Myocardial infarction is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The purpose of this thesis was to develop strategies for the assessment of patients with suspected myocardial infarction using a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay, and to evaluate the relationship between the aetiology of myocardial infarction and long term clinical outcomes to identify opportunities to modify outcomes. In the United Kingdom, approximately 1 million patients present to hospital with chest pain each year and are assessed for suspected myocardial infarction, yet fewer than 20% of patients receive this diagnosis. Prior clinical standards mandated the admission of patients for serial cardiac troponin testing to identify myocardial necrosis and determine if myocardial infarction had occurred. However, new high-sensitivity assays offer a magnitude improvement in diagnostic precision, and as such provide a novel approach to diagnose or exclude myocardial infarction at an earlier stage. In our first study, I evaluate the performance of a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay as a risk stratification tool in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. A systematic review and individual patient-level data meta-analysis was performed, including prospective studies measuring high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome, where the diagnosis was adjudicated according to the universal definition of myocardial infarction. The primary outcome was myocardial infarction or cardiac death during the index hospitalization or at 30 days. Meta-estimates for primary and secondary outcomes were derived using a binomial-normal random effects model. Performance was evaluated in subgroups and across a range of troponin concentrations (2-16 ng/L) using individual patient data. A total of 22,457 patients were included in the meta-analysis (age 62 [15.5] years; n=9,329 (41.5%) women), of whom 2,786 (12.4%) experienced myocardial infarction or cardiac death at 30 days. Cardiac troponin I concentrations were < 5 ng/L at presentation in 11,012 (49%) patients, with a negative predictive value of 99.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 99.3-99.6) for myocardial infarction or cardiac death at 30 days. Lower thresholds did not improve safety, but did significantly reduce the proportion identified as low risk. This threshold of 5 ng/L formed the basis for the development of a diagnostic pathway for patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. In a cohort study of 1,218 patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome who underwent high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I measurement at presentation, 3 and 6 or 12 hours, I derived and validated a novel pathway (rule out myocardial infarction if < 5 ng/L at presentation, or change < 3 ng/L and < 99th centile at 3 hours), and compared this with the established European Society of Cardiology 3-hour pathway (rule out myocardial infarction if < 99th centile at presentation, or at 3 hours if symptoms < 6 hours). The primary outcome was a comparison of the negative predictive value (NPV) of both pathways for myocardial infarction or cardiac death at 30 days. The primary outcome was evaluated in pre-specified subgroups stratified by age, gender, time of symptom onset and known ischaemic heart disease. In those < 99th centile at presentation, the ESC pathway ruled out myocardial infarction in 28.1% (342/1,218) and 78.9% (961/1,218) at presentation and 3 hours respectively, missing 18 index and two 30-day events (NPV 97.9%, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 96.9-98.7%). The novel pathway ruled out 40.7% (496/1,218) and 74.2% (904/1,218) at presentation and 3 hours, missing two index and two 30-day events (NPV 99.5%, 95% CI 99.0-99.9%; P < 0.001 for comparison). The NPV of the novel pathway was greater than the ESC pathway overall (P < 0.001), and in all subgroups including those presenting early or known to have ischaemic heart disease. There are a number of additional approaches for the rule out of myocardial infarction. Clinical risk scores apply conventional risk factors to estimate the probability of myocardial infarction. The most widely implemented scores, HEART, EDACS, GRACE and TIMI, have been extensively validated when used alongside contemporary troponin assays, however, their impact on pathways applying high-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing is less clear. In 1,935 patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome, I evaluated the safety and efficacy of our novel pathway or the European Society of Cardiology 3-hour pathway alone, or in conjunction with low-risk TIMI (0 or 1), GRACE (≤108), EDACS (< 16) or HEART (≤3) scores. Myocardial infarction or cardiac death at 30-days occurred in 14.3% (276/1,935). The ESC pathway ruled out 70% with 27 missed events giving a negative predictive value (NPV) of 97.