<p> This qualitative, exploratory study grouped together and explored custom-built environments for communities of online informal learning (COILs) with a special lens on the socio-technical relationship of platform tools, structures, and strategies that lead to social learning. The study was conducted through a three-phase process. First, a list of possible candidate sites was analyzed for appropriate fit based on the defining terms of a custom-built COIL environment. Second, an observational content analysis was implemented on 10 of the sites to aggregate a list of the tools, structures, and strategies used in the sites. Lastly, the same 10 sites and the lists of tools, structures, and strategies were researched through both pre-established codes for sociability, usability, and community-building designs and an open exploratory observation of their uses with a focus on the way these features support COILs. Social learning and informal learning were also purposefully scrutinized while themes regarding personalized learning and sustainability also emerged from the exploration. All design themes were found represented within the sites, as were social learning, informal learning, personalized learning, and efforts toward sustainability. </p>

A crucial pre-requisite in genetically manipulating higher plants involves systems for culturing plant protoplasts and cells under static conditions with an adequate oxygen supply. This is especially the case for cells from cryopreservation, where respiratory perturbations are known to occur during early post-thaw recovery. Therefore, studies were undertaken to assess the potential, and actual, beneficial effects involving culture of cells at an interface between inert, oxygen-gassed perfluorocarbon (PFC) liquid overlaid with liquid or semi-solidified media supplemented with or without the non-ionic surfactant, Pluronic F-68. Assessments were also made to compare the efficacy of PFC supplementation with other physical (medium implanted with glass rods to increase the surface area available for gaseous exchange) and chemical (haemoglobin; Hb) options, both alone and in combination, for gaseous manipulation of plant protoplast cultures. Investigations involving novel PFC-mediated oxygen delivery to cultured protoplasts were carried out on a broad range of plant species, which included Petunia hybrida (a herbaceous species) and Passiflora giberti (a woody species), as model systems, together with cassava (Manihot esculenta) a relatively recalcitrant species in tissue culture. Studies revealed enhanced protoplast initial plating efficiencies (IPEs) as measured by increased mitotic division, thereby demonstrating no short-term detrimental effects of exposure to PFC. Similarly, supplementation of culture media with Hb, at 1:50 (v/v), increased the mean IPEs of both Petunia and Passiflora protoplasts over that of untreated controls. Additionally, supplementation of aqueous medium with 0.01% (w/v) Pluronic® F-68 not only lowered interfacial tension, but further enhanced mitotic activity over that stimulated by both oxygenated PFC and Hb. In the context of cryopreservation, media supplementation with Pluronic F-68, at 0.01-1.0% (w/v), significantly improved the post-thaw viability and growth of embryogenic suspension cells of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars Taipei 309 and Tarom, together with non-embryogenic cells of Lolium multiflorum and Moricandia arvensis. Moreover, a more pronounced synergistic effect in terms of viability and growth was observed for Taipei 309 cells when 0.01% (w/v) Pluronic® F-68 was evaluated in conjunction with oxygenated PFC. Plants regenerated from such cryopreserved cells were morphologically normal with expected chromosome complements (2n = 2x = 24), thus confirming the long-term biocompatibility of PFCs, with no adverse effect up on cellular totipotency. These results indicate, for the first time, that both oxygenated PFC and Hb provide options for enhancing cellular oxygen supply to cultured eukaryotic cells in vitro. However, the recoverability and, hence, recyclability of PFCs make them a commercially more attractive option, despite the high initial investment cost. Overall, PFC-facilitated improvements in cell culture technology will have increasingly important biotechnological implications in the context of plant micropropagation, somatic hybridisation, transgenic plant production and commercial exploitation of these technologies. NB. This ethesis has been created by scanning the typescript original and may contain inaccuracies. In case of difficulty, please refer to the original text.

