This thesis is a study of linear spaces and linear transformations in normed linear spaces. The notion of a field, in particular the complex number field, is assumed in this paper.

The purpose of this study was to investigate non-music major college and university students’ self-efficacy beliefs and their perceptions of the four sources of self-efficacy as they related to their participation in active music making and creation in college (e.g., ensembles and musicals, group and private lessons, music theory classes). An online survey was used to collect students’ responses to statements that aligned with the four sources of self-efficacy: enactive mastery experiences, verbal persuasion, vicarious experiences, and physiological and affective states and demographic information about items such as gender identity, cultural background, and previous musical experiences. The participants included 111 students from 11 college and university campuses in Pennsylvania, of which 56 students identified as male and 55 students identified as female. No students listed any other gender identification. The participants also represented 14 unique cultural backgrounds which were categorized as either individualist or collectivist according to Hofstede et al.’s (2010) cultural dimensions. The source of self-efficacy with the highest collective mean score in this study was enactive mastery experience (M = 80.75). The source of self-efficacy with the second highest collective mean score in this study was physiological and affective states (M = 78.92). The only statistically significant difference found between genders was for enactive mastery experiences, with females having a higher mean score (M = 85.06) than males (M = 76.51). The number of previous musical experiences a student reported also impacted their perceptions of the sources of self-efficacy with statistically significant differences between students in the higher experience levels and students in the lower experience levels for the sources of enactive mastery experiences, physiological and affective states, and verbal persuasion. When gender and experience were investigated together, females in experience level 1 and 3 had statistically higher enactive mastery experiences scores than the males, and females in experience level 1 had significantly higher verbal persuasion scores as well. The findings of this study suggest that physiological and emotional states may have particular importance in developing musical self-efficacy. This result was consistent for students from all cultural backgrounds. Implications from this research suggest the importance of creating spaces where students can experience positive verbal persuasion and vicarious experiences, which may lead to positive enactive mastery experiences and physiological and affective states and further support the development of musical self-efficacy beliefs. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of cultural background on self-efficacy belief development and the sources of self-efficacy. This research could also be expanded to investigate socio-economic influences on musical self-efficacy beliefs.

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Objectives: The first objective of this research was to examine whether symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are associated with unique neuropsychological performance profiles. The second objective of this research was to further understand the strengths and weaknesses of two models of symptom dimensions in OCD from a quantitative perspective—conventional subtyping by overt symptom, and the core dimensions model. Finally, the third objective of this research was to investigate the efficacy and treatment acceptability of a cognitive remediation program targeting neurocognitive deficits associated with OCD. Methods: Study 1 reviewed critically studies describing the assessment of differences in neuropsychological functioning between symptom dimensions of OCD, the results of which informed succeeding studies examining: i) the characterization of symptom dimensions in OCD and; ii) the remediation of neuropsychological domains commonly affected in OCD. Accordingly, study 2 compared the suitability of two common statistical approaches, factor analysis and cluster analysis, commonly used in the existing literature to define symptom dimensions based on responses collected from the industry-standard symptom questionnaire, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), in characterizing symptom dimensions in OCD. Neuropsychological task data were then used to examine the validity of an alternative model of symptom dimensions in OCD (Study 3). Finally, we conducted a feasibility study (Study 4) examining the use of an established cognitive remediation protocol, Goal Management Training (GMT), to target the deficits in neurocognitive function identified in the preceding studies. Results: Much of the existing literature on neuropsychological task performance differences between symptom dimensions of OCD is limited by methodological issues, primarily those concerning methods for defining symptom dimensions. Here, a comparison of the two most common methods for defining dimensions revealed that neither cluster analysis nor factor analysis produced conceptually meaningful subgroups. By exemplifying differences in neuropsychological task performance between those with harm avoidance and those with incompleteness symptoms, however, concrete evidence was provided to support the core dimensions model of OCD. Pilot data point towards the feasibility and efficacy of GMT as a cognitive remediation program for OCD. Conclusions: Pursuing the definition of meaningful, distinct symptom dimensions of OCD is not recommended with the combination of current statistical practices and symptom measures. The early evidence presented here shows promise for the validity of the core dimensions model. Preliminary evidence suggests that the neuropsychological impairments observed in this population, although subtle, may be effectively addressed using Goal Management Training. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Master of Science in Engineering - Engineering / Despite the adoption of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) by manufacturing firms, the literature reports disappointing performance of manufacturing, attributed to an imbalance between the dimensions of technology (i.e. AMT) and organisation. The central research problem of this study was: To analyse the effect of development along organisational and technological dimensions on operational performance of manufacturing firms in South Africa. The investigation into the central research problem was guided by a primary research question: Does a balanced development of organisational and technological dimensions result in optimum levels of operational performance of manufacturing? Structural Equation Modelling was employed to assess the central research problem and the primary research question by evaluating the relationship between three latent variables: Technology, Organisation and Operational Performance. Data was collected by means of a self-administered online web questionnaire. A total of 104 responses were received from a target sample of 604 Managing Directors of manufacturing firms. The sample was not representative of the population of manufacturing firms in South Africa. It was shown that the correlation between Technology and Organisation was fairly strongly positive. The direct impact of Technology on Operational Performance was unexpectedly non-significant, whereas Organisation’s direct impact on Operational Performance was strongly positive. These results did not support the primary research question. In fact, organisational dimensions were more important than technological dimensions in obtaining optimum levels of operational performance of manufacturing. The implication was that firms should strongly emphasise the development of its organisation as part of a technology strategy.

