This research explored in-vitro and in-vivo performance of three salbutamol metered dose inhalers (MDIs): Ventolin Evohaler (Evo), Airomir (Airo) and Salamol. In the in-vitro studies, critical quality attributes of the MDI using an Andersen cascade impactor (ACI) were examined and included measurement of fine particle dose (FPD) and total delivered dose (TDD). Bioequivalence studies were conducted in humans using the urinary pharmacokinetic method. Post-inhalation urinary excretion of salbutamol in the first 0.5 hour (lung deposition, USAL0.5) and over 24 hours (total systemic bioavailability, USAL24) were compared to determine the bioequivalence of the MDIs. The spacers recommended for use with these inhalers were also studied, and charcoal block studies were performed to assess the extent of USAL0.5. The three MDIs had FPD (μg) of 78, 91 and 89, respectively; the latter pair was equivalent. Their USAL0.5 (6, 7 & 7 μg) was however not bioequivalent. These MDIs delivered equivalent dose (177, 174 & 180 μg) which reflected on their USAL24 (101, 84 & 97 μg). Nevertheless, USAL24 was inequivalent between Evo and Airo. The FPD of Evo with Volumatic (VOL), AeroChamber Plus (AERO) and Able spacer was 78, 68 and 74 μg, respectively. The AERO treatment method was not equivalent to the MDI while VOL and Able were equivalent between them. Spacer USAL0.5 (16, 15 & 14 μg) was not bioequivalent to the MDI but to each other. The spacer in-vitro TDD (95, 85 & 92 μg) was inequivalent to the MDI treatment method. In contrast, their USAL24 was bioequivalent (97, 85 & 90 μg). The FPD of Airomir with AERO (95 μg) was in-vitro equivalent while USAL0.5 (15 μg) of this treatment method was bio-inequivalent to the MDI alone. On the contrary, the TDD (110 μg) and USAL24 (84 μg) of AERO were respectively in-vitro inequivalent and bioequivalent to the MDI alone. The FPD (μg) of Salamol MDI alone and with VOL (84) and AERO (86) as well as between the spacers was equivalent. However, the USAL0.5 of the MDI was not bioequivalent to spacers (20 and 18 μg) despite being equivalent between the spacers. In contrast, the respective TDD (103 and 95 μg) of spacer treatment methods were in-vitro inequivalent to the MDI alone albeit having bioequivalent USAL24 (86 and 87 μg). The variations in the in-vitro performance of the three MDIs are most likely due to differences in their formulations and designs. As the performance metrics of the MDI influence lung deposition, substituting one MDI with another can have clinical implications. Although the spacers reduced in-vitro TDD of the MDI to about half, their use increased lung deposition by over two folds, the magnitude of which varied with the MDI and spacer type. Despite significant decrease in dose delivery, the total systemic bioavailability with the spacers was similar to that with the MDI alone. This systemic bioequivalence is more likely due to greater USAL0.5 with the spacers. The results of the charcoal block studies reinforced this outcome. The present study is unique as it used a clinically relevant salbutamol MDI dose (two puffs), assessed results for equivalence and analysed ACI deposition data further as stage groups. The deposition on adjacent ACI stages were grouped together as coarse, fine and extra-fine particle masses to identify their more likely deposition sites in the human respiratory tract. Moreover, this thesis describes highly sensitive and novel HPLC and SPE methods, developed and validated to quantify salbutamol in urinary and aqueous matrices. As the clinical effects of MDIs are related to their lung deposition, the current work emphasizes the importance of spacer use. Nevertheless, differences in dose delivery between spacers may have clinical consequences. Hence, only the specific spacer recommended for use with the MDI should be used. / World Federation, Stanmore, London and Sadaat Welfare Foundation, Bradford, West Yorkshire

