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Private vehicle use poses a major challenge as a main contributor to climate change. A framework (Avoid/Reduce, Shift, Improve or ASI) has been developed which suggests that a broad approach is required when reducing the effect of transport on climate change. Review of the literature suggests that policy has tended to focus on the shift element of the ASI framework. This raises questions as to whether people would like to shift to public transport, and whether transport policymakers focusing on the shift element of the ASI framework is an effective approach. Further questions also remain with regard to whether the shift element is being adequately implemented. Indeed, internationally governments have tended to take a narrow approach to the shift policy which has focused on pull (incentive) initiatives but neglected push initiatives (disincentives). This thesis critically evaluates the feasibility of this focus on pull initiatives. This is explored through a case study of New Taipei City, Taiwan, where the government is providing major investment in pull initiatives, particularly Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) infrastructure, to get people to shift to public transport. Adopting a mixed method research approach, commuter surveys and qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken to explore both the commuters' perspective and the opinions of key actors and critical observers of the policies implemented. Car and motorcycle users' main reasons for using private vehicles are comprised of their dependency on using private vehicles, work-related purposes (e.g. job responsibilities, and position), and socio-economic factors. This makes changing their mode of transport difficult, when focusing on a narrow set of pull initiatives. Furthermore, there has been a lack of integration of initiatives such as the MRT infrastructure improvements with new bus services and cycleways, so their pull policies could have been stronger. Consequently, transport officials' efforts to change commuter travel behaviour are less effective than intended. A combination of pull and push initiatives may be a more balanced approach to changing people's behaviour in relation to their trip choice, and thus implementing sustainable transport interventions. However, there is likely to be a lack of political will for push initiatives. Consistent with previous findings in the academic literature, there is a need to take a broader approach to tackling the effects of transport on climate change. This thesis has provided further evidence to support this argument and questions why policy continues not to adequately reflect the need for a more holistic approach.

The remarkable ability of human search inspires computer vision algorithms that have influenced our life. The algorithms often automatically reach an optimal decision upon finishing analysing stimulus information. This is not how human search works. One missing puzzle psychophysical studies have yet to answer is how a search decision is reached. This thesis addressed this question, using descriptive models to examine response time (RT) distributions and cognitive process models to reveal the hidden information. The thesis focused on those search paradigms, guided (Wolfe, 2007a) by an attentional template (Duncan & Humphreys, 1989), because not until recent years, relevant techniques become more accessible to apply the pioneering approach of dual-modelling. The thesis compared RT distributions and cognitive processes when observers were guided by different attentional templates to search for a target. The first search paradigm was to discriminate 2 from 5. Study 2 varied the working memory strengths in templates, and they were represented differently (null, abstract vs. concrete) in Study 3. The findings suggest attentional templates selectively influence different parts of a search decision and RT distributions, depending on how a template is represented, whether il is strengthened or weakened by the conditions, and whether it is concrete or abstract.

Disorders affecting articular cartilage are amongst the most common problems in orthopaedics. Osteoarthritis, the end stage of the disease of articular cartilage, reduces the quality of life for tens of millions of people in the world, and has a profound impact on the economics of industrialized countries. Despite progress in articular cartilage research, the problem is still far from being defeated. Various models e.g. in vitro cartilage explants and in vivo animal models, have been established for cartilage research, but each has its own limitations. Thus, a novel ex vivo isolated joint organ culture model was developed. Bovine metatarsophalangeal joints were chosen as a suitable synovial joint because it consists of a hinge-type joint that is similar to the human knee joint, and has a large cartilage surface that provides enough space for multiple sampling in the same joint. The joints were isolated aseptically and placed into culture media. The viability of chondrocytes, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of cartilage matrix, cartilage morphology and water content of matrix were evaluated under different culture conditions, i.e. static, static with flowing media, and dynamic with different durations of the movement period. The model was used to investigate the effect on the sharp scalpel cartilage injury of adding serum to the culture medium by culturing the whole joint explants in serum-supplied or serum-free media. The feasibility of investigating the early phases of chondrocyte implantation in this model was also studied: circular holes of 2.5 mm diameter were created by making a pilot hole with a 2.0 mm drill followed by using a fresh 2.5 mm biopsy punch. Allogeneic isolated chondrocytes at different passages were aggregated as cell pellets and implanted in the holes to evaluate their integration ability and the response from the recipient cartilage. Results from the static model showed that, after 28 days culture, the chondrocytes were still alive with 66.5%, 80.9% and 46.9% viability in the superficial, middle and deep zones, respectively. The GAG content of the static model decreased 19.2% after the first week of culture and then lost another 15.0% during the third week. Paradoxically, at end of the 4th week the GAG level rebounded to some extent and increased 19.0% relative to the previous week. Interestingly, the cell viability of all three zones improved if the culture fluid was flowing as seen with the experiments carried out with stirred media or dynamic movement of the articular surfaces. (e.g. for the stirred media after 28 days of culture the chondrocyte viability was 80.6%, 92.4% and 70.4% for the superficial, middle and deep zones respectively.) The GAG content was maintained at a constant level in the contact area of the dynamic model, but decreased as in the media-stirred model and non-contact area of the dynamic model to a similar extent to that observed with the static model. In the injury model, the GAG content fell approximately 10.8% straight after the scalpel cut, but no further loss was observed if the joint was cultured in the serum-supplied media. In contrast, if the injured joint was cultured in the serum-free media, the GAG content continued to fall week by week and finally dropped by 41.7% at the end of the 4th week. In the chondrocyte implantation model, the majority of the host chondrocytes around the circular defect were alive (78.5 % viability). Viewed from the surface, the dead cells were all within 20 μm from the cut edge. The implanted chondrocytes, which were aggregated as cell pellets, began to transform their shapes and spread to the surrounding surface of the recipient cartilage, but did not appear to integrate with the host tissue during the first 2 weeks of culture. The results supported the validity of this ex vivo joint model and demonstrated that the chondrocytes subjected to flow of the media or dynamic loads survived well over a 4 week period. Of importance was the finding that there was no measured loss of the matrix GAG content when the joints were under dynamic load compared to all of the non-loaded conditions. This whole joint model could be of value in providing a more natural and controllable platform where research involving the normal processes or pathologic mechanisms of articular cartilage can be investigated, as well as the early response to newly developed pharmacological agents and cartilage tissue engineering constructs.

