Student Number : 0216607K - MSc research report - School of Physiotherapy - Faculty of Health Sciences / Thoracic mobilisation is a popular modality employed by physiotherapists as part of the management of neck pain, despite the lack of evidence as to its benefits. A randomised control trial was conducted to compare manual physiotherapy to the cervical and thoracic regions and manual therapy to the cervical spine alone for the treatment of neck pain. The Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess anxiety change due to the intervention. The Memorial Pain Assessment Card (MPAC) was used to assess pain change through the intervention. A treatment effects questionnaire (TAQ) was constructed to assess other effects of the treatment protocols. Results showed no difference between the groups for anxiety reduction, although within the groups there was a highly significant reduction in anxiety (p<0.0001). Pain reduction was marginally significantly reduced in the experimental group in comparison to the control group (p=0.08) although the CI was very broad. Within group tests for the MPAC showed a highly significant reduction in pain from either intervention (p<0.0001).

Ritmos biológicos são regulados por mecanismos homeostáticos que asseguram a confiabilidade funcional do relógio fisiológico independentemente de mudanças de temperatura no ambiente. Compensação de temperatura, ou a independência do período oscilatório em relação à temperatura, é conhecida por exercer um papel central em muitos ritmos biológicos, mas um fenômeno raro em osciladores químicos. Estudou-se nessa dissertação a influência da temperatura na dinâmica oscilatória durante a oxidação catalítica de ácido fórmico sobre eletrodo de platina policristalina. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em cinco temperaturas diferentes de 5 à 25 ºC, e as oscilações foram estudadas sob controle galvanostático. Resultados experimentais foram comparados a um novo modelo proposto para a eletro-oxidação de ácido fórmico, considerando formato como intermediário ativo e a desidrogenação da água em altos potenciais. Sob condições oscilatórias apenas comportamento anti-Arrhenius foi observado. Sobre-compensação com coeficiente de temperatura (q10, definido como a razão entre a constante de velocidade à temperatura T + 10 ºC e em T) < 1 é achada para a maioria dos casos, exceto em altas correntes aplicadas onde compensação de temperatura, q10 ~ 1 predomina. O comportamento do período e amplitude resulta de uma combinação complexa entre a temperatura e corrente aplicada ou, equivalentemente, a distância do equilíbrio termodinâmico. Altas energias de ativação aparente foram obtidas em condições voltamétricas, não-oscilatórias, as quais implicam que o comportamento anti-Arrhenius observado sob regime oscilatório resulta de um acoplamento entre as rotas reacionais em vez de uma fraca dependência da temperatura nas etapas elementares. Mecanisticamente, os experimentos e o modelo matemático sugerem que o período em regime de (sobre)compensação de temperatura durante a eletro-oxidação de ácido fórmico sobre platina é governado pelo acoplamento entre as taxas reacionais de formação/remoção de monóxido de carbono e formato em condições oscilatórias. / Biological rhythms are regulated by homeostatic mechanisms that assure that physiological clocks function reliably independent of temperature changes in the environment. Temperature compensation, i.e. the independence of the oscillatory period on temperature, is known to play a central role in many biological rhythms, but it is rather rare in chemical oscillators. It was studied in this master thesis the influence of temperature on the oscillatory dynamics during the catalytic oxidation of formic acid on a polycrystalline platinum electrode. The experiments are performed at five temperatures from 5 to 25 ºC, and the oscillations studied under galvanostatic control. Experimental results are compared to a new model proposed for formic acid electro-oxidation, which includes formate as an active intermediate and water dehydrogenation at high potentials. Under oscillatory conditions only non-Arrhenius behavior is observed. Over-compensation with temperature coefficient (q10, defined as the ratio between the rate constants at temperature T + 10 ºC and at T) < 1 is found in most cases, except that temperature compensation with q10 ~ 1 predominates at high applied currents. The behavior of the period and the amplitude result from a complex interplay between temperature and applied current or, equivalently, the distance from thermodynamic equilibrium. High, positive apparent activation energies were obtained under voltammetric, non-oscillatory conditions, which implies that the non-Arrhenius behavior observed under oscillatory conditions results from the interplay among reaction steps rather than from a weak temperature dependence of the individual steps. Mechanistically, the experiments and the mathematical model suggest that the period in temperature (over)compensation regime during electro-oxidation of formic acid at platinum is governed by the coupling among the reaction rates of formation/removal of carbon monoxide and formate coverage in oscillatory conditions.