[pt] Um diagrama de Bratteli B é um objeto combinatório representado por um grafo dividido em infinitos níveis, cada um com número finito de vértices e de arestas entre vértices de níveis consecutivos. Além disso, todo vértice possui ligação com vértices dos níveis precedente e sucessor. Estudamos, do ponto de vista topológico, o espaço dos caminhos infinitos formados pelas arestas de um diagrama de Bratteli, denotado por XB. Estabelecemos uma relação de equivalência neste espaço, denominada AF. Quando é possível definir uma ordem parcial em XB o diagrama é dito ordenado; neste caso, definimos um homeomorfismo em XB denominado de função de Bratteli-Vershik. Consideramos sistemas dinâmicos minimais definidos em conjuntos de Cantor e associamos a estes diagramas de Bratteli ordenados. Um exemplo paradigmático de um conjunto de Cantor é o espaço das sequências infinitas formadas por 00s e 10s, munido de uma métrica apropriada. Neste espaço são definidas as funções odômetro. Definimos a relação de equivalência orbital, na qual duas sequências são equivalentes se estão na mesma órbita do odômetro, e a relação de equivalência de caudas, onde duas sequências são equivalentes se a partir de alguma entrada elas são iguais. Estudamos como estas duas relações estão relacionadas. Provamos que o odômetro diádico é um homeomorfismo minimal definido em um conjunto de Cantor e, portanto, pode ser associado a um diagrama de Bratteli ordenado. Uma relação de equivalência é dita étale quando admite uma topologia gerada por uma ação local. Dois exemplos são as relações AF e orbital. Dada uma relação de equivalência étale R em um espaço X, definimos um invariante algébrico D(X,R). Construímos o grupo de dimensão de um diagrama de Bratteli. Provamos, então, que dado um diagrama de Bratteli B, seu grupo de dimensão é isomorfo a D(XB,RB), onde RB é relação AF de B. Finalmente, estudamos sob quais condições um grupo abeliano ordenado é o grupo de dimensão de um diagrama de Bratteli. Esta dissertação é baseada no livro de Ian F. Putnam Cantor minimal systems, publicado em University Lecture Series, 70. American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2018. [6]. / [en] A Bratteli diagram B is a combinatorial object represented by a graph divided into infinite levels, each level with a finite number of vertices and edges between vertices of consecutive levels. Moreover, every vertex is connected to vertices of the preceding and successor levels. We study, from a topological point of view, the space of infinite paths formed by the edges of a Bratteli diagram, denoted by XB. We establish an equivalence relation on this space, called the AF relation. When it is possible to define a partial order in XB the Bratteli diagram is called ordered; in this case, we define a homeomorphism on XB called the Bratteli-Vershik function. We consider minimal dynamic systems defined on Cantor sets and associate to these systems ordered Bratteli diagrams. A paradigmatic example of a Cantor set is the space of the infinite sequences formed by 00s and 10s, equipped with an appropriate metric. In this space, are defined the odometer functions. We define the orbital equivalence relation, in which two elements of the Cantor set are equivalent if they are in the same orbit of the odometer, and the tail equivalence relation, where two sequences are equivalents if they differ in only finitely many entries. We study how these equivalence relations are related. We prove that the dyadic odometer is a minimal homeomorphism and, therefore, it can be associated to a ordered Bratteli diagram. An equivalence relation is called étale if it admits a topology generated by a local action. Two examples are the AF equivalence relation and the orbital equivalence relation above. Given an étale equivalence relation R on a space X, we define an algebraic invariant D(X,R). We construct the dimension group of a Bratteli diagram. Then, we prove that given a Bratteli diagram B, its dimension group is isomorphic to D(XB,RB), where RB is the AF equivalence relation of B. Finally, we study under which conditions an ordered abelian group is the dimension group for some Bratteli diagram. This master thesis is based on the book by Ian F. Putnam Cantor minimal systems, published in University Lecture Series, 70. American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2018. [6].

Networked embedded control systems are present almost everywhere. A recent trend is to introduce wireless sensor networks in these systems, to take advantage of the added mobility and flexibility offered by wireless solutions. In such networks, the sensor observations are typically quantized and transmitted over noisy links. Concerning the problem of closed-loop control over such non-ideal communication channels, relatively few works have appeared so far. This thesis contributes to this field, by studying some fundamentally important problems in the design of joint source--channel coding and optimal control. The main part of the thesis is devoted to joint design of the coding and control for scalar linear plants, whose state feedbacks are transmitted over binary symmetric channels. The performance is measured by a finite-horizon linear quadratic cost function. The certainty equivalence property of the studied systems is utilized, since it simplifies the overall design by separating the estimation and the control problems. An iterative optimization algorithm for training the encoder--decoder pairs, taking channel errors into account in the quantizer design, is proposed. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate promising improvements in performance compared to traditional approaches. Event-triggered control strategies are a promising solution to the problem of efficient utilization of communication resources. The basic idea is to let each control loop communicate only when necessary. Event-triggered and quantized control are combined for plants affected by rarely occurring disturbances. Numerical experiments show that it is possible to achieve good control performance with limited control actuation and sensor communication. / QC 20101109

No description available.

