The academic field of political science in Europe is studied in this thesis which examines the application of bibliometrics for domain analysis. It takes its point of departure in the domain analytic approach outlined by Birger Hjørland and Hanne Albrechtsen, which claims the study of domains as central for information specialists to be able to identify information needs in their fields of practice. Three features of the domain were studied by the use of bibliometric methods. Data was extracted from the Web of Science. Impact Factor was used to select 50 journals from each of the years 1999, 2004 and 2009. Only items published by authors with European addresses were included. Co-word analysis was used to study topics within the discipline and several kinds of citation analyses were conducted to examine citation patterns of the domain. Lastly core journals, authors and works were identified by the use of citation analysis and co-citation maps were drawn for the analyses.Several subfields within the domain, as well as some differences in citation patterns of the subfields, were possible to distinguish. The domain showed to be multifaceted, yet specific European research areas were identified. Some significant changes of the citation patterns were apparent between 1999 and 2009. In 2009 there were more references per article, journal articles were cited to a higher degree, relatively older publications were cited to a greater extent and the most cited journals received a larger share of the total amount of citations.The existence of a specific European domain within political science is discussed as well as the diverse characteristics of the subfields and their implications for the bibliometric methods. Finally suggestions are presented of how bibliometrics can be used for domain analysis within library and information science as well as by information service institutions.This paper is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science. / Det akademiska statsvetenskapliga fältet i Europa studeras i denna uppsats, vilken utforskar bibliometrins tillämpbarhet inom domänanalysen. Den tar sin utgångspunkt i det domänanalytiska perspektivet formulerat av Birger Hjørland och Hanne Albrechtsen, vilket hävdar studier av domäner som centrala för att informationsspecialister ska kunna identifiera informationsbehov inom sina verksamheter. Tre aspekter av domänen studerades med bibliometriska metoder, data hämtades från Web of Science. Impact Factor användes för att välja ut 50 tidskrifter för vardera av åren 1999, 2004 och 2009. Endast artiklar publicerade av författare med Europeiska adresser inkluderades. Co-word-analys användes för att studera disciplinens ämnesområden, flera olika citeringsanalyser genomfördes för att utforska citeringsmönster inom domänen och slutligen identifierades centrala tidskrifter, författare och verk genom citeringsanalys och co-citerings-kartor skapades för analyserna. Flera delfält inom domänen kunde urskiljas, samt några skillnader mellan delfältens citeringsmönster. Domänen visade sig vara multifacetterad, men specifikt europeiska forskningsområden kunde identifieras. Några betydande förändringar av citeringsmönstren var märkbara mellan åren 1999 och 2009. Artiklarna från 2009 innehöll fler referenser per artikel, tidskriftsartiklar citerades i högre grad, relativt äldre publikationer citerades i större utsträckning och de mest citerade tidskrifterna tog emot en större andel av citeringarna. Existensen av en specifik europeisk domän inom statsvetenskapen diskuteras samt hur de bibliometriska metoderna påverkas av skillnader mellan delfälten. Slutligen presenteras förslag på hur bibliometrin kan användas för domänanalys inom biblioteks- och informationsvetenskapen samt av institutioner tillhandahållande informationstjänster.

Magistro darbe tiriama miško našumas ir jo pokyčiai, girininkijos ūkinės veiklos įtakoje. Darbo objektas – Kazlų Rūdos mokomosios miškų urėdijos Jūrės girininkijos miškai. Darbo tikslas – įvertinti miškų pokyčius ir ūkinės veiklos efektyvumą Jūrės girininkijos miškuose, panaudojant sklypinės ir atrankinės miškų inventorizacijų duomenis. Darbo metodai – panaudoti atrankinės miškų inventorizacijos, taksacinių rodiklių analizės ir medynų našumo balanso metodai. Vertinant medynų našumą ir jo pasikeitimus, atlikta įvairiapusė medynų analizė, gauti duomenys palyginti su miškotvarkos duomenimis. Įvertintas naudmenų pasikeitimas, iškirstas tūris ir kt. rodikliai. Įvertinta kokį poveikį našumo pasikeitimams turėjo girininkijos ūkinė veikla. Darbo rezultatai. Atlikus tyrimus, gauti rezultatai: Jūrės girininkijos miškuose didėja pušynų ir juodalksnynų plotai, kas rodo tikslingą medynų rūšinės sudėties formavimą Nbl, Lbl bei pelkinėse augavietėse. Vyraujantys vidutinio amžiaus ir pribręstantys medynai, mažos apimties pagrindiniai kirtimai lemia aukštą tūrio prieaugio kaupimą, didėjantį medynų amžių, skalsumą, didelius medyno tūrius. Pagal atrankinės miškų inventorizacijos duomenis nustatytas