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 97.1 to 98.6%). Addition of a HEART score ≤3 reduced the proportion ruled out by the ESC pathway to 25%, but improved the NPV to 99.7% (95%CI 99.0 to 100%, P < 0.001). The novel pathway ruled out 65% with three missed events for a NPV of 99.7% (95%CI 99.4 to 99.9%). No risk score improved the NPV, but all reduced the proportion ruled out (24-47%, P < 0.001 for all). Whilst myocardial infarction due to atherosclerotic plaque rupture and thrombosis (type 1) is well described, the natural disease course of myocardial infarction due to oxygen supply-demand imbalance without atherothrombosis (type 2) is poorly understood. I aimed to define long-term outcomes and explore risk stratification in patients with type 2 myocardial infarction and myocardial injury. Consecutive patients (n=2,122) with elevated cardiac troponin I concentrations (≥0.05 μg/L) were identified at a tertiary cardiac centre. All diagnoses were adjudicated as per the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. The primary outcome was all-cause death. Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; non-fatal myocardial infarction or cardiovascular death) and non-cardiovascular death. To explore competing risks, cause-specific hazard ratios were obtained using Cox regression models. The adjudicated index diagnosis was type 1 or type 2 myocardial infarction or myocardial injury in 1,171 (55.2%), 429 (20.2%) and 522 (24.6%) patients, respectively. At five years, all-cause death rates were higher in those with type 2 myocardial infarction (62.5%) or myocardial injury (72.4%) compared with type 1 myocardial infarction (36.7%). The majority of excess deaths in those with type 2 myocardial infarction or myocardial injury were due to non-cardiovascular causes (HR 2.32, 95%CI 1.92-2.81, versus type 1 myocardial infarction). Despite this, the observed crude MACE rates were similar between groups (30.6% versus 32.6%), with differences apparent after adjustment for co-variates (HR 0.82, 95%CI 0.69-0.96). Coronary heart disease was an independent predictor of MACE in those with type 2 myocardial infarction or myocardial injury (HR 1.71, 95%CI 1.31-2.24). Patients with type 2 myocardial infarction were less likely to receive secondary prevention therapy, suggesting a treatment gap may exist and there may be potential to modify clinical outcomes. A risk stratification threshold has been defined using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I which identifies patients at very low risk of myocardial infarction or cardiac death. A diagnostic pathway incorporating this risk stratification threshold appears safer than established guidelines which apply the 99th centile alone. The use of clinical risk scores does not appear to improve the safety of this approach, however, does significantly reduce efficacy. Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing to improve the efficiency of the assessment of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome without compromising patient safety. The observations in those with myocardial injury and infarction have identified a phenotype of patients with type 2 myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease who are at increased cardiovascular risk, and who may benefit from targeted secondary prevention. The studies presented will inform the design of future clinical trials, and may inform international guidelines for the assessment of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

A tese analisa a trajetória do Sistema de Profissões e os seus elos com o sistema de estratificação social no Brasil. Focaliza as configurações do estrato profissional e os movimentos de (i) mobilidade social que caracterizam o grupo de posições privilegiadas no topo da hierarquia ocupacional. Argumenta-se que o sistema de profissões deve ser visto como o resultado da interrelação histórica entre três sistemas institucionais autônomos: a divisão do trabalho, o sistema de ensino superior, e a regulamentação profissional. O Estado é tomado como um ator central não apenas porque regula a produção de credenciais e os monopólios, mas também porque o modo como organiza a atividade econômica e os serviços de bem-estar cria novos mercados, ao tempo em que demanda e legitima os serviços profissionais. A pesquisa empírica se valeu de fontes (legislação, documentos, microdados das pesquisas domiciliares do IBGE Censos e Pnads) e técnicas diversas (análise de conteúdo, técnicas de análise quantitativa, pesquisa historiográfica) e, como resultado, foram identificados três grandes períodos na história do sistema de profissões no Brasil. Um primeiro de formação e estabilização (até a década de 1940) quando foram se consolidando gradativamente as regras que associam o exercício profissional, os monopólios de mercado e o diploma de ensino superior; um segundo de expansão e diferenciação, quando o sistema de profissões se expande concomitantemente à extensão de privilégios às novas carreiras que surgiam da diferenciação da divisão do trabalho e do sistema de ensino superior (1950 a 1980); e um terceiro, inaugurado na década de 1990, marcado pela diminuição da associação entre a divisão especializada do trabalho, o sistema de ensino superior e a extensão dos monopólios de mercado, tornando o sistema de profissões mais instável e fragmentado. A configuração do sistema de profissões ao longo do tempo condiciona a mobilidade