The Confucius Institute has recently become more prevalent in political discussions and news headlines. Questions regarding its operations, influence from the Chinese government, and programing are common topics in news reports about the institution. The rise of China in the global economy has caused demand for language and culture education and the Confucius Institute has attempted to fill this demand. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of K-12 school and higher education employees that work closely with a Confucius Institute program in the state of Tennessee by exploring issues that have been presented in current research and reports, and to identify alignment and misalignment of these perceptions between higher education and K-12 settings in Tennessee. The study surveyed 42 higher education personnel and 58 K-12 personnel from Tennessee educational institutions that work with Confucius Institute programing. The survey consisted of 18 items that centered around 10 research questions. Quantitative data for six of the research questions were analyzed using a one sample t-test. A 5 point Likert-type scale was used to measure responses with a 3 point neutrality rating. Two research questions data were analyzed utilizing an independent samples t-test and two research questions were ranking questions that were coded in a point system to understand current perceptions. The results indicated that personnel interacting with Confucius Institute programing in the state of Tennessee generally found it to be positive regarding adhering to academic freedom principles, local control principles, media perception, and meeting the needs of the local institution or school. Higher education personnel listed political environment, alignment with institutional or school needs, educational benefit to students, and national media coverage as challenges facing the Confucius Institute. K-12 participants listed Chinese teacher turnover, Chinese teacher training, and alignment with institutional or school needs as challenges. Higher education personnel listed educational benefit to students, programing quality, Chinese teacher training, and resources as benefits connected to Confucius Institute programing. K-12 participants listed educational benefit to students, alignment with institutional or school needs, curriculum, and programing quality as benefits.

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Dans cette thèse, nous étudions théoriquement les propriétés de molécules diatomiques, leur dynamique de réaction ainsi que le contrôle de cette dynamique à l'aide de champs laser. Notre travail porte plus spécifiquement sur trois espèces :• HeH⁺, un composé-clé en astrochimie considéré comme la première espèce moléculaire qui s'est formée dans l'univers ;• CO²⁺, un dication métastable qui se prête bien à des expériences de contrôle quantique en raison du relativement long temps de vie de son état vibrationnel le plus bas ;• ⁴¹K⁸⁷Rb, une molécule polaire qui présente la particularité de pouvoir être formée à très basse température et piégée, ce qui en fait un bon support physique potentiel pour la réalisation d'un ordinateur quantique moléculaire. Nous utilisons tout d'abord des méthodes de calcul ab initio afin d'obtenir les courbes d'énergie potentielle des premiers états singulets et triplets de HeH⁺ avec un haut de degré de précision, ainsi que les courbes d'énergie potentielle, les moments dipolaires de transition et les couplages non-adiabatiques radiaux de l'état fondamental ³Π de CO²⁺ et de ses 11 premiers états ³Σ⁻.Ensuite, nous utilisons ces données ab initio pour calculer les sections efficaces de photodissociation et d'association radiative des états a et b ³Σ⁺ de HeH⁺, ainsi que les constantes cinétiques associées à ces processus dans les conditions rencontrées dans des environnements astrophysiques. Les sections efficaces de photodissociation du niveau vibrationnel le plus bas de CO²⁺ sont également calculées. Nous allons ensuite un cran plus loin en optimisant des champs laser qui guident la dynamique de photodissociation de HeH⁺ et CO²⁺ vers des canaux de dissociation spécifiques. Nous comparons deux méthodes d'optimisation de ces champs: une approche de contrôle local basée sur les opérateurs de Møller et la théorie du contrôle optimal. Dans le deux cas, nous incluons une contrainte qui minimise l'aire des champs. Enfin, nous nous concentrons sur l'une des applications possibles du contrôle laser à haute fidélité : l'utilisation de petits systèmes moléculaires comme ordinateurs quantiques. Nous étudions plus spécifiquement l'implémentation possible d'opérations logiques intra- et intermoléculaires sur des données encodées dans des états hyperfins de molécules de ⁴¹K⁸⁷Rb piégées, ce qui ouvre des perspectives intéressantes en terme d'extensibilité. / In this work, we theoretically study the properties of diatomic molecular systems, their dynamics, and the control thereof through the use of laser fields. We more specifically study three compounds::• HeH⁺, a species of great astrochemical importance which is thought to be the first molecular species to have formed in the universe; :• CO²⁺, a metastable dication of particular interest in quantum control experiments due to its long-lived lowest vibrational level;:• ⁴¹K⁸⁷Rb, a polar molecule that can be formed at very low temperature and trapped, making it a good candidate for quantum computing schemes.First, we use ab initio methods to compute accurate potential energy curves for the lowest singlet and triplet states of HeH⁺ as well as the