vidutinis 3,4 m3/ha per metus tūrio prieaugio kaupimas, intensyvus vidutinio tūrio didėjimas, kai tuo tarpu pagal miškotvarkos duomenis nustatytas tik 10 m3/ha tūrio pokytis per 14 metų. / The object of Master‘s study is forest yield and its changes under growth and silviculture measures in Jūrė‘s forest district of Kazlų Rūda Training Forest. Enterprise the purpose of the work is to estimate changes of forest and forest yield as well as efficiency of silviculture activities in Jure’s forest district. Analysis of there changes was made using data of standwise inventory and inventory by sampling method. Following work methods were used in this study: forest inventory by sampling method, analysis of stand parameters changes, method of stand yield balance. Following analysis of stand yields and its changes was made using data of inventory by sampling method. Obtained results were compared with data of standwise inventory forest. There were estimated changes of forestland categories, distribution by forest types felled volume and other parameters. The impact of forestry activities on changes of forest stand yield was evaluated too. Research results showed increasing of area pine and black alder forest types in Jūrė’s forest district. This results show purposive formation of stands’ species composition in Nbl, Lbl site. Prevailing in Jūrė’s forest district medium and mature age stands determine high grass increment, stands age, grown up stock volume. According to the results of sampling inventory by method there is defined grow annual increment increasing by 3,4 m3/ha over a year intense average stock volume increase. Meanwhile standwise forest inventory data... [to full text]

This thesis explores how decision-making agency roles played by doctors, pharmacists and government affect the social efficiency of choices in the prescription drug market. The primary objective is to contribute to the quality of expenditure decompositions in this sector and, thereby, to draw attention to the real cost of drug consumption in Canada. Expenditure growth in the pharmaceutical sector may occur because Canadians are purchasing more drugs or more in terms of the health outcomes sought through drug consumption. Prices may also be rising for the drugs that patients consume. Furthermore, with new generations of prescription drugs replacing older and often equally effective ones, expenditure inflation may be due, at least in part, to growing inefficiencies in consumption. Deflating nominal expenditures with traditional economic price indexes is a commonly used approach to decomposing expenditure changes into changes in price, changes in productivity or both. This method may be biased because decision-making agency relationships and non-standard financial incentives give rise to possible inefficiencies in the pharmaceutical sector that would not commonly be found in other sectors. This proposition is explored theoretically and empirically. Potential biases stemming from financial incentives are explored in the context of the measurement problem posed by the entry of generic drugs. Traditional techniques of the economic approach to measurement do not capture the full effect of generic competition because decision-making agents do not always have incentive to consider the full price of drugs consumed. Potential information-related problems in pharmaceutical price and productivity measurement are explored within the context of the hypertension market. Health outcomes based indexes are constructed for this treatment category based on recognized national guidelines for the treatment of hypertension. Economic indexes of price and productivity appear to overstate social productivity in this segment because persistent non-compliance with national guidelines has resulted in higher costs without corresponding health improvements.

Research object – the formation of Lithuanian balance sheet and it’s analysis. Research subject – the balance sheet of Lithuanian enterprises. Research aim – to analyse Lithuanian and international laws, to establish the formation of balance-sheet information, to use it for analysis, and to project the balance sheet. Objectives: 1. To explore and describe the regulation of a balance sheet in Lithuania. 2. To describe the international requirements of a balance sheet. 3. To analyse the information of a balance sheet, according to the data of enterprises. 4. To offer a balance sheet project. Research methods – monograph method, statistical and logical analysis, the comparison method, inquiry. While studying international regulation of balance, Lithuanian and other countries authors science works and periodical literature about the structure and analysis of balance, it was analysed a structure of Lithuanian balances. Also it was analysed a balance information based on three concrete enterprises – “Stumbras”, “Anyksciu vynas” and “Alita”. Also according to the experience of the Lithuanian enterprises was given project of Lithuanian balance.

