Photo-polymerized cross-linked polyacrylamide gels are becoming increasingly important for use in micro-fabricated DNA electrophoresis systems because they allow a concentrated sieving matrix to be precisely positioned at any location within a complex micro-channel network. The rate of photo-initiation in the free radical gel polymerization reaction, however, can exert a strong influence on the resulting gel structure. Experimental data on separation resolution of single stranded DNA (ssDNA) in photoinitiated polyacrylamide gels is very sparse. In this study, we investigate the performance of ssDNA electrophoresis in an ALF Express automated DNA sequencer using various photo-initiation chemistries. Cross-linked polyacrylamide gels with concentrations ranging from 6 to 12 %T were prepared using riboflavin, methylene blue, irgacure 651 and ReproGel (AP Biotech) photo-initiators. Separation resolution is compared with that attained in cross-linked polyacrylamide gels prepared using conventional chemical initiators (e.g. ammonium persulfate/ Tetramethylethylenediamine) in order to determine the polymerization conditions necessary for optimum performance.

Prior studies have documented the expanded role of 311 non-emergency systems in public participation, public management and performance management in local governments. Three-one-one began as a simple telephone-based system for requesting non-emergency services and now plays an important role in local governments. Yet, there are very few insights into the impact of 311 systems on their public users, even as local governments increasingly turn to 311 as a public engagement tool, using it to facilitate citizen-initiated contacts. This dissertation explores two research questions. First, how has 311 technology affected citizen behavior? Second, has the introduction of a 311 system produced a more equitable pattern of participation in the administrative process by changing the profile of citizens who contact local government? This dissertation finds that the three cities in the case studies (Denver, Minneapolis and Kansas City) faced several challenges during implementation, including managing the internal culture change associated with introducing 311 into local government. It also finds some evidence of higher contacting rates and increased equity associated with 311 use. These findings have two main policy implications. First, they highlight the importance of designing a variety of participation options to ensure that participation is open to various cross-sections of the population and to equalize access to government across venues. Second, more consideration needs to be given to the design features of an implementation plan for an innovation such as 311, ensuring a clear link between the features and specific desired outcomes, given the unique conditions of the implementation context.

Spider-silk is known as one of the stronger natural materials, unfortunately it is impossible to farm spiders due to their territorial and cannibalistic nature. To address this issue, researchers have studied spider-silk to discover how it is produced in nature. From their results, spider-silk is composed of large sized proteins produced in two different cell types. Using this knowledge, researchers created transgenic organisms capable of producing spider-silk proteins in large quantities. Using these proteins, several groups have created fibers, films, hydrogels, and adhesives with robust and versatile properties. Wet-spinning is a technique commonly used to create fibers from spider-silk proteins. These fibers unfortunately do not compare to the mechanical properties of natural silk. To address this researchers have used a method known as electrospinning to create spider-silk fibers with substantially smaller diameters. In doing so, these electrospun fibers have increased surface area and enhanced mechanical properties. Using this method, our group has modified the electrospinner to be able to produce continuous fine diameter yarns composed of hundreds of nanofibers with mechanical properties surpassing that of natural silk. Fibers aside, spider-silk proteins can be used to create a variety of different biocompatible materials. To further enhance these materials, our group has utilized a technique traditionally used for observation. This technique employs a high intensity light source to initiate cross-links within the proteins. With this method, our spider-silk protein materials have increased their mechanical properties by a factor of seven. These materials can further be modified through post-treatments, resulting in tunable materials with diverse and robust mechanical properties.

The major purposes of this study are twofold. The first purpose is to describe the setting and the context for the program and the methods by which a Government initiated change, a Participation and Equity Program,was introduced into a particular school. The second purpose is to consider the change process which occurred and to analyse the factors involved in the change and the procedures by which the change was managed. The study outlines ways in which change can become an issue on the political agenda and hence become a Government priority which is eventually handed down as policy to be followed by schools. Introduction of change in this manner is regarded as a top-down, or authoritarian, model of change. Such a model of change has the advantage of ensuring same change occurs within a specified time but at the same time there are disadvantages relating to a lack of skill, or expertise, amongst school staff and a possible lack of commitment to change. The study draws attention to problems encountered in the introductory procedures of the program which caused a sense of frustration amongst those attempting to manage the change at the school level. It is shown how the system failed to provide effective support at this level. It is suggested that there is a bureaucratic lack of understanding of the problems of implementing change in a school which is itself considered to be a loosely coupled organization with problems peculiar to itself. In summary the study suggests that progress was made, in this particular example, chiefly through efforts at the school level but the results could have been improved with effective system support. While there has been some success the change has not yet been institutionalized within the school.

The following analysis is based on a case study of three years duration (1983-1986), and focuses on a physical education department at a large English comprehensive school which became involved in a teacher initiated curriculum innovation when a new Head of Department was appointed in September 1983. The research process was guided by the grounded theory approach, and the use of prolonged observation coupled with reflexive interviews allowed the emergent concerns of the teachers in relation to the innovation to be made evident, as competing definitions of both subject paradigm and pedagogy clashed. Within the department, several micropolitical strategies were constructed to cope with the pressures of change, which legitimised a dislocation between the 'classroom' and 'educational' contexts of the school, allowing some of the teachers to deflect the implications of the innovation for their own practice. It is suggested that the strategies employed by teachers arise within the social context of the school as a work place that provides, dilemmas, opportunities and possibilities within which the teacher constructs, modifies and abandons coping strategies to enhance both long and short term self interests.

L’adoption de codes de conduite par de grandes entreprises privées est un phénomène observé dès la fin des années 1980. Les codes de conduite s’intègrent dans un mouvement plus général en faveur de la responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise (RSE). Cette tendance à la moralisation du comportement des entreprises – appelée éthique des affaires – semble provenir des craintes suscitées par leurs activités, notamment quant aux conditions de travail exercées dans les pays en voie de développement.Ces instruments d’origine privée interpellent les juristes au regard de la forme qu’ils revêtent, la régulation des comportements qu’ils instaurent et leur nature éthique. Leurs caractères les attirent irrémédiablement dans le champ juridique. Les positions doctrinales à l’égard des codes de conduite s’avèrent toutefois contrastées. Néanmoins, leur rapport au droit et aux sources du droit est questionné. L’objectif de l’étude est alors d’explorer les voies d’accès des codes aux sources du droit.Dans cette perspective, la conception classique des sources du droit présente, face aux codes de conduite, des limites certaines. En revanche, la catégorie contemporaine du droit souple apparaît plus disposée à les accueillir. L’adéquation entre les codes de conduite et le droit souple se fonde sur les effets juridiques que chacun d’eux est susceptible de produire. L’étude du fonctionnement des codes de conduite permet dès lors de vérifier leurs effets juridiques et de les comprendre comme de véritables sources du droit. / Corporate-initiated codes of conduct appeared at the end of the 1980s. They are part of corporate social responsibility (CSR), an effort on the part of corporations to protect their right to operate in a business environment increasingly subject to new norms, especially when it comes to labour conditions in developing countries.Codes of conduct raise several legal questions, most notably with respect to their form, the behaviors they regulate and their ethical nature, generating strong, diverse doctrinal positions. Many call into question the legal nature of such codes and their connection with the sources of law. Therefore, the objective of this research is to explore the complex relationship between codes of conduct and the sources of law. In this light, the traditional conception of the sources of law reveals some shortcomings, whereas the more contemporary soft law approach seems more inclusive. The nexus between soft law and the codes of conduct revolves around the legal effects that each can produce. To that end, the study of how these codes work in practice is essential not only to address their legal effect, but also to see codes of conduct as true sources of law.

