Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Variations'

Le texte rabelaisien fonctionne selon un principe tres net : la variation. Le recit, les listes, les enumerations, les repetitions et les dialogues concourent a la mise en place d'une "copia", d'une lanque marquee par l'abondance, souvent preferee a l'elegance. La variete des presentations et l'emploi de procedes stylistiques varies engendrent une production romanesque composite, tres proche du "genre mixte" de platon. Partageant les gouts de son siecle pour le dialogue, pour une langue qu'il cherche, lui aussi, a defendre et enrichir, rabelais mele narrations et discours, debats contemporains et exempla attestes, reprend un texte qu'il corrige de livre en livre, d'une edition a l'autre. La reiteration et les variations generent de nombreux jeux lexicaux et sonores. Ludus et logos se rejoignent. Les creations verbales sont les indices les plus nets de cette volonte d'accumuler toutes les possibilites de la langue francaise, de varier les tons, de proposer au lecteur, apres la disparition du genre convenu de la chronique, un veritable evangile a rebours, une vision humaniste du cheminement humain par l'intermediaire de pantagruel. Le roman, grace a ces variations, s'affirme, finalement, comme une apocalypse, celle des possibilites des hommes et du langage
The rabelaisian text operates according to an extremely clear principie : that of variation. Narration, lists, enumerations, repetitions and dialogues combine to set a "copia". The variety of presentations and the use of different stylistic devices do create a composite novelistic production, very near to platon's "mixed genre". Sharing the contemporary tastes for dialogues, for a language he also wants to defend and to enlarge, rabelais mingles narratations with speeches, contemporary discussions with known exempla, carries on a text he rectifies from book to book, from an edition to another. Reiteration and variation create a great number of lexical and high-sounding games. Ludus and logos join up. Verbal creations are the clearest marks of his desire to pile up all the french idiom possibilities, to vary forms, to ofter his reader, after the disappearing of the conventional type of the chronicle, an authentic reverse gospel, a humanistic vision of the personal progress according to pantagruel's. The novel, thanks to these variations, finally asserts itself as an apocalypse, that of man and language possibilities

It is the intention of this thesis to present not only a visual exploration of a design problem, but also to discuss the obviously dialectic relation of the two for me essential basic elements of architecture: type and topos. My architecture education has been shaped in different countries, through different educational systems, and with different teachers and students. This thesis stands as a record of my accumulated experiences and as a description of a personal approach to working with architectural problems. I believe the most important part of an architecture education is the development of one’s own design process. This exposition represents a beginning,
Master of Architecture

The botanical theme in my art developed from years of photographing the native flora of Oregon with a macro-lens and studying botany and natural history. The appreciation which I developed for the evolution of flora and fauna and for the balances and complexities of the environments that sustain them is reflected in the work that I completed during my two years in the Master of Fine Arts program. The composition of the abstract paintings in acrylic medium which I completed my first year in the program were based on the cycles and seasons of nature. Repetition and variation of pictorial elements were symbolic of the recurring and changing conditions of seasons and the life cycles of plants. As I became interested in developing the textures and transparencies of these paintings, I turned to the work of several Abstract Expressionist painters. To create fluid veils of color, the acrylic medium was thinned by the addition of much water, and this change in the viscosity of the medium lent itself to a more calligraphic handling of the lines and shapes which make up the visual and symbolic structure of these paintings. After my first year in the graduate program, I was introduced to the techniques of monotype. The layering process of monotype seemed appropriate for the subject of floral forms, since in both the anatomy of the print and the morphology of flowers, forms are made up of layers and possess intricate overlapping structures. The images in these monotypes are based on generalized floral forms which serve as springboards for imagination to develop.

CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO
A construção de novos códigos através de modificações (alongamento, puncionamento, etc) de um código conhecido é uma prática comum quando se lida com códigos clássicos. Neste trabalho é mostrado que bons códigos podem ser obtidos com algumas dessas técnicas, aparentemente não efetivas aos códigos fontanais. Os Códigos LT (Luby Transform) Sistemáticos Alongados são apresentados e, a partir de simulações realizadas em programa desenvolvido para tal, mostra-se um melhor desempenho em relação aos seus códigos-mãe correspondentes, sob uma mesma condição de redundância. A técnica de alongamento pode ser bastante útil, minimizando a necessidade de trabalhar-se com blocos de informação grandes, caracterizada nos códigos fontanais e, por conseqüência, nos códigos LT.
Construction of new codes by modifying (extending,puncturing,etc) a known code is common practice when dealing with classical codes.We have shown in this thesis that good codes can be obtained with these techniques,apparently not effective for fountain codes.Lengthened Systematic Luby Transform Codes have being demonstrated ,through simulation ,to perform better when compared to the mother codes, under the same redundancy condition.Lengthening might be a useful technique which alleviates the need for large frame requirements posed by the fountain codes.

Heart ischemia, the precursor to an infarction, is one of the most common diseases in the western world. Today, the electrocardiogram or ECG is the most widely used tool to diagnose the disease. However, it often fails to detect the ischemia or to give an adequate picture of the size and location. Therefore, the potential of increasing knowledge obtained through mathe- matical models is very high. In this thesis the bidomain model is used to describe the electrical activity in the heart and body with ischemia incorporated into the model. To solve the equations set up by the bidomain model, the finite element method is used. Different physiological variations have been made to the body, these include changing the location of the heart and varying the conductivities in the body. The solution to the equations is then studied at the body surface. The main question asked is whether it is possible to detect the location and size of different types of ischemia by analyzing the solution. The methods used for this have been Singular Value Decomposition and Su- pervised learning. The different vectors obtained from the decomposition are used to distinguish the location and size of the ischemia for different physiolog- ical variations. The results show that it is possible to distinguish the location of the ischemia but that it probably will be more difficult to find the correct size since the change in size is harder to separate from other physiological variations, such as the conductivity of the body. Although relatively simple methods have been used, they indicate that, with further development, they can be used for the purpose of detecting the different ischemia.

A digital signature scheme is the process of signing an electronic message that can be transmitted over a computer network. Digital signatures provide message authentication that can be proved to a third party. With the rise of electronic communications over the Internet, digital signatures are becoming increasingly important, especially for the exchange of messages of legal significance. In 1988, Goldwasser, Micali and Rivest (GMR) [31] defined a signature scheme as a collection of algorithms: key generation, signature generation and signature verification. They defined a signature scheme as secure if it was existentially unforgeable against a chosen-message attack. These general definitions suited most signatures at the time, however, over the last decade digital signatures have emerged for which the GMR definitions are unsuitable. These signature schemes, together with their applications and security and efficiency considerations, will be explored in this thesis. These signature scheme variations have been classified by the additional services they provide to ordinary signature schemes, namely increased efficiency, increased security, anonymity, and enhanced signing and verifying capabilities.

