Measuring power

This paper focuses on dynamics within couples, although the authors recognize that dynamics among extended family members and across generations are of substantial interest. Decisions about resource allocations, control over economic resources, whether and how much one works, are all examined.Households. ,Resource allocation. ,Labor. ,Gender. ,

Software quality assurance plan for GCS

The software quality assurance (SQA) function for the Guidance and Control Software (GCS) project which is part of a software error studies research program is described. The SQA plan outlines all of the procedures, controls, and audits to be carried out by the SQA organization to ensure adherence to the policies, procedures, and standards for the GCS project

Effectiveness Of Erythropoietin Therary In The Treatment Of The Anemia In Clients With End-Stage Renal Disease In Mississippi

Clients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) often experience an associated anemia which has been attributed to an endocrine deficiency of erythropoietin. The purpose of this descriptive, retrospective study was to describe the characteristics of the effectiveness of erythropoietin (EPO) therapy on the anemia associated with ESRD. The research question generated was how effective is EPO therapy in the treatment of the anemia in clients with ESRD in Mississippi? Orem\u27s Self-Care Model was the theoretical framework used for this study. The sample (N = 100) consisted of 55 males clients and 45 female clients from an ambulatory dialysis unit in Northeast Mississippi. The clients were receiving dialysis and EPO therapy. The researcher designed an instrument for data collection. Demographic findings, blood pressure, and blood transfusions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including means, percentages, and frequencies. A paired t test was utilized to analyze the statistical significance between pretherapy and posttherapy hematocrit data. Findings indicated a significant increase in hematocrits at one month posttherapy, t = -4.12, p \u3c .05; 3 months, t = -7.45 p \u3c .05; and current levels, t = -8.58, p \u3c .05. The mean baseline hematocrit was 24.56, and the mean current hematocrit was 29.79. Blood pressures did not increase, t = 21.25, p \u3e .05. The mean pretherapy systolic blood pressure was 169.57, and the mean posttherapy systolic pressure was 153.63. The mean diastolic blood pressure was 101.33, and the posttherapy mean diastolic pressure was 86.86. This study did not show a significant decrease in blood transfusion requirements. Eighty-eight percent of the clients did not receive transfusions pretherapy, and 79% did not receive transfusions posttherapy. The researcher concluded that EPO is effective in increasing hematocrit levels in the client with ESRD. Similar studies are needed to further document the effectiveness of EPO on the anemia of ESRD in clients in Mississippi. Implications for nursing include the importance of education, documentation, and continuity of care in health promotion and rehabilitation of the client with ESRD

PERCEPTIONS OF TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This study attempts to examine the perceptions of faculty and staff at Rowan University towards professionals with visible body modifications (VBM), specifically tattoos and piercings, in higher education. Five main research questions were addressed: (i) What are the attitudes towards professionals with VBM at Rowan University? (ii) How might the display of VBM affect Rowan University’s values and objectives? (iii) How are professionals with VBM perceived by hiring managers at Rowan? (iv) In what ways do perceptions differ across campus units at Rowan University regarding professionals with VBM? (v) What kind of environment does staff and faculty at Rowan University provide for unconventional professionals? To answer these questions, a mixed method approach was utilized, which consisted of a 42 question Likert scale survey distributed to all active employees and a seven-question interview with randomly selected volunteers. Of the 4103 employees, 80 completed the survey and five respondents responsible for recruitment or hiring for their units were randomly selected to be interviewed. The study reveals a combination of indifference and acceptance among survey respondents, as well as understanding and encouragement of individuality and self-expression from interviewees. Overall, the study exposes positive views towards higher education professionals with visible body modifications and disputes discriminatory practices against unconventional prospective professionals

Phosphorus physiology of the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2010Primary producers play a critical role in the oceanic food chain and the global cycling of carbon. The marine diazotroph Trichodesmium is a major contributor to both primary production and nitrogen fixation in the tropical and subtropical oceans. These regions are often characterized by low phosphorus (P) concentrations, and P deficiency of Trichodesmium could limit growth, and constrain nitrogen fixation by this genus. Three key components of P metabolism in cyanobacteria include: inorganic phosphate (Pi) uptake, dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) hydrolysis, and polyphosphate (polyP) biosynthesis and catabolism. These three pathways lay the foundation for the four chapters that make up the body of this thesis. Chapter two examines the relative importance of Pi and DOP in Trichodesmium in the Sargasso Sea by measuring uptake rates and uptake kinetics of 33Pi and DOP (using alpha labeled adenosine-5’-triphosphate 33P-ATP as a model P ester compound). The in situ uptake rates suggest that the contribution of P ester to total P uptake can be greater than 25% for Trichodesmium, and therefore P esters are important for supplementing Trichodesmium’s P demand. Chapter three confirms the presence of polyP in the Sargasso Sea populations. This is the first detection of polyP in an oligotrophic system and may indicate micro-scale variability in DIP or DOP supply. Chapter four examines the regulation of several genes involved in P scavenging in cultures of Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101: two copies of a high affinity phosphate binding protein (pstS and sphX) and two putative alkaline phosphatases (phoA and phoX). Chapter five calibrates the expression of phoX to decreases in nitrogen fixation rate in Trichodesmium cultures allowing the use of phoX expression as a molecular indicator of P limitation of nitrogen fixation. Detection of phoX expression in the North Atlantic and South Pacific identified the extent and magnitude of P limitation in these regions. Taken together this thesis provides new insights into how Trichodesmium survives in low P environments, utilizes DOP, stores polyP, and the extent to which P can limit nitrogen fixation by this genus.I have been supported by the National Science Foundation (grants OCE-0549794 and CCF-424599), the Environmental Protection Agency (R-83041501-0) and the WHOI Academic Programs Office

