Langues et identités culturelles: oscillations de l'école du monolinguisme au plurilinguisme et des discours aux pratiques.

Pourquoi traiter de l'école pour aborder le rapport entre langue et culture ? Car, dans mon parcours personnel, l'institution scolaire a tenu un rôle prédominant dans la construction du lien entre mes langues - l'italien et le français - et mes appartenances culturelles. Ainsi, la première partie du mémoire porte sur cette histoire-là d'une part, et sur l'élaboration du travail de recherche de l'autre. La deuxième et la troisième partie du mémoire affrontent les oscillations de l'école quant à la question linguistique. Le terme école comprend ici tout ce qui touche, conceptuellement ou pragmatiquement, au monde scolaire. En effet, les discours sur l'école et les pratiques au sein de l'école sont les deux facettes d'une même médaille. Plus précisément, la deuxième partie expose les rhétoriques émanant des sciences humaines d'un côté, et des discours politiques de l'autre. Nous verrons comment ces deux sphères sont étroitement liées. D'une même voix, elles affirment le lien entre la langue et l'identité culturelle et exhortent l'institution scolaire à la valorisation du multilinguisme. Comme annoncé, la troisième partie constitue un retour au singulier et entre dans la pratique de l'école. A travers les entretiens réalisés avec des enseignants de l'école vaudoise, il s'agit d'appréhender le lien entre les discours et les pratiques, l'universel et le particulier. Nous constaterons qu'à ce niveau-là, les credo du monolinguisme et du multilinguisme combattent encore l'un contre l'autre. Expliciter le sous-titre du mémoire permet de réduire les malentendus. Celui-ci annonce deux types d'oscillations, étroitement articulées l'une à l'autre. Premièrement, les oscillations du monolinguisme au plurilinguisme observables dans deux dimensions. Une diachronique - qui n'est pas traitée dans ce travail - mettrait en lumière le passage d'une conception strictement monolingue de l'école à une conception plurilingue qui se diffuse depuis quelques années. La dimension synchronique, retenue dans ce mémoire, révèle comment, au sein du corps enseignant vaudois d'aujourd'hui, la perception monolingue des uns résiste aux assauts du paradigme plurilingue des autres. Deuxièmement, les oscillations de l'école prise entre les discours et les pratiques. Tantôt dans un rapport de force, tantôt dans une réciprocité créatrice, ces deux pôles négocient constamment les conditions d'existence de l'école. L'actualité de l'école vaudoise, avec la réintroduction des notes au niveau secondaire à la rentrée scolaire d'août 2005, est un exemple concret de cette oscillation de l'institution scolaire qui résulte de la négociation entre les discours et les pratiques.

Development of a PC Tool for Estimating Pressure Drops in Forced-convection Boiler Tubes

Kaksifaasivirtauksen kuvaamiseen käytettävät mallit, ja menetelmät kaksifaasivirtauksen painehäviön määrittämiseksi kehittyvät yhä monimutkaisimmiksi. Höyrystinputkissa tapahtuvien painehäviöiden arvioinnin vaatiman laskennan suorittamiseksi tietokoneohjelman kehittäminen on välttämätöntä. Tässä työssä on kehitetty itsenäinen PC-ohjelma painehäviöiden arvioimiseksi pakotetulle konvektiovirtaukselle pystysuorissa höyrykattilan höyrystinputkissa. Veden ja vesihöyryn aineominaisuuksien laskentaan käytetään IAPWS-IF97 –yhtälökokoelmaa sekä muita tarvittavia IAPWS:n suosittelemia yhtälöitä. Höyrystinputkessa kulloinkin vallitsevan virtausmuodon määrittämiseen käytetään sovelluskelpoisia virtausmuotojen välisiä rajoja kuvaavia yhtälöitä. Ohjelmassa käytetään painehäviön määritykseen kirjallisuudessa julkaistuja yhtälöitä, virtausmuodosta riippuen, alijäähtyneelle virtaukselle, kupla-, tulppa- ja rengasvirtaukselle sekä tulistetun höyryn virtaukselle. Ohjelman laskemia painehäviöarvioita verrattiin kirjallisuudesta valittuihin mittaustuloksiin. Laskettujen painehäviöiden virhe vaihteli välillä –19.5 ja +23.9 %. Virheiden itseisarvojen keskiarvo oli 12.8 %.