Mestrado em Mathematical Finance
Um dos teoremas mais importantes da Teoria da Probabilidade é o Teorema do Limite Central. Este afirma que se Xn é uma sequência de variáveis aleatórias então as somas parciais normalizadas convergem para a distribuição normal. Além disso a ausência de pré condições faz-nos perguntar-nos se generalizações são possíveis. Particularmente neste manuscrito vamos focar-nos em duas questões: Existe uma taxa de convergência (universal) para o Teorema do Limite Central? Além disso em que circunstâncias podemos aplicar o Teorema do Limite Central? O teorema de Continuidade de Lévy afirma que a convergência em distribuição é equivalente à convergência nas funções características. Além disso quando aplicamos as expansões de Taylor a funções características ficamos com um polinómios com os momentos da variável como coeficientes. Por estas razões no nosso caso fazer os cálculos com funções características é preferível. Pelo teorema de Berry Essen podemos, de facto, encontrar a taxa de convergência que procuramos. E pelo teorema de Lindeberg e condição de Lyapunov podemos descobrir que o Teorema do Limite Central pode aplicar-se a sequências que não são identicamente distribuídas. Finalmente, utilizando o teorema ergódico vamos explicar como processos estocásticos estão relacionados com a teoria ergódica. Com isto vamos mostrar como este teorema pode ser utilizado pata encontrar um resultado quando a sequencia não é independente.
One of the most important theorems of Probability Theory is the Central Limit Theorem. It states that if Xn is a sequence of random variables then the normal- ized partial sums converge to a normal distribution. This result omits any rate of convergence. Furthermore the lack of assumptions makes us wonder if some gener- alizations are possible. Particularly in this essay we will focus on two questions: Does it exist a (uni- versal) rate of convergence for the Central Limit Theorem? Furthermore in which circumstances can we apply the Central Limit Theorem? The Lévy Continuity Theorem states that convergence on distribution functions is equivalent to convergence on characteristic functions. Furthermore when we ap- ply Taylor expansions to characteristic functions we get a polynomial with the mo- ments as coefficients. For these reasons, on our case computing with characteristic functions is preferable. By the Berry Essen Theorem we can in fact find the rate of convergence we are looking for. And by the Lindeberg Theorem and Lyapunov Condition we find that the Central Limit Theorem applies to sequences that are not identically distributed. Finally, using the Ergodic Theorem we will explain how stochastic processes are related to Ergodic Theory. With this we will show how this theorem can be used to find a result when the sequence is not independent.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Doutoramento em Matemática e Aplicações
O cálculo de ordem não inteira, mais conhecido por cálculo fracionário, consiste numa generalização do cálculo integral e diferencial de ordem inteira. Esta tese é dedicada ao estudo de operadores fracionários com ordem variável e problemas variacionais específicos, envolvendo também operadores de ordem variável. Apresentamos uma nova ferramenta numérica para resolver equações diferenciais envolvendo derivadas de Caputo de ordem fracionária variável. Consideram- -se três operadores fracionários do tipo Caputo, e para cada um deles é apresentada uma aproximação dependendo apenas de derivadas de ordem inteira. São ainda apresentadas estimativas para os erros de cada aproximação. Além disso, consideramos alguns problemas variacionais, sujeitos ou não a uma ou mais restrições, onde o funcional depende da derivada combinada de Caputo de ordem fracionária variável. Em particular, obtemos condições de otimalidade necessárias de Euler–Lagrange e sendo o ponto terminal do integral, bem como o seu correspondente valor, livres, foram ainda obtidas as condições de transversalidade para o problema fracionário.
The calculus of non–integer order, usual known as fractional calculus, consists in a generalization of integral and differential integer-order calculus. This thesis is devoted to the study of fractional operators with variable order and specific variational problems involving also variable order operators. We present a new numerical tool to solve differential equations involving Caputo derivatives of fractional variable order. Three Caputo-type fractional operators are considered, and for each one of them, an approximation formula is obtained in terms of standard (integer-order) derivatives only. Estimations for the error of the approximations are also provided. Furthermore, we consider variational problems subject or not to one or more constraints, where the functional depends on a combined Caputo derivative of variable fractional order. In particular, we establish necessary optimality conditions of Euler–Lagrange. As the terminal point in the cost integral, as well the terminal state, are free, thus transversality conditions are obtained.

Davida Rochlin said, “Nobody thought much about the front porch when most Americans had them and used them. The great American front porch was just there, open and sociable, an unassigned part of the house that belonged to everyone and no one, a place for family and friends to pass the time.” The landscape in which those porches existed has changed. Our traditional views of housing and neighborhoods (single family homes with a cul-de-sac at the end) really aren’t the norm anymore. In the last 10 years more Americans have moved to, and are living in cities than in the past (Lamber, Lisa 2012). Currently, 80.7% of Americans live in urban areas, up 1.7% from 2000 (Lamber, Lisa 2012). With this migration, there has been a surge in renovated, multi-family housing. While this does solve the problem of allowing more families to move back into urban areas, these buildings often have no sense of community or neighborhood. You don’t have neighbors, you simply live next to people. The porch used to be a symbol of community, a sociable space. Neighbors would sit outside and watch kids play and catch up with each other. But both technology and our own self-imposed isolations have lead us to slowly loose touch with our physical neighbors. The intention of this project is to create a community, a neighborhood, within a single building housing multiple families through porches and their variations.

L'auteur etudie des problemes vectoriels de calcul des variations et de controle optimal non coercifs dans les espaces de sobolev. Leur extension a des espaces de fonctions a variation bornee (bv en abrege) s'obtient par regularisation semi-continue inferieure pour la topologie faible etoile des espaces bv. Des resultats de representation integrale sont donnes pour les fonctionnelles regularisees lorsque les fonctions de recession des integrandes sont partout finies. D'autres resultats de semi-continuite sont obtenus pour des fonctionnelles explicitement definies sur l'espace bv lorsque cette condition sur les fonctions de recession n'est pas satisfaite. L'existence des solutions est alors obtenue par la methode directe du calcul des variations et les courbes-bv solutions des problemes etudies sont caracterisees par les solutions lipschitziennes d'un probleme parametrique auxiliaire. Ces methodes sont ensuite developpees pour des problemes de controle optimal gouvernes par des equations differentielles ordinaires avec donnees mesures. Certains resultats d'existence sont obtenus en l'absence de toute hypothese de convexite sur les integrandes des fonctionnelles etudiees

