An experimental study of the concept of negation

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityThe primary purpose of this study was to test the negation hypothesis in a clinical setting, and secondarily to test two hypotheses relating negation to defensiveness. More specifically this study was designed to demonstrate that the seeming pathology of negation responses is in fact significant of anxiety-association. Forty student nurses responded to a 20-item Word Association test under affirmation and negation instructions. After a five week interval, their affirmation and negation responses, matched for length in letters and log frequency of occurrence in the English language, were used in a tachistoscopic recognition task. Practice effects in the tachistoscopic recognition task were controlled by splitting each subject's responses into a first half and a second half. Order of presentation of the affirmation and negation sets for the word association test was controlled by giving the affirmation set first to half the subjects, and the negation set first to the other half. [TRUNCATED

Ninth Grade Transitional Program in a Georgia Metro School District: Case Study

This study investigated and further documented current perceptions of teachers and the leadership team regarding the implementation of a ninth grade transitional program model from a traditional program model during the 2007-2008 school year. With the constraints under the No Child Left Behind Act, teachers, schools, and school systems are faced with the challenge of supporting students in meeting high academic standards. Further, teachers and administrators are expected to meet this challenge with declining resources. Over the past several years, the metro Georgia high school that is the subject of this study has changed from a small, isolated, suburban high school to a large, highly visible, urban high school. During this time, the high school has experienced substantive administrative, demographic, and physical changes. Prior to 1996, the school administrative team and faculty remained relatively stable. However, since 1996, frequent changes in leadership have occurred, resulting in ongoing, overall transformation and adjustments in school policies, environment, and activities. A qualitative case study was conducted at this high school. It is hoped that the results of this case study will contribute to a greater understanding of the transitional process from a traditional program model to a ninth grade transitional program model. Emphasis in this study was placed on learning about the substantial amount of personal and professional change on the part of the teachers. The researcher conducted a qualitative case study at a local metro Atlanta high school through the distribution of interviews and examinations of artifacts. Findings in the study revealed that teachers had lack of input in decision making, lack of proper training, scheduling conflicts, lack of planning time with teams, and lack of communication with administration team

Costs and Returns Analysis for South Carolina Shrimp Trawlers

This document provides an explanation on how shrimp trawler owners/operators can analyze the effects of changing costs and ex-vessel prices on the profitability of operating a shrimp trawler. An Excel spreadsheet is provided with sample boat costs and revenues. The spreadsheet allows the trawler owner/operator to enter costs and revenues data for their own vessel. This can be used to estimate average costs of landing a pound of shrimp by the vessel owner/operator and the profit (loss) per pound of landed shrimp. As input costs vary for key items like fuel, ice, BRDS, etc, the trawler owner can estimate the impact of these input costs on the total average cost of landing a pound of shrimp. Similarly, as the ex-vessel (landed) price for a pound of shrimp changes, the vessel owner/operator can estimate the impact of these price changes on the profitability of operating the trawler.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Afterbody Heat Flux Measurements in the NASA Ames HFFAF Ballistic Range

In order to measure afterbody heat fluxes over a model in the ballistic range, the required modifications to a proven technique for measuring forebody heat fluxes are described. This involves the use of an extended helium gas plume to remove the glowing wake and the use of special high conductivity, high temperature capable graphite-filled plastic for the afterbody. The models and test conditions are described. Data in the form of plots of the surface temperature of the models are presented. Finally, experimental and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) heat flux data for forebody and afterbody heat fluxes are presented and compared. Data are presented for a 45 degree sphere-cone (with a projecting rear stud) at 2.70 km/s and for a sphere at 4.76 km/s. Both models were launched into 76 Torr of CO2 gas. The experimental forebody heat fluxes were within 1.5% of the CFD values. The experimental afterbody heat fluxes were within 1% of the CFD values for the sphere, but only 51% of the CFD values for the sphere-cone

Sabots, Obturator and Gas-In-Launch Tube Techniques for Heat Flux Models in Ballistic Ranges

For thermal protection system (heat shield) design for space vehicle entry into earth and other planetary atmospheres, it is essential to know the augmentation of the heat flux due to vehicle surface roughness. At the NASA Ames Hypervelocity Free Flight Aerodynamic Facility (HFFAF) ballistic range, a campaign of heat flux studies on rough models, using infrared camera techniques, has been initiated. Several phenomena can interfere with obtaining good heat flux data when using this measuring technique. These include leakage of the hot drive gas in the gun barrel through joints in the sabot (model carrier) to create spurious thermal imprints on the model forebody, deposition of sabot material on the model forebody, thereby changing the thermal properties of the model surface and unknown in-barrel heating of the model. This report presents developments in launch techniques to greatly reduce or eliminate these problems. The techniques include the use of obturator cups behind the launch package, enclosed versus open front sabot designs and the use of hydrogen gas in the launch tube. Attention also had to be paid to the problem of the obturator drafting behind the model and impacting the model. Of the techniques presented, the obturator cups and hydrogen in the launch tube were successful when properly implemente

Combination strategies for pandemic influenza response - a systematic review of mathematical modeling studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Individual strategies in pandemic preparedness plans may not reduce the impact of an influenza pandemic.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We searched modeling publications through PubMed and associated references from 1990 to 30 September 2009. Inclusion criteria were modeling papers quantifying the effectiveness of combination strategies, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nineteen modeling papers on combination strategies were selected. Four studies examined combination strategies on a global scale, 14 on single countries, and one on a small community. Stochastic individual-based modeling was used in nine studies, stochastic meta-population modeling in five, and deterministic compartmental modeling in another five. As part of combination strategies, vaccination was explored in eight studies, antiviral prophylaxis and/or treatment in 16, area or household quarantine in eight, case isolation in six, social distancing measures in 10 and air travel restriction in six studies. Two studies suggested a high probability of successful influenza epicenter containment with combination strategies under favorable conditions. During a pandemic, combination strategies delayed spread, reduced overall number of cases, and delayed and reduced peak attack rate more than individual strategies. Combination strategies remained effective at high reproductive numbers compared with single strategy. Global cooperative strategies, including redistribution of antiviral drugs, were effective in reducing the global impact and attack rates of pandemic influenza.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Combination strategies increase the effectiveness of individual strategies. They include pharmaceutical (antiviral agents, antibiotics and vaccines) and non-pharmaceutical interventions (case isolation, quarantine, personal hygiene measures, social distancing and travel restriction). Local epidemiological and modeling studies are needed to validate efficacy and feasibility.</p

Comparing Statistical Models to Predict Dengue Fever Notifications

Dengue fever (DF) is a serious public health problem in many parts of the world, and, in the absence of a vaccine, disease surveillance and mosquito vector eradication are important in controlling the spread of the disease. DF is primarily transmitted by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. We compared two statistical models that can be used in the surveillance and forecast of notifiable infectious diseases, namely, the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model and the Knorr-Held two-component (K-H) model. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) was used to compare models. We developed the models using used data on DF notifications in Singapore from January 2001 till December 2006 and then validated the models with data from January 2007 till June 2008. The K-H model resulted in a slightly lower MAPE value of 17.21 as compared to the ARIMA model. We conclude that the models' performances are similar, but we found that the K-H model was relatively more difficult to fit in terms of the specification of the prior parameters and the relatively longer time taken to run the models