Gamma oscillations in V1 are correlated with GABAA receptor density: A multi-modal MEG and Flumazenil-PET study.

High-frequency oscillations in the gamma-band reflect rhythmic synchronization of spike timing in active neural networks. The modulation of gamma oscillations is a widely established mechanism in a variety of neurobiological processes, yet its neurochemical basis is not fully understood. Modeling, in-vitro and in-vivo animal studies suggest that gamma oscillation properties depend on GABAergic inhibition. In humans, search for evidence linking total GABA concentration to gamma oscillations has led to promising -but also to partly diverging- observations. Here, we provide the first evidence of a direct relationship between the density of GABAA receptors and gamma oscillatory gamma responses in human primary visual cortex (V1). By combining Flumazenil-PET (to measure resting-levels of GABAA receptor density) and MEG (to measure visually-induced gamma oscillations), we found that GABAA receptor densities correlated positively with the frequency and negatively with amplitude of visually-induced gamma oscillations in V1. Our findings demonstrate that gamma-band response profiles of primary visual cortex across healthy individuals are shaped by GABAA-receptor-mediated inhibitory neurotransmission. These results bridge the gap with in-vitro and animal studies and may have future clinical implications given that altered GABAergic function, including dysregulation of GABAA receptors, has been related to psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and depression.

The forced adoption of a fast-track appraisal process for a breast cancer treatment in UK

Trastuzumab (Herceptin ®, Roche) is approved in UK for the treatment of the metastatic breast cancer since 2001. As of 2005, concomitantly with the publication of 3 studies that showed it produces a 50% reduction of the recurrence rates of breast cancer, trastuzumab started to be prescribed in the earlt adjuvant treatrnent of this disease. Und June 2006, trastuzumab did not have both: 1) regulatory approval and 2) NICE [National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence] recommendation for the use in early stages of breast cancer. During the period until June 2006, the trastuzumab use in those patients was not reimbursed and because the cost of trastuzumab is equal with the yearly UK average income, most of patients could not self fund their treatrnent. Before the publication of the final NICE guidance, the new data of trastuzumab in early breast cancer raised enormous patient and professional interest and expectations. A great volume of public and professional pressure was generated to transcend a system by which Primary Care Trusts can reimburse a treatment only after a formal guidance was issued. This paper draw on a case study depicting and analyzing the process by which regulatory approval and NICE recommendations were achieved in a record time and how trastuzumab became a standard treatment on early adjuvant breast cancer. According to the data we gathered in this work we were witnessing one of the fastest processes of adoption of a health care technology since the creation of NICE, in 1999. This study addresses the following research question: How and why does the adoption pattern of trastuzumab differ from the rational decision-making model of the reimbursement process in UK? [Author, p. 4]

Equivalent representation form of oscillators with elastic and damping nonlinear terms

In this work we consider the nonlinear equivalent representation form of oscillators that exhibit nonlinearities in both the elastic and the damping terms. The nonlinear damping effects are considered to be described by fractional power velocity terms which provide better predictions of the dissipative effects observed in some physical systems. It is shown that their effects on the system dynamics response are equivalent to a shift in the coefficient of the linear damping term of a Duffing oscillator. Then, its numerical integration predictions, based on its equivalent representation form given by the well-known forced, damped Duffing equation, are compared to the numerical integration values of its original equations of motion. The applicability of the proposed procedure is evaluated by studying the dynamics response of four nonlinear oscillators that arise in some engineering applications such as nanoresonators, microresonators, human wrist movements, structural engineering design, and chain dynamics of polymeric materials at high extensibility, among others

