We aimed to assess whether frontal cortex-striatum-thalamus (FCST) pathway or other grey matter (GM) structures are associated with longitudinal patterns of fatigue, namely reversible (RF) versus sustained fatigue (SF). MS patients enrolled in our prospective cohort were grouped based on their longitudinal Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) scores: 1. SF: MFIS≥38 at the two most recent yearly assessments; 2. RF: MFIS<38 at last assessment, but presence of at least one previous MFIS≥38; 3. Never Fatigued (NF): at least five MFIS<38. Accordingly, we selected 98 patients (30 SF, 31 RF, 37 NF; age-range:29-66, female/male:76/22, Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS)6; 13 patients with secondary progressive (SP) MS and 85 with relapsing remitting (RR) MS in remission). Disability and depression were assessed using the EDSS and CES-D, respectively. 3T T1-weighted MRI was used for voxel based morphometry (VBM) to survey for GM atrophy associated with fatigue, controlling for age, sex and EDSS. Group-wise volumetric comparison was performed on deep GM structures identified by VBM, controlling for age, sex, EDSS and CES-D score. VBM showed significant inverse relation between the MFIS cognitive subscale score and areas within the bilateral fronto-medial and fronto-orbital cortices, anterior striata, thalami, temporal poles, insulae and left lateral occipital cortex (peak FWE-p value of 0.021), and between the MFIS physical subscale and areas within the bilateral frontal poles, and frontal medial cortices (peak FWE-p value of 0.043). Volumetric analysis showed significant atrophy in the putamen (RF<NF p<0.0004; SF<NF p<0.0085) and thalamus (RF<NF p<0.00048).

Magnetische Formgedächtnsilegierungen haben die besondere Fähigkeit, sich im äußeren Magnetfeld zu verformen. Dies geschieht aufgrund von Zwillingsgrenzenbewegung in der martensitischen Tieftemperaturphase. Da der Effekt bislang an Einkristallen untersucht wurde, ist es das Ziel dieser Arbeit, den Effekt an polykristallinen Proben nachzuweisen. Dafür wurden Proben nach dem Prinzip der gerichteten Erstarrung präpariert. Deren Kristallstruktur wurde durch geeignete Zusammensetzung und Wärmebehandlung einphasig eingestellt. Mechanisches Training und weitere Wärmebehandlungen ermöglichten schließlich die Demonstration der magnetischen Dehnung von ca. 1 % an polykristallinen Proben. Durch zusätzliche Einkopplung akustischer Wellen konnte die Dehnung auf 2,2 % gesteigert werden.

In Ethiopia, the economic dilemmas facing the country have had various effects on the society at large. Given this situation, the high rates of urbanization and uneployment has resulted in that more and more people end up in small-scale activities within the informal economy. Although the informal sector has become increasingly noticeable in Addis Ababa, it is commonly neglected and separated from the formal economy. In light of the contemporary Ethiopian society, this study has nonetheless argued that the wide range of economic activities found within the informal sector is indispensable and should be integrated with the formal economy. Instead of perceiving the informal economy as an economic malfunction, this study has aimed to explore its future potential through the help of microfinance institutions. It has also looked into how the informal sector can be defined and its main characteristics. To gain an increased understanding of how informal workers perceive their own life situation, semi-structured interviews have been carried out with informal workers from the Meklit Microfinance Institution. The theoretical framework of Friedmann's 'Whole Economy Model' and 'Disempowerment Model' was moreover applied in recognizing the role of the household as well as to which extent MFIs could be said to have increased the social power of the informal sector.             The main conclusions of this essay are that there are highly diverse features of informal workers and their businesses, which accordingly implies that MFIs need to reflect this diversity in their general operations. Although MFIs were recognized as carrying a strong potential for the development of informal activities, there were some identified obstacles in for example their organizational structure which consequently affected the profitability of their clients' businesses. The role of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) was also recognized as having the possibility to develop into a new type of labout union as to empower the informal sector and gradually lead to a natural continuation of the formal economy.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The overall objectives of this thesis were to assess the theory and evaluate the development roles of MFIs in Uganda and Bangladesh. The study in particular focused on MFIs impact on poverty reduction, empowering women, promoting health, as well as promoting children's education in Uganda and Bangladesh. The study preferred the selected countries because Bangladesh is internationally considered as the best practice for microfinance, whilst Uganda is assumed to be well-positioned in terms of microfinance as compared to other developing countries in Africa. The question that guided this empirical investigation was whether MFIs empower women, reduce poverty, promote children's education as well as health among its beneficiaries in Uganda and whether Bangladesh has important lessons of experience for Uganda. / South Africa

Magnetische Formgedächtnsilegierungen haben die besondere Fähigkeit, sich im äußeren Magnetfeld zu verformen. Dies geschieht aufgrund von Zwillingsgrenzenbewegung in der martensitischen Tieftemperaturphase. Da der Effekt bislang an Einkristallen untersucht wurde, ist es das Ziel dieser Arbeit, den Effekt an polykristallinen Proben nachzuweisen. Dafür wurden Proben nach dem Prinzip der gerichteten Erstarrung präpariert. Deren Kristallstruktur wurde durch geeignete Zusammensetzung und Wärmebehandlung einphasig eingestellt. Mechanisches Training und weitere Wärmebehandlungen ermöglichten schließlich die Demonstration der magnetischen Dehnung von ca. 1 % an polykristallinen Proben. Durch zusätzliche Einkopplung akustischer Wellen konnte die Dehnung auf 2,2 % gesteigert werden.

