VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Collaboration amongst institutions of higher learning, a case study

This case study examines a collaborative partnership between four postsecondary institutions providing university education to a region with a substantial population lacking access to university. This study is important as more institutions consider interinstitutional partnerships as a way of delivering their programs to regions not currently served. The study uses a model of collaboration, developed by Alter and Hage (1993)$\sp1$ to examine the factors that encouraged these four institutions to collaborate, the form the collaboration took, the influences determining the structure and operations, and the success of the collaboration as determined through the perceptions of the administrators, along with the degree of conflict and how it was handled. Data were gathered through interviews of key individuals from the participating institutions, and content analysis of key documents--letters, memos, minutes of meetings, reports, and notes--of the official files of the partnership, and the files of the coordinator. Key findings on the decision to collaborate include: (1) willingness to collaborate, and a need to bring different expertise are major influences; (2) shared risk and a need for financial resources, while present, tend to have a limiting effect on the partnership; (3) the most important influence was strong leadership with an attractive vision; (4) the combination of these factors influenced the type of partnership and the extent of collaboration achieved. Key findings related to structure and operations include: (1) vertical resource dependency, while not necessarily limiting autonomy, does increase uncertainty unless a mechanism is in place to fund these types of partnerships; (2) resource dependency and uncertainty encourage institutions to retain key decisions within the parent institutions (lack of centrality), making it more difficult for the partnership to respond to local needs; (3) high levels of administrative coordination are required to ensure that goals are met and conflict reduced; (4) lack of centrality discourages task integration, despite the cost savings that might be possible; (5) leadership is a key variable influencing the methods of administrative coordination, keeping conflict at a healthy level, and influencing perceptions of success. ftn$\sp1$Alter, C. & Hage, J. (1993). Organizations Working Together. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Genetic variation in the bioactivation of arylamine procarcinogens in bladder cancer

The cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP1A2, prostaglandin H synthase (PHS) and the arylamine N-acetyltransferases NAT1 and NAT2 may play important roles in determining the extent to which procarcinogenic arylamines are bioactivated to DNA-binding metabolites. It has been suggested that individuals with elevated CYP1A2 activity may be at increased risk for bladder cancer. Epidemiological studies have linked slow acetylation by NAT2 to an increased risk for bladder cancer. NAT1, on the other hand, has its own patterns of variation, and also efficiently biotransforms arylamine procarcinogens as does PHS which is expressed at significant levels in bladder. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) whether variations in CYP1A2, NAT1 and NAT2 activities are correlated with an altered bladder cancer risk; (2) whether specific NAT1 or NAT2 allelic variants are associated with increased cancer susceptibility, and; (3) the levels of CYP1A2, NAT1, NAT2 and PHS in bladder epithelium, since local bioactivation may be important in the tissue-selective toxicity of arylamine procarcinogens. We undertook a prospective, case-control study of 53 patients with transitional cell carcinoma and 96 matched control subjects to compare CYP1A2, NAT1 and NAT2 activities. Subjects were administered the probe drugs caffeine (to determine CYP1A2 and NAT2 activity) and p-aminosalicylic acid (to determine NAT1 activity). Genomic DNA was isolated for NAT1 and NAT2 genotyping tests. Normal bladder epithelium biopsies from the cancer patients were analyzed for activities of these enzymes and that of PHS. We found no differences in NAT1, NAT2 or CYP1A2 activity between the patients and controls, nor in the allelic frequencies of the NAT1 gene. Although the NAT2 slow acetylator genotypes NAT2*5B/5B and NAT2*5B/6A showed different frequencies between the patients and controls, neither was associated with an altered NAT2 phenotype. In vitro enzyme activity measurements in human bladder indicated that NAT1 and PHS were present at significant levels, NAT2 was considerably less abundant and CYP1A2 was undetectable. These results imply that (1) variations in CYP1A2, NAT1 and NAT2 activities are not strong risk factors for bladder cancer, and; (2) NAT1, NAT2 and PHS present in the bladder could play a role in local arylamine bioactivation.
Developing self, women's process in ending an abusive relationship

