No / We report on a multiscale polymer-within-polymer structure of the cationic conjugated polyelectrolyte poly{[9,9-bis(6′-N,N,N-trimethylammonium)hexyl]fluorene–phenylene} (HTMA-PFP) in aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) sol. Molecular dynamics simulations and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data show that HTMA-PFP forms aggregates in water but becomes entangled by PVA (with a 1:1 molar ratio of HTMA-PFP to PVA) and eventually immersed in PVA clusters (with the ratio 1:4). This is attributed to the hydrophobic–hydrophilic balance. Contrast variation data with regular and deuterated PVA support a rigid body model, where HTMA-PFP is confined as locally isolated, but closely located, chains within PVA clusters, which alter correlation distances within the system. These results are supported by enhanced photoluminescence (PL) and ionic conductivity which, together with a red-shift in UV/vis absorption spectra, indicate the breakup of HTMA-PFP aggregates upon PVA addition.

När tillverkningsindustrier växer och behovet ökar, skapas ett kritiskt behov av att träna och instruera nya medarbetare för att möta de önskade kundkraven på kort tid. Trots det har företag svårt att veta vilken upplärningsmetod som är mest lämplig för att snabbt träna oerfaren personal till att arbeta produktivt. Upplärning är en process vars värde underskattas av företagen, och som därmed går miste om konkurrensfördelar som tillkommer vid en effektiv upplärning.  Syftet med fallstudien är att få en djupare förståelse för hur ett arbetssätt kan förkorta upplärningsprocessen för ny produktionspersonal och samtidigt säkerställa att arbetet utförs kvalitetssäkert. Författarna kommer att kartlägga den nuvarande upplärningsprocessen med hjälp av kvantitativa och kvalitativa metoder för att därefter analysera informationen och presentera ett förslag på ett framtida arbetssätt vid upplärning. Under studien har ett experiment genomförts för att testa ett arbetssätt för upplärning av ny produktionspersonal. Experimentet gav positiva effekter och tillsammans med analysen av data låg det som grund till förbättringsförslaget och viktiga förutsättningarna för en lyckad implementering.

Grid computing was born in the 1990s, when researchers were looking for a way to share expensive computing resources and experiment equipment. Grid computing is becoming increasingly popular because it promotes the sharing of distributed resources that may be heterogeneous in nature, and it enables scientists and engineering professionals to solve large scale computing problems. In reality, there are already huge numbers of grid computing facilities distributed around the world, each one having been created to serve a particular group of scientists such as weather forecasters, or a group of users such as stock markets. However, the need to extend the functionalities of current grid systems lends itself to the consideration of grid evolution. This allows the combination of many disjunct grids into a single powerful grid that can operate as one vast computational resource, as well as for grid environments to be flexible, to be able to change and to evolve. The rationale for grid evolution is the current rapid and increasing advances in both software and hardware. Evolution means adding or removing capabilities. This research defines grid evolution as adding new functions and/or equipment and removing unusable resources that affect the performance of some nodes. This thesis produces a new technique for grid evolution, allowing it to be seamless and to operate at run time. Within grid computing, evolution is an integration of software and hardware and can be of two distinct types, external and internal. Internal evolution occurs inside the grid boundary by migrating special resources such as application software from node to node inside the grid. While external evolution occurs between grids. This thesis develops a framework for grid evolution that insulates users from the complexities of grids. This framework has at its core a resource broker together with a grid monitor to cope with internal and external evolution, advance reservation, fault tolerance, the monitoring of the grid environment, increased resource utilisation and the high availability of grid resources. The starting point for the present framework of grid evolution is when the grid receives a job whose requirements do not exist on the required node which triggers grid evolution. If the grid has all the requirements scattered across its nodes, internal evolution enabling the grid to migrate the required resources to the required node in order to satisfy job requirements ensues, but if the grid does not have these resources, external evolution enables the grid either to collect them from other grids (permanent evolution) or to send the job to other grids for execution (just in time) evolution. Finally a simulation tool called (EVOSim) has been designed, developed and tested. It is written in Oracle 10g and has been used for the creation of four grids, each of which has a different setup including different nodes, application software, data and polices. Experiments were done by submitting jobs to the grid at run time, and then comparing the results and analysing the performance of those grids that use the approach of evolution with those that do not. The results of these experiments have demonstrated that these features significantly improve the performance of grid environments and provide excellent scheduling results, with a decreasing number of rejected jobs.

Within and Without is a document which illustrates my personal and artistic research into the nature of the postmodern conception of the self: that self is unfixed, multiple, and reactive. It explicates my myriad and explorative approaches to photographic portraiture. Furthermore, it indicates many of my theoretical and artistic references and how I have applied my lessons both as an artist and a researcher to maximize the effect of my concepts within the formal and aesthetic confines of my photographs. Finally, this document explains my own beliefs concerning the nature of self and how a synthesis of my influences has led me to these beliefs.