В данной магистерской диссертации исследуются окказионализмы, созданные Терри Пратчеттом, в сопоставлении с их русскими эквивалентами. Рассматриваются способы конструирования окказиональной лексики в оригинале и переводе романов «Мор, ученик Смерти» и «Мрачный жнец», определена частотность использованных способов перевода. В русле существующих теорий эквивалентности доказана зависимость используемого способа перевода от степени семантической нагруженности индивидуально-авторского онима или реалии, а равно от типологической принадлежности каждой окказиональной единицы. / This master's thesis studies the occasional words created by Terry Pratchett as compared to their Russian equivalents. The ways of constructing occasional words in English and Russian variants of the novels "Mort" and "Reaper Man" are considered, the frequency of the applied translation methods is defined. Within the existing theories of equivalence, the dependence of the applied method of translation on the degree of semantic meaningfulness of the individual author’s word is proved, as well as on the typological peculiarities of each occasional lexeme.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of summative assessment of EFL student writing in a Swedish context. Three teachers have assessed the same four student essays from the English 6 course in Swedish upper secondary school. In addition to grading each essay, the teachers have indicated the extent of conformity to the grading criteria in terms of flow, structure, cohesion, adaptation to purpose, clarity, and variation. The analyzed data show a variation in assessment criteria interpretation, affecting assessment validity and reliability, and questioning the assessment equivalence of the Swedish criterion-referenced gradingsystem. / Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka validiteten och reliabiliteten hos summativa bedömningar av studentuppsatser ur ett svenskt perspektiv. Tre lärare har bedömt samma fyra studentuppsatser från engelska 6. Förutom att betygsätta varje uppsats har lärarna angett graden av överensstämmelse med betygskriterierna: flöde, struktur, sammanhållning, anpassning till syfte, tydlighet och variation. De analyserade data visar en variation i tolkning av betygskriterier, vilket påverka rbedömningens validitet och reliabilitet och ifrågasätter bedömningslikvärdigheten i det svenska mål-relaterade betygssystemet.

Alla barn har rätt till en likvärdig förskola, ibland föreligger dock särskilda behov vilket kan kräva särskilt stöd. Tidigare forskning visar att barn i behov av särskilt stöd är ett begrepp som är mångfacetterat vilket gör att även stödet blir svårt att definiera. Syftet med studien är att bidra med en ökad kunskap om förskollärares uppfattningar av derasarbete med barn i behov av särskilt stöd. Detta genom att tydliggöra vilka barn förskollärarna beskriver som barn i behov av särskilt stöd samt hur förskolläraren definierar det särskilda stödet. I studien används en kvalitativ intervjumetod med tematisk analys som grundas ur ett relationellt perspektiv. Resultatet visar att förskollärarna använder sig av kartläggningar och observationer som strategier för att synliggöra vilka barn som är i behov av särskilt stöd. Definitionerna av barn i behov av särskilt stöd skiljer sig åt. Förskollärarna menar å ena sidan att alla barn kan vara i behov av särskilt stöd, samtidigt som de även definierar barn i behov av särskilt stöd som barn med någon form av funktionsvariation eller diagnos. Orsaken till stödbehovet placeras alltså både hos barnet och i miljön. Stödet uppfattas av förskollärarna som svårt att genomföra, och de menar att flera aspekter påverkar möjligheten till att ge rätt stöd. Slutsatserna av studien är bland annat att specialpedagogiken är ett komplext ämne samtatt det upplevs svårt att definiera barn i behov av särskilt stöd och att ge dessa barn det stöd de behöver. En annan slutsats av studien är att ett gemensamt förhållningssätt och en gemensam definition av barn i behov av särskilt stöd har stor betydelse för barns möjlighet till en likvärdig utbildning.

Golembiewski, Billingsly, and Yeager (1976) conceptualized three distinct types of change that might result from development interventions, called alpha, beta, and gamma change. Recent research has found that beta and gamma change do occur as hypothesized, but the phenomena are somewhat infrequent and the precise conditions under which they occur have not been established. This study used confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory to identify gamma and beta change on a multidimensional, multisource managerial performance appraisal instrument and to examine relations among the change types, training program content, and raters' implicit theories of performance. Results suggested that coverage in training was a necessary but not sufficient condition for beta and gamma change to occur. Further, although gamma change was detected only in the trainee group, beta change was detected in self-ratings from trainees and in ratings collected from their superiors. Because trainees' superiors were involved in post-training follow-up, this finding was interpreted as a possible diffusion of treatments effect (Campbell & Stanley, 1963). Contrary to expectations, there were no interpretable relations between raters' implicit theories of performance and either of the change types. Perhaps relatedly, more implicit theory change was detected among individuals providing observer ratings than in the trainees themselves. The implications of these findings for future research on plural change were discussed. / Ph. D.

