Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

Präzise neutroneninduzierte Spaltquerschnitte von Actinoiden wie den Plutoniumisotopen haben für die Entwicklung zukünftiger Transmutationstechnologien eine große Bedeutung. Die Unsicherheiten des Pu(242)-Spaltquerschnitts im schnellen Bereich des Spektrums betragen derzeit etwa 21 %. Aktuelle Sensitivitätsstudien haben gezeigt, dass nur eine Reduzierung dieser Unsicherheiten auf unter 5% verlässliche neutronenphysikalische Simulationen zulässt. Diese anspruchsvolle Aufgabe konnte im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit an der Neutronenfugzeitanlage nELBE durchgeführt werden. Dünne, homogene und großfächige Actinoiden-Proben wurden dem Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf innerhalb des TRAKULA-Verbundprojektes zur Verfügung gestellt. Eingesetzt in eine neu entwickelte Spaltionisationskammer ermöglichten sie eine akkurate Bestimmung des Pu(242)- Spaltquerschnitts relativ zu U(235). Die Flächendichten der Plutoniumschichten wurden anhand der spontanen Spaltrate von Pu(242) bestimmt. Aufwändige Teilchentransportsimulationen (durchgeführt mit Geant 4, MCNP 6 und FLUKA) wurden genutzt, um die auftretende Neutronenstreuung zu korrigieren. Die gewonnenen Ergebnisse sind im Rahmen ihrer Unsicherheiten in guter Übereinstimmung mit aktuellen Kerndatenevaluierungen. / Neutron induced fssion cross sections of actinides like the Pu-isotopes are of relevance for the development of nuclear transmutation technologies. For Pu(242), current uncertainties are of around 21%. Sensitivity studies show that the total uncertainty has to be reduced to below 5% to allow for reliable neutron physics simulations. This challenging task was performed at the neutron time-of-fight facility of the new German National Center for High Power Radiation Sources at HZDR, Dresden. Within the TRAKULA project, thin, large and homogeneous deposits of U(235) and Pu(242) have been produced successfully. Using two consecutively placed fssion chambers allowed the determination of the neutron induced fssion cross section of Pu(242) relative to U(235). The areal density of the Plutonium targets was calculated using the measured spontaneous fssion rate. Experimental results of the fast neutron induced fssion of Pu(242) acquired at nELBE will be presented and compared to recent experiments and evaluated data. Corrections addressing the neutron scattering are discussed by using results of different neutron transport simulations (Geant 4, MCNP 6 and FLUKA).

Proteomic studies aim to identify, quantify and characterise the full complement of proteins in a cell or organism under a defined set of conditions, and are important to our understanding of cellular mechanisms. However, such studies represent a major analytical challenge. A typical proteome analysis involves enzyme-mediated digestion of complex protein mixtures to yield an even more complex mixture of peptides. Combined reverse-phase liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry is then traditionally utilised to ascertain sequence information from the characteristic peptide sequences. Analytical data derived for the peptides are employed as search terms in database searching of protein sequences derived from gene sequences. The extreme complexity of the peptide mixtures analysed means that additional novel approaches are required to fully interrogate the vast number of tandem mass spectra generated, assigning peptide identity and thereby helping to address demanding biological questions. The research reported here aims to further our understanding of both gas phase peptide/peptide fragment ion structure and peptide fragmentation behaviour using a combination of tandem mass spectrometry and ion mobility measurement.To facilitate the determination of peptide ion collision cross section, a novel standard, QCAL-IM, produced using the QconCAT strategy, has been developed to enable calibration of drift time in Travelling Wave Ion Mobility instruments. The standard facilitates empirical determination of the rotationally averaged collision cross section of any peptide/peptide fragment ion that lies within the calibration range encompassed. QCAL-IM was subsequently utilised to determine the collision cross section of a range of peptide ions produced by Lys-C and Lys-N proteolysis of ‘standard’ proteins. Data produced allowed the effect upon gas phase ion conformation through changing the location of the basic residue lysine within a peptide sequence to be assessed.The fragmentation behaviour of peptide ions produced by a variety of digestion regimes during both collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD) has also been extensively studied. The proteases trypsin and Lys-C are those typically utilised during proteomic studies and peptides produced by each have either the basic residues arginine or lysine at their carboxy-terminus. Secondary enzymatic treatment with the exoprotease carboxypeptidase B cleaves these basic residues from the C-terminus. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of both tryptic/Lys-C peptides and their CBPB truncated analogue highlights that the dominant fragment ion series observed during both CID and ETD is determined, at least in part, by the location of such basic residues.Finally, studies were undertaken to investigate the factors which may promote/inhibit scrambling of peptide fragment ion sequence, which has recently been shown to take place during CID. The effect of modifying the gas phase basicity of the N-terminal amino acid residue is studied through a combination of derivatisation and synthesis of alternative peptide sequences. Increasing the gas phase basicity is shown to inhibit the observed sequence scrambling while promoting concomitant rearrangement/retention of a carboxyl oxygen at the C-terminus to give enhanced formation of bn+H2O product ion species.