It has been proposed that the Asian-Australasian monsoon system is influenced by large-scale sea-surface temperature (SST) variability in the three tropical oceans although how this influence is manifested has remained a largely open question. Closure of this issue is important because it is needed to explain trends in monsoon precipitation and circulation that have occurred in the last 30 years. Using an atmospheric general circulation model, we run a series of experiments with different configurations of global SST relating to various epochs occurring during the last century to evaluate their influence on the monsoon. Comparisons of circulation fields show that a colder SST configuration generates a weaker large-scale monsoonal circulation. On the other hand, warmer SST states generate stronger large scale circulations with more vigorous centers of divergence and convergence. Warmer SST configurations are associated with positive anomalies of precipitation in the eastern Bay of Bengal, Eastern Indian Ocean and South East Asia. Cooler SST configurations are associated with negative anomalies of precipitation in the Arabian Sea and Indian peninsula, especially at the beginning of the summer. Since SST gradients determine, to a large degree, the low level flow, they are also going to influence the transport of atmospheric moisture. Comparison of vertically integrated moisture transport fields between the different experiments show that cold SST configuration favors an increased inter-hemispheric flow of moisture but decreases in the westerly moisture flow in to the Bay of Bengal and India. Warm SST configurations, on the other hand, strengthens westerly flow into the eastern Indian Ocean. An increasing availability of moisture in a region of stronger convergence constitutes a favorable environment for the production of monsoonal precipitation. African easterly waves (AEW) constitute an important component of the African and tropical Atlantic Ocean climate during the boreal summer. An understanding of this component is essential since AEW are closely related with tropical Atlantic storm activity. We adopt an idealized modeling approach using the WRF model initialized with ERA-40 reanalysis data to study the mechanisms that trigger the formation and maintenance of AEW. The model domain includes the African continent, central and eastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean. Experiments are designed to test the relative importance of the thermal effect of the eastern African topography and the influence of the cross-equatorial pressure gradient, induced by the sea surface temperature (SST) on the origins and maintenance of AEW. Topography and SST variation are selectively added and removed. The control experiment shows that the model reproduces many of the mean features observed during the boreal summer. Westward propagating disturbances of 3-8 day period that originate between 30 and 40E at the surface levels and in the mid troposphere are well depicted. In addition, the model provides a reasonable representation of the AEJ. When all topographic features are removed, there is a weakening of the AEJ over land and ocean, however, longitude-time sections of meridional velocity still exhibit westward propagating disturbances that reach the western African coast at the surface and at the jet level with the same 3-8 day period. Spectral analysis of meridional velocity show that the variability associated with AEWs is reduced over East Africa and West Africa at 850-hPa and is reduced west of 20E along the southern flank of the jet and over northern Africa at the jet level. Maximum amplitude of the disturbances occurs right at the coast. The spatial distribution of barotropic and baroclinic energy conversions explains the reduction in AEWs over land and the intensification of these features at the coast. When the zonal SST gradient is removed, a weaker AEJ displaces southward and a weaker monsoon flow ensues. Spectral analysis of meridional velocity displays a variance reduction in the 3-8 day band at the 850-hP a level in western and eastern Africa and at the coast. At the 650-hPa level significant changes are not observed at the latitude of the AEJ (15N), however, a decrease in the variance associated with AEW occurs at the southern flank of the jet. A southward displacement of the jet favors a weakening of the baroclinic energy conversions. Barotropic conversions also appear to be weaker when the SST gradient is removed. The present study suggests that orography plays an important role in determining the variability of meridional wind associated with AEW over Eastern Africa at the lower levels. Further, zonal SST gradients over the Atlantic favor intensification of waves when they reach the coast and the maintenance of disturbances across the Ocean. Also, results could suggest that SST gradients support genesis of AEW just off the coast of Africa.

We investigate the assignment problem, which is the problem of matching two sets with each other, optimizing a given function on the possible matchings. Among different definitions, a graph theoretical definition of the linear sum assignment problem is as follows: Given a weighted complete bipartite graph, find a maximum (or minimum) one-to-one matching between the two equal-size sets of the graph, where the score of a matching is the total weight of the matched edges. We investigate extensions and variations like the incremental assignment problem, maximum subset matching problem, maximum-weighted tree matching problem. We present a genetic algorithm scheme for maximum-weighted tree matching problem, and experimental results of our implementation.

Only a few of RakJimaninov's compositions were popular with audiences during the lifetime of this Titan of the piano. Such youthful works as the Prelude in c# minor, op. 3, no. 2 and the Piano Concerto no. 2, op. 18 demonstrated only one facet of a creative process that evolved throughout his life. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, is to consider the extent of Rakhmaninov's stylistic evolution, especially the changes embodied in the large scale piano solo, Variations on a Theme of Corelli, written in the last decade of the composer's life. In the discussion of Rakhmaninov's lifelong stylistic development the author considers three distinct stages in his life as important landmarks. The first stage shows certain early influences upon the composer's creative powers, whether conscious, such as his acknowledged sensitivity to melody, or unconscious, such as medieval chant (Dies Irae), the sound of church bells, poetry and painting. The second addresses the question of the mixed legacy of Rakhmaninov's break with the past, when he left Russia in 1917 to re-settle in the United States the next year. On the one hand he never entirely broke his links with "Mother Russia," his fascination with the sounds of bells and chants, in his last decade of musical composition. For example, a comparison of the ancient Dies Irae theme with the La Folia tune that Corelli had used reveals striking similarities that Rakhmaninov undoubtedly found attractive, albeit unconsciously. On the other hand, he was inspired to seek a new conciseness of style and form in composition. The third stage relates to trends nurtured perhaps by his friendship with eminent string players and performers in America such as Fritz Kreisler. It is not surprising that Rakhmaninov's last two important works owe their themes to famous violin pieces: the Folia tune used by Arcangelo Corelli in the Corelli Variations and Paganini's well known 24th Caprice in the Paganini Rhapsody. These new directions in Rakhmaninov's music are most clearly present in the Corelli Variations, which are examined in terms of: (a) a new keyboard style; (b) string influenced variations; (c) elements of American jazz; and (d) a new clarity of structure. Finally, the writer examines similarities between the Corelli Variations and the Paganini Rhapsody that writers have sometimes touched upon.
Arts, Faculty of
Music, School of
Graduate

Investors accept that there is uncertainty, or risk, associated with equity investment returns. Consequently, equities are normally priced so that they provide a premium to the returns available on risk-free investments. Equity returns, however, are cyclical. There can be long periods when equity returns greatly exceed risk-free returns; there can be long periods when the premium disappears altogether. This thesis explores the influences and driving forces in equity markets, with a particular emphasis on the UK equity market. Both rational and irrational influences are examined and discussed. A General Literature Review examines the general progression in academic thinking in the area of equity pricing over four decades and takes a close look at the concepts of market efficiency and the challenges mounted by behavioural finance. The “equity risk premium puzzle” is also examined. Chapters 3 to 6 contain empirical studies of the variation in UK equity returns over time from four angles. The chapters look, respectively, at: macro-economic influences on the equity market; the relationship between equity returns and market volatility; the impact of variation in risk-free returns; a full decomposition of both ex-ante and ex-post equity returns. Reassuringly, the results confirm that the UK equity market is driven, in the main, by economic factors. However, the results also indicate that the full set of influences on the equity market is complex. The analyses undertaken suggest that significant swings occur in the risk premium element of expected equity returns. The results also suggest that there are periods when the UK equity market may be in disequilibrium with other financial markets. It is not the contention that many of the puzzles that have confronted equity market researchers over recent decades are now resolved by the analyses undertaken and presented in this thesis. It is to be hoped, however, that a useful platform has been built from which further investigation and analysis can be taken forward. In particular, it is suggested that comprehensive surveys of long-term expectations could lead to a better understanding of equity market mechanisms.