Les violences conjugales faites aux femmes demeurent l’un des plus grands scandales en matière d’usages, de coutumes et de droits humains. Ces travaux ont été réalisés en Iran, à Téhéran, en 2008, dans le cadre de centres médicaux, sur une population de femmes battues.Les hypothèses envisagent que les deux dimensions, tolérance et violence, sont associées de manière significative aux violences physiques, sexuelles, psychologiques et économiques, compte tenu de l'existence d'antécédents de violence dans la famille d’origine, du faible soutien social, du manque de soutien familial, de l' âge et du niveau socio-économique. Cette partie a permis d’établir une base conceptuelle pour organiser le matériel consulté et donner un sens aux résultats des recherches. Les résultats de notre recherche montrent :- Une relation significative et directe entre la violence, l’âge, la durée du couple, l’expérience de la maltraitance (antécédents familiaux), la pression ou l'influence familiale, le manque ou l’absence de soutien économique, l’inquiétude pour les enfants, l’habitude de la violence et la difficulté de vivre ;- une relation significative et inverse entre la violence et le niveau d’étude, l'absence de soutien social, l’attachement au mari et le comportement gênant de celui-ci ;- une absence de relation significative entre la violence et les variables suivantes : le niveau de salaire, la profession des femmes, le nombre d’enfants, le regard négatif porté par la société sur les femmes divorcées, le sentiment de culpabilité, l’espoir d’un changement d’attitude du mari et la mésestime de soi.- Autant de résultats, au moins pour ces derniers, qui ne laissent pas sans surprise / Violence towards a woman, within a married couple, is just unacceptable as regards ethics and Human Rights. This study about battered wives was carried out in various medical centers in Tehran, Iran, in 2008. Tolerance and violence are connected in a significant way with physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence and we have to take into account such elements as age, a history of violence in the family, a lack of social and family support and the social and economic background. We have thus set up a conceptual base to organize the collected information and to make sense with the conclusions of our research. These conclusions show:- A significant and direct link between violence, age, the number of years husband and wife have been living together, the history of violence in the family, the influence or the pressure of the family, the lack of economic support, the concern for the children, the habit of violence and the difficulty to live.- A significant and reverse link between violence and the level of ability, the lack of social support, the attachment to the husband and the husband’s wrong behavior.- No significant link between violence and the following variants : the level of income, the woman’s job, the number of children, the lack of social consideration for a divorced woman, the feeling of guilt, the hope for a change in the husband’s behavior and the lack of self-esteem.Such conclusions, and particularly the third one, are quite a surprise.

Master of Science / Biology / Alice Boyle / Dispersal is a behavior common to virtually all taxa with important consequences for gene flow, demography, and conservation. Mobile animals such as birds frequently engage in breeding dispersal, but the factors shaping this behavior are not well understood. In mid-continental grasslands, preliminary evidence suggested that Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) engaged in breeding dispersal within a single breeding season. This intriguing pattern shaped my research questions: (1) what are the patterns of within-season breeding dispersal in Grasshopper Sparrows? (2) why do some individual sparrows disperse, and others do not? and (3) what shapes settlement decisions following dispersal? I tested hypotheses based on spatial and temporal variation in nest predation, nest parasitism, and food availability. I studied Grasshopper Sparrows at 18 experimentally-managed watersheds with different fire and grazing regimes at Konza Prairie Biological Station during 2013-2015. To describe patterns, I combined re-sighting of 779 marked individuals, territory mapping, and radio-telemetry to quantify territory densities, turnover, and dispersal distances. To determine if nest predation or nest parasitism affected dispersal, I monitored the fate of 223 nests. I estimated food intake rates using plasma metabolites, and prey availability using sweep sampling. Densities of territorial Grasshopper Sparrows varied seasonally in management-specific ways. Turnover was remarkably high, with over half of territorial males being replaced each month. Over a third of males changed territories within-season, dispersing 0.1-9 km between breeding attempts. Dispersal decisions were related to past nest predation, but not nest parasitism. Dispersal likely yields fitness benefits, as sparrows that dispersed increased their chances of nest survival by 23% relative to site-faithful individuals. However, food availability did not affect settlement decisions. My study provides the first evidence of within-season breeding dispersal in Grasshopper Sparrows, and represents one of few tests of alternative hypotheses explaining dispersal decisions of songbirds. My results are consistent with a growing literature on the role of predation shaping dispersal, but suggest, somewhat surprisingly, that food is not important in post-dispersal habitat selection. High dispersal capacity coupled with adaptability to temporal and spatial change may be typical of grassland songbirds, implying that demographic studies and management decisions must consider their mobility for conservation.

