This study examines the variations in the practice of implementation in different implementation structures using the case of police education reforms that were undertaken by the Turkish National Police (TNP) in 2001 and 2003. Differentiations and similarities in the top-down and bottom-up structures while practicing the process of implementation were investigated in this study. First, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the process of implementation and structure of implementation. Second, the study introduces TNP education reforms and explains the reasons for the reform. Third, a quantitative approach is used to measure the success of the TNP educational reforms. Specifically, multiple regression analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc tests are used to clarify if police performance in the TNP has improved since the reforms. Fourth, the study uses a qualitative approach to find out how features associated with top-down or bottom up approaches were involved in the process of implementation of the educational reforms. Finally, based upon the views of the participants in the qualitative analysis, the study examines the variations in the practice of implementation between decision makers and the street level bureaucrats.

The issue of teacher accountability has been a part of the educational conversation for three decades, but only recently has this conversation been translated into policy as states begin directly tying teacher evaluation scores in part to student achievement on standardized tests. This qualitative study focuses on a group of teachers who are participating in this new form of evaluation (containing both qualitative and quantitative elements including test scores and lesson observations) and examines how they perceived the process. In particular, the study looks at how their personal reactions to a high-stakes evaluation impacted their instructional decision making in their literacy classrooms. Findings demonstrate that teachers had varying levels of change in instructional practice and that these changes were impacted by a variety of factors including personal beliefs and contextual issues. Additionally, findings demonstrated that participants found the qualitative portion of the model to be highly subjective which was considered especially problematic because of the high stakes nature of the evaluation.

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This master’s thesis describes design and realization of a wayside unit for top-of-rail lubrication (TOR). TOR lubricant application causes wear reduction and lower noise emission. Firstly, patent analysis was provided and critically evaluated according to which requirements for developed device were specified – accurate dosage of small lubricant volume and high repeatability. On the basis of concept design, an experimental rig was created and used for lubricant application verification and spray lubrication parameter identification. Acquired results are considered in the final design of wayside unit with a technical facility. Two utility models were created within this master’s thesis.

Magister Curationis / Binary search trees (BSTs) are important data structures which are widely used in various guises. Splay trees are a specific kind of binary search tree, one without explicit balancing. Skip lists use more space than BSTs and are related to them in terms of much of their run-time behavior. Even though binary search trees have been used for about half a century, there are still many open questions regarding their run-time performance and algorith mic complexity. In many instances, their worst-case, average-case, and best-case behaviors are unknown and need further research. Our analysis provides a basis for selecting more suitable data structures and algorithms for specific processes and applications. We contrast the empirical behavior of splay trees and skip lists with their theoretical behavior. In particular we explore when splay trees outperform skip lists and vice versa. The performance of a splay tree depends on the history of accesses to its el ements. On the other hand, the performance of a skip list depends on an indepen dent randomization of the height of links that lead to specific elements. Therefore, probabilistic methods are used to analyze the operation of splay trees and skip lists. Our main results are that splay trees are faster for sorted insertion, where AVL trees are faster for random insertion. For searching, skip lists are faster than single class top-down splay trees, but two-class and multi-class top-down splay trees can behave better than skip lists.

Foraging forms the cornerstone of an animal’s life-history. An individual's foraging success shapes the demography and health of a population. Understanding key facets of maternal foraging behaviour are crucial to get a holistic picture of both regional and local environmental factors that drive foraging behaviour. This study aimed to measure the maternal foraging behaviour of a marine top predator, the Subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis), from Marion Island (MI) over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Arctocephalus tropicalis females from MI have one of the longest duration foraging trips for the species. They are most similar to conspecifics at temperate Amsterdam Island, but differ considerably from those at subantarctic Îles Crozet and Macquarie Island. Hitherto, no diving data existed for MI females. I illustrate how their diving behaviour is more similar to individuals from Îles Crozet despite their differences in foraging trip parameters. Together with Îles Crozet, MI females have one of the deepest mean diving depths (34.5 ± 2.2 m , 45.2 ± 4.8 m summer and winter respectively) and longest dive durations (70.2 ± 3 s , 104.3 ± 7.8 s summer and winter respectively) for the species. In summer, females follow the diel vertical migration of their myctophid prey. Counter intuitively, during the winter, females performed short and shallow crepuscular dives, possibly foraging on different prey. Considering that these individuals dive in deep waters, this is most likely related to myctophids occupying lower depths in the water column during winter. At dusk and dawn they are inaccessible to diving fur seals. At-sea data from multiple foraging trips per female illustrated that females have both a colony- and individual preferred foraging direction which varied seasonally. Individuals travelled consistently in the same direction regionally, but locally appear to track prey in a heterogeneous environment. The few trips in the winter to the west of MI suggest that this is a short-term response to varying prey availability rather than a long-term foraging tactic. Six years of observer-based attendance cycle data were used to augment telemetry data. Multi-state mark-recapture models were used to determine the probability of a female being missed when she was present (detection probability). Attendance data were corrected accordingly. Neither El Niño (EN) nor anomalous seasurface temperature (SSTa) influenced any of the attendance cycle parameters, as foraging trip duration is a poor predictor of weak environmental change. Only season and pup sex had a significant impact on female provisioning rates. Foraging trip duration was longer during winter than during summer. Females spent a higher percentage of time on land when they had female pups rather than male pups. Although observational attendance data remain useful it ideally requires concomitant data on pup growth, production and female body condition to elucidate changes in female provisioning rates. Temporally, season had the most influence on female foraging behaviour. Spatially, it appears that a lack of prominent local bathymetrical features overshadows MI's favourable position in the productive Polar Frontal Zone. Arctocephalus tropicalis females from MI work harder at foraging than at any other island population of conspecifics. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Zoology and Entomology / Unrestricted

