This study contains four main parts. Part 1, poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) rich random copolymers containing ~20% 2-methyl-1,3-propylene succinate (MPS), PBMPSu 80/20. The influence of minor MPS units on thermal properties and crystallization rate was investigated. Part 2, poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) rich random copolymers containing ~5% 1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene succinate (CHDMS), PBCHDMSu 95/5. The influence of cyclohexane unit on thermal properties and crystallization rate was investigated. Part 3, Poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) random copolymers containing ~50% 2-methyl-1,3-propylene succinate (MPS), PBMPSu 50/50. Blend of PBSu with poly(2-methyl-1,3-propylene succinate) (PMPSu). The weight ratio of PBSu and PMPSu were 1:1. The crystallization behavior and morphology was compared. Part 4, Poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu) random copolymers containing ~50¢H trimethylene succinate (TS), PETSu 50/50. Blend of PESu with poly(trimethylene succinate) (PTSu). The weight ratio of PESu and PTSu were 1:1. The crystallization behavior and morphology was compared. Molecular weights of copolymers were measured using capillary viscometer and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results indicate that polyesters used in this study have high molecular weights. The chemical composition and the sequence distribution of co-monomers in copolyesters were determined using 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The distribution in these copolyesters was found to be random from the evidence of a randomness value close to 1.0 for a random copolymer. Thermal properties of blends and copolyesters were characterized using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimeter (TGA). The crystallization kinetics and mleting behaviors was analyzed after isothermal crystallization by DSC. Wide-angle X-ray diffractograms (WAXD) were obtained for specimens after complete isothermal crystallization. The growth rates, morphology were studied using polarized light microscope (PLM). The morphology of specimens after chemical etching was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). AS the ratio of MPS units increase, the degree of crystallinity and crystallization rate drop, it was due to decrease of butylene succinate sequence length. The spherulite growth rate of PBCHDMSu 95/5 is much slower compare with PBSu rich copolymers containing 5% TS or MPS. It was due to the steric effect of cyclohexane unit in the polymer chains. The crystalline morphology of PBMPSu 50/50 and PETSu 50/50 were quite different. It was due to the short sequence length of butylene succinate and ethylene succinate. From the analysis results by DSC and observation by PLM and SEM, it indicates that PBSu was miscible with PMPSu while PESu was partial miscible with PTSu.

In resource polymorphism, ecological opportunity and selective predatory pressure can be considered key factors in phenotypic divergence. In post-glacial lakes of Scandinavia, the European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.) is a common species and has repeatedly diverged along the benthic - pelagic resource axis. Recent studies suggest that predation by northern pike (Esox lucius L.) induces rapid divergence in whitefish, leading to two reproductively isolated ecotypes: a dwarf planktivore and a giant benthivore. In lakes where pike is absent, whitefish are only found as monomorphic populations. In this study I estimated growth rates in two monomorphic and two polymorphic populations having giant and dwarf ecotypes. The aim was to use growth rates as a tool to distinguish between juvenile giants and dwarfs, but also to find out if a population's resource use was reflected in the growth rate. Scales were used to calculate growth rate, where like trees, variations in seasonal growth could be observed in a ring-like structure. Growth rates differed between the morphs, and mirrored their use of resources. The two monomorphic populations had the highest average growth rate the first six years (40.1 and 35.5 mm/year), and quickly reached maximum size. Dwarfs and giants in the dimorphic systems had equal growth the first two years, after which giants grew at a substantially higher rate. Categorization between juvenile giants and dwarfs could be done if an individual had passed its third growth season.