Farm Assurance Schemes have been developed in the UK to ensure the safety, quality and traceability of food and welfare of livestock to consumers. The standards of assessment may focus on the inputs (resources), such as husbandry conditions and management practices, and the outcome of those inputs on the animal. An approach of assessing outcome-based (animal-based) parameters, such as the physical condition or behaviour of animals, is, however, thought to be better than resource-based ones to identify animal welfare issues and help the farmers to identify potential husbandry problems. The aim of this research was to examine the usage and the limitations of animal-based measures in current Dairy Farm Assurance Schemes (F AS), and to evaluate the potential for a novel device for dairy cow lameness detection to be used within farm assurance schemes. The investigations involved a comparison of the use of outcome-based comments in the 449 Red Tractor Assurance (RTA) , the 37 Soil Association Organic Standards (SA) and the 26 Cross Compliance Requirement (CC) reports. The results showed that even though RTA contained the most objective evidence regardless of compliance or non-compliance decisions (around 65 comments made per farm report), the RTA reports contained fewer outcome comments (around 1.9 outcome-comments per farm report) than both SA (roughly 27.3comments made and 3.6 outcome-comments per farm report) and CC (nearly 2.3 comments made and 0.6 outcome-comments per farm report) reports (p<0.001). Even when there was an animal-based comment presented in the RTA reports, it was often ambiguous and not very specific to the animals. The five animal-based parameters which were included in the SA standards were compared with corresponding RTA farm reports and SA farm reports. However, the results showed that the parameters was independent from the non-compliance of the RTA reports (p=1.000) and the SA reports (p=0.963). This indicating the the five parameters included in the SA reports were not sufficiently influential to the certifying process. A qualitative study explored the benefits and, in pat1icular, the challenges that the on-farm assessors encountered when conducting the holistic animal-based assessments of the Welfare Quality® protocol. A total of 11 assessors participated in this study. Four assessors each had performed the Welfare Quality® laying hen protocol and the dairy cattle protocol. Three assessors had experience in carrying out Welfare Quality® pig protocol. Similar difficulties were raised by the assessors from different groups. The results showed that the duration of assessment was considered too long to fit into a routine assurance assessment timeframe. Moreover, the perceived subjectivity of some animal-based measurements was felt could compromise the acceptance of the assessors' judgement by farmers. In order to overcome the variability of subjective assessments, a novel device to detect dairy cow lameness, the infra-red thermometer, was studied. Higher mean foot temperature was able to be identified by the infrared thermometer with lame cows (roughly 25°C) than that of the sound cows (around 24°C) (p<0.001). Although the sensitivity and specificity of individual lameness identification was not good (sensitivity: 71.5%, specificity: 47.3%, with the AUG= 0.613), it was still capable of ranking lameness levels of the farms when operating on dry days (p=0.036). It has the potential to be a detecting device in an assurance scheme to provide objective evidence of lameness prevalence. It is suggested that by reducing the requirement for assessors to complete objective evidence for all questions, the quality of objective evidence for important questions such as relating to animal welfare or non-compliances, would be improved. In addition, the assessors would have more time to assess and engage with farmers about welfare issues, such as dairy cow lameness.