potential energy curves, transition dipole moments and nonadiabatic radial couplings of the ground ³Π state of CO²⁺ and of its 11 lowest ³Σ⁻states.In a second step, we use this ab initio data to compute the photodissociation and radiative association cross sections for the a and b ³Σ⁺ states of HeH⁺, as well as the values of the corresponding rate constants for astrophysical environments. The photodissociation cross sections from the lowest vibrational level of CO²⁺ is also determined.Going one step further, we optimize laser control fields that drive the photodissociation dynamics of HeH⁺ and CO²⁺ towards specific channels. We compare two field optimization methods: a Møller operator-based Local Control approach and Optimal Control Theory. In both cases, we add a constraint that minimizes the area of the optimized fields.Finally, we focus on one of the potential applications of high-fidelity laser control: the use of small molecular systems as quantum computers. We more specifically study the potential implementation of both intra- and intermolecular logic gates on data encoded in hyperfine states of trapped ultracold polar ⁴¹K⁸⁷Rb molecules, opening interesting perspectives in terms of extensibility.

This is a study of how industries develop in regions that are industrially weak, exemplified by Norrbotten, the northernmost province of Sweden. Developing industries are represented by three companies manufacturing prefabricated wooden houses, situated in the municipalities Övertorneå, Kalix (Morjärv) and Älvsbyn in the interior of Norrbotten.For the period ending in 1918, the economy of Norrbotten is analysed in terms of staple theory. Thereafter, an analysis in dependency theoretic terms is judged to be more relevant. The communities in which the house factories are located are described similarly.Övertorneåand Mor j ärv are in the periphery of a peripheral region. There has never been any locally generated economic life of any importance. The house factory in the community first mentioned was established there in 1970 by AMS (The Swedish Labour Market Board). The other one was started by a local entrepreneur in the 1930's. It has changed hands several times, being incorporated into ever larger conglomerates. The third company studied was started by a local carpenter who still controls it. The factory is located in Älvsbyn, near Piteå, which has to be considered the center of the periphery.The integration of these three companies with other local firms, and their economic importance was studied in terms of their buying behavior. The method of investigation was a study of the internal records of the firms.All three of the companies showed that a decrease in the local and regional shares of their total purchases took place between the sample years studied. A comparison of the companies showed the Älvsby factory, the one locally initiated and controlled, to have by far more solid local and regional foundations than the other two. This could partly be explained by firm-related theories but the most important factor seemed to be the industrial tradition in the communities. Industrial tradition is a factor mostly determined by the position of a community in a dependency hierarchy, in part however, it is controllable by local decision-makers and individual entrepreneurs.Even for the company with the best local foundations, there was a drop in local and regional shares of purchases. The reason for this is the size of the company in relation to other local industries. The company has reached the limits of the capacity of the local community to support it. Such limits exist everywhere but their exact level depends on the status of the community and region they are in, the line of industry, the nature of ownership, etc.A series of implications for regional politics can be derived from the present study. Economic measures designed to improve weak industrial areas should be undertaken with utmost care in order not to damage existing local economy. Much greater efforts should be made to study the conditions of existing economic life and its potential for change, i.e. to study the historical development. / digitalisering@umu

In 2013 the California Legislation passed a new K-12 School accountability mandate. The Local Control Accountability Plan was sought to increase the educational equity for targeted student groups in addition to allowing school districts to mine a diverse set of local school data to develop goals in the 8 priority areas that speak to the needs of their local students. A requirement of the LCAP was that school districts include a diverse set of stakeholders to work in a collaborative manner to develop, critique, and refine local goals. Stakeholder groups are required to consist of district-level administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents, and community stakeholders. This qualitative study focused on the experiences and insights of district and community stakeholders as they participated in the development of LCAPs. To answer the questions and understand the experience of stakeholders interviews, document analysis, and observations were used. The results of the study revealed that while the intent of bringing a diverse set of stakeholders is noble there is a need to build trust amongst stakeholders. Findings also show the need to build community stakeholder understanding of the purpose, promises, and limits of the LCAP. The study revealed the need for school districts to examine and dismantle historic practices in order to fully embrace and implement the LCAP mandates.