The face of animal breeding has changed significantly over the past few decades. Traditionally, the genetic improvement of both plant and animal species focussed on the selective breeding of individuals with superior phenotypes, with no precise knowledge of the genes controlling the traits under selection. Over the past few decades, however, advances in molecular genetics have led to the identification of genetic markers associated with genes controlling economically important traits, which has enabled breeders to enhance the genetic improvement of breeding stock through linkage disequilibrium marker-assisted selection. Since the integration of marker-assisted selection into breeding programmes has not been widely documented, it is important that breeders are able to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of marker-assisted selection, in comparison to phenotypic selection, prior to the implementation of either selection strategy. Therefore, this investigation aimed to develop deterministic simulation models that could accurately demonstrate and compare the effects of phenotypic selection and marker-assisted selection, under the assumption of both additive gene action and complete dominance at the loci of interest. Six computer models were developed using Microsoft Excel, namely 'Random Mating,' 'Phenotypic Selection,' 'Marker-Assisted Selection,' 'Selection with Dominance,' 'Direct Selection' and 'Indirect selection.' The 'Random Mating' model was firstly used to determine the effects of linkage disequilibrium between two loci in a randomly mating population. The 'Phenotypic Selection' and 'Marker-Assisted Selection' models focused primarily on examining and comparing the response to these two selection strategies over five generations and their consequent effect on genetic variation in a population when the QTL of interest exhibited additive gene action. In contrast, the 'Selection with Dominance' model investigated the efficiency of phenotypic selection and marker-assisted selection under the assumption of complete dominance at the QTL under selection. Finally, the 'Direct Selection and 'Indirect Selection' models were developed in order to mimic the effects of marker assisted selection on two cattle populations utilizing both a direct and indirect marker respectively. The simulated results showed that, under the assumption of additive gene action, marker-assisted selection was more effective than phenotypic selection in increasing the population mean, when linkage disequilibrium was present between the marker locus and the QTL under selection and the QTL captured more than 80% of the trait variance. The response to both selection strategies was shown to decrease over five generations due to the decrease in genetic variation associated with selection. When the QTL under selection was assumed to display complete dominance, however, marker-assisted selection was markedly more effective than phenotypic selection, even when a minimal amount of linkage disequilibrium was present in the population and the QTL captured only 60% of the trait variance. The results obtained in this investigation were successful in simulating the theoretical expectations of markerassisted selection. The computer models developed in this investigation have potential applications in both the research and agricultural sectors. For example, the successful application of a model developed in this investigation to a practical situation that simulated markerassisted selection, was demonstrated using data from two Holstein cattle populations. Furthermore, the computer models that have been developed may be used in education for the enhancement of students understanding of abstract genetics concepts such as linkage disequilibrium and marker-assisted selection. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Darbo objektas – žaidybinės veiklos analizė Tikslas – įvertinti ir palyginti 13–14 metų amžiaus jaunųjų Lietuvos tenisininkų (berniukų ir mergaičių) žaidybinės veiklos rodiklius. Uždaviniai 1. Įvertinti ir palyginti 13–14 metų amžiaus Lietuvos jaunųjų tenisininkų berniukų ir mergaičių padavimo efektyvumą. 2. Įvertinti ir palyginti 13–14 metų amžiaus Lietuvos jaunųjų tenisininkų berniukų ir mergaičių padavimo priėmimo stabilumą. 3. Įvertinti ir palyginti 13–14 metų amžiaus Lietuvos jaunųjų tenisininkų berniukų ir mergaičių pasirinktą žaidimo stilių. Tiriamasis klausimas Tenisas žaidžiamas visame pasaulyje, visų amžiaus grupių žmonių poilsio varžybiniais tikslais. Nepaisant pasaulinio teniso populiarumo, fiziniai reikalavimai ir žaidėjo dalyvavimas varžybose dar nėra visiškai aiškūs. Svarbu išanalizuoti varžybinius teniso rodiklius, lemiančius aukštą rezultatą, tikslu suvokti ir išsiaiškinti tarpusavio ryšį tarp žaidybinės veiklos ir žaidėjų charakterių, treniruočių pobūdžio, mitybos bei aplinkos sąlygos intervencijų (Morante&Brotherhood, 2007). Rezultatai: nustatyta, kad padavimo efektyvumas 13-14 metų jaunųjų tenisininkų berniukų buvo geresnis nei to paties amžiaus mergaičių (p<0,05), tačiau padavimo metu dvigubai klydo panašiai abi lytis, ir patikimo skirtumo nebuvo užfiksuota. Vertinant padavimo priėmimo stabilumą, tarp lyčių skirtumo neužfiksuota, tačiau reikšmingas skirtumas stebimas berniukų grupėje ir mergaičių grupėje tarp grąžintų į aikštelę ir negrąžintų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research object – indexes of tennis performace Research problem. Tennis is played throughout the world by people of all ages and standards on a recreational or competitive basis. Despite the global opulaity of tennis, the physical demands and player performance in competition are not fully understood. A tool is required to analyse competitive tennis for the objective evaluation of matters such as associations between performance and player characteristics, training and nutritional interventions, and environmental conditions. Research aim – to investigate and compare tennis performance indexes between 13-14 yars old Lithuanian young tennis players - boys and girls. Tasks: 1. To investigate and compare tennis serve effectivness between 13-14 years old Lithuanian young tennis boys and girls players. 