This dissertation is a comparative study of the morphosyntax of the constituents referred to as noun phrases in traditional grammar. In line with Abney’s (1987) Determiner Phrase (DP) Hypothesis, this study investigates the syntactic structures of Sinitic nominal phrases by means of a thorough study of lexical elements, such as numerals, classifiers, possessives, adjectives, and nouns, and functional elements, such as plural/collective markers, force particles, and modification markers. It is argued that the syntactic structure of the nominal phrase is universal regardless of the presence of lexical items which realise the heads of the functional projections. This study further proposes a unified account of the articulated structure of nominal phrases, as a full-fledged DP, to explain the syntactic phenomena in both classifier and non-classifier languages. More specifically, a Probe-Goal feature-valuing model is proposed to account for parametric variation among Sinitic and other languages within the framework of Chomsky’s (2000, 2001, 2004) Phase-based Minimalist Programme. Furthermore, given the assumption of the Split-DP Hypothesis, this study proposes that the DP in Sinitic languages is also not a unitary projection but an articulated array of functional projections, including DforceP, DfocusP, DtopicP and DdefiniteP. As their counterparts in the clausal domain, these functional projections encode discourse-related properties, such as illocutionary force, topic, and focus. As far as modification structures are concerned, this study argues that the bare modifier is base-generated in the Spec of a functional or lexical projection, whereas the marked modifier is adjoined to the left of the nominal phrase by the operation Adjunction.

The increased concern of declining STEM candidates could negatively impact the U.S. economy (Kelic & Zagnoel, 2009; Maltese & Tai, 2010). Previous studies suggest that the gap between the supply of STEM students in higher education and workface demand is not reflected merely in the number of STEM graduates but instead in the number of qualified STEM graduates who could satisfy STEM workforce demands (Kelic & Zagnoel, 2009; Lowell & Salzman, 2007). The current study used Rae's employability theory (Rae, 2007) to develop an assessment for evaluating student's career development in STEM during their higher education. Unlike other instruments focusing on students' interests, knowledge, and preparation of their careers interests, this new assessment integrated employability, enterprise, and curriculum elements to assess five career development domains. Results from an exploratory factor analysis indicated that the assessment retained four factors with a total of 33 questions. New STEM graduates' employment status, their skill development, work-based learning, and career management in STEM higher education were positively associated with their employment status (i.e., employed full-time or non-full-time). In addition, students' skill development, work-based learning, career management, and applied learning experiences significantly predicted their academic performance (i.e., GPA). The implications for this study support offering work-based curricula and personal-development opportunities in undergraduate STEM programs to help college students achieve their career goals in STEM, which could optimally decrease the skill gap between STEM higher education and workforce demands. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This thesis tackles the problem of how communication functions can be integrated and made more effective in organisations. The research surfaces the main issues affecting the quality of integrated communications and -develops a new Integrated Communications Model (ICM) for assessing the applicability of Integrated Communications (IC) - using a systemic approach. The process of this research includes: identifying a range of aspects which may impact on the success of integrated communications; explaining how total quality management, systems thinking and pluralist approaches can help to make integrated communications more successful; surfacing the issues of integrated communications in Taiwan; developing a systemic approach- ICM for assessing the applicability of integrated communications; and generating recommendations for relevant modifications which can make IC more effective. This research proceeds in three interrelated phases: qualitative first, quantitative next, and qualitative again. In the first phase, an initial list of the aspects for integrated communications success is generated through a review of the literature. Moreover, some of the modem management approaches such as TQM, systems thinking and pluralist approaches are examined to see how they could enhance integrated communications in organisations. In the second phase, a questionnaire is developed to discover the current situation of IC in Taiwanese companies. The questionnaire is sent to eighty top manufacturing and service companies in Taiwan and produces thirty-eight usable responses. The SPSS package is employed to analyse the data. In the same phase, a qualitative approach that includes interviews with several managers from five different companies is conducted to find the issues of IC in Taiwanese companies from June 1998 to November 1998. Lastly, three companies are selected for the case studies to validate the research findings, to assist in the interpretation of the results and to develop a new model of IC. The six aspects of IC believed to impact upon integrated communications success are extracted. Moreover, this research presents a revised Integrated Communications Model (ICM) to review, operationalise and evaluate the integrated communications approach, especially as related to the Taiwan context. This ICM can help to tackle the three main issues of IC identified in the research: how to help organisations to set up effective communications; how to help organisations to identify their specific stakeholders; and how to help organisations to evaluate the effectiveness of their communications with their specific stakeholders. The research findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are also proposed.