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abstract: 本文采用2010年1月1日至2017年12月31日在香港主板IPO上市的共574家公司作为研究样本，系统采集包括与发行人、承销商、投资人、发行热度、市场每日交易数据等相关的数据近100项，对超额配售选择权在香港IPO中的实际效用进行实证研究，研究发现：1）超额配售选择的确可以起到提高发行价格，降低IPO抑价率的作用，但是同时也是破发的主要原因。2）由超额配售选择权赋予承销商稳价行为中，市场买入量越大，最大回撤越大，市场下跌风险越大同时超额配售选择权还导致了最大回撤日的推后，增大了稳价结束后的市场风险，而这很有可能是由于承销商追求更高利益造成的。3）没有证据显示，超额配售选择权会降低承销商的佣金比例，但是，超额配售选择权却为承销商带来非常高的额外收益，而这个收益与市场下跌幅度和承销商从市场购买股份的比例直接相关。 其中，本文首次对最大回撤率、最大回撤日与承销商市场买入量之间的关系进行实证研究，揭示了承销商市场买入量与承销商收益正相关，与最大回撤率负相关，与最大回撤日正相关的关系，可能是增加市场下跌风险的因素。这与现有理论中及监管机构的预期中，“超额配售选择权具有向上稳定价格的作用”是有一定偏差的。 根据研究结果，本文首先建议发行人要客观对待超额配售选择权提升发行价格的作用，以免引起破发。其次建议市场投资人要客观认识超额配售选择权的作用，不要由于超额配售选择权的存在给与发行过高的认同价格。再次建议发行人要能够认识到超额配售选择权是承销商零成本获得的一个有固定收益保障的看空期权，是承销商在承销IPO时的收益之一，而股价下跌幅度与承销商的收益正相关。因此要对承销商的稳价行为进行一定管控，同时可以因为超额配售选择权的存在而要求更低的承销佣金比例。最后建议承销商要维护市场公平，爱护自己的声誉，尽可能避免因超额配售选择权的使用对市场造成不应有的干扰。 / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2019

Tese de mestrado. Redes e Serviços de Comunicação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2006

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Redes e Serviços de Comunicação, na Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, sob a orientação do Professor Doutor Raúl Filipe Teixeira Oliveira

Video games are an everyday experience for adolescents and have changed how adolescents interact with one another. Prior research has focused on positive and negative aspects of video game play in general, without distinguishing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIPing) as the mode of play. Grounded in entertainment theory, motivational theory, and psychological distress theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the relationship between VOIPing and quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), Yee's motivation to play video games, and resilience (Child and Youth Resilience Measure). A series of linear regression and multivariate canonical correlation models analyzed self-report responses of 103 adolescents aged 13 to18. Results indicated that VOIPing was not statistically related to quality of life or resilience. However, VOIPing correlated positively with motivation to play video games, particularly with the subscales of socialization and relationships. Canonical analysis of motivation for gaming and quality of life indicated that adolescents with high scores on customization and escapism motivation for gaming subscales tended to also have high scores on each of the emotional, social, and school quality of life subscales. Canonical analysis of motivation for gaming and resilience indicated that adolescents with low scores on the escapism motivation for gaming subscale tended to also have high scores on the individual, relationships, and community resilience subscales. The positive aspects of VOIPing, particularly with increased motivation to play video games, can be effectively used in coaching adolescents in social skills and relationship building.

