Tabulation of Asbestos Related-Terminology

The definition of asbestos often varies depending on the source or publication in which it is used. This report summarizes asbestos-related definitions taken from a variety of academic, industrial, and regulatory sources. This summary is by no means complete but includes the majority of significant definitions currently applied in the discipline. Educational levels: Graduate or professional, Undergraduate upper division

Home Networking with Enterprise Equipment

This project tested various wired and wireless topologies and benchmarked download speeds and quality for various types of media. For music, topology had a negligible impact. High quality video streams were impacted by latency introduced in the wireless topologies. Likewise, video game streaming, especially games of high graphical fidelity, were negatively impacted when streamed over a wireless network. For all types of media, a fully wired topology is recommended

Parents Raising Children with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities in Jamaica: A Grounded Theory Approach

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and/or challenges of parents or guardians of school-aged children who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) and are living in Jamaica. Background Raising a child with IDD can be overwhelming for parents and families, as it may drain them financially, emotionally, psychologically, and socially. Due to the relative poverty and scarcity of adequate resources in Jamaica, the burden of caring for a child with special needs may be challenging. Attitudes toward persons with disabilities are negative in Jamaica. Although several laws are designed to protect children with disabilities, there are still legal exclusions negatively impacting children and adults with developmental disabilities. Culture influences how parents raise their children and how they may be affected by raising a child with IDD. Method A qualitative method of grounded theory to uncover an in-depth analysis of caregiver challenges of parents with children who have IDD.A diverse purposive sample was obtained of 21 parents and guardians raising school-aged children with IDD. Children in the study ranged from 3 to 18 years old. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed into concepts and constructs to develop a grounded theory. Results Lack of support and services was identified as the basic social problem and the core concept as the challenges they face. The lack of support and services was a sense of disappointment for parents and guardians, without which they felt no hope or normalcy for their children. They found a lack of health care professional support, empathy, and understanding. Five supportive theoretical constructs surround the core concept of the challenges they face: Burden, It’s Challenging, Emotional and Mental Well-Being, Professional Awareness, and Social Stigma. Conclusion Despite differences, there were shared elements in their experiences and challenges. Children with a disability bring multiple challenges to parents such as additional financial burdens, dealing with the child’s problematic behavior, social stigma, and societal issues

A Study of the Impact of Cross-age Tutoring on an Elementary Spanish Distance Education Program

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of and potential factors associated with utilizing high-school-aged students as on-site tutors to assist elementary students in a Spanish distance education program. The study focused on the qualitative and quantitative exploration of the participants' affective attitudes toward learning Spanish, mode of instruction, high school tutors, and Spanish culture. To document the achievement, attitudes, and motivation of the elementary and high school students, a combination of quantitative and qualitative data was collected through five methods: student questionnaires, self-assessment, prochievement interview, journal entries, and final exam.The distance education foreign language program randomly divided fifth-grade classrooms into two equal groups. One-half was exposed to the high school tutors and the other half was not. Thirty-six fifth-grade elementary students participated in this study; nineteen were tutored students and seventeen were nontutored students. Three high school seniors served as tutors. The findings indicated that the presence of cross-age tutors in a distance education setting does not seem to make a difference in either attitude or achievement. Although the tutors provided useful assistance and benefits in terms of motivation and increased interest in learning a foreign language, the most important finding in this study is that learning occurred in both the tutored and nontutored Spanish distance education classroom

13C Chemical Shift Concentration Dependence of Phenol, Anisole, and Their Sulfur Analogs as a Probe into Anomalous Reactivity in Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions

The 13C chemical shift concentration dependence of phenol, anisole, thiophenol, and thioanisole in CDCl3 was acquired and analyzed over various concentration ranges and reported with the intention of observing the effect of hydrogen bonding on the electron density around aromatic nuclei. Of the para carbon chemical shift concentration dependences observed, phenol exhibited the most significant concentration dependence. Attempts were made to determine the functions describing concentration dependence of the 13C chemical shifts observed. Notably, CDCl3 was found to exhibit relatively nonlinear concentration dependence in the same range as the compounds observed, suggesting that trace impurity and solvent peaks are not reliable references for the identification of absolute chemical shifts at an accuracy greater than ± 0.15 ppm for the concentration range 1.0 – 7.0 molal

