Thesis--Cologne. / Includes index. Bibliography: p. 307-326.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-36). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55). Also available on the World Wide Web.

The purpose of this study was, first, to further our understanding of the experience of dying in a long-term care (LTC) facility from the perspective of family members and second, to identify the relationships between the various factors which may influence satisfaction with end-of-life care. Using a sequential mixed methods design, a convenience sample of 87 family members completed a survey interview using a modified version of the Toolkit of Instruments to Measure End-of-life Care (TIME) Nursing Home Version in the first phase of the study. Findings from the parametric and non-parametric analyses indicated that family satisfaction with end-of-life care was best predicted by contact and communication with nursing staff, feeling that care provided at the end of life met expectations, staff providing consistent care, feeling that the health care aide listened to their concerns about care and that respondents felt they had received enough emotional support. Being transferred to hospital in the last month of life, dying in a place other than the LTC facility, and respondent age and employment status were all associated with significant mean differences in satisfaction scores. In the second phase, three focus groups were conducted to further explore areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with end-of-life care. Focus groups provided confirmation of the findings of the first phase of the study and were instrumental in developing a list of ten recommendations for improvements in end-of-life care delivery. Recommendations for future research are made based on the study results. / October 2007

Idag finns det en uppsjö av meddelandeapplikationer och det kommer nya nästan varje dag. Dock finns det inte lika många meddelandeapplikationer där både klientapplikationen och serverapplikationen är öppen källkod och kan köras på egna privata servrar. Dessa meddelandeapplikationer är bra på att lösa problemet att många, upp till flera miljoner personer ska kunna kommunicera med varandra. Dock finns det ett mindre användarfall med ett mindre meddelandesystem som består av enbart ett meddelandeflöde, där alla meddelanden är synliga för alla enheter. Detta mindre användarfall gör att mindre metadata behövs. Användningsområden för ett sådant meddelandesystem kan vara bl.a. att få notifikationer från servrar eller att skriva anteckningar. Meddelandeflödet synkroniseras mellan alla enheter. Målet med detta arbete är att skapa ett End-to-End krypterat meddelandesystem som uppfyller autentisering, dataintegritet och sekretess. Forskning har granskats gällande svagheter i vissa krypteringstekniker, dessa svagheter har tagits i åtanke vid skapandet av meddelandesystemet. Syftet varför detta meddelandesystem behöver skapas är därför att något befintligt system som uppfyller vissa viktiga krav för att upprätthålla den personliga integriteten saknas. En prototyp har skapats som består av en serverapplikation och en grafisk datorapplikation. Meddelanden som skickas i meddelandesystemet är End-to-End krypterade. Kommunikation mellan klienter och server är även den krypterad och autentiserad. / Today there exists many messaging applications and new ones are released almost daily. However, there are not as many messaging applications where both the client application and the server application are open source and can be self hosted. These messaging applications are good at solving the problem that many, up to several million people can communicate with each other. However, there is a smaller more focused use case with a messaging system consisting of only one message flow, where all messages are visible to all devices. This smaller use case means that less metadata is required. Uses for such a messaging system may be to receive notifications from servers or to take personal notes. The message system is synchronized between all devices. The goal of this project is to create an End-to-End encrypted messaging system that provides authentication, data integrity and confidentiality. Research has been investigated regarding weaknesses in some encryption techniques, these weaknesses have been taken into account when creating the messaging system. The purpose why this messaging system needs to be created is because an existing system that meets certain essential requirements for maintaining maximum personal integrity is missing. A prototype has been created that consists of a server application and a graphical computer application. Messages sent in the messaging system are End-to-End encrypted. Communication between clients and the server is also encrypted and authenticated.

abstract: This thesis presents a gas sensor readout IC for amperometric and conductometric electrochemical sensors. The Analog Front-End (AFE) readout circuit enables tracking long term exposure to hazardous gas fumes in diesel and gasoline equipments, which may be correlated to diseases. Thus, the detection and discrimination of gases using microelectronic gas sensor system is required. This thesis describes the research, development, implementation and test of a small and portable based prototype platform for chemical gas sensors to enable a low-power and low noise gas detection system. The AFE reads out the outputs of eight conductometric sensor array and eight amperometric sensor arrays. The IC consists of a low noise potentiostat, and associated 9bit current-steering DAC for sensor stimulus, followed by the first order nested chopped £U£G ADC. The conductometric sensor uses a current driven approach for extracting conductance of the sensor depending on gas concentration. The amperometric sensor uses a potentiostat to apply constant voltage to the sensors and an I/V converter to measure current out of the sensor. The core area for the AFE is 2.65x0.95 mm2. The proposed system achieves 91 dB SNR at 1.32 mW quiescent power consumption per channel. With digital offset storage and nested chopping, the readout chain achieves 500 fÝV input referred offset. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Electrical Engineering 2011

The high flow-performance sensitivity in open-end municipal bond funds motivates fund managers to actively manage funding liquidity risk and reduce the costs of flow-driven transactions. Funds with volatile past flows build up liquidity buffers by holding more cash and liquid municipal bonds in their portfolios. Funds rely on cash and liquid securities in flow management. Unconventional liquidity management tools, such as cross-trading between funds in the same family, are used by municipal bond funds in extreme situations. Fund families coordinate cross-trades between open- and low-value closed-end funds only when open-end funds are in distress.

As the population of the United States continues to age, providing this ever-growing group of individuals with end of life care is becoming an increasingly important issue. Quality end of life care begins with understanding the distinct needs and desires of each individual, and the best way to ensure that their wishes are followed is through the completion of advance directives. Although many Americans understand the importance of completing advance directives, the most vulnerable members of our society, the homeless, are often not given the opportunity to document their end of life wishes. In addition to dealing with the demands of everyday life on the street, homeless individuals are often disconnected from the healthcare system, and therefore they frequently miss out on the opportunity to partake in advance care planning. As this population ages, their end of life care is becoming ever more important. Studies have shown that homeless individuals are willing and able to fill out advance directives when they are given the opportunity, but in today’s busy healthcare system medical providers often do not have the time to assist each of their patients with completing an advance directive. Fortunately, nursing and medical students have proven that they can successfully assist homeless individuals in filling out advance directives, although the success of physician assistant students in providing this intervention has yet to be studied. This thesis will propose a new educational intervention designed to teach physician assistant students about advance care planning as well as giving them the opportunity to assist homeless individuals in completing advance directives. The curriculum will provide an innovative way of fulfilling educational standards set forth by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, and it can be adapted for physician assistant programs throughout the nation. As a result, physician assistant students will graduate with the confidence and skills necessary to provide advance care planning to all of their patients.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF BENJAMIN M. ERWIN, for the Masters of Arts degree in Rhetoric and Composition, presented on December 18th, 2009 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: WHAT YOU SAY AND WHERE YOU SAY IT: AN EXAMINATION OF INSTRUCTOR END COMMENTS AND STUDENT REVISION IN FRESHMAN COMPOSITION MAJOR PROFESSOR: LISA J. MCCLURE The relationship between instructor commentary and student revision is not a new issue, but the majority of this existing scholarship focuses on marginal feedback while largely ignoring the possible influence of end comments. The purpose of my study was to examine the types of remarks within endnotes alongside the revisions made by a pair of English 101 students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The participants in my study were English 101 instructors and students. By studying the comments of composition instructors as well as the revisions of a pair of SIUC students, this study presents evidence that suggests students revise and edit as the result of remarks within end comments. However, various types of remarks seemed to result in different types of revisions from these two students. Based on the instructor endnotes and the revisions provided by the two case study students, lower-order concerns are most commonly addressed in the revision process in the form of individual editing changes. Changes made in response to lower-order remarks do not generally affect the content of the text. Questions and references to higher-order concerns within end comments seemed to yield content-specific changes from both students. Given the low number of participants involved in my study, these results do not provide sufficient evidence to make specific claims regarding the influence of end comments for all students; however, endnotes seemed to foster revision when feedback is given on early drafts and when remarks clearly address content-specific aspects of a student's text.