This study was designed to explore the differences between high school teachers with art and science backgrounds in terms of curriculum and student performance in art and design education, federal educational policy, and financial support. The study took place in a local independent school district in Texarkana, Texas. The independent school district was established in 1877. It contains about a fifty-five square mile area. The independent school district includes an elementary school, an intermediate school, a middle school, and a high school. The independent school district provides both art education and normal education in the school curriculum. A descriptive research approach and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in this study to analyze teacher perceptions. Dependent variables of this study included teacher perceptions on curriculum, students' performance, and policy and support. Independent variables were the teachers who are high school teachers with art and design experience or high school teachers with math and science experience. The result of this study indicated that no statistically significant (p >0.05) difference exists between high school teachers with an art and science background in terms of curriculum, students' performance, policy, and support perception. Nearly all high school teachers with art experience, teachers with science experience, and teachers with both art and science experience had similar educational perception on curriculum, students' performance, policy, and support. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation focuses on investigating whether users will locate desired images more efficiently and effectively when they are provided with information descriptors from both experts and the general public. This study develops a way to support image finding through a human-computer interface by providing subject headings and social tags about the image collection and preserving the information scent (Pirolli, 2007) during the image search experience. In order to improve search performance most proposed solutions integrating experts. annotations and social tags focus on how to utilize controlled vocabularies to structure folksonomies which are taxonomies created by multiple users (Peters, 2009). However, these solutions merely map terms from one domain into the other without considering the inherent differences between the two. In addition, many websites reflect the benefits of using both descriptors by applying a multiple interface approach (McGrenere, Baecker, & Booth, 2002), but this type of navigational support only allows users to access one information source at a time. By contrast, this study is to develop an approach to integrate these two features to facilitate finding resources without changing their nature or forcing users to choose one means or the other. Driven by the concept of information scent, the main contribution of this dissertation is to conduct an experiment to explore whether the images can be found more efficiently and effectively when multiple access routes with two information descriptors are provided to users in the dual-perspective navigation framework. This framework has proven to be more effective and efficient than the subject heading-only and tag-only interfaces for exploratory tasks in this study. This finding can assist interface designers who struggle with determining what information is best to help users and facilitate the searching tasks. Although this study explicitly focuses on image search, the result may be applicable to wide variety of other domains. The lack of textual content in image systems makes them particularly hard to locate using traditional search methods. While the role of professionals in describing items in a collection of images, the role of the crowd in assigning social tags augments this professional effort in a cost effective manner. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined the supervision effectiveness of three online peer supervision models as measured by the two outcome variables of case conceptualization skills and self-efficacy. Also, it explored the impact of developmental levels of school counselors on the outcomes of supervision. Practicing school counselors from a national sample were randomly assigned to three groups: the Online Structured Peer Supervision Group (S group), the Online Peer Discussion Group (D group), and the Control Group. Two instruments measuring the outcome variables (dependent variables) were administered: the Clinical Hypothesis Exercise Form (CHEF) and the Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES). The independent variables were the two experimental conditions and the supervisee years of experience. In addition, the Counselor Supervision Experience Questionnaire collected information regarding the overall on-line supervision experience. No significant differences were found before and after the online peer supervision groups by statistical analysis; however, positive feedback regarding the supervision experience was provided by participants in response to qualitative questions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The Project Approach has been applied to early childhood education in Taiwan since 1993. The purposes of this study were to explore how teachers of young children conduct the Project Approach, what challenges they have encountered and what support they may need. In addition, this study investigates teachers' implementation of the Project Approach using an explanatory mixed method research. The survey research method was utilized to collect the major data, and face-to-face interviews were employed to obtain additional information. Two hundred and twenty-nine participants and six volunteer interviewees were recruited from 14 schools located in four regions of Taiwan, including urban and suburban areas. The results showed that teachers utilized three phases--beginning, developing, and concluding a project--in the implementation of the Project Approach to help children learn new concepts. Teachers used the processes of adopting, revisiting, and representing in order to enhance children's abilities via a path of exploration, observation, representation, and understanding. Children not only learned academic skills, but also obtained practical life skills and acquired meaningful knowledge through their participation in project work. Teachers enhanced their professional development by utilizing this approach. Parents and teachers developed a good relationship, which benefited the children's learning. Parents also became more involved in school activities and children's learning experiences in project work. Teachers were more concerned about Impact Concerns than Self Concerns and Task Concerns. They remained concerned about curriculum choices and how this approach affected children's learning experience as well as collaboration with other teachers. The challenges which teachers have encountered were related to children's development and abilities, children's prior knowledge about a topic, their teaching skills, and receiving parental involvement. Teachers' needed supports were professional trainings in the Project Approach, having more volunteer helpers, and having enough preparation time for project work. The research findings provided practical information for teachers and administrators in implementing the Project Approach. Additionally, the findings presented a guideline for teacher educators for the introduction of the Project Approach. For future studies, the researcher should investigate methods of different curriculum integrated with the Project Approach. Future studies should examine the challenges and support for new teachers, as well as discovering the solutions for each challenge and comparing the Project Approach between different regions or countries. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Introduction: Anterior open bite (AOB) is a type of malocclusion that exhibit no anterior guidance resulting in a lack of occlusal equilibrium in static and dynamic aspects, which could induce more stress for the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) than a normal occlusion. However, the effect of orthodontic treatment to obtain anterior guidance for patients with AOB on TMJ condyle remained poorly studied. This study aims to analyze the condylar changes in AOB patients by comparing their CBCT data pre- and post-orthodontic treatment. Methods: The 108 AOB patients underwent orthodontic treatment included had cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans taken before orthodontic (T1) and after orthodontic treatment (T2). We divided them into 3 different severity groups (Mild, Moderate, and Severe) and 3 different treatment modalities groups (ALN, FFA, and Sx). Measurements were conducted using InVivo 6 for the condylar joint space, depth of fossa, condylar position, and condylar dimension. Pre-treatment and post-treatment three-dimensional (3D) volume of bilateral condylar head were calculated, and the representative 3D models were superimposed using voxel-based registration on the mandibular stable region. Results: After orthodontic treatment for AOB, the condyles tend to seat more posteriorly and superiorly for about 0.17-0.21mm and 0.09-0.12mm respectively; the depth of fossa increased 0.22mm on the right side; the asymmetry of the condylar position improved; the condylar width increased for 0.44mm; the condylar height increased for 0.40mm; and the 3D condylar volume increased for 98.29 mm3. Teenage AOB patients have significant condylar changes (joint space, laterolateral condylar position, height, width, and 3D volume) after treatment while adult patients generally do not experience many changes except for the surgical patients. As patient ages, the dimensional and volumetric changes after treatment decreased. Surgical patients experienced the most volumetric increase after treatment of AOB. There is no difference in the amount of condylar changes between AOB treatment with ALN and FFA.Conclusions: Our results shows that orthodontic treatment for AOB overall does not predispose patients to the risk of condylar resorption or dysfunction. The joint space changes are small, however, the direction of these changes in teenage patients may warrant closer examination and consideration in treatment planning. As AOB patients age, the amount of condylar changes decrease with no much significant changes in adult non-surgical patients. Surgical AOB patients may experience more condylar positive remodeling after treatment compared to the non-surgical patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to quarantines and mandatory spatial distancing; people of all ages were encouraged to use technologies instead of actual human contact for COVID-19 prevention and daily activities. The special circumstances of living plus innovation and promotion of mobile applications (apps) during the pandemic influenced mobile technology use behavior. In this study we explored age differences in mobile technology use, the factors that influenced use behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, and proposed a research model that aimed to predict behavioral intention and mobile technology use behavior. A pilot-tested survey was distributed through online survey software. Participants were 35 years old or older, lived in the United States of America, and had experience using mobile technology. The survey contained four parts, questions regarding participant characteristics, mobile technology use experience before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, variables that affected mobile technology use, and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic to daily life and mobile technology use. Data analysis included 1212 respondents nationwide, with representation from the West, Midwest, South, and Northeast region. The average age of participants was 56.12 ± 12.26 years (female : male = 1.24 : 1). Most of the participants had used mobile technology for more than three years; and approximately 67% of the participants decided to use mobile technology because they needed it to function in today’s society. There are six major findings in this study. First, this study identified significant reported differences in using mobile technology frequency and functions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is statistically significant (p < 0.01) increase of mobile technology daily use frequency and perceived necessity of mobile technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also showed changes in use behavior regarding mobile technology functions. A significant (p < 0.01) increase in using functions such as video calls, online grocery shopping or delivery, online education, and reserving taxi or car services on mobile technology during the pandemic was identified in the study. Second, this study identified age difference in mobile technology use frequency and choice of functions. To examine age differences in mobile technology use, participants were categorized into three groups: age 35 to 49 (n = 391), 50 to 64 (n = 435), and 65 to 83 (n = 386). Daily mobile technology use frequency of all groups increased significantly (p < 0.01) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with participants at age 35 to 49 having significantly higher (p < 0.01) use frequency than the other groups. Age differences were also found in the choice of mobile technology functions used during the pandemic. Participants at age 35 to 49 had significantly (p < 0.05) higher use in video calls, online education, food or grocery delivery, and entertainment than the other groups. In contrast, participants at age 35 to 49 had significantly (p < 0.05) lower use of text messaging and email than the other groups. Moreover, participant at age 65 to 83 had significantly (p < 0.05) higher use of navigation, reserving taxi or car service, and checking breaking news than the participants at age 35 to 49. Third, this study identified that the availability of mobile technology functions and the necessity of using mobile technology to function in society remained as the top two critical factors before and during the pandemic. Fourth, this study found the increased attention to benefits that could be received from using mobile technology. There were significant (p < 0.01) increases in considering physical, social, and emotional benefits as important factors in using mobile technology during the pandemic. Also, significant (p < 0.01) decreases in considering price, pleasure, and ease of use as important factors were found in the study. Fifth, this study verified the important role of event (i.e. the COVID-19 pandemic) in predicting mobile technology use. A structural model of technology use behavior and behavioral intention, based on the pre-existing Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model and previous studies regarding technology use, was developed and examined in the study. The moderator, event, provided essential moderation effects in predicting mobile technology use behavior during the pandemic. Finally, the study provided evidence that the effects of perceived values, self-efficacy, and personal innovativeness on behavioral intention and use behavior cannot be ignored. While validating the proposed research model of this study, three constructs (perceived values, self-efficacy, and personal innovativeness) significantly (p < 0.001) influenced behavioral intention of mobile technology use during the pandemic. With the added moderator and constructs, the refined research model of this study can explain 4.5 percent more variance in behavioral intention and 1.5 percent more variance in mobile technology use behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a series of behavioral changes of human beings. One of the significant changes is the use behavior of mobile technology. The findings in this study suggested that people in today’s society might not have flexible choice of whether or not to use mobile technology in their life due to the coronavirus disease outbreak. Although people in all age groups were forced to use mobile technology, the nature of aging still leads to different demands and experience of mobile technology use. Future studies should examine the effects of behavioral change in mobile technology use during the pandemic and acknowledge the importance of age differences.