An Analysis of Effective Practice Strategies for the Performing Undergraduate University-Level Pianist

The intent of this study was to provide awareness of the trends surrounding piano practice pedagogy as determined by students either immersed in a university piano program or graduates thereof. The areas of study include a historical context of university music programs and the field of piano pedagogy, trends of imitative instruction, the importance of qualitative and quantitative practice, and the discovery of piano practice routines of collegiate pianists. This research project was approved for an IRB exemption by the Old Dominion University College of Arts and Letters. Within this study, the subjects were either graduates of a collegiate piano department or students in a public four-year university music program, private four-year university music program, community college music program, or music conservatory music program (N = 160). The subjects completed a survey within Qualtrics that contained an informed consent statement. The survey was limited to subjects in the United States. The subjects answered questions about their specific involvement in collegiate piano studies and discussed individual practice habits regarding levels of practice efficiency, daily time spent practicing, motivating factors for individual practice, extramusical factors that affect daily practice, specific practice strategies taught by their private teachers, and practice methods employed without instruction. The data were analyzed using the Qualtrics survey application. The results from the survey highlight the need from applied piano teachers to provide more specific instructions regarding practice techniques

Regulated Histone H3 Proteolysis During Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

The association of genomic DNA with histone proteins in the three-dimensional structure known as chromatin is the central framework for “epigenetics,†which is defined as inherited phenotypes governed by differences that cannot be explained by changes in DNA sequence. In recent years, studies have shown that regulated changes in the chemical and physical properties of chromatin often lead to dynamic changes in many cellular processes, including development and differentiation, by affecting the accessibility of the genomic information stored in the DNA. The cell uses many different mechanisms to regulate chromatin in order to establish, maintain, and propagate patterns of gene expression that are necessary for proper development and differentiation. Many of these mechanisms involve the histone component of chromatin, both through chemical and structural changes of the histone proteins themselves and via complex interactions with other non-histone chromatin proteins. Here, in my thesis work, I describe how a few of these chromatin regulatory mechanisms are used during mammalian differentiation, specifically focusing on those involving histone H3. First, in Chapter 2, I describe how certain non-histone chromatin proteins that are key to development specifically interact with modified histones using biochemical, biophysical and structural approaches. Next, in Chapter 3, I describe how chromatin undergoes specific, dramatic changes as cells lose their capacity for self-renewal and proceed toward a specific lineage using a mouse embryonic stem cell model of differentiation and early embryonic development. These changes involve both the post-translational modification of histone H3 and the incorporation of different H3 variant proteins into the chromatin fiber. Finally, I describe the observation that differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells proteolytically cleave histone H3 and identify a protease that accomplishes this cleavage

Pedometer-determined physical activity and active transport in girls

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is well established that the risk of insufficient physical activity is greater in girls than in boys, especially during the adolescent years. The promotion of active transport (AT) to and from school has been posited as a practical and convenient solution for increasing girls' total daily activity. However, there is limited information describing the associations between AT choices and girls' physical activity across a range of age, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate physical activity patterns in a large multiethnic sample of female children and adolescents, and to (2) estimate the physical activity associated with AT to and from school.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 1,513 girls aged 5–16 years wore sealed multiday memory (MDM) pedometers for three weekdays and two weekend days. The ethnic composition of this sample was 637 European (42.1%), 272 Pacific Island (18.0%), 207 East Asian (13.7%), 179 Maori (11.8%), 142 South Asian (9.4%), and 76 from other ethnic groups (5%). Pedometer compliance and school-related AT were assessed by questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean weekday step counts (12,597 ± 3,630) were higher and less variable than mean weekend steps (9,528 ± 4,407). A consistent decline in daily step counts was observed with age: after adjustment for ethnicity and SES, girls in school years 9–10 achieved 2,469 (weekday) and 4,011 (weekend) fewer steps than girls in years 1–2. Daily step counts also varied by ethnicity, with Maori girls the most active and South Asian girls the least active. Overall, 44.9% of participants used AT for school-related travel. Girls who used AT to and from school averaged 1,052 more weekday steps than those who did not use AT. However, the increases in steps associated with AT were significant only in older girls (school years 5–10) and in those of Maori or European descent.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data suggest that adolescent-aged girls and girls of Asian descent are priority groups for future physical activity interventions. While the apparent benefits of school-related AT vary among demographic groups, promoting AT in girls appears to be a worthwhile strategy.</p