Thesis (Ph.D. in Bioinformatics) -- University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-106).

Nesta tese de doutoramento foram propostos dois modelos teóricos (ZPM e GFA) para a obtenção da seção de choque de fusão e um (ZPM) para o cálculo do potencial de polarização para o canal elástico e correspondente seção de choque de espalhamento. Foi usado em todos os cálculos deste trabalho, tanto no tratamento da fusão quanto no do espalhamento elástico, o Potencial de São Paulo (SP), que possui como uma das principais características a total ausência de parâmetros ajustáveis. Conseqüentemente, todos os cálculos apresentados no contexto de diferentes modelos constituem previsões teóricas ao invés de simples ajustes de dados. Em uma análise comparativa acerca dos cálculos para a fusão, os modelos GFA e ZPM se mostraram equivalentes e compatíveis com cálculos de canais acoplados usuais, com a vantagem de incorporarem acoplamentos à toda banda vibracional e de permitirem a obtenção de cálculos acurados de seções de choque de fusão em energias extremamente abaixo da barreira. Aplicamos o modelo de ZPM ao cálculo da função de excitação de fusão para 112 sistemas de íons pesados, envolvendo tanto núcleos par-par como núcleos ímpar-par e ímpar-ímpar (incluindo alguns núcleos fracamente ligados), e confrontamos os resultados obtidos com dados experimentais existentes na literatura. Enquanto o modelo de penetração de barreira não-deformado prevê discordâncias de até onze ordens de magnitude, as previsões do modelo de ZPM mostraram-se de acordo com os dados dentro de duas ordens de grandeza. Ao confrontarmos os resultados do modelo de ZPM para as seções de choque de espalhamento elástico com dados experimentais para alguns sistemas em energias em torno da barreira coulombiana, pudemos constatar uma boa concordância. Desta forma, demonstramos que é possível tratar os canais de espalhamento elástico e de fusão de maneira consistente dentro do mesmo contexto. / In this Ph.D. thesis two theoretical models (ZPM and GFA) were proposed in order to obtain fusion cross sections and one (ZPM) to calculate the polarization potential for the elastic channel and the corresponding scattering cross section. The São Paulo (SP) potential, which has as one of its main characteristics the complete absence of adjustable parameters, was used as bare interaction in the calculations of the present work. Therefore, all results, presented in the context of different models, correspond to theoretical predictions instead of simply data fit. After a comparative analysis of fusion calculations, the GFA and ZPM models demonstrated to be equivalents and compatible with the usual coupled channel calculations, with the advantage of incorporating inelastic couplings to the complete vibrational band and of providing accurate fusion cross sections at extreme low energies relative to the Coulomb barrier. We applied the ZPM model to the calculation of the fusion excitation function for 112 heavy-ion systems, involving not only even-even nuclei but also odd-even and odd-odd ones (including some weakly-bound nuclei), and we compared the theoretical results with experimental data existing in literature. While the usual non-deformed barrier penetration model provides enhancements up to eleven orders of magnitude, the ZPM model predictions are in good agreement with the data within only two orders of magnitude. When confronting the ZPM model results with experimental data of elastic scattering cross sections for some systems, at energies around the Coulomb barrier, we found out good agreement between them. Therefore, we demonstrated that it is possible to treat the elastic scattering and fusion channels in a consistent manner, within the same context.

