The effect of the spatial distribution of a radioactive source on timing measurements has been investigated with particular consideration toward the focal plane of recoil separators. The work conducted during this thesis is a precursor to understand the magnitude of such effects for the upcoming fast timing array (FATIMA) at FAIR. An experiment was undertaken at the University of Jyvaskyla using the K130 cyclotron to accelerate a 36-Ar beam to 190 MeV, directed onto a 106-Cd target, to produce recoils of 138-Gd and 136-Sm via fusion-evaporation reactions. Recoils directed using RITU to the focal-plane DSSSD of GREAT were distributed over the majority of the 124-mm by 40-mm extension of the DSSSD. A new array consisting of eight lanthanum bromide detectors was used to measure the time between coincident prompt-gamma rays emitted following the de-excitation of isomeric recoil states implanted into the DSSSD. Lifetimes were measured to be 213(20) ps and 200(100) ps for the first-excited 2+ states in 138-Gd and 136-Sm, respectively. Positional information, extracted from the DSSSD, was used to correct for the difference in the time-of-flight of gamma rays as they travelled from the implantation position to the lanthanum bromide detectors. When accounted for, the lifetimes were remeasured to be 217(20) ps and 210(90) ps, respectively, showing no significant change in value or error. A method of quantifying the increase in uncertainty of a lifetime measurement due to the spatial distribution of the source and the position of the surrounding detectors, supported by simulation, has been provided to explain these observations. A new technique for extracting the time-walk from each of the CFDs in a multi-detector array has been presented. The new technique offers a reduced complexity in calculations by accounting for the correlated time-walks present in time measurements from different detector-pairs sharing a common CFD. Work towards a technique for extracting lifetimes from time data has been presented. Dubbed the Symmetrised-Convolution Lifetime Measurement (SCLM) method, this technique essentially applies a model-dependent convolution of the prompt-response with nuclear exponential decay on both time spectra, obtained by inverting the start and stop conditions of a TAC, simultaneously and draws parallels to the Mirror Symmetric Centroid Difference method.

The thesis is focused on spatial orientation and independent movement of visually impaired people. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the extent of straight direction deviations concerning visually impaired pupils of primary and lower secondary schools. After analysis of specialized literature a description of current educational system for visually impaired pupils in the Czech Republic follows in the theoretical part. Specific needs related to the field of education of this target group are mentioned. Functional limitation of the visual analyzer influences spatial orientation and independent movement of the visually impaired individual. Therefore the thesis deals with the above mentioned topic and characterises education of the subject called spatial orientation and independent movement. Troubles in the field of motoric movement occur in the group of visually impaired people. This is apparent especially in incorrect walking technique and in deviation from the required straight direction. The research part of the thesis analyses deviations from the straight direction of the visually impaired and intact pupils.