This study aimed to examine (1) levels of parental involvement among parents from different ethnic groups, and (2) factors predicting parental involvement in their children’s special education. A total of 112 parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds participated in the study. A survey study was conducted to investigate how marital status, parental education levels, income, perception about school climate, their belief of roles in parental involvement, and parental perception of self-efficacy for helping the child succeed in school impacted the level of parental involvement in their children’s home-based and school-based activities. The survey was sent out to the center directors of the non-profit organizations that supported families of children with disabilities. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to explore to what extent the six factors predicted home-based and school-based involvement. The results indicated that marital status and parental education levels predicted parent involvement in general. Beliefs in roles and self-efficacy predicted combined home-based and school-based involvement. Parental education levels and beliefs in parents’ roles to be involved in their children’s education had impacts on home-based involvement.

This thesis studies identification and testability for three models of choice under uncertainty. Identification is concerned with whether the parameters of a specified model are uniquely recoverable from observable behavior. Testability is concerned with how to test the consistency between the model’s predictions and choice data. All models considered deviate from classic models in one of two ways: either randomness in preference varies with decision problems, or preferences violate expected utility theory. Chapter 1 studies a model of rational inattention. An agent can acquire costly information about uncertain states of the world before choosing an action from a menu. The choice of information depends on the menu of actions and is assumed unobservable. Due to the unobservability of private information, the choice of action appears random from an outside analyst’s perspective. I show that, given only stochastic choice from menus of actions, an analyst can identify the agent’s risk attitude, prior belief, and information cost function. Chapter 2 studies an instance of the classic question of whether preference can be identified from the choice behavior it implies. Specifically, the question is whether the distribution of risk preferences is identifiable from random choice of lotteries. It is known that the answer is affirmative under random expected utility. I show that such uniqueness fails if risk preferences are not restricted a priori to conform to expected utility, for instance, if they are assumed to conform only to weighted utility. I discuss the reason for such non-uniqueness and argue that uniqueness may be restored if data includes the joint distributions of choice across a limited number of feasible sets. Chapter 3 studies how to test non-expected utility theory given that data contain only finitely many observations on choice of lottery. While consistency of data with expected utility has been thoroughly studied in the literature, I derive conditions on data that are both necessary and sufficient for consistency with maximization of a betweenness preference. The conditions employ novel geometric arguments and provide a more stringent test than what is used in the experimental literature, which is to check for direct violations of the key axiom.

With the predictable negative human emotional connection to the Alcatraz Islanddue to its infamous reputation of being a place of confinement, the site remains as anembodiment of mental struggle, sadness, pain, stress, and mental degradation. Theisland has become an emblem of the unwanted human condition. This thesis contendsthat certain periods have been given much more prominence in the imagination whileothers not been in the forefront. The study will focus of one such period -- the NativeAmerican Occupation of Alcatraz Island. This thesis considers the role of the memorial,as a medium of recollection and reflection of the “erased” past.With careful arrangements of the architectural experience and design principles,the thesis highlights the comprehensive nature of its past history and memory. Thearchitectural intervention to the existing condition need to serve as a place to representa particular identity and event. Through the consideration of the unified voices thatshape the Occupation of Alcatraz, it reinforces an architectural language that servesnot only as a catalyst, but as a channel for conversation between collective memoryand the environment that surrounds them, an identity of the place is established. Theaim is to create an architectural intervention that connects with the visitors to embracethe beauty of the physical impermanence and its relationship to the collective memoryand identity.

