The Experience of Attrition: A Phenomenological Study of Freshmen in Academic Good Standing at The University of Montana

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to gain clear, precise systematic descriptions of the experienced meaning of voluntary non-continuation of academic studies, attrition, after the first-year. Based on interviews with six college freshman in academic good standing, with phenomenology as a research method, the study documented ways in which college freshman perceived, experienced and defined their decision and experience of dropping out of college. Data were collected via one-on-one, open-ended, unstructured interviews conducted to gain an uncensored account of the experience of attrition reflected by the query, Please share with me your experience of deciding not to continue studies at The University of Montana. Share your thoughts and feelings, the negative, positive, and the neutral, in as much detail as you remember, about your decision and experience of leaving college. Through a process of phenomenological reduction, results of the interviews provided essential descriptions of the experience in the participants\u27 natural language. Analysis revealed that participants felt excited and hopeful prior to matriculation and quickly became overwhelmed and confused early first semester. Mid-semester students\u27 feelings of being unfocused surfaced, exhibited in isolation and decreasing academic motivation. Participants\u27 eventual academic failure initiated feelings of disappointment and embarrassment, sponsoring an ultimate disengagement from the university. An essential structure or theme of identity loss emerged as an important developmental struggle experienced by the students as they decided not to persist in their academic studies. An unanticipated benefit of the study was to the participants themselves, through the provision of a forum in which they could examine, identify, express and come to a better understanding of their experience of dropping out. Through developing a deeper understanding of freshmen attrition, the study has implications for higher education administrators, college retention and recruitment programs, educators, and school counselors interested in improving the quality of the freshman experience and ultimately encouraging success in higher education

Solubility and Diffusivity of Chlorodifluoromethane in Imidazolium Ionic Liquids: [emim][Tf2N], [bmim][BF4], [bmim][PF6], and [emim][TFES]

Solubility and diffusivity measurements of chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22) in four ionic liquids (ILs)—[emim][Tf2N], [bmim][BF4], [bmim][PF6], and [emim][TFES]—were conducted using an IGA gravimetric microbalance at temperatures between 283.2 and 348.2 K. The solubility results were modeled using the NRTL activity coefficient method and were also used to calculate Henry’s law constants (kH) at infinite dilution. van’t Hoff relationships were used to calculate the enthalpy (ΔH̅sol) and entropy (ΔS̅sol) of absorption for HCFC-22 in each IL. Time-dependent absorption data collected by the IGA microbalance was used to calculate the diffusion coefficient of HCFC-22 in each IL. The diffusion coefficient results were used to calculate the hydrodynamic radius of the solute molecule using the Stokes–Einstein relationship. The experimental results for chlorodifluoromethane and [emim][Tf2N] are compared with previous studies on trifluoromethane and other fluorocarbons to understand the impact of atom substitution (e.g., CHF2-F vs CHF2-Cl) on fluorocarbon solubility in an ionic liquid

Reversible and Non-Reactive Cellulose Separations from Ionic Liquid Mixtures with Compressed Carbon Dioxide

A novel physical (non-reactive) separation of cellulose from an ionic liquid (IL) / cosolvent mixture by compressed carbon dioxide is presented. The precipitation is completely reversible and rapid within small changes of pressure i.e. liquid phase CO2 composition. High pressure phase equilibrium, high pressure NMR, and solid state NMR have been utilized to understand the separation phenomena

Fundamental Insights into the Dissolution and Precipitation of Cellulosic Biomass from Ionic Liquid Mixtures

Lignocellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth making it a promising feedstock for the production of renewable chemicals and fuels. However, utilization of biomass remains a challenge as recalcitrance of cellulose and hemicellulose hinder separation and conversion of these carbohydrates. For instance, the complex inter- and intra- molecular hydrogen bonding network of cellulose renders it insoluble in nearly all aqueous and organic solvents. Alternatively, select ionic liquids (ILs) dissolve significant quantities. Through an ionic liquid mediated dissolution and precipitation process cellulose crystallinity is significantly reduced consequently enhancing subsequent chemical and biochemical reaction processes. Therefore, understanding the thermodynamics of ionic liquid – cellulose mixtures is imperative to developing an IL based biomass processing system. This dissertation illustrates solid-liquid phase equilibrium results for the dissolution and precipitation of cellulose in various IL/cosolvent, IL/antisolvent, and IL/mixed solvent systems with the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIm][DEP]). Molecular interactions between the ionic liquid, organic solvents, and cellulose are assessed by spectroscopic techniques including Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic analysis, FTIR, and NMR. Additionally, this dissertation discusses how preferential solvation of the IL cation and anion by co- and anti-solvents impact the ability of IL ions to interact with cellulose thus affecting the cellulose dissolution capacity of the various IL-solvent mixtures

A shanda fur de Yehudim: Jewishness in network sitcom television.

This thesis is a cultural study of Jewishness in network sitcom television. Sources for the study included: historical film analysis, sociological studies on stereotyping and Jewish culture. The thesis studies how past forms of Jewishness impacted the current depictions of Jewishness on the television sitcom. After an introduction discussing Jewishness in general, the second chapter studies Jewishness in Vaudeville and early Hollywood film. The third chapter studies Jewishness in the first 40 years of network sitcom television. The fourth chapter studies Jewishness in the network sitcoms of the 1990s. The conclusions of the study focus on the state of Jewishness on network sitcom television at present, and ask what must be done within the industry to maintain a viable Jewish identity on network sitcom television in the future

Review Article: Gas and vapor sorption measurements using electronic beam balances

