Master of Science / Department of Statistics / Christopher I. Vahl / Chemicals and drugs applied to animals used in meat production often have the potential to cause adverse effects on human consumers. To ensure safety, a withdrawal period, i.e. the minimum time allowed between application of the drug and entry of the animal into the food supply, must be determined for each drug used on food-producing animals. The withdrawal period is based on an upper tolerance limit at a given time point. It is not uncommon that the concentration of the drug in some tissue samples to be measured at a level below the limit of quantitation (LOQ). Because the measurement of the tissue concentration cannot be confidently determined with enough precision, these types of observations are often treated as if they were left censored where the censoring value is equal to the limit of quantitation. Several methods are commonly used in practice to deal with this situation. The simplest methods are either to exclude observations below the limit of quantitation or to replace those values with zero, LOQ or ½ LOQ. Previous studies have shown that these methods result in biased in estimation of the population mean and population variance. Alternatively, one could incorporate censoring into the likelihood and compute the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for the population mean and variance assuming a normal or lognormal distribution. These estimates are also biased but it has been shown that they are asymptotically unbiased. However, it is not clear yet how these various methods affect estimation of the upper tolerance limit, especially when the sample size is small, e.g. less than 35. In this report, we will examine the effects of substituting the LOQ or ½ LOQ for censored values as well as using the MLEs of the mean and variance in the construction of an upper tolerance limit for a normal population through simulation. Additionally, we propose a modified substitution method where observations below the LOQ are replaced by functions of the order statistics of non-censored observations under an assumption of symmetry. Its performance relative to the above methods will also be evaluated in the simulation study. In the end, the results from this study will be applied to an environmental study.

Earlier researchers have produced conceptual models of Mississippi River delta plain development which divide the deltaic plain into upper and lower reaches. The upper deltaic plain has been described as an area composed mainly of lacustrine, lacustrine delta, backswamp, and crevasse channels, with minimal distributary development. The lower deltaic plain is characterized by numerous distributaries forming distributary systems and lobes. Detailed geomorphic mapping and chronologic reconstruction within the Atchafalaya Backwater Area of the upper deltaic plain of the Mississippi River has led to the recognition of a complex network of distributary development related to three distinct distributary systems that formed in the upper deltaic plain over the past 2500 years. These systems do not fit previous models of upper deltaic plain development. The East Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee blocked Atchafalaya River water and sediment from entering the study area and burying these older distributary systems, preserving their surface expression and allowing their identification. Results show that distributary systems can be a major contributor to upper deltaic plain development and that these systems are not always related to the lower delta plain delta switching process. A stable Mississippi River position and a favorable gradient in the study area over the past 4,000 years appear to be responsible for the geomorphic development of the study area.

This essay argued the importance of literary theory in the classroom. As a teacher, it is possible to achieve the empathetic goals of the English curriculum and Judith A. Langer’s ambition of literate thinking by using poetry and literary theory in school. The essay demonstrated this with a Lacanian reading of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poems “To a Skylark” and “Ode to the West Wind.” The analysis focused on readable and unreadable aspects of the poems. The readable aspects centred on the role of the Imaginary in “To a Skylark” and the representation of the fragmented body in “Ode to the West Wind.” Furthermore, the unreadable elements of the poetry demonstrated the discrepancy between the performative and declarative dimensions and the role of the pathetic fallacy in the signifying chain. Finally, this essay argued that, although all aspects of psychoanalytic literary theory should not be used in the classroom, elements of Lacanian thought can be used to combat the prevalence of individualism in Swedish upper secondary schools.

This study has sought to investigate the expressions of content and purpose of the swedish upper secondary school based on three distinct categories. These being Qualification, Socialisation and Subjectification. The questions asked are What expressions do these three categories take as well as What consequences do these expressions have for civics teachers? Critical discourse analysis was leveraged to study the curriculum of 2011 and commentary thereof, as well as the syllabi for the Civics subject and the relevant commentary material thereof. The results show that a great deal of the studied material centers around qualification as an aspect, although the other two are still very much present. In addition to this the presentation of students as individuals in the larger society, as part of these expressions belonging to the categories, overall took on a particularly passive tone, where students were urged to be flexible and adaptable to outside influences rather than become sources of influence themselves. These findings resulted in several questions being raised to civics teachers about how to approach teaching their subject in regards to these particular trends, if they ought to encourage students to the passive mentality, for example.