Nowadays, women have a wide range of sources of information about childbirth. Women's attitudes toward childbirth are made by sharing experiences between women and in families but also they are based on informations from media and internet. Consequently attitudes toward childbirth influence the choice of kind of delivery and women's childbirth experience. These days we can see some trends in obstetrics - the rising interest in natural births, on the one hand, and the rising number of women delivering their babies by cesarean section on the other hand. The goal of this socio-psychologically oriented thesis is to map women's attitudes to these most striking birth trends, and also to identify the reasons for these women's attitudes. The research part is thus focused qualitatively and uses the data from the analysis of the internet discussion forums for mothers. In the previous theoretical part are presented the key information necessary to understand the studied topic, such as the issues of attitudes, the specifics of the communication on the internet discussion forums and above all the current scientific knowledge about the attitudes of women to childbirth in the Czech Republic and the world. Key words Attitudes of women, natural childbirth, assisted childbirth, homebirth, caesarean section, internet...

The relations between monetary policies, asset prices, and economic growth are important and fundamental questions in macroeconomics. To address these issues, several empirical works have been conducted to investigate these relations. However, few of them have documented whether these relations differ across regimes. In this context, the general motivation of this thesis is to use dependent regime models to examine these relations for the Canadian case. Chapter one empirically analyzes the interest rate behaviour of the Canadian monetary authorities by taking into account the asymmetry in the loss function. We employ a switching regime framework using two estimation strategies: First, we follow Caner and Hansen (2004) Threshold approach. Under this procedure we estimate the threshold values, using the Taylor empirical rules. Second, we estimate the asymmetric policy reaction function following Favero and Rovelli’s (2003) approach. The results reveal that the monetary authorities showed asymmetric preferences and that its reaction function can be better modeled with a nonlinear model. The main contribution of this chapter is to successfully interpret the parameters associated with the Bank of Canada preferences, something that Rodriguez (2008) could not do. Chapter two tries to estimate the interest rate behaviour of the Canadian monetary authorities by expanding the arguments of the loss function for fluctuations in asset prices. Using the same methodology as in the first chapter, our findings suggest that the augmented nonlinear reaction function is a good fit for the data and gives new relevant insights into the influence of asset prices on Canadian monetary policy. These findings about the role of asset prices in the reaction function of the Bank of Canada provide relevant insights regarding the opportunities and limitations of incorporating financial indicators in monetary policy decision making. They also provide financial market participants, such as analysts, bankers and traders, with a better understanding of the impact of stock market index prices on Bank of Canada policy. Stock market stabilization plays a larger role in the interest rate decisions of the Bank of Canada than it is willing to admit. Chapter three provides new evidence on the relation between inflation, relative price variability and economic growth to a panel of Canadian provinces over the period 1981-2008. We use the Bick and Nautz (2008) modified version of Hansen’s (1999) Panel Threshold Model. The evidence strongly supports the view that the relationship between inflation and economic growth is nonlinear. Further investigation suggests that relative price variability is one of the important channels through which inflation affects economic performance in Canadian provinces. When taking into account the cross-section dependence, we find that the critical threshold value slightly changes. It is desirable to keep the inflation rate in a moderate inflation regime because it may be helpful for the achievement of sustainable economic growth. The results seem to indicate that inflation that is too high or too low may have detrimental effects on economic growth.