The study of natural variation is a principle component of biology. One process that affects levels of natural variation is meiotic recombination—the process by which homologous chromosomes break and interchange genetic information with one another during the formation of gametes. Surprisingly, this factor that shapes levels of natural variation across the genome itself presents with a great deal of variation. That variation manifests itself at many levels: within genomes, between individual organisms, across populations, and among species. The factors and mechanisms responsible for the non-random patterning of recombination events across the genome remain particularly elusive in most cases. Herein, I utilize a combination of bioinformatic and molecular genetic approaches to better explain recombination patterning. I explore several factors that are now known to contribute to the distribution of recombination events across genomes. In particular, I demonstrate that transcriptional activity during meiosis is associated with, and partially predictive of crossing over events in Drosophila melanogaster. Additionally, I present a model which is capable of accounting for approximately 40% of the variation in crossover rates in Drosophila based on the localization of several previously identified DNA motifs. Lastly, I present preliminary data describing how recombination patterns are altered under naturally stressful conditions, a key insight that is necessary for uniting our findings at one level of variation with the many others. These findings support a multifactorial model for crossover distribution that includes both genetic and epigenetic factors and will further progress the field in developing a comprehensive understanding of recombination localization.

Travel over snow by vehicle in Arctic and mountainous terrain is one of the most difficult problems of our Armed Forces and other public and private agencies. agencies whose services demand over-snow travel find little or no adequate means of transport. Those vehicles which are available, are either economically infeasible in construction and operating costs, or have serious operational limitations. A great amount of research has been done, but as yet, no vehicle has been produced to successfully meet the varied problems of over-snow transportation. The Utah State Agricultural College, and its affiliated organization, the Utah Scientific Research Foundation, in cooperation with other public and private agencies, has sponsored several research projects which have attempted to produce a satisfactory over-snow vehicle.

Product and system designers face many challenges in the modern world. Designing products that will be subject to emerging or uncertain requirements can be one of the most significant of these challenges. A major risk associated with emerging or uncertain requirements is premature obsolescence. Large-scale, complex engineered systems, such as, aircraft, spacecraft, large seagoing vessels, communication and power systems are especially susceptible to this issue. However, this challenge is not limited to only large-scale complex systems. Even relatively simple products can suffer from premature obsolescence and even failure to be initially accepted, due to inadequately understood or changing requirements. One approach to mitigating this challenge is to increase the product's flexibility and adaptability, thus enabling it to evolve or adapt to meet unforeseen requirements. The flexibility of a product to adapt to new or changing requirements has been shown to increase acceptance rates and reduce the risk of premature obsolescence. Methodologies to accomplish this include product family platform design, transformable product design, reconfigurable product design and modular product design. The literature presents several techniques to aid designers, such as design structure matrices (DSM), change propagation analysis, change modes and effects analysis (CMEA), metrics and guides. These techniques address the challenge by seeking to understand and manage the relationships and interfaces between functions or components within the design. While these are excellent techniques, they do not provide quantifiable functions or models for the design alternatives. Quantifiable functions and models are of value to designers, because they enable numerical design aids. Numerical optimization techniques have been shown to aid designers in efficiently determining appropriate design parameters. This dissertation identifies, analyzes and presents new techniques, which are based on designed-in excess capabilities and to which numerical optimization can be directly applied. There are four parts to the dissertation. In the first part, a technique is presented for determining the relative value of a product, which has been over-designed (excess capabilities) to address future requirements versus redesigning the product once the future requirements emerge. It is shown that in many cases the over-design approach provides greater benefit. In the second part, a numerical metric for the evolvability of a product based on excess capability is presented. An important result of this metric is that the evolvability of a product and the usability of each excess capability can be numerically determined. The third part presents a technique to design products for increased adaptability, based on optimally designed-in excess. Deterministic, and non-deterministic conditions are included in this optimization. Once a numerical model of the design is available the issue of uncertain requirements can be mitigated by directly focusing on the uncertainties. In the fourth part, a technique employing optimization and sensitivity analysis is used to systematically and efficiently guide the designer toward minimizing or eliminating the most critical uncertainties.