Objectifs : Etablir des corrélations dose-volume effet entre les paramètres dosimétriques proposés par le GEC-ESTRO et la probabilité de survenue d’événements tels que le contrôle tumoral ou une toxicité radio-induite.Matériel et méthodes : Les données cliniques et dosimétriques de cohortes de patientes traitées à Gustave Roussy et dans différents centres ont été confrontées. Dans un premier temps les paramètres dosimétriques de la curiethérapie 3D ont été comparés à ceux de la curiethérapie classique. Dans un second temps, la topographie des zones les plus exposées des organes à risque, ainsi que l’impact des mouvements de la vessie, du rectum, et du colon sigmoïde sur l’évaluation de la dose délivrée, ont été étudiés. Enfin, des analyses dose-volume effets ont été réalisées.Résultats : Les valeurs des paramètres dosimétriques volumétriques (D2cm3) de la vessie et du rectum se sont révélées faiblement corrélées et significativement supérieures aux doses évaluées aux points de l’ICRU ou à un point vésical alternatif. Les zones les plus exposées de la vessie et du rectum sont apparues situées au-dessus des points de l’ICRU. Les mouvements des organes autour de l’implant pendant la délivrance du traitement sont apparus marginaux pour la vessie et sigmoïde, en dehors de variations individuelles. En revanche, la dose délivrée au rectum étaient en moyenne plus élevée que le dose planifiée. Les analyses dose-volume effets ont montré des corrélations significatives entre D0.1cm3 et D2cm3 et la probabilité de survenue d’une morbidité tardive urinaire ou rectale. De la même manière, des corrélations significatives ont été établies entre la D90 des CTV à haut risque et à risque intermédiaire et la probabilité d’obtention du contrôle local. Divers caractéristiques tumorales (largeur au diagnostic, volume du CTV-HR, stade FIGO), impactent ces relations, de même que l’étalement total du traitement.Conclusion : Des corrélations dose-volume effets ont été établies entre les paramètres dosimétriques modernes et la probabilité d’obtenir le contrôle local ou d’entraîner une morbidité tardive. En ce qui concerne le contrôle tumoral, les objectifs de prescription doivent être personnalisés en fonction de critères carcinologiques. Pour les organes à risque, de contraintes de dose basées sur l’expérience de la curiethérapie 3D peuvent être établies, mais doivent être affinées dans de futures études en fonction de cofacteurs tels que les comorbidités. Les points gardent un intérêt en recherche clinique, pour l’étude de la morbidité vésicale ou vaginale.Ce travail a l'objet de 6 publications dans des revues internationales à comité de lecture. La septième est présentée sous forme de manuscrit. / Objectives: To establish dose-volume effects correlations between volumetric dosimetric parameters proposed by the GEC-ESTRO and the probability of occurrence of events such as tumor control or radiation-induced toxicity.Methods: Clinical and dosimetric data of patients treated at Gustave Roussy and in different centers have been reviewed. At first step, dosimetric parameters of image-guided brachytherapy were compared with those of conventional brachytherapy. Secondly, the topography of the most exposed areas of the organs at risk, and the impact of the movements of the bladder, rectum, and sigmoid colon on the assessment of the delivered dose, were studied. Finally, analyzes dose-volume effects were performed.Results: The values of volumetric dosimetric parameters (D2cm3) of the bladder and rectum appeared weakly correlated and significantly higher than the doses evaluated at ICRU points of bladder and rectum , an even in an alternative bladder point. The most exposed areas of the bladder and rectum appeared located above the points of the ICRU. The movements of the organs around the implant during the delivery of the treatment appeared marginal for the bladder and sigmoid, apart from individual variations. However, the mean delivered dose to the rectum was higher than the planned dose. Dose-volume effects correlations showed significant correlations between D0.1cm3 and D2cm3 and the probability of occurrence of urinary or rectal late morbidity. Similarly, significant correlations have been established between the D90 of the high risk, intermediate risk-CTV and the probability of achieving local control. Various tumor characteristics (width, HR-CTV volume, FIGO stage) impact these relationships, as well as the treatment time.Conclusion: Dose-volume effects correlations have been established between modern dosimetric parameters and the probability of achieving local control or cause late morbidity. Regarding tumor control, prescription aims must be customized according to oncologic criteria. For organs at risk, new dose constraints based on 3D brachytherapy experience can be established but should be refined in future studies based on cofactors such as comorbidities. The points retain an interest in clinical research for the study of bladder or vaginal morbidity.

