No description available.

This dissertation is about Indigenous and settler health, wellbeing and health policy in rural Manitoba. Across Canada, both sweeping and incremental provincial health system changes have profound effects on marginalized communities facing existing health inequities, including rural settler and Indigenous peoples. Increasingly, the centralization of provincial health care systems has led to the elimination of health services within rural settings. The research I present in this dissertation arose from advocacy efforts in a rural community in southwest Manitoba. The community sought representation and recognition in health decision-making in the midst of the largest health care system transformation in provincial history and called for local research production. The community-led study grew to the larger inquiry and analysis presented here, including a First Nation and Métis community, which were both affected by the transformation. The objectives of this dissertation were to analyze the ideas and structures used to inform provincial decisions, and to understand community experiences of rural health care before and during system transformation. As a settler researcher, I undertake an anti-colonial, strengths-based, community-engaged approach to research, developed through ongoing relationship with the community. In addition to a critical thematic analysis of key policy documents, semi-structured interviews were conducted with settler, First Nations, and Métis community members and service providers regarding their experiences within the health care system, their perceptions of change and the impacts of transformation on health and wellbeing. Arising themes include the importance of relational health care relationships in determining wellbeing, and the sense that the government undertook dehumanized decision-making in developing and implementing health system change. This dissertation concludes with policy recommendations for provincial governments, including the prioritization of community voices, and the visibility and involvement of rural and Indigenous peoples in health system decision-making. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

No description available.

No description available.

With a sample of 3,436 engaged and married couples, this study explores the prediction of relationship satisfaction using the personality traits of neuroticism, depression, kindness, impulsivity, flexibility, self-esteem, and extraversion while utilizing controls for non-independent couple data in structural equation modeling. Both actor effects (the impact of an individual's personality on his or her own satisfaction) and partner effects (the impact of the partner's personality on satisfaction) are examined, including comparisons of the relative strength of each for males and females. A comparison is also made of engaged and married couples to determine if relationship status acts as a moderator. A separate model is estimated for each personality trait, and all the models show excellent fit statistics. Findings show significant, negative actor and partner effects for neuroticism, depression, and impulsivity, and significant, positive actor and partner effects for kindness, flexibility, and self-esteem among both engaged and married couples. Extraversion has some significant positive effects but is a weaker predictor. Actor effects are generally stronger than partner effects among the engaged couples in the sample, however among married couples the actor and partner effects are more often of equal magnitude. Many paths differ significantly between engaged and married couples, and in each case the paths are stronger among married couples. These findings support the idea that a variety of personality traits are important predictors of satisfaction, and that both actor and partner effects need to be considered. Findings also give evidence that relationship status acts as a moderator, indicating that personality may be a stronger predictor of satisfaction among married couples than engaged couples. With some traits, an engaged individual's own personality may be a more powerful predictor of his or her satisfaction than the partner's personality, while both spouse's traits may be equally predictive of a married individual's satisfaction.

With energy demands at an all time high, mechanical power systems are under great scrutiny. Substantial efforts are being made throughout the world to reduce energy use in common mechanical systems such as the internal combustion engine and transmission system. Eliminating or reducing efficiency losses in the transmission is a potential source of improving the efficiency of the system. To do so, various alternative types of transmissions are being investigated. At Brigham Young University, development of a Positively Engaged Continuously Variable Transmission (PECVT) is progressing. In addition to the efficiency increases that would occur as a result of operating the engine at a more constant speed, a PECVT type transmission may reduce efficiency losses that occur in a standard transmission by eliminating the disengagement of involute gear sets to change gear ratios of the transmission. For a PECVT, this is done by maintaining engagement of the input and output members of the transmission, while changing the gear ratio. Both of these types of losses are major contributing factors to the overall efficiency of the transmission and engine system, thus a PECVT is of great interest. The investigation for developing a feasible PECVT began with the identification of a behavioral issue identified in all known PECVT embodiments. This behavioral issue, known as the Non-Integer-Tooth-Problem (NITP), is due to the geometry of an involute gear and prevents specific gear ratios from being achieved. The research effort presented in this thesis returns to the conceptual design of a PECVT to address involutometry along with the NITP. A design tool entitled the Line-of-Action Model is developed which assists in quantifying how a conceptual solution can address the NITP using involutometry principles. As a result of the Line-of-Action Model, the Hybrid Involute Profile was discovered. Due to the simplicity of The Hybrid Involute Profile, it has proven to be an elegant solution to the NITP. Validation of the Hybrid Involute Profile concept was conducted to ensure that this concept satisfies the objectives and requirements of a PECVT and solves the NITP. The validation was completed using two case studies and a theoretical analysis. As a result of the validation, the Hybrid Involute Profile is declared a conceptual principal solution to the NITP. Fulfillment of the PECVT objectives, requirements list and elimination of the NITP by the Hybrid Involute Profile is also demonstrated. With the Hybrid Involute Profile as the conceptual principle solution, the development of a commercially viable PECVT is believed to be attainable.