The study aimed to extend knowledge of women’s self-initiated expatriation. Self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) take responsibility for their own careers, and such expatriation is often advocated as an alternative, boundaryless career option for women. However, little has previously been published about the experiences of SIE women or the role of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in the cross-cultural adjustment of SIE women. The research focused on the following questions:  What linkages can be identified between the individual adjustment factors and processes perceived and experienced by SIE women?  What insights can be gained about CQ as a facilitator of the adjustment of SIE women? An Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) approach was used in the research. Two IQA focus groups were hosted in the Netherlands in April and June 2010. A total of 12 SIE women participated in Focus Group 1, and nine SIE women participated in Focus Group 2. The Systems Influence Diagrams (SIDs) representing the realities of the two groups were compared and were subsequently integrated into a combined new conceptual model represented by a final combined SID. The metaphor of Alice in Wonderland’s journey of choice and chance was used to describe the final combined SID, which starts with the decision to expatriate and ends with personal/professional development. The main outcomes are the following: Contribution to knowledge – The study expands on the existing adjustment knowledge about SIE women, illustrating the facilitative role of CQ in the adjustment of SIE women. Experiential learning processes related to CQ were highlighted, and a new conceptual model for understanding the role of CQ in career development was proposed. In addition, key dilemmas faced by SIE women during the adjustment process were identified. Contribution to professional practice – The study provides new insights to international HR departments and policy-makers into the challenges SIE women face, together with possible themes for supporting them through training, coaching, mentoring and adjustments to recruitment practices. Contribution to paradigms of inquiry – No studies applying the IQA as a process to the exploration of expatriate adjustment have previously been published. This study explored the use of IQA as a methodological approach in this context. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Human Resource Management / restricted

A constant in all planning activities is interaction among stakeholders. Despite the involvement of many stakeholder groups, one faction is consistently overlooked in planning decisions: children. In the push to make decisions and consider the numerous viewpoints of the adult population, children are habitually left by the wayside. Planners all too often fail to acknowledge that local children may have insightful and creative ideas to address issues. This is particularly true when these issues affect local children, as is often the case with environmental planning decisions. How can planners incorporate children in the practice of environmental planning? Environmental education provides a unique approach through which planners can integrate childrenâ s ideas. This approach can be directed toward youth-initiated venues for bringing environmental planning into the classroom. By blending environmental education with the structure of a classroom setting, we can create a mutually beneficial setting where childrenâ s unique perspectives can be nurtured. By using environmental education to create a basis of knowledge about local issues and to provide a forum for childrenâ s participation, their ideas can be incorporated into planning. The following chapters discuss the importance of including children in environmental planning as well as how to use environmental education as an approach toward this end. Three case studies illustrate how programs in the United States are challenging youth to become active stewards of their local environments. Although environmental education can be utilized for children of all ages as well as adults, this paper focuses on grades four through nine. The unique perspective and dynamic that children possess is often undermined and overlooked. The benefits of involving children are numerous. They can provide creative insight, learn decision-making skills, and become stewards of their local environment. There are also challenges to involving children. Forefront among these challenges is that utilizing a child-initiated forum often requires more time from planners. By providing background education and a familiar forum for children, educators and planners could overcome traditional barriers to incorporating child-initiated planning. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) were prepared and functionalized with polyethylene (PE@SiO2 NPs) using the surface-initiated polyhomologation (SI polyhomologation) technique. Polyolefin nanocomposites were fabricated later by melt mixing of different ratios of the as-prepared SiO2 NPs and PE@SiO2 NPs with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrices. Firstly, SiO2 NPs were modified with different alkoxysilane ligands, dichloro(divinyl)silane (DCDVS), allyl trimethoxysilane (ATMS), and vinyl triethoxylsilane (VTES). Subsequently, thexylborane, an initiator for SI polyhomologation, was immobilized to the modified surface of SiO2 NPs through hydroboration reactions. Polyhomologation was then allowed to proceed by adding monomer solution to form polyethylene brushes covalently bonded to the surface of the NPs. Physicochemical characterization had confirmed the morphology, chemical structure, and thermal stability for each step of modification reactions. LLDPE and LDPE nanocomposites were prepared by extrusion with SiO2 NPs and PE@SiO2 NPs as nanofillers. Finally, tensile tests and morphological SEM-based analyses are presented to discuss the influence of the grafted PE on both the dispersion of the fillers and the mechanical properties of the filler/matrix interphase.

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