One of the many attempts to solve problems that plague America's schools is the implementation of uniform dress code policies. Those who favor uniforms contend that uniforms will increase attendance, enhance academic achievement, and improve classroom environment. Prior research studies ( Behling, 1991; Hughes, 1996; and Hoffler-Riddick, 1998) on the effects of mandatory school uniforms have been inconclusive in their findings. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mandatory uniform dress codes on student attendance, student achievement, and teachers' perceptions of classroom environment in two middle schools. The dependent variables were student attendance, student achievement, and teachers' perceptions of classroom environment. The independent variables were gender, race/ethnicity and time/years of teaching experience. Descriptive statistics and Analyses of Variance were used to analyze the data. Repeated Measures Analyses of Variance was used to analyze the attendance data in School A for three consecutive years. Analyses of Variance was used to measure the attendance and achievement data in School B for two consecutive years. A self-report questionnaire was designed to measure teachers' perceptions of the impact of uniforms on four domains of classroom environment: student attendance, student behavior, student achievement, and students' self-image. Three-way Analysis of Variance was used to analyze the data collected from the questionnaire. The results of this study determined that there were no statistically significant differences in overall student attendance or achievement in School A. There were improvements in student achievement in School B after the change in dress to school uniforms. There were inconsistent differences between race/ethnicity and gender with respect to attendance after uniform implementation in schools A and B. Absences increased in School A after the second year with uniforms. Student achievement improved for students in School B, but showed no change in School A. Based on the results of the Uniform Survey administered to teachers in both schools, the perception of classroom environment after uniforms was generally positive. Teachers overwhelmingly supported the uniform policy, but they were inconsistent in their opinions of the overall impact on classroom environment. Teachers in School A felt that student achievement and student self-image improved after the implementation of school uniforms, but they saw no improvements in student attendance or behavior. Teachers in School B felt that student attendance declined after the first year of uniform implementation; however, they felt that there were improvements in student behavior, student achievement, and student self-image. Future research should examine the impact of mandatory uniform dress codes on school climate, students' self-esteem, and the perceptions of parents, students and members of the community. / Ed. D.

The safety of healthcare workers (HCW) has become a serious concern; therefore, a need for protection against bacterial penetration and transmission is realized. The purpose of this research is to examine whether antibacterial finishes can effectively reduce the presence of bacteria that have the potential for penetration and transmission on healthcare workers uniforms (HCWU). The specific objective of this research is to compare the antibacterial properties (i.e., bacterial reduction), two descriptive properties (i.e., fabric weight, fabric thickness), and one durability property (i.e., breaking strength loss due to abrasion) of a 65/35% polyester/cotton blend fabric treated with two commercially available antibacterial agents (i.e., 3-trimethoxysilylpropyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride) or AEGIS Microbeshield, (AMS) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) or Reputexâ · before laundering and after 5, 10, and 25 laundering cycles. The independent variables were the treatments (i.e., AMS, PHMB, no treatment) and the laundering cycles (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 25). The dependent variables were the four fabric properties: (a) antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) bacteria, (b) fabric weight, (c) fabric thickness, and (d) breaking strength loss due to abrasion. Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the effects of the independent variables and their interaction on each dependent variable. The results showed PHMB treated specimens had a significantly higher log reduction against both S. aureus and K. pneumoniae before laundering and after 5, 10 and 25 laundering cycles than AMS treated specimens and the no treatment specimens. Initially, AMS had some reduction against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae before laundering; however after laundering, the reductions against both bacteria were diminished greatly. As expected, the no treatment specimen had no reduction against S. aureus or K. pneumoniae before and after laundering. The addition of PHMB and AMS increased the fabric weight of 65/35% polyester/cotton fabric and kept the fabric thickness throughout 25 laundering cycles. The untreated specimens became thicker after 25 laundering cycles. In addition, the breaking strength loss due to abrasion indicated that treatments had no effect on fabric strength. In conclusion, adding antibacterial agents do have some influence on bacterial reduction for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as descriptive properties (i.e., fabric weight, fabric thickness). However, there was no influence on durability property (i.e., breaking strength loss due to abrasion). More studies are needed to test both agents on other types of fabrics such 100% cotton and nonwoven to incorporate more treated HCWU in the marketplace. / Ph. D.

If (X,Ƭ) is a topological space, then a quasi-uniformity U on X is compatible with Ƭ if the quasi-uniform topology, Ƭ_u = Ƭ. This paper is concerned with local properties of quasi-uniformities on a set X that are compatible with a given topology on X. Chapter II is devoted to the construction of Hausdorff completions of transitive quasi-uniform spaces that are members of the Pervin quasi-proximity class. Chapter III discusses locally complete, locally precompact, locally symmetric and locally transitive quasi-uniform spaces. Chapter IV is devoted to function spaces of quasi-uniform spaces. Chapter V and the Appendix are concerned with the topological homeomorphism groups of quasi-uniform spaces. / Ph. D.

The considerable progress in the research and development of thin-walled beam structures responds to their growing use in engineering construction and to their increased need for efficiency in strength and cost. The result is a structure that exhibits large shear strains and important non uniform warping under different loadings, such as non uniform torsion, shear bending and distortion... A unified approach is formulated in this thesis for 3D thin walled beam structures with arbitrary profile geometries, loading cases and boundary conditions. A single warping function, defined by a linear combination of longitudinal displacements at cross sectional nodes (derived from Prokic work), is enhanced and adapted in order to qualitatively and quantitatively reflect and capture the nature of a widest possible range of behaviors. Constraints are prescribed at the kinematics level in order to enable the study of arbitrary cross sections for general loading. This approach, differing from most published theories, has the advantage of enabling the study of arbitrary cross sections (closed/opened or mixed) without any restrictions or distinctions related to the geometry of the profile. It generates automatic data and characteristic computations from a kinematical discretization prescribed by the profile geometry. The amount of shear bending, torsional and distortional warping and the magnitude of the shear correction factor is computed for arbitrary profile geometries with this single formulation. The proposed formulation is compared to existing theories with respect to the main assumptions and restrictions. The variation of the location of the torsional center, distortional centers and distortional rotational ratio of a profile is discussed in terms of their dependency on the loading cases and on the boundary conditions. A 3D beam finite element model is developed and validated with several numerical applications. The displacements, rotations, amount of warping, normal and shear stresses are compared with reference solutions for general loading cases involving stretching, bending, torsion and/or distortion. Some examples concern the case of beam assemblies with different shaped profiles where the connection type determines the nature of the warping transmission. Other analyses –for which the straightness assumption of Timoshenko theory is relaxed– investigate shear deformation effects on the deflection of short and thin beams by varying the aspect ratio of the beam. Further applications identify the cross sectional distortion and highlight the importance of the distortion on the stresses when compared to bending and torsion even in simple loading cases. Finally, a non linear finite element based on the updated lagrangian formulation is developed by including torsional warping degrees of freedom. An incremental iterative method using the arc length and the Newton-Raphson methods is used to solve the non linear problem. Examples are given to study the flexural, torsional, flexural torsional and lateral torsional buckling problems for which a coupling between the variables describing the flexural and the torsional degrees of freedom occurs. The finite element results are compared to analytical solutions based on different warping functions and commonly used in linear stability for elastic structures having insufficient lateral or torsional stiffnesses that cause an out of plane buckling.

<p>Soldater och officerare blir i sin dagliga tjänsteutövning utsatt för press både psykiskt och fysiskt. Det finns en hel rad av faktorer som påverkar besluts- och grupprocesser och för att kunna förstå och identifiera risker i dessa processer måste det finnas en kunskap kring dessa. En företeelse vilken påverkar grupper och individer är konformiteten.</p><p> En faktor som skiljer soldater och officerare från många andra yrkesgrupper är den uniforma klädseln vilken många anser hör ihop med yrket.</p><p> Studien avser därför att undersöka hur den likformiga klädseln påverkar individens förmåga att tänka själv och dessutom handla utifrån den tanken. Utifrån detta syfte har en kärnfråga och tre delfrågor utkristalliserats. Delfrågornas syfte är att svara på kärnfrågan. Kärnfråga: Hur påverkar likformig klädsel den enskilda soldatens förmåga att stå emot konformitet?</p><p>Delfrågor:</p><p>-                  Har kläder någon betydelse i sociala sammanhang?</p><p>-                  Varför följer vissa gruppen och andra inte?</p><p>-                  Påverkas soldaten av likformig klädsel?</p><p>För att mäta hur den uniforma klädseln påverkar soldater, och därmed besvara frågorna, använder jag mig av Solomon Aschs konformitets experiment i en ny tappning. Baserat på resultatet från experimentet samt med stöd ur litteratur dras slutsatser om hur stor eller om det finns en påverkan på soldaters individualitet av den likformiga klädseln.</p><p>Jag kom i mitt arbete fram till att den likformiga klädseln ökar soldatens konformitet i en grupp. Den enskilda soldaten har lättare att falla för konformiteten när denne bär uniform klädsel i sitt tjänsteutövande. </p> / <p>Officers and soldiers are in their daily duty an object of both physical and psychological pressure. There are many factors that influence both the decision and group processes. To be able to understand and identify risks in these processes there has to be knowledge in this area. One phenomenon which influences groups and individuals is conformity.</p><p>One factor that divides the soldiers and officers from other categories of work is the uniform clothing which many think is intimately connected with that type of work.</p><p>That is why this study intends to examine how the uniform clothing influences the individuals’ ability to think for themselves and also act in that thought. On the basis of this, a core question and three part questions crystallized. The three questions are a help to answer the core problem. The core question: How does the uniform clothing influence the individual soldiers’ ability to resist conformity?</p><p>Part questions:</p><p>-        Does clothing have an importance in social contexts?</p><p>-        Why do some individuals follow the group and others not?</p><p>-        Is the soldier influenced by uniform clothing?</p><p>To measure how the uniform clothing influences soldiers, and thereby answer the questions, the writer used the conformity experiment by Solomon Asch slightly modified for his purposes. Based on the result from the experiment, as well as with support from literature, conclusions where drawn about how or if the soldiers’ individuality where influenced by the uniform clothing.</p><p>The conclusion was that the uniform clothing increases the soldiers’ conformity in a group. The individual soldier found it easier to adapt to the conformity when he/she wear uniform clothing during the exercise of his or her duties.</p>