Control system for forced-air cooling of horticultural products

This work is a study of the implementation of a classical controller using a tuning method referred to as IMC (Internal Model Control) and aimed at the reduction of electrical energy consumption by the appropriate relation between energy consumption and the cooling time with forced air. The supervisory system installed was able to manipulate the variable of frequency of the signal power of the exhaust fan engine (forced air module), to accelerate or decelerate the loss of heat from the product to be cooled by airflow variation that passes through the mass of the produce. The results demonstrated a reduction in energy consumption from 64% and an increase of only 8% in the cooling time to the system using PI/IMC (Proportional - Integral with IMC) tuning method compared with the system in its operating nominal condition. This PI/IMC control may be implemented directly in a frequency converter, without the need to purchase a computer or PLC (programmable logic controller) to run the dedicated application, increasing its economical viability.

Modeling and simulation of forced-air cooling of strawberries using variable convective coefficient

In the forced-air cooling process of fruits occurs, besides the convective heat transfer, the mass transfer by evaporation. The energy need in the evaporation is taken from fruit that has its temperature lowered. In this study it has been proposed the use of empirical correlations for calculating the convective heat transfer coefficient as a function of surface temperature of the strawberry during the cooling process. The aim of this variation of the convective coefficient is to compensate the effect of evaporation in the heat transfer process. Linear and exponential correlations are tested, both with two adjustable parameters. The simulations are performed using experimental conditions reported in the literature for the cooling of strawberries. The results confirm the suitability of the proposed methodology.

Studies of Solar Activity with Emphasis on Quasi-Periodic Oscillations

In this thesis mainly long quasi-periodic solar oscillations in various solar atmospheric structures are discussed, based on data obtained at several wavelengths, focussing, however, mainly on radio frequencies. Sunspot (Articles II and III) and quiet Sun area (QSA) (Article I) oscillations are investigated along with quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) in a flaring event with wide-range radio spectra (Article IV). Various oscillation periods are detected; 3–15, 35–70 and 90 minutes (QSA), 10-60 and 80-130 minutes (in sunspots at various radio frequencies), 3-5, 10-23, 220-240, 340 and 470 minutes (in sunspots at photosphere) and 8-12 and 15-17 seconds (in a solar flare at radio frequencies). Some of the oscillation periods are detected for the first time, while some of them have been confirmed earlier by other research groups. Solar oscillations can provide more information on the nature of various solar structures. This thesis presents the physical mechanisms of some solar structure oscillations. Two different theoretical approaches are chosen; magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and the shallow sunspot model. These two theories can explain a wide range of solar oscillations from a few seconds up to some hours. Various wave modes in loop structures cause solar oscillations (<45 minutes) both in sunspots and quiet Sun areas. Periods lasting more than 45 minutes in the sunspots (and a fraction of the shorter periods) are related to sunspot oscillations as a whole. Sometimes similar oscillation periods are detected both in sunspot area variations and respectively in magnetic field strength changes. This result supports a concept that these oscillations are related to sunspot oscillations as a whole. In addition, a theory behind QPPs at radio frequencies in solar flares is presented. The thesis also covers solar instrumentation and data sources. Additionally, the data processing methods are presented. As the majority of the investigations in this thesis focus on radio frequencies, also the most typical radio emission mechanisms are presented. The main structures of the Sun, which are related to solar oscillations, are also presented. Two separate projects are included in this thesis. Solar cyclicity is studied using the extensively large solar radio map archieve from Metsähovi Radio Observatory (MRO) at 37 GHz, between 1978 and 2011 (Article V) covering two full solar cycles. Also, some new solar instrumentation (Article VI) was developed during this thesis.