MSc (Occupational Therapy), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Ergonomic interventions, addressing work and lifestyle factors, seem more effective in reducing computer related upper limb repetitive strain injury (RSI).This study considered the efficacy of such a programme on the resolution of RSI symptoms. A cross sectional survey, of 325 computer workers in a medical aid company call centres, in Gauteng, South Africa was used to establish a point prevalence of 30.23% for RSI symptoms, which correlates with those found elsewhere. An occupational therapy ergonomic intervention was then designed and piloted for efficacy. A randomised control trial conducted on 37 participants with RSI used the programme and computer generated “Break Software”. The six week intervention included the assessment of: three physical outcome measures and lifestyle factors for, the experimental and control groups. Results indicated positive effects on pain, grip strength, and lifestyle factors including feelings of inefficiency, pressure at the end of the day, depression and work capacity, but little extrapolation of ergonomic knowledge to the workplace.

This essay examines the 1962 filmization of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird through gender theory to identify its representation of gender, underlying gendered norms and how power is exercised through gender. The analysis concludes that the film’s portrayal of men and women follow a pattern of traditional gendered roles and norms in terms of their respective gender roles, accepted behavior, dress-code and men’s overarching influence in society in accordance with the film’s time and setting. Although the film’s main characters question and oppose certain gendered roles and norms, its problems are left unsolved and not reflected upon towards the end of the film. The film can be used in the Swedish EFL-classroom to identify and analyze gendered norms which can then act as the starting point of a discussion on how it stands in contrasts to the gendered norms and roles of modern-day United States and Sweden.

Thesis advisor: John E. Ebel / Thesis advisor: John C. Hepburn / Using the seismic refraction technique with a least squares inversion methodology, arrival time data from 1985 to the present are analyzed to delineate, with improved spatial resolution, the upper mantle P-velocity structure throughout northeastern North America (NENA). A total of one hundred and sixty-eight earthquakes are analyzed utilizing over one hundred seismic stations throughout NENA. Seismic data analyzed between 200 - 400 km, 400 - 600 km, and 600+ km throughout NENA are used to study the increase in velocity with depth in the upper mantle. A jackknife analysis was carried out to put constraints on the uncertainties of the velocity measurements. The P-wave velocity of the upper mantle through the New England Appalachians is found to be uniformly 7.94 - 8.07 km/s at depths down to 75 km. Upper mantle Pn velocities throughout the southeastern Grenville Province show velocities ranging from 8.15 km/s to 8.54 km/s as epicentral distances increase. Uncertainties of P velocities range from 0.01- 0.12 km/s. Based on laboratory measurements of simulated upper mantle conditions and the orogenic history of the Grenville Province and northern Appalachians, upper mantle mineral compositions of eclogite (Grenville Province) and pyroxenite (northern Appalachians) are proposed to be the factor controlling seismic velocity variation in the upper mantle. Variations in upper mantle temperatures between the Grenville Province and northern Appalachians are ruled out as affecting the difference in upper mantle velocities between southeastern Canada and New England. / Thesis (MS) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Geology and Geophysics.