A dor pélvica crônica é uma condição comum e debilitante, com etiologia complexa e pouco compreendida, usualmente resultante da interação de vários sistemas. Talvez por isso, mesmo após muita investigação, seja diagnosticada com dificuldade. Ademais, frequentemente, o tratamento limita-se ao alívio temporário e insatisfatório dos sintomas. A condição pode comprometer a capacidade para executar determinadas tarefas físicas, seja pela própria dor, pelo medo de apresentarem dor, pelos sintomas depressivos ou ansiosos, ou mesmo pelas limitações autonômicas apresentadas. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o desempenho físico de mulheres com dor pélvica crônica e identificar as variáveis clínicas associadas. Foram incluídas 162 mulheres, 81 portadoras de dor pélvica crônica atendidas no ambulatório especializado do HC-FMRP-USP e 81 mulheres saudáveis recrutadas entre as acompanhantes das pacientes. Foram realizados os testes de Caminhada de 6 minutos, de Alcance Funcional, Sentar e Levantar e, Pegar a Caneta. Todos os instrumentos utilizados foram traduzidos e validados para aplicação no Brasil. O projeto, juntamente com o termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido, foi aprovado no CEP-HC-FMRPUSP. Houve diferença estatística (p> 0,01) em todos os testes de performance. A média (± desvio padrão) nos testes, no grupo saudável e dor pélvica crônica, respectivamente, foram: 36,35 cm (±5,8) e 32,40 cm (±6,8) no teste de alcance funcional, 10,00 s (±2,0) e 13,46 s (±6,0) no teste de sentar e levantar, 2,50 s (±0,5) e 3,51 s (±1,7) no teste de pegar a caneta, e 536,97 m (±47,5) e 487,36 m (±65,8) no teste de caminhada de 6 minutos. O estudo demonstrou, portanto, que as mulheres com dor pélvica crônica possuem desempenho físico inferior ao de mulheres saudáveis e que este está independentemente associado com a cinesiofobia e a própria dor pélvica crônica e, eventualmente, com sintomas depressivos e com a qualidade de vida / Chronic pelvic pain is a common and debilitating condition, with complex and poorly understood etiology, usually resulting from the interaction of multiple systems. Maybe that is why, even after much research, is diagnosed with difficulty. Moreover, treatment is often limited to temporary and unsatisfactory relief of symptoms. The condition can compromise the ability to perform certain physical tasks, either by own pain, fear of pain, depressive or anxiety symptoms, or even by the autonomic limitations presented. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physical performance of women with chronic pelvic pain. Four physical performance tests (Functional Reach test; Sit-toStand test; Pen pick up test and 6-minute walk test) were conducted with 162 women, 81 with chronic pelvic pain treated at specialized clinics of the HC-FMRP-USP and 81 healthy women recruited from the caregivers. All instruments were validated and translated for Brazilian application. The project, along with the free and informed consent form was approved at the CEPHC-FMRP-USP. There was a statistical difference (p> 0.01) in all of the performance tests. The average (± standard deviation), in healthy group and chronic pelvic pain respectively, was: 36.35 cm (±5.8) and 32.40 cm (±6.8) in the functional reach test, 10.00 sec (±2.0) and 13.46 sec (±6.0) in the sit-to-stand test, 2.50 sec (±0.5) and 3.51 sec (±1.7) in the pen pick up test, 536.97 m (±47.5) and 487.36 m (±65.8) in the 6-minute walk test. The study showed, therefore, that women with chronic pelvic pain have lower physical performance than healthy women and that it is independently associated with kinesiophobia and with chronic pelvic pain and, eventually, with depressive symptoms and quality of life

O passeio aleatório quântico foi totalmente entendido por [3] e desde então muitos esforços foram feitos para compreender casos mais gerais como no passeio aleatório tradicional. Nós introduzimos o caso periódico e discutimos a heurística sendo considerada como uma partícula quântica difundindo em um cristal atômico linear. Assim, estendemos o teorema de Grimmett-Janson- Scudo [3] para este caso que é um método para obter a densidade de probabilidade limite do operador posição dependendo da diagonalização da matriz de evolução unitária e mostramos que o caso periódico é de fato balístico, [9]. Como um exemplo, édiscutida a densidade probabilidade limite de período dois. / The homogeneous quantum random walk was completely understood by [3] and since then many efforts were made to compreehend more general cases like in the tradicional random walk. We introduce the periodic case and discuss a heuristic to be considered as a quantum particle diffusion in a atomic linear crystal. Thus, we extend the theorem of Grimmett-Janson-Scudo [3] to this case which is a method to obtain the limit of the probability density of the position operator depending on the diagonalization of the unitary evolution matrix and show that the periodic case is in fact ballistic, [9]. As an example, it is shown the limit probability density of the period two.

This master thesis is aimed at the didactic concept of natural communities at village schools with age-mixed-pupil classes. The introductory part summarizes basic facts of the classes, the natural communities such as the forest, meadow, water and its basic characteristics. This part also outlines views of teaching natural science to young pupils by different authors. The second part consists of suggested teaching methods, discussion with hunters and teaching with walks in the countryside. The suggested teaching methods have been thaught at two different age-mixed-pupil classes. Success of the teaching methods has been scrutinized through a test the pupils have worked with two times, before and after the teaching. The final part of the thesis sums up the conditions, process, acquired knowledge and the evaluation of the methods.

