The Relationship Between Self-Concept And Perceived Chronic Pain In Elders

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine the relationship between perceived chronic pain and self-concept in elders

Influence of aggregate type and gradation on critical voids in the mineral aggregate in asphalt paving mixtures

The implementation of Superpave has led to concerns with volumetric mix design; in particular, the minimum voids in the mineral aggregate (VMA) requirements, which are based exclusively on nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS). Achieving the minimum VMA requirement is one of the most difficult tasks in Superpave volumetric mix design. Under current specifications, many otherwise sound mixtures are subject to rejection solely on the basis of failing to meet the VMA requirement;The goal of this research was to validate the existing VMA criterion and to see if including additional aggregate factors would improve it. The work was accomplished in three phases: a literature review; extensive laboratory testing; and statistical analysis of test results;The available literature on the development of the minimum VMA criterion is sketchy; the relationship was originally presented without supporting research or data and the suggestion that it would be modified with experience and test data. The literature review also suggested that the triaxial test was the preferred laboratory test for identifying when a mixture transitions from sound to unsound behavior, i.e., becomes plastic;The laboratory testing involved triaxial testing with the Nottingham Asphalt Tester of 36 mixes with different aggregate properties. ANOVA and linear regression was used to examine the effects of identified aggregate factors on critical state transitions in asphalt paving mixtures and to develop predictive equations;The results clearly demonstrate that the volumetric conditions of an asphalt mixture at the stable/unstable threshold are influenced by a composite measure of the maximum aggregate size and gradation and by aggregate shape and texture. The currently defined VMA criterion, while significant, is seen to be insufficient, by itself, to correctly differentiate sound from unsound mixtures. Based on the laboratory data and statistical analysis, a new paradigm to volumetric mix design is proposed that explicitly accounts for several aggregate factors (gradation, shape, and texture) in predicting the critical VMA of an asphalt paving mixture

African American students\u27 academic experiences at a predominantly White institution: A critical -interpretive approach to assessing organizational climate

The purpose of the present study was to investigate African American students\u27 academic experiences at a predominantly white institution. The project involved a qualitative study of African American students\u27 perceptions of the campus climate at The University (a pseudonym used for the university targeted in this study). Twenty-one African American students were interviewed. The study reported herein used the critical race approach to examine African American students\u27 perceptions of campus climate. I suggested that race should be taken into account when studying organizational climate and a critical race approach must be employed. Such an approach introduces a new level of theoretical analysis. Another objective of this study was to expand organizational theory by including and/or writing in “race” for studying organizational climate, since the traditional view and ways of writing about organizational climate was not representative of people of color and was, therefore, limited. In this study, three fundamental questions were posed: (1) Do African Americans perceive they are devalued at The University and, if so, what factors contribute to their devaluation? (2) Do African Americans perceive they are alienated from the center of campus life at The University and, if so, what factors contribute to their alienation? (3) Do African Americans perceive conflict and avoidance in their day-to-day interactions with faculty members and, if so, in what context do they perceive conflict and avoidance? My attempt was to contribute to a more holistic understanding of the perceptions of African Americans of the devaluation, alienation, and conflict and avoidance in their organizational lives. The results suggested that the African American students perceived that they were devalued in the classroom, felt alienated from the center of campus life, experienced conflict between their viewpoints and that of a few faculty members, and perceived that faculty members avoided them. Finally, I suggested that further investigation is needed into the perceptions and the actuality of African American students\u27 academic experiences in predominantly white institutions of higher learning