INTRODUCTION: Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is one of the most common spinal abnormalities in children, affecting 2% to 3% of adolescents in the United States. Its cause remains unclear. Many previous studies conclude that AIS may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with very few consistencies. Severe scoliosis is usually treated with corrective surgery, and the etiology of post-surgical pain is even more unclear and has the opportunity to affect the patient well into adulthood. STUDY AIMS: By following a monozygotic twin pair with identical DNA, our retrospective case study can control for genetic disposition, and can look toward other possible causes for the pain the patients experienced. This study attempts to shed light on the complexities of AIS and pain with a focus on environmental and psychosocial factors. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a single pair of monozygotic twins treated for AIS with comparable spinal fusion surgeries performed at a large northeast urban children's hospital. Twin A and Twin B were initially treated with a brace for their scoliosis. Despite bracing, their curves progressed and warranted spinal fusion, with Twin A having a Cobb angle of 53°, and Twin B with 50°. The surgery was conducted simultaneously at the age of 13 by two different orthopedic surgeons. At age 7.5, Twin B was treated for Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve and significant dysrhythmias. METHODS: After the patients were discharged, a comprehensive retrospective chart review of the patients' pre-op, inpatient, and post-op pain and drug regiment was conducted. The patients were also asked to note their pain as they recovered after discharge. The patients and their mother completed self-report measures of multiple psychosocial variables both before and after surgery through REDCap. A Quantitative Sensory Test (QST) was also performed by the patients to assess their sensory sensitivity and pain thresholds. Mechanical, pressure, and thermal scores were obtained with the use of von Frey hairs, a pressure Algometer, and a Thermode. The QST was administered on the patients' palm/ thenar eminence (distant non-surgical site), and on their lower back (surgical site). The QST results were compared to a previous study's median cohort data, to discern if the patients presented hyper- or hyposensitivity for that particular test. RESULTS: Due to the limitations of case studies, the results presented here should be considered strictly preliminary. Twin B experienced more significant pain during both the acute and chronic recovery phases after surgery, and showed lower sensitivities during most pre-op QST trials. Twin B also scored markedly higher on a number of sub-variables in the psychosocial surveys. A notable correlation was the parent protective measure, indicating that the mother may have been more protective of Twin B. CONCLUSIONS: What is unique to this study is that age, gender, Cobb angle, fusion length, and genetic disposition are all controlled for, allowing us to analyze the patients based on other risk factors. Twin B shows consistently higher pain scores while in the hospital as well as while recovering at home. The parent self-report measures support these findings, showing a slight bias in favor of Twin B in regards to protectiveness, which also coincides with large-scale studies. Although preliminary, it is important not to underestimate the role environmental and psychosocial factors play in post-surgical pain.

Magister Legum - LLM / The main objective of the study is to analyse the possibility of adopting the Twin Peaks model as a mechanism for ensuring protection to the consumers of financial services in Uganda. Uganda's financial sector has suffered impediments to growth and this can largely be attributed to the regulatory framework but also due to the absence in streamlined financial consumer protection. The Parliament of Uganda has failed to pass into law legislation required to protect consumers generally let alone financial consumers. The gaping hole created by lack of legislation puts consumers of financial services at risk of loss. This research paper shall give insight into the possibility of the financial sector adopting a new regulatory framework with inbuilt mechanisms for consumer protection. This research paper will also be a legal resource for literature pertaining to the correlation between a financial regulatory system and financial consumer protection.

This thesis concerns the construction of a detailed, compartmental population balance model for twin-screw granulation using the stochastic weighted particle method. A number of new particle mechanisms are introduced and existing mechanisms augmented including immersion nucleation, coagulation, breakage, consolidation, liquid penetration, primary particle layering and transport. The model’s predictive power is assessed over a range of liquid-solid mass feed ratios using existing experimental data and is demonstrated to qualitatively capture key experimental trends in the physical characteristic of the granular product. As part of the model development process, a number of numerical techniques for the stochastic weighed method are constructed in order to efficiently solve the population balance model. This includes a new stochastic implementation of the immersion nucleation mechanism and a variable weighted inception algorithm that dramatically reduces the number of computational particles (and hence computational power) required to solve the model. Optimum operating values for free numerical parameters and the general convergence properties of the complete simulation algorithm are investigated in depth. The model is further refined though the use of distinct primary particle and aggregate population balances, which are coupled to simulate the complete granular system. The nature of this coupling permits the inclusion of otherwise computational prohibitive mechanisms, such as primary particle layering, into the process description. A new methodology for assigning representative residence times to simulation compartments, based on screw geometry, is presented. This residence time methodology is used in conjunction with the coupled population balance framework to model twin-screw systems with a number of different screw configurations. The refined model is shown to capture key trends attributed to screw element geometry, in particular, the ability of kneading elements to distribute liquid across the granular mass.