Les estuaires, situés à l’interface entre les domaines continental et marin, constituent des zones essentielles dans les échanges de matières. Ils jouent dès lors un rôle capital pour les cycles biogéochimiques et biologiques et subissent, par ailleurs, des pressions climatiques et anthropiques croissantes depuis plusieurs décennies. Le présent travail a été focalisé sur les peuplements benthiques et pélagiques présents dans la partie fluviale (Garonne et Dordogne) de l’estuaire de la Gironde, zone àtrès faible salinité où ces peuplements n’avaient encore jamais été étudiés. Alors que la méiofaune, composée principalement de Nématodes, s’est avérée relativement abondante dans les domaines intertidal et subtidal, le macrobenthos est apparu composé essentiellement d’Oligochètes en intertidal et complètement absent en subtidal. La grande plasticité du copépode dominant Eurytemora affinis a été confirmée, celui-ci occupant une niche écologique différente dans la partie fluviale de l’estuaire par rapport à la zone haline. L’importance de la température plutôt que la qualité du pool nutritif sur la productivité d’E. affinis a été démontrée, mettant en évidence une fois de plus la grande adaptabilité de cette espèce dans un habitat très fluctuant. L’étude de l’habitat benthique et pélagique, notamment en terme de qualité du pool nutritif disponible pour les organismes, a démontré que la contribution de la matière organique réfractaire d’origine terrestre est dominante. La contribution du micro phytobenthos à la composition de la matière organique sédimentaire et pélagique a aussi été mise en évidence. Enfin,l’étude des communautés planctoniques dans la partie fluviale de l’estuaire de la Gironde a montré que l’espèce E. affinis y occupe une position clef. / Being at the interface between continental and marine systems, estuaries are essential areas for matter exchanges. Therefore, they play a crucial role in biological and biogeochemical cycles. In addition to natural fluctuations, these systems have also undergone increasing climate and anthropogenic pressures for several decades. The present work focused on the benthic and pelagic assemblages in the fluvial section (Garonne and Dordogne rivers) of the Gironde estuary, a low salinity area where these communities had never been studied. Meiofauna, mainly composed ofnematodes, was found in relatively high abundance in both intertidal and subtidal zones.Macrozoobenthos was essentially composed of oligochaetes in the intertidal, while it was totally absent in the subtidal areas. The high plasticity of the dominant copepod Eurytemora affinis was confirmed, with a different ecological niche in the freshwater section of the estuary compared to the haline area downstream. The importance of temperature rather than the quality of the nutrient pool on the productivity of E. affinis was demonstrated, thereby confirming the great adaptability of thisspecies to a highly fluctuating habitat. Study of benthic and pelagic habitat, especially in terms of quality of the nutrient pool available to the organisms, showed that the contribution of refractoryorganic matter with a terrestrial origin is dominant. A significant contribution of microphytobenthos to the composition of sedimentary and pelagic organic matter was also highlighted. Finally, the study of planktonic communities in the fluvial part of the Gironde estuary showed that the species E. affinis occupies a key position in this part of the estuary.

Gegen niedergelassene Kassenärzte wurden Ermittlungsverfahren wegen Bestechlichkeit im geschäftlichen Verkehr seit dem obiter dictum des Oberlandesgerichts Braunschweig im Jahr 2010 eingeleitet. In dieser Arbeit wird die Frage der Anwendbarkeit des § 299 Strafgesetzbuch auf den Vertragsarzt diskutiert. Zudem werden entsprechende Lösungsansätze nach geltendem bzw. zu schaffendem Recht dargestellt. Im Ergebnis gelten die Vertragsärzte nicht als geschäftlich Beauftrage der Krankenkassen bzw. Amtsträger. Es sollte jedoch auf das besondere „Vertragsverhältnis“ zwischen Arzt und Patient, das letztlich auf Vertrauen gründet, Rekurs genommen werden. Wenn gegenseitiges Vertrauen besteht, wird sich der Arzt in seinen diagnostischen und therapeutischen Entscheidungen nicht an seinen eigenen wirtschaftlichen Interessen bzw. Vorteilen orientieren, sondern sich zum Wohle des Patienten vom Facharztstandard unter Berücksichtigung des Wirtschaftlichkeitsgebots leiten lassen.