Particle Shape and Composition of NU-LHT-2M

Particle shapes of the lunar regolith simulant NU-LHT-2M were analyzed by scanning electron microscope of polished sections. These data provide shape, size, and composition information on a particle by particle basis. 5,193 particles were measured, divided into four sized fractions: less than 200 mesh, 200-100 mesh, 100-35 mesh, and greater than 35 mesh. 99.2% of all particles were monominerallic. Minor size versus composition effects were noted in minor and trace mineralogy. The two metrics used are aspect ratio and Heywood factor, plotted as normalized frequency distributions. Shape versus composition effects were noted for glass and possibly chlorite. To aid in analysis, the measured shape distributions are compared to data for ellipses and rectangles. Several other simple geometric shapes are also investigated as to how they plot in aspect ratio versus Heywood factor space. The bulk of the data previously reported, which were acquired in a plane of projection, are between the ellipse and rectangle lines. In contrast, these data, which were acquired in a plane of section, clearly show that a significant number of particles have concave hulls in this view. Appendices cover details of measurement error, use of geometric shapes for comparative analysis, and a logic for comparing data from plane of projection and plane of section measurements

Experiences of caregivers who support a patient who elects voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) to hasten death

Background Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is an ongoing choice to forego food and hydration to hasten death. VSED does not require clinician involvement, but caregiving is necessary as patients become weak and lose concentration as a result of dehydration. This study is the first to explore the experiences of VSED caregivers. Aim The aim of this thesis is to explore the experiences of informal caregivers (family or friends) who supported a patient through VSED, with supporting objectives to evaluate VSED caregiving against theoretical models of end-of-life caregiving and to compare VSED caregivers’ experiences with caregivers who have aided patients at the end of life, including other forms of hastened death. Methods The study included interviews with 24 caregivers of 20 individuals who attempted VSED. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis were used to analyse the experiences of VSED caregivers. These experiences are compared with results of two systematic reviews of studies on end-of-life and hastened death caregiving. Findings Caregivers believe that VSED is the best death available to the patient. Caregivers act as advocates and worry that the patient’s goals will be challenged by healthcare or legal authorities. Obtaining support from hospice helps legitimise VSED. Through the VSED process, caregivers carry the responsibility for the patient’s success as the patient becomes weaker. Finally, caregivers note that there is no social script to guide someone aiding a person who is slowly, deliberately trying to die: caregivers choose what roles to play, such as focusing on physical care or being emotionally present as the patient’s spouse or child. Conclusion Caregivers take responsibility for VSED patients’ success. Caregivers’ interaction with clinicians, community, and legal structures exceeds the scope of available caregiving theories. A socio-ecological model and the theory of bio-power can help illustrate how each layer of society affects VSED caregivers’ experience

Experience of Caregivers Supporting a Patient through Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking

Background: Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is an ongoing voluntary choice to forego food and hydration in an effort to hasten death. Ongoing caregiving is necessary as patients become weak and lose focus as a result of dehydration, but little is known about the process of supporting a patient through VSED. Objective: To explore the experiences of caregivers who supported a patient through VSED. Methods: Qualitative study with thematic analysis of transcripts of semistructured interviews with 24 U.S. caregivers for 20 individuals who had attempted VSED. Results: Analysis produced four themes: (1) Caregivers believe that VSED is the best death available to the patient. (2) Caregivers act as advocates and worry that the patient's goals will be challenged by health care professionals, the community, or legal authorities; obtaining support from a hospice is an important way to legitimize VSED. (3) Through the VSED process itself, caregivers carry the responsibility for the patient's success as the patient becomes weaker and loses focus. (4) Because there is no social script to guide the VSED process, caregivers choose what roles to play during VSED, such as focusing on physical care or being emotionally present as the patient's spouse or child. Conclusions: Caregivers face unique challenges in helping patients undertake VSED. Many are uncertain about whether they will receive support from clinicians or the community. Support from health professionals may improve caregiver confidence and reduce worry