The determination of crystal structure by means of X-rays

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

A Seasonal Analysis of Extreme Precipitation Trends in the Contiguous United States

The purpose of this paper is to examine extreme precipitation trends in the United States. The National Climate Assessment estimated that average precipitation in the United States has increased in the last 100 years, with variation occurring regionally. Some regions have experienced larger increases in average precipitation, while others have experienced decreases. However, this aggregate increase in average precipitation does not necessarily indicate an analogous trend in extreme precipitation. Statistically, average and extreme values are nearly independent. In this paper, a changepoint technique and extreme value statistical models will be used for estimation of trend and its uncertainty. A changepoint occurs when a station makes a change in location, equipment, etc., and can cause data to appear as if there has been a sudden, inexplicable shift in extreme precipitation. These shifts are attributed to changepoints. However, good records of when and where these changepoints occur are not always kept. Consequently, this paper will use changepoint estimation techniques in order to produce more accurate trend estimation for extreme precipitation

Vaksinemotstand i sosiale medier : en retorisk analyse av multimodale innlegg i norske antivaksineforum

Bakgrunn Antivaksinebevegelsen har i de siste årene økt i omfang og er i dag en alvorlig trussel mot folkehelsen og arbeidet med å utrydde smittsomme sykdommer. Desinformasjon om vaksiner spres i sosiale medier, i stor grad gjennom multimodal kommunikasjon. I lys av dette er det avgjørende å forstå hvordan multimodalkommunikasjon fungerer, appellerer og overbeviser sine mottakere. Problemstilling Problemsstillingen denne studien søker å finne svar på er derfor hvordan vaksinemotstand kommuniseres i sosiale medier i en norsk kontekst. Underproblemstillingen som benyttes for å belyse hovedproblemstillingen tar for seg hva som kjennetegner innleggene i de utvalgte forumene, hvordan de multimodale innleggene appellerer via etos, logos og patos, og hva slags retoriske virkemidler som er fremtredende i det visuelle bildet. Metode For å besvare oppgavens problemstilling tar studien utgangspunkt i en retorisk analyse av multimodale innlegg i tre ulike norske antivaksineforum på henholdsvis Facebook og Instagram. Retorisk analyse brukes for å avdekke appellformer og retoriske virkemidler som benyttes i saken mot vaksiner. Utgangspunktet for studiet er multimodale innlegg, med særlig vekt på memer publisert i tre norske forumer i tidsperioden 2010-2021. Som retorisk-teoretisk rammeverk benyttes hovedsakelig Jens A. Kjeldsens «Retorikk i vår tid». Funn Studien finner overordnet at det som kjennetegner kommunikasjonen av antivaksinemotstand i sosiale medier særlig er vedvarende bruk av retoriske strategier forankret i etos, patos og logos fremfor vitenskapelig oppdrevet informasjon.M-FO

Bærekraft i handel med fersk laks og torsk mellom Norge og Frankrike En studie av tiltak og holdninger til bærekraft blant norske eksportører og franske importører

Målet med denne undersøkelsen var å finne ut hvorfor bærekrafttiltak innføres, og hvordan bærekraft operasjonaliseres og samsvarer mellom norske eksportører og franske importører av fersk laks og torsk. I tillegg undersøker oppgaven likheter i utfordringene norsk eksportører og franske importører av fersk laks og torsk har med å innføre bærekrafttiltak. En tematisk analyse av intervju med 14 eksportører, importører og eksperter resulterte i to felles tema for hvorfor bærekrafttiltak gjennomføres hos eksportører og importører: For å bygge omdømme og for å møte krav, og i ett tredje tema for hvorfor bærekrafttiltak innføres hos importører: Kostnadseffektivisering. Dette temaet kan være tvetydig (se kapittel 6.1.3), og mer forskning må til for å bekrefte hvorvidt dette temaet burde ansees som relevant eller ikke. Det ble funnet at bærekraft kunne bli operasjonalisert av eksportører med innkjøp av bærekraftsertifisert laks og torsk, fremsnakk av bærekrafttiltak i bedriften ovenfor kunder, valg av transportrute og med bruk av ressurser i firmaet, slik som å følge en code of conduct. Hos importører ble det funnet at bærekraft kunne bli operasjonalisert med innkjøp etter sesong, av bærekraftsertifisert torsk og noe laks, av oppdrettet torsk og ved miljøtiltak i bedriften innen bearbeiding og logistikk, slik som å sortere avfall. Operasjonaliseringen av tiltak innebar dermed ikke samme tiltak hos eksportører og importører, sett bort fra innkjøp av MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)-sertifisert fisk. Eksportørene og importørene møtte på flere og ulike utfordringer mot å gjennomføre bærekrafttiltak. En felles utfordring var å møte en prissensitiv kundemasse. Resultatene fra dette prosjektet viser dermed at det er forskjeller i hvordan bærekraft oppfattes hos norske importører og franske importører. I fremtidig forskning kan det være interessant å utforske mer rundt hvordan eksportør og importørleddet sitt forhold til bærekraft er

Crisis and Responses: the Politics of the Social Sciences in the United States (1980-1982)

After several decades in which the United States government increased its financial support for social science research, social scientists in the US were confronted in the early 1980s with an attempt, by a newly elected President, to significantly reduce governmental funding for their research. Within weeks of Ronald Reagan’s election in late 1980, members of his transition team identified social science research budgets as a target for significant cuts in their new program of financial auste..

