Cross Cultural Transition Success: Personality Variables Influencing Cross-Cultural Transitions According to the Perceptions of a Population of Third Culture Kids

Cross-cultural transitions are often difficult for individuals of any background, and are associated with such difficulties as missing friends and family, ignorance of one’s home culture, culture shock, and cultural homelessness. These issues have led researchers to seek out those factors that are common to resilient individuals. Third Culture Kids are a unique population that commonly experiences periods of adjustment and transition, and are a focus of this study. From the literature, several protective trait-based features have been identified: self-efficacy, self-esteem, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, social connectedness, ethnic identity, cross-cultural identity, emotional stability, and cultural flexibility. Using self-report survey responses from a sample of TCKs at a large, private university, it was determined that self-efficacy, agreeableness, and cultural flexibility were self-identified as important for making successful cross-cultural transitions, while ethnic identity, cross-cultural identity, and extroversion were not considered as important. Self-efficacy, social connectedness, and cultural flexibility were considered critically important, while ethnic identity and cross-culture had minimal importance. These results, though having limited generalizability, could be useful to laypeople and mental health professionals seeking to meet the needs of TCKs, and for parents seeking to raise resilient TCKs

Fracture surface analysis in composite and titanium bonding

Carbon fibers were obtained from several manufacturers. Surface treatments were performed on these fibers by anodization. The surfaces of these fibers were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and wetting force measurement. The breaking strength of these fibers was measured at 2.5 cm length. It was seen that the surface treatments reduces the strength of the fibers. It was also seen that the Hercules fibers had a higher breaking strength than the Union Carbide fibers. Fiber critical length measurements showed no difference in critical lengths between AS-4 and AU-4 fibers embedded in polysulfone. However, the fiber lengths were much shorter for the surface treated fibers. This effect could be related to increased adhesion between fiber and matrix, or it could be due to the lower breaking strength of the surface treated fiber

Surface characterization in composite and titanium bonding

The failure surface analysis of adhesively bonded carbon fiber composites is described. The emphasis is on the bonding of composites when the surface has been made intentionally resin-rich. Also discussed is surface analysis of both commercially available and pretreated carbon fibers. The interaction of the fibers with polysulfone is described

SAWS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN NASAL SURGERY.: Read in the Section of Larngology and Otology at the Forty-third Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association, held at Detroit, Mich., June, 1892.

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Domain Representability and Topological Completeness

Topological completeness properties seek to generalize the definition of complete metric space to the context of topologies. Chapter 1 gives an overview of some of these properties. Chapter 2 introduces domain theory, a field originally intended for use in theoretical computer science. Finally, Chapter 3 examines how this computer-scientific notion can be employed in the study of topological completeness in the form of domain representability. The connections between domain representability and other topological completeness properties are subsequently examined

Cognition-Enhancing Doses of Methylphenidate Preferentially Increase Prefrontal Cortex Neuronal Responsiveness

Background Despite widespread use of low-dose psychostimulants for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the neural basis for the therapeutic actions of these drugs are not well-understood. We recently demonstrated that low-dose methylphenidate (MPH) increases catecholamine efflux preferentially within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), suggesting the PFC is a principal site of action in the behavioral-calming and cognition-enhancing effects of low-dose psychostimulants. To better understand the neural mechanisms involved in the behavioral actions of low-dose stimulants, the current study examined the effects of low-dose MPH on the discharge properties of individual and ensembles of PFC neurons. Methods Extracellular activity of multiple individual PFC neurons was recorded in freely moving rats using multi-channel recording techniques. Behavioral studies identified optimal, working memory-enhancing doses of intraperitoneal MPH. The effects of these low-doses of MPH on PFC neuronal discharge properties were compared to: 1) the effects of high-dose MPH on PFC neuronal discharge; 2) the effects of low-dose MPH on neuronal discharge within the somatosensory cortex. Results Only working memory-enhancing doses of MPH increased the responsivity of individual PFC neurons and altered neuronal ensemble responses within the PFC. These effects were not observed outside the PFC (i.e. within somatosensory cortex). In contrast, high-dose MPH profoundly suppressed evoked discharge of PFC neurons. Conclusions These observations suggest that preferential enhancement of signal processing within the PFC, including alterations in the discharge properties of individual PFC neurons and PFC neuronal ensembles, underlie the behavioral/cognitive actions of low-dose psychostimulants

Narrative Case Studies Exploring Homelessness and Education

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on July 17, 2014Thesis advisor: Jennifer FriendVitaIncludes bibliographical references (pages 192-209)Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Education. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2014The purpose of these narrative case studies was to understand the experiences of families encountering homelessness and how children experience formal and informal education. Families experiencing homelessness were defined as groups of persons living without regular, fixed, and adequate housing. Narrative case studies on four families living in a homeless shelter in a Midwestern City were analyzed to investigate the following central research question: What themes were apparent in the perceptions and experiences of participants as reflected in their stories of being homeless as it relates to their children’s educational experience? Sub-questions included: How did the adults experiencing homelessness describe their children’s formal and informal educational experiences since becoming homeless? How did the children experiencing homelessness describe their formal and informal educational experiences since becoming homeless? How did the adults experiencing homelessness describe the events that led to homelessness, and how did these events affect the educational experiences of their children? Data were collected in the form of documents, interviews, and observations. Data were coded and narrative accounts were restoried. This information was organized and analyzed to determine the themes and patterns related to homelessness and the effects it had on the education of children. The findings of this study revealed that the families experienced a transient lifestyle and frequent school changes before coming to live at the shelter. However, once identified as homeless, the families received various educational services through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance ActAbstract -- List of tables -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Literature review -- Design and methods -- Findings -- Results -- Appendix -- Reference