As a student aspiring to be a cellist, it is essential to conduct an in-depth research on works for cello. There are many famous composers such as J.S.Bach, J.Haydn, L.Beethoven, J.Brahms, A.Dvořák, C. Saint-Saëns, R. Schumann, S.Prokofiev, S.Rachmaninoff, D.Shostakovich and P.I. Tchaikovsky who wrote wonderful pieces for cello. In my opinion however students and musicians are putting more emphasis on improving their playing techniques and philosophy, but not on the main theme, structure, and theoretical aspect of the work. Therefore, I chose to study main theme and structure of the Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op.33, for cello by P.I. Tchaikovsky.

Examens konsert i Vilunda kyrka 2014.05.31 Music av Beethoven,Chopin

och Britten. Bekhbat Tsagaanchuluun ,cello. Asuka Nakamura ,piano.

Bilaga: 1 CD.

Due to the health and relational benefits associated with mindfulness, interest has increased in researching the topic. Typically, samples have been more homogeneous with no attention given to variations in mindfulness levels that may exist based on individuals’ characteristics. Therefore, this study assessed levels of three facets of mindfulness – non-reactivity, awareness, and non-judgement - with 1796 diverse individuals. Results indicate differences in mean level of non-reactivity based on sex, education level, income, and relationship status, with higher levels, on average, for males, individuals without a high school degree, individuals with an annual salary of $75,000+, and married individuals; differences in mean level of awareness based on sex and race, with higher levels, on average, for females and white individuals; and differences in mean level of non-judgement based on income, with higher levels, on average, for low income individuals. Findings highlight the value of considering social address in mindfulness studies.

Dans le cadre de la récupération d'énergie pour les micro-générateurs (dispositifs sans fil et autoalimentés), ce travail explore les possibilités de récupérer de l'énergie pyroélectrique à l'aide de matériaux ferroélectriques. La source d'énergie est une variation temporelle de température. Dans un premier temps, la récupération d'énergie avec un matériau pyroélectrique linéaire (film PVDF) a été étudiée en utilisant la technique non linéaire du Synchronized Switch Harvesting on Inductor (SSHI). Cette technique a été développée originellement dans le cas de la récupération d'énergie piézoélectrique, et permet un gain considérable de l'efficacité de la récupération. Cette technique a été appliquée au cas pyroélectrique, et comparée avec une technique standard. Le rendement énergétique de ces 2 techniques a été comparé au cycle idéal de Carnot. La technique du SSHI avec des matériaux pyroélectriques est en pratique simple, mais la puissance récupérée et le rendement par rapport à Carnot sont faibles. Afin d'augmenter la conversion d'énergie, il a été étudié l'intérêt des transitions de phase ferroélectriques, au voisinage desquelles l'activité pyroélectrique et électrocalorique est maximale. Dans ce but, les transitions de phase du monocristal relaxeur Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)0. 955Ti0. 045O3 ont été utilisées en association avec le cycle thermodynamique d'Ericsson. Le rendement du cycle d'Ericsson utilisant la transition ferroelectrique-ferroelectrique (FE-FE) est beaucoup plus important que pour les techniques utilisant les propriétés linéaires des matériaux pyroélectriques. Il permet en effet d'augmenter d'un facteur 100 le rendement relatif à Carnot par rapport aux essais avec le film de PVDF associé à la technique SSHI. Enfin, pour une variation de température de 10 C, la puissance récupérée avec le cycle d'Ericsson associé à une transition de phase est 3 fois plus élevée que la puissance qu'on peut atteindre avec un dispositif de récupération thermoélectrique
In the framework of energy harvesting for microgenerators (for wireless and self powered electronics), this PhD investigates the capabilities of pyroelectric energy harvesting using ferroelectric materials. The energy source in this work is a time varying temperature. First, the energy harvesting using a linear pyroelectric material (PVDF film) was studied using Synchronized Switch Harvesting on Inductor (SSHI) nonlinear technique. This technique has been firstly developed in case of piezoelectric energy harvesting, and allows a very large effectiveness enhancement. This technique was applied for pyroelectric energy harvesting, and it has been compared with Standard technique. Efficiencies of these techniques were compared with Carnot cycle. The SSHI technique with pyroelectric material is in fact straightforward, but the harvested power and efficiency related to Carnot cycle are small. In order to improve the energy conversion, it was investigated phase transitions at which the pyroelectric and electrocaloric activity are maximum. For this purpose, phase transitions of relaxor Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)0. 955Ti0. 045O3 single crystals were used associated with the thermodynamic Ericsson cycle. The efficiency of the Ericsson cycle using the ferroelectric-ferroelectric (FE-FE) transition is much higher than techniques using linear properties of pyroelectric materials (gain of a factor of 100 compared to PVDF associated to SSHI technique). Finally, for a temperature variation of 10°C, harvested power using FE-FE transition and Ericsson cycle could reach 3 times the power that could be obtained using a thermoelectric harvester

This thesis is an exploration of print within contemporary art that has been motivated by a perceived lack of current theoretical and critical dialogue concerning print practice. Beginning with a discussion of writings of critic Walter Benjamin , specifically the ‘Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ I will highlight the nuanced and paradoxical aspects of reproducible print in an age of visual saturation. In the presence of rapidly renewed technologies and digital culture, this complicates how one experiences print in the world and allows older technologies and practice to escape critique. By drawing on French philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s theoretical frameworks of the event and series, I will synthesize these paradoxes and examine printed works beyond their reproducibility and linear timeline. I will argue for print media’s multifaceted material configurations by making connections between modern and contemporary modes of print. Lastly, I will explore these relationships within my own practice, and posit that the understanding of these varied medias will further enrich our understanding of print in contemporary art.

