The planning and specification of rail grinding activities using measured rail profiles normally involves a comparison between the existing and desired rail profiles within a rail segment. In current practice, a somewhat subjective approach is used to select a measured profile – usually located near the midpoint of the segment – that represents the profiles throughout the rail segment. An automated procedure was developed to calculate a representative average (mean) rail profile for a rail segment using industry-standard rail profile data. The procedure was verified by comparing the calculated average to an expected profile. The procedure was then validated by comparing the calculated average profiles of 42 in-service rail segments (10 tangents and 32 curved segments) to the corresponding subjectively chosen median rail profiles for each segment. Overall, the validation results indicated that the coordinates comprising the mean and median profiles differed by less than one percent on average. As expected, stronger agreement was observed for tangent rail segments compared to curved rail segments. Thus, the validation demonstrated that the procedure produces comparable results to current practice while improving the objectivity and repeatability of the decisions that support rail-grinding activities. / February 2017

Each year, admissions officers throughout the United States commit many intense months to reviewing applications to their college/university. According to the College Board, there are established key elements considered in admissions decisions, including grades in college prep courses, standardized test scores, overall academic performance, and class rank. Approximately half of high schools in the U.S. provide class rank, yet it has maintained importance as the number four factor for over a decade, trumping other factors such as extracurricular accomplishments, teacher recommendations, and interviews. A student’s rank-in-class can be used to determine their relative achievement within his or her school, to compare them to the entire applicant pool at a college or university, and to rate students for scholarship selection, along with selections for countless other accolades and financial awards. Rank is calculated across a wide span of methods using grade point averages (GPAs) that sometimes account for course rigor, and sometimes do not. So that colleges/universities might evaluate rigor and competitiveness of each applicant based on the school’s institutional priorities, I contend that colleges/universities should recalculate GPAs as provided from the high school, giving weight to what they value as an institution. Over the past year, I have dramatically shifted my belief in the way rank ought to be used. Earlier in my admissions career, I believed rank was accurate and useful. Now that I have taken significant time to consider the role of rank from the perspective of a school counselor, I realize that it is not the beacon of precision. It has become increasingly clear to me that it is the job of colleges/universities to rank high school students; it is not the job of high schools. During months spent speaking with current and former school counselors, and my own motivation to become a school counselor, I realized that it does not ultimately benefit high schools to provide colleges with rank and it does not benefit colleges to use a precise rank that is born out of one specific context.

To begin with, the role of theatre, and especially popular theatre, is contextualised within the theory of art and society and the debate about 'popular' and 'mass' culture. The thesis attempts to reassess the possibilities for positive and dynamic relations between audience and theatre within this context, through an investigation of some actual relationships between them. What is defined as 'mainstream' theatre is the basis of the research. The three major productions studied are A Day in the Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols, Bloody Poetry by Howard Brenton, and Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. Qualitative research on audience responses for each play resulted in 37 in-depth interviews. A chapter is devoted to the problem of methodology for such a qualitative study; in particular, to the lack of any model method for analysis. The interview material is presented and discussed play by play. Initially, a broad 'consensus' view of each play, provides a background to the description and analysis of responses. Analysis is carried out under the headings of different 'cultural profiles', determined in relation to the play as 'accordant', 'discordant' or 'neutral' in orientation. The influences of such cultural profiles are shown in some cases to predetermine the perceived meaning or effect of the play, independently of the executants' intentions. Some responses are more readily understood as determined most importantly by a personal 'inner history', which can be even more resilient to change. Despite the predominance of habitual notions, it is found that particular kinds of theatrical technique are more successful than others in overriding biases corresponding to cultural profile. This is especially true of theatricality which raises the emotional identification of respondents with characters or events on stage without mobilising stereotypes. Findings indicate the importance of the cultural profile and personal history of audiences in any theory of the theatre's social function. The innate conservatism which characterises cultural profiles is seen to be a crucial factor. Conclusions suggest a need for models which do not rely on preconceptions or hidden assumptions about audience response. In addition, the emphasis which emerges on the autonomy of audience as critic and creator raises questions about the function and aspirations of certain types of theatre.

ABSTRACT This research report quantifies the soft tissue profile changes that occur as a result of the placement of orthodontic brackets. It also assesses whether patients are able to perceive any changes in their own profiles immediately post bonding. Using a standardised photographic technique, profile photographs were taken of a group of patients both before and immediately after the placement of orthodontic brackets. A series of angular and linear measurements were made each on the photographic images using a computer software program. The data obtained from the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs were then compared. Patients were also asked several standard questions about their ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs. The results indicate that the placement of orthodontic brackets can cause changes in the soft tissue profile of patients. Statistically significant changes were found for four of the ten profile measurements that were investigated, namely the Nasolabial Angle, the Maxillo-Mandibular Contour, the Interlabial Angle and the Lower Lip Projection. It was also found that patients are able to perceive changes in their profiles brought about by the placement of orthodontic brackets, and that most are able to correctly recognise which photograph was taken after bracket placement. The majority of patients prefer the photographs of their profiles taken before bracket placement. This study was conducted using a standardised orthodontic bracket. Future research may be carried out to compare profile changes occurring with other bracket systems. This may assist manufacturers in designing brackets that are more comfortable and acceptable for patients.

