This study was designed to examine the associations and differences that exist in the NCE scores of students on the TerraNova portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Exam, as well as the possible influence of variables such as initial scores, grade level, gender, and free or reduced lunch status. The population consisted of a stable group of 49 students enrolled in a rural Tennessee school district reported to have taken the annual assessment at the same school as they progressed from 3rd to 8th grade during the 1999 to 2004 school years. The study focused on the performance of students over a six-year period. The analysis focused on eight research questions. The independent variables for the study were gender, socioeconomic status and grade level (test score reporting year). The dependent variables consisted of TerraNova value-added scores (NRT) and proficiency scores (CRT) translated to Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) scores on the Reading / Language Arts and Mathematics portion of the TCAP. A combination of t test for independent samples, examination of effect size utilizing eta square (η2), and an analysis of data to determine correlation coefficient using Pearson's product moment coefficients (r) were used in 50 hypotheses. Statistically significant results were discovered in the following instances: students' 3rd grade Math scores and the same students' 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Math scores; 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade Reading/Language Arts scores and free/reduced lunch status; 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade Math scores and free/reduced lunch status; 3rd grade Reading/Language Arts scores and the same students' 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Math scores; 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Reading/Language Arts scores and student gender; 5th and 6th grade Math scores and student gender; 2002 and 2003 mean gain scores and student gender.

Forced response which is blade vibration due to an external excitation can lead to blade failure. The estimation of the level of vibration is dependent on the determination of aerodynamic damping. This thesisinvestigates the determination of aerodynamic damping at high reduced frequencies in turbomachines. The aerodynamic damping was calculated by a linearized Navier-Stokes flow solver with exact 3D non-reflecting boundary conditions. The method was validated using the two-dimensional test cases (Standard Configuration 5 and 8). Thereafter, two 3D profiles were also investigated: an aeroelastic turbine rig (AETR) which is a subsonic turbine case, and a virtual integrated compressor (VINK) which is a transonic compressor case. In AETR case, the first bending mode with reduced frequency 2.0 was studied. The 3D acoustic modes were calculated and the rate of decay was plotted as a function of nodal diameter and radial order. This plot identified six acoustic resonant points which included two points corresponding to the first radial order. The six resonance points correspond to six peaks in the damping curve. In VINK case, the fifth mode (1854 Hz, reduced frequency 3.1) was investigated. Acoustic resonance was predicted to occur for the first and second radial orders at the inlet. It was concluded that the higher order resonance points are influencing the damping curve. There were some inconsistencies in the results and grid convergence was not achieved. These inconsistencies were due to the difficulty in calculating the acoustic modes at the transonic inlet with an impinging shock. / Aerodynamiskt påtvingade vibrationer, som är bladvibrationer på grund av en extern excitation kan leda till haveri. Prediktering av vibrationen är beroende av bestämning av aerodynamisk dämpning. I detta arbete undersöks bestämningen av aerodynamisk dämpning vid höga reducerade frekvenser i turbomaskiner. Den aerodynamiska dämpningen beräknades genom en linjäriserad Navier-Stokeslösare med exakta 3D icke-reflekterande gränsvillkor. Metoden validerades med hjälp av de tvådimensionella testfallen (Standardkonfiguration 5 och 8). Därefter undersöktes två 3D-profiler: en aeroelastisk turbinrigg (AETR), som är en subsonisk turbinenhet och en virtuell integrerad kompressor (VINK) som är ett transoniskt kompressorfall. I AETRfallet undersöktes det första böjningsformen med reducerad frekvens 2.0. 3D akustiska lägen beräknades och graden av förfall visades som en funktion av noddiameter och radiell grad. Denna metod identifierade sex akustiska resonanspunkter som innehöll två punkter som motsvarade den första radiella graden. De sex resonanspunkterna motsvarar sex toppar i dämpningskurvan. I VINK-fallet undersöktes den femte svängningsformen (1854 Hz, reducerad frekvens 3.1). Akustisk resonans förutspåddes inträffa för första och andra radiella graden vid inloppet. Slutsatsen drogs att de högre ordningens resonanspunkter påverkar dämpningskurvan. Det fanns vissa inkonsekvenser i resultaten och gridkonvergens uppnåddes inte. Dessa inkonsekvenser berodde på svårigheten att beräkna de akustiska svängningsformerna vid det transoniska inloppet med en stötvåg.