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Histological analysis of long bone thin sections has in recent decades been broadly applied to infer growth rates and ecology in extinct vertebrates, particularly within non-analogous clades. Meaningful interpretation of bone histology and extrapolation to an extinct organism’s life history requires a robust understanding of the factors influencing bone growth and histological presentation. Archosaurs are commonly the subject of osteohistological studies and, as such, much of our knowledge of their paleohistology is derived from the two extant lineages: avian dinosaurs and crocodilians. The American alligator (A. mississippiensis) is widely available for study in the United States and several osteohistological analyses have been published. These studies focused on intraskeletal variation, histovariability, and skeletochronology in one or a few specimens, and in one study a larger sample of pen-raised captive born specimens. However, no published studies test paleohistological assumptions using large-scale geographic and climatic variation in bone histology among extant wild crocodilians. To fill this gap in our knowledge of archosaurian osteohistology, we prepared a collection of humeral and femoral thin sections of 45 Alligator from North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina. Previously prepared thin sections from pen-raised Louisiana Alligator were also included. For this study we began by comparing growth rates inferred from counts and measurements of arrested growth (LAGs), which represent annual cycles, and femoral dimensions which correlate strongly to body length. Comparison of these data revealed that, on average, Alligator specimens subject to shorter growing seasons (i.e., those in cooler climates) tend to show more LAGs when compared to more southerly Alligator specimens of similar size. Bone tissue also varies between specimens, suggesting a variable tempo of bone growth in response to differing climatic and environmental regimes. Finally, histological thin sections of early Pliocene Alligator fossils from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS), Washington Co., Tennessee were prepared to explore the paleobiology of this biogeographically unique Appalachian alligator. Assessing variation in this fossil taxon’s closest living relative (A. mississippiensis) provides insight into the paleoecology and growth rates of the GFS Alligator, as well as the climate of the southern Appalachians during the past. Results suggest that the fossil species may have grown more slowly than extant relatives along the southeastern United States coastal plain, and that some parts of the skeleton reached asymptotic growth at a smaller size.

Diamond is a unique material with many exceptional properties. It has therefore been proven to be an important material for many applications. Moreover, the introduction of dopant species into the gas phase during the CVD growth process has been shown to strongly influence not only the properties and morphology of diamond, but also the growth rate. The purpose with the theoretical part of the present study has been to support and explain the experimental observations regarding the effect of various dopants (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, and boron) on the diamond growth rate. Commonly observed H-terminated diamond surfaces [(111), (110) and (100)-2×1], were thereby carefully investigated using density functional theory under periodic boundary conditions. Based on the assumption that the hydrogen abstraction reaction is the growth rate-limiting step, both the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the diamond growth process were found to be severely affected by various dopants. More specifically, the results showed that nitrogen and phosphorous dopants (positioned within the 2nd, 3rd or 4th carbon layer) will cause an enhancement in the growth rate (as compared with non-doped situations). On the other hand, any growth rate improvement does only occur when positioning boron in the 2nd, and sulphur in the 4th, atomic carbon layer. With boron, and sulphur, positioned within the other atomic carbon layers, the growth rates were observed to decrease. In addition, the main purpose with the experimental part of the present study has been to investigate the effect of one specific dopant precursor (TMB) on the boron-doped diamond growth process. The result has shown that the increasing mass flow of TMB will not affect the mechanism of the HFCVD growth process of boron doped diamond. However, a linear boron carrier concentration in the diamond film vs. mass flow rate of TMB was observed.

The freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus has been shown to exist in two different ecotypes, stonewort ecotypes and reed ecotypes. The differentiation is likely due to adaptation towards different predator regimes and possibly also other selective forces. It is unknown if the ecotypes have different adaptations when it comes to food preferences and roles in the ecosystems. In the present study, isopods of each ecotype were collected from two lakes where the differentiation of pigmentation was especially pronounced to examine whether this had a connection with other physiological adaptations. Growth rate, competitiveness, exposing behaviour and grazing efficiency were tested in two experiments with periphyton or coarse detritus as food sources. None of the results indicated a specialization towards their regular food. Instead, the stonewort ecotype had significantly faster growth rate for both food sources. Presence of snails caused a slight, but statistically insignificant increase in growth rate when periphyton was the food source. Individuals of the reed ecotype were more exposed on the substrate than the stonewort ecotype, but the difference was not statistically significant. Grazing efficiency of both detritus and periphyton was similar and not significantly different between ecotypes. The results thus show no indication to phenotypical differences between ecotypes in the ability to graze or process different types of food. However, currently known adaptations, e.g. in behaviour and pigmentation may be important for the ecological role of the species. / Sötvattengråsuggan Asellus aquaticus har visats kunna förekomma i två ekotyper, kransalgsekotyper och vassekotyper. Differentieringen beror troligen på en anpassning till olika predatorregimer och möjligen även andra selektiva krafter. Det är okänt om ekotyperna har olika anpassningar till födoval och roller i ekosystemen. I denna studie samlades vattengråsuggor av vardera ekotyp in från två sjöar där differentieringen av pigmentering var speciellt markant för att undersöka om detta hade något samband med anpassningar till lokala födoresurser. Tillväxthastighet, konkurrenskraft, exponerat beteende och beteseffektivitet testades i två experiment med perifyton eller detritus som matkällor. Inga av resultaten visade på en specialisering till den normalt förekommande matkällan. Istället visade sig kransalgsekotypen ha signifikant högre tillväxthastighet för båda matkällorna. Närvaro av snäckor orsakade en liten, men icke signifikant ökning av tillväxthastigheten hos vattengråsuggor med perifyton. Individer av vassekotypen var exponerade på substratet oftare än kransalgsekotypen, men skillnaden var inte statistiskt signifikant. Beteseffektiviteten av både detritus och perifyton var jämbördig och inte signifikant olika mellan ekotyperna. Resultaten visar inga indikationer på fenotypiska skillnader mellan ekotyperna i förmåga att beta eller omsätta olika födotyper. Däremot kan fler ekologiska effekter beroende på de i nuläget kända anpassningarna, exempelvis beteende och pigmentering inte uteslutas, och kan ha betydelse för artens funktion i ekosystemet.