There are numerous techniques that can be used for the decoration of polymeric substrates, dye sublimation, self-colouring, paint spraying, granular injection paint technology, pad printing, in-mould decoration and hot foil stamping. Dye sublimation was selected for this research as it was found to be both the most relevant technology area for IDT Systems Limited and the least understood. It is a customisable digital process which uses specialist Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) inkjet-able dyes that are transferred into a substrate via a carrier. During the process heat is applied which transforms the dyes from a solid into a gas phase. Analysis of literature identified a number of knowledge gaps, which are addressed during this research and detailed in this report. Initial experimentation concluded that the sublimation dyes can penetrate a range of commercially available amorphous polymers, comparably to semi-crystalline types. These findings dispute previously published work, but these also lacked rigorously recorded methodologies to confirm comparable data. All of the materials, equipment and methodologies used throughout this research were therefore developed in this report. Further detailed experimentation was completed, using amorphous polycarbonate, (PC) and semi-crystalline polybutylene terephthalate, (PBT) focusing on the process time and temperature to understand their influence on the level of dye penetration. The results revealed that increasing the process temperature and time improves the level of dye penetration and that comparable penetration levels were noted at 140-180 oC. Further research identified the importance of free volume in the polymer, this increases in size and connectivity as temperature increases above the glass transition points. Additional experimentation confirms that the free volume enables the dyes to penetrate into the polymer. Characterisation of the CMYK sublimation dyes was completed using Differential Scanning Calorimetry enabling the thermal transitions to be identified. Visual experimentation confirmed that the dyes start and finish sublimation between 145-210 oC. As no software tool existed to visualise the dye penetration, one was developed using MatLab. The tool imports and then interpolates the data and graphically outputs it for the user. This allows a quicker set up time of the process and reduces the number of samples to be destroyed. As a direct result of the innovations described in this report, the industrial sponsor has benefited with an increase in commercial exploitation. Aspects of this research have been published, presented and a patent has been published, details are provided within.

Validerat; 20140115 (global_studentproject_submitter)

Validerat; 20101217 (root)

<p> Each year, a growing number of K&ndash;12 students participate in some form of online instruction (Watson et. al, 2015). This transition to online learning environments raises questions about the design and distribution of curricula in K-12 educational systems. This dissertation explored the perceptions of K-12 online educators regarding the significance and challenges associated with teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) and character education skills in online learning environments. The SEL related efforts of current online instructors are compared to the best practices in character education and SEL known to be effective in traditional classroom settings. A mixed-methods approach of using a questionnaire to gather data and then conducting interviews was employed. Seventy-one K-12 online educators responded to the questionnaire with a smaller group of six participating in follow-up interviews. The ethics of care (Noddings, 2005) and social responsibility (May, 1996; Dewey, 2009) provided the theoretical lens for this study. Additionally, the Social Development Model (Hawkins &amp; Weis, 1985; Catalano &amp; Hawkins, 1996) was used as an analysis tool to gauge whether the online educators&rsquo; purported integration of social and emotional learning and character education met what the Social Development Model proposes is necessary to develop prosocial behaviors. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)</p>

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-116). / This thesis explores nested and parallel real options and applies the suggested methodology to the Case of Ford Motor Company's investment in Ballard/Daimler Chrysler's joint venture. After reviewing the different existing methods that could be applied to the evaluation of Ford's investment, an analysis of the previous major applications of the "Real Option Thinking" to real projects was included. A two dimensional approach in the evaluation of a project with uncertainty was introduced, followed by a suggested methodology. Two approaches were considered in the Ford Case: -- The first divides the investment into two parts one associated with Ford Holdings in Ballard Power Systems (Ford holds 15% of Ballard shares) and the other relative to the investment in the research and development of fuel cells for automotive applications. -- The second adopts a more global view and looks at the investment as buying a portfolio of options. Each option is relative to a specific application of the technology. The suggested methodology was applied to the Ford Case using the first approach only. In fact, with the right set of inputs, both methods should yield comparable results. In the last part of the Thesis, a policy analysis that explores other dimensions that could have influenced Ford's decision was included. This analysis went through isolating the problem, identifying all the available options, analyzing external and internal factors and designing a strategy that would have helped implement the best available option. / by Skander K. Oueslati. / S.M.M.O.T.

För att övervaka utvecklingen i Sveriges sjöar och vattendrag används bland annat klassning av ekologisk- och kemisk status. Dessa faktorer ger information över vattendragets status och innefattar ett flertal parametrar som sammanställs till en slutlig klassning. Tökilsbäcken är en sju kilometer lång naturlig bäck som har sitt utlopp i Gavleån. Bäcken rinner till största del genom ett skogslandskap, ungefär tre kilometer uppströms utloppet finns en mindre tillrinningsbäck där en deponiverksamhet släpper ut sitt renade lak- och dagvatten. För att klassa särskilda förorenande ämnen i Tökilsbäcken hämtades årsmedelvärde för god status för metallerna koppar, krom och zink. Vid klassning av kemisk status har gränsvärden för metallerna bly, kadmium och nickel inhämtats. Samtliga begränsande värden är inhämtade från Havs och vattenmyndighetens föreskrifter om klassificering och miljökvalitetsnormer (HVMFS, 2013). En sammanställning av befintliga provtagningsrapporter under åren 2011-2018 från tre provtagningspunkter, analyser av metallhalter i vattenmossor och bottenfauna (Internt material, SUEZ) utfördes och sammanställdes i text och grafer. Resultatet av denna studie är att särskilda förorenande ämnen, som ingår i klassning av ekologisk status erhåller klassningen god status med avseende på koppar, krom och zink i de två provtagningspunkter belägna i Tökilsbäcken. Vid den tredje provpunkten belägen uppströms i tillrinningsbäcken blir klassningen uppnår ej god status på grund av det förhöjda årsmedelvärdet av krom år 2011. Vid klassning av kemisk status uppnås god kemisk ytvattenstatus vid samtliga provpunkter under tidsperioden 2011-2018 med avseende på bly, kadmium och nickel. Sammanställning visar att metallerna koppar, zink och bly har högst halterna uppströms, därefter nedströms och lägst vid provpunkt utlopp. För metallerna krom och nickel är halterna störst vid provpunkt utlopp, därefter nedströms och lägst halter uppmätts vid provpunkt uppströms. För kadmiumhalterna ses en ökning över tid men endast marginella skillnader mellan de tre provpunkterna. Om endast påverkan från dessa sex metaller undersöks, dras slutsatsen att utsläppen av krom och nickel, den ökande halten av kadmium eller inverkan av cocktaileffekten är vad som med största sannolikhet ger upphov till försämringen i bottenfauna vid provpunkt nedströms i jämförelse med uppströms. Trots dessa lovande resultat finns osäkerhet kring klassning av verktyget för uträknande av biotillgänglighet då ingen eller väldigt små kopplingar kunde göras mellan undersökningar utförda av metallhalter i vattenmossor och halten biotillgängliga metaller. Även problematik kring gränsvärden och att utsläppen av metaller sker i koncentrationer och inte faktisk utsläppt mängd diskuteras. / In order to monitor environmental changes in Swedish lakes and watercourses, a classification of ecological and chemical status was evaluated. These factors provide information on the status of the watercourse and include a number of parameters that are put together into a final classification. Tökilsbäcken is a seven-kilometre natural watercourse that has its effluent in Gavleån. The watercourse flows mostly through a forest landscape. Approximately three kilometres upstream of the effluent, there is an outlet to Tökilsbäcken from a small stream where a landfill lets out it´s purified leachate. To classify what is called specific pollutants in Swedish environmental legislation the annual average values were obtained for good status for the metals copper, chromium and zinc. These three metals are a part of the classification of ecological status. When investigating the classification for chemical status, limit values for the metals was obtained for lead, cadmium and nickel. All limiting values have been obtained from Havs- och vattenmyndighetens regulations on classification and environmental quality standards (HVMFS, 2013). A compilation of existing sampling reports during the years 2011-2018 from three sampling points, analyses of metal contents in water mosses and bottom fauna (Unpublished material, SUEZ) was performed and compiled in text and graphs. The result of this study shows that the three metals included in the classification of ecological status receive classification good status concerning copper, chromium and zinc in the two sampling points located in Tökilsbäcken. At the third test point located upstream of the small stream, the classification will not achieve good status due to the increased annual average value of chromium in 2011. When chemical status was classified, good chemical surface water status was achieved at all test points over the period 2011-2018 concerning lead, cadmium and nickel. When analysing annual average values the levels of copper, zinc and lead where highest at sample point upstream, then downstream and the lowest levels where found in the outlet. For the metals chromium and nickel the highest levels where found in sample point outlet, then downstream and the lowest values where found in upstream. The levels of cadmium has increased over time but only marginal differences where seen for the three sample points. Only regarding the six investigated metals it is concluded that the emissions of chromium, nickel the increased levels of cadmium or the cocktaileffect are most likely to the degradation of bottom fauna downstream compared to upstream. Despite these promising results, there is some uncertainties about the tool for calculating bioavailability. This because no or very small correlation could be found between samplings of metal contents in water mosses and the levels of bioavailable metals in the watercourse. Also, issues concerning limit values and that the limits for metals occur in concentrations and not in actual amounts of metals, are discussed.

Thesis (Laur. Tech. (Food Technology))--Cape Technikon, 1991. / This dissertation reports on a three prong approach to obtain new knowledge on the interdependent effects which buyers' specifications, peach crop attributes and sieve stack arrangement have on the masses of peach halves sorted into classes of average diameter. Applying statistical methods and using suitable application computer programs a computer-aided system was developed to improve on the manual selection of sieve diameters. It was concluded that size sorting peach halves for the purpose of mass classification is inaccurate and counter-productive. It is suggested that modern technology be employed to develop a method to determine peach half masses individually.

No description available.