Self-esteem, anxiety and assertiveness : a theoretical and empirical approach to the effects of assertion training : submitted as part of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology)

This study was conducted as a tentative investigation of the effect of Assertiveness Training on "normal to pre-clinical" outpatients attending a small psychological clinic. A full evaluation using an acceptable research design had been planned, however particular difficulties arose to obstruct this aim. Employing data from the subjects who had already been tested, further modifications of the major testing instruments (the Gambrill and Richey [1975] Assertion Inventory and Kelly's [1955] Role Construct Repertory Grid) were made as part of the present study. Since an extensive literature survey had indicated that structured theoretical or empirical reports are dwarfed by "popular" publications in the Assertion Training area, it was decided to use the data obtained through further testing to produce a theoretical paper based on the quasi- evaluation that remained. Three levels of subjects, two being sub-samples of the major sample, were put forward to structure the data analysis which then proceeded in three stages to test five basic hypotheses. Comparative and correlational procedures were used in Stages I and II to examine the data firstly on 110 and then on 50 sets of pre-tests. Subjects at Stage III (N = 36) belonged to two training groups and a waiting-list control group. At this level, the experimenter was interested to ascertain whether or not there were significant changes between pre and post-test in subjects' scores on three main variables (Self-Esteem, Discomfort/Interpersonal Anxiety, and Response Probability) . Such changes were found but only for subjects in the training groups and, in particular, the Discomfort variable appeared to take an important part in this preliminary "training effect". Whereas self-esteem and response probability ratings remained relatively consistent on average across the short testing interval, anxiety/discomfort levels decreased significantly among the trainees. This pointed to the benefit of AT as an anxiety-reducing procedure and stimulated comments on the importance of client/patient-oriented diagnostic and therapeutic media. In brief, the results provided some interesting catalysts for theoretical integration and, in addition, a discussion of the testing instruments and their prospects for future use supplied a functional approach to round off the study

The IMF and Russia in the 1990s

This paper explains the IMF's impact on economic policies in Russia, focusing on where the IMF made a difference. The Russian economic and political leadership essentially determined economic policies. The IMF's influence was modest: it had a limited impact on overall fiscal policy and major structural reforms, but it had a positive impact on monetary policy. A tougher position on fiscal policy in 1996-98 might have produced a better outcome. The G-7's concerns weakened the IMF. However, the IMF played a major role in transferring knowledge about macroeconomic policymaking and implementation. Copyright 2006, International Monetary Fund

Free-Body Diagram Analysis and Movement Design of a Functional Prosthetic Hand

The loss of a limb is a devastating event to an individual on both physical and psychological levels. Despite decades of advancements in medicine, occupational health, and general safety in society, most people know someone or have encountered individuals affected by limb loss. This project created a prosthetic hand designed to aid those individuals. The hand is a predominantly 3D-printed prosthetic hand that includes an individually moving index finger and opposable thumb capable of grasping a full soda can weighing 385 grams (0.85 pounds). Numerous design solutions for the actuation of the fingers and thumb were considered and rejected. Cable actuators and four individually moving fingers with four motors presented too many challenges. Teams of students responsible for mechanics, electrical components, hardware, and CAD modeling cooperated to design a system of two four-bar linkages actuated by four small motors. A mathematical approach was taken to begin the design process, as variables such as force and torque were necessary for selecting motors. One key concern of the movement team was to calculate the coefficient of static friction, µs, applicable to the contact of aluminum and polylactic acid filament. Subsequent calculations yielded the minimum amount of gripping force needed from the fingers and thumb, a required 6.68 N supplied to each side of the can. Free-body diagrams provided the basis for approximating and understanding the forces acting on the object in question. The final design solution complies with two additional important goals for the Project C. L. A. W. S. team: a human-like appearance to lessen the daily psychological impact on the patient caused by the need for a prosthetic and a total manufacturing cost under our designated budget of $2,000. A functioning prototype is expected for delivery at the end of EGR 499 in May 2023

Commentary: primary emotional systems and personality: an evolutionary perspective

In Primary emotional systems and personality Christian Montag and Jaak Panksepp analyze how emotional systems are involved into the development of basic personality into an evolutionary framework. They also stress the importance of such investigation for the promotion of human welfare in the context of psychiatric research and practic

Role of Hdac3 in Murine Coronary Vessel Development: A Master\u27s Thesis

Coronary vessel development is a crucial part of heart development requiring the interplay of the epicardial, myocardial and endocardial layers of the heart for proper formation. Coronary vascularization is regulated by a host of transcription factors further regulated by chromatin remodeling enzymes, including Histone Deacetylases (HDACs). To investigate the functions of HDACs in coronary vascular development, we have deleted Hdac3 in endocardial cells using Cre LoxP technology. Endocardial cell-­‐specific deletion of Hdac3 results in aberrant coronary vessel formation and complete postnatal lethality. We have thus shown that Hdac3 is a critical regulator of the coronary vascular development pathway