Metabolic diseases, such as type II diabetes (T2DM), atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases, are prevalent and are important health issues in the modern world. T2DM contributes to the development of various metabolic diseases. Atherosclerosis is one of the major causes leading to multiple cardiovascular diseases. In order to develop therapeutic strategies, understanding the mechanisms of these metabolic diseases is crucial. It is known that the immune system is highly involved in initiation and progression of metabolic diseases. Macrophages are one of the major leukocytes in innate immunity. Macrophages have two major polarized phenotypes: classical/pro-inflammatory (M1) and alternative/anti-inflammatory (M2). It is widely accepted that M1-M2 switch in macrophage population is essential in disease progression or damage recovery; however, the detailed mechanism of macrophage phenotype switch has not been fully elucidated. In addition, the effect of altering the macrophage phenotype on treating metabolic diseases remains uncertain. Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) is a co-regulator of numerous nuclear receptors and transcription factors. RIP140 is expressed in various cell types including adipocytes, liver, muscle, heart, neurons, and cells in the monocyte–macrophage lineage. Studies showed that RIP140 expression is positively associated with the progression of metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. In addition, studies indicate that RIP140 acts as a co-activator of NFκB to promote macrophage M1 activation and pro-inflammatory responses. My studies further build on this knowledge to uncover the role of RIP140 in the metabolic diseases. First, it was found that RIP140 elevates cholesterol content in macrophages by reducing expression of ABC transporters, which are responsible for cholesterol efflux. The elevated cytosolic cholesterol induces foam cell formation and further enhances progression of atherosclerosis. This study indicated that reducing RIP140 levels effectively ameliorates high-cholesteroldiet-induced atherosclerosis. Second, my study found that reducing RIP140 in macrophages leads to macrophage M2 polarization, resulting in adipose tissue remodeling to brown/beige adipose tissue. This further ameliorates high fat diet-induced T2DM associated metabolic disorders. Moreover, later studies address how RIP140 mediates macrophage M2 activation and M1/M2 switch by its cytosolic function in a wound healing animal model. Final study is to identify a beneficial taxonomic repertoire from macrophage specific RIP140 knockdown (MφRIP140KD) mice. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from HFD-fed MφRIP140KD to wild type (WT) mice acquired the benefits from donors, which is resistant to development of HFD-induced metabolic diseases. Taken together, this thesis studies elucidate novel functions of RIP140 in polarization and inflammatory responses in macrophages, and identify the benefits of reducing RIP140 expression in macrophages. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between immune and metabolic systems as well as provide a therapeutic target of resolving inflammation and preventing/improving metabolic profiles in T2DM, and atherosclerosis.

Background: Unity in pursuit of the Triple Aim: better health, better care, and lower per capita cost, can be achieved through a well-designed health care delivery system. The accountable care organizations (ACOs) model is considered a key component of health care delivery system improvement because the model fosters better coordination of care through clinical integration and financial accountability. Within the six Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) ACO programs, the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACO has the largest size with a total of 432 ACOs formed; the service subjects of the MSSP ACO are the fee-for-service beneficiaries. Recently, academicians and researchers have been attracted to exploring ACOs' formation and performance. However, most of the early ACO research types are either descriptive or case study. Also, early researchers had limited access to ACO data sets, so they could utilize only regional and demographic factors to identify the predictors of ACO formation. Purpose: An integrative theoretical framework, Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory and Duncan's POET model, was used to examine ACO formation and performance. The first purpose of this study was to determine the relative influences of contextual variables and ACO characteristic variables on how early an ACO model was adopted. The second purpose was to examine how executives' perceptions of ACO performance and the ACO first-year performance are influenced by the contextual variables, ACO characteristic variables, and timing of the adoption of an ACO model. Methods: A cross-sectional design was formulated to gather data from a survey supplemented by secondary data with the analysis unit at the organization level. Study participants in the ACO survey included 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 ACO cohorts. Logistic regression was performed to examine the effects of POET and Rogers' five core characteristics in the early adoption of an ACO model (dichotomous). Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of POET and the timing of adoption of an ACO model in the perceptions of ACO performance. ACO first-year performance dataset consisted only of ACO cohorts from 2012 through 2014. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the measurement model of the ACO first-year performance and a full latent variable model, respectively. Major Findings: A survey of ACO executives/managers between October 2015 and February 2016 was conducted. The 447 MSSP ACOs in my mailing list yielded a response rate of 13.65 % (n=61). Of the 61 MSSP ACOs, 42 (52.5%) were late adopters whose contractual agreement with CMS started in 2014 or 2015, and 36 (59.0%) were with hospital-based composition. Among ACOs that participated in my survey, their current degree of IT adoption in functionalities (62.27 vs. 52.50 points), usage levels (65.19 vs. 49.49 points), and integration levels (62.24 vs. 53.37 points) were better than their initial years. The multiple logistic regression presented that MSSP ACOs were more likely to be early adopters of a CMS if their service areas had high unemployment rates (OR=2.23; 95% CI: 1.13 - 4.39). In the multiple linear regression analysis, the executives in the early ACOs perceived their organizations as more effective than the late adopters, with 12.65 points higher in an aggregate of eight ACO quality domains (p = .005). Three hundred and seventeen MSSP ACOs, with contractual agreements with CMS before 2015, had retained their year-one performance records (the actual ACO performance with eight quality domains). The variability in the actual ACO performance was explained by the predictor variables of the study with an R-square of 15%. The actual ACO performance was likely to be improved if ACOs had more Medicare assigned beneficiaries or had the hospital-based composition. On the other hand, if ACOs' service areas were located in areas of high poverty concentration, a high unemployment rate, or a lower competitive index, their ACO performance was relatively lower than their counterparts. Implications: The findings suggest that managers should consider strategies to increase economies of scale in size and to have hospital involvement in their ACOs in order to increase effective management. Inadequate capital for information technology improvements is the biggest barrier inhibiting healthcare providers' willingness to join an ACO. Regardless of rural or urban areas, financial support is still important for those potential ACO participants who are planning to invest in necessary infrastructure. ACOs that involved hospitals also showed better performance than those ACOs without hospital involvement. This information may help health policy makers to define core principles of the best ACO model in the future. Conclusions: This study makes a unique contribution using a theoretically integrative framework with Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory coupled with Duncan's POET model to examine ACO formation and ACO performance. In the early ACO adopters, three-fifths of the ACOs had hospital involvement; and the levels of their current IT degree in functionalities, usage levels, and integration levels are higher than the late ACO adopters. This study demonstrates that contextual variables, such as unemployment rates at ACO service areas, relatively influence how early an ACO model was adopted. Executives in the early ACOs had higher perceptions of overall organizational effectiveness as compared with the late adopters. The first-year performance of 2012, 2013, and 2014 ACO cohorts is positively influenced by the size of assigned Medicare beneficiaries and hospital-based ACO and is negatively influenced by the poverty rate, unemployment rate, and market competition scores (Herfindah-Hirschman Index).

