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This thesis constructs a novel resilience index and a comparative advantage measure of professional skills to enhance our understanding of economic resilience in Appalachian counties that are vulnerable to the transition to a greener economy. The index-based results indicate that resilience is clustered throughout the region and strongly related to local labor market demand for the skills required to complete non-routine cognitive tasks. Resilient labor markets hold a comparative advantage over their less resilient counterparts in twelve skills. These skills are highly prevalent in growing and emerging occupations and strongly related to resilience in the existing literature on regional economic shocks. This thesis also develops a database that enables future researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to geospatially analyze skill prevalence at a county level and make informed and proactive decisions in the face of a changing economy. / Master of Science / This thesis constructs a novel resilience index and a measure of professional skills to enhance our understanding of economic resilience in Appalachian counties that are exposed to changes to the workforce. The results indicate that resilience is clustered throughout the region and strongly related to the skills required for rapidly growing and emerging occupations. Resilient labor markets hold a comparative advantage over their less resilient counterparts in twelve key skills. These skills are highly prevalent in vital to the literature and closely related to the ability of local economies to withstand recessions and other economic disruptions. My thesis also develops a database that enables future research, policymakers, and industry leaders to easily understand the professional skills found in counties to make informed and proactive decisions in the face of a changing economy.

Misophonia is a sensory disorder where specific stimuli, usually auditory, trigger the fight-flight-freeze response, causing extreme reactions, typically anger, panic, or anxiety. Research into treatment for misophonia is limited, primarily consisting of case studies applying common methods of therapy. However, research into similar disorders like tinnitus shows that there are many avenues of treatment that should be investigated, including audiological treatment. To apply audiological treatment to misophonia, selective noise cancelling must be used to control specific trigger sounds. In this research, a basic selective noise cancelling algorithm was developed using a convolutional neural network and was evaluated using a survey. Participants rated their reaction to trigger sounds, non-trigger sounds, and trigger sounds that had been selectively cancelled. The misophonic reactions to selectively cancelled sounds were significantly less than to trigger sounds. This shows that selective noise cancelling could be used to apply audiological treatments to misophonia.

The United States is experiencing continuous technological, economic, and social changes that have resulted in structural unemployment. Between January 1979 and January 1984, 11.5 million workers lost their jobs due to plant closings or relocation, abolition of a position or shift, or slack work. Personal and family economic, psychological, social, and health difficulties arise from sudden unexpected job loss. This study was designed to examine and contribute knowledge of the barriers to retraining and reemployment for dislocated office workers. A purposive sample of 10 dislocated office workers who were laid off in 1982 and 1985 from their jobs in southeastern Indiana was selected. Qualitative research techniques were utilized to obtain detailed interview information from them. An open-ended response instrument was used for personal interviews. The questions were aimed at identifying the factors most associated with barriers to retraining and reemployment of dislocated office workers. The interviews were transcribed Verbatim, then coded and categorized. The data were then compared and contrasted to identify emerging themes that described pertinent experiences and problems encountered by dislocated office workers. The findings were described and discussed through use of Verbatim quotations. Based on the findings, recommendations for removing barriers to retraining and reemployment were prepared. Recommendations for action included: (a) dislocated workers being offered personal counseling; (b) employer-sponsored outplacement centers being available to those facing imminent displacement; (c) Vocational-technical institutes and community colleges instituting special programs for dislocated workers and conducting advertising to inform dislocated workers about the availability of such programs; and (d) state employment security personnel who process claims of dislocated workers receiving sensitivity training. Recommendations for further research included: (a) whether a larger sample or a sample from another employment setting would produce similar findings; (b) how the communities are affected by large reductions in force; and (c) the extent and magnitude of the problem of loss of retirement benefits as a result of plant closings and reductions in force. / Ed. D.

The first purpose of this thesis was to examine whether sensorimotor therapy utilizing the training program ”Retraining for Balance” might be an appropriate technique for sensorimotor proficiency. The second purpose was to gain increased understanding of the effects of sensorimotor therapy on the physical and psychological development of children and youth. A third purpose was to put sensorimotor therapy in a wider perspective through a somewhat novel extension of the theoretical framework. Two naturalistic studies were conducted. Paper I was quantitative and comprised 232 children (181 boys and 51 girls) divided into three groups (1) a younger group (7 years or younger, n=65), (2) a middle group (8 to 10 years old, n=91) and, (3) an older group (11 years old or older, n=76). The participants presented attentional and motor difficulties before starting therapy. The treatment period was in average close to 3 years. Results indicated significant improvements concerning sensorimotor skills in all age groups. Paper II was a qualitative study, which included the records of 8 children (7 boys and 1 girl) randomly selected from the cohort of 232 children. The analysis used the EPP-method and yielded 3 overarching themes, which together formed “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model”. The model illustrated how Introductions of sensorimotor exercises pushed the therapy process forward due to periods of Regression and Transformation. The results were generalized to the remaining 224 children in the cohort by comparing each participant’s records with “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model”. The tentative conclusion was that sensorimotor therapy according to the method “Retraining for Balance” might constitute a complement to treatment of ADHD, DCD and LD but controlled studies are necessary before more decisive conclusions can be drawn. / Baksidestext   This thesis had three purposes. (1) to examine whether sensorimotor therapy (SMT) using the training program ”Retraining for Balance” might be a proper technique for sensorimotor proficiency. (2) to gain increased understanding of the effects of SMT on physical and psychological development and, (3) to put SMT in a wider perspective by an extension of the theoretical framework. Two naturalistic studies were conducted. Paper I, which was quantitative, comprised 232 children who presented attentional and motor difficulties. The cohort was divided into three groups depending on age and results after therapy indicated improvements in all groups. Paper II, a qualitative study, selected records of 8 children from the cohort. Analysis yielded 3 overarching themes, which together formed “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model” illustrating how Introductions of exercises pushed the process forward due to Regressions and Transformations. The results were generalized to the remaining 224 children. The tentative conclusion of this thesis was that SMT might constitute a complement to treatment of ADHD, DCD and LD but controlled studies are necessary before decisive conclusions can be drawn.

To investigate the effects of attribution retraining under conditions of intermittent success and failure, 14 helpless subjects were given 15 days of treatment in one of two procedures. Except for the attribution of all failures to lack of effort in the attribution retraining condition, the two procedures were identical in all respects. After training, both groups showed significant and equivalent improvement in reactions to failure, suggesting that intermittent success and failure increase the persistence of helpless children, rather than attribution retraining as suggested by Dweck (1975). Recommendations included follow-up studies and exploration of the attributional patterns of children under conditions of intermittent success and failure.

Retraining represents one of the most used instruments of the active employment policy. It can be used as instrument for solving individual handicaps to employability in the supply-side of labor market, or as an instrument, that responds to current market requirements. The purpose of this study is to assess how this instrument is used in conditions of local labor market in Trutnov. Specifically, it is evaluated the status of retraining among other instruments of active employment policy, is described the structure of realized retraining and is analysed the targeting of retraining. This study aslo suggests, how to evaluate the effectiveness of retraining, which has been realised. The conclusion summarizes the results of the analysis and evaluate the use of retraining by Employment agency in Trutnov.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Restricted until May 2003. Bibliography: leaves 167-180.