Multiple scales analysis of nonlinear oscillations of a portal frame foundation for several machines

An analytical study of the nonlinear vibrations of a multiple machines portal frame foundation is presented. Two unbalanced rotating machines are considered, none of them resonant with the lower natural frequencies of the supporting structure. Their combined frequencies is set in such a way as to excite, due to nonlinear behavior of the frame, either the first anti-symmetrical mode (sway) or the first symmetrical mode. The physical and geometrical characteristics of the frame are chosen to tune the natural frequencies of these two modes into a 1:2 internal resonance. The problem is reduced to a two degrees of freedom model and its nonlinear equations of motions are derived via a Lagrangian approach. Asymptotic perturbation solutions of these equations are obtained via the Multiple Scales Method.

Outward potassium current oscillations in macrophage polykaryons: extracellular calcium entry and calcium-induced calcium release

Outward current oscillations associated with transient membrane hyperpolarizations were induced in murine macrophage polykaryons by membrane depolarization in the absence of external Na+. Oscillations corresponded to a cyclic activation of Ca2+-dependent K+ currents (IKCa) probably correlated with variations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Addition of external Na+ (8 mM) immediately abolished the outward current oscillations, suggesting that the absence of the cation is necessary not only for their induction but also for their maintenance. Oscillations were completely blocked by nisoldipine. Ruthenium red and ryanodine reduced the number of outward current cycles in each episode, whereas quercetin prolonged the hyperpolarization 2- to 15-fold. Neither low molecular weight heparin nor the absence of a Na+ gradient across the membrane had any influence on oscillations. The evidence suggests that Ca2+ entry through a pathway sensitive to Ca2+ channel blockers is elicited by membrane depolarization in Na+-free medium and is essential to initiate oscillations, which are also dependent on the cyclic release of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+-sensitive stores; Ca2+ ATPase acts by reducing intracellular Ca2+, thus allowing slow deactivation of IKCa. Evidence is presented that neither a Na+/Ca2+ antiporter nor Ca2+ release from IP3-sensitive Ca2+ stores participate directly in the mechanism of oscillation

The relationship between anxiety and depression in animal models: a study using the forced swimming test and elevated plus-maze

The present study evaluated the correlation between the behavior of mice in the forced swimming test (FST) and in the elevated plus-maze (PM). The effect of the order of the experiments, i.e., the influence of the first test (FST or PM) on mouse behavior in the second test (PM or FST, respectively) was compared to handled animals (HAND). The execution of FST one week before the plus-maze (FST-PM, N = 10), in comparison to mice that were only handled (HAND-PM, N = 10) in week 1, decreased % open entries (HAND-PM: 33.6 ± 2.9; FST-PM: 20.0 ± 3.9; mean ± SEM; P<0.02) and % open time (HAND-PM: 18.9 ± 3.3; FST-PM: 9.0 ± 1.9; P<0.03), suggesting an anxiogenic effect. No significant effect was seen in the number of closed arm entries (FST-PM: 9.5 (7.0-11.0); HAND-PM: 10.0 (4.0-14.5), median (interquartile range); U = 46.5; P>0.10). A prior test in the plus-maze (PM-FST) did not change % immobility time in the FST when compared to the HAND-FST group (HAND-FST: 57.7 ± 3.9; PM-FST: 65.7 ± 3.2; mean ± SEM; P>0.10). Since these data suggest that there is an order effect, the correlation was evaluated separately with each test sequence: FST-PM (N = 20) and PM-FST (N = 18). There was no significant correlation between % immobility time in the FST and plus-maze indexes (% time and entries in open arms) in any test sequence (r: -0.07 to 0.18). These data suggest that mouse behavior in the elevated plus-maze is not related to behavior in the forced swimming test and that a forced swimming test before the plus-maze has an anxiogenic effect even after a one-week interval.

