in terms of their geometrical structures and operational performances. A comprehensive theoretical study of microwave filters is presented. The main types of microwave filters including the basic low-pass filters such as Butterworth and Chebyshev filters are fully analysed and described in detail. The transformation from low-pass prototype filters to high-pass filters, band-pass filters and band-stop filters are illustrated and introduced. Research work on stepped impedance resonator (SIR) and asymmetric stepped impedance resonator (ASIR) structure is presented. The characteristics of λg/4, λg/2 and λg (λg is the guided wavelength of the fundamental frequency in the free space) type SIR resonators, and the characteristic of asymmetric SIR resonator are categorized and investigated. Based on the content mentioned above, novel multi-standard high performance asymmetric stepped impedance resonator single-wideband and dual-wideband filters with wide stopbands are proposed. The methodologies to realize wide passband and wide stop-band filters are detailed. In addition, multi-standard high performance triplewideband, quadruple-wideband and quint-wideband filters are suggested and studied. The measurement results for all prototype filters agree well with the theoretical predictions and simulated results from Ansoft HFSS software. The featured broad bandwidths over single/multiple applicable frequency bands and the high performances of the proposed filters make them very promising for applications in future multistandard wireless communication.

Noise and vibration suppression is an important aspect in the design process of structures and machines. Undesirable vibrations can cause fatigue in a structure and are, therefore, a risk to the safety of a structure. One of the most effective and widely used methods of mitigating these unwanted vibrations from a system is passive damping, by using a viscoelastic material. This dissertation will primarily focus on constrained layer passive damping treatments in structures and the investigation of associated complex modes. The key idea behind constrained damping treatment is to increase damping as affected by the presence of a highly damped core layer vibrating mainly in shear. Our main goal was to incorporate viscoelastic material in a thick stiffened panel with plate-strip stiffeners, to enhance the damping characteristics of the structure. First, we investigated complex damped modes in beams in the presence of a viscoelastic layer sandwiched between two elastic layers. The problem was solved using two approaches, (1) Rayleigh beam theory and analyzed using the principle of virtual work, and (2) by using 2D plane stress elasticity based finite-element method. The damping in the viscoelastic material was modeled using the complex modulus approach. We used FEM without any kinematic assumptions for the transverse shear in both the core and elastic layers. Moreover, numerical examples were studied, by including complex modulus in the base and constraining layers. The loss factor was calculated by modal strain energy method, and by solving a complex eigenvalue problem. The efficiency of the modal strain energy method was tested for different loss factors in the core layer. Complex mode shapes of the beam were also examined in the study, and a comparison was made between viscoelastically damped and non-proportionally damped structures. Secondly, we studied the free vibration response of an integrally stiffened and/or stepped plate. The stiffeners used here were plate-strip stiffeners, unlike the rib stiffeners often investigated by researchers. Both plate and stiffeners were analyzed using the first-order shear deformation theory. The deflections and rotations were assumed as a product of Timoshenko beam functions, chosen appropriately according to the given boundary conditions. Unlike Navier and Levy solution techniques, the approach used here can also be applied to fully clamped, free and cantilever supported stiffened plates. The governing differential equations were solved using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The development of the stiffness and the mass matrices in the Ritz analysis was found to consume a huge amount of CPU time due to the recursive integration of Timoshenko beam functions. An approach is suggested to greatly decrease this amount of CPU time, by replacing the recursive integration in a loop structure in the computer program, with the analytical integration of the integrand in the loop. The numerical results were compared with the exact solutions available in the literature and the commercially available finite-element software ABAQUS. Some parametric studies were carried out to show the influence of certain important parameters on the overall natural frequencies of the stiffened plate. Finally, we investigated the damped response of an adhesively bonded plate employing plate-strip stiffeners, using FSDT for both the plate and stiffeners. The problem was analyzed using the principle of virtual work. At first, we did not consider damping in the adhesive in order to validate our code, by comparing our results with those available in the literature as well as with the results obtained using ABAQUS 3D model. The results were found to be highly satisfactory. We also considered the effect of changing the stiffness of the adhesive layer on the vibration of the bonded system. As a second step, we included damping in the stiffened structure using complex modulus approach, a widely used technique to represent the rheology of the viscoelastic material. We observed an overall increase in the natural frequencies of the system, due to the damping provided by the viscoelastic material. Moreover, it was noticed that when the thickness of the adhesive layer is increased, the natural frequencies and loss factor of the stiffened structure decrease. A viscoelastic material with high loss factor and small thickness will be a perfect design variable to obtain overall high damping in the structure. / Ph. D.

