Owners of small businesses contribute approximately 39% of the gross domestic product and create 2 out of every 3 new jobs, but only 25% of startup small businesses stay afloat after 5 years. Guided by the resource-based view theory of the firm, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small auto dealership business owners use to sustain businesses in New York City. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 3 participants who owned small auto dealership businesses and succeeded beyond 5 years. Data analysis entailed using coding techniques and cluster analysis. Member checking was used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of participants' responses. The 3 themes that emerged in the final report related to small business owners' strategies for success, influence of customer satisfaction on small business survival, and influence of prior industrial experience on small business owners' success. Findings from this study may contribute to social change by indicating some strategies that business owners use to sustain business and mitigate harmful effects of job loss. Data from this study may contribute to the prosperity of small business owners, their employees, and local community. The beneficiaries of this research include small business owners, practitioners, and policy makers.

Over the past several decades, childhood obesity has continued to rank as an epidemic, particularly in rural, impoverished areas in the United States. Therefore, researchers have affirmed the necessity of exploring solutions to the epidemic, including the need to develop and implement programs that target at-risk behaviors of childhood obesity. In this quantitative, quasi-experimental study, the focus was to determine whether public school-based programs teaching nutrition, physical education, and dietary choices could increase the nutritional knowledge, physical activities, and dietary behaviors of students attending second and third grade in rural, impoverished communities of West Virginia. The theories that served as the foundation for this study were the health belief model, and the social ecological model. Archival pretest and posttest data regarding nutrition, physical activity, and dietary behavior was provided by three public schools in rural, impoverished communities that implemented the programs over a 6-week period. Data regarding students' nutritional, physical, and dietary knowledge and behaviors were collected before and after exposure to school-based exercise and nutrition programs. Results of paired samples t tests showed a significant increase in students' nutritional and physical education knowledge, their dietary behaviors, and improvement in 4 out of the 5 areas of physical activity that were measured. Overall, the results of this study offer insight about how school-based programs can be used to develop effective school-based nutrition, dietary, and physical activity programs for students who are at-risk for obesity, especially in rural, impoverished communities.

Alaska Native populations have experienced significant struggles with addictions to alcohol and other substances. The Alaska Native population's access to treatment services is riddled with problems. This quantitative study served the purpose of identifying factors that lead to the prediction of successful treatment discharges among Alaska Native clients who received treatment for substance abuse at a treatment center in Alaska. Based on the theoretical framework of Marlatt's relapse prevention theory, using archival data, as well as a cross-sectional, quantitative research design, predictive variables of the efficacy of substance use treatment among outpatient clients (N = 278) were examined. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess whether adverse experiences, depression levels, social support, substance abuse, and sociocultural variables such as ethnicity, age, gender, mandatory/voluntary treatment enrollment predicted successful discharge in outpatient treatment. Results indicated that only gender was significantly connected to treatment outcomes. Women were more likely than men to successfully complete the treatment program. Several limitations could explain these results including the use of instruments that were not empirically validated, the use of self-report measures, and the quality of the assessment process. Results of this study could be used to focus on understanding and developing specific treatment modalities for men with substance abuse problems. Future studies should use empirically validated measures and a precise program of research.

There is an unwarranted number of men and women that experience an unwanted sexual contact occurrence while on active duty, that is not reported through the military's sexual harassment or sexual assault system channels. A reporting system that is cumbersome and ineffective may hinder a leader's perception in implementing effective sexual harassment and sexual assault policies and procedures. The purpose of this descriptive multiple case study was to explore the ways a reporting system influenced the decision making processes of leaders and the importance of a fluent information flow through communication channels regarding the reporting system for sexual misconduct within an organization. The conceptual framework for the study was comprised of Freire's dialogical pedagogy theory, leadership decision making, and Bandura's social cognitive theory in cultural context. The research questions addressed the perceptions of 10 retired, senior military leaders, regarding how a leaders' decision making processes may be influenced by a reporting system. The data sources included interviews, observations, journaling, and historical documents. The results suggested that leaders' decision making processes were motivated by the following factors: (a) reporting process, (b) leader decision making processes, (c) gender in the workplace setting, (d) reporting deterrent factors, (e) hostile work environments, (f) leader contributions, and (g) social comparisons. The results of this study contribute to positive social change through their potential to be used to deter or eliminate sexual misconduct at the individual, organizational, and societal levels.

