Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Centre for Eye Research Australia, Dept. of Opthalmology 2010. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-274)

Thesis (M.Sc.)(Town Planning)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine.

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / CT abdomen and pelvis is a widely-used imaging modality used in the evaluation of appendicitis but it carries risks of radiation. A recent retrospective review localizes all appendices (both normal and abnormal) below the level of the L1 vertebral body, obviating the need to scan superior to that level. This study is a retrospective review of prospectively-collected data from 171 consecutive pediatric patients presenting with clinical suspicion of acute appendicitis and undergoing “low FOV CT.” The low FOV CT uses the L1 vertebral body as the superior aspect of the exam instead of the of the dome of the diaphragm as in standard CT.

Although the environmental imperative compels us to search for a low carbon system of mobility, contemporary society seemingly necessitates a low carbon automobility. The costs and impracticalities of low carbon vehicles are well documented, and although the cultural and semiotic nature of the car means that it has always been more than just a means of transport, less is known about how socio-cultural mores regarding the car might impact upon the transition to low carbon motoring. Because cars carry people, then they inevitably carry experiences and meanings too. However, a shift from conventional internal combustion-engined vehicles to more low carbon forms of propulsion, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, suggests that the nature – et ergo our experiences and perceptions – of the car will necessarily change. It is therefore desirable to investigate the contemporary ‘consumption’ of the car, not only as personal transport but also as status symbol, cultural artefact and experience, to assess how such a socio-cultural consumption might apply to low carbon vehicles and so ascertain the subsequent potential for a holistic low carbon automobility as part of a sustainable transport policy. A suite of methods was employed to investigate if or how contemporary automobilities can aspire to a low carbon automobility, or whether the everyday socio-cultural ‘consumption’ of the car might preclude a transition to low carbon vehicles. The notions of affect and/or non-representational theory were appropriated as a philosophical framework to look beyond a seemingly default postmodern ‘car-as-representation’ approach to the consumption of the car and so begin to explore a deeper, perhaps even subconscious, regard for the car. In addition, opinion was sought from stakeholders within the low carbon vehicle sector as to the technologies within, the prospects for, and the efficacy of, UK low carbon vehicle policy and its facilitation thereon, and also with a sample of EV drivers as to their experiences of electric cars. Responses to an initial online questionnaire appeared to deny any status or regard for the car beyond its utility. However, subsequent semi-structured interviews with motorists conducted (mostly) in their cars contradicted these findings, with a variety of expressed feelings – pride, empowerment, fortune – suggesting a deeper, subconscious regard for, reading of, and connection with, the car than is immediately apparent. Similarly, the utility of the electric car was transcended, this time by feelings of ‘greenness’ and ‘calm’ expressed by EV drivers. A stated amenability and aspiration by those interviewed for low carbon vehicles contrasted with an aspiration for sporty and prestige cars, suggesting an ingrained or innate idea as to what constitutes a truly desirable car. The more cultural facets of the car explored during focus group discussions established a connection between a car’s cultural representation and its meaning. Interviews with low carbon vehicle stakeholders suggest that while UK low carbon vehicle policy is broadly effective, is not as efficacious as it could be, in that itinerate market-led aspirations lack the fixity and certainty, in terms of both infrastructure and policy, that investors and consumers require, especially given a high entry price, the promise of lower running costs notwithstanding. In establishing where ‘here’ is regarding the consumption of the car and the implementation of a low carbon vehicle policy, this research provides a new perspective upon the appetite and potential for a transition to a future low carbon automobility, and shows the efficacy of appropriating the notions of affect and non-representational theory to a more holistic consumption of the car.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Charles Heerman / Educators have realized that low-income students have a higher probability of lower achievement than students from a higher SES background and that these low-income students may very well continue into the cycle of poverty. The purpose of this study was to refine our understanding of the relationships between low-income student status and low income academic achievement in Kansas high schools. This study explored high school low income, low reading, low mathematics, low science achievement correlations among three metropolitan locations and four sizes of high schools. The dependent variables were the school building rates of low income and the school building rates of low achievement. The independent variables were school location and school size. The data was retrieved from the Kansas State Board of Education website. The three metropolitan areas studied were the Wichita, the Topeka-Lawrence and the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Areas. The four sizes of high schools studied were the 6A-, 5A-, 4A-, and 3A-sized high schools. There were seven research questions in this study. All the research questions were non-directional except for research question #2. Correlation coefficients, standard deviation scores, range scores, frequency scores, intercorrelations, coefficient of determinations, partial correlations and ANCOVA scores were used to analyze the data. The major conclusions for each research questions were: (1) the unsatisfactory + basic scores of all three low achievement areas (reading, mathematics and science) were the most consistent representation of low achievement. (2) in the three metropolitan areas, where income differences were greater, low income and low achievement correlations were greater. Where income differences were smaller, low income and low achievement correlations were smaller. (3) smaller schools did not have the better school results. (4) the low reading, mathematics and science correlations had different magnitudes depending on the group. Either low mathematics or low science achievement produced the largest correlations with low income in all seven groups. (5) the smaller standard deviation and range scores may have contributed to the smaller correlations in metropolitan area 2 and the 4A-sized high schools. Findings in the frequency distributions have reinforced the standard deviation and range results. (6) low mathematics and low science achievement were as important as low reading achievement. (7) the lowachievement rates (adjusted for low-income rates) did not differ much across the subject areas when the seven subgroups were considered. The idea of building smaller schools was not supported by the findings.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Methylsilsesquioxane (MSQ) and organosilicate glass (OSG) are the materials under this study because they exhibit the dielectric constant values necessary for future IC technology requirements. Obtaining a low-k dielectric value is critical for the IC industry in order to cope time delay and cross talking issues. These materials exhibit attractive dielectric value, but there are problems replacing conventional SiO2, because of their chemical, mechanical and electrical instability after plasma processing. Several techniques have been suggested to mitigate process damage but supercritical silylation offers a rapid single repair step solution to this problem. Different ash and etch damaged samples were employed in this study to optimize an effective method to repair the low-k dielectric material and seal the surface pores via supercritical fluid processing with various trialkylchlorosilanes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle, capacitance- voltage measurements, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy (DSIMS), characterized the films. The hydrophobicity and dielectric constant after exposure to elevated temperatures and ambient conditions were monitored and shown to be stable. The samples were treated with a series of silylating agents of the form R3-Si-Cl where R is an alkyl groups (e.g. ethyl, propyl, isopropyl). Reactivity with the surface hydroxyls was inversely proportional to the length of the alkyl group, perhaps due to steric effects. Contact angle measurements revealed that heating the films in ambient diminished hydrophobicity. Depth and surface profiling using (DSIMS) and (XPS) were utilized to develop a model for surface coverage.