In dieser Präsentation wird das universelle FE-Modell eines Kegelrollenlagers vorgestellt. Mittels eines Pro/ENGINEER-Layouts, basierend auf dem Top-Down Designkonzept, kann automatisch innerhalb einer kurzen Bearbeitungszeit ein geprüftes und lauffähiges FE-Modell eines Kegelrollenlagers abgeleitet werden. Dieses Modell kann z.B. in großen Getriebemodellen eingebaut werden, um eine quasistatische Betrachtung mit korrekten Lagersteifigkeiten zu ermöglichen.

Visual attention can be voluntarily focused on a location or automatically attracted by salient features in a visual scene. Studies using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) suggest two networks of visual attention involved in these complementary mechanisms: a dorsal frontoparietal network and a ventral frontoparietal network of visuospatial attention respectively. However, most studies so far have applied non‐natural schematic stimuli. The present study investigates visual attention in images of natural environmental scenes. Adopting previously used eye‐tracker paradigms, we study the influence of task instruction and luminance contrast modifications in pictures on both eye movements and neural activity using Eye‐Tracking and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging simultaneously. We expect increased top‐down control of attention in a search task compared to a free viewing condition visible in enhanced neural activation in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) as part of the dorsal frontoparietal network. Strong modifications of luminance contrast should foster bottom‐up processing activating the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) a crucial area in the ventral frontoparietal network of visual attention. Although the obtained eye‐tracking data shows the expected shift of fixations towards locations of increased luminance contrast, we do not find an influence of luminance contrast modifications on neural processing. Comparison of instructions reveals diverse results across participants possibly due to the long presentation duration of stimuli which allowed participant’s attention to wander independently of task instruction. We find bilateral activation in IPS and parahippocampal place area (PPA) as well as bilateral deactivation in the TPJ region independent of task context. This might indicate similar contributions of these areas to free viewing of and search in visual scenes. However, dissociation of target detection and attention during search by deconvolution analysis of data obtained in this study might reveal a more detailed picture of functional involvement of the IPS and TPJ region in processes of visual attention. Remarkably, results show robust activation of the PPA in both tasks, suggesting that the PPA region might not only be activated by houses and open scenes but by narrow scenes (bushes, leaves) of natural outdoor environment as well.

Title: Cloud-top morphology of convective storms as observed by meteorological satellites Author: Michaela Radová Department: Department of Atmospheric Physics Supervisor: RNDr. Martin Setvák, CSc., Czech Hydrometeorological Institute Abstract: This work focuses on study of features occurring at tops of convective storms, namely embedded warm areas, cold rings, cold-U/Vs and overshooting tops (OTs), mainly from the perspective of satellite observations. We have assembled a database of 104 subjectively detected cold rings and cold-U/Vs from the area of Europe. We discuss relationship between satellite- observed brightness temperature and cloud top height determined from radar measurements for storms with distinct cold-rings. Our results support the hypothesis that the warm area is a consequence of presence of central elevated dome reaching warmer lower stratosphere. Moreover, a storm with transformation of cold ring into cold-U is studied and an elevated plume above storm anvil in the warmer lower stratosphere is found to be a likely explanation of the warm area inside the cold-U. Both analyses confirm that thermal inversion above the tropopause is a necessary prerequisite for occurrence of cold rings and cold-U/Vs. We also propose a method for automated objective determination of spatial characteristics of...

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) can effectively bridge the cultural gap between their home market operations and internationalized operations in advanced markets like Sweden, particularly with regards to adapting recruitment strategies to secure top talent in the new business context. The authors aim to expand the existing ‘springboard framework’ for internationalization by multinational enterprises originating in emerging market countries which are increasingly reshaping the global competitive landscape. The study interviewed seven managers with extensive experience working in both advanced and emerging markets, and five top talent from two of the highest ranked Swedish business schools. The study found that for EMNEs cultural distance is a secondary consideration when expanding to advanced markets and their main focus is showcasing their value proposition to clients, customers, and top talent alike. From the experience of the executives interviewed for this thesis, top talent prioritizes organizational and managerial values that a company imbibes and the career progression that it provides over remunerations. This was confirmed by the top talent we interviewed who repeatedly spoke about how important career opportunities and organizational values were for them. The findings from our thesis contribute to expanding the field of cross- cultural management theory by supplying a qualitative study of EMNE adaptation for internationalization. They also contribute to the recruitment literature by demonstrating how EMNEs have to adapt their HRM systems to the local environments in order to gain the attention of and acquire the local top talent.