Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

The aim of this thesis was to determine the biomechanical adaptations made by active unilateral trans-tibial amputees when they used a prosthesis incorporating a hydraulically-damped, articulating ankle-foot device compared to non-hydraulically attached devices. Kinematic and kinetic data were recorded while participants ambulated over a flat and level surface at their customary walking speeds and at speeds they perceived to be faster and slower using the hydraulic device and their habitual foot. Use of the hydraulic device resulted in increases in self-selected walking speeds with a simultaneous reduction in intact-limb work per meter travelled. Use of the device also attenuated inappropriate fluctuations in the centre-of-pressure trajectory beneath the prosthetic foot and facilitated increased residual-knee loading-response flexion and prosthetic-limb load bearing during stance. These changes occurred despite the hydraulic device absorbing more, and returning less, energy than the participants’ habitual ankle-foot devices. The changes were present across all walking speeds but were greatest at customary walking speeds. The findings suggest that a hydraulic ankle-foot device has mechanical benefits, during overground gait, for active unilateral trans-tibial amputees compared to other attachment methods. The findings also highlight that prosthetic ankle-foot device ‘performance’ can be evaluated using surrogate measures and without modelling an ‘ankle joint’ on the prosthetic limb.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This thesis explores international and domestic factors that constitute continuities in U.S. foreign and security policy regarding trans-Atlantic relations. Since the founding of the Atlantic Alliance burden sharing has been one of the major sources of conflict between the United States and its European NATO allies. Despite the reluctance to spend more than minimal amounts on military capabilities in most European NATO countries the issue did not become a major concern in the U.S. Congress between 1951 and 1966. It was only in the late 1960s and early 1970s that proposals - including the Mansfield Resolutions and Amendments - were introduced in the Senate calling for a substantial reduction in the number of U.S. troops in Europe. The debates provoked by these proposals threw light on the various determinants of U.S. policy towards Europe. The contemporary relevance of the issue resides in the fact that most of the elements responsible for the emergence of the Mansfield Amendments are still influential in U.S. foreign and security policy. This circumstance might lead to comparable proposals and debates in the near future. / Civilian, Hungarian Ministry of Defense

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This paper examines the conditions under which self-identified trans* men disclose of their transgender identity or past gender history. Drawing upon theories of identity formation, passing and disclosing of stigmatic identities is used to understand when and how disclosure processes happen for trans*men. Drawing on interviews I examine the circumstances surrounding when disclosure or pressure to disclose becomes salient for individuals. I also consider how individuals use and negotiate systems of gender, along other inequalities such as class, race, education, and health care access.

Student Number : 0107471X - MSc research report - School of Civil and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / Water plays a global role in an enormous variety of ways. More importantely it also plays a fundamental role on a regional and local scales where it has a profound effect on the environment and socio economic development. It is a prerequisite for many of the mans activities and as such it must be managed and protected accordingly. In this water quality plays a fundamental role and water quality monitoring is a foundation stone of any serious efforts to manage water resources on any scale. The research conducted focused on water quality monitoring in the SADC region. It looked at the current practice and the gaps present with respect to the real needs and international best practice. SADC region is characterized by trans-boundary water systems where pollution of water resources is often not understood properly nor has been seriously studied. A regional Water Quality Monitoring Program is advocated to address these issues and is seen as one of the prerequisites for effective water resources management in the SADC region. Existing Water Quality Monitoring in individual countries of the SADC region has been studied on the basis of existing (limited) information and gaps with respect to international best practice have been identified. Recommendations have been made regarding the establishment of the SADC Water Quality Monitoring program. A set of principles on which this should be based have been formulated. It has been concluded that SADC countries do not have an appropriate water quality monitoring in place and that what does exist is not in line with the best practice recommendations. It is suggested that without an appropriate regional water quality monitoring program water quality could become one of the limiting factors of the future economic development in the region.

ABSTRACT Equilibrium unfolding, single- and double-jump kinetic studies were conducted to determine the unfolding and refolding pathway of glutaredoxin 2. Structural changes for wild-type glutaredoxin 2 were monitored by far-ultraviolet circular dichroism and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence for equilibrium unfolding and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence for single- and double-jump kinetics studies. Glutaredoxin 2 possesses two tryptophan residues in domain 2. In order to monitor changes in domain 1, cysteine 9 at the active site cysteines, situated in domain 1, was labelled with an extrinsic fluorophore, AEDANS, and a mutant was created (Y58W glutaredoxin 2). The AEDANS labelled protein displayed decreased alpha-helical secondary structure and conformational stability. A high degree of cooperativity and similar conformational stability was observed during the two-state transition of the urea-induced equilibrium unfolding of both the wild-type and Y58W glutaredoxin 2 proteins therefore Y58W glutaredoxin 2 could be used to assess structural changes in the local environment of domain 1 during unfolding and refolding. Two phases of unfolding, the fast and slow phase, occurred for both the wild-type and Y58W proteins. The slow phase involves structural rearrangements that expose small amounts of surface area while the fast phase represents gross structural unfolding exposing large amounts of surface area. The isomerization of the Val48-Pro49 peptide bond to the trans conformation occurs during the slow phase and this isomerization is coupled to conformational unfolding of the protein. The structural separation of these phases could be represented by two structural units (unit x and unit y), these units do not represent domain 1 and 2. The units could also result in parallel refolding pathways with the folding of the x unit involving the fast and slow refolding phases and the folding of the y unit of structure is represented by the medium phase of refolding. The fast and slow phases are further separated as the fast phase represents the gross structural folding of glutaredoxin 2 for species with the Val48-Pro49 peptide bond in the native cis conformation. The development of the slow phase after extended unfolding delay periods during double-jump refolding studies, as well as the acceleration of the rate of the phase by the peptidyl prolyl isomerase hFKBP-12 proved that the phase involves a proline peptide bond iv isomerization. This phase represents a slow isomerization coupled with conformational folding similar to the slow unfolding phase. Complex unfolding and refolding kinetics indicated the involvement of kinetic intermediates during (un)folding.