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Diversos estudos foram realizados para detecção de patologias na laringe. Essas patologias causam alteração na frequência, amplitude e formato de onda do sinal de voz e podem ser estudadas através dos parâmetros convencionais de análise como jitter e shimmer, ou sob o enfoque da dinâmica não linear. Essas técnicas são não invasivas e servem de apoio ao especialista da área de fonoaudiologia para o diagnóstico de patologias nas pregas vocais. As técnicas de análise acústica baseiam-se no formato de onda vocal no domínio do tempo e domínio da frequência, enquanto que a técnica de análise não linear utilizada nesse trabalho baseia-se no atrator reconstruído do sinal de voz. O objetivo dessa tese é diferenciar vozes normais e patológicas e entre patologias usando a técnica de análise não linear conhecida como Seção de Poincaré. Foram analisados 48 sinais de vozes humanas, divididos em 3 grupos (16 normais, 16 com nódulo e 16 com edema de Reinke). Em seguida foram selecionados 3 trechos de 500 ms nos intervalos 0.5s-1.0s, 2.0s-2.5s e 4.0s-4.5s chamado de primeiro critério e um trecho 500ms no trecho de maior variação de pitch, chamado de segundo critério. Em seguida, o atrator foi reconstruído em 3 dimensões, determinado o atrator médio, e de cada ponto do atrator médio foi extraída a seção de Poincaré. De cada seção de Poincaré foi calculada a dispersão dos pontos do atrator no plano através da média e desvio padrão das dispersão dos pontos da seção de Poincaré em relação ao ponto médio da seção. A validação da ferramenta desenvolvida para essa tese foi realizada utilizando um sinal senoidal inserindo jitter gradativamente, onde verificou-se uma variação proporcional da média da dispersão. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que não foi possível diferenciar patologias mas foi possível classificar vozes normais das patológicas. O melhor intervalo para classificar as vozes normais das patológicas utilizando o primeiro critério foi entre 0.5s-1.0s pois nesse intervalo todas as vozes normais foram classificadas corretamente. No entanto, 6 vozes patológicas foram classificadas como normais com 2 vozes patológicas na fronteira que separa as vozes normais das patológicas. O segundo critério classificou todas as vozes normais corretamente e apenas uma voz patológica foi classificada como patológica. Concluiu-se que a ferramenta proposta utilizando o segundo critério mostrou-se superior em relação ao primeiro critério para diferenciar vozes normais das patológicas. / Several studies have been performed to detect pathologies of the larynx. These pathologies cause changes in the frequency, amplitude, and waveform of the voice signal. They can be studied by means of conventional analysis parameters such as jitter and shimmer, or from nonlinear dynamics concepts. These techniques are noninvasive and can help the speech therapist to better diagnose the pathologies in the vocal folds. The acoustic analysis techniques are based on the voice waveform in the time and frequency domains, while the non-linear analysis techniques are based on the attractor reconstructed from the speech signal.The aim of this thesis is to differentiate normal and pathological voices using a nonlinear analysis technique named Poincaré section. We analyzed 48 human voice signals divided into 3 groups (16 normal, 16 nodule and 16 Reinke\'s edema). Then, we analyzed 3 stretches of 500ms in the intervals 0.5s-1.0s, 2.0s-2.5s e 4.0-4.5s, denominated first criteria, and a stretch of 500ms in a higher variation in pitch, denominated second criteria. The attractor was then reconstructed in three dimensions, the average attractor was determined, and at each point of the average attractor, a Poincaré section was extracted. From each Poincaré section, the dispersion of the points of the attractor was calculated in the plane by means of the statistical average and standard deviation related to the medium point of the section. The validation of the tool developed for this thesis was achieved by inserting jitter gradually in a sinusoidal wave, where there was a proportional variation of average\'s dispersion was observed. The results obtained for this set of voices showed that the average and standard deviation of dispersion of the points in the Poincaré section differentiate the groups of voices, but not the pathological groups. The Statistical tests of Anova and Tukey were used to analyze the 3 groups and all group pairings, two by two, with a statistical significance of 5%. The best interval to classify normal voices from pathological voices by means of the first criteria was between 0.5s-1.0s, given the fact that in this interval, all normal voices were correctly classified. However, 6 pathological voices were classified as normal voices, with 2 voices border lining the frontier between normal voices from pathological voices. The second criteria classified all normal voices correctly, with only one pathological voice incorrectly classified. In conclusion, the second criteria tool proposed by this thesis was proven superior to differentiate normal voices from pathological ones.

