Glass is a common form of trace evidence found at many scenes of crimes in the form of small fragments. These glass fragments can transfer to surrounding objects and/or persons and may provide forensic investigators valuable information to link a suspect to the scene of a crime. Since the elemental composition of different glass sources can be very similar, a highly discriminating technique is required to distinguish between fragments that have originated from different sources. The research presented here demonstrates that Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a viable analytical technique for the association and discrimination of glass fragments. The first part of this research describes the optimization of the LIBS experiments including the use of different laser wavelengths to investigate laser-material interaction. The use of a 266 nm excitation laser provided the best analytical figures of merit with minimal damage to the sample. The resulting analytical figures of merit are presented. The second part of this research evaluated the sensitivity of LIBS to associate or discriminate float glass samples originating from the same manufacturing plants and produced at approximately the same time period. Two different sample sets were analyzed ranging in manufacturing dates from days to years apart. Eighteen (18) atomic emission lines corresponding to the elements Sr, K, Fe, Ca, Al, Ba, Na, Mg and Ti, were chosen because of their detection above the method detection limits and for presenting differences between the samples. Ten elemental ratios producing the most discrimination were selected for each set. When all the ratios are combined in a comparison, 99% of the possible pairs were discriminated using the optimized LIBS method generating typical analytical precisions of ~5% RSD. The final study consisted of the development of a new approach for the use of LIBS as a quantitative analysis of ultra-low volume solution analysis using aerosols and microdrops. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy demonstrated to be an effective technique for the analysis of as low as 90 pL for microdrop LIBS with 1 pg absolute LOD and 20 µL for aerosol LIBS with an absolute LOD of ~100 fg.

Floating describes the act of staff moving from one unit to another based on the needs of the patients in a hospital. Many staff who float to different units express negative feelings, including anxiety and lack in self-efficacy. However, floating is both an economical and efficient method to use staff across the hospital, especially with current staffing shortages in the United States. This study investigated how the use of mobile performance support devices may help reduce anxiety and increase self-efficacy for those staff who float to different units. with access to multiple resources available on the mobile device, Bandura's social learning theory and self-efficacy concept set the framework through modeling, observing, and imitating others in order to reproduce certain behaviors and tasks and believe in one's capability to perform. a quantitative study incorporating the retrospective pretest-posttest design was conducted using the population of float staff, including both nurses and respiratory therapists, from Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Both the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and General Self-Efficacy Scale, along with a basic demographic tool, were used to explore anxiety and self-efficacy in relation to the usage of mobile performance support devices. Findings can be used to impact the negative feelings of staff towards the idea of floating.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka om det finns en effekt av free float på avvikelseavkastning vid publicering av kvartalsrapporter på den svenska aktiemarknaden. Urvalet består av A- och B-aktier noterade på Nasdaq Stockholm som studeras under Q2, Q3och Q4 år 2020. Det hypotiseras att det uppstår avvikelseavkastning vid publicering avkvartalsrapporter, samt att det föreligger en negativ relation mellan andelar free float ochkumulativ avvikelseavkastning. En eventstudie utförs för att studera avvikelseavkastning för10 dagar runt publiceringsdatumet för kvartalsrapporten. Resultatet visar på attavvikelseavkastning uppstår. Tre regressionsanalyser genomförs för att undersöka denhypotiserade relationen mellan free float och kumulativ avvikelseavkastning. Någon sådanrelation påvisas inte av resultatet. En möjlig förklaring till det kan vara att regleringen på densvenska aktiemarknaden är stark och att free float därför inte påverkar avvikelseavkastning.Det föreslås vidare att framtida forskning bör undersöka relationen i lägre andelar av freefloat.

No description available.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is an economically important pathogen that has been studied for over one hundred years. Seedlings, seed coats, and nutrient solution were assayed for the presence of the virus and seed treatments were tested on seeds. Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS ELISA) and biological local lesion assay data were collected. Seed coats from seed collected from TMV infected plants were always positive for TMV regardless of chemical treatment. Seed from infected source plants have lower germination than seed from healthy plants. Trisodium phosphate and hydrochloric acid treatments reduced virus infection of seedlings when grown under controlled conditions. Virus particles were serologically and biologically detected in both the leaves and roots of seedlings mechanically inoculated with TMV. Nutrient solution collected from 28 day old seedlings, 12 days post inoculation, tested positive for biologically active TMV by ELISA and infectivity assay. Infected water in float bed production could facilitate viral movement to all seedlings sharing nutrient solution. Seed transmission of TMV was shown to occur at a rate of 0.2%. This is in contrast to other research attempting to demonstrate seed transmission where visual symptoms on seedlings have been used to assess seed transmission. / Master of Science