Nearly every company executive strives to achieve rapid growth and expansion for their firm, and does so in an almost single-minded manner. This paper focuses on the seldom discussed or accounted for negative side of rapid growth, namely the growing pains experienced by companies as their larger size creates a variety of challenges, such as increased bureaucracy, financial management, and maintaining efficiency. Specifically, this paper began with the Forbes 100 Fastest-Growing Corporations in 2011 and created a dataset of their corporate information over the five-year period after their recognition (2011-2015). The dataset was analyzed in order to identify the negative factors that those companies experienced due to their rapid growth. The goal of this was provide a roadmap for expansion-minded companies to strategize about their future growth.

Introdução: Estudos vêm demonstrando que o ambiente intrauterino influencia no crescimento fetal e extrauterino, repercutindo no perfil de saúde em longo prazo. Objetivo: Comparar a velocidade de crescimento durante os primeiros três meses de vida de crianças geradas em ambientes intrauterinos considerados adversos. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo longitudinal prospectivo controlado desenvolvido com pares de mãe-filho residentes em Porto Alegre/RS. Cinco grupos de exposição foram estudados (diabetes, hipertensão arterial, tabaco e restrição do crescimento intrauterino) e um controle. O crescimento foi avaliado em cinco momentos (pós-parto, sete dias, quinze dias, um mês e três meses) utilizando os índices peso para idade (P/I), comprimento para idade (E/I) e Índice de Massa Corpórea para idade (IMC/I). A análise de regressão Equações de Estimativas Generalizadas foi utilizada para avaliar a relação entre o ambiente intrauterino e o crescimento. A velocidade de crescimento foi avaliada com um e três meses, utilizando a diferença entre as medidas de escore z (delta). Identificou-se a influência de fatores sociodemográficos, maternos e neonatais no peso ao nascer e na velocidade de crescimento. Resultados: Os fatores que influenciaram no peso ao nascer foram: paridade, IMC pré-gestacional, ganho de peso durante a gestação, tipo de parto e sexo. Ao utilizar o escore z de P/I, verificou-se que os grupos tabaco e restrito apresentaram médias significativamente menores do que o controle. De zero a um mês, a velocidade de ganho de peso entre os restritos foi significativamente maior do que os demais. De zero a três meses, só não foi significativamente maior do que o grupo hipertensão arterial. A velocidade de ganho de comprimento de zero a um e de zero a três meses foi significativamente maior no grupo restrito ao comparar com o controle. Ao utilizar o escore z de IMC/I, os grupos tabaco e restrito apresentaram médias significativamente menores do que o grupo controle. A velocidade de ganho de IMC de zero a um mês do grupo restrito só não foi significativamente maior do que o grupo hipertensão arterial. De zero a três meses, foi significativamente maior do que todos os demais. Os fatores que influenciaram na velocidade de crescimento foram: situação conjugal, IMC pré-gestacional, ganho de peso durante a gestação e internação hospitalar da criança. Conclusão: O presente estudo identificou que a velocidade de crescimento nos três primeiros meses de vida é influenciada por ambientes intrauterinos adversos e diferentes fatores gestacionais e neonatais estão envolvidos neste contexto. O grupo restrito foi o que apresentou os escores médios mais baixos e a maior recuperação. O grupo hipertensão arterial, que possuiu escores médios negativos, apresentou velocidade de ganho de peso positiva durante os primeiros três meses, sinalizando recuperação. Já o grupo tabaco, que apresentou escores médios negativos, não possuiu recuperação significativa. Os achados deste estudo poderão auxiliar na elaboração de estratégias de prevenção do crescimento acelerado em crianças expostas a fatores considerados de risco. Intervenções realizadas na infância inicial poderão refletir no perfil de saúde e na carga de doenças durante o curso da vida destas crianças. / Introduction: Studies has demonstrated that the intrauterine environment influences on fetal and extrauterine growth, reflecting the long-term health profile. Objective: To compare the growth velocity during the first three months of life among children born in intrauterine environments considered adverse. Methods: It is a prospective controlled longitudinal study developed with mother-infant pairs living in Porto Alegre/RS. Four exposure groups were studied (diabetes, hypertension, smoking and intrauterine growth restricted) and a control. Growth was evaluated in five moments (postpartum, seven days, fifteen days, one