This thesis investigates the small time asymptotics of solutions of stochastic equations in infinite dimensions. In this abstract H denotes a separable Hilbert space, A denotes a linear operator on H generating a strongly continuous semigroup and (W(t))t???0 denotes a separable Hilbert space-valued Wiener process. In chapter 2 we consider the mild solution (Xx(t))t???[0,1] of a stochastic initial value problem dX = AX dt + dW t ??? (0, 1] X(0) = x ??? H , where the equation has an invariant measure ??. Under some conditions L(Xx(t)) has a density k(t, x, ??) with respect to ?? and we can find the limit limt???0 t ln k(t, x, y). For infinite dimensional H this limit only provides the lower bound of a large deviation principle (LDP) for the family of continuous trajectory-valued random variables { t ??? [0, 1] ??? Xx(??t) : ?? ??? (0, 1]}. In each of chapters 3, 4 and 5 we find an LDP which describes the small time asymptotics of the continuous trajectories of the solution of a stochastic initial value problem. A crucial role is played by the LDP associated with the Gaussian trajectory-valued random variable of the noise. Chapter 3 considers the initial value problem dX(t) = (AX(t) + F(t,X(t))) dt + G(X(t)) dW(t) t ??? (0, 1] X(0) = x ??? H, where drift function F(t, ??) is Lipschitz continuous on H uniformly in t ??? [0, 1] and diffusion function G is Lipschitz continuous, taking values that are Hilbert-Schmidt operators. Chapter 4 considers an equation with dissipative drift function F defined on a separable Banach space continuously embedded in H; the solution has continuous trajectories in the Banach space. Chapter 5 considers a linear initial value problem with fractional Brownian motion noise. In chapter 6 we return to equations with Wiener process noise and find a lower bound for liminft???0 t ln P{X(0) ??? B,X(t) ??? C} for arbitrary L(X(0)) and Borel subsets B and C of H. We also obtain an upper bound for limsupt???0 t ln P{X(0) ??? B,X(t) ??? C} when the equation has an invariant measure ??, L(X(0)) is absolutely continuous with respect to ?? and the transition semigroup is holomorphic.

A self-administered questionnaire was developed using the Tailored Design Method (Dillman 2000) to assess how information about wildlife, beyond traditional hunting and fishing issues, was transferred to the public by the five selected governmental agencies: state wildlife management agencies (DNRs), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA Wildlife Services (WS), Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The questionnaire addressed agency mission and record-keeping, as well as public demand for information and agency response concerning non-traditional wildlife issues, including: conflicts between humans and wildlife; human health and safety; attracting wildlife; viewing wildlife; general curiosity; and wildlife in distress (i.e., injured, diseased, orphaned). Respondents said that providing the public with information on wildlife and related issues is a significant part of their mission. Unfortunately, few kept permanent records of their interactions with constituents or had established formal protocols for handling queries about non-traditional wildlife issues. Several factors may prevent effective transfer of information about non-traditional wildlife issues to the public, including the historic emphasis on consumptive users. However, collaborative efforts between governmental and non-governmental organizations may prove to be an effective way to respond to public demand.

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