The purpose of the present study is to make contributions to the area of behavioral information security in the field of Information Systems and to assist in the improved development of Information Security Policy instructional programs to increase the policy compliance of individuals. The role of an individual’s experience in the context of information security behavior was explored through the lens of protection motivation theory. The practical foundation was provided by the framework of Security Education, Training, and Awareness (SETA) programs which are typically used by organizations within the United States to instruct employees regarding information security. A pilot study and primary study were conducted with separate data collections and analyses. Both existing and new measures were tested in the study which used a Modified Solomon Four Group Design to accommodate data collection via a web-based survey that included a two-treatment experimental component. The primary contribution to academia proposed in this study was to expand the protection motivation theory by including direct and vicarious experience regarding both threats and responses to the threats. Clear definitions and valid and reliable reflective measures for each of the four experience constructs were developed and are presented in this dissertation. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that all four forms of experience play an important part in the prediction of the primary constructs in the protection motivation model, and as such ultimately play an important part in the prediction of behavioral intent in the context of information security. The primary contribution to practice was expected to be specifically related to the application of fear appeals within a SETA instructional framework. The contribution to practice made by this dissertation became instead the implications resulting from the strong performance of the experience constructs. Specifically, experience, both direct and vicarious, and with threats and with responses, are all important influences on individuals’ behavioral choices regarding information security and should continue to be explored in this context.

No description available.

The development and example applications of a new EBSD-based texture analysis system are presented. This new system uses the cross-correlation function to compare two EBSD patterns at a number of corresponding regions in each pattern to calculate the deformation gradient tensor. Bragg's Law-based simulated EBSD patterns are used as reference patterns in the cross-correlation method to enable the measurements of absolute elastic strain and lattice orientation at discrete points in a crystalline sample. The resolution limits of this new method are explored using a variety of computational and physical experiments. The simulated pattern method is estimated to be able to measure lattice orientations to within +/-0.02° and elastic strains to within +/-3.6x10-4 for small strains and +/-1x10-3 for large strains. Two example applications are demonstrated. The first demonstration is estimating the dislocation density in a 5.5% compressed Mg-based AZ91 alloy. Nye's and Kröner's formulations are used to estimate the dislocation density. Comparisons are made with traditional OIM measurements and it is found that the simulated pattern method offers an order of magnitude improvement in dislocation density estimations over OIM. The second demonstration is tetragonality measurements of HSLA 65 steel along the weld line of a friction stir welded plate. Accurate tetragonality measurements in the bainite phase of the steel can be made using information from the diagonal components of the elastic strain tensor. The measured tetragonality can be related to the concentration of interstitial carbon atoms in the iron lattice to find the carbon distribution in the sample. From these experiments, it is demonstrated that the simulated pattern method presents a new and powerful methodology for texture analysis that exhibits both ease of use and access to high resolution orientation and elastic strain data.

This mixed methods study sought to refine the causal explanations for racial disparities in mental health care by exploring with youth of color (YOC, ages 12–21) how they became candidates for psychiatric care (“candidacy”). The thesis focused on developing and testing hypotheses about the Candidacy Model (CM) as a mediator of the relationships between mental health needs, racism, and health care utilization; examining those relationships when the candidate for care was represented by an agent; and characterizing how YOC and their agents experienced the assertion and adjudication stages of CM during a psychiatric emergency services visit. Despite a rich and growing literature on patient and environmental factors associated with lower access to psychiatric services, health services research in the United States has paid little attention to how YOC actualize their candidacy for mental health services. The CM suggests that vulnerable populations must negotiate with health care systems to have their needs considered medically treatable and to experience treatment in conditions that are congruent with their lifestyles. Theorizing that CM acts as a mediator between healthcare needs, racism, and treatment, this thesis explored how the specific stages of CM influenced mental health outcomes for YOC. The hypothesized relationships between candidacy, needs, racism, and utilization were tested using data from two national surveys, and in two different contexts: among young adults (ages 18-21) and among adolescents (ages 12–17) whose candidacy was co-constructed with their guardians. Through qualitative research (interviews and observation), over two years the research team explored with YOC and their guardians how current and prior candidacy experience influenced their use of psychiatric emergency services, an undesirable source of mental health care, and often the last resort for patients unable to access ongoing care. I found limited evidence that CM stages mediated the relationship between health care needs and treatment. Experiencing racism decreased the likelihood of being a successful candidate for care. Explorations with YOC and guardians found that people of color were marginalized when their assertions were ignored and when they were excluded from mental health care decision making. Repeat visits to the psychiatric emergency room reflected a negotiation strategy, in which the YOC and guardian triangulate and learn over time how to negotiate for a desired outcome. This thesis deepens knowledge of CM and of the role of negotiations in mental health care access for YOC, providing theoretical insights that will inform interventions to improve mental health equity. / 2025-08-23T00:00:00Z

No description available.

No description available.

Advanced high strength steel (AHSS) provides a lightweight material solution in response to the stringent regulation on fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions in the automotive industry. Dual phase (DP) steels that consist of a hard martensite phase embedded in a soft ferrite matrix are the most widely used AHSS due to their simple microstructure, robust thermo-mechanical processing and attractive mechanical properties. However, DP steels are prone to deform heterogeneously with strong strain partitioning between phases. The addition of Vanadium in DP steels can form nano-precipitates of vanadium carbonitrides (V (C,N)) that strengthen the ferrite and thus reduce the strain partitioning. This study considered the influence of V (C,N) on the deformation and damage behavior of ferrite-martensite DP1300 steels at the microscopic level. The hardness of the embedded ferrite and martensite regions are determined through nano-hardness testing. In-situ uniaxial tension tests were conducted on DP steels with similar martensite volume fractions within a scanning electron microscope (SEM) chamber. Microscopic-digital image correlation (µDIC) was then employed to analyze the local strain partitioning between ferrite and martensite. Local damage events such as void formation at ferrite martensite island interfaces and in the martensite islands were observed and rationalized with the µDIC results. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) were conducted to quantitatively analyze the microstructure damage. It was found that vanadium addition helps refine the microstructure and improve mechanical compatibility between the two phases. The overall ductility of the steel is enhanced especially in terms of post-uniform elongation and true strain to fracture. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Tribology is the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It is specifically concerned with the friction, wear and lubrication of these surfaces. Although tribology has conventionally been associated with the surface interaction of mechanical systems, concepts of tribology have also been important in the study of biological systems. Biotribology is one of the newest fields to emerge in the discipline of tribology. It can be described as the study of friction, wear and lubrication of biological systems, mainly synovial joints such as the human hip and knee. Osteoarthritis (OA) is partially characterized by the loss of articular cartilage from the contacting surface of the articulating bones in synovial joints. Although it has been studied extensively, the exact pathways and pathogenesis of OA have yet to be determined. Several factors have been cited as possible contributors to the condition. These factors can primarily be grouped into two categories of mechanical or biochemical abnormalities. Research in biotribology enables the examination of both the mechanical and biochemical factors involved in joint lubrication and OA. This research has focussed on the mechanisms of normal joint lubrication, as well as the possible connections between biotribology and osteoarthritis. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of biochemical changes and environment on cartilage wear and damage. Studies were carried out using a test device developed to study the tribological properties of articular cartilage, in vitro. A cartilage-on-cartilage test configuration was used with bovine articular cartilage and a cartilage-on-stainless steel configuration used with lapine articular cartilage. Articulating surfaces were put in sliding contact under a normal load. Natural and biochemically modified environments were created to simulate possible normal and pathologic in vivo conditions. Wear and friction of the articular cartilage were measured and related to biochemical environments which are suspected in clinical cases of OA. Quantitative measurement of cartilage wear was achieved through hydroxyproline assay of the post-test lubricants. Surface and subsurface damage were also examined through the use of scanning electron microscopy and histological staining techniques. The results of four separate studies demonstrated that: (1) exposure of bovine cartilage to collagenase-3, an enzyme suspected in the cartilage degeneration seen in OA, significantly increased cartilage wear (p = 0.001); (2) lapine cartilage with surgically induced OA exhibited higher coefficients of friction, but no significant increase in wear over normal cartilage from the same animal; (3) the addition of white blood cell lysate, comparable to what would be seen in mild joint inflammation, to synovial fluid significantly increased cartilage wear over normal synovial fluid (p = 0.002); (4) the removal of "boundary lubricating" surface-active phospholipids (SAPLs) from normal synovial fluid had no significant effect on cartilage wear. These results demonstrate that biochemical changes in the cartilage, as well as the synovial fluid, can lead to increased wear of and damage to the articular cartilage surface. How these changes may occur in living systems remains to be determined. The use of the tribological test device developed and various analytical techniques has made it possible to quantitatively evaluate the effects of biochemical changes and environment on the wear and damage of articular cartilage. These studies have demonstrated that research in biotribology has the potential to make significant contributions to the current knowledge not only of normal joint lubrication but of joint pathology as well. / Ph. D.

Bakgrund: Trycksår definieras som en vävnadsskada, oftast förekommande över ett benutskott,som orsakas av direkta tryck och/eller skjuvkrafter. I många fall kan trycksår undvikas och sesdärför som en sekundär verkan av något som går att förebygga. Att bedöma och kontrolleraförekomst av trycksår hos patienter anses vara en viktig del av patientsäkerhetsarbetet och är idagett viktigt fokus för sjuksköterskor. SEM-skannern är ett trådlöst, icke-invasivt bärbart teknologisktbedömningsinstrument som mäter hudens fuktighet i syfte att upptäcka trycksår i tidigt stadium. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa SEM-skanner som hjälpmedel försjuksköterskor att identifiera tecken på trycksår. Metod: Litteraturstudien bygger på ett systematiskt arbetssätt och en induktiv analysform. Studienhar utgått från Roséns (2017) granskningsprocess. Databassökning har gjorts i Cinahl och PubMed. Totalt inkluderades 8 artiklar efter utförd kvalitetsbedömning. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras i fyra huvudkategorier: enkelt handhavande, möjlighet till tidigtrycksårsidentifiering, möjlighet till tidiga omvårdnadsinterventioner samt trycksårsreduktion. Slutsats: SEM-skannern möjliggör för sjuksköterskor att tidigt upptäcka och därefter implementeraomvårdnadsinterventioner och har visats fungera på olika hudtoner. Evidensen talar för en högtrycksårsreduktion efter implementering av skannern.

Yes / By employing an extended social cognitive theory, this study examines factors (such as outcome expectation, affect, anxiety, self-efficacy and social influence) influencing intention to adopt an electronic government system called online public grievance redressal system (OPGRS) in context of India. The extended social cognitive theory (SCT) was validated using 419 responses collected from eight selected cities in India. The empirical outcomes of the proposed model indicated the significant relationships of seven hypothesised relationships between six constructs. This is the first study, which has used the SCT model to understand the adoption of an e-government system. The policy implication provided in this research can help the government to improve upon the effectiveness and quality of the system and the level of social impact on the users by employing the project champions. It also helps in enhancing their positive feelings toward adopting this system and fully utilise the potential of the OPGRS as a useful tool toward a transparent and corruption free society.