Soldater och officerare blir i sin dagliga tjänsteutövning utsatt för press både psykiskt och fysiskt. Det finns en hel rad av faktorer som påverkar besluts- och grupprocesser och för att kunna förstå och identifiera risker i dessa processer måste det finnas en kunskap kring dessa. En företeelse vilken påverkar grupper och individer är konformiteten.  En faktor som skiljer soldater och officerare från många andra yrkesgrupper är den uniforma klädseln vilken många anser hör ihop med yrket.  Studien avser därför att undersöka hur den likformiga klädseln påverkar individens förmåga att tänka själv och dessutom handla utifrån den tanken. Utifrån detta syfte har en kärnfråga och tre delfrågor utkristalliserats. Delfrågornas syfte är att svara på kärnfrågan. Kärnfråga: Hur påverkar likformig klädsel den enskilda soldatens förmåga att stå emot konformitet? Delfrågor: -                  Har kläder någon betydelse i sociala sammanhang? -                  Varför följer vissa gruppen och andra inte? -                  Påverkas soldaten av likformig klädsel? För att mäta hur den uniforma klädseln påverkar soldater, och därmed besvara frågorna, använder jag mig av Solomon Aschs konformitets experiment i en ny tappning. Baserat på resultatet från experimentet samt med stöd ur litteratur dras slutsatser om hur stor eller om det finns en påverkan på soldaters individualitet av den likformiga klädseln. Jag kom i mitt arbete fram till att den likformiga klädseln ökar soldatens konformitet i en grupp. Den enskilda soldaten har lättare att falla för konformiteten när denne bär uniform klädsel i sitt tjänsteutövande. / Officers and soldiers are in their daily duty an object of both physical and psychological pressure. There are many factors that influence both the decision and group processes. To be able to understand and identify risks in these processes there has to be knowledge in this area. One phenomenon which influences groups and individuals is conformity. One factor that divides the soldiers and officers from other categories of work is the uniform clothing which many think is intimately connected with that type of work. That is why this study intends to examine how the uniform clothing influences the individuals’ ability to think for themselves and also act in that thought. On the basis of this, a core question and three part questions crystallized. The three questions are a help to answer the core problem. The core question: How does the uniform clothing influence the individual soldiers’ ability to resist conformity? Part questions: -        Does clothing have an importance in social contexts? -        Why do some individuals follow the group and others not? -        Is the soldier influenced by uniform clothing? To measure how the uniform clothing influences soldiers, and thereby answer the questions, the writer used the conformity experiment by Solomon Asch slightly modified for his purposes. Based on the result from the experiment, as well as with support from literature, conclusions where drawn about how or if the soldiers’ individuality where influenced by the uniform clothing. The conclusion was that the uniform clothing increases the soldiers’ conformity in a group. The individual soldier found it easier to adapt to the conformity when he/she wear uniform clothing during the exercise of his or her duties.

Den svenska Försvarsmakten är en myndighet med en annorlunda vardag för de anställda. Att arbeta som soldat inom försvaret är ett yrke som bidrar till stora kontraster hos de anställda, genom att växla mellan rollerna som yrkesverksam soldat till att vara civil. Vardagen är även annorlunda utifrån de arbetskläder som används, uniformer. Denna studie är gjord med utgångspunkt i vad uniformen har för del i det skifte som sker när en soldat växlar mellan yrkesroll och civil roll. Kvalitativa intervjuer har gjorts om sex informanter, på soldat- och gruppchefsnivå. Frågeställningarna till intervjupersonerna har varit; hur ser du på skiftet som sker när du går till/hem från jobbet, hur upplever du detta skifte samt uppstår det en konflikt vid detta skifte? De teorier som har använts är från Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska teori om teaterscenen. Resultatet visar på ett rollskifte och att reflektionen över skiftet är varierat. / ”I AM a Soldier” is an analytical examination of the shifting roles enacted by soldiers in the Swedish Armed Forces as a direct result of specific changes caused by the uniform itself. The Swedish Armed Forces is an organization providing a unique workday for its employees, displaying a strong contrast to those employed in civilian professions. Everyday life in the working environment is also markedly different due to the particular dress code: military uniforms.    This study is conducted on the basis that the uniform is a part of the shift that happens between different roles. Qualitative interviews were conducted on six subjects, from the lowest-ranking soldiers to squadron leaders. The central questions were; How do you observe the shift that happens when you go to/leave work? How do you experience this shift, and is there a conflict when it happens? The ideas employed come from Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory of the theatre. The results demonstrate that the reflection of the shift in roles is varied, and that there is an interesting change when the shift in roles takes place.

