Thesis (M.S.W.)--McGill University, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-87). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape10/PQDD%5F0015/MQ55114.pdf.

Thesis (Ph. D.(Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-226).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliographical references.

Vassily Aksyonov's novel, The Burn and Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" are central to my contention that a direct and palpable link exists between the literary, jazz and underground youth movements existent in the USSR and US in the postwar years. In his novel, Aksyonov uses many devices and literary motifs that do not seem out of place in the work of Ginsberg or other members of the Beat Generation. The groundbreaking poem "Howl" utilizes a similar sense of verbal gymnastics that is present in the writing of Aksyonov. Both pieces make use of aspects of the carnivalesque, the grotesque, the medieval concept of the 'safety valve,' Billingsgate and confessional tone, among others in a sort of Dionysian bacchanal. Central to both movements is a sense of rebellion and reaction towards an increasingly conservative society, as well as a search for truth through the use and abuse of illicit substances. It is apparent that a direct correlation exits between the stuffy and isolationist outlook of postwar America and the stagnation and decline of the Brezhnev era Soviet Union as depicted in The Burn. The characters depicted within are searching for something that the system will not and cannot provide. And like Aksyonov, Ginsberg is also concerned with the concepts of the "high" and the "low" with regards to culture. Both authors teeter between the concepts of beauty and beatification and self- abuse and self-destruction in their quest to find universal truth. The Russian "New Wave" of literature, of which Aksyonov was a prominent member, simply shares too much in common with the Beat movement to be a mere coincidence. In this paper I will detail these many similarities and the possible reasons for them, as well as delve deeper into the connection that both literary movements shared with jazz and the culture that surrounds it, and how these subcultures were able to impact both their respective governments and the generations to come. / text

Prescribed fire is a common tool used to restore native diversity, control invasive species, and reduce fuel loads. However, fire alone can be insufficient to restore pre-settlement vegetation; other factors such as differences in native and invasive species pools, deer herbivory, seed availability, and the spatial pattern of the fire can influence vegetation trajectories and restoration outcomes. Central Texas is a mosaic of savanna and mixed woodlands co-dominated by Quercus buckleyi (Texas red oak) and Juniperus ashei (Ashe juniper). In a savanna, I studied the joint effects of initial species composition (native-dominated or invasive-dominated) and disturbance (high-intensity fire, clipping, or control) on the ability of native species to establish, survive, and resist invasion by Bothriochloa ischaemum, an invasive C4 grass (ch. 1). Native savanna patches were resistant to invasion following high-intensity fire; fire can be used to selectively control B. ischaemum. In central Texas savanna and woodlands, under fire suppression and overabundant white-tailed deer, Quercus spp. are failing to regenerate, while J. ashei is increasing in abundance. To better understand vegetation trajectories following J. ashei removal in savanna, I studied the soil seedbank along a chronosequence of J. ashei invasion (ch. 5). In woodland, I studied the joint effects of prescribed fire and deer (ch. 2), clearing of J. ashei followed by high-intensity slash-pile burns (ch. 3), and wildfires (ch. 4) on the abundance and size of J. ashei and of hardwoods. Hardwoods resprouted vigorously after fire; J. ashei individuals of all sizes were killed by fire and slow to re-colonize. These management interventions failed to increase Q. buckleyi seedling abundance. It is likely that deer control is necessary to allow fire to have positive effects on the regeneration of oaks in this region, and wherever deer are over-abundant. However, deer can indirectly benefit hardwoods by reducing competition with palatable forbs (ch. 3). In general, these results show that fire suppression in central Texas oak-dominated woodlands is causing a shift not to more mesic-adapted species, as observed in the eastern US, but to J. ashei, which is at least as xeric-adapted as oak, a process I termed 'juniperization'. / text

published_or_final_version / Mental Health / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

It has been reported by the American Burn Association that 4,000 people die every year due to burn injury. After survival of the initial trauma, the next major obstacle that must be overcome is combating bacterial infection, the primary cause of mortality for burn victims (Chapter 1). The polyacrylate nanoparticle drug delivery system was created to provide a water-based solution for delivery of highly lipophilic antimicrobials; such as N-thiolated β-lactams, however, with the success of this system for these antimicrobials, it was extended towards other, commercially-available water-soluble antimicrobials through acrylation of the drug monomers, including those with observed bacterial resistance (Chapter 2). Various antibiotics were incorporated into this polyacrylate nanoparticle delivery system by either encapsulation or covalent attachment, and the antibacterial activity was determined in vitro (Chapter 3). Since current treatment of burn wound infections calls for numerous antimicrobials in order to combat the vast array of microbes that may be present in the wound, a multi-drug conjugated nanoparticle system was constructed and analyzed for antibacterial activity against many pathogens commonly found in burn wounds (Chapter 4). In vitro antibacterial assays suggest that the nanoparticle delivery system rejuvenated the activity of penicillin-based antibiotics against formerly resistant microbes, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The multi-drug conjugated nanoparticle emulsion had the added benefit of forming a drug-conjugated polyacrylate polymer film through air-drying and polymer coalescence. Upon topical application to a skin abrasion in a mouse model, a protective barrier was created over the wound. This film exhibits mechanical properties similar to elastin, a pliant biological material, giving it the elasticity and flexibility required to move and interact with the wound in the same fashion as intact skin (Chapter 5). This film also permits diffusion of essential nutrients and small molecules (such as oxygen and water) required for wound healing. The emulsion was able to be combined with other biological materials, such as collage, to form a biocomposite material expressing the most optimal properties from each constituent (Chapter 6). In vitro cytotoxicity analysis (Chapter 7) and in vivo toxicity studies (Chapter 8) produced positive results indicating that the multi-drug conjugated nanoparticle emulsion is a promising new treatment for the burn wound and other topical skin and soft tissue infections.

A severe burn is one of the most traumatic injuries a person can experience. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is relatively common after burns, and can be devastating for the individual’s possibilities for recovery. The principal aims were to gain knowledge regarding posttraumatic stress symptoms and cognitive processes after burn and to evaluate methods for assessing symptoms of PTSD up to one year after burn. The psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) were examined. The results indicate that the IES-R is a valid screening instrument for measuring PTSD symptoms in patients with burns and it can be used during hospitalisation to identify resilient individuals. The pattern of PTSD symptoms over time was also investigated. Four distinct trajectories of PTSD symptoms were identified, i.e. four groups of patients with significantly different onsets and courses. The trajectories differed in the expected direction regarding several risk factors associated with PTSD symptoms. Several previously known risk factors for PTSD symptoms were also identified including burn severity, psychiatric history, previous life events, early psychological symptoms, neuroticism-related personality traits, avoidant coping and low social support. The risk factors correspond well with those reported in the international trauma literature, which strengthens the findings in this thesis. Finally, using the emotional Stroop task at one year post burn it was found that burn-specific attentional bias was common and associated with more previous life events, more perceived life threat, larger burns and higher levels of PTSD symptoms. In summary, there are individual differences in the development and course of PTSD symptoms after burn and attentional bias is a common cognitive phenomenon related to these symptoms. The findings also support the use of the IES-R as a screening instrument for PTSD symptoms in patients with burns.

Personality, ways of coping and occupational burnout were examined within the context of child care work, using a number of self-report questionnaires. Subjects included 70 full-time child care workers from children's homes in the Natal-KwaZulu area. The subject sample was treated as one group, as environmental sources of stress were perceived more or less consistently across the population. Stepwise multiple regression was used to assess the relationships between personality (neuroticism, extraversion) and ways of coping and the three facets of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment). Demographic variables such as age and experience were also explored. Varying degrees of burnout were found, with particularly high levels of diminished personal accomplishment. Both emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies contributed significantly to the burnout response, with emotion-focused coping being the most frequently reported coping strategy. Significant relationships were found between personality and burnout. Neuroticism contributed a significant proportion of the variance in all three dimensions of burnout, particularly emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. Extraversion and psychoticism contributed significantly to higher levels of personal accomplishment. A significant relationship was found between personality and ways of coping. Neuroticism contributed significantly to the prediction of emotion-focused coping strategies, particularly wishful thinking and self-blame. Extraversion was found to contribute significantly to problem-focused coping and growth-oriented coping. Demographic variables, particularly age and experience, were found to influence both burnout and coping responses. Ethnic identity was found to influence the coping strategies used. The results were discussed primarily in terms of their function as defenses, or as efforts to adapt (successfully or unsuccessfully) to the stress being experienced, and as vulnerability factors. The importance of contextual factors in the stress and burnout process, particularly within the current South African context, was highlighted. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.