social na parte de cima do sistema de estratificação, por dois motivos em especial: i) o modo como diferentes tipos de diplomas de ensino superior proporciona a inserção no estrato profissional; ii) e a forma como Estado e mercado recrutam os profissionais. Sendo assim, reconfigura-se associação histórica entre o diploma de ensino superior e a mobilidade social ascendente, alterando o próprio significado da mobilidade social no Brasil. / This dissertation aims at analyzing the trajectory of the Brazilian system of professions and its linkages with the countrys social stratification system. It focuses on the changing configurations of the professional stratum, and the social mobility movements to and from this group of privileged positions at the top of the occupational hierarchy. My main argument is that the system of professions reflects the historical interplay between three autonomous institutional systems: the division of labor, the higher education system and professional regulation. The State is a central actor not just because it regulates the production of credentials and monopolies. But also, because the way it organizes the economic activity and the welfare services create new markets, constrain and legitimate the professional services. The empirical research builds on several sources (legislation, documents, microdata from IBGE\'s Census and household surveys) and different techniques (content analysis, quantitative analysis, historiographic research). As a result, three significant periods have been identified in the history of the system of professions in Brazil. A first one, of formation and stabilization (until the 1940s), when the rules that link professional practice, market monopolies and higher education diploma were consolidated; a second period of expansion and differentiation when the system of professions grew, sharing privileges with the new careers that arose in a moment of increasing division of labor and expansion of the higher education system (from the 1950s to the 1980s). A third period, inaugurated in the 1990s, marked by a decline in the association between the specialized division of labor, the higher education system and the extension of market monopolies, making the system of professions more unstable and fragmented. The configuration of the system of professions over time conditions social mobility at the top of the stratification system, for two particular reasons: i) the way different types of higher education diplomas provide the insertion in the professional stratum; ii) and the way the state and the market recruit professionals. Thus, it reconfigures a historical association between higher education diploma and upward social mobility, changing the very meaning of social mobility in Brazil.

Esta dissertação de mestrado desenvolve uma análise da segregação residencial no município de São Paulo, descrita a partir da articulação entre raça e classe social. Deste modo, realçamos as diferenças de padrões residenciais de negros e brancos pertencentes a estratos sociais semelhantes, dando ênfase à caracterização da segregação racial nas classes médias e altas de São Paulo. A partir desta descrição, revelamos a maneira pela qual a segregação se relaciona com o perfil da estratificação social e das desigualdades raciais no Brasil, refletindo as dificuldades de inserção dos negros em estratos sociais mais altos. Para tanto, defendemos a hipótese de que a distância residencial entre os negros e brancos aumenta conforme consideramos as camadas sociais médias e altas. De modo que os negros destes estratos apresentam maior concentração em bairros mais pobres e periféricos. Esta hipótese é demonstrada através de uma ampla análise quantitativa, na qual exploramos a aplicação de diversas técnicas disponíveis para mensuração e análise da segregação residencial. Nossa argumentação acerca destas questões se alicerça no campo da sociologia das relações raciais, em diálogo com a produção brasileira e norte-americana sobre segregação residencial. / In this dissertation we develop an analysis of residential segregation in the city of São Paulo based upon the articulation of race and social class. In this way one can stress the differences in residential patterns among blacks and whites belonging to similar social strata, highlighting racial segregation in middle and upper classes in São Paulo. From this description we reveal the way in which segregation relates itself with the contour of social stratification and racial inequalities in Brazil, reflecting on the difficulties in inclusion of blacks in higher social strata. For such, we defend the hypothesis that the residential distance in blacks and whites increases as we look upon the middle and higher social classes. The blacks in these strata are more concentrated in poorer and peripheral neighborhoods. This hypothesis is demonstrated through a wide quantitative analysis in which we apply several available techniques for measurement and analysis of residential segregation. Our argument for such questions is based on the sociology of racial relations, but also in dialogue with the north-American and Brazilian literature relating to residential segregation.

