Religious diversity largely defines the present religious situation; comparative theology adaptively responds to this situation by comparing influential theological hypotheses from different contexts and developing theological hypotheses from that inquiry. The popularity and sophistication of the Bhagavad-Gītā and Fourth Gospel make these scriptures excellent comparative candidates. This dissertation situates these scriptures, interprets them, compares them, and constructs a philosophical theology from the comparison. Part I follows J.A.B. van Buitenen, Angelika Malinar, and Emily Hudson by situating the Bhagavad-Gītā in its original epic context, the Mahābhārata, and philosophical context: Sāṅkhya and Vedānta darśanas. It follows Robert Hill and George MacRae by situating “John” against its dual first-century backgrounds: Judaism and Hellenism. Part II provides an original interpretation of the scriptures. With Śaṅkara, Abhinavagupta, and Hudson, the dissertation interprets the Bhagavad-Gītā as reorienting Arjuna to see the subtlety of karma and dharma and to realize non-duality with Kṛṣṇa/Ātman/Brahman in the devotee’s heart. With Bultmann, Eckhart, Hill, and Neville, the dissertation interprets John as anti-gnostically affirming the cosmos as God’s Logos expression, which elicits love as the appropriate response to the Logos. Part III compares the scriptures in respect to ultimate reality and human existence, the main comparative categories. Ultimate reality comprises four subcategories: (1) cosmic scope and nature, (2) cosmological metaphysics, (3) ontology, and (4) avatāra/incarnation. Despite notable differences, both scriptures emphasize the non- duality of the cosmos with its indeterminate (nirguṇa/ἀόρατος) ontological ground. Existence comprises four subcategories: obligation, comportment, engagement, and life’s meaning. Realizing nonduality with Brahman, seeing everything as the expression of the Logos, provides ecstatic freedom, and the courage to be. Part IV develops a philosophical theology from the comparison. Einstein’s relativity theories weigh the probability that the cosmos pulsates or dies. Evolutionary theory shows that consciousness emerges as an adaptation to environments, not environments for consciousness’s pleasure. After distinguishing physical cosmology from cosmological metaphysics, the dissertation dialectically argues that the cosmos is real, but contingent on the ontological one, which is indeterminate (empty/nothing) apart from its shining forth in the cosmological many. Although this theological hypothesis requires greater breadth for stabilization, it remains tentatively viable for today’s religious situation. / 2024-09-06T00:00:00Z

Heart valve disease is currently one of the leading forms of heart disease. Current literature has shown that endothelin I, angiotension II and 5-HT are vasoactive agents which cause concentration dependent contractions in aortic valve leaflet tissue. This study tested the mechanical properties of leaflets cut in the radial direction after they were exposed to the agents at varied concentrations or for 0.5, 6 or 24 hours. The elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength and the yield strength were calculated. In the time trials the elastic modulus and the ultimate tensile strength both showed a significant increase at 24-hours. However, there were no significant differences found between the concentrations. Indicating the amount of vasoactive agent is not as significant as the length of exposure.

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Notched stringer segments spliced with metal connector plates (MCPs) and pallets with spliced stringer(s) were tested in static bending in order to determine the relative effectiveness of different stringer splicing methods and under what conditions the process is or is not effective. The species tested were oak, southern yellow pine, yellow-poplar, and two combined species - oak and yellow-poplar, and oak and southern yellow pine. The metal connector plates used were 3 x 4-inch, 3 x 6-inch truss plates, and a 3 x 4-inch plug plate. The splice methods tested were a vertical splice (VS), a 45° angle splice (AS), and a vertical splice with -inch gap between segments (VSG). The results of bending tests of these specimens were compared to non-spliced whole stringers and pallets containing whole stringers. Multiple comparison, statistical methods were used to analyze all test data. An analysis of the failure locations and types of specimens was also used to analyze test results. Vertical spliced stringers with 3 x 4 and 3 x 6 inch truss plates were the best designs of those tested. Spliced stringers were an average of 112% and 74% bending strength and stiffness of new non-spliced stringer. These plates were an average of 26% stronger and 13% stiffer than the 3 x 4 inch plug plate splice stringer. There was no difference between the performance stringers spliced with 3 x 6 and 3 x 4 inch truss plate. An angle splice design and the addition of 1.25 x 6 inch truss plate on the tension side of spliced stringer did not appear to improve the strength and stiffness. A gap between segments significantly reduces splice strength and stiffness by an average of 35% and 16% respectively. When mixing stringer segment species, the performance is determined by the weaker segment. The average strength and stiffness of pallets containing spliced stringers were similar to that of pallets with whole stringers, however the variation in performance was greater when notched stringer pallets contain splices. / Master of Science

This dissertation addresses the ultimate strength analysis of nonlinear beam-columns under axial compression, the sensitivity of the ultimate strength, structural optimization and reliability analysis using ultimate strength analysis, and Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) of the nonlinear beam-columns. The ultimate strength analysis is based on nonlinear beam theory with material and geometric nonlinearities. Nonlinear constitutive law is developed for elastic-perfectly-plastic beam cross-section consisting of base plate and T-bar stiffener. The analysis method is validated using commercial nonlinear finite element analysis. A new direct solving method is developed, which combines the original governing equations with their derivatives with respect to deformation matric and solves for the ultimate strength directly. Structural optimization and reliability analysis use a gradient-based algorithm and need accurate sensitivities of the ultimate strength to design variables. Semi-analytic sensitivity of the ultimate strength is calculated from a linear set of analytical sensitivity equations which use the Jacobian matrix of the direct solving method. The derivatives of the structural residual equations in the sensitivity equation set are calculated using complex step method. The semi-analytic sensitivity is more robust and efficient as compared to finite difference sensitivity. The design variables are the cross-sectional geometric parameters. Random variables include material properties, geometric parameters, initial deflection and nondeterministic load. Failure probabilities calculated by ultimate strength reliability analysis are validated by Monte Carlo Simulation. Double-loop RBDO minimizes structural weight with reliability index constraint. The sensitivity of reliability index with respect to design variables is calculated from the gradient of limit state function at the solution of reliability analysis. By using the ultimate strength direct solving method, semi-analytic sensitivity and gradient-based optimization algorithm, the RBDO method is found to be robust and efficient for nonlinear beam-columns. The ultimate strength direct solving method, semi-analytic sensitivity, structural optimization, reliability analysis, and RBDO method can be applied to more complicated engineering structures including stiffened panels and aerospace/ocean structures. / Ph. D.

This thesis presents the results of 67 ABAQUS elasto-plastic Riks ultimate strength analyses of cross-stiffened panels. These panels cover a wide range of typical geometries. Uniaxial compression is applied to the panels, and in some cases combined with lateral pressure. For eight of the panels full-scale experimental results are available, and these verified the accuracy of the ABAQUS results. The 67 ABAQUS results were then compared to the ultimate strength predictions from the computer program ULSAP. In all but 10 cases the ULSAP predicted strength is within 30% of the ABAQUS value, and in all but 4 cases the predicted failure mode also agrees with that of ABAQUS. In one case the ULSAP predicted ultimate strength is 51% below the experimental value, and so this case is studied in detail. The discrepancy is found to be caused by the method which ULSAP uses for panels that experience overall collapse initiated by beam-column-type failure. The beam-column method program ULTBEAM is used to predict the ultimate strength of the 61 panels that ULSAP predicts to fail due to overall collapse of the stiffeners and plating which may or may not be triggered by yielding of the plate-stiffener combination at the midspan (Mode III or III-1). ULTBEAM is found to give more accurate results than ULSAP for Mode III or III-1 failure. Future work is recommended to incorporate ULTBEAM into ULSAP to predict the ultimate strength of panels that fail in Mode III or III-1. / Master of Science

Genetic Variation influencing reproduction and growth of White Rock chickens was studied. The populations used were lines high (HH) and low (LL) selected for 56-day body weight, reciprocal F₁ crosses (HL and LH), F₂ crosses of the F₁ and dwarf populations (HD and LD) originating from lines HH and LL. Inheritance of egg production and egg composition was examined (Experiment 1). Although reciprocal effects were generally unimportant, nonadditive genetic variation was evident for reproductive traits and egg component measures of shell and yolk. Comparisons in Experiment 2 involved dwarf and normal chickens from lines HH and LL. Yolk weight increased while the ratio of albumen to yolk decreased with age. Line and genotype differences were evident for egg shell and yolk traits while line by genotype interactions showed that genetic background influenced expression of dw. Embryo growth of dwarfs was similar to that of nondwarfs at all ages (Experiment 3). Reduced egg size of dwarf pullets did not reduce embryonic weights. Embryo length and weight and yolk sac weight were greater for line HH than LL. In Experiment 4, allometric growth and cellular content of brains were measured in normal and dwarf chickens from lines HH and LL and reciprocal F₁ crosses from hatch to maturity. Allometric slopes were similar for lines HH and LL with significant heterosis. Within an age, DNA, RNA and protein content (mg/g) were similar for all populations. Brain weight differences were due to equal filling of a greater number cells for line HH than LL. Final brain size was influenced more by embryonic hyperplasia than postembryonic hypertrophy. The final experiment measured growth and cellular content of pectoralis and gastrocnemius muscles in populations HH, LL and F₁ from hatch to day 273. HH chicks had a smaller DNA unit size and a greater unit number than LL chicks at hatch. During rapid muscle growth, cell size was larger for HH than LL chickens. Pectoralis muscle grew at a faster rate than gastrocnemius muscle. Also cellular filling as measured by the DNA unit size was higher for pectoralis than gastrocnemius muscle through day 4. By day 10 the pattern reversed with values greater for gastrocnemius than pectoralis muscle. / Ph. D.

本研究將總經理之異動分為自願性與非自願異動二種，主要探討董事會之特性與、控制股東與總經理發生非自願性異動間之關聯性，並且強調從董事會獨立性及最終控制者對董事會之控制力觀點，探討董事會解除總經理職務之決策行為。除此之外，本研究尚探討總經理異動後影響董事會選任繼任總經理之決策行為，主要從董事會之獨立性與異動前績效兩項觀點。研究樣本為民國八十八年至九十二年之台灣上市公司，探用Logit model來檢驗假說。 在總經理發生非自願性異動方面，實證結果顯示，當前期的績效愈差時，總經理發生非自願性異動的機率愈高，本研究並將董事會特性分為股權結構及董事會獨立性兩種，並加入最終控制者觀點，實證結果顯示，獨立董事的比率愈高，總經理發生非自願性異動的機率愈高，惟其結果不具統計上的重大性。總經理之持股比率佔董事全體持股比率較高時，愈容易發生總經理非自願性異動，但不具有統計上的重大性。當董事長與總經理為同一人時，較不易發生總經理非自願性異動。此外，在最終控制者方面，實證結果顯示，當控制股東席次控制權愈高時，總經理發生非自願性異動的機率愈低，控制股東的盈餘分配權與席次控制權的偏離程度愈大時，總經理發生非自願性異動的機率愈低，但不具統計上的重大性。 在繼任總經理特性與董事會特性關聯性方面，實證結果顯示，當異動前績效愈差時，董事會愈傾向於選用外部繼任者，但不具有統計上的重大性。獨立董事比率愈高，董事會愈傾向於選用外部繼任者。 　　整體而言，績效是影響我國上市公司總經理發生非自願性異動的重要原因之一，除此之外，董事長兼任總經理之情形，讓董事長有能力去阻止他們被撤換，進而降低總經理非自願性的離職機率。由於我國上市公司特殊的股權結構，使得控制股東掌控了董事會並且積極參與公司經營，造成董事會流於形式，無形中降低了董事會的監督職能，而設置獨立董事是提高董事會職能發揮的重要機制之一，在本研究中，雖未發現獨立董事的設置對於董事會的監督職能之顯著助益，但發現設置獨立董事在決定繼任者方面，能提出專業建言，使得董事會選任繼任總經理能有更廣泛的人選，而非侷限於公司內部。 / This research CEO turnover will divide into voluntary turnover and non- voluntary turnover. This research discusses the relationship among corporate performance, characteristics of board of the directors, non- voluntary CEO turnover and controlling shareholders. This research emphasizes the board of directors independence and the controlling shareholders’ controlling force over the board of directors and discusses the board of directors’ policy-making behavior of firing CEO.In addition, this research also discusses how does the board of directors appoint succeed CEO.The sample consists of all public companies listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation over the four-year period 2000-2003.According to previous studies, the characteristics of the board of directors are ownership structure and independence. This research also considerate the controlling shareholders. This research provides evidence on the relationship between non- voluntary CEO turnover and corporate performance. The likelihood of non- voluntary CEO turnover is significantly negatively related to the pre-performance. Non- voluntary CEO turnover rate is low when the chairman of the board and CEO are the same person. In addition, this research provides evidence on the relationship between the board of directors independence and the characteristics of the succeed CEO.When the fraction of outside directors is high, the board of directors comparatively possibly appoints the outsider successor.

The use of fossil derived products and the environmental and economic problems associated with them have made a shift to abundant renewable resources such as forest biomass more attractive. However before forest biomass can be used as a resource, its properties must be known. This study determined the physical properties of heterogeneous biomass residues produced during harvesting on two operational forest sites within the Great Lakes-St Lawrence forest of south-eastern Ontario. Properties measured were moisture content, size distribution, bulk density, and wood-to-bark ratio; also thermo-chemical properties including elemental composition, thermal reactivity and energy content were measured. The effects of forest site and harvest type, storage and position in storage pile, on the properties of biomass were also investigated. Results of the study showed that the various heterogeneous forest harvest residues differed more physically than thermo-chemically for the different variables, and this affected biomass procurement more than the potential utilization options.

Confrontées à des problématiques marketing d’attraction et de fidélisation des bénévoles, les associations ciblent les retraités en raison de leur temps quotidien disponible. Cependant, elles omettent le fait que leur temps est également une ressource limitée, du fait du rapprochement de leur propre finitude. Pourquoi donner son temps lorsque celui-ci est compté ? Cette recherche a ainsi pour objectif d’expliquer la diversité des motivations au bénévolat des retraités par leurs différences en termes de rapport au temps restant à vivre. Celui-ci est envisagé comme une pression temporelle spécifique : la pression temporelle ultime (PTU) ; soit la conscience d’un temps restant à vivre limité par le rapprochement de l’échéance ultime et les réactions affectives qui l’accompagnent. Après un état de l’art sur le thème du bénévolat et des motivations qui le sous-tendent (chapitre 1), une revue de la littérature sur le rapport au temps suite au vieillissement nous amène à conceptualiser la PTU et aboutir à un premier modèle théorique (chapitre 2). Celui-ci est enrichi progressivement (chapitre 3), grâce à une analyse thématique de contenu de 18 entretiens semi-directifs, réalisée à l’aide du logiciel NVivo10. En découlent les variables, les hypothèses et le design de recherche (chapitre 4). Par la suite, une étude quantitative (728 retraités bénévoles au total) permet la création d’une échelle de mesure de la PTU, la vérification des propriétés psychométriques des autres instruments (chapitre 5), puis le test des hypothèses. Les principaux résultats (chapitre 6) mettent en avant l’influence (absolue puis relative) de la PTU sur les motivations au bénévolat des retraités, ses antécédents, ainsi que des implications relatives aux intentions de poursuite du comportement. Le principal apport théorique et méthodologique est l’ajout d’une troisième catégorie de pression temporelle et l’échelle de mesure associée. Cette recherche répond également à des enjeux de nature managériale et sociétale, en étant de nature à aider les responsables associatifs à tirer profit du vieillissement de la population. Pour cela, elle encourage la considération de l’hétérogénéité des retraités pour une stratégie et un marketing mix plus efficaces (typologie de 5 segments de bénévoles retraités). / Non-profit organizations are faced marketing issues : recruiting volunteers and improving their loyalty. To answer them, they target retirees, focusing on their daily free time. However, they forget that their time is a limited resource, because of the proximity of their own finitude. Why volunteering when time is running out ? This research aims to explain the variety of retirees’ motivations to volunteer by what they experience when considering time remaining to live. We shed light on a new temporal concept: ultimate time pressure (UTP), to gain a better understanding of what retirees think about their limited time remaining to live and the feelings related. After a literature review on volunteerism and motivations underlying this behavior, another literature review on time experience with ageing leads us to create a new concept: ultimate time pressure ; and to build a theoretical model. In chapter 3, we progressively enrich it, thanks to a thematic content analysis of 18 interwiews, with Nvivo10 software. The variables, hypothesis and research design follow. Next, a quantitative study (N= 728) leads us to create an UTP scale, to examine psychometric properties of the other scales (chapter 5) and finally to test the hypothesis. The main results described in chapter 6 shows the influence of UTP on motivations to volunteer by retirees, its determinants and consequences. The main academic contribution is the add of a third kind of time pressure and the scale related. This research has also practical and societal issues. It encourages non-profit organizations to consider the heterogeneity of retirees, for a better strategical and mix marketing (typology : 5 segments of retired volunteers).