Freight transportation networks are an important component of everyday life in modern society. Disruption to these networks can make peoples’ daily lives extremely difficult as well as seriously cripple economic productivity. This dissertation develops a quantitative framework for assessing vulnerability and redundancy of freight transportation networks. The framework consists of three major contributions: (1) a two- stage approach for estimating a statewide truck origin-destination (O-D) trip table, (2) a decision support tool for assessing vulnerability of freight transportation networks, and (3) a quantitative approach for measuring redundancy of freight transportation networks.The dissertation first proposes a two-stage approach to estimate a statewide truck O-D trip table. The proposed approach is supported by two sequential stages: the first stage estimates a commodity-based truck O-D trip table using the commodity flows derived from the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) database, and the second stage uses the path flow estimator (PFE) concept to refine the truck trip table obtained from the first stage using the truck counts from the statewide truck count program. The model allows great flexibility of incorporating data at different spatial levels for estimating the truck O- D trip table. The results from the second stage provide us a better understanding of truck flows on the statewide truck routes and corridors, and allow us to better manage the anticipated impacts caused by network disruptions.A decision support tool is developed to facilitate the decision making system through the application of its database management capabilities, graphical user interface, GIS-based visualization, and transportation network vulnerability analysis. The vulnerability assessment focuses on evaluating the statewide truck-freight bottlenecks/chokepoints. This dissertation proposes two quantitative measures: O-D connectivity (or detour route) in terms of distance and freight flow pattern change in terms of vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The case study adopts a “what-if” analysis approach by generating the disruption scenarios of the structurally deficient bridges in Utah due to earthquakes. In addition, the potential impacts of disruptions to multiple bridges in both rural and urban areas are evaluated and compared to the single bridge failure scenarios.This dissertation also proposes an approach to measure the redundancy of freight transportation networks based on two main dimensions: route diversity and network spare capacity. The route diversity dimension is used to evaluate the existence of multiple efficient routes available for users or the degree of connections between a specific O-D pair. The network spare capacity dimension is used to quantify the network- wide spare capacity with an explicit consideration of congestion effect. These two dimensions can complement each other by providing a two-dimensional characterization of freight transportation network redundancy. Case studies of the Utah statewide transportation network and coal multimodal network are conducted to demonstrate the features of the vulnerability and redundancy measures and the applicability of the quantitative assessment methodology.

Mainstream evolutionary biology lacks a mature theory of phenotype. Following from the Modern Synthesis, researchers tend to assume an unrealistically simple mapping of genotype to phenotype, or else trust that the complexities of developmental architecture can be adequately captured by measuring trait variances and covariances. In contrast, the growing field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) explicitly examines the relationship between developmental architecture and evolutionary change, but lacks a rigorous quantitative and predictive framework. In my dissertation, I strive to integrate quantitative genetics and evo-devo, using both theoretical and empirical studies of plasticity. My first paper explores the effect of realistic development on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity when there is migration between two discrete environments. The model I use reveals that nonadditive developmental interactions can constrain the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in the presence of stabilizing selection. In my second paper, I examine the manner in which the genetically controlled responsiveness of traits to each other is shaped by selection and can in turn shape the phenotypic response to selection. Here, results indicate that developmental entanglement through plasticity can facilitate rapid multivariate adaptation in response to a novel selective pressure. In my final paper, I examine patterns of gene expression underlying ancestral plasticity and adaptive loss of melanin in Daphnia melanica. My results indicate that the developmental mechanism underlying ancestral plasticity has been co-opted to facilitate rapid adaptation to an introduced predator.

An Intensive study of the applicability of mathematical methodology to the ordination and classification of desert vegetation was undertaken during 1962, 1963 and 1964. The study area, forming part of the shad-scale zone vegetation and covering 13.5 square miles, is situated near Cisco in Grand County, southeastern Utah. Broad pediments originating from the nearby Book Cliffs are the main landform. Geologically, the area was subjected to many cycles of erosion. The pediment and the quaternary remnants thin out with increasing distance from the Book Cliffs. The alluvial fan deposits are readily recognizable at three distinct levels. Mancos shale, a lead-gray Cretaceous shale of marine origin, forms the lower part of the Book Cliffs. The alluvial fan deposits are readily recognizable at three distinct levels. Mancos shale, a lead-gray Cretaceous shale of marine origin, forms the lower part of the Book Cliffs and of the pediments originating from it. The vegetation consists of widely-spaced species in which the dominant shrub species belong to the genus Atriplex. The soils have characteristics of Sierozem zonal soils (Aridisols), are often heterogeneous even within short distances and edaphic influences are strong. In absence of any single over-riding factor, the erosion gradient provided the primary basis for the ordination of vegetation. The gradient is readily noticeable and is accompanied by edaphic and other micro-environmental changes. Four sub-divisions or segments can be easily distinguished. Each segment incorporates a degree of microenvironmental homogeneity and a distinct expression of vegetation in which the transition from the one to the next is usually abrupt. The dominant Atriplex species for each segment, I to IV, are Atriplex confertifolia, A. nuttallii gardneri, and A. Corrugata. The data on canopy over and frequency were collected for each species. The analyses attempted embraced a wide range of quantitative techniques, namely grouping of species on peak CF (sum of relative canopy cover and relative frequency) value; analysis based on frequency x constancy index; association analysis (among species) using coefficient of interspecific association, chi-square, and their combination; derivation of homogeneous group of vegetation based on presence of single species showing positive association; association analysis and group study based on the use of correlation coefficient; multivariable approaches to the ordination of vegetation employing factor analysis preceded by partition of the sparse data matrix and the Q- and R-techniques of cluster analysis. Prevalent and modal species were also determined for each segment. The study provided an excellent opportunity to compare and test the validity of results obtained from various analyses and also those that could be easily differentiated from inspection alone. The number and composition of groups derived showed considerable agreement in most cases, though slight variations were introduced inadvertently through subjective, and sometime inevitable, choice of qualitative and quantitative measures employed in particular analyses. The quantitative approach, with an obvious advantage over the reconnaissance methods, provided a judgement on the significance of similarities and dissimilarities. It also made it possible to detect small differences which were more indicative of pattern, rather than a type, within vegetation area studies. The multivariate techniques of cluster analysis (Q- and R-analyses) illustrated superiority over other methods in that the cluster relations among various entities were readily discernable at all levels of affinity from the hierarchical dendrograms. On the other hand, the techniques utilizing statistical tests of significance necessitate preparing a new dendrogram every time a change is desired in the choice of probability level for testing hypotheses. The analyses based on prevalent and modal species, and also those using peak values of CF and constancy x frequency indices, provided a quantitative measure of the habitat preference of component species. The quantitative approaches used in the study proved their usefulness and applicability, on the whole, to delimit accurate groups in the shadscale zone vegetation of Southeastern Utah. They also displayed a degree of flexibility, and sophistication, that may be needed in individual studies.

Die invasive Aspergillose ist eine schwerwiegende opportunistische systemische Infektion bei immunsupprimierten Patienten. In dieser Arbeit wurden verschiedene PCR-Verfahren und ein ELISA-Verfahren zum Antigennachweis in Hinblick auf Sensitivität, Sensibilität und positiver bzw. negativer Vorhersagewahrscheinlichkeit verglichen. Die konventionelle 18S-PCR ist ein panfungales Assay und wegen zahlreicher falsch-positiver Ergebnisse nicht geeignet zur Frühdiagnose. Die ITS-PCR hat sich aufgrund guter Spezifität als vielversprechend erwiesen, muss aber noch mit größeren Fallzahlen evaluiert werden. Der Antigennachweis (Platelia, Fa. Bio-Rad) weist eine hohe Sensitivität und negativen prädiktiven Wert auf. Als vielversprechend dürfte zukünftig eine Kombination aus PCR und Antigennachweisverfahren gelten. / Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients

Through the observation of conversations on Internet Relay Chat and the quantitative analysis of “chat-logs”, I investigate the characteristics of this form of communication unique to the digital realm. My research rests on a theoretical framework integrating the semiotic and pragmatism of Charles S. Peirce (as primary groundwork) with the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein and the sociology of Erving Goffman, to grasp shared significations in cyberspace simultaneously as logical process and as social practice. This exploratory case study yields evidence supporting the potential fruitfulness of Peircean philosophy as the foundation for a new paradigm in empirical communication research, and successfully puts to the test a particular type of method (computational and diagrammatic) suggested to accomplish such research.

Die Breite der Wirkungen von Aldosteron auf Nierenzellen wurde lange Zeit unterschätzt. Inzwischen zeigte sich ein nicht unerheblicher Anteil des Hyperaldosteronismus an arterieller Hypertonie und ebenso mehren sich die Hinweise auf damit assoziierter erhöhter Inzidenz für maligne Entartung von Nierengewebe. In dieser Arbeit wurde der Effekt von Hyperaldosteronismus auf Nierenzellen von Ratten in vivo untersucht. Mittels real time quantitative PCR wurden die relative Expressionsveränderungen der mRNA von validierten Nierenschädigungsmarkern im Hyperaldosteronismusmodell kontrolliert beobachtet und statistisch ausgewertet. Anders als im analog durchgeführten Vorversuch mit DOCA an der Stelle von Aldosteron, ließ sich größtenteils kein über der natürlichen Streuung der Daten liegender, signifikanter Effekt der Nierenschädigung durch überhöhte Aldosteronspiegel nachweisen. Hierfür kommen vielfältige Gründe in Frage. Neben der technischen Variabilität, der Beschaffenheit der internen Kontrolle, potentiell vorhandenen Inhibitoren und der Qualität der mRNA, konnten eine Reihe von weiteren Gründen als Ursache für die Diskrepanz zu den Ergebnissen der mit DOCA behandelten Tiere ausgeschlossen werden. Neben der theoretischen Möglichkeit inter-methodischer Differenzen und sich daraus ergebender Variationen, sowie der noch weiter zu untersuchenden Rolle des Glukokortikoidrezeptors durch dessen variable gleichzeitige Aktivierung, ist die Interpretation im Sinne eines zu gering ausgeprägten Schädigungseffektes durch den Hyperaldosteronismus für den gewählten Stichprobenumfang naheliegend. Hiermit stimmt auch die Tatsache überein, dass der Effekt der Behandlung mit Aldosteron im Vergleich zur Behandlung mit DOCA von vorne herein deutlich geringer ausfallend erwartet wurde. / The broad spectrum of effects of aldosterone on renal cells has been underestimated for a long time. Meanwhile it has been shown that hyperaldosteronism has a considerable share of all cases of arterial hypertension, and the indications for an associated higher incidence of malignant transforming of kidney tissue are also increasing. The subject of this study was to investigate the effect of Hyperaldosteronism on kidney cells in rats. By means of real-time quantitative PCR, the change in the relative expression of mRNA of validated kidney cell damage markers in the hyperaldosteronism model were monitored and statistically evaluated under controlled conditions. In contrast to the previous pre-test with DOCA instead of aldosterone, a significant effect of renal impairment due to excessive aldosterone levels could not be detected. Numerous reasons are conceivable for that. In addition to the technical variability, the nature of the internal control, potentially present inhibitors and the quality of the mRNA, a number of further reasons could be excluded as a cause of the discrepancy with the results of the animals treated with DOCA. Besides the theoretical possibility of inter-methodical differences and resulting variations, as well as the role of the glucocorticoid receptor, which is still to be investigated, the closest interpretation is a damage effect too small to be detected by the given sample size. This is also in agreement with the fact that the effect of the treatment with aldosterone compared with the treatment with DOCA was expected to be significantly lower from the outset.