O Brasil é um dos países do mundo onde mais se realiza cesarianas, muitas delas são realizadas de forma eletiva em idades gestacionais diversas entre 37 e 41 semanas. Cesarianas eletivas realizada em idades gestacionais muito precoces aumentam a o risco de eventos neonatais adversos. Objetivo: Avaliar a relação entre a idade gestacional em que a cesariana eletiva foi realizada e os resultados neonatais em mulheres atendidas no setor privado de saúde. Metodologia: Estudo de coorte retrospectivo entre mulheres assistidas no setor privado de saúde do sul do Brasil, avaliando desfechos neonatais em cesarianas eletivas. No período de janeiro de 2015 a dezembro de 2016. Utilizaram-se os seguintes critérios de elegibilidade: foram incluíram gestantes primíparas e secundíparas com uma cesariana prévia, com idade gestacional entre 37 e 39 semanas (grupo I) ou ≥39 semanas (grupo II) submetidas à cesariana eletiva. Mulheres com indicações médicas para cesariana e gestantes que apresentavam comorbidades associadas foram excluídas, assim como menores de 18 anos, gestações com fetos malformados e gestantes que apresentavam rupreme. Os desfechos neonatais foram comparados entre os dois grupos de idade gestacional. Resultados: Ocorreram 8480 nascimentos de fetos vivos no Hospital Moinhos de Vento durante o período do estudo. Destes, 6542 cesarianas foram excluídos e 1938 cesarianas foram elegíveis para o presente estudo: 625 no grupo I e 1313 no grupo II. A mediana de gestações e abortamentos anteriores foram maiores 14 no grupo I (p≤0,0001 para ambos). A média de idade das mulheres nos dois grupos foi de 34 anos. Não houve variação significativa em relação à etnia, onde a média das mulheres estudadas foi de 97,8% de brancos nos dois grupos. Cerca de 72% das mulheres eram casadas ou moravam com companheiros e 26,1% do total de mulheres eram solteiras ou moravam sem companheiro em ambos os grupos. O índice de massa corporal médio em ambos os grupos foi de 28,7kg / m2. A internação na Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo (UTI) neonatal e a hiperbilirrubinemia foram positivamente associadas ao grupo I em relação ao grupo II (Teste Qui-quadrado com análise residual ajustada, p≤0,0001 e p = 0,049, respectivamente). Nas análises de Spearman observamos que a cesariana realizada ≥39+0 semanas gestacionais (grupo II) foi negativamente relacionada à admissão na UTI Neonatal (rS=-0,091, p≤0,001), à hipoglicemia com necessidade de intervenção terapêutica (rS=-0,047, p=0,039) e eventos de hiperbilirrubinemia (rS=-0,051, p=0,023). Conclusão: A cesariana eletiva realizada antes de 39 semanas completas aumenta o risco de desfechos neonatais adversos. / Brazil is one of the countries in the world where caesarean sections are most frequently performed, many of which are performed electively at different gestational ages between 37 and 41 weeks. Elective cesarean sections performed at very early gestational ages increase the risk of adverse neonatal events. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the gestational age at which elective cesarean section was performed and the perinatal outcomes in women treated in the private health sector. Methodology: Retrospective cohort study among women assisted in the private health sector of southern Brazil, evaluating neonatal outcomes in elective cesarean sections. From January 2015 to December 2016. The following eligibility criteria were used: primiparous and secondary infants with a previous cesarean section, gestational age between 37 and 39 weeks (group I) or ≥39 weeks (group II) submitted to elective caesarean section. Women with medical indications for cesarean section and pregnant women with associated comorbidities were excluded, as well women under 18 years old and those who presented amoniorexe. Neonatal outcomes were compared between the two gestational age groups. Results: There were 8480 births of live fetuses at Hospital Moinhos de Vento during the study period. Of those, 6542 cesareans were excluded and 1938 cesareans were eligible for the present study: 625 in group I and 1313 in group II. The median of previous pregnancies and abortions were higher in group I (p≤0,0001 for both). The mean age of women in both groups was 34 years. There was no significant variation in relation to ethnicity, where the average of the 16 studied women was 97.8% whites in both groups. About 72% of the women were married or lived with partners and 26,1% of the total women were single or lived without a partner in both groups. The mean body mass index in both groups was 28.7 kg / m2. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hyperbilirubinemia were positively associated with group I in relation to group II (Chi-square test with adjusted residual analysis, p≤0,0001 and p = 0.049, respectively). In the Spearman analyzes, we observed that cesarean section performed ≥39 + 0 gestational weeks (group II) was negatively related to admission to the neonatal ICU (rS = -0.091, p≤0.001), to hypoglycemia requiring therapeutic intervention (rS = -0.047, p = 0.039) and hyperbilirubinemia events (rS = -0.051, p = 0.023). Conclusion: Elective caesarean section performed before 39 completed weeks increases the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes.