Introduction: Work-related ill-health and resulting sickness absence is detrimental to the employees themselves, the employer and the national economy as a whole. To reduce the risk of work on health, information about causal factors and sectors at risk must first be gathered. General practice had been referred to as the ‘blind spot’ in occupational health as so little was known about work-related ill-health seen by GPs. The principal aim of this thesis was to estimate the incidence of work-related ill-health in the UK/GB as determined in general practice, to critically compare general practice reporting with other data sources and to evaluate the incidence and sickness absence burden of work-related ill-health. Methods: Data on incident cases of work-related ill-health and sickness absence were collected from GPs reporting to a UK-wide surveillance scheme (The Health and Occupation Reporting network in General Practice (THOR-GP)), and compared to information from other sources. To enable the calculation of incidence rates, THOR-GP population denominator information was gathered and characterised using Census information based on patient and practice postcode. Results were presented as a series of four peer-reviewed published papers and an additional chapter exploring the calculation of incidence rates.Results: The work-related ill-health diagnoses reported by GPs were mainly musculoskeletal (53%) and mental ill-health (30%). Overall, half the cases were issued with sickness certification. The proportion of cases issued with sickness certification differed by diagnosis; 79% of psychological cases had certified time away from work and these conditions were responsible for the majority of sickness absence days certified (56%) however these cases were rarely referred to secondary care (1%). Industries operating within the public and financial sectors had the highest incidence rates of work-related mental ill-health and correspondingly the highest rates of sickness absence. Industries with the highest proportions of self-employment had the lowest rates of sickness absence. When compared to reports from occupational physicians (OPs), GP information was more representative of the employed population of the UK, whereas OP data concentrated on industries covered by occupational health services. Incidence rates based on clinical specialists’ reports were much smaller than GP rates and biased by severity and referral patterns. Rates based on self-reported (SWI) data were higher than GP rates due to greater inclusivity; however diagnoses were unsubstantiated by medical opinion. The THOR-GP population denominator was characterised using approximately a million patient postcodes (and linking these to Census data) from over a hundred GPs. These population estimates compared well with those based on the practice postcode and enabled the calculation of incidence rates of work-related ill-health for this and (with weighting methods) the GB population. Rates of work-related ill-health were highest for those employed within construction and agriculture.Conclusion: This thesis has shown how the systematic collection of work-related ill-health data from GPs adds to the knowledge base about the distribution and determinants of work-related ill-health (and sickness absence) within the UK/GB workforce. This work also contributes to knowledge relating to the ‘primary care denominator problem’ in calculating rates of incidence from general practice.

The role of ascending catecholamine systems in the punishing and reinforcing properties of some opiates and stimulant drugs was investigated. In one series of experiments, the reinforcing properties were evaluated through the use of intravenous self-administration procedures while the punishing properties were evaluated through the conditioned taste aversion procedure. In one experiment fifteen rats were trained to press a lever to receive an intravenous injection of cocaine and after this behaviour had stabilized, each rat received bilateral intracerebral injections of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the n. accumbens. These lesions produced a marked disruption of cocaine self-administration which in most cases returned to baseline rates after 1-3 weeks. This recovery was found to be negatively correlated with the levels of dopamine (DA) remaining in the n. accumbens (r=-.81). The animals with the severest depletion of DA failed to show recovery of cocaine intake. This disruption of cocaine self-administration behaviour was shown not to be due to a non-specific effect on operant responding, because the same animals which failed to self-administer cocaine continued to self-administer apomorphine at pre-lesion rates. To evaluate whether noradrenergic (NA) mechanisms serve a critical role in cocaine self-administration, four rats received two bilateral injections of 6-OHDA aimed at the dorsal and ventral NA bundles. Despite causing near total depletion of forebrain NA, these lesions did not significantly affect the rate or pattern of cocaine self-administration. These data do not support the hypothesis that forebrain NA mechanisms subserve stimulant-based reinforcement, and the evidence in favor of such a view is discussed. In a separate series of experiments, it was observed that depletion of central DA and NA by intraventricular injections of 6-OHDA severely attenuated a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) induced by amphetamine. This attenuation was not the result of a general learning deficit because animals with identical treatments acquired a CTA when LiCl was used as the punishing stimulus. Selective depletion of hippocampal and cortical NA through intracerebral infusions of 6-OHDA, which spare DA systems, has no effect on an amphetamine-induced CTA. It is, therefore, argued that central DA, rather than NA, mechanisms are involved in the punishing property of amphetamine. The possibility that both the punishing and reinforcing effects of psychomotor stimulants may be mediated by the same systems in the brain is discussed. Depletion of forebrain NA was found to attenuate the CTA induced by 10 mg/kg morphine. This effect suggested some intriguing possibilities regarding NA and the reinforcing and punishing properties of opiates. Self-administration of heroin was not affected, however, by depletion of forebrain NA following 6-OHDA lesions, suggesting that forebrain NA does not play a critical role in opiate reinforcement. The DA receptor blocker, pimozide, was found to produce an apparent blockade of cocaine reinforcement, but pimozide had no effect on heroin self-administration. It therefore appears DA mechanisms are not critical to heroin reinforcement, and that there are multiple systems in the brain which can subserve drug reward. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate

Independent financial advisers have to address different problems as they pro¬gress through the life cycle stages of their businesses. A number of researchers, however, are of the opinion that small business owners do not have the ability to manage the growth-related transitions effectively. It appears that additional guidance is needed to assist independent financial advisers with the survival and growth of their small businesses. Until now, only a small amount of research has been conducted in this area and no formal research study has proposed a marketing mix framework for these advisers, portraying the various factors threatening their survival and growth in their organisational life cycle, as well as the various marketing mix strategies that can be implemented to proactively manage the problems and help generate sales growth. The objective of this study was to propose such a framework to offer additional assistance for business survival and sales growth. This study was exploratory in nature and commenced with a comprehensive lit¬erature investigation to gain the necessary background to support the empirical part of the study. Different opinions and studies were presented and evaluated, which led to the identification of a general business life cycle model as well as a number of problems and marketing mix solutions that could potentially occur in each life cycle stage. These literature findings were then further investigated among independent financial advisers by means of telephone and personal interviews. Following the empirical findings, the recommended framework suggests that independent financial advisers may experience three types of problems in their businesses: critical problems, important problems and problems that only need consideration. Independent financial advisers can use four groups of recom¬mended marketing mix strategies to address these problems. There are also four groups of recommended marketing mix strategies that can assist these advisers to grow their sales (commission). These advisers would, however, need to ensure that they are aware of and understand the various environmental factors that can hinder the successful implementation of the marketing mix strategies. They also need to be able to use the recommended counterstrategies to address the environmental factors. Ultimately, the successful implementation of the recommended marketing mix strategies could then help independent financial advisers to grow their businesses and progress to a more advanced life cycle stage. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Marketing Management / DCom / Unrestricted

I kommunala avloppsreningsverk renas det inkommande avloppsvattnet för att förhindra övergödning och andra olägenheter i våra vattendrag. Reningsprocessen i konventionella avloppsreningsverk består av tre steg, mekanisk, biologisk och kemisk rening. Reningen är designad för att avskilja partiklar, organiskt material och näringsämnena kväve och fosfor från vattnet. Från reningsprocessen uppstår ett avloppsslam som restprodukt. Utöver de ämnen som avloppsreningsverk är designade att avskilja fastläggs även andra, oönskade, ämnen i avloppsslammet. Sådana oönskade ämnen kan vara patogener, metaller och toxiska föreningar som PCB och PAH. Mixen av näringsämnen och potentiellt toxiska ämnen försvårar en användning av slammet. Det är sedan 2005 inte tillåtet att deponera organiskt material vilket innebär att producenter av avloppsslam behöver hitta en avsättningsmöjlighet för det slam som produceras. Ett vanligt användningsområde för slam i Sverige är att använda det till sluttäckning av deponier. Det slam som produceras i Tierps kommun komposteras idag och används till sluttäckning av en deponi. Arbetet med sluttäckningen är snart färdigställt och därefter är det inte bestämt vad de ska göra med slammet. Syftet med det här examensarbetet var att ta fram ett beslutsunderlag för möjliga användningsområden för slammet som produceras i Tierps kommun. Utöver att hitta möjliga användningsområden har även olika behandlingsmetoder för slam utvärderats med avseende på emissioner av växthusgaser och energibehov. De användningsområden som bedömdes som långsiktigt hållbara var att använda slammet som gödsel på åkermark eller att göra anläggningsjord av det. För att få avsättning för de dryga 7000 ton slam som producerades i Tierps kommun under 2016 till åkermark behöver det spridas på cirka 2300 hektar för att inte överskrida gällande gränsvärden med avseende på max tillförsel av koppar. Lagring var den behandlingsmetod gav störst utsläpp av växthusgaser, 1950 ton CO2- ekvivalenter år-1 . Kompostering gav näst störst utsläpp med 200 ton CO2-ekv år-1 . Torkning genererade inga direkta emissioner av växthusgaser men har störst energibehov, 5900 MWh år-1 . Energibehovet för rötning var näst störst och uppgick till 980 MWh år-1 men den rötgas som producerades hade ett energivärde på ca 2240 MWh år-1. För att få en fullständig bild av klimatpåverkan som de olika användningsområdena och behandlingsmetoderna ger upphov till behövs en expansion av det system som studerats i denna studie. Rekommendationen från denna studie är att fortsätta kompostera slammet och använda det till anläggningsjord eller jordförbättringsmedel.

The present study aimed at quantifying the topographic distribution of spectral power as measured with electroencephalogram (EEG) in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) across five broad band frequencies (δ, θ, α, β, and γ). Through comparative groups of healthy controls, patients with methamphetamine use disorder, and patients with alcohol use disorder, it was determined that OUD EEG spectral power was globally increased in the δ frequency, and more region-specific in others (frontal lobes in θ and β frequencies). α frequency was reduced in occipital lobes in OUD. The observed changes are discussed in terms of the microcircuit-level changes in the cortex. Based on these findings, EEG may prove to be a valuable tool for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of OUD. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Acting as a hydrological link between the terrestrial landscape and the larger downstream river network, channel heads and their immediate headwaters are essential geomorphological features in our landscape. Not only due to their ability to transport water and sediment and cycling of nutrients, but as an important component for ecosystem productivity and aquatic habitats. Yet, many of our low order streams remain poorly mapped which consequently make development of management policies and protection of them more difficult. A possibility to derive more accurate stream network maps may be achieved by using high resolution digital elevation data (DEM) and hydrological models. A central part in stream network modelling is to develop reliable methods to predict the start of a channel, i.e. the channel heads. Different landscape variables influence the formation and maintenance of channel heads, stressing the need to study their controls in different physiographic regions. Factors influencing channel head formation in the Swedish landscape are yet still relatively unexplored. Investigating the regional and temporal controls on in this landscape are especially interesting since it has a long history of human alterations such as digging of extensive drainage networks, deepening, and straightening of natural stream channels.     The objective of this study is to explore channel head distribution and formation in 12 different forested regions in Sweden using statistical - and GIS analysis. By digitally tracing channel networks upstream using ArcGIS software and a high-resolution DEM (0.5 x 0.5 m), a total of 394 channel heads have been identified and digitized. By calculating the channel heads contributing areas, i.e. the drainage area threshold needed for channels to form, this study have examined regional variations in the size of the contributing area and whether the variability could be attributed to local and average upslope topographic-, soil and hydrological indices. 42 % of the digitized channel heads were identified as being subjected to man-made alterations in some way, remaining were classified as naturally formed channel heads. The contributing area to the channel heads reveled large variability ranging from 0.1 to 58.0 ha for natural to 0.04 to 193.6 ha for more altered channel heads. No evident relationship between size of contributing area and type of Quaternary deposit could be found. Highest median was found in channel heads formed on fine sediment, such as clay, (8.9 ha) however no statistically significant difference in median between different deposits could be confirmed. Channel heads showed only insignificant to weak correlations to the extracted landscape variables, such as the catchment slope and soil moisture index. This could partly be explained by the relatively gentle topography in the investigated regions. The results within this study have highlighted the difficulties to apply traditional methods using topographic indices when delineating and predicting the start of the stream channels in forested and cultivated regions in Sweden. Yet, it has explored the possibility of using high resolution DEM to map and analyze small-scaled landscape features such as channel heads.

This paper investigates the impact of related party transactions on a firm’s operating performance and market-based performance, as well as the impact of institutional ownership on the use of related party transactions. Using a sample of 1218 deals from S&P1500 firms from 2007 to 2018, we propose and examine three relevant hypotheses: (a) related party transactions, especially, “Red-flag” related party transactions are negatively related to firm’s operating performance, (b) related party transactions, especially, “Red-flag” related party transactions are negatively related with firm’s marketbased performance, (c) institutional ownership is negatively related with related party transactions. In summary, we do not find a significant relationship between related party transactions and firm’s operating performance, such as ROA, Profit Margin and COGS. As for firm’s market-based performance, we found related party transactions are positively related with Tobin’s-Q, but are not significantly related with 12-months buy and hold abnormal return. Finally, we do not find any significant relationship between overall institutional investors and RPTs, but we find short-horizon institutional investors reduce the use of related party transactions, but long-horizon institutional investors do not limit the use of RPT

Growing industrialization and rising global population have led countries to look for ways to build sustainable energy capabilities. Wind energy has been a promising source of electricity. Offshore and Onshore wind power technology has the ability to tackle big energy and climate challenges, to cause economic growth and create employment. This thesis’ focus will be on offshore technologies. In order to expand globally the installation of these technologies, the installation costs as well as the operation and maintenance (O&M) costs during production stage for them must be reduced and accordingly, the right maintenance strategy should be identified to achieve that. The choice of offshore sites depends heavily on availability, acceptance, funding, availability of the grid and on such factors as depths of sea, weather conditions, logistics, distance from the shore and harbors and soil types are very important economic drivers for project and farm life. These factors also affect the choice of the appropriate maintenance strategy of the wind farm, and it is a great of importance to reduce O&M costs and increase the profits. In this paper, a maintenance strategy appropriate for a specific wind farm located in the Belgian North Sea will be tried to be chosen based on some criteria by the software Decision Analysis Module for Excel (DAME).

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This research is a prospective, descriptive survey of adult pedestrian injuries in Cape Town. It profiles 'at risk' pedestrians and describes their injuries, injury severity and outcome. The role which alcohol plays in these collisions is threaded through the thesis. Since no study of this nature has been done in South Africa, it provides baseline data on the epidemiology, alcohol-relatedness, clinical presentation and prevention of adult pedestrian collisions in the metropole. Data were collected prospectively on all injured pedestrians who presented consecutively, within six hours of being injured, to the Trauma Unit of Groote Schuur Hospital over a nine week period in 1993. Data were also gathered retrospectively from the state mortuary on all pedestrians who died before reaching hospital during the same time period. A total of 227 patients were included in the study. Data gathered included demographics, physiological response to injury, anatomical nature and severity of injuries as well as progress and outcome. Injuries were assessed and scored using the Abbreviated Injury Score (1990 revision) and the New Injury Severity Score. Alcohol consumption was assessed using four measures, viz. self-evaluation, clinical assessment, breath alcohol analysis and blood alcohol concentration (SAC). Data were analysed using SAS version 6. The study recorded a very high incidence of alcohol intoxication among injured pedestrians in Cape Town. This is highly suggestive of a causal link. One hundred and forty-one patients (62.1%) were found to have positive BACs; more than 40% had BACs in excess of 0.20 g/100ml. SAC positive pedestrians were found to have more severe injuries, to require longer hospitalisation periods and to need more complex management. They consequently cost more to treat than their sober counterparts. The comparison between the four methods of alcohol assessment revealed that self-evaluation and clinical assessment were poor screening tools. Breath alcohol analysis, using a Lion Alcolmeter S-D2, had a high degree of accuracy when compared to the SAC, which remains the 'gold standard'. It is therefore recommended that all traffic trauma patients be subjected to breath analysis. The study also generated recommendations for the prevention of pedestrian collisions. These address pre-crash, crash and post-crash factors. Control of drunken driving and walking, as well as road safety education, particularly to pedestrians, are key issues. However, there remains a need for improved road engineering and better monitoring of the roadworthiness of vehicles. This thesis highlights the severity of alcohol-related pedestrian injuries and the importance of preventative strategies.