Visualising General Relativity

A numerical raytracer is developed for determining the optical appearance of distant objects in the curved spactimes of General Relativity. This raytracer employs the GRworkbench software to directly integrate the geodesic equation for light, using general techniques that could be applied to any asymptotically flat spacetime solution. The raytracer is used to investigate the appearance of the celestial sky around Kerr-Newman black holes with arbitrary electric charge and angular momentum. The results of this raytracer are compared with previous literature concerning the uncharged static Schwarzschild black hole geometry

Dissecting the spatial structure of overlapping transcription in budding yeast

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-102).This thesis presents a computational and algorithmic method for the analysis of high-resolution transcription data in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We begin by describing a computational system for storing and retrieving spatially-mapped genomic data. This system forms the infrastructure for a novel algorithmic approach to detect and recover instances of same-strand overlapping transcripts in high resolution expression experiments. We then apply these algorithms to a set of transcription experiments in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in order to identify potential sites of same-strand overlapping transcripts that may be involved in novel forms of transcriptional regulation.by Timothy Danford.Ph.D

The structure of a working catalyst ; from flat surfaces to nanoparticles

Catalysis is the working horse of the chemical industry. In many cases, it is a poorly understood process taking place at the surfaces of nanoparticles under relatively harsh conditions, such as high pressures and high temperatures. This thesis focuses on new approaches to acquire atomic-scale information on catalytic processes on metal nanoparticles in high-pressure, high-temperature conditions. This thesis starts with a comprehensive approach to the development of novel instruments and methods for in-situ experiments on model catalysts under working conditions. We introduce the ReactorAFM, the world’s first high-pressure, high-temperature non-contact Atomic Force Microscope, and two software packages for data analysis. Next, we have applied several in-situ measurement techniques to study catalytic model systems at atmospheric pressures and elevated temperatures. We describe a study of the interaction of gas mixtures of nitric oxide and hydrogen on the Pt(110) surface, using surface X-ray diffraction. In the next chapter, we used similar mixtures but with a Pt nanoparticle model catalyst in a high-pressure reaction cell in a transmission electron microscope. Lastly, we have applied four in-situ techniques, including our new ReactorAFM, to investigate the role of thin oxide shells in spontaneous reaction oscillations on Pd nanoparticles during the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxideQuantum Matter and Optic

Bank efficiency estimation:methodology and the problem of adequation

Die Bankeffizienzliteratur bedient sich traditionell hochentwickelter ökonometrischer Methoden. Zumeist ist es das Ziel, mikroökonomisch fundierte Kostenfunktionen für den Bankensektor auf der Basis von Bilanzdaten zu schätzen. Diese Funktionen dienen dann als Bezugsgröße, an denen sich der Erfolg einzelner Unternehmen zu messen hat. Die Ergebnisse empirischer Studien werden daher unmittelbar determiniert von der jeweiligen Wahl und Operationalisierung der Input- und Outputfaktoren eines unterstellten Produktionsprozesses in Banken. Vor dem Hintergrund der Statistischen Adäquation diskutieren wir die unterschiedlichen Ansätze, die wir dazu in der Literatur finden. Da letztendlich die Abweichung vom Kostenziel nicht nur auf Entscheidungen des Managements zurückzuführen ist, sondern auch auf zufällige Störfaktoren, wird die Effizienzermittlung auch von bestimmten technischen Verteilungsannahmen beeinflußt, deren jeweilige Auswirkungen wir in alternativen Szenarien prüfen

'Bushcraft' and 'Indigenous Knowledge': transformations of a concept in the modern world

The relationship between 'bushcraft' and 'indigenous knowledge' is investigated through a historical review, an examination of ethnographic literature, fieldwork amongst bushcraft practitioners, and through original case studies. Fieldwork was carried out in Sweden, the USA, and the UK. Case studies of the Saami 'kuksa', the 'figure 4' deadfall trap, and making fire by friction are used to explore a number of themes in the contemporary bushcraft world: the role of skilled-practice, ethical values, notions of an individually experienced connection with nature, practice as a personal transformative experience, and as an intersubjective relationship between practitioner and craft engagement with the material affordances in the landscape. It is argued that motivations for practice foreground a relationship with an environmental experience that counters 'alienation' through the development of techniques required to spend un-insulated time in nature which counter modern Western technocratic lifestyles. Bushcraft destabilises apparently similar categories of activity, particularly tourism, outdoor adventure recreation and education, historical re-enactment and survivalism

Nutrition Support for Athletic Performance

Athletes and their support personnel are constantly seeking evidence-informed recommendations to enhance athletic performance during competition and to optimize training-induced adaptations. Accordingly, nutritional and supplementation strategies are commonplace when seeking to achieve these aims, with such practices being implemented before, during, or after competition and/or training in a periodized manner. Performance nutrition is becoming increasingly specialized and needs to consider the diversity of athletes and the nature of the competitions. This Special Issue, Nutrition Support for Athletic Performance, describes recent advances in these areas

An enquiry into the value of work experience as part of a career education programme for grade 11 pupils in a co-educational high school.

Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.This study focused on the responses of the main role players in a Work Experience Programme which is offered as a component of Grade 11 Career Education at Hillcrest High School. The aim was to describe, evaluate and optimise the programme. The theory and literature on career development and work experience was reviewed in order to establish what programmes, methods and approaches are currently being used internationally and in South Africa. Issues related to work experience were explored with a view to evaluate whether the programme undertaken could enhance the career decision making of Grade 11 pupils. A qualitative, participatory research method was applied. The action research design chosen enabled the researcher to collect data over a period of eight months while interacting 'with her subjects as their teacher counsellor. The design, application, analysis of findings and limitations of the research study are described and recorded. The findings indicated that the programme was regarded as a positive experience by the majority of pupils. It was possible to make recommendations from the findings for wider application of such a programme