Five women who had recently ended an abusive relationship with a male partner collaborated with the researcher in an exploration of the psychological and emotional process involved in that experience. The study's purpose was to increase knowledge and understanding of significant dimensions facilitating these women in moving toward, and ultimately ending the relationship. Hearing the perspectives of women who have ended abusive relationships offers an opportunity for others to learn from their experienced knowledge and understandings. As the research approach was heuristic in nature, the researcher's experience and intuitive knowledge guided the exploration and analysis of the women's process. Three semi-structured, open-ended interviews were carried out with each co-researcher. Using a collaborative research approach provided co-researchers, who had recently emerged from disempowering relationships, with a relational experience that valued their unique contributions to current knowledge. A key element in this methodology was co-researchers' involvement in reading interview transcripts and engaging with the researcher in reflective analysis of their experiences. Co-researchers experienced the research process itself as meaningful and influential in facilitating their self-development. This outcome indicates an integration of research and clinical realms in important ways. Two levels of analysis and synthesis of interview data employed rigorous procedures, and resulted in the presentation of findings in two formats. Individual narratives in co-researchers' own words, present holistic and moving accounts of their experiences. The interpretive and conceptual representations of co-researchers' experiences identify significant themes and dimensions, as well as provide a unique conceptualization of the women's ending process within a developmental framework. Representation of co-researchers' experience in alternate formats allows for the reader to know, understand, and connect with the women's experiences in different ways. Important concepts employed in this conceptualization include: re/connection with self, connection with others, empowerment to act for self, and, the relationship-with-self. The developing relationship-with-self is viewed as fundamental and pivotal in the women's process of ending the relationship. In offering an alternate way of conceptualizing and understanding women's process in ending an abusive relationship, these findings have implications in clinical and theoretical realms.
CDA, computation decomposition and alignment

Restructuring compilers have been effective in tailoring nested loops and arrays as as to improve performance on both uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems. The regular structure of nested loops and arrays has enabled their systematic analysis and transformation. The focus of this dissertation is a new and generalized loop transformation framework, called Computation Decomposition and Alignment (CDA). The linear loop transformation framework introduced in 1990 was a major breakthrough, partly because it provided a unified view of many of the earlier loop transformations, and partly because it was a formal method based on linear algebra. Since then, the compiler community has designed algorithms which automatically derive linear transformations that achieve specific optimization objectives in given nested loops. The framework also sparked the development of generic techniques to derive efficient code for the linearly transformed loop structures. The main contribution of this dissertation is the CDA transformation framework, which is capable of restructuring nested loops at the granularity of statements and subexpressions. The granularity of transformation is thus finer than in the linear loop transformation framework, which transforms nested loops at the granularity of entire iterations. A CDA transformation is applied to a nested loop in two steps. First, the loop iteration space is decomposed into multiple computation spaces, each representing computations of a statement or a subexpression. Second, each of the computation spaces is linearly transformed with a (possibly) different transformation matrix. CDA unifies into a single framework many existing transformations including all linear loop transformations. A linear loop transformation only modifies the execution order of the iterations, while a CDA transformation modifies both the composition of the iterations and the execution order of the re-composed iterations. This feature enables new optimizations which cannot be obtained by linear loop transformations alone. In this thesis, we show how CDA transformations can achieve the effect of certain global data transformations. We present heuristic algorithms to automatically derive CDA transformations to reduce (i) the number of cache conflicts and (ii) the number of ownership tests, and we show how CDA can achieve several other optimizations. We also compare the performance of some benchmark loops to the corresponding CDA transformed loops using a simulator and three different types of real computer systems.
Towards spectral synthesis, field expansions for partial functions and logic modules for FPGAs

Spectral methods have long been contemplated for use in the analysis and synthesis of logic functions, but their applicability in CAD tools became possible only with the introduction of modern graph-based representations. There remain several problems in using the spectral methods for practical applications. In this dissertation, we give new results on one problem, that of handling the partial, or incompletely specified functions. We concentrate on the field expansions, which generalize Reed-Muller transform to multiple-valued logic domain, and on the related forms. The case of the incompletely specified functions is studied here using the methods of multivariate polynomial interpolation. Several new methods are developed, based on the sparsity of the function, complexity of the algorithm and the representation of the forms used. We present a polynomial time deterministic interpolation algorithm, which includes the decomposition of the problem into possibly many smaller problems. Some of the immediate applications of the interpolation algorithm are presented as well. The second part of the thesis examines the design of Universal Logic Modules, intended for use in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). We give an outline of a method for achieving optimal architectures with respect to the encoding length of the functions that are to be realized with such logic blocks. The proposed class of blocks is of special interest in reconfigurable logic applications of FPGAs.
Sustaining energy for caring, the experience of mothers who are nurses

