A change in the atmospheric inventory of a greenhouse gas produces a radiative forcing on the atmosphere which results in climatic change. Thus to understand climate change resulting from perturbations to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations it is necessary to quantify the radiative forcing. Here, radiative forcings are presented for large changes in atmospheric CO2, CH4, and N2O in the modern atmosphere and large changes in atmospheric CO2, CH4 and 18 other gases for the Archean atmosphere. For the modern Earth, I present new calculations of radiative forcing at very high concentrations of CO2, CH4, and N2O, relevant to extreme anthropogenic climate change and paleoclimate studies. CO2 forcing is calculated over the range 100 ppmv to 50,000 ppmv. CH4, and N2O forcings are calculated over the range 100 ppbv to 100 ppmv. The sensitivity of these calculations to spatial averaging and tropopause definition are examined. I compare our results with the ``simplified expressions'' reported by IPCC, and find significant differences at high greenhouse gas concentrations. I provide new simplified expressions which agree much better with the calculated forcings, and suggest that these expressions be used in place of the IPCC expressions. Additionally, I provide meridionally resolved forcings which may be used to force simple and intermediate complexity climate models. For the Archean Earth, I present new calculations of radiative forcing for CO2 (10^-6 - 1 bar), CH4 (500 ppbv - 10,000 ppmv) and 18 other gases (10 ppbv - 10 ppmv). I aim to provide a set of radiative forcing and overlap calculations which can be used as a standard for comparisons. Radiative forcings are calculated for atmospheres with various N2 inventories (0.5, 1, and 2 bar). The effect of overlap and atmospheric pressure on radiative forcing are examined. The CO2 radiative forcings are consistent with previous work, however, I find significantly more shortwave absorption by CH4 than previously reported which may limit warming above 100 ppmv. For the 18 other gases, I find that significant radiative forcings result from low concentrations (<1 ppmv). These forcings are compared to those given in the literature. / Graduate / 0756 / 0608 / 0725 / bbyrne@uvic.ca

The United States Latino population has experienced unprecedented growth in the past several decades. Despite these growing numbers there has been relatively little research that explores how exposure to negative life events and chronic strains affects the physical health outcomes of Latinos. This thesis examines the extent to which traumatic life events and chronic strains affect the physical health outcomes of foreign-born and native-born Mexican-origin individuals (age 45 an older) residing along the U.S./Mexico border. Results from the multivariate analysis show that there is no direct association between traumatic life events and self-reported health. However, chronic strains were found to negatively impact the well-being of both foreign-born and native-born groups. Finally, the hypothesis suggesting that foreign-born respondents would fare better in terms of health (Latino/Hispanic paradox) compared to their native-born counterparts is not supported, with the results shown to be consistently in the opposite direction. Future research is needed on the interplay between different types of stressors and physical health outcomes among Mexican-origin individuals.

Inaug.-diss.--Erlangen. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Stanford University, 1998. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [412]-429).

Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1995. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 19, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Maurice Scharton (chair), Janice Neuleib, Ray Lewis White. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-172) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Oct. 10, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 42).

