There have been many predictions about what the future could be. Films such as, “1984”, “Brazil”, and “Blade Runner” as well as books like William Gibson’s fantasy novel “Neuromancer” are but a few examples of such vision. Unfortunately, all have envisioned the future as a cold bleak place where architecture is but a machine and lost people live in sterile environments with no contact with the outside world. Is this what we really believe the future to be? Are we victims of technology of do we control our own fate? / Master of Architecture

The thesis project studies the spatial relationships between Eve towers and the space they enclose. / Master of Architecture

Conduct Disorder (CD) is one of the most frequently occurring childhood behavior disorders. A state wide survey of elementary school counselors was conducted concerning the services provided to these students. Elementary school counselors were asked to identify peers to be interviewed (six) who are more effective than usual in providing these services. The study found: 1) Students with CD comprise about 2% of the populations of respondent schools. 2) On average, respondents devote 19% of their work time to students with CD. Almost all feel somewhat or highly frustrated in providing services to students with CD; rate themselves as only somewhat or not very effective in providing these services, and less effective with students with CD than with other populations. 3) Respondents identified the number one need as further training for themselves specific to providing services to students with CD, and rated their graduate training for this work negatively. 4) Seventeen percent of respondent schools receive no services for students with CD from outside agencies, and most rated the services negatively. The six interviewees contributed: 1) Creative and unique services for students with CD are often required for success, such as a whole class treatment for a class containing two students with-CD like behaviors and a teacher mentoring program for students with CD. 2) While there was no consensus among interviewees for a most effective service activity, they tended to name indirect services such as developing and coordinating behavior modification plans and teacher mentoring programs as the most important part of treatment programs. Individual counseling was rarely named as the most important aspectof treatment programs, but was described as important for providing an understanding of the student that allows for effective customizing of the behavior modification plan, and developing a therapeutic relationship that allows credibility for counselor guidance in times of crisis or opportunity for these students. Recommendations to improve the status of services to students with CD by their elementary school counselors were made for counselor educators, administrators of school counselors, non-school agencies, and elementary school counselors. Further research recommendations are also made. / Doctor of Philosophy

The attachment and detachment of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A to Buna-N rubber and stainless steel under varying conditions of temperature and pH were investigated. Numbers of attached cells increased with increasing attachment temperatures (10° to 45°C) and time (up to 120 min) for both Buna-N rubber and stainless steel. Cells attached at higher levels on stainless steel at all temperature and pH levels investigated. Rate of attachment was found to be significantly lower at 10°C than 30° and 45°C on Buna-N rubber. When L. monocytogenes was grown at 10°, 30°, and 42°C before exposure to Buna-N rubber at 30°C, differences in rates of adhesion were not significant. A downward shift in the cell suspension holding temperature immediately prior to attachment to Buna-N rubber at 10°C resulted in reduced adhered cell populations. A similar upward shift did not affect attachment at 45°C. Altering the pH of the attachment environment within the pH range of 4 to 9 did not affect the maximum levels of attached cells to Buna-N rubber. However, the measured rates of adhesion indicated slower attachment occurs under alkaline conditions. Growth pH was also found to significantly affect rates of attachment and maximum adhered cell populations to Buna-N rubber. Compared to Buna-N rubber, the rate of attachment to stainless steel was markedly more rapid for all temperature and pH conditions studied and could not be calculated. The ease of removal for cells adhered to Buna-N rubber was significantly affected by growth temperature, but not growth pH. Significant differences in detachment were also found between Buna-N rubber and stainless steel, inferring a stronger attachment to Buna-N rubber. Cell surface hydrophobicity was affected by both growth temperature and growth pH, but differences in hydrophobicity could not be correlated to differences in rates of attachment. Addition of 0.01% trypsin to the attachment medium during cell suspension exposure to both test surfaces resulted in a 99.9% reduction in the adhered cell population when compared to controls. This suggests that proteins may play a role in the initial attachment process for L. monocytogenes. / Ph. D.

In 1992 the Virginia General Assembly enacted the Comprehensive Services Act with the words, "It is the intention of this law to create a collaborative system of services ...that is...family-focused...when addressing the strengths and needs of troubled and at-risk youth and their families in the Commonwealth" (A report to the Governor and General Assembly, 1992, Appendix A, p.1). The directives of the Comprehensive Services Act are carried out in each community through a Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT). The members on each FAPT represent family service agencies based in the community and a parent who collaboratively develop an intervention plan for each at-risk youth and family referred to the team. This study was conducted to determine if the family strengths used by FAPTs were more or less useful depending upon FAPT communities or FAPT representatives. The method chosen for gathering information for the study was a modified Delphi technique. The 70 FAPT representatives who participated in the study came from 17 respondent groups, (nine FAPT Communities and eight FAPT Representative areas). One aspect of the study was to find which family strengths were unique to the upper quartile of only one respondent group. A second aspect of the study was to find which common family strengths were in the upper quartiles of each of the 17 respondent groups, the nine FAPT Communities, and the eight FAPT Representatives. The third aspect of the study was to look at upper quartile family strengths as they were grouped by categories. This report helped identify some of the differences in perspectives among family service providers from different communities and areas of representation. Even though there were some differences among the 17 respondent groups regarding the usefulness of family strengths, there were also some commonalities. This report helped to identify some of these common perspectives among family service providers. / Ed. D.

The nature, origin and validity of ethics for nursing administrators were studied using a historical design with analytical and conceptual methodologies. This was done for the purpose of clarifying those issues for the practical matter of ethical decision making for nursing administrators. Research in that area has been limited. An extensive analysis of 491 ethical articles, published from 1900-1989 and classified as personal, professional and administrative ethics; an analysis of the nursing codes of ethics and registration laws; trends in case and statute law; as well as conceptual literature and research provided the base for the facts, reasoned arguments, conclusions, interpretations and recommendations. Validity control features, (e.g., primary sources, multiple types of sources, and historical comparisons of trends) were used to minimize internal and external criticisms, as well as ensure integrity. Inter-rater reliability (90%) was ascertained to establish the consistency of the classifications of the data for the sake of replication. The results of this research supported the hypothesis that there is a distinctive nature to the ethics for nursing administrators, especially those employed in public organizations. This research also concluded that the ethic of the traditional staff nurse is inappropriate for nursing administrators. Less significant results and conclusions linked nursing administration with fresh ideas such as the public interest, public advocacy, public policy, constitutional competency, utilitarianism, and collective ethical decision making. A new model termed Collective Caring, was introduced as a more valid ethic. The Collective Caring Model has three major components (i.e., caring, cooperation and collectives) enhanced by utilitarianism. Collective Caring should be used to depersonalize the situation and integrate the values of the different collectives, as well as encourage utilitarianism, sharing, caring and cooperating for collective ethical decision making. Nursing administrators would be more critically aware of collective (e.g., public) values and more thoughtful about making ethical decisions. In addition, the effectiveness of the profession would be improved by clarifying and enhancing professional and collective relationships. / Ph. D.

We examine the refractive scintillation hypothesis of low frequency variability via numerical simulation in order to account for the spectral characteristics of the observed fluctuations. Plane waves from extragalactic radio sources propagating through the interstellar medium, a medium with fluctuations of the refractive index due to electron density irregularities, emerge from that medium corrugated. Since fluctuations present on scales greater than the Fresnel scale act refractively, the emerging wavefront has a curvature which produces a refractive amplification or deamplification in the flux density. We develop a numerical algorithm to characterize the phase fluctuations in the wavefront and we simulate the resulting intensity distribution in the limit of geometrical optics. We then produce light curves by taking trajectories in the simulated intensity distribution plane and we compare our results with statistical properties of existing data from a 5—year monitoring program of 32 extragalactic sources at frequencies 0.318, 0.430, 0.606, 0.880 and 1.4 GHz. We find that the refractive scintillation hypothesis is in good agreement with the data at comparable timescales and that the variability in the simulated light curves diminishes within an octave of frequency, in agreement with those of the observed light curves with the same behavior. / Ph. D.

The problem in this study was to identify the key life events superintendents in North Carolina feel have contributed significantly to their success. Additionally, this study sought to ascertain the people who were instrumental in their careers, the training experiences that contributed most to their careers, the personal setbacks they experienced and from which they recovered, and the practices they implemented as a result of the knowledge gained from the identified key life events. A survey was mailed to all 122 superintendents in North Carolina during the 1994-95 school year. Each superintendent was requested to provide a personal profile and nominate five successful superintendents based on their perception of success. An analysis of the responding superintendents’ nominations was done to determine the top give to be interviewed. The data were analyzed using matrices to identify key life events and their contribution to the success of each superintendent’s career. Frequencies and percentages were presented in tables to show a comparison of the demographic responses by the responding superintendents to the sample. Key life events of superintendents included: (1) seeking out significant others; (2) being willing to be mobile; (3) nurturing good relations with the boss; (4) getting different educational experiences; (5) serving in civic, professional, and community leadership roles; (6) involvement in leadership development programs; (7) valuing hard work; (8) having a supportive family/spouse; and (9) keeping priorities in order. The data also revealed incorporating socialization theory components appear vital for entry and sustained employment as superintendent of schools. A critique of this research, as well as recommendations for further study are also included. / Ed. D.

