Census data indicates people with higher levels of education are leaving Appalachian Kentucky as they do in other rural areas. Aside from anecdotal information and primarily qualitative community studies, there is little quantitative evidence of the factors which may influence these migration decisions. State policies and regional efforts to increase educational attainment of people in the region have focused on producing more college degrees however may be contributing to the out-migration of those with higher levels of education. The study incorporates community level data with demographic, academic, and employment data from a cohort of 2005-06 college graduates from Appalachian Kentucky. The study includes an analysis of migration rates for a variety of different types of graduates and a set of three complimentary logistic regression models developed to understand the impact of individual demographic and academic factors, factors about the communities where these graduates came from, and the factors related to the communities where they went after completing their degrees and credentials to predict likelihood of migrating. This study builds upon previous efforts by providing extensive, externally validated data about a large population of individuals. It leverages sociological, demographic, and neoclassical microeconomic research methods and leverages data from Kentucky's statewide longitudinal data system to serve as an illustration for how these systems can be used for complex statistical analyses.

A plethora of interdisciplinary research has highlighted the increase of global mobility and diasporic communities. While talent emigration has shown to have a multiplicity of benefits, particularly as gaining diversified sets of skills is essential in the face of globalization. However, widely researched concepts such as the ‘brain drain’ have conveyed the dark side of talent emigration and the ramification of countries’ desiccation for scarce skills. With a history fraught with tensions and immense loss of talent, South Africa is a country in continuous transformation, but is on the cusp of another significant ‘brain drain’. Hence, this study aimed to explore the micro-diffusions and conditions in the South African context which proliferate the emigration of talented potential leaders. The research design was qualitative, with specific use of the actors approach as methodology to gain insight into perspectives of South Africans living, working and studying in Sweden. Twenty-one participants from five cities were involved in the focus group dialogues, namely; Gothenburg, Kalmar, Lund, Linköping and Stockholm. As a participant-observer, I too was involved in the sense-making of how talent delineated their identities and relation to South Africa. Certain aspects of the findings were expected regarding the conditions which serve as push factors for emigration, such as participants’ frustrations and despondency with increasing rates of crime, unemployment and corruption. However, the most accentuated and poignant micro-diffusion which perpetuates talent’s emigration derives from conflicts of identity and belongingness, deep-seated inherited guilt and helplessness. Whilst there is a desire to ameliorate the social ills which plague the country, there also seems to be a palpable need for escapism away from the persistent historical complexities of South Africa.

I analyze the causes of highly skilled emigration, otherwise known as Brain Drain, in the three countries of the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. These three upper-middle income countries have similarities in culture and level of economic development, which serve as the grounds for an effective comparison. I find that Chile has been especially successful in combatting Brain Drain while Argentina has been especially unsuccessful. Uruguay has been neither successful nor unsuccessful, but still faces a significant Brain Drain problem due to uncontrollable factors (for example, its small population). I recommend that the Argentine and Uruguayan governments broaden their current anti-Brain Drain policies, with the aims of (a) reducing the emigration rate of highly skilled workers, (b) promoting return migration among highly skilled workers in all sectors, and (c) maintaining connections with members of their respective diasporas. I find that the policies that directly address the issue of highly skilled migration are not necessarily the most effective. Thus, I emphasize potential policies to reduce Brain Drain that address economic issues that indirectly cause Brain Drain, in addition to addressing migration directly.