Det råder en brist på transkaraktärer i spel och dessa efterfrågas ständigt av transpersoner. I denna studie har vi skapat 5 transkaraktärer med både grafisk gestaltning och exempelscen från det påhittade spelet för varje karaktär. Dessa visades sedan för 6 respondenter som identifierar sig inom HBTQ-spektrumet och deltagarnas uppfattning om karaktärerna diskuterades. Resultatet visar att samtliga karaktärer utom en ansågs vara positiv representation i spel, då dessa inte fokuserar på negativa stereotyper som transpersoner får utstå. Som slutsats kan vi konstatera att så länge karaktärerna behandlas med respekt vill respondenterna främst ha fler karaktärer, oavsett personlighet och utseende. Det finns dock vissa aspekter i skapandet av transkaraktärer som bör tänkas över, då de kan påverka synen på transpersoner negativt, men som respondenterna ponerade kan vara gynnande för transpersoner själva att se i spel. Det blir alltså en balansgång över vad som transpersoner själva vill se och vad som transfober kan använda som argument mot den marginaliserade gruppen.

Os limites de exposição ocupacional ao benzeno, um agente carcinogênico, vêm diminuindo drasticamente nos últimos anos. Por outro lado, a concentração de benzeno em ambientes não ocupacionais tem aumentado devido à emissão biogênica e antropogênica, como exaustão de motores a gasolina e fumaça de cigarro. Indicadores Biológicos de Exposição (IBE) são utilizados como ferramentas importantes na avaliação da exposição humana ao benzeno. Com a diminuição dos limites de exposição, se faz necessário o desenvolvimento de metodologias analíticas com sensibilidade adequada para a determinação de IBE em fluidos biológicos que se correlacionem com baixas concentrações de benzeno absorvido pelo organismo. A utilização do fenol urinário como IBE ao benzeno, embora reconhecida mundialmente, tem a desvantagem de não apresentar boa correlação com a concentração de benzeno ambiental quando esta é menor do que 10 ppm (32 mg/m3). Os ácidos trans,trans-mucônico e S-fenilmercaptúrico, metabólitos do benzeno encontrados na urina, estão entre os compostos mais estudados como IBE ao benzeno. Neste trabalho, o ácido trans,trans-mucônico foi determinado na urina de indivíduos expostos ao benzeno utilizando as técnicas de Eletroforese Capilar (CE) e HPLC, ambas com detecção no UV. Na determinação por HPLC foi adaptada uma metodologia da literatura utilizando coluna analítica com fase reversa. Na determinação por CE foi proposta uma metodologia empregando duas condições analíticas alternativas: uma que utiliza um capilar especial com cela ótica de alta sensibilidade e a outra que utiliza um capilar comum, mas com adição de um modificador orgânico ao eletrólito. As duas condições apresentaram grandes vantagens, como análise rápida (15 minutos) e baixo limite de detecção (25 µg/L). Foram analisadas amostras de urina de indivíduos fumantes e não fumantes onde a sensibilidade da metodologia proposta foi suficiente para diferenciar estatisticamente os dois grupos avaliados. / The occupational exposure limits for benzene, a well-known carcinogenic agent, showed a drastic and continuous decrease in the last few years. In the other hand, benzene concentrations in non-occupational environments are increasing due to biogenic and anthropogenic emissions, like motor fuelled exhaustion and cigarette smoke. Biological markers of exposure are used like a powerful aid to evaluate human exposure for benzene. With the decrease of the exposure limits, the development of analytical methodologies is needed to accomplish adequate sensitivity for the exposure markers determination founded in biological fluids, in order to establish a correlation between the marker and the benzene concentration absorbed by organism. One of the biological marker of exposure for benzene recognized worldwide is urinary phenol, but the exposure for benzene at concentrations smaller than 10 ppm (32 mg/m3) usually is not correlated with urinary phenol concentration. The benzene metabolites trans,trans-Muconic and S-phenylmercapturic acids found in urine have been largely evaluated as biological markers of exposure. At the present work, trans,trans-muconic acid in urine from exposed individuals was determined by Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) and HPLC using UV detection. For HPLC, a pre-established method from literature using reversed phase column was utilized. A new analytical method was proposed using CE in two different conditions: one utilized a special capillary with high sensitivity optical cell and the other utilized a common capillary and an organic modifier added to the electrolyte. Both conditions showed interesting advantages, such as short-time analysis (15 min) and lower limit of detection (L.O.D = 25 µg/L). Urine samples from smokers and non-smokers individuals were analyzed and the proposed method allowed statistical differentiation between these groups.