Sverige har länge varit ledande inom tillgänglighet. Genom införandet av begreppen ”tillgänglighet” och ”användbarhet” har man genom Plan- och bygglagen och Boverkets riktlinjer ställt krav på den fysiska miljön. Ca 7 000 barn i Sverige är rörelsehindrade. Ungefär hälften av dessa barn använder en rullstol. Trots att alla barn har rätt till lek, är det intressant att undersöka huruvida alla barn ges möjlighet att utnyttja denna rättighet. Efter att ha uppmärksammat Helsingborgs stads kreativa lekplatsbyggen, dök frågan kring huruvida alla barn har möjlighet att leka på dessa lekplatser, upp. Syftet med arbetet är att belysa vikten av tillgängliga lekplatser, samt att undersöka hur tillgängligheten på lekplatser kan förbättras och vilka anpassningar som krävs för att förbättra tillgängligheten för rullstolsburna barn. I detta arbete görs en litteraturstudie, med fokus på regelverk och litteratur kopplad till tillgänglighet. En fallstudie görs i form av platsbesök på 8 lekplatser i Helsingborg, som underlag för en jämförelse. En intervju görs med Johanna Elgström, landskapsarkitekt på Helsingborgs stad. Slutsatsen av detta arbete är att lekplatser där man fokuserat mer på tillgänglighet ofta är mer tillgängliga och användbara för barn i rullstol. Dock krävs incitament för att säkerställa en tillgänglig och användbar lekplatsmiljö, samt tydligare definition av dessa begrepp. Genom att ha en lekplats som är tillgänglig och användbar för de flesta, gynnas den sociala hållbarheten. Slutsatsen av detta arbete blir således att säkerställandet av tillgängliga och användbara lekplatser gynnar rullstolsburna barns möjlighet till socialt samspel. / Sweden is one of the leading countries when it comes to availability in the physical environment. Approximately 7 000 children in Sweden are disabled. Half of these children use a wheelchair. It is every child’s right to play, and it’s thereby interesting to know whether every child is given the opportunity to use a playground. In the county of Helsingborg there are playgrounds appealing to many children, although the question is whether every child is given the chance to play at these playgrounds. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of availability at playgrounds and outline ways to improve the availability. The method used in this thesis is a literature study, focusing on legal framework and literature about availability, usability and playgrounds. The case study provides information about eight playgrounds in Helsingborg. There is also an interview with landscape architect Johanna Elgström. Playgrounds where availability has been prioritized are often more available and useable for wheelchair-bound children. Still, the legal framework is in need of a more precise definition of availability and usability to ensure that playgrounds are suitable for children using a wheelchair. The playgrounds that are more available and useable can favor children using a wheelchair and give them the opportunity to socially interact with other children.

No description available.

Teacher attrition and retention has become a major issue facing education policymakers and practioners as our nation's school age population continues to grow, but the teaching workforce does not. This study seeks to examine the impact of certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) on burnout levels in educators. The potential benefits to teachers who pursue NBPTS certification include a sense of professional pride, new leadership roles and responsibilities for teachers, recognition of outstanding teaching practice, and higher salaries (Shapiro, 1995). Some of these potential rewards seem to address a number of the factors that are related to the onset burnout, and therefore may reduce teacher attrition. The study utilized the Maslach-Leiter conceptual framework to examine burnout, which breaks the burnout construct into three separate dimensions; emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. The research questions sought to determine if there was a difference between National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and their non-certified peers in each of these dimensions of burnout. The research sample consisted of the NBCTs and a comparable random sample of their non-certified peers from a large urban school district in the Central Florida area. The Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey was used a basis of comparison of the burnout levels. The two groups were compared utilizing an independent samples t-test. The instrument utilized in this study also included demographic questions, as well as questions that were designed to measure the various elements of the Maslach-Leiter theoretical model of burnout. These questions and the independent variable NBPTS certification were included in a multiple regression analysis in order to determine if the differences noted between the groups using the independent samples t-tests were in fact a result of NBPTS certification, and not the theoretical model itself. The instruments were mailed in the fall of 2006, and were returned to the researcher anonymously. A total of 476 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 52%. The independent samples t-tests revealed significant differences between NBCTs and their non-certified peers on all three dimensions of burnout. An examination of the individual scores for each group revealed that in each of the dimensions showed that the NBCTs demonstrated lower levels of experienced burnout in each dimension. The multiple regression analyses that were conducted to confirm that NBPTS certification was in fact a significant factor in the development of each burnout dimension revealed mixed results. Emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment were both found to have a significant negative relationship with NBPTS certification, which indicates that the NBCTs are significantly less burned out then their non-certified peers. Despite the initial finding of significance in the independent samples t-test, NBPTS certification was not found to be a significant factor in the onset of the depersonalization dimension of burnout. This relationship needs further exploration in future studies. The significant difference between the research and control groups in this study suggests that NBPTS certification may reduce burnout levels in at least two dimensions. Legislators and policymakers at the state and federal levels have provided millions of dollars to support NBPTS certification. These findings seem to indicate that this financial support has impacted burnout levels in educators, and may therefore warrant examination as a strategy to address the issue of teacher attrition.