This study is based on the Kenya Fertility Survey of 1977/78 which was carried out as part of the World Fertility Survey by the Kenyan Central Bureau of Statistics. The study had four primary objectives. First, to examine regional fertility variations in the mean number of children ever born in Kenya by five broad regions; namely Nairobi, Central/Rift valley, Coast, Nyanza/'Western and Eastern according to selected intermediate and socio-economic variables. Secondly, to examine whether fertility in Kenya would be lower in regions that are not mainly agricultural, which include, Nairobi and the Coast. Thirdly, to test the validity of any existing differentials, and to explore the factors generating such differences and the mechanisms through which these factors operate. And fourthly, to investigate the main factors that have been outlined in previous studies to be responsible for the relatively low fertility in the Coast. Fertility differentials were examined in terms of selected proximate and socio-economic factors of ever married women in five broad regions. The study also has built up "Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA)" models for the national sample and separately for the different broad regions. The descriptive analysis revealed that regional fertility variations in Kenya are limited. However, the Coast has relatively lower fertility compared to other regions. Mean number of children ever born is higher in Central/Rift Valley and Nyanza/Western regions. The MCA showed that age at first marriage is the most important factor affecting fertility in Kenya.

Molecular biology's central dogma, laid down in 1950s, affirmed that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein synthesis. For a long time, the first element of this logic scheme, DNA, was regarded as inactive molecule with the sole purpose to act as a repository of genetic code. Indeed, the molecular dialogue between DNA and proteins has been generally interpreted as an univocal relationship between an inert partner (nucleic acid) and a versatile one (proteins), that remodels DNA as a clay object. Rather, has been emerged that each kind of interactions between macromolecules requires a mutual structural adaptation and chemical complementarity. As in Kurosawa’s classic movie “Rashomon” (1950) the same central event, a heinous crime, is recalled from the differing perspective of each character (a bandit, a samurai, samurai’s wife and a woodcutter) this present study aims to highlight some different, but complementary, aspects of the full dynamic repertoire of DNA macromolecules. In the first part of this thesis, I will demonstrate that DNA, according to a peculiar three dimensional arrangement, is not only a simple recipe for proteins production but something more. In particular, I will focus on guanosine quadruplex structure, a not canonical B-form of DNA could be described through multiple points of view. On one side, synthetic guanosine quadruplex can act as “smart” biomolecules able to recognize multiple targets, with potential implications both as diagnostic as well as therapeutic agent. This short DNA/RNA sequences, called aptamers, according to a unique molecular flexibility, are able to recognize and bind a broad range of targets with specificities reminiscent those exhibited by antibodies. As working model, here I will present a detailed characterization in vitro of not physiological guanosine rich sequences able to bind human thrombin, a protein of physiological and pathological relevance. Our research was aimed to describe the relative role of the structural modules composing their molecular architecture. This allowed us to propose a structure activity relationship of synthetic G quadruplex aptamers, in order to fully rationalize and optimize their binding property. On the other side, G-quadruplex forming sequences are also found in human genome. Some of them have been described as unique biochemical on/off switch able to regulate tumorigenic pathways. In particular, the expression of the oncogene c-Myc is controlled through the formation of non–B-form DNA structures within its promoter. The conformational shift of this promoter between a transcription inactive form (G-quadruplex form) to an active one (a canonical double strand form) is strictly regulated by several nuclear proteins. In the second section I’ll present a study concerning the heterologous expression, the purification scheme of the resulting products and the biochemical characterization of the functional domains of human nucleolin, a nucleolar protein that is able to inhibit c-Myc oncogene transcription by a peculiar recognition of its promoter in a G quadruplex form. This approach was pursued to deeper clarify the mechanism of this binding event. Doubtless, this represents a promising goal in order to develop new selective and effective chemotherapy drugs. Although revolutionary, the idea that genetic information was encoded only by DNA sequence, in a protein-free mechanism has been appeared definitely too simplistic. Indeed, in organisms with nuclei chromosomal DNA is organized along with protein templates (histones), forming a complex called chromatin. This is target of diverse array of posttranslational modifications that modulate the interaction among chromatin-associated proteins, which ultimately dictate dynamic transitions between transcriptionally active (euchromatin) or transcriptionally silent chromatin states (heterochromatin). In the last section, I will focus on the structural insights standing on the recognition event between a modified histone N-terminal tail and a specialized ‘effector’ protein (ORC1b), generally known for its role in pre-replication complex assembly. The identification of the molecular details that clarify how distinct protein modules are able to recognize specific histone modifications is a critical step to understanding how chromatin dynamics influence fundamental DNA-templated processes such as transcription, DNA recombination and DNA repair. In particular, our results identify the tandem PHD-BAH domains of Arabidopsis thaliana ORC1b as a novel unmethylated-lysine-binding module, thereby establishing the first direct link between histone methylation grade and the epigenetic role of ORC1b, previously known as a transcriptional regulation factor only for a series of specific interactions with silencing regulators.
Il dogma fondante della biologia molecolare afferma che le informazioni genetiche sono decodificate attraverso un ordinato flusso logico, che parte dal DNA e passando attraverso il RNA arriva alla sintesi proteica. Per lungo tempo, all’interno di questo assunto, il DNA è stato esclusivamente considerato come il deposito biochimico delle informazioni genetiche. Con un ottica totalmente differente, in questo lavoro di tesi di dottorato presenterò tre aspetti, differenti ma complementari dell’intero repertorio funzionale del DNA. La prima sezione di questa tesi è rivolta ad un dettagliato studio degli aptameri leganti la trombina, ovvero sequenze non fisiologiche di DNA capaci di riconoscere selettivamente il target proteico in funzione di una specifica conformazione formata da quartetti di polideossiguanosine. Mediante una precisa caratterizzazione biofisica dei polimorfismi strutturali e dei profili di legame abbiamo potuto proporre delle solide ipotesi sul ruolo degli elementi modulari che ne compongono l’architettura molecolare, al fine di razionalizzare ed eventualmente incrementarne la capacità di riconoscimento del substrato proteico. Diversamente, porzioni di DNA capaci di autoassemblarsi in quartetti di guanosina sono state identificate all’interno del genoma umano. Alcune tra queste sono state descritte come straordinari interruttori biochimici capaci di regolare i processi tumorali. Nello specifico, l’espressione dell’oncogene c-Myc è fortemente controllata attraverso la formazione di strutture di DNA non canoniche all’interno del suo promotore. Questo equilibrio conformazionale del promotore tra una forma inattiva trascrizionalmente (struttura a quartetti di guanosina) ed una attiva (la canonica forma a doppia elica) è assistito e modulato da svariate proteine nucleari. Nella seconda parte del mio lavoro di tesi presenterò uno studio inerente all’espressione eterologa, la purificazione proteica del prodotto ricombinante e la caratterizzazione biochimica dei domini funzionali della nucleolina umana, una proteina nucleolare capace di inibire la trascrizione dell’oncogene c-Myc attraverso un peculiare riconoscimento del suo promotore nella sua forma silente. Questo approccio è stato perseguito al fine di porre le prime basi per l’identificazione del meccanismo di riconoscimento proteina – DNA, fortemente implicato nella soppressione tumorale. Anche se rivoluzionaria, l’idea che le informazioni genetiche siano codificate solamente all’interno della sequenza del DNA, secondo un meccanismo che contempla le proteine solo come “lettori” di questo codice, appare un concetto decisamente desueto. Il DNA cromosomiale, infatti, è organizzato su strutture proteiche (istoni) per le quali è stato esclusa una funzione esclusivamente “strutturale”. E’ stato dimostrato, infatti, che tali proteine sono soggette ad una serie di modifiche post trasduzionali che regolano attivamente l’attivazione e l’inibizione della trascrizione del DNA. Nell’ultima sezione presenterò uno studio finalizzato a chiarire i dettagli molecolari del riconoscimento tra un frammento istonico e i domini funzionali dell’effettore atORC1b (origin recognition complex 1b di arabidopsis thaliana). L’identificazione dei meccanismi molecolari mediante i quali distinti moduli proteici riconoscono le specifiche modificazioni istoniche rappresenta un passaggio chiave nella comprensione di fondamentali processi cellulari come la trascrizione, la ricombinazione cromosomiale e la riparazione del DNA. Nello specifico, il nostro studio ha evidenziato come i domini PHD e BAH dell’ORC1b, opportunamente combinati, possono agire come moduli di lettura del frammento N-terminale dell’istone 3 nella sua specifica forma non metilata. Tale evidenza, per la prima volta, dimostra una correlazione diretta tra il grado di metilazione dell’istone e il ruolo epigenetico dell’ORC1b, precedentemente noto come regolatore indiretto della trascrizione solamente in funzione di interazione specifiche con fattori eterocromatinici.