The beam balance is one of the oldest known measuring instruments. Until the 20th century, balances had been the most sensitive and precise instruments used for scientific measurements. The original balances used a beam supported at the center with pans hung from cords on both ends. The modern electronic beam balances still resemble those original designs; however, the resolution, accuracy, and capabilities have been significantly improved. This review provides a short introduction to the history of beam balances followed by a detailed description of three gravimetric microbalances manufactured by Hiden Isochema for measuring gas and vapor sorption in a variety of materials

C−X (X = N, O) Cross-Coupling Reactions Catalyzed by Copper-Pincer Bis(N-Heterocyclic Carbene) Complexes

Over the last two decades, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)–copper catalysts have received considerable attention in organic synthesis. Despite the popularity of copper complexes containing monodentate NHC ligands and recent development of poly(NHC) platforms, their application in C–C and C–heteroatom cross-coupling reactions has been limited. Recently, we reported an air-assisted Sonogashira-type cross-coupling catalyzed by well-defined cationic copper-pincer bis(NHC) complexes. Herein, we report the application of these complexes in Ullmann-type C–X (X = N, O) coupling of azoles and phenols with aryl halides in a relatively short reaction time. In contrast to other well-defined copper(I) catalysts that require an inert atmosphere for an efficient C–X coupling, the employed Cu(I)-pincer bis(NHC) complexes provide good to excellent yields in air. The air-assisted reactivity, unlike that in the Sonogashira reaction, is also affected by the base employed and the reaction time. With Cs2CO3 and K2CO3, the oxygen-generated catalyst is more reactive than the catalyst formed under argon in a short reaction time (12 h). However, the difference in reactivity is compromised after a 24 h reaction with K2CO3. The efficient pincer Cu-NHC/O2/Cs2CO3 system provides great to excellent cross-coupling yields for electronically diverse aryl iodides and imidazole derivatives. The catalyst scope is controlled by a balance between nucleophilicity, coordinating ability, and the steric hindrance of aryl halides and N-/O-nucleophiles

An Economic Assessment of Smokefree Restaurant Establishments in Tennessee: Implications for Other Smoking Establishments

In 2007 Tennessee enacted and implemented the Nonsmoker Protection Act (NSPA) to protect nonsmokers by creating 100% smoke-free restaurants. Several venues were exempted, including age-restricted ones such as bars, and tobacco regulation was preempted. Thus, the NSPA is not equitable smoke free policy (SFP) because it has left vast segments of nonsmokers such as employees and patrons of bars unprotected from second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and thwarted any local initiative to pursue 100% comprehensive SFPs. While this predisposes these nonsmokers to the health dangers of SHS exposure, it makes the NSPA incompatible with the objectives of the Healthy People 2020 and 2030 as well as goals of the state health plan. In 2021, the American Lung Association graded the NSPA “C,” and the United Health Foundation ranked it 42nd out of 50 states. This project assessed the effects of smoke-free venues across different economic domains through quantitative and qualitative data review to determine the implications for venues exempted by NSPA. By delineating any economic effects of SFP across several economic domains, the quantitative data gleaned from NAICS, Census Bureau, and Tennessee Dept. of Revenue were supplemented with interviews of establishments in Tennessee that voluntarily transitioned to smoke-free environment. A total of 7 such establishments with capacities ranging from 50 to over 69,000 people and number of employees ranging from 6 to over 1300 were interviewed. It was discovered that smoke-free environments have positive economic effects on restaurant establishments in Tennessee. By focusing on the SFP effect on restaurant establishments, the findings can be extrapolated to support the case for 100% smoke-free environments for other hospitality locations such as bars, music venues, and casinos. After analysis of trends for retail sales, number of establishments, employment, and payrolls by size of establishment and Metropolitan Statistical Area, a positive economic effect was identified for majority of these indicators between 2010 and 2019, a 10-year period following restaurants becoming smoke-free. Highlights include: Retail sales in Tennessee eating and drinking establishments increased by 62% The number of restaurant establishments increased by 16% Employment in the restaurant sector increased by 23% The qualitative data from the interviews reinforces these findings, with 100% of respondents supporting smoke-free age-restricted venues in their local communities. Thus, it can be inferred from these Tennessee-specific data with high degree of confidence that other hospitality venues will benefit economically in some way by becoming smoke-free with the following considerations: Provide protections from SHS exposure and health risks to nonsmokers; Do not adversely affect sales or employment in the hospitality, entertainment or sport industries, including bars, hotels and motels, and restaurants; Have strong public support and compliance

Elemental energy spectra of cosmic rays measured by CREAM-II

We present new measurements of the energy spectra of cosmic-ray (CR) nuclei from the second flight of the balloon-borne experiment CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass). The instrument (CREAM-II) was comprised of detectors based on different techniques (Cherenkov light, specific ionization in scintillators and silicon sensors) to provide a redundant charge identification and a thin ionization calorimeter capable of measuring the energy of cosmic rays up to several hundreds of TeV. The data analysis is described and the individual energy spectra of C, O, Ne, Mg, Si and Fe are reported up to ~ 10^14 eV. The spectral shape looks nearly the same for all the primary elements and can be expressed as a power law in energy E^{-2.66+/-0.04}. The nitrogen absolute intensity in the energy range 100-800 GeV/n is also measured.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, presented at ICRC 2009, Lodz, Polan

Measurements of cosmic-ray energy spectra with the 2nd CREAM flight

During its second Antarctic flight, the CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass) balloon experiment collected data for 28 days, measuring the charge and the energy of cosmic rays (CR) with a redundant system of particle identification and an imaging thin ionization calorimeter. Preliminary direct measurements of the absolute intensities of individual CR nuclei are reported in the elemental range from carbon to iron at very high energy.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, presented at XV International Symposium on Very High Energy Cosmic Ray Interactions (ISVHECRI 2008