This heuristic research explores how mothers who are nurses sustain energy for caring in relationships with their children, their clients/patients, and themselves. Sustaining energy is proposed as a preventive antidote to burnout. The data revealed that the creative synthesis for the experience of sustaining energy for caring is the experience of "becoming aware of harmonies" in the four patterns of renewal, hope, contradictions, and sharing. Nine mothers who are nurses participated in the study. The triangulated methodology included personal interviews in the participants/co-researchers' homes, two focus groups in the researcher's home, and telephone follow-up interviews. A third focus group session was held two years later, to discuss the preliminary research findings. Patterns of Renewal, Patterns of Hope, and Patterns of Contradictions identify how the flow of energy is maintained in multiple role carers. Themes of feelings, spirituality, and personal sacrifice form the central findings in these three patterns. Energy for caring is sustained through a balanced process of both maintaining an incoming flow of energy and challenging the outgoing flow of energy in the lives of mothers who are nurses. Implications for mothers who are nurses, the profession of nursing, and the consumers of health care are discussed. In Patterns of Sharing, participants reveal renewing themes of contributing, findings suggest that the research process was a replenishing experience for the women participants. The study process and findings both contribute to the knowledge base in adult education. The study includes an exploration of the researcher's experience transforming the research findings into a small quilt. Transforming research into art has the potential to facilitate the dissemination of research to adult learners.
An economic analysis of private label supply in the grocery industry

With private labels growing in many grocery markets, manufacturers of national brands often find themselves in a dilemma. Private labels' gains are largely at the expense of national brands, with the result that manufacturers can have idle capacity due to stagnating sales. Retailers, for their part, are paying increasing attention to product quality as they develop premium private labels in an attempt to build store loyalty. Supplying retailers' private labels can be attractive for national brand manufacturers. However, there are substantial risks: the manufacturer may end up substituting low-margin private label supply for more profitable national brand sales. As a result, some manufacturers are extremely reluctant to consider the idea. The attractions of private label supply include the prospect of overall gains in sales volume, the ability to segment the market and deterrence of competitive supply. The drawbacks, on the other hand, can include loss of margin, the possibility of starting off a price war and production inefficiencies. This dissertation proposes a dominant-firm model which predicts the conditions under which a manufacturer will supply a retailer's private label. While the linear-demand basis of the model is inherently simple, it is rich in insights about the considerations facing manufacturers in contemplating private label supply. The model is applied to a case study of a grocery products firm. An econometric model is developed to develop demand functions and separate parameters are estimated to reflect heterogeneity among consumers and nonstationarity in consumption. The parameters are entered into a spreadsheet version of the theoretical model and results derived for this particular firm. The spreadsheet model is used to analyze how the profitability of private label supply changes in a variety of real-world scenarios. It is found that private label supply is unprofitable for this firm, primarily because the competitive fringe keeps prices and profit margins low. However, this result is very sensitive to changes in private label costs. By contrast, changes in national brand costs or in the competing dominant firm's strategy have little impact on the profitability of private label supply for this manufacturer.
Aeolian Vibration of a Conductor with a Stockbridge-type Damper

An iterative finite-difference scheme is derived to predict the vertical, steady-state, monofrequent, aeolian vibration of a single conductor span with a Stockbridge-type damper attached. This numerical scheme is based on empirical models developed to represent the vortex-induced lift force from the wind as well as the forces of dissipation associated with the conductor self-damping and the damper. The scheme has the capability to account for more than one spatial mode of conductor vibration, travelling-wave effects, conductor flexural rigidity, and damper mass. Experimental data on the energy-dissipation characteristics of a sample Stockbridge-type damper are generated by means of the forced response method. Damper nonlinearities and inadvertent phase shifting are identified as important factors in the measurement of the energy dissipated by the damper. Furthermore, it is shown that the magnitude of the fundamental component of the damping force exerted by the Stockbridge-type damper is a nonlinear function of not only the frequency of vibration, but also the displacement amplitude of the damper clamp. A two-part numerical analysis is performed in which the aforementioned finite-difference scheme is applied to simulate the vertical, steady-state, monofrequent, aeolian vibrations of a typical conductor with and without the sample damper. The computed results are employed to investigate (a) the steady-state form of conductor vibration, (b) the maximum conductor displacement and conductor bending amplitudes near each span end as a function of the vibration frequency and damper location, and (c) the influence of conductor flexural rigidity and damper mass. In addition, results from the finite-difference scheme are compared with solutions from the widely used energy balance method as well as experimental data on conductor vibrations.
Origins of shear strength of polymers and reinforced polymers

In tests on neat polymers, it was shown that for most of the polymers, the tensile strength was approximately the same as the shear strength measured by the punch test. Classical shear sliding off failure appeared to be rare, and instead most of the polymers seemed to be failing in tension. The polymers giving anomalous results were brittle ones with failures governed by flaw statistics. With carbon-epoxy pultrusions, the composite was always stronger than the matrix for both the 0$\sp\circ$ and 90$\sp\circ$ shear fracture modes, and the 0$\sp\circ$ strength was always higher than the 90$\sp\circ$ strength. On plots of composite vs matrix shear strengths, y-intercepts ranged from 5 to 60 MPa. The standard deviation of the fibre volume fraction (V$\sb{\rm f})$ distribution was highest in pultrusions having V$\sb{\rm f}$ = 0.4. Fibre touching and clustering were more prevalent at high V$\sb{\rm f}.$ The standard deviation of the misalignment angle distribution was lowest at V$\sb{\rm f}$ = 0.2. The surface roughness increased with V$\sb{\rm f}$ while the normalised lengths of the profile perimeters ranged from 1.3 to 1.6. Fibre tensioning improved fibre alignment and packing uniformity and reduced fibre touching. It also reduced the 90$\sp\circ$ composite shear strength. 90$\sp\circ$ shear fracture surfaces consisted of rows of shear hackles, scallops, clean fibres, broken fibres and fibre imprints. Fibre pull-outs and mode I fracture were evident on the fracture surfaces tested at high temperatures. The broken fibre density on the fracture surfaces increased linearly with fibre volume fraction. The estimated contribution to the composite shear strength due to the broken fibres was higher at 120$\sp\circ$C than at 25$\sp\circ$C. This is probably because there was more fibre pull out at elevated temperatures. The presence of residual stress partially explained the reduced shear strength of composites made with tensioned fibres. A model was developed to explain why the parallel composite shear strength can be higher than the matrix strength. The contribution from the matrix shear strength, the interfacial shear strength and the mesostructural effects of fibres crossing the shear crack plane were included. The predicted strengths were in good agreement with the experimental results.
Development of a learning disabilities screening test for adults, 1993-1997

This thesis describes two related studies devoted to developing and establishing the validity of a learning disabilities screening test for adults. In the first study a questionnaire was constructed based on a literature review and input from adults known to have learning disabilities. It was administered to 150 college and university students, and adults referred to a psychoeducational clinic for assessment or treatment related to learning disabilities. Factor analysis supported a one-factor model which included items related to eight indicators of learning disabilities: organizational skills deficits, poor impulse control, low self-esteem, social skills deficits, language processing deficits, reading disabilities, arithmetic disabilities, and memory deficits. The purpose of the second study was to assess the reliability and validity of the learning disabilities screen. The screen was administered to 82 participants representing a clinic sample of individuals with learning disabilities and a comparison group of unemployed individuals without learning disabilities, a sample of college students with learning disabilities and a comparison group of college students without learning disabilities, and a sample of university students with learning disabilities and a comparison group of university students without learning disabilities. Scores on the learning disabilities screening test were compared with scores on psychometric tests traditionally used in the assessment of learning disabilities. The results indicated that the learning disabilities screening test does have internal consistency and good test-retest reliability, as well as criterion validity. There was a significant difference in the screen scores between those with and without learning disabilities in the three groups studied: Clinic; College; and University. Cross tabulation categorical analyses were conducted to establish the best cut-off score on the learning disabilities screening test for predicting whether individuals have learning disabilities. Overall, a cut-off score of 4 out of a possible score of 11 was found to produce the least false negatives and false positives. No differences were found in scores on the learning disabilities screen between learning disabilities subgroups of adults with reading disabilities only, arithmetic disabilities only, or reading and arithmetic disabilities. The learning disabilities screening test developed herein may be effective as an instrument to identify adults who are at risk for learning disabilities and should be referred for psychoeducational assessments.