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">The concept of homeschooling in the United States, though more mainstream today, remains an alternative way of educating our children. Researchers seeking to examine this method of education often focus on the outcomes for the children who receive their education through this mode of education. Seldom does the attention fall to the educator, the homeschool parent. The mother typically takes the active role in educating the children and she receives little attention as a person (Lois, 2016). This study examines the ways in which these mother/teachers navigate the academic and non-academic parts of their lives and what impact that has on their own and their family’s well-being. Because the number of families who choose this mode of education continues to rise, examining factors that affect their well-being is crucial (Ray, 2022). Nine online discussions with 26 homeschooling mothers set up as focus groups revealed strong connections to self-efficacy and agency. Group sizes ranged from two to four participants making some of the groups dyadic interviews rather than focus groups (Morgan, 1996). Agency and self-efficacy contributed to the sense of well-being for the mother and by extension to her family (Bandura 1977, 2006). The findings from this study suggest other homeschool mothers and past experiences played a role in their self-efficacy that contributed to their well-being leading to their self-efficacy expectation. Though previous literature suggests that homeschooling mothers connect strongly to the concept of <i>good mother</i>, the mothers in this study rejected many of the principles Hays (1996) suggests a <i>good mother</i> exhibits. The use of metaphors as a qualitative tool aided in the discovery of ways these mothers navigate their lives and how their management impacted their families. As an engaged qualitative inductive study, suggestions to existing homeschool groups and organizations that hope to support homeschooling families gave a connection back to communities outside of academia.</p>

Recent policy change allows states to spend federal dollars directly on teen-led driver safety efforts and requires regular evaluations of effectiveness. There are currently no standardized instruments to measure change in teen driving behavior relevant to teen leaders. This study serves the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee Highway Safety Office and their network of teen leaders to empirically test and refine the I Drive Smart survey developed by partners and grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The survey is designed to be administered by teen leaders to their peers and produce data relevant for use in improving planning as well as tracking changes occurring from their work. The survey measures attitudes, perceptions of social norms (peer, family, and law enforcement), perceptions of behavior control, and both driving and passenger behavior intentions. The I Drive Smart web survey was administered by a group of teen leaders to 175 of their peers. Findings were used to inform local planning and in this quasi-confirmatory study aimed at optimizing the survey. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a four factor model aligned with TPB that explained 61.618% of variation. Item reliability analysis demonstrated high internal consistency for the behavior intention scale with a Cronbach’s alpha of .884. An ordinary least squares regression test found the predictive validity of the identified components to be strong, explaining 64.5% of variation in the model and identifying perceptions of behavior control as the best predictor of behavior intentions, followed by family and peer norms. The behavior control component retained so much variation that the optimized survey assesses both volitional and non-volitional control concepts. Further, teen leaders were able to successfully administer the survey and found data helpful in supporting their planning. This study demonstrates that teen leaders are capable of directing evaluation activities and that the refined version of the I Drive Smart survey has appropriate psychometric properties for teen leaders in highway safety to use. Standard procedures for using the survey are discussed along with recommendations for analysis that includes triangulation with other local data points.

The work provides summarized delineation of the development of Serbian theater and drama from 2nd half of the 20th century till now and still defines the bases of contemporary Serbian dramatic works. It describes its characteristics and specifics based on the analysis of specific dramatic works. The emphasis is both on a breakthrough events theatrical of 80's and 90's of the 20th century also on the major dramatic figures of the period of the late 20th century. The work contains a detailed analysis of the three key texts of modern Serbian dramatic literature.