2. To investigate and compare tennis stability of serve acceptance between 13-14 years old Lithuanian young tennis boys and girls players. 3. To investigate and compare playing style during the match between 13-14 yars old Lithuanian young tennis players girls and boys. Results: it was founded that the serve efficiency of 13-14 years old young tennis boys players was better than girls of the same age (p<0.05). However, during serve, double errors were made similarly by both genders and significant difference was not observed. Assessing the stability of the serve receipt, the differences between gender were not observed, but significant difference was observed among the boys and... [to full text]

In the nineteenth century, specialization and segregation of land uses necessitated to identify formal spaces for child&rsquo / s play activity in the cities. In the late nineteenth century, &lsquo / &lsquo / traditional playgrounds&rsquo / &rsquo / were provided for children. However, formally designed, spatially segregated play space brought its own problems itself. Rapid changes in the urban pattern and dominance of cars in the urban environment restricted the safe accessibility of children to such play spaces by themselves. Also, &lsquo / &lsquo / traditional playground&rsquo / &rsquo / has been criticized because of its inefficiency to answer the needs of children and to contribute to the continuity of play activity. Due to the inefficiency of &lsquo / &lsquo / traditional playgrounds&rsquo / &rsquo / for the continuity of &lsquo / &lsquo / play&rsquo / &rsquo / , children prefer to establish their own informal play spaces, as it was before the introduction of formal ones. However, parental concerns regarding child&rsquo / s safety in the urban environment restrict the use of outdoor play spaces, especially the residential street which is the oldest traditional informal play space. For these reasons, children&rsquo / s play habits changed and children today are becoming more dependent to indoors. If child&rsquo / s developmental needs are considered, the contribution of outdoor environment to the development of children should be reevaluated by making comparison between formal and informal play spaces. Regarding children&rsquo / s needs and the contribution of outdoor environment to their development, some approaches have been developing and changing to design better play spaces. Thus, this thesis tries to clarify that what kind of approach would be efficient in order to provide permanent answers for the needs and rights of children and for the continuity of &lsquo / &lsquo / play&rsquo / &rsquo / in today&rsquo / s urban pattern.

Healthy dietary changes would be beneficial for society, as the economic burden of diet-related diseases is massive, and for the individual, who would reduce their risk of ill health. However, it is not easy to change dietary habits. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to better understand dietary change, focusing on the barriers to and facilitators of healthy dietary change by i) examining changes in food choices when dietary change is imposed by a medical diagnosis, ii) examining experiences related to dietary change and its sustainability after participation in a study where healthy dietary changes were required, and iii) examining diet cost in relation to healthiness of the diet. Methods Eighty children aged 13 who were diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) by a screening study reported their food intake in a food frequency questionnaire before and 1,5 years after commencing a gluten-free diet. Changes in food intake and the healthiness of the diet were examined, controlling for societal changes through the use of an age- and sex-matched control group. Diet healthiness was assessed using the National Food Administration’s (NFA) food index and the Diet Quality Index-Swedish Nutritional Recommendations. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 individuals who participated in an intervention study five years earlier where they had been randomly selected to adhere to a Mediterranean-like diet for three months. Analyses of the transcribed interviews focused on their experiences of barriers to and facilitators of dietary change and its sustainability. The costs related to healthy diets were examined by comparing consumer food prices with dietary intake data collected in two separate studies. The first study collected dietary intake data through a diet history interview with participants who had been randomized to either a Mediterranean-like diet or to continue their normal diet. The second study collected dietary intake data from 4-, 8-, and 11-year-old children by means of food diaries and was conducted by the NFA. Diet healthiness was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index 2005. Results The screened CD group made relatively few changes to their diets. They decreased their intake of certain gluten-containing products, including pizza, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and pastries. There were no changes in the healthiness of their diet. The narratives of the individuals changing their diets showed that social relationships were the main barrier to sustainability. Social relationships within the household were especially troublesome, and various coping strategies were required on an everyday basis. Dietary change also increased the burden of food work (e.g., planning, shopping, cooking), which was another major barrier to dietary change. Comparisons between consumer costs of healthy and less healthy diets showed that those consuming the healthier diets also had consumed more expensive