Parenteral Nutrition in Advanced Cancer: The Healthcare Providers’ Perspective

Introduction: The evidence base for parenteral nutrition (PN) in advanced cancer patients is limited. We studied healthcare providers’ (HCPs’) experiences with PN in cancer patients, focusing on perceived treatment benefits and challenges. Methods: An 18-item online survey was emailed to HCPs attending one of three regional palliative care seminars held within a 6-month period. The survey included single-response items, multiple-response items, and free text boxes concerning PN. Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic content analysis were applied. Results: One hundred and two seminar participants completed the survey. Ninety-three percent were female, 86% were nurses/oncological nurses, and 80% worked in primary care. Respondents reported a well-functioning collaboration across levels of care. They perceived that PN may increase the patients’ level of energy, improve the general condition, and reduce eating-related distress. On the downside, HCPs observed burdensome side effects, that the treatment was resource-demanding, and that decisions on PN withdrawal were difficult. Conclusion: The study results are based on the perspectives of more than 100 HCPs with comprehensive clinical experience with PN. Their knowledge represents an important experience base for improvement of healthcare services and advanced care planning.publishedVersio

Feasibility of a postpartum web- and phone-based lifestyle program for women with a history of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes : A pilot intervention study

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Effects of fat and/or methionine hydroxy analog added to a molasses-urea-based supplement on ruminal and postruminal digestion and duodenal flow of nutrients in beef steers consuming low-quality lovegrass hay

Five crossbred beef steers (initial BW = 338.6 ± 7.8 kg) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design experiment to evaluate the effects of methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) and/or yellow grease (fat) added to a molassesurea- based supplement on intake and characteristics of digestion. Steers were fed low-quality hay (long-stem lovegrass Eragrostis curvula: 3.3% CP, 76.8% NDF; DM basis) ad libitum and supplemented with 0.91 kg/d (as fed) of 1 of 4 supplements in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of treatments. Supplemental treatments were 1) control (no supplement, NC); 2) molassesurea liquid supplement (U); 3) U containing (as-fed basis) 1.65% MHA (UM); 4) U containing (as-fed basis) 12% fat (UF); and 5) U containing (as-fed basis) 1.65% MHA and 12% fat (UMF). Total and forage OM intake (kg/d and as % of BW) increased (P \u3c 0.01) with molasses-urea, decreased (P ≤ 0.04) with MHA, and were not affected (P = 0.61) with fat supplementation. Total tract NDF digestibility increased (P = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation, and was less (P = 0.01) for fat than for nonfat supplementation. Total and microbial N flowing to the duodenum increased (P = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation. Although, total N flowing to duodenum was not affected (P = 0.27), microbial N decreased (P = 0.01), and nonammonia nonmicrobial N (NANMN) increased (P = 0.01) with fat supplementation. Extent of in situ OM and NDF digestibility at 96 h increased (P = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation, but were not affected (P ≥ 0.14) by either MHA or fat supplementation. Duodenal flow of total AA, essential AA, and nonessential AA increased (P ≤ 0.02) with molasses-urea supplementation. Total and nonessential serum AA concentration decreased (P \u3c 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation. Total ruminal VFA concentration increased (P = 0.01) with molasses-urea supplementation, and was not affected (P ≥ 0.14) by MHA or fat supplementation. Fat can be used in molasses-urea liquid supplements for cattle consuming low-quality forage to increase energy intake without negatively affecting forage intake or characteristics of digestion. However, adding MHA did not further improve the response to urea supplementation of cattle consuming low-quality forage. Conversely, the inclusion of MHA on urea supplement decreased forage intake

Development of the EORTC QLQ-CAX24, a questionnaire for cancer patients with cachexia

Context Cachexia is commonly found in cancer patients and has profound consequences; yet there is only one questionnaire that examines the patient's perspective. Objective To report a rigorously developed module for patient self-reported impact of cancer cachexia. Methods Module development followed published guidelines. Patients from across the cancer cachexia trajectory were included. In Phase 1, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) issues were generated from a literature review and interviews with patients in four countries. The issues were revised based on patient and health care professional (HCP) input. In Phase 2, questionnaire items were formulated and translated into the languages required for Phase 3, the pilot phase, in which patients from eight countries scored the relevance and importance of each item, and provided qualitative feedback. Results A total of 39 patients and 12 HCPs took part in Phase 1. The literature review produced 68 HRQOL issues, with 22 new issues arising from the patient interviews. After patient and HCP input, 44 issues were formulated into questionnaire items in Phase 2. One hundred ten patients took part in Phase 3. One item was reworded, and 20 items were deleted as a consequence of patient feedback. Conclusions The QLQ-CAX24 is a cancer cachexia-specific questionnaire, comprising 24 items, for HRQOL assessment in clinical trials and practice. It contains five multi-item scales (food aversion, eating and weight-loss worry, eating difficulties, loss of control, and physical decline) and four single items