This study tested dual-process decision-making models as predictors of between-person and within-person variation in risk-taking behavior. Additionally, the study integrated trait perspectives on self-control and impulsivity with decision-making processes to explain risk-taking. Participants were 580 college students ages 18 and older (M age = 20.45, range = 18 to 52 years). This study involved three parts. First, participants completed a survey assessing decision-making processes, self-control, impulsivity and risk-taking behavior. Second, a sub-set of participants completed laboratory-based measures of self-control and impulsivity. Third, participants completed a longitudinal online assessment of their risk-taking behavior. Dual-process models explained concurrent risk-taking, but only the reasoned decision-making process explained longitudinal risk-taking. The dual decision-making processes appear to operate through similar pathways, with components from each pathway exhibiting indirect effects through the other pathway. Impulsivity was linked to higher levels of risk-taking because of higher levels of behavioral intentions and willingness, whereas self-control was linked to lower levels of risk-taking because of lower levels of behavioral intentions. Between-person effects were as common as within-person effects, so future researchers are urged to consider decision-making processes averaged across forms of risk-taking and within each form of risk-taking. Altering decision-making pathways may be an effective way to intervene with individuals at high risk for engaging in risk-taking behavior.

Thesis advisor: Robert J. Starratt / A qualitative case study of three high schools was conducted to identify and profile school practices employed in educating a traditionally low-achieving subpopulation in northeast India. By the considerably higher than average retention and graduation rates among their students who come from indigenous tribal communities, these schools stand out as effective. The study was centered on the following research questions: 1) What were the teaching practices that characterize three high schools with successful records of graduating (upwards of 100%) indigenous Northeast India tribal students? 2) How were these successful schools affected by the school leadership? A body of related literature provided the theoretical rationale and informed the researcher in collecting data, doing analysis, and processing interpretation. The researcher reviewed specific categories of literature focused on the following: dropout influences, effective teaching practices, school leadership, indigenous tribal life contexts, spirituality, and worldview of the peoples of Northeast India. The findings indicated that these three schools with low dropout rates reflected authentic and effective teaching practices that were student-friendly and based on a coherent mix of various principles of learning, instructional strategies, classroom management, and the personal dedication of the teaching faculties. Furthermore, the schools tried to create an atmosphere of social connectedness and community, based on the values of the indigenous people of that area. The school leadership was proactive in an effort to sustain the sense of community through a variety of school activities and cooperation with parents. The researcher found that the ethos of the schools motivated students to focus on their studies in view of a better economic future. A contextualized pedagogy that took into account the background and learning styles of a wide variety of students helped the students to focus on their learning in the various academic disciplines. Pedagogical practices that promoted academic achievement in concert with indigenous values sustained the interest of the students and moved them to actively involve themselves in the life of the school. The leadership provided the necessary vision and direction to make the objectives and goals of the school understood and obtainable. The visible presence of the principal and his/her affirming interaction also helped to maintain the motivation of the community on all levels of operation. The findings of this research have implications for educational practice, policy, teacher preparation and school leadership in the context of rural India. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Teachers and schools both play important roles in students' education. Yet, the unique contribution of each to students' growth has rarely been explored. In this dissertation, a Bayesian multilevel model was applied in each of Grades 3 to 5, with students' growth estimated across three seasonal (fall, winter, spring) administrations of a mathematics assessment. Variance in students' within-year growth was then partitioned into student-, classroom-, and school-level components. The expected differences in students' growth between classrooms and schools were treated as indicators of the teacher or school "effect" on students' mathematics growth. Results provided evidence that meaningful differences in students' growth lies both between classrooms within schools, and between schools. The distribution of teacher effects between schools was also examined through the lens of access and equity with systematic sorting of teachers to schools leading to disproportional student access to classrooms where the average growth was above the norm. Further, previous research has documented persistent and compounding teacher effects over time. Systematic teacher sorting results in students' having differential probabilities of being enrolled in multiple "high" or "low" growth classrooms in a row. While clear evidence of teacher sorting was found, the demographic composition of schools did not relate to the sorting, contrary to previous research. The persistence of teacher and school effects was also examined from a previously unexplored angle by examining the effect of students' previous teacher(s) on their subsequent rate of within-year growth during the school year. These effects were found to be small and teacher effects overall were found to decay quite rapidly.

När en process innehåller variationer är riskerna stora att den producerar kvalitetsbrister och är ineffektiv. Variationer kan orsakas av att operatörer arbetar på olika sätt och därför tar det olika tid för operatörerna att slutföra uppgiften. Oftast finns det även variationer i att slutföra uppgiften för samma operatör.Fallstudien är utförd med syfte att skapa djupare förståelse hur en förbättrad upplärning kan förenkla hanteringen av interna och externa variationer. Detta genom att utforma TWI-JI på en monteringsprocess.Genom att observera, intervjua och föra tidsstudier på fallföretaget togs en nulägesanalys fram. Genom att analysera den teoretiska samt empiriska data noggrant har de positiva effekterna av en implementering av en förbättrad upplärning tagits fram och diskuterats.