Voting theory as been explored mathematically since the 1780’s. Many people have tackled parts of it using various tools, and now we shall look at it through the eyes of a representation theorist. Each vote can be thought of as a permutation of the symmetric group, Sn, and a poll is similar to a linear combination of these elements. Specifically, we will focus on translating and generalizing the works of Donald Saari into more algebraic terms to discover not just one space, but a whole isotypic component essential to positional voting.

In dieser Arbeit werden CRPS Typ I und Patienten verglichen, die eine Fraktur oder Trauma erlitten, bzw. sich einer Operation unterziehen musste. Der Vergleich untersucht sensorische und psychologische Faktoren beider Populationen. This doctoral thesis compares psychological und QST-Data of CRPS Type I Patients and Patients who suffered under Trauma, Fracture or had to undergo surgery. / We compared the sensory profiles and psychological factors of CRPS Type I patients and patients that had a fracture, surgery or other traumas without developing a CRPS. The main focus was to detect a difference in QST ("quantitative sensory testing") profiles.

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Möjligheternas nation? Ida Hansson KällAbstractTitle: A Student Nation of Possibilities? A qualitative study of the image and the positioningof Norrlands nation (Möjligheternas nation? En kvalitativ studie av Norrlands nations imageoch positionering)Number of pages: 41 (43 including enclosures)Author: Ida Hansson KällTutor: Peder Hård af SegerstadCourse: Media and Communication Studies 30hpPeriod: Fall 2008University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science,Uppsala UniversityPurpose/Aim: The purpose of this essay is to identify what students in Uppsala and themanagement of Norrlands nation think of the activities at the nation's daily schedule. Theimage of Norrlands nation will be compared to the nation's profile and identity, its currentlyprofile and position in Uppsala. Proposals of preventive measures will also be presented.Material/Method: I've done two interviews with the management of Norrlands nation andtwo focus group interviews with three students in each group. During the interviews I havefocused on the image, profile and identity of Norrlands nation and its strengths, weaknesses,threats and opportunities to compare in a SWOT-analysis. I've used a semantic differential tocompare Norrlands nation to the two second biggest nations in Uppsala.Main results: Norrlands nation is mostly aware of its strengths and weaknesses that thestudents accentuated during the interviews. The results also show that the nation should try toget stronger at making sure the information about its activities reaches out to the students.Keywords: Image, profile, identity, positioning, student, nation2

Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs) have experienced a healthy growth during the last decade. However, improvement in properties is necessary to increase their utility for structural applications. The toughness of WPCs can be improved by creating a fine cellular structure while reducing the density. Extrusion processing is one of the most economical methods for profile formation. For our study, rectangular profiles were extruded using a twin-screw extrusion system with different grades of HDPE and with varying wood fibre and lubricant contents together with maleated polyethylene (MAPE) coupling agent to investigate their effects on WPC processing and mechanical properties. Work has been done to redesign the extrusion system setup to achieve smoother and stronger profiles. A guiding shaper, submerged in the water, has been designed to guide the material directly through water immediately after exiting the die; instead of passing it through a water cooled vacuum calibrator and then through water. In this way a skin was formed quickly that facilitated the production of smoother profiles. Later on chemical blowing agent (CBA) was used to generate cellular structure in the profile by the same extrusion system. CBA contents die temperatures, drawdown ratios (DDR) and wood fibre contents (WF) were varied for optimization of mechanical properties and morphology. Cell morphology and fibre alignment was characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A new compression molding system was developed to help in quick evaluation of different material formulations. This system forces the materials to flow in one direction to achieve higher net alignment of fibres during sample preparation, which is the case during profile extrusion. Operation parameters were optimized and improvements in WPC properties were observed compared to samples prepared by conventional hot press and profile extrusion. / UOIT

Purpose: To define initial hard and soft tissue convexity necessary for profiles to consistently improve after mandibular advancement and to assess if pre-surgical lower incisor inclination (IMPA) affects profile change. Methods: 20 general public, 20 orthodontists, and 20 oral surgeons used a Likert scale to rate attractiveness of before and after treatment profiles of mandibular advancement patients. Spearman’s correlation tested for relationships between amount of profile change and varying ANB, profile angle and pre-surgical IMPA. Wilcoxon test compared extraction and non-extraction profile changes. Results: There was a tendency for inverse correlations between profile change and profile angle, but was not statistically significant any of the 3 groups. There was a tendency for positive correlations between profile change and ANB, but was considered significant only for orthodontists. Orthodontists, oral surgeons and the general public found profiles consistently improved when profile angles were ≤159º, ≤158º and ≤157º, respectively. Orthodontists and oral surgeons found profiles consistently improved when ANB angles were ≥5.5º and ≥6.5º, respectively. Profile worsening increases 2.6 to 5.0 times when profile angles exceeded thresholds, and 4.5 to 7.9 times when ANB angles were less than thresholds. No difference in IMPA or profile change in extraction and non-extraction groups. Conclusion: Extractions are not predictive of a greater surgical profile change. Pre-treatment profile angles <160º and ANB >6º are necessary for consistent improvements after surgery. / October 2006