Nas últimas décadas, a quantidade de informações armazenadas no formato digital tem crescido de forma exponencial, levando à necessidade cada vez maior de produção de ferramentas computacionais que auxiliem na geração do conhecimento a partir desses dados. A área de Aprendizado de Máquina fornece diversas técnicas capazes de identificar padrões nesses conjuntos de dados. Dentro dessas técnicas, este trabalho destaca o Aprendizado de Máquina Não Supervisionado onde o objetivo é classificar as entidades em clusters (grupos) mutuamente exclusivos baseados na similaridade entre as instâncias. Os clusters não são pré-definidos e daí o elemento não supervisionado. Organizar esses dados em clusters que façam sentido é uma das maneiras mais fundamentais de entendimento e aprendizado. A análise de clusters é o estudo dos métodos para agrupamento e se divide entre hierárquico e particional. A classificação hierárquica é uma sequência encadeada de partições enquanto que na particional há somente uma partição. O interesse deste trabalho são as técnicas baseadas em uma caminhada determinística parcialmente auto repulsiva conhecida como caminhada do turista. Partindo da hipótese de que é possível utilizar a caminhada do turista como uma técnica de Aprendizado de Máquina Não Supervisionado, foi implementado um algoritmo hierárquico baseado na caminhada do turista proposto por Campiteli et al. (2006). Foi avaliado, através de diferentes conjuntos de imagens médicas, como essa técnica se compara com técnicas hierárquicas tradicionais. Também é proposto um novo algoritmo de Aprendizado de Máquina Não Supervisionado particional baseado na caminhada do turista, chamado de Tourist Walk Partitional Clustering (TWPC). Os resultados mostraram que a técnica hierárquica baseada na caminhada do turista é capaz de identificar clusters em conjuntos de imagens médicas através de uma árvore que não impõe uma estrutura binária, com um número menor de hierarquias e uma invariabilidade à escala dos dados, resultando em uma estrutura mais organizada. Mesmo que a árvore não seja diretamente baseada nas distâncias dos dados, mas em um ranking de vizinhos, ela ainda preserva uma correlação entre suas distâncias cofenéticas e as distâncias reais entre os dados. O método particional proposto TWPC foi capaz de encontrar, de forma eficiente, formas arbitrárias de clusters com variações inter-cluster e intra-cluster. Além disso o algoritmo tem como vantagens: ser determinístico; funcionar com interações locais, sem a necessidade de conhecimento a priori de todos os itens do conjunto; incorporar o conceito de ruído e outlier; e funcionar com um ranking de vizinhos, que pode ser construído através de qualquer medida. / In the last decades, the amount of data stored in digital format has grown exponentially, leading to the increasing need to produce computational tools that help generate knowledge from these data. The Machine Learning field provides several techniques capable of identifying patterns in these data sets. Within these techniques we highlight the Unsupervised Machine Learning where the objective is to classify the entities in mutually exclusive clusters based on the similarity between the instances. Clusters are not predefined and hence the unsupervised element. Organizing this data into clusters that make sense is one of the most fundamental ways of understanding and learning. Cluster analysis is the study of methods for clustering and is divided between hierarchical and partitional. A hierarchical clustering is a sequence of partitions whereas in the partitional clustering there is only one partition. Here we are interested in techniques based on a deterministic partially self-avoiding walk, known as tourist walk. Based on the hypothesis that it is possible to use the tourist walk as an unsupervised machine learning technique, we have implemented a hierarchical algorithm based on the tourist walk proposed by Campiteli et al. (2006). We evaluate this algorithm using different sets of medical images and compare it with traditional hierarchical techniques. We also propose a new algorithm for partitional clustering based on the tourist talk, called Tourist Walk Partitional Clustering (TWPC). The results showed that the hierarchical technique based on the tourist walk is able to identify clusters in sets of medical images through a tree that does not impose a binary structure, with a smaller number of hierarchies and is invariable to scale transformation, resulting in a more organized structure. Even though the tree is not directly based on the distances of the data but on a ranking of neighbors, it still preserves a correlation between its cophenetic distances and the actual distances between the data. The proposed partitional clustering method TWPC was able to find, in an efficient way, arbitrary shapes of clusters with inter-cluster and intra-cluster variations. In addition, the algorithm has the following advantages: it is deterministic; it operates based on local interactions, without the need for a priori knowledge of all the items in the set; it is capable of incorporate the concept of noise and outlier; and work with a ranking of neighbors, which can be built through any measure.

Declines in amphibian populations have prompted study of their ecology and distribution. The purpose of this study was to survey two sites located within different physiographic and one herpetofaunal region of Northeast Tennessee, comparing species composition and activity. The first, Henderson Wetland, is in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley physiographic region. The second, John's Bog, is in the Blue Ridge. Survey methods included random walks, aural surveys, and point source collections during a 16-month period (February 1999 to May 2000). Nine caudate (Plethodontidae) and one anuran species (Ranidae) were found in John's Bog. Seven caudate (Ambystomatidae, Plethodontidae, Salamandridae) and five anuran species (Hylidae, Ranidae) were found in Henderson Wetland. Assemblages were compared using an index of community similarity. Sites differed regarding amphibians detected. Temporal activity was not compared because of different species compositions. Instead, temporal data were compared to literature. Data will be used in future amphibian studies and site management.