This study examines the use of the quasi-specular and two-scale models in estimating rough surface parameters from the average radar cross section of randomly rough surfaces, with the goal of understanding what scattering mechanisms limit their applicability. The ranges of validity of these models are ascertained by comparing the average backscattered normalized radar cross section given by the models to results obtained using an exact numerical Monte Carlo approach. The advantage of using a numerical solution is that the exact surface parameters are known quantities. The surfaces studied here are rough in only one dimension (that is, they are grooved in one dimension or corduroy). The height of the surfaces are Gaussian distributed and have either a Gaussian or a Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum. For surfaces with Gaussian spectra, it is found that the quasi-specular model can be used to obtain good estimates of the surface parameters when diffraction and multiple scattering effects are not important. Approximate validity conditions are established for this model. For surfaces with Pierson-Moskowitz spectra, it is found that the quasi-specular model can be used to obtain good estimates of the surface parameters for backscattering angles of less than 20°, and a two-scale model can be used for backscattering angles of up to at least 60°. However, the quasi-specular model must be modified to use only a portion of the surface spectrum, and this modification shows problematic dependence on the surface roughness, the incident wavelength, and the incident polarization. Of particular importance in the estimation problem are the numerical fluctuations present in the Monte Carlo simulation and the angular region over which data is compared to the model. Both of these factors are explored. / Ph. D.

The effects of boron alone or in combination with estrogen or parathyroid hormone (PTH) on bone quality and Ca, P, and Mg metabolism were investigated in 12- week-old rats. Treatment began on day 43 after ovariectomy and continued for 5 weeks. Treatments included 5 ppm (5 mg per kg diet) boron as boric acid, 17β estradiol (30 μg/kg/d, s.c.), PTH (rat PTH 1-34 fragment, 60 μg/kg/d, s.c.), boron+17β estradiol, and boron+PTH at the same dose. All rats had free access to food (AIN 76) and deionized water. Ovariectomy caused decreases in the ratios of dried bone, bone ash, bone Ca, P, and Mg to body or dried bone weight, wall thickness of the femur, urinary Ca/creatinine excretion, trabecular bone volume, bone surface density, and trabecular plate density, and increases in serum osteocalcin, and trabecular plate separation. However, intermittent PTH injection increased the dried bone weight to body weight ratio, wall thickness of the femur, total bone ash, bone ash to dried bone or body weight ratio, bone Ca, P, and Mg, bone Ca, Mg, and P to dried bone weight or body weight ratios, trabecular bone volume, bone surface density, trabecular plate density, and thickness, serum osteocalcin concentration, and decreased trabecular plate separation, but had no effects on Ca, P, and Mg metabolism. Treatment with 17β estradiol increased the dried bone weight, bone ash, and bone Ca, P, and Mg to body weight ratios, and decreased serum osteocalcin, and trabecular bone separation, but had no effects on Ca, P, and Mg metabolism. However, when combined with boron, 17β estradiol not only remained the positive effects as observed in Ovx rats treated with 17β estradiol alone, but also improved apparent Ca, Mg, and P absorption, and Ca and Mg retention, trabecular bone volume, bone surface density and trabecular plate density which were not found in Ovx rats treated with 17β estradiol alone. In contrast, boron in combination with PTH did not provide an additional benefit for Ca, P, and Mg balance or bone quality when compared with PTH alone, but significantly improved the percentages of apparent Ca absorption and retention compared with Ovx rats without treatment. The improvement of Ca balance by the combined treatment with PTH plus boron was not found in Ovx rats receiving PTH alone. In conclusion, 17β estradiol in combination with boron that was initiated 6 weeks after ovariectomy, provided a more beneficial regimen than boron or 17β estradiol alone for postmenopausal bone loss in Ovx rats. The importance of the present findings is that boron has the potential to improve estrogen action on bone and Ca balance, in particular when estrogen is initiated at the late state following menopause. / Ph. D.