Inventing fantasy: the prose romances of William Morris

This thesis sheds light on Morris’s thematic concerns and narrative strategies in five of his little-studied prose romances: The Story of the Glittering Plain, The Wood Beyond the World, The Well at the World’s End, The Water of the Wondrous Isles and The Sundering Flood. The thesis argues that these romances can be read as significant texts in the development of the modern fantasy genre. The thesis aims to re-orient scholarly discussion of the prose romances in the context of fantasy literature. Chapter 1, ‘Inventing Fantasy’, locates the prose romances within the social and cultural context of their production. It discusses the nature of the contemporary reception of the prose romances, and analyses how modern criticism has begun to re-value the prose romances as significant works within the modern fantasy genre. The chapter then identifies the main critical issues in fantasy scholarship. Finally, the chapter sets out the critical methodology for the rest of the thesis. Chapter 2, ‘Inventing Place’, investigates the way Morris constructed his invented worlds. It identifies two points of reference for Morris’s ‘landscape of the mind’: one, his experience of real landscapes, particularly those of England and Iceland; and two, his Romantic imagination and desire to re-birth the romantic landscapes of medieval literature. The chapter utilises pastoral discourse, and its attendant rhetoric, in its close reading of the texts. It develops a critical foundation for the rest of the thesis by indicating the essential connection between the construction of place and the way in which the hero operates as part of the invented world. Chapter 3, ‘Inventing the Quest-Hero’, investigates the construction of the male hero and the quest within the invented world. It uses as its point of departure the conventional hero-myth pattern as established by Joseph Campbell and other structuralists. The chapter demonstrates how Morris departs from the conventional male-heroic paradigm in two key ways: first, through the creation of strong female characters and second, through the type of conclusion he gives to the heroes’ quests. The chapter demonstrates the way the quests are related to the hero’s separation from the world of the familiar, to the hero’s interaction with the forces of nature, and to the hero’s relationship with women. The chapter pays particular attention to the role of the Maid in Walter’s quest in The Wood Beyond the World, and argues that Morris was working towards the creation of a new type of female hero. Chapter 4, ‘Inventing the Female Quest-Hero,’ examines the construction of Birdalone in The Water of the Wondrous Isles as Morris’s unique female hero, reading her narrative through a feminist revisioning of the male hero-myth, and with reference to the established discourses of the pastoral. Chapter 5, ‘Conclusion’, summarises the main points of the thesis, and suggests some ways forward for critical scholarship of the prose romances

Niche inheritance: a cooperative pathway to enhance cancer cell fitness though ecosystem engineering

Cancer cells can be described as an invasive species that is able to establish itself in a new environment. The concept of niche construction can be utilized to describe the process by which cancer cells terraform their environment, thereby engineering an ecosystem that promotes the genetic fitness of the species. Ecological dispersion theory can then be utilized to describe and model the steps and barriers involved in a successful diaspora as the cancer cells leave the original host organ and migrate to new host organs to successfully establish a new metastatic community. These ecological concepts can be further utilized to define new diagnostic and therapeutic areas for lethal cancers.Comment: 8 pages, 1 Table, 4 Figure

Providing neonatal resuscitation training in rural Eastern, Nigeria : Training birth attendants to improve neonatal resuscitation knowledge and skill ability

Oakland, California Oakland, [email protected] [email protected]—Neonatal mortality is an important global health indicator of a country. Nigeria has one of the highest neonatal mortality rates in the world. Rural portions of the country have higher rates of neonatal mortality, compared to urban areas. Problems related to asphyxiation result because resuscitation training is not targeted to the correct provider. Neonatal resuscitation training was given in three clinical sites in rural Nigeria, from October 23, 2015 to October 28, 2015. Seventy (70) participants aged 19-60 completed a 17-item questionnaire about neonatal knowledge and completed a 38-item hands-on skills checklist to measure their neonatal skill abilities. Training was given to community health extension workers (CHEWs), auxiliary nurses, traditional birth attendants (TBAs), nurse midwives, student nurse midwives, and nursing officers. To compare the mean scores between a pre-test and a post-test for both the knowledge questionnaire and the skills test, a dependent samples t-test was performed. For knowledge, the average score on the pre-test was 12.43±2.98, p<.0001 and the average score on the post-test was 14.74 ±2.16, p<.0001, meaning that the average knowledge score increased by 2.31 points, after the training. For skill, the average score on the pre-test was 21.87±6.58, p<.0001 and the average score on the post-test was 34.67±4.50, p<.0001, meaning that the average skills score increased by 12.8 points, after the training. The implementation of a neonatal resuscitation training program in rural Nigeria, can improve neonatal resuscitation knowledge and neonatal resuscitation skill ability amongst TBAs and other birth attendants. This has the potential to reduce the high neonatal mortality rates in rural communities