The thesis concerns the mathematical study of the calculus of variations and its application to liquid crystals. In the first chapter we examine vectorial problems in the calculus of variations with an additional pointwise constraint so that any admissible function n ε W^1,1(ΩM), and M is a manifold of suitable regularity. We formulate necessary and sufficient conditions for any given state n to be a strong or weak local minimiser of I. This is achieved using a nearest point projection mapping in order to use the more classical results which apply in the absence of a constraint. In the subsequent chapters we study various static continuum theories of liquid crystals. More specifically we look to explain a particular cholesteric fingerprint pattern observed by HP Labs. We begin in Chapter 2 by focusing on a specific cholesteric liquid crystal problem using the theory originally derived by Oseen and Frank. We find the global minimisers for general elastic constants amongst admissible functions which only depend on a single variable. Using the one-constant approximation for the Oseen-Frank free energy, we then show that these states are global minimisers of the three-dimensional problem if the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal is sufficiently long. Chapter 3 concerns the application of the results from the first chapter to the situations investigated in the second. The local stability of the one-dimensional states are quantified, analytically and numerically, and in doing so we unearth potential shortcomings of the classical Oseen-Frank theory. In Chapter 4, we ascertain some equivalence results between the continuum theories of Oseen and Frank, Ericksen, and Landau and de Gennes. We do so by proving lifting results, building on the work of Ball and Zarnescu, which relate the regularity of line and vector fields. The results prove to be interesting as they show that for a director theory to respect the head to tail symmetry of the liquid crystal molecules, the appropriate function space for the director field is S BV² (Ω,S^{2,/sup>). We take this idea and in the final chapter we propose a mathematical model of liquid crystals based upon the Oseen-Frank free energy but using special functions of bounded variation. We establish the existence of a minimiser, forms of the Euler-Lagrange equation, and find solutions of the Euler-Lagrange equation in some simple cases. Finally we use our proposed model to re-examine the same problems from Chapter 2. By doing so we extend the analysis we were able to achieve using Sobolev spaces and predict the existence of multi-dimensional minimisers consistent with the known experimental properties of high-chirality cholesteric liquid crystals.}

L’accumulation de remaniements de la structure des chromosomes aussi appelés variations structurelles (SV) est un important contributeur à la transformation des cellules malignes et à la constitution d’une hétérogénéité intratumorale. Nous avons développé un outil bio-informatique qui permet désormais d’obtenir une image fine de ces SV qui se produisent dans le génome humain. Nous avons ainsi pu démontrer l’existence de SV présentes à de faibles fréquences dans différentes populations cellulaires supposées clonales montrant que les taux de formation des SV pourraient être grandement sous-estimés. Parallèlement, nous avons montré que le niveau d’instabilité des individus dépend de facteurs génétiques de prédisposition. Pour les identifier, nous avons développé des systèmes génétiques de mesure des taux de SV chez la levure qui vont nous permettre d'identifier les gènes contrôlant l'instabilité chromosomique par analyse de liaison à grande échelle. Ces régulateurs représenteront de nouveaux gènes candidats impliqués dans le développement du cancer chez l’homme, car les déterminants génétiques impliqués dans le métabolisme de l'ADN sont très conservés entre la levure et les mammifères
The accumulation of chromosomal rearrangements also called Structural Variations (SV) is a major contributor to the transformation of tumoral cells and to the constitution of intratumoral heterogeneity. We have developed a bio-informatic tool that can now provide a sharp image of SV that occur in the human genome. We have demonstrated the existence of SV present in low proportions in different supposedly clonal cell populations showing that the rates of SV formation could be greatly underestimated. In parallel, we have shown that the level of instability of the genome depends on predisposition factors. To identify those, we have developed genetic assays to measure the rate of SV in yeast that will allow us to identify new genes controlling the stability of the genome using large scale linkage analysis. These regulators represent new gene-candidates involved in the development of cancer in human as the determinants involved in DNA metabolism are very conserved between yeast and mammals

High pH is physiologically stressful for Rainbow Trout, causing poor survival when fish are stocked into high pH lakes. To assess the relative contributions of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in high pH tolerance in Rainbow Trout, I examined high pH (pH 9.5) tolerance in three Rainbow Trout strains (Blackwater River, Eagle Lake and Fraser Valley Domestics) under four different rearing conditions: 1) near-neutral hatchery conditions (pH 7.2) from fertilization; 2) pH 8.5 from fertilization; 3) pH 8.8 from fertilization; and 4) near-neutral hatchery conditions from fertilization followed by acclimation to pH 8.8 for one month prior to testing (at fry and yearling). In general, I found that either rearing or acclimating fish to elevated pH improved high pH tolerance. Variation among strains was observed only at the fry life stage. I performed a genome wide association study to identify genetic variation that may be associated with differences in pH tolerance among strains. The results suggest that pH tolerance is likely controlled polygenically. To assess mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity in high pH tolerance, gill gene expression of fish reared under control conditions and those acclimated to pH 8.8 were compared using RNA-Seq. There were 140 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in response to high pH, but the most dramatic results were the strong interaction effects between pH and strain suggesting that each strain compensates for high pH conditions in different ways. Finally, the variation among strains and rearing treatments observed within the laboratory was tested in natural lakes. In general, short-term net pen trials were consistent with laboratory results showing higher pH tolerance in fish reared at or acclimated to elevated pH levels. Long-term survival trials indicate that the large differences in survival in natural lakes between strains mask subtler effects of prior exposure to high pH and require further investigation. My data suggest that it is the remarkable plasticity of Rainbow Trout rather than a specific strain or genotype which has the greatest effect on high pH tolerance, and that modifications of hatchery practices could be used to improve survival of stocked Rainbow Trout in high pH lakes.
Science, Faculty of
Zoology, Department of
Graduate