Based on the premises of "Equity Theory" (Adams, 1963), this study evaluated the Virginia Community College System compensation rates and compared the salaries of similarly ranked and similarly qualified male and female faculty members. A quantitative analysis was conducted of the reported salaries of all full-time instructional faculty members in the Virginia Community College System in the Fall of 2006. The specific areas examined included salary, rank, highest degree earned, and full- or parttime employment status. Using the tenets of Equity Theory as a foundation, this study evaluated any differences in the compensation and rank between male and female faculty members to determine the "fairness" of salary policies. The population of this study included all instructional faculty members employed during academic year 2006-2007 in the 23 community colleges in the state of Virginia. Results of this analysis indicated that there were differences based on gender in the mean salaries of faculty members of the Virginia Community College System at the professor faculty rank for VCCS faculty members outside of Northern Virginia Community College and at the associate professor rank at Northern Virginia Community College. Findings of this study further indicated that faculty members in the Virginia Community College system overall were slightly more likely to be female, hold master's degrees, and hold assistant professor rank. Findings indicated that both males and females were equally likely to be employed as part-time faculty members in the Virginia Community College System and that both education and experience contributed significantly to salary in the Virginia Community College System.

The University of Kentucky (UK) and University of Michigan (UM) present very different patterns in terms of black student enrollments and completions from 2000 to 2012 because of a structural explanation, a qualitative explanation, and a statistical explanation. Unfortunately, the patterns at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) are partial due to a lack of data. First, the structural explanation is that UK, as a university in the state of Kentucky, was under a mandate from the U.S. Department of Education to desegregate because they were in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (KCPE) gave specific goals related to black student enrollment and completions. Substantial progress was made from 2000-2012, primarily during the time when Lee Todd Jr. created the President’s Commission on Diversity (PCD) which implemented strategies to achieve the goals. While the same federal laws applied to UM, as a northern state they were not under the same federal scrutiny regarding desegregation. UM was taking an aggressive approach with regards to increasing black student enrollments and completions under president Lee Bollinger, and he passed the process along to Mary Sue Coleman, but UM was faced with a negative response and resistance in terms of lawsuits in 2003 and legislation in 2006 (the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative or MCRI) which banned the consideration of race for all public colleges and universities in admissions. UM is highly selective, and a legacy of social movements by black students was stronger at UM than at UK, which may have increased media scrutiny and negative reactions. Essentially, UK’s success was based on an externally monitored topdown approach with little media scrutiny. Second, archived university websites from 2000-2012 and interviews with 21 key informants at the three universities showed a difference in the way diversity initiatives were framed. The Kentucky Plan, the desegregation mandate, had concrete and explicit language in terms of requirements related to black student enrollment at UK. The implementation at UK, although sometimes using broad and general language, was accountable to the explicit requirements of the mandate and black student enrollments and completions increased during that timeframe. At UM, during the Mary Sue Coleman administration, what began as explicit policy under Lee Bollinger became more general and vague policy after the 2003 lawsuits and 2006 legislation banning affirmative action, corresponding with a decline in black student enrollments and completions. Under Coleman, some have questioned whether the legislation was truly an obstacle, or an excuse to rationalize inaction with regards to black student enrollments and completions as they declined. In Ontario the language was typically general, and race tended to be absent, with diversity often conceptualized in terms of internationalizing the student body. Third, the statistical explanation is based on the cross-sectional examination of available National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data available for the universities in both states in the U.S.A. in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Before 2006, state-level politics do not explain enrollments or completions. In 2009 and 2012, a variable representing the MCRI for four-year public universities in Michigan is significant in explaining decreased black student completions, however it was not significant for enrollments. This applies not only to two universities, it applies to the four-year public institutions in both states, but it does not apply to community colleges since they are primarily open enrollment. Finally, the cross-national comparison between the U.S. and Canada does not have concrete data because UWO, like all Canadian universities from 2000-2012, did not collect student data based on race. However, interview data and the framing of policies in this study shows significant problems with racial incidents and low black student enrollments. So under the Canadian multiculturalist regime, the common neglect of collecting racial statistics suggest the possibility of a multiculturalist parallel to colorblind racism that I call racism-blind multiculturalism.