Background: Standardized staging procedures and presentation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients in multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTB) before treatment and utilization of elective neck dissection (ND) are expected to improve the outcome, especially in local advanced LAOSCC (UICC stages III–IVB). As standardized diagnostics but also increased heterogeneity in treatment applied so far have not been demonstrated to improve outcome in LAOSCC, a retrospective study was initiated. Methods: As MDTB was introduced into clinical routine in 2007, 316 LAOSCC patients treated during 1991-2017 in our hospital were stratified into cohort 1 treated before (n=104) and cohort 2 since 2007 (n=212). Clinical characteristics, diagnostic procedures and treatment modality of patients were compared using Chi-square tests and outcome analyzed applying Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank tests as well as Cox proportional hazard regression. Propensity scores (PS) were used to elucidate predictors for impaired distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in PS-matched patients. Results: Most patient characteristics and treatment modalities applied showed insignificant alteration. Surgical treatment included significantly more often resection of the primary tumor plus neck dissection, tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube use. Cisplatin-based chemo-radiotherapy was the most frequent. Only insignificant improved disease- (DFS), progression- (PFS) and event-free (EFS) as well as tumor-specific (TSS) and overall survival (OS) were found after 2006 as local (LC) and locoregional control (LRC) were significantly improved but DMFS significantly impaired. Cox regression applied to PS-matched patients elucidated N3, belonging to cohort 2 and cisplatin-based chemo-radiotherapy as independent predictors for shortened DMFS. The along chemo-radiotherapy increased dexamethasone use in cohort 2 correlates with increased DM. Conclusions: Despite standardized diagnostic procedures, decision-making considering clear indications and improved therapy algorithms leading to improved LC and LRC, shortened DMFS hypothetically linked to increased dexamethasone use had a detrimental effect on TSS and OS.

The study of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) will allow for increased understanding of regulation and lead to insight regarding the mechanisms governing growth, development, health, and disease. The aim of this study was to characterize the de novo in silico predictions of Arabidopsis CREs. Eight synthetic and 30 native promoter-constructs containing an eGFP/GUS reporter protein were generated for cold, genotoxic, heat, osmotic, and salt stress; the circadian clock; ABA signaling; root and epidermis tissue. Constructs were stably transformed into A. thaliana Col-0 and the effects of the CREs were evaluated by in planta stress or tissue assays using GUS expression levels. Results reveal a novel genotoxic element that specifically directs GUS expression in rosette leaves during genotoxic stress. Results also look promising for novel epidermis and root-specific elements. Results of these assays validate the de novo prediction pipeline's ability to identify novel and known CREs related to abiotic stress.

The study of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) will allow for increased understanding of regulation and lead to insight regarding the mechanisms governing growth, development, health, and disease. The aim of this study was to characterize the de novo in silico predictions of Arabidopsis CREs. Eight synthetic and 30 native promoter-constructs containing an eGFP/GUS reporter protein were generated for cold, genotoxic, heat, osmotic, and salt stress; the circadian clock; ABA signaling; root and epidermis tissue. Constructs were stably transformed into A. thaliana Col-0 and the effects of the CREs were evaluated by in planta stress or tissue assays using GUS expression levels. Results reveal a novel genotoxic element that specifically directs GUS expression in rosette leaves during genotoxic stress. Results also look promising for novel epidermis and root-specific elements. Results of these assays validate the de novo prediction pipeline's ability to identify novel and known CREs related to abiotic stress.