Thesis advisor: PhiliP G. Altbach / Today the diaspora option is seen as an important strategy for decreasing the adverse impacts of brain drain. Chinese academic diasporas have increasingly begun to create academic ties with China, yet few studies have examined Chinese academic diasporas' scholarly ties with China. The purpose of this research study is to explore why and how Chinese academic diasporas develop their academic ties with China. In this study, 20 Chinese overseas scholars in the northeastern United States were interviewed. Grounded theory was employed to analyze the interview data. A spectrum of issues and topics, in the narratives of academic ties of Chinese overseas students, emerged from this study. Generally, the interviewed scholars had established active academic ties with the Chinese academic community. These academic ties mainly transferred three types of knowledge: network-building knowledge, outcome-oriented knowledge, and context-oriented knowledge. The intensity of academic ties was found to highly associate with the types of knowledge that were transferred. Academic ties were categorized into three modes: radio mode, outsourcing mode, and constructional mode. While radio and outsourcing modes have a separate process of producing and transmitting knowledge, Chinese academic diasporas and their Chinese counterparts can equally collaborate to create new knowledge in a constructional mode. This study found that cultural identity and academic identity influenced the scholars' motivations for maintaining academic ties with China and shaped the intensity of their academic ties. Finally, this study suggests that Chinese academic diasporas play a crucial role in communicating western values and norms with the Chinese academia and society via their scholarly ties with China. Limitations of this study include small sample size and distribution. Recommendations for future study include increasing sample size, recruiting more female participants, examining scholars from non-research universities and from other regions of the United States, and investigating how social values impact academic ties. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Donald Cox / I investigate the effect of the medical brain drain on health in sub-Saharan Africa. Such information would be invaluable to policymakers; if doctors are likely to emigrate, there is little benefit in investing in their training. Previous work has mostly been limited to measuring correlations, which fail to illuminate causal pathways; countries with weakly structured healthcare systems may have both poor health and high physician emigration. I address the problem with an instrumental variable. For African countries with historic colonial ties to the United Kingdom or France, I used immigration policy changes in these European nations to instrument for the medical brain drain. Higher rates of medical brain drain cause decreased physician density, decreased rates of measles immunizations among children, and increased rates of HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, I conclude that targeting physician emigration would help improve health in the region. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics.

The pre-hospital industry is faced with many challenges, one of which is the skills shortage of advanced life support paramedics in the country. The industry has naturally dictated competition both nationally and internationally for the recruitment of these advanced life support paramedics. Staff turnover has increased as a result of this issue which also has financial implications on the individual business of constant recruitment and turnover. The purpose of this study is to investigate problems that currently exist in the industry with regards to the advanced life support paramedic employment which will provide valuable information on retention strategies and reduce staff turnover.