This study explores the relationship between social workers’ perceptions of the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) /AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) population and the effects on their service delivery. This study used a quantitative online survey with a self-administered questionnaire. Data was collected for 60 social worker participants for this study. Participants were provided a postcard to a link of the questionnaire that surveyed participants’ regarding demographics, general knowledge, knowledge about contracting HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS risk, and service delivery. Implications from the correlation coefficients identify a significant negative relationship between stigma and HIV/AIDS knowledge, suggesting that higher levels of stigma were present based on lower levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge. This study found that social workers were comfortable with PLWHA (people living with HIV/AIDS) and that social workers did not have strong levels of stigma towards PLWHA. A significant negative relationship between stigma and service delivery was found indicating that service delivery decreases based on the levels of stigma on behalf of the social worker. The findings of this study suggest further research and examination of social workers’ perception of PLWHA due to underrepresentation of social workers perceived stigma. The study also suggests that social workers need to increase their knowledge about PLWHA and the need for additional cultural competency trainings.

We explored the seasonal factors that might play a role in triggering germination of Dendromecon rigidaand Ehrendorferia chrysantha.D. rigida and E. chrysantha have been found difficult to germinate using common greenhouse techniques, Keeley and Fotheringham successfully germinated both species after storing their seeds in the field over a year and treating them with smoke. Identifying the specific seasonally changing factors that stimulated germination could have implications for understanding germination requirements for these and other hard-to-germinate chaparral species. Dendromecon rigidaand Ehrendorferia chrysanthaare part of the Papaveraceae family and both are found in the chaparral environment in Southern California. Both species are known to increase in numbers after fire events. Both are believed to have morphophysiological dormancy based on their miniscule embryo and increase in seedling presence after fire events. Climate within the chaparral environment consists of hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Storing seeds of D. rigidaand E. chrysantha in the field over winter and spring months resulted in increasing germination for D. rigida seeds that were imbibed in smoke-water. Germination of D. rigidaseeds occurred within six weeks and no further germination was noted beyond that. Ehrendorferia chrysanthaseeds failed to germinate in the field. Lab studies tested effects of stratification at different temperatures (5ºC, 10ºC, 18ºC, 25ºC and 30ºC), stratification for different durations (0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks), heat-shock, and fluctuating moisture and temperature conditions on a weekly time scale, on germination of both species. Of all these treatments the only combination that was effective in germinating seeds of D. rigidaand E. chrysanthawas warm stratification at 30ºC for 8 weeks following smoke-water imbibition. Under these conditions seeds of D. rigidaand E. chrysanthagerminated to 10% and 9.3%, respectively. Further studies on D. rigidaindicated a stratification temperature optimum between 30-40ºC with germination increasing with lack of light. These tested conditions corresponded to the daily peak soil temperatures measured at shallow depth in an area of chaparral inhabited by D. rigida. The period immediately after the first rain event after a fire may provide the chemical cues and warm stratification required to germinate buried seeds in this species.

The Avar were nomadic people from Central Asia who migrated into the Carpathian Basin in Central-Eastern Europe during the mid to late Migration Period (AD 568 - 895). Archaeological evaluation of grave goods and documentation of mortuary practices have been the primary means of understanding the Avar. However, this approach has largely neglected skeletal and biochemical analysis, in particular as these approaches relate to the biological variation, ancestry, and dietary patterns of the Avar. There remains debate as to whether disparities existed among the socially stratified Avar population of ancient Hungary. It is argued by some that these disparities existed and were the result of differential access to nutritional resources. This hypothesis was tested using the unique properties of isotopes and their chemical signatures. In so doing, the qualitative work on the grave goods was augmented by an additional, quantifiable line of evidence. To investigate social stratification among the Avar population, the techniques of chemical multi-isotope and osteological analysis were employed. Multi-isotopic analyses can be done on stable isotopes (carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen) and on the heavy isotopes (strontium and lead). The particular stable isotopes examined were carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15 N), and oxygen (δ18O). The heavy isotopes analyzed were strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb). Stable isotope analysis as well as ratio analysis of the heavy isotopes strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb) are well-established analytical chemistry methods for examining diverse aspects of diet and mobility through specific geographic regions. The analysis was performed on samples derived from well-preserved tooth enamel and bones. Reconstructing migration and dietary patterns at the Sajópetri cemetery site has helped estimate variability among social groups and between sexes in this population at the time of the Migration Period. Results of the heavy isotope analysis revealed that the Avar population were non-locals to the region, and the stable isotope analysis demonstrated that there was little variation between social groups with slightly higher variation between sexes. This research provides an empirical and analytical framework for further research into migration patterns and social class dynamics of late prehistoric Hungry. This study also adds existing research possibilities to the on-going biogeochemical studies conducted throughout Europe.