Hydrological variability involving rainfall and streamflows in southern Africa have been often studied separately or have used cumulative rainfall and streamflow indices. The main objective of this study was to investigate spatio-temporal variations of rainfall, their influences on streamflows and their relationships with climatic variations with emphasis on indices that characterise the hydrological extremes, floods and droughts. It was found that 60-70% of the time when it rains, daily rainfalls are below their long-term averages and daily amounts below 10 mm are the most frequent in southern Africa. Spatially, climatologies of rainfall sub-divided the southern African subcontinent into the dry western/southwestern part and the “humid” eastern and northern part. The daily amounts below 20 mm contribute significantly to annual rainfall amounts in the dry part while all types of daily rainfall exceeding 1 mm have comparable contributions in the humid part. The climatologies indicated the highest likelihood of experiencing intense daily events during the core of the wet seasons with the highest frequencies in central Mozambique and the southern highlands of Tanzania. Interannual variations of rainfall indicated that significant changes had occurred between the late-1940s and early-1980s, particularly in the 1970s. The changes in rainfall were more evident in the number of daily rainfall events than in rainfall amounts, led generally to increasing early summer and decreased late summer rainfall. It was also found that intra-seasonal dry day sequences were an important parameter in the definition of a rainy season’s onset and end in southern Africa apart from rainfall amounts. Interannual variations of the rainy season characteristics (onset, end, duration) followed the variations of rainfall amounts and number of events. The duration of the rainy season was affected by the onset (Tanzania), onset or end (tropical southern Africa - southwestern highlands of Tanzania, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe and central Mozambique) and end (the remaing part of southern Africa). Flow duration curves (FDCs) identified three types of rivers (ephemeral, seasonal and perennial) in southern Africa with ephemeral rivers found mainly in the dry western part of the region. Seasonal streamflow patterns followed those of rainfall while interannual streamflow variations indicated significant changes of mean flows with little evidences of high and low flow regime changes except in Namibia and some parts of northern Zimbabwe. It was, however, not possible to provide strong links between the identified changes in streamflows and those in rainfall. Regarding the influences of climate variability on hydrological variability in southern Africa, rainfall variations in southern Africa were found to be influenced strongly by ENSO and SST in the tropical Indian ocean and moderately by SST in the south Madagascar basin. The influence of ENSO was consistent for all types of daily rainfall and peaks for the light and moderate (< 20 mm) events in the southern part and for the intense events in the northern part. SST in the tropical Indian ocean influence the light and moderate events while SST close to the region influence the heavy events. However, the relationships experienced significant changes in the mid-1950s and in the 1970s. The former changes led to improved associations while the latter deteriorated or reversed the relationships. The influences of climatic variables on streamflows and rainy season characteristics were inferred from the rainfall-streamflow and rainfall-climatic variables relationships.

There is a continuous development of different crop varieties in the crop trade. The cultivated crops tend to be more and more alike which require an effective method for crop identification. Crop type and crop type purity has become a quality measure in crop trade both nationally and internationally. A number of well known quality attributes of interest in the crop trade can be correlated to the specific crop type and therefore it is of great importance to reliably be able to identify different crop varieties. It is well known from the literature that there exist genomic variations at the nucleotide level between different crop varieties and these variations might potentially be useful for automated variety identification.

This project deals with the crop variety identification area where the possibilities of distinguishing between different wheat varieties are investigated. Experience from performing wheat variety identification at protein level has shown unsatisfactory results and therefore DNA-based techniques are proposed instead. DNA-based techniques are dependent upon the availability of sequence data from the wheat genome and some work has concerned examining the availability of sequence data from wheat. But the focus of the work has been on defining a method for computational detection of single nucleotide variations in ESTs from wheat and to experimentally test that method. Results from these experiments show that the method defined in this project detects polymorphic variations that can be correlated to variety variations

Cette thèse porte sur l'étude des propriétés asymptotiques des p-variations de processus observés de manière discrète dans le temps et entachés d'une erreur d'arrondi en espace. Cette thèse comporte trois parties ; le chapitre 1 est consacré à des rappels sur les semimartingales et les types de convergences étudiés. Dans le chapitre 2, nous étudions les p,q-variations associées à un mouvement brownien bidimensionnel arrondi lorsque les pas de temps et d'espace tendent vers 0. Leur comportement dépend de deux paramètres : le premier est le rapport entre le pas d'arrondi et la racine du pas de temps, les résultats différant radicalement selon que ce paramètre converge ou diverge ; le second est la matrice de covariance associée au mouvement brownien. Lorsque celle-ci est inversible, le comportement des p,q-variations avec arrondi est une généralisation naturelle de celui des p-variations d'un brownien unidimensionnel arrondi. Lorsque par contre la matrice de covariance est dégénérée, les deux composantes du brownien sont proportionnelles et nous obtenons des lois des grands nombres très différentes selon que le rapport entre les deux est ou non rationnel. Le chapitre 3 s'intéresse au comportement asymptotique des p-variations d'une semimartingale arrondie. Nous montrons dans un premier temps des lois des grands nombres pour les p-variations renormalisées ou non renormalisées, ainsi qu'une généralisation à des semimartingales bidimensionnelles continues. Lorsque cela est possible, c'est-à-dire pour des p-variations non-renormalisées, nous prouvons ensuite des théorèmes centraux limites associés, au prix d'hypothèses supplémentaires sur la structure de la semimartingale.