abstract: This study examined whether social support available to parents moderated the heritability of parent-reported social approach at 12 months (N = 286 twin pairs, 52.00% female) and social competence at 30 months (N = 259 twin pairs, 53.30% female). Genetic and environmental covariance across age is also reported. Social support consistently moderated genetic influences on children’s social approach and competence, such that heritability was highest when parents reported low social support. Shared environment was not moderated by social support and explained continuity across age. Findings provide further evidence that genetic and environmental influences on development vary across context. When parents are supported, environmental influences on children’s social competence are larger, perhaps because support helps parents provide a broadly promotive environment. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2017

Abstract The sample consisted of 419 twins, born in 1965–1973, from Northern Finland who had been followed at ten-year intervals, at 2–10 years, 12–20 years and at 22–30 years of age. Data on psychosomatic symptoms, parent-twin and inter-twin relationships were elicited, and twins completed the Children's Depression Inventory modified for age. Middle adolescence appeared to be the most difficult phase of puberty for twins as far as depressive and psychosomatic/somatic symptoms were concerned. When different twin pairs were evaluated separately, the males of opposite-sex twin pairs seemed to be in the most favourable position, particularly in late adolescence, as they reported least depressive symptoms. Depressive and psychosomatic symptoms were evaluated in relation to parental preference among young adult twins. Parental preference was evaluated in two directions: which one of the parents was reported to feel as being closer to the twin – experienced parental preference evaluated by the twin, and which one of the parents the twin felt closer to – twin's own preference. Those males who were equally close to both parents (experienced parental preference) had least total depressiveness, while females in intermediate situation had the highest self-confidence and least anhedonia and nervousness. According to twins' own preference, twins who felt equally close to both parents had least total depressiveness and anhedonia. The intermediate position seems to be the best alternative, as these twins had the least symptoms. Psychosomatic and depressive symptoms were evaluated in relation to co-twin dependence in young adult twins. MZ twins, especially MZ females, reported most often co-twin dependence at all ages. There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms between dependent and independent twins. Twin's subjective experience about co-twin dependence appeared to be important for the twin's mental well-being, as dependence-independence imbalance within twin pair was associated with elevated levels of depressive symptom reporting, especially in twins who perceived themselves as dependent and the co-twin as independent. Dominance-submissiveness between co-twins and its relationship to mental health was assessed in young adulthood. Dominance-submissiveness in the twin relationships was assessed separately in three domains of life: physical and psychological dominance-submissiveness and the role of a spokesperson. Submissiveness in the psychological domain seemed to be associated with increased depressiveness, nervous complaints and psychosomatic symptoms in males of male-female twin pairs. Among females of same-sex twin pairs, submissiveness in the psychological domain was most clearly associated with depressive symptoms. We conclude that being submissive, especially in the psychological domain, to a female twin partner seems to be stressful, whereas it is easier, especially for females, to be submissive to a male twin partner. This was in contrast to co-twin dependency, which was experienced positively when occurring towards a twin sister.