This study highlights a number of different aspects regarding uniforms and dress codes in the United Kingdom (UK) and Sweden. The study comprises three parts: a quantitative comparison of GCSE pass rates for schools in the UK that do and do not have school uniforms, a qualitative survey study of Scottish High School pupils' perceptions about their uniform and a qualitative interview study of Swedish teachers, administrators and pupils about their school dress, rules regarding school dress and school uniforms. Regarding whether uniforms improved academic results by comparing GCSE pass rates in the UK we were unable to find conclusive evidence to suggest that schools which had uniform policies performed significantly better than other schools. Regarding Scottish pupils’ perceptions of their uniforms, pupils from lower-educated backgrounds were more likely to perceive that they were told off by teachers about not wearing the correct dress. When asked whether pupils felt more equal compared to their peers, those from lower-educated background were more likely to think that uniforms do not help to level out class difference compared to pupils from better educated backgrounds. Regarding bullying, even though uniforms existed at the school studied bullying due to what pupils wore to school still existed and pupils perceived that bullying due to other factors such as physical appearance also occurred. Regarding the results from interviews with teachers and administrators in the Swedish town studied, most teachers took a fairly relaxed attitude towards pupils’ dress although the dress code of not wearing outdoor clothes in High Schools was policed quite strongly. Teachers saw the issue of female pupils dressing overtly sexually as the biggest problem and this was dealt with on an individual level rather than a class level. High school pupils’ opinions of their dress code varied. Some hated the school rule that they were not allowed to wear outdoor clothes, whereas for others it was not seen as a big deal. A number of pupils thought that what you wore in class does not affect their learning outcomes. Very few pupils thought that introducing a uniform would be a good idea. Pupils at Sixth Form College had a more mature attitude towards their dress and were able to reflect back on their experiences from High School. They did not think that the issue of dress was a major issue in Sixth Form College however this did vary slightly between the three schools studied. Pupils at two of the schools perceived the dress code of the third school as being more formal, but this was due mainly to prejudice according to a number of pupils. The large majority of Sixth Form College students thought that introducing school uniform would be a bad idea and that bullying would not be eradicated because pupils can always pick on other attributes, not just clothing. However there were a couple of Sixth Form College that thought that introducing it would be a good way to reduce peer-pressure to buy the right clothes in High School.

Functional evaluation is one of key arithmetic operations in many applications including 3D graphics and stereo. Among various designs of hardware-based function evaluators, piecewise polynomial approximation methods are the most popular which interpolate the piecewise function curve in a sub-interval using polynomials with polynomial coefficients of each sub-interval stored in an entry of a ROM. The conventional piecewise methods usually determine the bit-widths of each ROM entry and multipliers and adders by analyzing the various error sources, including polynomial approximation errors, coefficient quantization errors, truncation errors of arithmetic operations, and the final rounding error. In this thesis, we present a new piecewise function evaluation design by considering all the error sources together. By combining all the error sources during the approximation, quantization, truncation and rounding, we can efficiently reduce the area cost of ROM and the corresponding arithmetic units. The proposed method is applied to piecewise function evaluators of both uniform and non-uniform segmentation.

Function evaluation is often used in many science and engineering applications. In order to reduce the computation time, different hardware implementations have been proposed to accelerate the speed of function evaluation. Table-based piecewise polynomial approximation is one of the major methods used in hardware function evaluation designs that require simple hardware components to achieve desired precision. Piecewise polynomial method approximates the original function values in each partitioned subinterval using low-degree polynomials with coefficients stored in look-up tables. Errors are introduced in the hardware implementations. Conventional error analysis in piecewise polynomial methods includes four types of error sources: polynomial approximation error, coefficient quantization error, arithmetic truncation error, and final rounding error. Typical design approach is to pre-allocated maximum allowable error budget for each individual hardware component so that the total error induced from these individual errors satisfies the bit accuracy. In this thesis, we present a new design approach by jointly considering the error sources in designing all the hardware components, including look-up tables and arithmetic units, so that the total area cost is reduced compared to the previously published designs.