This is a study of quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) comodulation analysis, which is used to assist in identifying regional brain patterns associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) compared to an EEG normative database. Further, this study investigates EEG patterns in depression which is found to be a highly comorbid condition to CFS. The QEEG comodulation analysis examines spatial-temporal cross-correlation of spectral estimates in the individual resting dominant frequency band. A pattern shown by Sterman and Kaiser (2001) and referred to as the Anterior Posterior Dissociation (APD) discloses a significant reduction in shared functional modulation between frontal and centro-parietal areas of the cortex. Conversely, depressed patients have not shown this pattern of activity but have disclosed a pattern of frontal Hypercomodulation localized to bilateral pre-frontal and frontal cortex. This research investigates these comodulation patterns to determine whether they exist reliably in these populations of interest and whether a clear distinction between two highly comorbid conditions can be made using this metric. Sixteen CFS sufferers and 16 depressed participants, diagnosed by physicians and a psychiatrist respectively were involved in QEEG data collection procedures. Nineteen-channel cap recordings were collected in five conditions: eyes-closed, eyes open, reading task-one, math computations task-two, and a second eyes-closed baseline. Five of the 16 CFS patients showed a clear Anterior Posterior Dissociation pattern for the eyes-closed resting dominant frequency. However, 11 participants did not show this pattern of dysregulation. Examination of the mean 8-12 Hz band spectral magnitudes across three cortical regions (frontal, central and parietal) indicated a trend of higher overall alpha levels in the parietal region in CFS patients who showed the APD pattern compared to those who did not show this pattern. All participants who showed the APD pattern were free of medication, while the majority of those absent of this pattern were using antidepressant medications. For the depressed group, all of which were medication free, 100 % of the depressed group showed a frontal Hypercomodulation pattern. Furthermore, examination of the mean 8-12 Hz band spectral magnitudes across three cortical regions disclosed a trend of high frontal alpha and a left/right asymmetry of greater voltages in the left frontal cortex. Although these samples are small, it is suggested that this method of evaluating the disorder of CFS holds promise. The fact that this pattern is not consistently represented in the CFS sample could be explained by the possibility of subtypes of CFS, or perhaps comorbid conditions. Further, the use of antidepressant medications may mask the pattern by altering the temporal characteristics of the EEG. This study, however, was able to demonstrate that the QEEG was able to parse out the regional cerebral brain differences between CFS and depressed group.

<p>This work is an attempt to study how the ambivalent demands of normativity in the Swedish curriculum is implemented in schoolbooks used for education in the course Samhällskunskap A. For this purpose, different normative theories are applied in conjunction with a qualitative text analysis method comprising the sections which describe the European Union in three different schoolbooks. The results indicate that not one of the selected books uphold all of the demands of normativitity as described by the Swedish curriculum.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-274).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-05-17Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:18:49Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 moraes_rg_me_assis.pdf: 249706 bytes, checksum: a4e6c755973ad6842047fa6451d81d04 (MD5) / Esse trabalho foi realizado em uma escola de nível Fundamental e Médio, da rede pública de ensino do Estado de São Paulo, com cerca de 1300 alunos, no município de Assis. Através de uma problematização do Regimento Escolar e do livro de Ocorrências Disciplinares, procuramos cartografar de que maneira, através de práticas normativas, a instituição escolar vai adestrando seu olhar sobre a clientela, produzindo categorias, comparando e individualizando os alunos; terminando por produzir uma forma de subjetividade que seria a do educando, ou o sujeito pedagógico. Enfatizamos no trabalho os dispositivos (re)atualizados pela escola em seu projeto de normalização social, que seriam os dispositivos de visibilidade, de enunciação, de sanção normalizadora e de produção de subjetividade que aparecem nas regras de funcionamento e nas ocorrências disciplinares da escola. / The present work was carried out at a public elementary-and-high School from São Paulo state (in Brazil). About a thousand three hundred students attend this School, which is located at the municipality of Assis - São Paulo. According to an analysis about the School Regiment and the book of non-discipline events, we tried to map how the School, based on its practical rules, keeps on modifying its conception about its 'customers' producing status, comparing and turning so individual its own ideas about the students. This way, the School produces a kind of a subjective view on the student - or the educational subject. In this present work we gave emphasis on the devices which were updated by the School at its Project of social normalization. Those devices are about 'visibility', enunciation, normalization ratification and production of subjectivity that appears on the rules of operation and on the non-discipline events at the School.

1 Morality and law For the most of us it is quite clear what law is. Most of us have certain idea what law represents. A lot of us may have a different idea, it is because of many elements which affect our law perception. On the most basic level, law is something which is connected to specific values in society. Based on this idea we can certainly say that law is something which guarantees balance in society and system which provides safety. On the other hand, morality is a subject of a discipline called ethics. This subject represents a system which provides and protects distinctive values which have different normative quality. This system is formed by high amount of appropriate rules of behavior and its way to realize this behavior. In the past, the connection between these two systems was very important, it was a noticeable fact that these two systems cooperate and communicate. Even though nowadays these systems are more and more divided, they still interact. In the law of Czech Republic the connection between morality and law can be observed especially in the good manners. Good manners are intentions which are projected throughout the whole law system. The main goal of good manners and morality is to fill the gaps in the law. Another important goal is also to straighten the perception of justice in the...

Masters of Commerce / Organizations are operating within a difficult economic environment and in the face of fierce world competition (George & Jones, 1992 cited in Ndlovu & Brijball Parumasur, 2005). To remain competitive globally and for economic reasons, Theron and Dodd (2011) postulate that organizations sporadically have to retrench workers. In order to reduce expenses as well as costs and losses to the organization, they have to restructure and reduce their headcount and the typical form of engaging in the restructuring is by means of downsizing. Makawatsakul and Kleiner (2003) posit that employee morale and loyalty tend to be the first unintended casualties of a downsizing strategy. The repercussions of downsizing is that it jeopardizes employees’ commitment and morale to a large extent (Muthuvuloo 8Rose, 2005) and survivors thus experience lower job and organizational satisfaction (Baruch & Hind, 2000) as this creates insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. Survivors are also often forced to make a sideway or downward move in their job, may experience a drop in pay and status, become stressed by the amount of work left by departing colleagues that they would now need to undertake and worry about the security of their new position in the organization (Chipunza & Berry 2010). In light of the above, the aim of the study was to investigate the organizational commitment of those employees who survived and remained with the retail organization following a downsizing process. For the purpose of this study a quantitative, non probability convenience sampling design was utilized. The sample (N=150) comprised of both males and females from different ethnic groups. A self developed biographical questionnaire and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) were used to gather data. Statistical analyses involved both descriptive and inferential statistics (the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple Regression Analysis and Analysis of Variance). The results of the study indicate that employees display below average levels of commitment to the organization. More specifically, a direct, positive relationship was found between normative and affective commitment. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between affective and continuance commitment. Statistically significant relationships were found between the biographical characteristics namely, tenure, gender and age, and organizational commitment. Limitations of the current study are put forth and recommendations are made with respect to future research and for the organization.

Ever since Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008, the EU has striven for a supportive relationship with the burgeoning new state; a relationship which can be seen to have been built upon the institution’s constitutive normative principles. This relationship has consequently resulted in a national emphasis upon environmental development throughout Kosovo. However, how beneficial has the EU’s promotion of these normative principles over Kosovo actually been for Kosovo’s environmental development? And subsequently, what are the potential consequences of the EU being perceived as an influential ‘normative power’ for other actors in the international system? This thesis has addressed these questions through conducting a series of semi-structured expert interviews, as to generate contemporarily relevant and applicable data which reflects the benefits of the EU’s operation in Kosovo and illustrates contemporary EU power exertion. Ian Manners’ theoretical conceptualisation of EU power, ‘Normative power Europe’, provides the theoretical framework for the conducting of this research. This paper argues that the EU’s exertion of normative power over Kosovo has, overall, been beneficial for Kosovo’s environmental development through wide-spread developments to key areas of Kosovo’s environmental sphere; however, there have also been certain shortcomings and failures of the EU in in this regard as certain key-areas of Kosovo’s environmental sphere, regardless of the long-term presence of the EU in Kosovo, remain largely underdeveloped. This conclusion can be employed in order to draw reflections on the potential consequences of the perception of the EU as an influential ‘normative power’ for other actors in the international system; other international actors could move away from more traditional conceptual approaches to power/ influence exertion in the international system, and developing states could also grow to be more receptive to normative power exertion processes. Therefore, the presented conclusions are not only relevant to the case of Kosovo, but could also be employed in a more practical manner in exploring the role and consequences of the EU’s contemporary power exertion in the international system as a whole.

Afin de répondre aux enjeux environnementaux actuels, l’économie circulaire ambitionne de découpler la croissance économique de la consommation de ressources. Pour y arriver, elle se base sur la volonté d’accroitre l’efficience de ces ressources en s’appuyant, entre autre, sur l’allongement de la durée de vie des produits. Seule réserve, la notion de durée de vie est à la fois liée au produit et au consommateur et pour cette raison, elle est particulièrement complexe à appréhender, à définir et à évaluer.Par ces travaux nous souhaitons donc contribuer aux réflexions qui portent sur la durée de vie et en particulier sur celle des produits textiles. Pour cela, nous avons construit des indicateurs comme aide à la décision, ils permettent de répondre aux problématiques suivantes : l’estimation de la durée de vie, l’identification des paramètres d’écoconception et l’évaluation du bénéfice de l’allongement de la durée de vie.Le modèle d’estimation de la durée de vie proposé, dénommé « Qualité Orientée Consommateur » (QOC), s’inspire de la définition de durée normative proposée par l’ADEME. Il s’appuie en effet sur des données objectives et retranscrit la capacité des produits à résister au vieillissement. Aussi, afin de faire concorder ce score avec la durée de vie, nous avons pris le consommateur en compte en s’intéressant notamment à sa perception vis-à-vis de l’usure.S’intégrant dans la démarche d’écoconception et d’économie circulaire, nous souhaitions nous servir de la connaissance du consommateur pour adapter la fabrication des produits. Nous avons donc associé le score QOC aux caractéristiques des produits dans une analyse de données afin d’identifier les paramètres influents, ainsi connus nous pouvons dégager des recommandations de fabrication.Enfin, nous avons mis ce modèle en œuvre au cas des T-shirts et avons vérifié l’adéquation du score QOC par rapport à une durée de vie « réelle », durée que nous avons intégrée dans des scénarios d’analyse du cycle de vie (ACV) afin de quantifier l’intérêt des produits de plus longues durées de vie. L’ACV offrant un angle statique, nous avons proposé de nouveaux points de vue plus dynamiques : en observant l’évolution des impacts dans le temps, nous sommes effectivement en mesure de quantifier l’influence de la durée de vie d’une part et d’évaluer la cohérence d’une chaine de fabrication par rapport à la qualité produite d’autre part. / To meet current environmental challenges, the circular economy aims to separate economic growth from resource consumption. To do so, it relies on levers to increase resources efficiency, such as lifespan extension. However, since lifespan is related to both the product and the consumer, it is highly complex to define and evaluate.Through this thesis, we wish to contribute to the reflections on lifespan and on that of textile products in particular. We thus provided indicators such as a multi-criteria decision-making model that helps to address the following issues: to better estimate lifespan, to identify eco-design parameters and to evaluate the lifespan extension benefits.The proposed lifespan estimation model, called “Consumer-Oriented Quality” (COQ), is inspired by the definition of normative duration given by the French environmental agency ADEME and primarly relies on objective data which reflects the ability of products to resist ageing. But to obtain a more precise model of lifespan, we have also taken the consumer into account, focusing on their wear and tear perception.As part of the eco-design and circular economy approach, we wanted to benefit from our knowledge of the consumer to adjust product manufacturing. We therefore combined the COQ score with the product characteristics in a data analysis and identified the relevant parameters, so we could draw up manufacturing recommendations.Finally, we implemented our model for T-shirts to check its consistency with respect to a “real” lifespan. This lifespan was integrated into life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the benefits of having products with longer lifespans. Since LCA provides a static angle, we have proposed new and more dynamic points of view by observing the impacts’ evolution over time. This enable us to quantify the influence of lifespan and to evaluate the consistency of a production line with the quality produced.

archives@tulane.edu / The overarching argument in this study is that although sovereign distressed debt investors can create holdout problems during the debt restructuring of a defaulting sovereign, the reality is that they remain a linchpin for an efficient sovereign debt market that guarantees the flow of private credit for capital formation in the Global South. In other words, holdout creditors are a bit of a curate's egg, a necessary feature of the sovereign debt markets. They are not the “spawn of the devil”. The presence of distressed debt investors in the market contributes to the liquidity and efficiency of the market. They enable non-litigant investors who would like to sell their debt and exit the market on their own volition to do so. In addition, they tend to put pressure on recalcitrant sovereign debtors who might not be acting in good faith. They therefore possess “nuisance value” that could spur efficiency in the sovereign debt market. In this context, a universal framework for dealing with holdout problems during the debt restructuring of a defaulting sovereign is needed and that is what this study proposes. Such rules can be developed into a soft-law mechanism spearheaded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A global normative framework that has elements of nonmarket private standard setting and nonmarket public standard setting, is therefore proposed to address the disruptive and exploitative activities of these creditors in the sovereign debt market. This normative framework would strike the delicate balance between the rights of commercial creditors on the one hand, and interests of sovereign debtors on the other hand, and inject some measure of equity into the process. In summary, this study challenges the contemporary negative and dismissive narratives about holdout creditors, and the assumption and unshaken faith placed on “restructuring or workout of sovereign debt” as the only favored path to alleviating the perennial problem of sovereign default and the attendant debt crises in the developing world. / 1 / MARIA OLUYEJU

Managing outdoor recreation requires that managers do the following: (1) consider the user experience, environmental and cultural resources, and type and intensity of management actions; (2) specify desired conditions to be maintained, monitor conditions, and take appropriate action if unacceptable impacts occur; (3) adapt to new conditions and information; and (4) exercise good judgment based on their professional experience and the best information available to them. Social science studies of visitors and studies of significant recreation resources like campsites are important sources of information for managers and are commonly used in parks and protected areas to support planning and decision-making. The studies presented here are designed to enhance our understanding of how visitors evaluate the acceptability of impacts to recreation resources and how we can more effectively analyze large campsite resource condition datasets to get meaningful results. A better understanding of impacts to cultural and environmental resources, the people who visit parks, and how they evaluate the acceptability of impacts will enable managers to make more informed decisions. This is an important part of the adaptive management of parks and protected areas.