Approximately 1500 km (43%) of the strategic Scottish trunk road network drainage asset takes the form of Highway Filter Drains (HFDs). However, despite their popularity, they are prone to clogging, therefore they have an estimated operational life-cycle of ten-years. This research was undertaken to investigate the complex inter-relationship between catchment characteristics, road dynamics and the physical characteristics of the road to establish the key factors that govern the generation and spatial variability of Road-Deposited-Sediment (RDS). The aim being to establish the impact RDS Particle Size Distribution (PSD) has on clogging and the operational life-cycle of HFDs. The research adopted an integrated approach, incorporating: (i) a Field Study to investigate RDS PSD grading envelopes across the Scottish trunk road network, (ii) a HFD Field Survey (HFD-FS) to investigate the current condition of HFDs across a range of catchments, (iii) a HFD Field Study to establish whether, or not, graded stone PSD envelopes comply with specification requirements when first placed in the trench, (iv) 3 HFD Field Studies to assess the level of risk of system failure through evaluating the causes and quantifying the individual, cumulative and influencing factors which contribute to the evolution of clogging in HFDs, and (v) a Field Study utilising Ground Penetrating Radar data to explore why stratified (clogged) layers evolve within some HFDs. Based on the results of this research, design and maintenance procedures were then identified to improve the performance of HFDs. Results established that Scottish trunk roads operate under variable catchment characteristics and road dynamics, with the condition and specification of the road surface, volume of traffic, road geometry, number of running lanes and adjacent land use governing the generation and spatial variability of RDS. Five of the nine trunk road RDS PSD profiles shared a peak particle diameter of 425 μm, two had a peak of 600 μm, one had a peak of 1180 μm and one resulted in a peak of 2120 μm. Particles >1000 μm were mostly mineral or asphalt and it was shown that there is a direct link between the factors that govern the generation and spatial variability of RDS and those that govern the evolution of clogging and actual operational life-cycle of HFDs. The HFD-FS revealed that 69% were assigned Filter Drain Condition Index ratings of 3 or below, which identifies these as having exceeded the ten-year estimated operational life-cycle. 94% of those deemed to have reached the end of their operational life-cycle were over-the-edge (OTE) HFDs, which supports the assertion that pre-treatment would increase their operational life-cycle. Results also established that introducing a kerb-line and gully-pots or grass-strip between the road and the HFD significantly reduced the indices of particle size composition d50 and d90 and percentage of RDS retained at depths spanning 0 - 400 mm, compared to OTE HFDs with comparable catchment characteristics and road dynamics. Based on these results, the operational life-cycle of HFDs with a kerb-line and gully-pots and OTE HFDs with a grass-strip can be expected to exceed twenty-years, if catchment characteristics and road dynamics are representative of those in this study. This research also identified that compacting Type B graded stone with ‘heavy vibrating machinery’ during construction could potentially contribute to clogging. It was also established that HFD harrowing may exacerbate clogging because the process of disintegrating the cake-layer mobilises an otherwise rigid and compacted RDS mass and this is more likely to penetrate deeper into the HFD and inundate the HFD during a storm event. These findings indicate that current HFD construction and maintenance practice could have a detrimental impact on the effective operational life-cycle of HFDs. Overall, this research study has demonstrated that there are considerable uncertainties related to PSD grading envelopes and percentage of RDS migrating from roads to HFDs. It is clear therefore that one of the most notable findings of this research is that given the scale of strategic trunk road networks, assuming a single HFD operational life-cycle profile, for a trunk road or trunk road network, is highly unlikely to be representative of a HFD at the local level. It follows then that the widely accepted estimated ten-year operational life-cycle for HFDs, does not reflect the actual operational life-cycle of HFDs.

Utah State University Division of Environmental Engineering student, under the direction of Ms. Judith L. Sims, has investigated the fate of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in conventional and engineered on-site wastewater drain fields. The presence of PPCPs in the environment, especially in aquatic environments, has raised awareness to the effects of PPCPs on aquatic life and the fate of these PPCPs, and has caused regulators to become more involved in setting requirements for the removal of PPCPs from wastewater. This research investigated the fate of caffeine, acetaminophen, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, progesterone, and fluoxetine in laboratory scaled columns that simulate conventional pipe and gravel on-site wastewater drain fields as well as engineered columns similar to the pipe and gravel simulated columns, but with the addition of media below the gravel layer to enhance PPCP removal via sorption and biodegradation. Results from the month long experiment showed that sulfamethoxazole removal in the columns representing conventional systems peaked at 74%. The other PPCPs were non-detectable. Sulfamethoxazole removal increased to 81% in columns engineered with a layer of sphagnum peat moss beneath the gravel layer and below the method detection limit (5.5 ng/mL) in columns engineered with a layer of charred straw beneath the gravel layer. No other PPCPs analyzed from the engineered columns were detected. Batch experiments indicated that sorption is the main mechanism for PPCP removal with the exception of progesterone, where biodegradation is a major mechanism.

This study evaluated the impacts of shallow and deep open drains on groundwater levels and drain performance under varying climate scenarios and irrigation application rates. The MIKE SHE model used for this study is an advanced and fully spatially distributed hydrological model. Three drain depths, climates and irrigation application rates were considered. The drains depths included 0, 1 and 2 m deep drains. The annual rainfall and meteorological data were collected from study area from 1976 to 2004 and analysed to identify the typical wet, average and dry years within the record. Similarly three irrigation application rates included 0, 10 and 16 ML/ha-annum. All together twenty seven scenarios (3 drains depths, 3 climates and 3 irrigation application rates) were simulated. The observed soil physical and hydrological data were used to calibrate and validate the model. Mean square error (R[superscript]2) of the simulated and observed water table data varied from 0.7 to 0.87. Once validated the MIKE SHE model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of 1 and 2 metre deep drains. The simulated water table depth, unsaturated zone deficit, exchange between unsaturated and saturated zones, drain outflow and overland flow were used to analyse their performance. The modeling results showed that the waterlogging was extensive and prolonged during winter months under the no drainage and no irrigation scenario. In the wet climate scenario, the duration of water logging was longer than in the average climate scenario during the winter months. In the dry climate scenario no waterlogging occurred during the high rainfall period. The water table reached soil surface during the winter season in the case of wet and average climate. For the dry climate, the water table was about 0.9 metres below soil surface during winter. / One and 2 metre deep drains lowered the water table up to 0.9 and 1.8 metres in winter for the wet climate when there was no irrigation application. One metre deep drains proved effective in controlling water table during wet and average climate without application of irrigation water. One metre deep drains were more effective in controlling waterlogging a in wet, average and dry years when the irrigation application rate was 10 ML/ha-annum. With 16 ML/ha-annum irrigation application, 1 metre deep drains did not perform as efficiently as 2 metre deep drains in controlling the water table and waterlogging. In the dry climate scenario, without irrigation application, 1 metre deep drains were not required as there was not enough flux from rainfall and irrigation to raise the water table and create waterlogging risks. Two metre deep drains lowered the water table to greater depths in the wet, average and dry climate scenarios respectively when no irrigation was applied. They managed water table better in wet and average climate with 10 and 16 ML/ha-annum irrigation application rate. Again in the dry climate, without irrigation application 2 metre deep drains were not required as there was a minimal risk of waterlogging. The recharge to the groundwater table in the no drainage case was far greater than for the 1 and 2 metre deep drainage scenarios. The recharge was higher in case of 1 metre deep drains than 2 metre deep drains in wet and average climate during winter season. / There was no recharge to ground water with 1 and 2 metre deep drains under the dry climate scenarios and summer season without irrigation application as there was not enough water to move from the ground surface to the unsaturated and saturated zones. When 10 ML/ha-annum irrigation rate was applied during wet, average and dry climate respectively, 1 metre deep drains proved enough drainage to manage the recharge into the groundwater table with a dry climate. For the wet and average climate scenarios, given a 10 ML/ha-annum irrigation application rate, 2 metre deep drains managed recharge better than 1 metre deep drains. Two metres deep drains with a 10 ML/ha-annum irrigation application rate led to excessive drainage of water from the saturated zone in the dry climate scenario. Two metres deep drains managed recharge better with a 16 ML/ha-annum irrigation application rate in the wet and average climate scenarios than the 1 metre deep drains. Two metres deep drains again led to excessive drainage of water from the saturated zone in dry climate. In brief, 1 metre deep drains performed efficiently in the wet and average climate scenarios with and without a 10 ML/ha-annum irrigation application rate. One metre deep drains are not required for the dry climate scenario. Two metre deep drains performed efficiently in the wet and average climate scenarios with 16 ML/ha-annum irrigation application rate. Two metre deep drains are not required for the dry climate scenario.

Les fréquences de fonctionnement élevées des puces semi-conductrices génèrent des flux de chaleurs importants qu'il est nécessaire d'évacuer pour éviter la destruction de la puce. Un module standard dans le domaine de l'électronique de puissance est composé d'une puce en silicium, d'un isolant électrique (substrat) et d'un dissipateur thermique (drain) permettant l'évacuation de la chaleur. Cette chaleur induit des contraintes thermomécaniques dues à la dilatation différentielle des matériaux.Deux concepts nouveaux proposés permettent de palier ces problèmes et d'augmenter la fiabilité générale des systèmes électroniques. Le premier est la conception et l'élaboration d'un drain composite à propriétés thermiques adaptatives (coefficient de dilatation thermique et conductivité thermique). Dans le deuxième, une nouvelle méthode d'assemblage est présentée. Elle permet, au moyen d'un film métallique Sn ou Au, de créer des composés intermétalliques stables dans le temps.