Ex-dag är benämningen på dagen när en aktie inte längre handlas med rätt till utdelning. Följaktligen justeras aktiepriset nedåt som en konsekvens av att rätten till utdelning försvinner. Enligt den effektiva marknadshypotesen (Fama, 1970) borde storleken på prisjusteringen och utdelningen återspegla varandra. När aktiepriset sjunker mindre än storleken på utdelningen uppstår en möjlighet till överavkastning, detta fenomen kallas för ex-dagseffekten. I litteraturen råder konsensus om att ex-dagseffekten är förekommande både i Sverige såväl som internationellt, däremot ges olika svar på vad som bäst förklarar orsakerna bakom fenomenet. I denna studie undersöks förekomsten av ex-dagseffekten mellan 2018–2022 genom att implementera och bygga vidare på Elton och Grubers (1970) metodologi. Vidare utvecklas redan existerande förklaringsmodeller genom att beakta free float som en potentiellt signifikant variabel. Vi resonerar att andelen fritt omsättningsbara aktier, free float, bär relevans i ett ex-dagssammanhang eftersom måttet påverkar bland annat likviditet och handelsaktivitet samt ger en indikation om ägarstrukturen. För att studera sambandet mellan free float och ex-dagseffekten genomförs en regressionsanalys med kontrollvariabler. Studiens resultat visar att det förekommer en signifikant ex-dagseffekt under mätperioden, i genomsnitt justeras aktiepriserna motsvarande 77,3% av utdelningen. Däremot ges inget signifikant stöd för det hypotiserade sambandet mellan ex-dagseffekt och free float, datan från regressionen visar att endast en liten del av variationen i ex-dagseffekt kan förklaras utifrån andel free float.

No description available.

No description available.

Microsieves are permeable membranes with excellent properties for filtration applications. In this thesis the inkjet-technology is applied (1) to manufacture micro-porous microsieves, and (2) to reinforce the mechanical stability of float-cast, nano-porous microsieves: (1) The current process for inkjet-printed microsieves includes a manual step which is substituted by inkjet printing in order to increase the level of automation. The obtained microsieves are characterized regarding the pore size distribution. Effects which occur during the manufacture and broaden the pore size distribution are identified. Based on the results, the process is improved to obtain fully inkjet-printed microsieves with a narrowed pore size distribution. (2) The mechanical stability of fragile, float-cast microsieves is improved by the application of inkjet-printed reinforcement patterns on top of the microsieves. A machine is built to combine both technologies of float-casting and inkjet printing. The printing process is improved to manufacture reinforcement patterns of well-defined geometry. / Mikrosiebe sind permeable Membranen mit herausragenden Eigenschaften für die Anwendung in der Filtration. In der vorliegenden Dissertation wird die Inkjet-Drucktechnologie angewandt, um (1) mikroporöse Mikrosiebe herzustellen und (2) nanoporöse Mikrosiebe mechanisch zu stabilisieren: (1) Die Herstellung von Mikrosieben mittels Inkjet-Druck beinhaltet momentan einen manuellen Schritt, der durch einen Inkjet-Druckschritt ersetzt wird, um den Automatisierungsgrad des Verfahrens zu erhöhen. Die Mikrosiebe werden bezüglich der Porengrößenverteilung untersucht. Auftretende Effekte, die die Porengrößenverteilung verbreitern, werden identifiziert. Aus den Resultaten dieser Analyse wird der Prozess optimiert, um Mikrosiebe mit einer engen Porengrößenverteilung herzustellen. (2) Die mechanische Stabilität von fragilen Mikrosieben, die mittels Float-Casting hergestellt werden, wird durch das Aufbringen einer Stützstruktur mittels Inkjet-Druck verstärkt. Ein Maschinensetup wird aufgebaut um beide Technologien des Float-Castings und des Inkjet-Drucks zu kombinieren. Weiterhin wird der Prozess dahingehend optimiert, Stützstrukturen mit wohl-definierten Parametern zu erzielen.

Microsieves are permeable membranes with excellent properties for filtration applications. In this thesis the inkjet-technology is applied (1) to manufacture micro-porous microsieves, and (2) to reinforce the mechanical stability of float-cast, nano-porous microsieves: (1) The current process for inkjet-printed microsieves includes a manual step which is substituted by inkjet printing in order to increase the level of automation. The obtained microsieves are characterized regarding the pore size distribution. Effects which occur during the manufacture and broaden the pore size distribution are identified. Based on the results, the process is improved to obtain fully inkjet-printed microsieves with a narrowed pore size distribution. (2) The mechanical stability of fragile, float-cast microsieves is improved by the application of inkjet-printed reinforcement patterns on top of the microsieves. A machine is built to combine both technologies of float-casting and inkjet printing. The printing process is improved to manufacture reinforcement patterns of well-defined geometry. / Mikrosiebe sind permeable Membranen mit herausragenden Eigenschaften für die Anwendung in der Filtration. In der vorliegenden Dissertation wird die Inkjet-Drucktechnologie angewandt, um (1) mikroporöse Mikrosiebe herzustellen und (2) nanoporöse Mikrosiebe mechanisch zu stabilisieren: (1) Die Herstellung von Mikrosieben mittels Inkjet-Druck beinhaltet momentan einen manuellen Schritt, der durch einen Inkjet-Druckschritt ersetzt wird, um den Automatisierungsgrad des Verfahrens zu erhöhen. Die Mikrosiebe werden bezüglich der Porengrößenverteilung untersucht. Auftretende Effekte, die die Porengrößenverteilung verbreitern, werden identifiziert. Aus den Resultaten dieser Analyse wird der Prozess optimiert, um Mikrosiebe mit einer engen Porengrößenverteilung herzustellen. (2) Die mechanische Stabilität von fragilen Mikrosieben, die mittels Float-Casting hergestellt werden, wird durch das Aufbringen einer Stützstruktur mittels Inkjet-Druck verstärkt. Ein Maschinensetup wird aufgebaut um beide Technologien des Float-Castings und des Inkjet-Drucks zu kombinieren. Weiterhin wird der Prozess dahingehend optimiert, Stützstrukturen mit wohl-definierten Parametern zu erzielen.