diets. Conclusion More barriers to healthy dietary changes were found than facilitators of these transitions. For instance, the impact of social relationships on sustainability of dietary change was found to be high, indicating the importance of participation of other household members when dietary changes are implemented. The higher cost of the healthier diets may be another barrier for healthy dietary changes, especially for those with limited resources. Even though it is possible to eat healthily at a lower cost, such a diet would likely require both cooking skills and time, thus making the task more difficult. However, the finding that children diagnosed with CD only made minor changes in their consumption of, for instance, bread and pasta, indicates that one way of increasing the healthiness of a diet is to substitute healthier alternatives within the same food group for less healthy food items.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

A Floresta Atlântica que originalmente formava uma área contínua com mais de 150 milhões de hectares sofre constante degradação. Atualmente somente cerca de 7-8% dessa cobertura vegetal ainda existe, em sua maioria, na forma de fragmentos florestais secundários. A Estação Ecológica de Caetetus possui um dos mais significativos remanescentes da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual que revestia quase todo o interior do estado de São Paulo, parte de Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraguai e Argentina. Para compreender as relações entre vegetação nativa e os solos são necessários estudos detalhados que inclui o funcionamento físico-hídrico do solo, assim, as propriedades físicas que possuem grande influência nas relações químicas e biológicas, desempenham papel central nos estudos da dinâmica dos processos do solo. O objetivo desse trabalho foi obter parâmetros quantitativos da estrutura do solo pela análise multifractal e comparar valores de qualidade física de áreas naturais com valores de referência de índices de qualidade física do solo encontrados na literatura, fornecendo dados que podem ser utilizados na avaliação da qualidade do solo em outros tipos de uso. Foi utilizado um banco de dados físico-hídrico e de imagens micromorfológicas de solos sob Floresta Estacional Semidecidual da parcela permanente da Estação Ecológica Caetetus, (Gália - SP, Brasil). Foram analisados três índices, índice S, capacidade de aeração relativa (ACt/Pt) e capacidade de campo relativa (CC/Pt). Os horizontes analisados apresentaram diferentes formas e simetrias pela análise multifractal indicando diferenças na distribuição de poros, com diferença significativa entre os parâmetros de forma f(?)razão, ?razão e ?? (p < 0.05). Os valores de S encontrados foram superiores ao limite proposto de qualidade física do solo (0,035). Os horizontes A e E apresentaram os valores mais altos, pois sua textura arenosa proporciona maiores valores de n. Os horizontes B apresentaram os valores mais baixos, pois seu adensamento natural reflete em valores menores de n. Os valores encontrados para os índices de qualidade do solo ACt/Pt e CC/Pt foram inferiores e superiores aos valores considerados ideais. Os resultados encontrados sugerem a reavaliação dos níveis limites considerados ideias da literatura para a avaliação da qualidade física do solo em regiões tropicais. Por meio da quantificação e integração das propriedades espaciais do sistema poroso do solo, a análise multifractal pode melhorar os sistemas de classificação da estrutura do solo e gerar parâmetros que, incorporados em funções de pedotransferência, agregam o parâmetro estrutura nas predições. / The Atlantic Forest originally covered around 150 million hectares undergoes constant degradation. Nowadays, only 7-8% of the original forest still remains, mostly as secondgrowth forests. The Caetetus Ecological Station has one of the most significant areas of Semideciduous Forest which covered almost all the interior of São Paulo State, part of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraguay and Argentina. To understand the relationship between original vegetation and soil detailed studies are necessary which includes the hydro-physical soil function allowing to characterize the soil behavior. Thus, physical properties have strong influence in the chemical and biological relations and play a central role in studies of soils processes dynamics. The objective of this research was to obtain quantitative parameters of soil structure by multifractal analysis using hydro-physical database and soil micromorphology images of soils under Semi-deciduous Forest in a permanent plot of Caetetus Ecological Station (Gália - SP, Brazil) and compare soil physics quality values with of soil physical quality values founded in the literature, providing data to evaluate soil quality in areas with different soil uses. Three soil quality indexes were used, S index, relative air capacity (ACt/Pt) and relative field capacity (FC/Pt). The soils horizons showed different shapes and symmetries by multifractal analysis indicating differences of pores distribution, the parameters of multifractal shape f(?)ratio, ?ratio and ?? (p < 0.05) showed significant differences. The S values founded were higher and lower than the limit of soil physical quality proposed (0,035). The A and E horizon showed the highest values because its sandy texture allow high n values. The B horizons showed the lowest values, because its natural densificaition decreases the n values. The values founded for ACt/Pt and CC/Pt were higher and lower than the ideal limits. The results founded suggest a reevaluation of the ideal soil physical quality limits for tropical regions. Trough the quantification and integration of soil space properties, the multifractal analysis can improve structure classification systems and create a structure parameter that can be added in pedotransfer functions.