In this work, we theoretically study the properties of diatomic molecular systems, their dynamics, and the control thereof through the use of laser fields. We more specifically study three compounds:<p>1) HeH+, a species of great astrochemical importance which is thought to be the first molecular species to have formed in the universe;<p>2) CO2+, a metastable dication of particular interest in quantum control experiments due to its long-lived lowest vibrational level;<p>3) 41K87Rb, a polar molecule that can be formed at very low temperature and trapped, making it a good candidate for quantum computing schemes.<p>First, we use ab initio methods to compute accurate potential energy curves for the lowest singlet and triplet states of HeH+ as well as the potential energy curves, transition dipole moments and nonadiabatic radial couplings of the ground 3Π state of CO2+ and of its 11 lowest 3Σ- states.<p>In a second step, we use this ab initio data to compute the photodissociation and radiative association cross sections for the a and b 3Σ+ states of HeH+, as well as the values of the corresponding rate constants for astrophysical environments. The photodissociation cross sections from the lowest vibrational level of CO2+ is also determined.<p>Going one step further, we optimize laser control fields that drive the photodissociation dynamics of HeH+ and CO2+ towards specific channels. We compare two field optimization methods: a Møller operator-based Local Control approach and Optimal Control Theory. In both cases, we add a constraint that minimizes the area of the optimized fields.<p>Finally, we focus on one of the potential applications of high-fidelity laser control: the use of small molecular systems as quantum computers. We more specifically study the potential implementation of both intra- and intermolecular logic gates on data encoded in hyperfine states of trapped ultracold polar 41K87Rb molecules, opening interesting perspectives in terms of extensibility.<p>/<p>Dans cette thèse, nous étudions théoriquement les propriétés de molécules diatomiques, leur dynamique de réaction ainsi que le contrôle de cette dynamique à l'aide de champs laser. Notre travail porte plus spécifiquement sur trois espèces :<p>1) HeH+, un composé-clé en astrochimie considéré comme la première espèce moléculaire qui s'est formée dans l'univers ;<p>2) CO2+, un dication métastable qui se prête bien à des expériences de contrôle quantique en raison du relativement long temps de vie de son état vibrationnel le plus bas ;<p>3) 41K87Rb, une molécule polaire qui présente la particularité de pouvoir être formée à très basse température et piégée, ce qui en fait un bon support physique potentiel pour la réalisation d'un ordinateur quantique moléculaire. <p>Nous utilisons tout d'abord des méthodes de calcul ab initio afin d'obtenir les courbes d'énergie potentielle des premiers états singulets et triplets de HeH+ avec un haut de degré de précision, ainsi que les courbes d'énergie potentielle, les moments dipolaires de transition et les couplages non-adiabatiques radiaux de l'état fondamental 3Π de CO2+ et de ses 11 premiers états 3Σ-.<p>Ensuite, nous utilisons ces données ab initio pour calculer les sections efficaces de photodissociation et d'association radiative des états a et b 3Σ+ de HeH+, ainsi que les constantes cinétiques associées à ces processus dans les conditions rencontrées dans des environnements astrophysiques. Les sections efficaces de photodissociation du niveau vibrationnel le plus bas de CO2+ sont également calculées. <p>Nous allons ensuite un cran plus loin en optimisant des champs laser qui guident la dynamique de photodissociation de HeH+ et CO2+ vers des canaux de dissociation spécifiques. Nous comparons deux méthodes d'optimisation de ces champs: une approche de contrôle local basée sur les opérateurs de Møller et la théorie du contrôle optimal. Dans le deux cas, nous incluons une contrainte qui minimise l'aire des champs. <p>Enfin, nous nous concentrons sur l'une des applications possibles du contrôle laser à haute fidélité :l'utilisation de petits systèmes moléculaires comme ordinateurs quantiques. Nous étudions plus spécifiquement l'implémentation possible d'opérations logiques intra- et intermoléculaires sur des données encodées dans des états hyperfins de molécules de 41K87Rb piégées, ce qui ouvre des perspectives intéressantes en terme d'extensibilité. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished