The temperature-programmed desorption profiles of water from three lunar analogs were measured. These experiments showed that glassy materials were hydrophobic, that water on multiphase materials occupied a continuum of adsorption sites, and that feldspar exhibited significant chemisorption of water. The competition between photodissociation and photodesorption of amorphous solid water (ASW) was investigated on three substrates: copper with a thin oxide coating, an impact melt breccia from Apollo 16, and a mare basalt from Apollo 17. The rotational temperature of desorbing H₂O did not vary significantly with substrate, but the H₂O time-of-flight spectra were broader on the lunar slabs than on copper. Additionally, the cross sections for water removal at low coverages were higher on the lunar slabs than on copper. O(³PJ) produced by 157-nm irradiation of ASW on the same three substrates was measured as a function of spin-orbit state, H₂O exposure, and irradiation time. The same Maxwell-Boltzmann components were present in each case, with translational temperatures of 10,000 K, 1800 K, 400 K, and the surface temperature, but the relative intensities of these components differed widely between substrates. Evidence for diffusion out of pores in the ASW and in the lunar slabs was observed for H2O exposures of at least 1 Langmuir. Cross sections for H2O and O(3PJ) depletion due to 157-nm irradiation of ASW were applied to icy grains in the rings of Saturn, and corresponding cross sections on the lunar substrates were used to estimate the flux of water desorbing from the Moon and the density of oxygen atoms in the lunar atmosphere.

Bakgrund: Statistik visar på ökat antal elektiva kejsarsnitt internationellt och nationellt. Ett kejsarsnitt kan rädda liv på mor och barn om komplikationer uppstår, elektivt kejsarsnitt är även liksom andra stora operationer förenat med risker för komplikationer. Antalet elektiva kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation har ökat i Sverige och cirka 17 % av alla förlossningar sker via kejsarsnitt. Att vårda och stödja kvinnor före, under och efter en förlossning med kejsarsnitt hör till barnmorskans arbete. Syftet med studien var att beskriva barnmorskors uppfattning om indikationer och effekter av förlossning med elektiva kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation belyst utifrån arbetslivserfarenheter. Metod: kvalitativ metod: semistrukturella intervjuer med nio barnmorskor. Materialet analyserades via fenomenografisk analys i sju steg. Resultat: Fyra beskrivningskategorier framkom, Elektivt kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation är ett etiskt dilemma, Elektivt kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation är en stor operation, Elektivt kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation påverkar organisation och barnmorskans arbetsmiljö och Elektivt kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation påverkar kvinnans förlossningsupplevelse. Vidare framkom nio kategorier som beskriver barnmorskors uppfattningar. Slutsats Barnmorskor uppfattar elektiva kejsarsnitt som något komplext, att de med sina yrkeskunskaper värnar det naturliga vid kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation och att de har brist på mandat att stödja och stärka kvinnors informerade val om elektivt kejsarsnitt på humanitär indikation. Klinisk tillämpbarhet: Resultatet kan användas vid undervisning kring barnmorskans stödjande och vårdande arbete i samband med förlossning via kejsarsnitt. Vidare kan resultatet vara underlag till diskussioner inom mödrahälsovård och förlossning i syfte att ge barnmorskor stärkt mandat till sina stödjande och informativa uppgifter. / Background: Statistics show an increased number of elective caesarean section internationally and nationally. A caesarean section can save the life of mother and child if complications arise, elective caesarean section in common with other major surgeries involve risk of complications. The number of elective caesarean sections on humanitarian indication has increased in Sweden and about 17% of all deliveries via caesarean section. To care and support women before, during and after a cesarean is an essential part of midwifery work. Objective: The aim of the study is to describe midwives' perception of indications and effects of childbirth by elective caesarean section on humanitarian indication illuminated on the basis of work experience. Method: A qualitative approach: semi structural interviews with nine midwives, phenomenographic analysis in seven steps was used for analysis of data. Results: Four descriptive categories emerged, elective Caesarean section on humanitarian indication is an ethical dilemma, elective Caesarean section on humanitarian indication is major surgery, elective Caesarean section on humanitarian indication affect the organization and midwives working environment and elective Caesarean section on humanitarian indication affect the woman's birth experience. Further nine categories that describe midwive´s perceptions emerged. Conclusion: Midwives perceived elective ceaserean section as something complex, that with their professional skills they support the natural part in caesarean sections on humanitarian indication and they lacked mandate to support and strengthen women's informed choice regarding elective Caesarean section on humanitarian indication. Clinical applicability: The result can be used in education regarding midwives supportive and caring role in deliveries with caesarean section. In addition the result can be used in discussions at delivery wards and antenatal care units regarding improving midwives mandate for their supportive and informative tasks.