Heart failure is a progressive condition that affects over 5.7 million Americans and costs associated with heart failure account for 2-3 % of the national health care budget. The high rates of morbidity and mortality along with increased costs from readmissions associated with advanced heart failure have led to the exploration of advanced treatments such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). LVADS have demonstrated morbidity and mortality benefit but cost remains extensive with costs per quality-adjusted years > $400,000. With this in mind, it is important to identify those who are most likely to benefit from an LVAD to avoid unfavorable outcomes and cost. Although general guidelines and criteria for patient eligibility have been established, choosing patients for LVAD implantation remains challenging. A new focus on patient selection involves the presence of frailty. While frailty has been studied in the elderly population and in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, frailty in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) remains controversial. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine measures of frailty in patients undergoing LVAD implantation. The specific aims of this dissertation were to: (1) identify a feasible frailty measure in adults with end-stage heart failure who underwent LVAD implantation by testing the hypothesis that frailty would predict 30 day rehospitalization rates using Fried’s criteria, Short Physical Performance Battery test, handgrip strength, serum albumin and six minute walk test (2) Determine whether frailty measures improve 3 months post LVAD implantation (3) compare sensitivity of these three measures to change in frailty. Surgical approaches, including heart transplantation and LVAD implantation, for patients with end-stage heart failure was discussed in this dissertation. Data from two subsets of participants who underwent LVADS at the University of Kentucky between 2014 and 2017 were included in the analysis for this dissertation. In the first study, we found that none of the measures are good predictors of frailty in patients with advanced heart failure who undergo LVAD implantation. Handgrip was the only marker of frailty that predicted 30 day readmission but the relationship was a negative association. In the second study, six-minute walk and low serum albumin levels reflect short-term improvement in frailty. These simple measures may be used to determine those patients who are responsive to LVAD implantation. The findings of these studies filled some gaps in our understanding of markers of frailty in patients undergoing LVADs. We gained a better understanding of which markers of frailty are likely to improve in most people after LVAD implantation and thus frailty should not preclude candidate selection for an LVAD. Subsequently, more research is needed to investigate these markers and outcomes.

Those who hold multiple disadvantaged identities (i.e., women of color) are subject to inequalities that are not experienced by those who harbor privileged identities. Those with multi-disadvantaged identities have additive disadvantages due to holding multiple subordinate identities and as a result face many barriers. It is critical to recognize these differences in society by raising awareness of privilege. Previous studies have targeted privilege awareness, but have inconsistent findings. However, methods that incorporated experiential learning have shown promising results; an intervention that integrates experiential learning to target privilege may be effective in raising privilege awareness. The Privilege Walk exercise is an experiential learning activity intended to elicit awareness of privilege; it was utilized in this study, integrating racism and microaggressions of gender, race, and ethnicity. However, there are few assessment tools to effectively measure Privilege Walk interventions. In this study, we aim to develop initial Privilege Walk items that we anticipate will improve the effectiveness of the Privilege Walk. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore college students’ reactions to the Privilege Walk. This study will allow us to develop items in service of developing a measure that will be used as an assessment element of a larger study. Results revealed that the qualitative data captured participants’ awareness and beliefs in response to the Privilege Walk that helped researchers develop potential Privilege Walk items. Future studies should incorporate balancing gender, race, and ethnicity, develop items that are inclusive of intersectional identity experiences, and track participants’ movements during the activity.

We establish a strong connection between buildings and Hecke algebras through the study of two algebras of averaging operators on buildings. To each locally finite regular building we associate a natural algebra B of chamber set averaging operators, and when the building is affine we also define an algebra A of vertex set averaging operators. In the affine case, it is shown how the building gives rise to a combinatorial and geometric description of the Macdonald spherical functions, and of the centers of affine Hecke algebras. The algebra homomorphisms from A into the complex numbers are studied, and some associated spherical harmonic analysis is conducted. This generalises known results concerning spherical functions on groups of p-adic type. As an application of this spherical harmonic analysis we prove a local limit theorem for radial random walks on affine buildings.