Submitted by PPG Psicologia (psicologia-pg@pucrs.br) on 2018-06-08T22:17:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 HELENA_BONOCORE_MORAIS_DIS.pdf: 1351264 bytes, checksum: b5ef6e727b371af6ea41d3eefc279033 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sheila Dias (sheila.dias@pucrs.br) on 2018-06-14T19:15:19Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 HELENA_BONOCORE_MORAIS_DIS.pdf: 1351264 bytes, checksum: b5ef6e727b371af6ea41d3eefc279033 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-14T19:29:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 HELENA_BONOCORE_MORAIS_DIS.pdf: 1351264 bytes, checksum: b5ef6e727b371af6ea41d3eefc279033 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-27 / This study aims to understand the works of gender affirmation processes of Brazilian trans people that share their experiences through videos created and shared on YouTube. This is a qualitative study that used Netnography as an investigation method and for the purposes of data analysis. Aiming at understanding and discussing the specificities of the data collection, postulates from poststructuralism, Queer Theory, Feminism and Transfeminism were used in this study. The data collection took place in the virtual field, more specifically on YouTube, during the second semester of 2017, in which began the writing of the Field Journal, where the contents of the videos were registered, as well as impressions along the data collection process, that eventually resulted in the analysis of 29 videos from 8 different subjects. As inclusion criteria for choosing the videos, it was considered content from Brazilian people as long as they appear on YouTube?s search area when terms such as trans, transsexual, and transgender were typed; had shared content within at least 30 days; and identified oneself as trans, transgender, transsexual, trans man, or trans woman in at least one video. The videos analyzed in this research were publically shared by trans people, they are of general access to the population, and had previous visualization consent from their creators; therefore, this study did not demand the elaboration and application of the informed consent, or the approval or registration in the CEP/CONEP. The video analysis emerged the discussion of the spectacularization of trans identities and the gender performative affirmation processes, as well as the deconstruction of trans bodies in the virtual space. We also noted the emphasis of gender technologies such as surgeries and hormonal therapy in the videos of Brazilian trans people, thus creating success formats, a YouTube trans normative with its own segments. The discussion fostered in this study points to gender performativity on YouTube, to the importance of social media in the trans population?s representativity and visibility, and to the establishment and reproduction of singular video formats with trans themes on YouTube Brazil. / Este estudo buscou compreender como se d?o os os processos de afirma??o de g?nero de pessoas trans brasileiras que compartilham suas experi?ncias atrav?s de v?deos criados e compartilhados no website YouTube. Esta ? uma pesquisa qualitativa que utilizou a Netnografia como m?todo de investiga??o e an?lise dos dados. A fim de compreender e possibilitar a discuss?o das especificidades advindas da coleta de dados, foram utilizados os pressupostos de teorias p?s-estruturalistas como a Teoria Queer, estudos feministas e transfeministas. A coleta de dados ocorreu no campo virtual, mais especificamente no site YouTube, durante o segundo semestre de 2017, quando foi iniciado ? no momento da coleta, as Notas de Campo, onde foram registrados os conte?dos dos v?deos assim como impress?es ao longo da coleta, que resultou na an?lise de 29 v?deos de 8 pessoas diferentes. Como crit?rio de inclus?o dos dados, foram considerados v?deos de pessoas brasileiras, que aparecessem na ?rea de busca do YouTube quando digitado termos como trans, transexual e transg?ro; ter compartilhado conte?do h? pelo menos 30 dias, e se identificar como trans, transg?nero, transexual, homem trans ou mulher trans em algum de seus v?deos. Os v?deos analisados nesta pesquisa foram compartilhados publicamente por pessoas trans, sendo de acesso geral ? popula??o e tendo consentimento pr?vio de visualiza??o por parte de quem os criou, portanto este estudo n?o exigiu a elabora??o e aplica??o do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido (TCLE) ou a aprova??o e registro sistema CEP/CONEP. A partir da an?lise dos v?deos, foi discutida a espetacularizac?o das identidades trans e dos processos de afirma??o de g?nero performatizados, al?m da (des)constru??o dos corpos trans no espa?o virtual. Percebeu-se tamb?m o destaque das tecnologias de g?nero, como cirurgias e terapias hormonais nos v?deos de pessoas trans brasileiras, criando um formatos de sucesso, uma normativa trans do YouTube, com segmentos pr?prios. As discuss?es fomentadas neste estudo apontaram para a performatiza??o do g?nero no espa?o do YouTube, para a import?ncia das m?dias sociais na representatividade e visibilidade da popula??o trans e do estabelecimento e reprodu??o de formatos singulares de v?deos com tem?ticas trans no YouTube Brasil.