How do upper secondary schools work with image to compete online? Through meso-discourse analysis we have analyzed the descriptions of 147 schools offering university preparatory programs in Stockholm County, at one of the larger online information portals for upper secondary education (gymnasium.se). Such information portals have lately seen a tremendous growth in traffic, yet received scant scholarly attention. Our findings suggest that schools work with image mainly by drawing from four distinct image archetypes, which we have metaphorized as The Springboard, The Democratic World Citizen, The Nanny, and The Pedagogical Peacekeeper. These images were tweaked and combined in various ways by schools to project an image to their desired student audience. We also found that different school types used the archetype images with slight variation. Further implications, such as the performative aspect of image work and possible future research on competition in upper secondary education, are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to examine how social science teachers regard the Swedish school's democracy assignments and opinions that conflict with those described in the school’s value system. The study aims to examine how teachers in social science view the school's democracy assignments and value system, how permissive social science teachers are during student discussions, and how social science teachers relate to pupils with xenophobic views. To achieve this goal, five semi-structured interviews have been conducted in which the respondents share their experiences of pupils who express xenophobic views and how they have chosen to act in these situations. The results shows that social science teachers believe that the democratic assignment in itself is clear. A problem with the democratic assignment however is that the value system needs to be interpreted, which brings a risk that different teachers choose to interpret the assignment in different ways. Furthermore, the results show that the respondents of the study have a varied experience of students who in some way expressed xenophobia. The respondents' actions in these situations can be linked to a number of the working methods or perspectives presented in the study's theory section. The conclusions that can be drawn from this study are thus that the respondents' experiences, actions and perceptions of the researched issues vary, yet all emphasize the importance of the social science topic in order to reinforce the future generations to become responsible and democratic citizens.

Le sud-est français est un espace particulier pour le Paléolithique supérieur récent : il forme l’interface entre les domaines nord-occidental d’une part et méditerranéen et oriental d’autre part, entre la séquence Solutréen-Ba¬degoulien-Magdalénien-Azilien et l’Épigravettien.Alors que cette région forme encore un angle mort de la Pré¬histoire pour cette période, cette thèse s’intéresse aux industries lithiques épigravettiennes de l’arc liguro-provençal dans une perspective techno-économique qui permet un réexamen en profondeur de l’évolution des traditions techniques entre la fin du Gravettien (circa 23 000 cal. BCE) et le début du premier Mésolithique (circa 9 500 cal. BCE). Deux grands axes structurent ce travail : (1) La question chronologique. Il s’agit de réintégrer les industries étudiées dans un modèle chronocul¬turel en cours de redéfinition. Pour ce faire, l’étude des séries et l’obtention de dates par radiocarbone sont discutées avec une synthèse des connaissances concernant l’Épigravettien.(2) Les systèmes de mobilité et les stratégies d’approvisionnement. Le contexte régional est particulière¬ment favorable pour des raisons intrinsèques (domaine géologique compartimenté et espace géogra¬phique contraint) et extrinsèques (recherches effectuées depuis les années 1980 autour des ressources siliceuses régionales). Les résultats obtenus dans une perspective techno-économique sont mobilisés pour appréhender la structuration des territoires et son évolution dans le temps.Partie prenante d’une dynamique de renouvellement des connaissances sur l’Épigravettien dans sa globalité, cette thèse propose, en conclusion, un état des comparaisons possibles avec la séquence occidentale. / Southeastern France is a particular area as regards the late upper Palaeolithic as it lies between the northwestern prehistoric domain on one side, and the Mediterranean and eastern one on the other side; between the Solutrean-Badegoulian-Magdalenian-Azilian sequence and the Epigravettian one. This PhD work focuses on the techno-economic study of lithic industries originating from the Liguro-Provencal corridor, an area weakly-known for its upper Paleolithic industries. The aim is to re-assess in detail the evolution of technical traditions from the end of the Gravettian (circa 23 000 cal. BCE) to the beginning of the Mesolithic (circa 9 500 cal. BCE).This work addresses two primary objectives : (1) The Chronological framework. The industries studied are replaced in a newly defined chronocultural model. To do so, the results of the techno-economic studies and radiocarbon dates are combined and discussed in parallel with a synthesis of existing knowledge concerning the Epigravettian.(2) Mobility patterns and raw material provisioning strategies. The regional background is a particu¬larly favorable research context due to intrinsic factors (a compartmentalized geological domain and a constraining geographical area) and extrinsic ones (intensive research conducted since the 1980’s on lithic raw material availabilities). The results obtained are then mobilized to infer on ter¬ritorial organization and its evolution through time.