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between second-order change leadership behaviors and the grade assigned to schools in large urban districts by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). A total of 101 Title I elementary school principals from large urban school districts with 60+% students on Free and Reduced School Lunch participated in the study. Specifically, this study analyzed 7 of the 21 second-order change factor responsibilities. They include (a) knowledge of curriculum, instruction, assessment, (b) optimizer, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) change agent, (e) monitoring/evaluating, (f) flexibility, and (g) ideals/beliefs. The findings of this study were delineated through an examination of the data as it was related to the following questions: (a) What are the differences, if any, in the Principal Actions Survey scores of Title I elementary principals based on the 2008 school grade, according to the FLDOE? (b) What relationship, if any, exists among professional demographics of the principals (years at the school, years as an educator, years as an administrator prior to becoming a principal, years as a principal, highest degree earned, age, gender) and the second-order change leadership behaviors? (c) What are the differences, if any, in the second-order change leadership behavior subgroup scores based on the 2008 school grade according to the FLDOE? Although Research Question 1 had no statistical significance, principals who had a higher mean on the Principal Actions Survey led A and B-rated schools. Statistical significance was found in Research Question 2 for the second-order change leadership behavior of Change Agent and Ideals/Beliefs. Though statistical significance was not found in Research Question 3, each mean score for each sub-group in each grade group indicated consistent answers between Strongly Agree and Agree, which demonstrated a large degree of agreement. Additionally, comments from telephone interviews with selected principals determined that these leadership behaviors could positively impact elementary schools and the field of education. Recommendations of the study were to: (a) Conduct a follow-up study to gather the perceptions of teachers from the same Title I schools regarding their principals' second-order change leadership behaviors, (b) conduct a similar study with principals in Title I middle and high school settings, (c) conduct a qualitative study on second-order change leadership behaviors of non-Title I elementary, middle, and high school principals, (d) engage in further research to investigate professional development activities that may assist principals in enhancing second-order change leadership behaviors and improve instruction, (e) investigate the relationship between principals' second-order change leadership behaviors and achievement of Adequate Yearly Progress (f) replicate the study in states other than Florida (g) explore the relationship between second-order change leadership behaviors of district administrators and their district's academic success.

Listeria monocytogenes continues to challenge the dairy industry in causing post-process contamination of cheeses. To reduce risk of contamination, it is crucial to understand the growth and survival of pathogenic bacteria in cheese products and to develop post-process mitigation strategies. This study evaluated the fate of pathogens in reduced and regular sodium Mozzarella cheese, and the potential of Supercritical Fluid Extraction with CO2 (SFE) to reduce Listeria innocua on Mozzarella and Queso Fresco. The survival of L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, and E.coli O157:H7 (2-3 log CFU/g) in reduced sodium Mozzarella (1.62%), compared to regular sodium Mozzarella cheese (2.15%) at 4ºC and 12ºC for 90 and 30 days, respectively, was evaluated. Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 populations decreased over incubation time at both temperatures and no difference (pListeria monocytogenes population also decreased during incubation time at 4°C regardless of the sodium concentration in Mozzarella cheese. However, there was a difference in the population of L. monocytogenes for regular and reduced sodium incubated 12°C, and its populations increased 1 log CFU/g in reduced sodium Mozzarella cheese. Additionally, this study determined the bactericidal effect of SFE on the population of L. innocua, a surrogate for L. monocytogenes, in Mozzarella and Queso Fresco cheese (6 log CFU/g) treated with SFE at two pressures and temperatures (120 bar at 40°C and 150 bar at 50°C) for 30 min. SFE treatment at 120 bar, 40°C for 30 min decreased L. innocua by approximately 3.0 and 3.5 log CFU/g in Mozzarella and Queso Fresco cheeses, respectively. SFE at 150 bar and 50°C reduced L. innocua by approximately 3.78 and 5.2 log CFU/g in Mozzarella and Queso Fresco cheeses, respectively. Since SFE had a minimal effect on the physico-chemical characteristics of the cheeses assayed, the results suggest SFE might be used to reduce L. monocytogenes in cheeses without negatively impacting product quality.