Cette étude de cas vise à comparer le modèle de soins implanté sur le territoire d’un centre de santé et des services sociaux (CSSS) de la région de Montréal aux modèles de soins en étapes et à examiner l’influence de facteurs contextuels sur l’implantation de ce modèle. Au total, 13 cliniciens et gestionnaires travaillant à l’interface entre la première et la deuxième ligne ont participé à une entrevue semi-structurée. Les résultats montrent que le modèle de soins hiérarchisés implanté se compare en plusieurs points aux modèles de soins en étapes. Cependant, certains éléments de ces derniers sont à intégrer afin d’améliorer l’efficience et la qualité des soins, notamment l’introduction de critères d’évaluation objectifs et la spécification des interventions démontrées efficaces à privilégier. Aussi, plusieurs facteurs influençant l’implantation d’un modèle de soins hiérarchisés sont dégagés. Parmi ceux-ci, la présence de concertation et de lieux d’apprentissage représente un élément clé. Néanmoins, certains éléments sont à considérer pour favoriser sa réussite dont l’uniformisation des critères et des mécanismes de référence, la clarification des rôles du guichet d’accès en santé mentale et l’adhésion des omnipraticiens au modèle de soins hiérarchisés. En somme, l’utilisation des cadres de référence et d’analyse peut guider les gestionnaires sur les enjeux à considérer pour favoriser l’implantation d’un modèle de soins basé sur les données probantes, ce qui, à long terme, devrait améliorer l’efficience des services offerts et leur adéquation avec les besoins populationnels. / The purpose of the present study was to compare the care model of one Montreal local territory to the stepped-care model and to investigate factors influencing the implementation of this model. A qualitative case-study approach was employed involving 13 semi-structured interviews with services providers and managers from primary and specialist mental healthcare. Results showed that the hierarchical care model in place in this territory is compared in several points with the stepped-care model. However, some elements of these models have to be integrated to improve efficiency and quality of care, including the introduction of objective evaluation criteria and the specification of evidence-based interventions. Furthermore, some factors influenced the implementation of this hierarchical care model. Thus, the presence of collaborative working and learning strategies were identified to be a key condition. However, some elements must be considered to facilitate its success like the standardization of the referral criteria and process, the clarification of the mental health guichet d’accès (centralized access point) roles and the general practitioners' adherence to the care model. In conclusion, the use of the reference and analysis frames of this study may guide managers on issues to be considered to support the implementation of an evidence-based care model which may facilitate mental healthcare efficiency and its adequacy with the population needs.

In this study, the &ldquo / Free Flexural (or Bending) Vibrations of Stiffened Plates or Panels&rdquo / are investigated in detail. Two different Groups of &ldquo / Stiffened Plates&rdquo / will be considered. In the first group, the &ldquo / Type 4&rdquo / and the &ldquo / Type 6&rdquo / of &ldquo / Group I&rdquo / of the &ldquo / Integrally-Stiffened and/or Stepped-Thickness Plate or Panel Systems&rdquo / are theoretically analyzed and numerically solved by making use of the &ldquo / Mindlin Plate Theory&rdquo / . Here, the natural frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes, up to the sixth mode, are obtained for each &ldquo / Dynamic System&rdquo / . Some important parametric studies are also presented for each case. In the second group, the &ldquo / Class 2&rdquo / and the &ldquo / Class 3&rdquo / of the &ldquo / Bonded and Stiffened Plate or Panel Systems&rdquo / are also analyzed and solved in terms of the natural frequencies with their corresponding mode shapes. In this case, the &ldquo / Plate Assembly&rdquo / is constructed by bonding &ldquo / Stiffening Plate Strips&rdquo / to a &ldquo / Base Plate or Panel&rdquo / by dissimilar relatively thin adhesive layers. This is done with the purpose of reinforcing the &ldquo / Base Plate or Panel&rdquo / by these &ldquo / Stiffening Strips&rdquo / in the appropriate locations, so that the &ldquo / Base Plate or Panel&rdquo / will exhibit satisfactory dynamic response. The forementioned &ldquo / Bonded and Stiffened Systems&rdquo / may also be used to repair a damaged (or rather cracked) &ldquo / Base Plate or Panel&rdquo / . Here in the analysis, the &ldquo / Base Plate or Panel&rdquo / , the &ldquo / Stiffening Plate Strips&rdquo / as well as the in- between &ldquo / adhesive layers&rdquo / are assumed to be linearly elastic continua. They are assumed to be dissimilar &ldquo / Orthotropic Mindlin Plates&rdquo / . Therefore, the effects of shear deformations and rotary moments of inertia are considered in the theoretical formulation. In each case of the &ldquo / Group I&rdquo / and &ldquo / Group II&rdquo / problems, the &ldquo / Governing System of Dynamic Equations&rdquo / for every problem is reduced to the &ldquo / First Order Ordinary Differential Equations&rdquo / . In other words the &ldquo / Free Vibrations Problem&rdquo / , in both cases, is an &ldquo / Initial and Boundary Value Problem&rdquo / is reduced to a &ldquo / Two- Point or Multi-Point Boundary Value Problem&rdquo / by using the present &ldquo / Solution Technique&rdquo / . For this purpose, these &ldquo / Governing Equations&rdquo / are expressed in &ldquo / compact forms&rdquo / or &ldquo / state vector&rdquo / forms. These equations are numerically integrated by the so-called &ldquo / Modified Transfer Matrix Method (MTMM) (with Interpolation Polynomials)&rdquo / . In the numerical results, the mode shapes together with their corresponding non-dimensional natural frequencies are presented up to the sixth mode and for various sets of &ldquo / Boundary Conditions&rdquo / for each structural &ldquo / System&rdquo / . The effects of several important parameters on the natural frequencies of the aforementioned &ldquo / Systems&rdquo / are also investigated and are graphically presented for each &ldquo / Stiffened and Stiffened and Bonded Plate or Panel System&rdquo / . Additionally, in the case of the &ldquo / Bonded and Stiffened System&rdquo / , the significant effects of the &ldquo / adhesive material properties&rdquo / (i.e. the &ldquo / Hard&rdquo / adhesive and the &ldquo / Soft&rdquo / adhesive cases) on the dynamic response of the &ldquo / plate assembly&rdquo / are also presented.