So far, only CMOS compatible and scalable hafnia-zirconia (HZO) based ferroelectric (FE) n-FeFETs have been reported. To enable the full ferroelectric hierarchy [1] both p- and n-type devices should be available. Here we report a p-FeFET with a large memory window (MW) for the first time. Moreover, we propose different integration schemes comprising structures with and without internal gate resulting in metal-FE-insulator-Si (MFIS) and metal-FE-metal-insulator-Si (MFMIS) devices which could be used to tackle the problem of interface (IF) degradation and possibly decrease the power consumption of the devices.

Cette étude démontre l’évolution d’un outil spécifique devenu secteur : la micro finance. Véritable outil d’inclusion financière et de développement durable à destination des populations pauvres dans les pays en développement, sa croissance ainsi que sa maturation n’ont eu de cesse de révéler toute son importance à travers l’histoire. Ses institutions de micro finance, encadrées juridiquement dans la majorité des cas, par des statuts à parts, quasi- privé, constituent la représentation sur le terrain de ce secteur enclin à la transformation. La micro finance s’est frayée un chemin dans l’univers du secteur bancaire classique. La diversité de ses activités, la spécificité de ces réglementations et encore la technicité de sa mise en œuvre, prouve à quel point la micro finance produit d’incontestable effets sur la réduction de la pauvreté et par voie de conséquence sur le développement des Etats les plus pauvres. Malgré une certaine réponse aux objectifs du millénaire, la situation de pauvreté reste préoccupante mettant en exergue le besoin d’un réel cadre juridique général contraignant, inexistant au jour d’aujourd’hui. En effet, un tel cadre permettrait de résoudre la majorité des disfonctionnements de la micro finance et de relever une grande partie des défis qui se présentent à elle, pour faire fleurir une efficacité incontestable du mécanisme de développement. / This study shows the evolution of a sector become specific: microfinance. Real key tool for financial inclusion to poor population in developing countries, its growth and maturation, historicly and constantly reveal its importanceMicro finance institutions’ (MFIs), legally framed by statutes, almost private, are the field representation of this sector prone to transformation. Microfinance has pioneered in the traditional banking sector universe. Diversity of its activities, specificity of these regulations and still technicality of its implementation, shows how microfinance product undeniable effects on reduction of poverty and consequently on the development of developping countries. Despite some response to the Millennium Goals, the poverty situation remains worrying highlighting the need for a real binding general legal framework, which does not exist actually. Indeed, such a framework would solve most dysfunctional of microfinance and meet many of the challenges presented to it, to flourish unquestionable efficiency of the development process.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka ifall det finns något samband mellan emotionell koppling till de sociala medieplattformarna Facebook, Instagram och TikTok och upplevdidrottsmotivation hos svenska styrkelyftare och bänkpressare. Samt ifall det finns några skillnader mellan könskategorier och tävlingsnivåer. Totalt deltog 93 personer (15-59 år) i studien varav 59 tävlande i kategori kvinna och 34 i kategori man. 32 deltagare tävlade på distriktsnivå, 38 på nationell nivå och 23 på internationell nivå. Data samlades in med hjälp av en webbenkät som i huvudsak baserades på de två befintliga frågeformulären Sport motivation scale-II (SMS-II) och The Multidimensional Facebook Intensity Scale (MFIS). Pearsons korrelationsanalys visade endast ett signifikant samband för TikTok ( p &lt; .01) där en positiv korrelation fanns. Även bivariata regressionsanalyser visade endast ett signifikant resultat för TikTok (p &lt; .01 &amp; p &lt; .001) som visade att en starkare koppling till plattformen kunde förutsäga en högre nivå av upplevd idrottsmotivation. Kovariansanalyser (ANCOVA) visade inga skillnader i emotionell koppling till plattformarna eller i upplevd idrottsmotivation mellan könskategorierna och tävlingsnivåerna. I denna studie upptäcktes positiva samband mellan emotionell koppling till sociala medier och upplevd idrottsmotivation och tidigare forskning har visat på både positiva och negativa effekter av sociala medier på idrottares motivation.Detta är något som kan vara relevant för idrottare, tränare och andra aktörer i idrottares närhet att vara medvetna om. / The aim of the study is to examine if there is a relation between the emotional connectednessto the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Tikok and the degree of perceived sports motivation in Swedish powerlifters and bench-press competitors. And if there are differences between gender categories and competition levels. In total the study had 93 participants (age 15-59) 59 competed in the women’s category and 34 in the men’s category. 32 participants competed at the regional level, 38 at the national level and 23 at the international level. Data was collected via an online questionnaire which was mainly based on the Sport motivation scale-II (SMS-II) and The Multidimensional Facebook Intensity Scale (MFIS). Pearson’s correlation test did only show a significant relation for TikTok ( p &lt; .01) which showed a positive correlation. The same was the case for the bivariate regression analysis where also only a significant result for TikTok was found (p &lt; .01 &amp; p &lt; .001) which showed that a strong emotional connectedness to TikTok could predict a high level of perceived sportsmotivation. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) showed no differences in emotional connectedness to the social media platforms or in perceived sports motivation between the gender categories and competition levels. This study showed a positive relation between emotional connectedness to social media and perceived sports motivation and previous research has shown both positive and negative effects of social media on sports motivation. This can be of relevance for the athletes themselves but also for coaches and other actors close to the athletes to be aware of.