This research aims to explain mechanisms of the new twin crisis, the influence of such a crisis on European integration, and identify indicators that can predict such a twin crisis. First, the old and the new twin crisis will be explained and the necessity of this research will be elaborated upon. Hereafter, the main mechanisms of the new twin crisis will be identified based on a literature review. From this literature review a set of indicators, accompanied by certain thresholds, will be created that can indicate that a twin crisis is about to happen. These indicators will be used to analyse data from 1970 until 2015 to asses whether this new twin crisis has occured in the past and what its political consequences were. The constructed mechanism to explain the new twin crisis and the list of indicators will be put to the test by conducting an indepth case study of Italy and its risk of encountering a new twin crisis. Based on the model that links the new twin crisis to political consequences, the case study attempts to link the new twin crisis to the European integration project. This research will lay the foundation for the creation of predictive models for the new twin crisis and provide insights in one of the main destabilisers for European integration. It therefore establishes a set-up and lay-out for future research in this specific field.

The medium format photographs created in conjunction with my senior thesis exhibit, Everyday Decay, use texture, line, intimate framing, warm color palettes, and layering to explore an aspect of the everyday landscape that we interact with often but generally ignore. The choice of medium and subject of decay creates a sense of the past, aided by the warm tones that imply affinity and nostalgia.

The subject of the diploma thesis is the study of moisture resistance of macrodefect-free (MDF) cements based on calcium-aluminate cement and polyvinylalcohol used as polymer. MDF cements are perspective materials providing unique properties relative to traditional cement pastes with great potential to incoming constructional utilization. But it is known that MDF cements exhibit sensitivity to water, with swelling and reduction of strength. Therefore the work is aimed in monitoring of an organic polymer effect on the moisture resistance of MDF materials and phase changes. Aluminate cement (SECAR 51) and polyvinylalcohol/acetate copolymer have been used for the MDF cement preparation. The moisture resistance of model MDF cement samples was investigated at two different curing conditions: in the moist atmosphere and immersed in water. The influence of composition and individual curing on the properties of model MDF cement samples was observed. The characterization of MDF samples was based especially on test of flexural strength, FT-IR, EDAX and optical microscopy analyses.

Digital Twin is a new technology that is taking over manufacturing and production processes while lowering their costs. This technology has proven to be a key enabler for efficient verification and validation processes, stressing out the importance of its own validation and accreditation phase. This study will emphasize the importance of validation and verification for these DTs, as well as Models and cyber-Physical Systems. Current V&V techniques will be listed and described in this paper, addressing what Model requirements are necessary to validate and translate them to DT.

<p>Human body models (HBMs) have been present in the automotive industry for simulating automotive related injury since the turn of the century and have in recent years found a place in assessment of soldier and sports related injury prediction and assessment. This issue is the lack of models that lie outside of the 50th percentile. By a simple application of physics, it is evident that acceleration or force will affect people of varying weights differently. To this end, having the ability to scale a 50th percentile HBM to targets for weight and stature would allow for better characterization on how an impact or acceleration event will affect people of differing size, especially when ~90% of males can fall outside the 50th percentile for weight and stature and HBMs models from vendors exist in only a few variations outside the 50th percentile [1]. Using Corvid Technologies’ 50th percentile model CAVEMAN (capable of being repositioned) as a base, scaled model from the 5th to 95th percentiles of stature and weight were generated based on ANSURII metrics, using a combination of 1D and 3D scaling transformations. These models met their stature and weight metrics when standing and weight metrics when positioned. </p> <p>After creation of a framework to scale the CAVEMAN HMB, creation of a digital twin to the HIRRT Lab helmet testing model commenced. With the HIRRT Lab’s history of experimental testing of football helmets, a natural turn of events was to bring helmet performance testing into the computational space. This digital twin was a natural evolution and addition to the HIRRT Lab’s helmet testing as it would enable manipulation of helmets that would be infeasible experimentally. After calibration of the barehead using experimental data, helmeted simulation began. Angle of impact, while it was found to effect peak translational acceleration, was found to profoundly effect peak rotational acceleration. With this in mind, various angles of impact were simulated to produce curves similar to experimental results. Helmeted simulations were qualitatively dissimilar to experimental data, prompting a modification of the padding material used by the models. Following various modifications of the padding material model, these inconsistencies between simulated helmets and experimentally tested helmets persisted. These inconsistencies highlight a need for better characterization of material, such as foam, and more thorough validation of simulated helmet models. The results of the helmeted simulations are difficult to quantify, as the evaluation criteria used for the BioCore model did not include rotational acceleration, indicating a need for further research and simulation is necessary. </p>