In farming operation, machinery represents a major cost; therefore, good fleet management can have a great impact on the producer’s profit, especially considering the increasing costs of fuel and production inputs in recent years. One of the tasks to be accomplished in order to improve fleet management is planning the path that the machine should take to cover the field while working. Information such as distance traveled, time and fuel consumption as well as agricultural inputs wasted due to off-target-application areas are crucial in the path planning process. Parameters such as field boundary size and geometry, machine total width as well as control width resolution present a great impact on the information necessary for path planning. Researchers around the world have proposed methods that approach specific aspects related to path planning, the majority addressing machine field efficiency per-se, which a function of total time spent in the field as well as effective working time. However, wasted inputs due to off-target-application areas in the maneuvering regions, especially in oddly shaped agricultural fields might be as important as field efficiency when it comes down to the total operation cost. Thus, the main purpose of this research was to develop a path planning method that accounts for not only machinery field efficiency, but also the supply inputs. This research was accomplished in a threefold approach where in the first step an algorithm for computing off-target application area was developed, implemented and validated resulting in a computational tool that can be used to evaluate potential savings when using automatic section control on agricultural fields of complex field boundary. This tool allowed accomplishment of the second step, which was an investigation and better understanding of field size and shape as well as machine width of the effects on off-target application areas resulting in an empirical method for such estimations based on object shape descriptors. Finally, a path planning algorithm was developed and evaluated taking into consideration the aspects of machine field efficiency as well as off-target application areas.

Le but premier de la physique des hautes énergies est d'améliorer notre connaissance de la structure fondamentale de la matière, et notamment des particules qui constituent le monde. L'une d'entre elles est le quark top, qui fut découvert en 1995 par les collaborations CDF et DØ auprès du collisionneur protons-antiprotons Tevatron. Un des buts principaux du Tevatron a été depuis l'étude fine des propriétés du quark top, et en particulier de la section efficace de production de paires top-antitop. Différentes analyses ont été menées dans les canaux leptons (μ,e,tau) + jets, dileptons, et tout hadronique afin de déterminer le plus précisément possible les valeurs de ces paramètres, et ainsi de tester la validité du Modèle Standard. Le but principal de cette thèse est de vérifier une des prédictions théoriques du Modèle Standard de la physique des particules, à savoir la section efficace de production top-antitop auprès du collisionneur Tevatron. Le canal étudié est constitué d'un muon, d'un lepton tau, de leurs neutrinos associés, et de deux jets de quark b (l'un d'entre eux provenant d'un quark b, l'autre d'un anti-quark b. La reconstruction et l'identification des jets, des muons, des leptons taus (en particulier par l'utilisation d'un réseau de neurones dédié), et l'étiquetage des jets de b, représentent les éléments fondamentaux de cette étude. Au final, un bon accord entre les données et la simulation Monte Carlo est obtenu à la dernière étape de cette analyse. En outre la mesure finale et la prédiction théorique au niveau NLL+NLO du calcul des perturbations sont compatibles.