Fertility of male adult rats submitted to forced swimming stress

We investigated whether stress interferes with fertility during adulthood. Male Wistar rats (weighing 220 g in the beginning of the experiment) were forced to swim for 3 min in water at 32ºC daily for 15 days. Stress was assessed by the hot-plate test after the last stressing session. To assess fertility, control and stressed males (N = 15 per group) were mated with sexually mature normal females. Males were sacrificed after copulation. Stress caused by forced swimming was demonstrated by a significant increase in the latency of the pain response in the hot-plate test (14.6 ± 1.25 s for control males vs 26.0 ± 1.53 s for stressed males, P = 0.0004). No changes were observed in body weight, testicular weight, seminal vesicle weight, ventral prostate weight or gross histological features of the testes of stressed males. Similarly, no changes were observed in fertility rate, measured by counting live fetuses in the uterus of normal females mated with control and stressed males; no dead or incompletely developed fetuses were observed in the uterus of either group. In contrast, there was a statistically significant decrease in spermatid production demonstrated by histometric evaluation (154.96 ± 5.41 vs 127.02 ± 3.95 spermatids per tubular section for control and stressed rats, respectively, P = 0.001). These data demonstrate that 15 days of forced swimming stress applied to adult male rats did not impair fertility, but significantly decreased spermatid production. This suggests that the effect of stress on fertility should not be assessed before at least the time required for one cycle of spermatogenesis.

A forced running wheel system with a microcontroller that provides high-intensity exercise training in an animal ischemic stroke model

We developed a forced non-electric-shock running wheel (FNESRW) system that provides rats with high-intensity exercise training using automatic exercise training patterns that are controlled by a microcontroller. The proposed system successfully makes a breakthrough in the traditional motorized running wheel to allow rats to perform high-intensity training and to enable comparisons with the treadmill at the same exercise intensity without any electric shock. A polyvinyl chloride runway with a rough rubber surface was coated on the periphery of the wheel so as to permit automatic acceleration training, and which allowed the rats to run consistently at high speeds (30 m/min for 1 h). An animal ischemic stroke model was used to validate the proposed system. FNESRW, treadmill, control, and sham groups were studied. The FNESRW and treadmill groups underwent 3 weeks of endurance running training. After 3 weeks, the experiments of middle cerebral artery occlusion, the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), an inclined plane test, and triphenyltetrazolium chloride were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed platform. The proposed platform showed that enhancement of motor function, mNSS, and infarct volumes was significantly stronger in the FNESRW group than the control group (P<0.05) and similar to the treadmill group. The experimental data demonstrated that the proposed platform can be applied to test the benefit of exercise-preconditioning-induced neuroprotection using the animal stroke model. Additional advantages of the FNESRW system include stand-alone capability, independence of subjective human adjustment, and ease of use.

Antidepressant-like effect of Hoodia gordonii in a forced swimming test in mice: evidence for involvement of the monoaminergic system

Hoodia gordonii is a plant species used traditionally in southern Africa to suppress appetite. Recently, it has been associated with a significant increase in blood pressure and pulse rate in women, suggesting sympathomimetic activity. The present study investigated the possible antidepressant-like effects of acute and repeated (15 days) administration of H. gordonii extract (25 and 50 mg/kg, po) to mice exposed to a forced swimming test (FST). Neurochemical analysis of brain monoamines was also carried out to determine the involvement of the monoaminergic system on these effects. Acute administration of H. gordonii decreased the immobility of mice in the FST without accompanying changes in general activity in the open-field test during acute treatment, suggesting an antidepressant-like effect. The anti-immobility effect of H. gordonii was prevented by pretreatment of mice with PCPA [an inhibitor of serotonin (5-HT) synthesis], NAN-190 (a 5-HT1A antagonist), ritanserin (a 5-HT2A/2C antagonist), ondansetron (a 5-HT3A antagonist), prazosin (an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist), SCH23390 (a D1 receptor antagonist), yohimbine (an α2-adrenoceptor antagonist), and sulpiride (a D2 receptor antagonist). A significant increase in 5-HT levels in the striatum was detected after acute administration, while 5-HT, norepinephrine and dopamine were significantly elevated after chronic treatment. Results indicated that H. gordonii possesses antidepressant-like activity in the FST by altering the dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic systems.