Utopia, as a concept, has experienced a resurgence within literature of various genres, ranging from scholarly work inside the 'academy' to diverse accounts of utopian and/or dystopian imaginaries within diverse fictional stories. Identifying what utopia picks out conceptually, however, is challenging, not least due to the limitations inherent in the ways we perceive the world could be. In this dissertation, I first defend a 'processual' account of utopia, contrasting this way of thinking about the idea against any fixed or granular description of some candidate, concrete state of affairs. I then look at the primary methodology leveraged by most processual utopian theorists, namely: utopian hope. After considering this affective, performative stance against what I call 'merely-political' combat, I demonstrate how utopian hope, within processual accounts, turns out to be equivalent to religious faith. As such, processual utopian projects require a return to a mystical, transcendent field of play for both their theoretical and methodological constituents. The second half of my project attempts to outline a fledgling, practical methodology for processual utopia, first identifying a very counter-intuitive directional focus on the part of the privileged when pursuing utopian ends. This focus requires the privileged to consider alternate imaginaries for possible futures while additionally requesting assistance from the marginalized to appropriately parse them. I conclude by examining several instances of liminal 'utopias' that have occurred in the wake of tragic events. These are placed in conversation with fictional accounts of utopian effort in order to highlight why utopian performativity must begin from a space of mutual vulnerability. / Doctor of Philosophy / In this dissertation I aim to do two things. In the first half, I defend the concept of "processual utopia" as a more fruitful way to think about striving for societies that feature less stratification in the way they distribute opportunity and privilege. I contrast this idea with those theories that try to describe, using present-day imaginaries, concretely-imaginable utopias in the here and now. I argue that the latter effort is a fool's errand, a process that incurs insurmountable difficulties in that opposing visions are immediately juxtaposed against any solidified description of what utopia might look like. I then examine the primary constituent of processual utopia's process, namely: utopian hope. I contrast this with the kind of affective performativity normally found within politics and political struggle, concluding that these efforts do not result in utopian ends. This is because what I call the 'merely-political' is bent on a kind of binary striving for power, focused on proving the 'other' side to be subhuman and irrational. Utopian hope counters political maneuvering for a particular vision of 'better' societies on a more transcendental foundation. It looks for a reality that humankind cannot yet understand or describe – something that remains on the horizon as a target for our dreams and efforts. This affective viewpoint should motivate our actions to make currently unimaginable realities possible in a distant, not-seen-by-us, future. I also suggest that utopian hope, although talked about a great deal over the past century by writers such as Ernst Bloch and Ruth Levitas, has its conceptual genesis in religious faith. I argue that the two are equivalent in the case of utopian affect and desire. My foils in this effort are Kierkegaard and St. Augustine and examining their accounts of faith reveals the parallel nature this mystical logic shares with contemporary ideas about utopian hope. In the second half of the dissertation, I connect processual utopian theory to potential practice. The investigative point-of-view throughout is that of the currently privileged. I argue that those who possess the highest levels of opportunity within realms of social and political power tend to defend the status quo, even when suggesting or devising initiatives to supposedly level the playing field more fairly. Privileged actors, it seems, are culturally programmed to reinforce the same logics that prevent substantive change. This also means that our targets for 'better societies' tend to simply reinforce the same stratifications of opportunity that exist currently. Privileged actors not only need help understanding the ideas of the marginalized concerning more just societies, they also need to engage in what might seem like 'dystopian' effort (from our perspective) in order to actually strive for something more 'utopian' in the future. To help orient those wishing to be allies to the marginalized, I examine various accounts of alternate futures, explaining how those challenge our default ways of understanding the world. These, in turn, should motivate the privilege to ask for help (from the marginalized) in order to understand them, a request the latter must answer if processual utopia is the goal of all concerned. This highlights what I call an 'ethical minefield' that highlights divisive issues we can observe in our current socio-cultural moment. I end with an analysis of both tragedy and dystopian fiction, arguing that a sense of mutual vulnerability is needed for an actor to pursue processual utopia.