Cette thèse présente une mesure de la section efficace de production du quark-top célibataire en voie t avec 1.04 fb-1 de données recueillies par le détecteur ATLAS au LHC à partir de collisions proton-proton d' énergie centre de masse sqrt(s) = 7 TeV. Les événements sélectionnés contiennent un lepton, de l'énergie transverse manquante, et deux ou trois jets, l'un d'eux étant étiqueté comme étant issu d'un quark-b. Le modèle pour le bruit de fond se compose des processus multijets, W+jets et production de paires de quarks top ainsi que de contributions moindres venant d' événements Z+jets et diboson. En utilisant une sélection basée sur la distribution d'un discriminant multivarié construit avec des arbres de décision stimulés, la section efficace de production de quark-top célibataire en voie t a été mesurée. La valeur de 97.3+30.7-30.2 pb a été obtenue. Ce résultat est en bon accord avec la prédiction du Modèle Standard. En supposant que les éléments de la matrice CKM reliée au quark-top obéissent à la relation |Vtb|>>|Vts|, jVtd|, la force du couplage W-t-b est extraite à partir de la section efficace mesurée, |Vtb| = 1.23+0.20-0:19. Si on suppose que |Vtb| <= 1, une limite inférieure |Vtb| > 0.61 est obtenue avec un niveau de confiance de 95%.

<p>Study objects: JM, Folkhem and ABB.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose with this study are to examine how the supplier relations are in the construction branch and compare that result with how the supplier relations are for ABB a production company.</p><p>Theoretical: The theoretical chapter illustrates important and relevant parts of supplier relations, purchasing and supplier strategies to give good overview. The theoretical review will combine information from different fields to consent with the research problem.</p><p>Method: A case study has been made on three different companies, one of the companies was active in the production industry the other two were active in the construction industry. Data was mainly collected through semi structured interviews on each of the three companies.</p><p>Conclusions: The size of the company decided which point of view the company had on purchasing, traditional or modern view. All three companies had a centralized purchasing organization but the construction firms were more decentralized than the production company. The reason was that the construction firms were dependent with more flexibility when every construction project is unique.</p>

Together with an internationally praised Constitution, South Africa can pride itself in having one of the best sets of environmental laws in the world, and since EIAs have become mandatory for projects that negatively affect the environment, our track record with respect to environmental protection has substantially improved from the Apartheid days. But as the integrated and proactive approach to environmental management has seemingly been established, a new provision was introduced: Section 24G of NEMA (“Rectification of unlawful commencement of activity”), allowing for retrospective authorisation of unlawful activities (i.e. activities identified in terms of S24 of NEMA). Six years after the introduction of the S24G rectification provision in NEMA, its ability to bring about increased levels of compliance is being questioned. The findings of this research show that in Gauteng S24G has had an ambivalent effect on compliance: while on one hand it has artificially increased compliance by rendering illegal activities legal, on the other, it has seriously undermined the overall compliance and enforcement effort by opening the door to abuse and effectively providing an escape route for potential criminals. It is argued that the schizophrenic character of S24G is at the heart of this dilemma. This research presents theoretical and practical perspectives on non-compliance and analyses data collected on S24G applications in Gauteng in order to determine the effect of S24G on compliance. It also identifies key factors influencing effectiveness of S24G, and derives from the above key performance areas to improve effectiveness of S24G. / Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This thesis examines the performance of different models of conditional betas and higher comoments in the context of the cross-section of expected stock returns, both in-sample and out-of-sample. I first examine the performance of different conditional market beta models by using monthly returns of the Fama-French 25 portfolios formed by the quintiles of size and book-to-market ratio in Chapter 3. This is a cross-sectional test of the conditional CAPM. The models examined include simple OLS regressions, the macroeconomic variables model, the state-space model, the multivariate GARCH model and the realized beta model. The results show that the state-space model performs best in-sample with significant betas and insignificant intercepts. For the out-of-sample performance, however, none of the models examined can explain returns of the 25 portfolios. Next, I examine the recently proposed realized beta model, which is based on the realized volatility literature, by using individual stocks listed in the US market in Chapter 4. I extend the realized market beta model to betas of multi-factor asset pricing models. Models tested are the CAPM, the Fama-French three-factor model and a four-factor model including the three Fama-French factors and a momentum factor. Realized betas of different models are used in the cross-section regressions along with firm-level variables such as size, book-to-market ratio and past returns. The in-sample results show that market beta is significant and additional betas of multi-factor models can reduce although not eliminate the effects of firm-level variables. The out-of-sample results show that no betas are significant. The results are robust across different markets such as NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ. In Chapter 5, I test if realized coskewness and cokurtosis can help explain the cross-section of stock returns. I add coskewness and cokurtosis to the factor pricing models tested in Chapter 4. The results show that the coefficients of coskewness and cokurtosis have the correct sign as predicted by the higher-moment CAPM theory but only cokurtosis is significant. Cokurtosis is significant not only in-sample but also out-of-sample, suggesting cokurtosis is an important risk. However, the effects of firm-level variables remain significant after higher moments are included, indicating a rejection of higher-moment asset pricing models. The results are also robust across different markets such as NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ. The overall results of this thesis indicate a rejection of the conditional asset pricing models. Models of systematic risks, i.e. betas and higher comoments, cannot explain the cross-section of expected stock returns.

Morphologic change of ephemeral stream cross-sections is a natural component of fluvial geomorphology but disruptions to natural erosion and deposition by anthropogenic disturbances has the potential for cascading impacts down the channel corridor. The proximal impact of a natural gas pipeline construction on ephemeral stream cross-section geometry in southern Arizona was evaluated from July 2014 (pre-construction) to July 2016 (two years post construction). Cross-sections at three locations (upstream the pipeline Right-Of-Way (ROW)), through the middle of the ROW, and downstream of the ROW) were measured using Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) and field methods for 16 ephemeral streams. Results of both the LIDAR and field measurements indicated insignificant difference in cross-sectional area change between upstream, across, and downstream-ROW cross-sections [(F 2,64) = 0.341, p = 0.73; (F2,18)= 0.980, p = 0.395]. Sediment generated during pipeline construction appeared to have moved beyond the physical confines of the study site, which limited the assessment of larger-scale geomorphic impacts. Furthermore, the 2014-2016 study period experienced only small (high-recurrence frequency) precipitation events, indicating the absence of large flows capable of significant morphologic change. To further explain differences in cross-section area change between LIDAR datasets, a linear regression model was used to assess the predictive value of nine variables: year of measurement, drainage area, drainage density, basin slope, upstream-, across-, downstream-ROW cross-section locations, percent bare soil in basin, percent mesquite in basin, total precipitation, and number of storms with average precipitation above 25 mm/hour. Though the amount of bare soil in the basin and the second study period (February 2015-July 2016) at least partially explained the changes in cross-section area, the model was not a strong predictor of morphologic change during the 2014-2016 study period. The majority of the variability in cross-sectional area change in the study basins remained unexplained.

With one in two women delivering surgically, Iran has one of the highest rates of cesarean section (CS) worldwide. CS overuse in low-risk pregnancies potentially exposes women to Maternal Near-Miss (MNM) morbidity with minimal health benefits. This thesis studied obstetric care quality and MNM at hospitals with high rates of CS in Tehran, Iran. In Study I, we investigated whether audits of CS indications and feedback influenced CS rates at a general hospital. Subsequent to the audit, a 27% reduction in the risk of primary CS was found. In Study II, characteristics of MNM were investigated at university hospitals between 2012 and 2014. During a 26-month period, 82 MNM cases were identified using the WHO MNM approach. Severe postpartum hemorrhage (35%), severe preeclampsia (32%), and placenta previa including abnormally invasive placenta (10%) were the main three causes of MNM. Iran has a huge influx of migrants from Afghanistan. Women with antepartum CS and those who lacked health insurance, almost all Afghans, had increased risk of MNM. In Study III, audits examined whether MNM care quality differed between 54 Iranians and 22 Afghans and whether near-miss events were preventable. A majority of MNM cases (62%) arrived at hospital in a moribund state and obstetric care was more suboptimal for Afghans than Iranians (adjusted odds ratio 5.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2–22.6). Moreover, MNM was commonly (71%) potentially preventable and professionals with suboptimal practice were involved in 85% of preventable cases. In Study IV, a qualitative interview study was conducted to explore care experiences of Afghan MNM survivors. Discrimination, insufficient medical attention, and ineffective counseling were the main experiences. To a lesser extent, poverty and low education were perceived as contributing factors to delays in accessing care. This thesis emphasizes the importance of high-quality care for preventing undesirable maternal outcomes. The audit method along with interviews was useful to determine quality and equity gaps in care provision. Policymakers and professionals should consider these gaps when structuring programs to reduce adverse maternal outcomes.