Cette étude de cas vise à comparer le modèle de soins implanté sur le territoire d’un centre de santé et des services sociaux (CSSS) de la région de Montréal aux modèles de soins en étapes et à examiner l’influence de facteurs contextuels sur l’implantation de ce modèle. Au total, 13 cliniciens et gestionnaires travaillant à l’interface entre la première et la deuxième ligne ont participé à une entrevue semi-structurée. Les résultats montrent que le modèle de soins hiérarchisés implanté se compare en plusieurs points aux modèles de soins en étapes. Cependant, certains éléments de ces derniers sont à intégrer afin d’améliorer l’efficience et la qualité des soins, notamment l’introduction de critères d’évaluation objectifs et la spécification des interventions démontrées efficaces à privilégier. Aussi, plusieurs facteurs influençant l’implantation d’un modèle de soins hiérarchisés sont dégagés. Parmi ceux-ci, la présence de concertation et de lieux d’apprentissage représente un élément clé. Néanmoins, certains éléments sont à considérer pour favoriser sa réussite dont l’uniformisation des critères et des mécanismes de référence, la clarification des rôles du guichet d’accès en santé mentale et l’adhésion des omnipraticiens au modèle de soins hiérarchisés. En somme, l’utilisation des cadres de référence et d’analyse peut guider les gestionnaires sur les enjeux à considérer pour favoriser l’implantation d’un modèle de soins basé sur les données probantes, ce qui, à long terme, devrait améliorer l’efficience des services offerts et leur adéquation avec les besoins populationnels. / The purpose of the present study was to compare the care model of one Montreal local territory to the stepped-care model and to investigate factors influencing the implementation of this model. A qualitative case-study approach was employed involving 13 semi-structured interviews with services providers and managers from primary and specialist mental healthcare. Results showed that the hierarchical care model in place in this territory is compared in several points with the stepped-care model. However, some elements of these models have to be integrated to improve efficiency and quality of care, including the introduction of objective evaluation criteria and the specification of evidence-based interventions. Furthermore, some factors influenced the implementation of this hierarchical care model. Thus, the presence of collaborative working and learning strategies were identified to be a key condition. However, some elements must be considered to facilitate its success like the standardization of the referral criteria and process, the clarification of the mental health guichet d’accès (centralized access point) roles and the general practitioners' adherence to the care model. In conclusion, the use of the reference and analysis frames of this study may guide managers on issues to be considered to support the implementation of an evidence-based care model which may facilitate mental healthcare efficiency and its adequacy with the population needs.

Thesis is devoted to a problem of Power Factor Correction on the low voltage level. It has still its own difficulties despite the fact that topic moved through long development. The main goal of this work is to offer reader variable procedure considering design process. It is based on use of measured data of network analyzer Meg30. The design algorithm has to share a maximum of eventual influencing factors. Therefore the body of master thesis goes through detailed analysis of Power Factor Correction.

El conocimiento de las características interfaciales es de suma importancia para poder desarrollar materiales que sean capaces de dar lugar a reacciones electrocatalíticas eficientes. Por esta razón, en esta tesis se muestran diferentes estudios interfaciales sobre superficies monocristalinas de platino y cobre en diferentes electrolitos. Además se estudian las características de la interfase electrodoldisolución con superficies de platino modificadas con adátomos de hierro, cobalto y níquel. Para ello, se han empleado las técnicas de voltametría cíclica, espectroscopía infrarroja con transformada de Fourier, desplazamiento de carga con CO y salto de temperatura inducido por láser. Los resultados muestran cómo varía el campo eléctrico interfacial disminuye al aumentar el recubrimiento de hierro y níquel en la superficie de platino. Este efecto tiene un gran impacto en la reacción de evolución de hidrógeno, ya que la mejora electrocatalítica de esta reacción está relacionada con la energía de reorganización de las moléculas de agua, la cual, depende de la fortaleza del campo eléctrico interfacial. Los estudios realizados en medio alcalino para las diferentes superficies de cobre y platino sin modificar muestran una correlación entre el potencial de máxima entropía y las funciones de trabajo para cada una de las diferentes orientaciones atómicas superficiales. Por otro lado, debido a la aplicabilidad de las nanopartículas en los sistemas reales de conversión de energía, se realizaron experimentos de sincrotrón empleando la técnica de Bragg coherent difraction imaging con el objetivo de estudiar el deterioro de las nanopartículas en condiciones operando.