month and three months) using the weight for age (W/A), height for age (H/A) and Body Mass Index for age (BMI/A). Regression analysis with generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the relationship between the intrauterine environment and growth. The growth velocity was performed with one and three months using the difference between the z-score measures (delta). Were identified the influence of sociodemographic factors on maternal and neonatal birth weight and growth velocity. Results: Factors that influence the birth weight were: parity, pre-pregnancy BMI, weight gain during pregnancy, type of delivery and sex. By using the z score for W/A, it was found that tobacco and intrauterine growth restricted groups had significantly lower average than the control. From zero to one month, the weight gain velocity between intrauterine growth restricted was significantly higher than the others. From zero to three months, weight gain velocity of the intrauterine growth restricted group was significantly higher than the other groups, except hypertension. The length gain velocity from zero to one and three months was significantly higher in the intrauterine growth restricted vs. control. By using the BMI/A z score, tobacco and intrauterine growth restricted groups had significantly lower average than the control group. From zero to one month, only BMI gain speed intrauterine growth restricted group was not significantly higher than the hypertension group. From zero to three months, was significantly higher than the others. The factors that influenced the growth velocity were: marital status, pre-pregnancy BMI, weight gain during pregnancy and the child's hospitalization. Conclusion: The present study identified that the growth velocity in the first three months of life is influenced by adverse intrauterine environment and different gestational and neonatal factors are involved in this context. The intrauterine growth restricted group was the one with the lowest average scores and higher recovery. The hypertension group, which owned negative average scores showed positive weight gain velocity during the first three months, signaling recovery. Otherwise, the tobacco group, which showed negative average scores, did not possess significant recovery. The findings of this study will assist in developing prevention strategies in the accelerated growth in children exposed to the risk factors. Interventions in early childhood may reflect the health profile and burden of disease during the course of life of these children.

The recommended procedures for implementing COTMAN; a cotton management expert system; suggest frequent crop scouting at numerous locations for each field. Machine based height sensors coupled with the ability to spatially record height values make it possible to locate regions of a field that are height representative of the entire field. A machine based height measurement system called HMAP was used to assess plant height in various fields in the 2003 growing season while the same fields were monitored with COTMAN. The plant height data was used to determine an optimal COTMAN sampling scheme for each field consisting of significantly fewer sampling locations than recommended by COTMAN. It was possible to ascertain equivalent information from COTMAN using two sites selected from height data in place of six sites selected per COTMAN recommendations. The HMAP system was extended to monitor rate of growth in real time in addition to plant height by comparing historical plant height data recorded on previous field passes to current height values. The rate of growth capable HMAP system will make it possible to track cotton growth and development with an automated system.

This thesis attempts to establish what determines financial development in Africa by making use of cross sectional and panel data techniques. Financial development, the dependent variable, is measured using the banking sector indicator liquid liabilities (M3) while trade openness, financial openness and the GDP growth rates are used as independent variables. The data used in this research ranges from 1975-200, though for the cross sectional analysis particular years (1975, 1985, 1995, and 2005) are focused on. The empirical results from both regression types generally suggest that trade openness has a significantly positive effect on Africa’s financial development. Cross-sectional results show that financial openness and the GDP growth rate are significantly negative in 2005. With the panel data results, financial openness is significantly negative in explaining financial development, while the GDP growth rate is insignificant suggesting that it is not an important determinant of financial development for African countries.