Braess' paradox is a counter-intuitive phenomenon which can occur in congesting networks. It refers to those cases where the introduction of a new link in the network results in the total travel time on the network increasing. The dissertation starts by introducing the traffic assignment problem and the concept of equilibrium in traffic assignment. The concept of equilibrium is based on Wardrop's first principle that all travellers will attempt to minimize their own travel time regardless of the effect on others. A literature review includes details of a number of papers that have been published investigating theoretical aspects of the paradox. There is also a brief description of Game Theory and the Nash Equilibrium. It has been shown that the equilibrium assignment is an example of Nash Equilibrium. The majority of work that has been published deals with networks where the delay functions that are used to compute the travel times on the links of the network do not include explicit representation of the capacity of the links. In this dissertation a network that is similar in form to the one first presented by Braess was constructed with the difference being that the well-known BPR function was used in the delay functions. This network was used to show that a number of findings that had been presented previously using simpler functions also applied to this network. It was shown that when it occurs, Braess' paradox only occurs over a range of values at relatively low levels of congestion. Real-world networks were then investigated and it was found that similar results occurred to those found in the simpler test networks that are often used in discussions of the paradox. Two methodologies of eliminating the paradox were investigated and the results are presented. / Decision Sciences / M.Sc.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to corroborate recent research demonstrating that patients with low body mass indexes tend to have worse postoperative survival outcomes compared to normal BMI patients. It also intends to compare survival outcomes and postoperative complications in transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement patients to determine which procedure, TAVR or SAVR respectively, is better for this challenging low BMI patient population. METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center study comparing patient data collected from 2000-2013 at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Patients were dividing into three groups on the basis of BMI and aortic valve procedure: low BMI SAVR (BMI < 22 kg/m2; n = 148; 20.36%), normal BMI SAVR (22-25 kg/m2; n = 458; 63.00%), and low BMI TAVR (< 22 kg/m2; n = 121; 16.64%). There is a total of 606 SAVR patients and 121 TAVR patients. To corroborate recent research that low BMI patients tend to fare worse than normal BMI patients, an unadjusted comparison were used to compare baseline demographics and postoperative outcomes of 148 low BMI patients who underwent SAVR with 458 normal BMI patients who underwent isolated SAVR. These cohorts were then compared via a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the log-rank test for 30 days, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years survival outcomes. The 148 low BMI SAVR patients were then compared to 121 low BMI patients who underwent TAVR on baseline demographics and preoperative risk factors. The two cohorts were compared using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and postoperative complications were compared utilizing a multivariable logistic regression after adjustment for age, gender, BMI and STS Scores. RESULTS: The unadjusted analysis of the low BMI and normal BMI SAVR cohorts displayed similar patient demographics and preoperative risk factors. The normal BMI group demonstrated higher EF (55% vs. 51.5%; p = 0.002) and incidence of HLD (47.68% vs. 37.76%; p = 0.038). Conversely, the low BMI cohort had more females (61.49% vs.42.79%; p < 0.001) and individuals with a history of Afib (27.78% vs.16.96%; p = 0.004). As shown in the Kaplan Meier curve, the normal BMI SAVR patients exhibited superior 6 months, 1 year and 3 years survival rates and low BMI was shown to be a significant independent predictor of mortality (HR 2.56; 95% CI: 1.47 – 4.47; p = 0.0009 at 1 year). The two groups had similar postoperative outcomes, however, the low BMI cohort had longer overall hospital stays (8 vs. 6.5 days; p = 0.0003). The low BMI SAVR and TAVR patient cohorts varied significantly on most patient demographics and preoperative risk factors. The low BMI TAVR patients tend to be older (95.04% vs. 55.41% of patients > 75 years old) and had higher STS Scores (10.41 vs. 3.88; p < 0.0001). They also demonstrated significant increases in all the preoperative risk factors excluding DM and prior CVA. The SAVR patients had significantly longer overall hospital stays (8 vs. 6 days; p < 0.0001), more re-exploration for bleeding (5.41% vs. 0.85%; p = 0.0411) and more patients discharged to home (68.24% vs. 50.85%; p = 0.0039) while the TAVR patients demonstrated higher rates of GI bleed (3.39% vs. 0.00%; p = 0.0240) and new PPM (10.17% vs. 0.68%; p = 0.0004). The low BMI SAVR cohort demonstrated better survival rates at 1 year and 3 years and low BMI TAVR was determined to be a significant independent predictor of mortality (HR 0.51; 95% CI: 0.30 – 0.88; p = 0.0146 at 1 year). After controlling for specific covariates in the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the low BMI SAVR had 1.73 times longer ICU stays, 1.90 times longer hospital stays and the odds of being discharged home was 17% less than the TAVR group (p = 0.0005, <0.0001, 0.5665). CONCLUSION: Although the rates of postoperative complications are fairly similar, patients with low BMIs demonstrated worse survival outcomes when compared to the normal BMI SAVR patients. With the current analysis, low BMI TAVR patients had a significantly worse preoperative profile compared to the corresponding SAVR cohort which explains the worse survival and postoperative outcomes. Despite this, the multivariable analysis showed that the low BMI SAVR patients had longer ICU and hospital stays as well as fewer discharges to home. As this is an ongoing study, steps should be made to balance the preoperative profile such that the low BMI SAVR and TAVR groups are comparable prior to survival and postoperative assessment. However, at the current status, TAVR has proven itself to be the preferred treatment for low BMI patients. / 2018-07-13T00:00:00Z

The main catalyst of the narrative in The Heart of the Matter (1948) is pity and faith of the main protagonist. This thesis deals with Greene's unique conception of pity and faith. It is particularly faith and pity which represent keystones in number of Greene's novels. In The Heart of the Matter, Greene's personal and religious interests culminate. The theoretical part of the thesis provides a brief and comprehensive overview of Greene's life, his religious and political views, his unrelenting interest in human experience and at the same time, it aims to place him in the context of the 20th century. The central part of the thesis is dedicated to the detailed analysis of the novel along with the interpretation of key concepts and ideas.

In this dissertation, I establish a theoretical and empirical critique of modern forms of environmentally sustainable technology. Theoretically, I critique the application of environmentally sustainable technologies in modern capitalist economies using the treadmill of production theory and metabolic rift theory. I also expand on these theories by developing an analytical concept – the displacement paradox. The displacement paradox refers to a counterintuitive phenomenon, where green technologies expand rather displace traditional production processes. Empirically, I assess the assumptions of the displacement paradox by analyzing the relationship between organic farming and agrochemical application, organic farming and greenhouse gas emissions, organic farming and water pollution, and alternatively fueled vehicles and total fuel consumption per vehicle. In each of these cases, I find that green technology (in the form of organic farming and alternatively fueled vehicles) is not displacing traditional production processes, and instead expanding alongside them. I argue that these findings are a result of the broader socioeconomic structure that green technology is produced under. Specifically, I contend that because current socioeconomic systems are established around traditional production processes, to substantially reduce environmental degradation, green technologies must operate as a social and technological counterforce to traditional production processes. Currently, the green technologies explored in this dissertation act as a technological alternatives to traditional production processes, making them commodities that sustain the current structure of social relations, as opposed to social and technological counterforces to environmentally hazardous forms of production. I conclude that in order for green technologies to successfully reduce environmental degradation, they must be established under social conditions that support their use over traditional production processes.