隨著人口結構變遷(高齡化)，我國老年退休後的所得維持保障已日趨重要 ，各國對於工業化所產生的職業傷害、疾病、失業和老年等社會風險，大 都建立社會安全制度加以保障，目前我國尚未有全民性的退休制度，但對 於既存的退休維持體系，本文認為有必要加以全面性的探討，根據 Esping-Andersen對福利國家階層化的分析，指出社會安全制度本身已成 為社會階層化的體系，即不平等的根源，因此，本文企圖從平等和階層化 的觀點來分析我國老年退休所得維持體系。本文主要探討對象著重在公務 人員和勞工之退休所得維持體系，至於軍人和私立學校等退休所得維持體 系，因資料取得困難，則不加以探討。本文之分析架構分為二部分，第一 、退休所得維持體系之制度建構分析，第二、分別探討目前公務人員(狹 義的依公務人員任用法任用之公務人員)和勞工所得維持體系制度面設計 最高法定給付之所得替代率，及執行面之實際所得替代率進行統計分析及 推估。本研究結果重點如下：一、公務人員退休所得維持體系之立法特性 與階層化由歷史分析得知，公保之建制強調其為官吏人事制度，立法定位 不同於一般保險，在第二層相關退休辦法和第三層優惠存款所得保障出現 階層化現象。二、公務人員(狹義的)退休所得維持方案在制度設計上，三 層所得保障下，最高法定給付之所得替代率已達98.79\%(一次退休 金)90.70\%(月退休金)，實際給付面已相當落實，所得替代率達86.75\% ，而新制公務人員退休法施行後，公務人員所得替代率將大幅提高，所得 替率高達128. 32\%(一次退休金)或108.70\%，將加深其不平等的程度。 三、勞工退休所得維持方案之階層化一般勞工只有勞保老年給付，僅有部 分勞工可享有第二層退休所得保障，即適用勞基法的勞工，因此出現勞工 間的階層化。實際執行上，因薪資以多報少問題嚴重，平均所得替代率只 有14.31\%；而有雙重保障部分的勞工，平均所得替代率43.85\%。四 、 勞基法退休給付執行面之階層化效果根據本研究發現企業別與退休給付之 間產生了一階層化效果，除公營事業單位和大型民營企業外，大多數勞工 無法領到勞基法所規定之退休金，不論在給付件數上(詳見表6.3)，或給 付額度上(詳見表6.4)，小規模的企業都無法落實。性別與退休給付間亦 產生了階層化效果，在給付件數上，女性只佔15\%左右，其餘高達85\%皆 為男性。 /

Les trois grands domaines d'application de batteries au plomb sont les batteries de démarrage, les batteries de traction et les batteries stationnaires. Les évolutions des marchés, notamment celui de l'énergie, ouvrent de nouvelles applications de stockage par accumulateur au plomb: transports électriques, énergies renouvelables dont éolien et photovoltaïque, stockage réseau, qualité, secours. Dans la plupart des cas, les contraintes de l'application mènent à revoir profondément les algorithmes de charge. Nous avons mené différentes études sur les batteries au plomb dans des conditions extrêmes: charge rapide pour batteries ouvertes, maintien en charge pour batteries stationnaires, décharge profonde avec inversion de polarité. À partir de ces travaux, un nouvel algorithme de charge rapide avec une phase de déstratification précoce a été mis au point. De plus, une nouvelle méthode de maintien en charge par faible courant imposé a été testée sur différentes technologies de batteries au plomb. Elle montre plusieurs avantages en termes de réduction importante de la corrosion, de diminution de la perte d'eau due à la corrosion et de besoin de charges périodiques.