The primary purpose of this research project was to explain how Korean immigrants develop acculturation attitudes toward Korean and American culture and how these attitudes are related to their experiences within their community in America. In order to achieve this goal, this project consisted of two empirical studies. In Study 1, the model of community capacity and acculturation was tested using structural equation modeling and the model fit the data very well. The results of the hypotheses tests in Study 1 were as follows: Sense of Community, Community Provisions, and Community Engagement were positively correlated with each other. Sense of Community and Community Provisions directly influenced acculturation attitudes toward American culture. Community Capacity directly influenced acculturation attitudes toward Korean culture. Sense of community and Community Provisions had significant indirect effects on acculturation attitudes toward Korean culture. In Study 2, using structural equation modeling, the model of community adjustment was tested across three groups (INTEGRATION, ASSIMILATION, and SEPARATION) who had developed different acculturation attitudes and the model fit the data well except for ASSIMILATION. The results of the tests of the hypotheses in Study 2 were as follows: Sense of Community and Community Capacity were positively correlated with each other in all groups. Only INTEGRATION did Sense of Community directly influence Community Provisions. However, Community Capacity directly influenced community provisions in all three groups. In INTEGRATION and SEPARATION, Community Engagement directly influenced Community Provisions. Community Capacity indirectly influenced Community Provisions in both INTEGRATION and SEPARATION. Finally, I concluded that Korean immigrants experienced the process of community adjustment differently regarding acculturation attitudes. Results from these investigations explicitly reveal that the application of community capacity in research on acculturation was valuable for explaining some individual and contextual variations in acculturation. Acculturation was a complex, multi-dimensional process. Korean immigrants developed different attitudes and their attitudes impacted differently on their lives within their larger community. The theoretical concept of community capacity has much promise as a guide for future theory and research on acculturation. / Ph. D.

No / Describe, discuss and critically appraise human error theory and consider its relevance for nurse managers. Healthcare errors are a persistent threat to patient safety. Effective risk management and clinical governance depends on understanding the nature of error. EVALUATION: This paper draws upon a wide literature from published works, largely from the field of cognitive psychology and human factors. Although the content of this paper is pertinent to any healthcare professional; it is written primarily for nurse managers. KEY ISSUES: Error is inevitable. Causation is often attributed to individuals, yet causation in complex environments such as healthcare is predominantly multi-factorial. Individual performance is affected by the tendency to develop prepacked solutions and attention deficits, which can in turn be related to local conditions and systems or latent failures. Blame is often inappropriate. Defences should be constructed in the light of these considerations and to promote error wisdom and organizational resilience. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Managing and learning from error is seen as a priority in the British National Health Service (NHS), this can be better achieved with an understanding of the roots, nature and consequences of error. Such an understanding can provide a helpful framework for a range of risk management activities.

Book Summary: Applying Techniques to Common Encounters in School Counseling: A Case-Based Approach helps counselors in training bridge the gap between theory and practice by showing them how to theoretically frame or understand the problems and issues they encounter, how to proceed, and what action steps to take when they enter the field as school counselors. It answers the questions new counselors have in real school settings, such as What is it really like to live the life of a professional school counselor? How does the theory presented in the classroom apply to the myriad of situations encountered in the real life, everyday school setting? Case studies and scenarios give readers examples of many commonly encountered presenting issues. For each scenario the case is introduced, background information is supplied, and initial processing questions are posed. The authors include a discussion of the theoretical models or frameworks used to address the issue, along with a table segmented by theoretical paradigm and grade level that includes other techniques that could be used in the presenting case. With these tools at their disposal, readers gain a firm understanding of the issues from several frames of reference, along with interventions meant to create movement toward a successful resolution.

<p>The co-operative as an economic and social institution has long been recognized for its contribution to economic development as well as its positive effect on local communities. However, over the last decade or so substantial structural changes in the agricultural sector have undermined some of the most prominent North American co-operatives. In some cases, co-ops asked for bankruptcy protection, others ceased operations while some were transformed to for-profit firms. The present study offers three essays that explore the challenges that co-operatives are facing in terms of their relationship with their members in local markets, the decision-making process of their leaders and the co-ops' role in the modern economy.</p> <p>These first two essays are linked by the fact that they both develop models that are about cognitions. Examining cognition offers some new insights to understanding the process behind the decline of agricultural co-ops. In the first essay the model examines consumers' cognitions, while the model in the second essay examines management's cognitions. The essays differ on the agent's ability to change the perceptions that result from those cognitions. Essay One assumes that consumers' perceptions are partially flexible and thus can change over time with some cost; on the other hand, essay Two assumes that beliefs are inflexible due to the high cost of changing them.</p> <p>Essay One examines the relationship between a co-operative and its membership in a local market using an economic psychological approach. More specifically, the essay presents a modified rational-choice model to investigate how cognitive dissonance can influence members' loyalty. The effect of cognitive dissonance is analyzed in a case where a local co-operative operates alongside with an investor-owned firm (IOF) in a market. The model illustrates how cognitive dissonance can give rise to switching costs for those consumers who wish to switch to the IOF. Analytical results demonstrate the effect of these switching costs on equilibrium market shares and discuss how a drop in the dissonance cost because of managerial decisions by the co-op can result in dramatic drops in its market share.</p> <p>Essay Two illustrates how management's mental frame can be incorporated into an economic model and develops a theoretical underpinning for the link between a strong mental frame and the financial difficulties that a firm might experience. The case of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool with its Project Horizon plan is proposed as an example of a situation where the established mental frame gave rise to a belief regarding future member support that had a significant influence on the decision-making process of the co-op's CEO. The analysis includes a game theoretic model of a duopoly between a co-operative and an IOF, where mental framing is explicitly incorporated into the primitives of the model. Analytical results illustrate how the CEO's belief regarding member commitment can influence decision-making and therefore affect the market share and profits of the firm.</p> <p>Essay Three uses non-parametric econometric techniques to examine the stock price effect of a co-op's acquisition by a publicly-traded IOF. The potential for this study emerged as a result of the takeover of Dairyworld, a dairy co-op, by Saputo, a publicly-traded private corporation. The study uses the prediction-error approach to estimate Saputo's returns after the acquisition as a deviation from its expected returns. A non-parametric bootstrap technique simulates Saputo's stock returns and examines its behavior around the acquisition date. The empirical results are consistent with a number of hypotheses, including the pro-competitive role that co-operatives are believed to have in the economy. The essay also includes a comprehensive discussion regarding the greater financial value that co-ops have for IOFs.</p>

<p>The co-operative as an economic and social institution has long been recognized for its contribution to economic development as well as its positive effect on local communities. However, over the last decade or so substantial structural changes in the agricultural sector have undermined some of the most prominent North American co-operatives. In some cases, co-ops asked for bankruptcy protection, others ceased operations while some were transformed to for-profit firms. The present study offers three essays that explore the challenges that co-operatives are facing in terms of their relationship with their members in local markets, the decision-making process of their leaders and the co-ops' role in the modern economy.</p> <p>These first two essays are linked by the fact that they both develop models that are about cognitions. Examining cognition offers some new insights to understanding the process behind the decline of agricultural co-ops. In the first essay the model examines consumers' cognitions, while the model in the second essay examines management's cognitions. The essays differ on the agent's ability to change the perceptions that result from those cognitions. Essay One assumes that consumers' perceptions are partially flexible and thus can change over time with some cost; on the other hand, essay Two assumes that beliefs are inflexible due to the high cost of changing them.</p> <p>Essay One examines the relationship between a co-operative and its membership in a local market using an economic psychological approach. More specifically, the essay presents a modified rational-choice model to investigate how cognitive dissonance can influence members' loyalty. The effect of cognitive dissonance is analyzed in a case where a local co-operative operates alongside with an investor-owned firm (IOF) in a market. The model illustrates how cognitive dissonance can give rise to switching costs for those consumers who wish to switch to the IOF. Analytical results demonstrate the effect of these switching costs on equilibrium market shares and discuss how a drop in the dissonance cost because of managerial decisions by the co-op can result in dramatic drops in its market share.</p> <p>Essay Two illustrates how management's mental frame can be incorporated into an economic model and develops a theoretical underpinning for the link between a strong mental frame and the financial difficulties that a firm might experience. The case of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool with its Project Horizon plan is proposed as an example of a situation where the established mental frame gave rise to a belief regarding future member support that had a significant influence on the decision-making process of the co-op's CEO. The analysis includes a game theoretic model of a duopoly between a co-operative and an IOF, where mental framing is explicitly incorporated into the primitives of the model. Analytical results illustrate how the CEO's belief regarding member commitment can influence decision-making and therefore affect the market share and profits of the firm.</p> <p>Essay Three uses non-parametric econometric techniques to examine the stock price effect of a co-op's acquisition by a publicly-traded IOF. The potential for this study emerged as a result of the takeover of Dairyworld, a dairy co-op, by Saputo, a publicly-traded private corporation. The study uses the prediction-error approach to estimate Saputo's returns after the acquisition as a deviation from its expected returns. A non-parametric bootstrap technique simulates Saputo's stock returns and examines its behavior around the acquisition date. The empirical results are consistent with a number of hypotheses, including the pro-competitive role that co-operatives are believed to have in the economy. The essay also includes a comprehensive discussion regarding the greater financial value that co-ops have for IOFs.</p>

Bakalauro baigiamojo darbo teorinėje dalyje aptariama paslaugos kokybės teorinė samprata, pristatomi paslaugos kokybės vertinimo teoriniai modeliai ir bendrieji paslaugos kokybės vertinimo kriterijai, kuriais remiantis parengtas tyrimo instrumentas – anketa, skirta vertinti P. Šimulio autoserviso paslaugos kokybę. Empirinėje dalyje pristatomi klientų nuomonės tyrimo rezultatai, kurie atskleidžia autoserviso klientų nuomonę apie techninę, funkcinę ir laukiamą kokybę. Tyrimo rezultatai patvirtina, kad P. Šimulio autoserviso paslaugų kokybė daugumos klientų yra vertinama gerai. Tyrimo metu nustatytos ir tobulintinos paslaugos kokybės sritys (aptarnaujančių darbuotojų kiekis ir jų apranga, darbuotojų mokėjimas pripažinti klaidą ir įmonės kainodaros sistema), kurias, remiantis vertinimo rezultatais, rekomenduojama gerinti. Darbą sudaro trys pagrindinės dalys: įvadas, teorinės dalis, empirinė – praktinė dalis, išvados ir rekomendacijos, literatūros sąrašas. Darbe yra aštuonios lentelės, 26 paveikslai. Atskirai pridedami šeši priedai. Darbo apimtis 67 p. teksto be priedų. / The theoretical conception of service quality is discussed in this final work of bachelor degree as well as the theoretical models of evaluation of service quality and overall criteria of evaluation of service quality are introduced in this paper. The instrument of this survey, the questionnaire, which was designed to evaluate the service quality of the P. Šimulis car care service centre, was based on them. The results of the clients’ opinions survey that show the service consumers’ views on technical, functional and expected quality are presented in the empirical part of the work. The obtained results confirm that the major part of the clients appreciate quality of service supplied by the P. Šimulis car care service centre. The improvement areas in quality of service (such as the quantity of operating personnel and their appearance, willingness to acknowledge their mistakes and the pricing system of the company) were identified during the survey and according to the evaluation of the results they should be improved. This final work consists of three main parts: introduction, theoretical part, empirical – practical part, conclusions and recommendations and the list of literature used. There are 8 tables and 26 pictures represented in this work. 6 annexes are listed separate. The bachelor paper consists of 67 pages excluding annexes.

This study is concerned with furthering an understanding of the behaviour of organisational boundary personnel, or more exactly, with how boundaries act as psychological environments. The study has two complementary aims: to describe the psychological environment encountered by boundary personnel and to offer a theoretical model of the organisation as a psychological environment, the latter being a prerequisite of the former. It is held that a social psychological perspective is needed which can deal adequately with organisations as antecedent conditions of behaviour, and that situational analysis offers a useful social psychological framework for this purpose. The empirical investigation is an initial descriptive study of the psychological environment encountered by boundary personnel. It is argued that initial descriptive studies are necessary when dealing with largely unstudied phenomena, and that this stage in the scientific process has often been undervalued by social psychologists. A diary analysis followed by interviews were used to elicit a range of situations encountered by boundary personnel having direct and frequent contact with customers and clients. Four organisations were studied, each having a different primary task. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to elicit judgemental data, using the situations as stimuli. Multidimensional scaling was applied to analyse the data, treated as four sub-sets. This yielded the dimensions underlying each data set and the representation of situations according to these dimensions in each case. The results suggest that three common dimensions (formality, anxiety and socio-emotionality) underlie the cognitive representations of boundary personnel, and that the psychological environment encountered is complex. A taxonomy of situations is constructed and several important hypotheses relating to the psychological environment of boundary personnel formulated. Implications for future research are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic form as viewed 2/16/2009.