The first objective of this Dissertation is to present a methodology to calculate analytically the mode shapes and corresponding natural frequencies and determine critical buckling loads of mechanically coupled microbeam resonators with a focus on micromechanical filters. The second objective is to adopt a nonlinear approach to build a reduced-order model and obtain closed-form expressions for the response of the filter to a primary resonance. The third objective is to investigate the feasibility of employing subharmonic excitation to build bandpass filters consisting of either two sets of two beams coupled mechanically or two sets of clamped-clamped beams. Throughout this Dissertation, we treat filters as distributed-parameter systems. In the first part of the Dissertation, we demonstrate the methodology by considering a mechanical filter composed of two beams coupled by a weak beam. We solve a boundary-value problem (BVP) composed of five equations and twenty boundary conditions for the natural frequencies and mode shapes. We reduce the problem to a set of three linear homogeneous algebraic equations for three constants and the frequencies in order to obtain a deeper insight into the relation between the design parameters and the performance metrics. In an approach similar to the vibration problem, we solve the buckling problem to study the effect of the residual stress on the static stability of the structure. To achieve the second objective, we develop a reduced-order model for the filter by writing the Lagrangian and applying the Galerkin procedure using its analytically calculated linear global mode shapes as basis functions. The resulting model accounts for the geometric and electric nonlinearities and the coupling between them. Using the method of multiple scales, we obtain closed-form expressions for the deflection and the electric current in the case of one-to-one internal and primary resonances. The closed-form solution shows that there are three possible operating ranges, depending on the DC voltage. For low DC voltages, the effective nonlinearity is positive and the filter behavior is hardening, whereas for large DC voltages, the effective nonlinearity is negative and the filter behavior is softening. We found that, when mismatched DC voltages are applied to the primary resonators, the first mode is localized in the softer resonator and the second mode is localized in the stiffer resonator. We note that the excitation amplitude can be increased without worrying about the appearance of multivaluedness when operating the filter in the near-linear range. The upper bound in this case is the occurrence of the dynamic pull-in instability. In the softening and hardening operating ranges, the adverse effects of the multi-valued response, such as hysteresis and jumps, limit the range of the input signal. To achieve the third objective, we propose a filtration technique based on subharmonic resonance excitation to attain bandpass filters with ideal stopband rejection and sharp rolloff. The filtration mechanism depends on tuning two oscillators such that one operates in the softening range and the other operates in the hardening range. Hardware and logic schemes are necessary to realize the proposed filter. We derive a reduced-order model using a methodology similar to that used in the primary excitation case, but with all necessary changes to account for the subharmonic resonance of order one-half. We observe that some manipulations are essential for a structure of two beams coupled by a weak spring to be suitable for filtration. To avoid these complications, we use a pair of single clamped-clamped beams to achieve our goal. Using a model derived by attacking directly the distributed-parameters problem, we suggest design guidelines to select beams that are potential candidates for building a bandpass filter. We demonstrate the proposed mechanism using an example. / Ph. D.

<p>The fluid dynamics of blood in the systemic circulation modulates production of nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator. Non-invasive techniques such as the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) test and physiologic phenomena associated with autonomic stress induce hyperemia and subsequently higher levels of wall shear stress (WSS), stimulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression. In the current clinical practice, WSS–a key regulator of endothelial function–is commonly estimated assuming a parabolic velocity distribution, despite the evidence that the temporal changes of pulsatile blood flow over the cardiac cycle modulate vasodilation in mammals. This work investigates the effect of cardiovascular stress on local WSS distributions and the potential for near-wall accumulation of nitrite, the vasoactive storage form of NO in the bloodstream. The specific aims of the project are therefore as follows: 1) develop a reduced-order model of the major systemic vasculature at rest, during a flight-or-flight response, and under moderate levels of aerobic exercise; 2) derive a velocity-driven Womersley solution for pulsatile flow to support accurate estimation of pulsatile WSS in the clinical setting; and 3) quantify cumulative transport of nitrite in a multiscale model of bifurcating vasculature utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Development of these open-source, translatable methods enable accurate quantification of hemodynamics and species transport during cardiovascular stress. Results detailed herein extend our knowledge about regulation of regional blood flow during autonomic stress, suggest a convergent evolutionary theory for having a complete circle of Willis, and potentially clarify reproducibility concerns associated with the FMD test. </p>

Bakgrund: I den här studien undersöks ett projekt i en kommun i Mellansverige. Kommunen har infört arbetstidsförkortning för personal inom hemtjänst och äldreboenden. Debatten kring arbetstidsförkortning har pågått under en lång tid och pågår i dagsläget. Vilket kan bero på att det finns de som både är för och emot arbetstidsförkortning. Tidigare studier och forskning visar dock att arbetstidsförkortning leder till positiva effekter såsom minskad stress och mer tid över till familj och fritidsaktiviteter. Arbetstidslagen reglerar bland annat arbetstiden, dygnsvila, raster samt pauser. Vården har genom kollektivavtal gått ifrån normen om 40 timmars arbetsvecka, inom Kommunals avtalsområde har redan en arbetstidsförkortning införts som innebär 37 timmars arbetsvecka och detta har genomförts på grund av att de arbetar på obekväm arbetstid. Arbetstiden är sammankopplad med arbetsmiljön och en utmaning är att skapa balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Enligt Arbetsmiljölagen ska förhållandena anpassas till varje enskild individ vilket är en betydande faktor då hela människan, med sina egna känslor och behov, går till arbetet. Syfte: Studien syftar till att undersöka om omvårdnadspersonal inom hemtjänst och äldreboende i en kommun i Mellansverige upplever en bättre balans mellan arbete och fritid efter införandet av arbetstidsförkortning. Metod: Den här studien har utgått från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer där både gruppintervjuer och enskilda intervjuer har genomförts. Att det var en kvalitativ forskningsmetod som valdes till studien är för att det skulle hjälpa oss att skapa en större förståelse för hur arbetstidsförkortning påverkar medarbetarna. Intervjuerna genomfördes på deltagarnas arbetsplatser och det var totalt 23 personer som deltog. Slutsats: Studien visar att balansen mellan arbete och privatliv har förbättrats för medarbetarna, detta genom att de lättare kan hantera de krav som ställs både på och utanför arbetsplatsen. / Background: This study examines a project in a mid Sweden region. The region has introduced reduced working hours for staff in home care and nursing homes. The debate about shorter working hours has been going on for a long time and is still ongoing, which may be due to the fact that there are those who are both for and against shorter working hours. However, previous studies and research show that reduced working hours leads to positive effects such as reduced stress and more time for family and personal activities. The law of work-time regulates, among other things, working hours, daily rest, breaks and pauses. Through collective agreements, the healthcare sector has moved away from the norm of a 40-hour working week, and one trade union has already introduced a reduction in working hours to a 37-hour working week, which has been implemented because they work irregular hours. Working hours are linked to the work environment and one challenge is to create a balance between work and private life. According to the law of the work environment, the conditions must be adapted to each individual, which is a significant factor as the whole person, with their own feelings and needs, goes to work. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate whether nursing staff in home care and nursing homes in a region in mid Sweden experience a better work-life balance after the introduction of reduced working hours. Method: This study has been based on a qualitative research method in the form of semi-structured interviews where both group interviews and individual interviews have been conducted. A qualitative research method was chosen for the study because it would help us to create a greater understanding of how a reduction in working hours affects employees. The interviews were conducted at the participants' workplaces and a total of 23 people participated. Conclusion: The study shows that the work-life balance has improved for employees, making it easier for them to cope with the demands they face both inside and outside the workplace.