This thesis describes the development and use of a new class of molecular tools called Selector probes, and its potential for investigations of genetic variation. The Selector technology provides multiplex amplification of targeted DNA sequences with a high specificity, and an enrichment factor in the same order of magnitude as PCR. A common feature in this thesis work is to focus the analysis on DNA regions of interest. For example, this technique can be implemented in analysing candidate regions found by whole genome studies that need validation (global to local analysis), and applications requiring detection of rare alleles (common to rare allele), important in for example cancer samples. An assay is presented that allows for fast and simple quantification of relative copy-number variations. The method was proven to be able to detect aneuploidy in chromosome 13, 18, 21 and X, with a resolution enough to distinguish between 4 and 5 copies. The method was successfully applied to solve a biological question regarding a copy-number variation, that explains the Ridge phenotype typical for the dog bread Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The Selector strategy was able to detect and map a tandem duplication with a size of 133 kb, which was characterized with base-pair resolution. A readout platform that facilitates simultaneous digital quantitative analysis of a large numbers of biomolecules is further introduced. The work involves arraying amplified product from successful selection and decoding each molecule by hybridization of fluorophore labeled oligonucleotides. Finally, a genome partitioning method which is applied upstream of next generation sequencing platforms is presented. It is shown that the method provides successful enrichment with 98 % coverage and 94 % specificity and high enrichment uniformity. The technique was applied for mutation analysis of 26 cancer-related genes in tumor cell-lines and tissue.

This thesis is concerned with caching algorithms. We investigate three variations of the caching problem: web caching in the Torng framework, relative competitiveness and caching with request reordering.

In the first variation we define different cost models involving page sizes and page costs. We also present the Torng cost framework introduced by Torng in [29]. Next we analyze the competitive ratio of online deterministic marking algorithms in the BIT cost model combined with the Torng framework. We show that given some specific restrictions on the set of possible request sequences, any marking algorithm is 2-competitive.

The second variation consists in using the relative competitiveness ratio on an access graph as a complexity measure. We use the concept of access graphs introduced by Borodin [11] to define our own concept of relative competitive ratio. We demonstrate results regarding the relative competitiveness of two cache eviction policies in both the basic and the Torng framework combined with the CLASSICAL cost model.

The third variation is caching with request reordering. Two reordering models are defined. We prove some important results about the value of a move and number of orderings, then demonstrate results about the approximation factor and competitive ratio of offline and online reordering schemes, respectively.

Ambitious household waste recycling programs have been introduced in Sweden and several other countries during recent decades. Many different waste- sorting and collection schemes have been developed, but the evaluation and comparison of the results is made difficult by the lack of comparable data. The aim of the research presented in this thesis was to answer the following questions: How can household waste flows be described and monitored? Which factors affect the collection results? and, What is a useful basis for the evaluation of collection systems? Waste flow analysis and waste component classification were performed in a number of Swedish municipalities, revealing a wide variation in the amount of waste per capita. Eleven site-specific variables were investigated and multivariate data analysis was performed. The study was carried out on three levels: 1) household waste as the material in itself, classified into physical components, 2) the householders and their handling of waste, in terms of average amounts of different waste categories and recyclables per capita, and 3) the municipalities, as the authority responsible for household waste management, where local conditions influence waste generation and pathways. A significant finding was that property-close collection of dry recyclables led to increased collection of sorted metal, plastic, and paper packaging. Weight-based billing, i.e. when waste collection is charged per kilogram of waste collected, showed divergent effects, which are investigated and discussed. Monitoring methods are suggested regarding the waste flow from households. A step-by-step method for evaluation and comparisons of collection systems was outlined, including a set of indicators. Sixteen sources of error in official waste statistics were identified and the results of the studies emphasize the importance of reliable waste generation and composition data to underpin waste management policies.
Ambitiösa återvinningssystem för hushållsavfall har införts i Sverige, och i många andra länder, under de senaste årtiondena. Många olika system för källsortering och insamling har utvecklats, men utvärdering och jämförelse av insamlingsresultat försvåras av bristen på jämförbara data. Följande frågor diskuteras och besvaras i avhandlingen: Hur kan avfallsflödet från hushåll mätas och undersökas? Vilka faktorer påverkar avfallsflödet från hushållen? Hur kan olika insamlingssystem göras jämförbara och utvärderas? Studien utfördes på tre nivåer:(1) hushållsavfallet, klassificerat i olika material och komponenter, (2) hushållen och deras hantering av hushållsavfallet, och (3) kommunerna, i egenskap av ansvarig myndighet för hantering av hushållsavfall, där förutsättningarna påverkas avlokala faktorer. Avfallsflödesanalyser, inklusive plockanalys av hushållsavfall, har genomförts i ett antal svenska kommuner, vilket visade stora variationer i avfallsmängder per person. Elva faktorer, som antogs påverka avfallsflödet, undersöktes och multivariat dataanalys tillämpades. Studien visar bland annat att kommuner med fastighetsnära insamling av återvinningsmaterial samlade in mer metall-, plast- och pappersförpackningar per person, jämfört med kommuner som bara hade återvinningsstationer för insamling av förpackningar. Viktbaserad avfallstaxa, dvs när hämtning av hushållsavfall faktureras per kg avfall som finns i kärlet, har visat sig ge varierande effekter i olika kommuner, vilket har undersökts och diskuterats. I genomsnitt var mängden osorterat hushållsavfall 20 % mindre per person i kommuner med viktbaserad taxa, jämfört med övriga landet. Någon skillnad i mängden källsorterade återvinningsmaterial kunde dock inte påvisas. Mätmetoder för hushållsavfallsflödet föreslås, tillsammans med en steg-för-steg utvärderingsmetod för jämförelse av olika insamlingssystem, innefattande en uppsättning nyckeltal. Sexton felkällor har identifierats i officiella avfallsdata och en slutsats av studien är att det i dagsläget saknas tillförlitliga data som beslutsunderlag för utveckling av avfallshantering och avfallspolicy.
Godkänd; 2008; 20080602 (ysko)

Thesis (Ph. D.)—Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1995.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-162).
This electronic version was scanned from a copy of the thesis on file at the Speech Communication Group. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
162 leaves.

The aim of this thesis is to apply recently developed technologies for genomic variation analyses, and to ensure quality of the generated information for use in preclinical cancer research. Faster access to a patients’ full genomic sequence for a lower cost makes it possible for end users such as clinicians and physicians to gain a more complete understanding of the disease status of a patient and adjust treatment accordingly. Correct biological interpretation is important in this context, and can only be provided through fast and simple access to relevant high quality data. Therefore, we here propose and validate new bioinformatic strategies for biomarker selection for prediction of response to cancer therapy. We initially explored the use of bioinformatic tools to select interesting targets for toxicity in carboplatin and paclitaxel on a smaller scale. From our findings we then further extended the analysis to the entire exome to look for biomarkers as targets for adverse effects from carboplatin and gemcitabine. To investigate any bias introduced by the methods used for targeting the exome, we analyzed the mutation profiles in cancer patients by comparing whole genome amplified DNA to unamplified DNA. In addition, we applied RNA-seq to the same patients to further validate the variations obtained by sequencing of DNA. The understanding of the human cancer genome is growing rapidly, thanks to methodological development of analysis tools. The next step is to implement these tools as a part of a chain from diagnosis of patients to genomic research to personalized treatment.

QC 20121105