We have analyzed the vibrational dynamics of HOCl above dissociation using a 3D energy surface which governs the vibrational dynamics of HOCl above dissociation. The dynamics is dominated by an invariant manifold which is trasversally unstable for small spacing between Cl and HO complex, and stable for large spacing. Above dissociation, the InM separates two mirror image periodic orbits, embedded in a large chaotic sea, that can hold a large number of quantum states. The periodic orbits have the capability of forming significant quasibound states of the molecule above dissociation.

Interactions between RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are significant in post-transcriptional regulation. In this process, an mRNA molecule is bound by many proteins and/or microRNAs to modulate its function. It is therefore an interesting question how these multiple RBPs collaborate to enable combinatorial gene regulation. Here, we propose a possible mechanism which can support this RBP-RBP collaboration, termed "cooperativity". Such a cooperativity can exist merely based on fundamental principles of statistical physics and thermodynamics of RNA structure folding, without considering any further details of RNA and RBP properties. The theory is based on the idea that a successfully binding RBP will prohibit the formation of some originally allowed RNA structures, thus changing the statistical properties of the RNA structure ensemble, as well as the binding probabilities of other RBPs on the same RNA. In addition, this mechanism does not require direct physical interactions between RBPs, and thus supports the long-range characteristic of the cooperativity. Focusing on an RNA with two binding sites, we first calculate the correlation function between the RBPs on the RNA-RBP complex, verifying that this cooperativity exists. We then derive a characteristic difference of free energy differences, i.e. delta delta G, as a quantitative measure of this structure-mediated cooperativity. We apply this measure to a large number of human mRNAs, and discover that this cooperativity is a generic feature. Interestingly, this cooperativity not only affects binding sites in close proximity along the sequence but also configurations in which one binding site is located in the 5’UTR and the other is located in the 3’UTR of the mRNA. Some intriguing interplays between RBPs, microRNA binding sites, and UTR sequences are also disclosed. In the last chapter, we extend our model to handle multiple sequence-specified protein binding sites. We apply this extended model to the binding reaction between the protein HuR and several RNA sequences, theoretically calculating their dissociation constants and comparing with experimental results. We discover that RNA secondary structures are crucial in the interplay between HuR and RNA sequences, verifying the importance of the structure-mediated cooperativity in realistic RNA-protein binding reactions.

"Holding the violin: a brief history" -- Sonata for solo violin, op.115 / Sergey Prokofiev -- Recitativo and scherzo-caprice / Fritz Kreisler -- Variations on "God save the king", op.9 / Niccolo Paganini -- Divertimento I / Johann Stamitz -- Violin partita no.3 in E major, BWV 1006 / J. S. Bach.

Violin sonata no.w in D minor / Robert Schumann -- Violiln sonata no.1 in F minor / Sergei Prokofiev.

Three violin recitals were given in lieu of a written dissertation. The repertoire for these recitals was chosen to demonstrate three distinct genres of violin music that reflect how composers in each genre relate their personal belief and connection to the time they live in. The first recital contained one of the most influential violin concertos in history: Sibelius Violin Concerto. This piece demonstrates how Sibelius incorporated his own musical style and language into the genre of concerto. The second recital was a Baroque recital. It was comprised of works from the mid 17th century to the early 18th century in the Italian and German musical traditions. The final recital explored how composers employed their nationalistic musical traits and style in music through Fauré, Chausson, and Bartók. Saturday, November 01, 2014, 8:00 p.m., Britton Hall, Earl V. Moore Building, The University of Michigan. Elim Chan, conductor. Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto, opus 47. Saturday, November 22, 2014, 8:00 p.m., Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Charles R Jr Drama Center, University of Michigan. Francis Yun, harpsichord. Jocelyn Schendel, baroque cello. Giovanni Batista Fontana Sonata No.1 for Violin and Basso Continuo; Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Sonata in E Major, BWV 1016; Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber Passacaglia from the Rosary Sonatas; Arcangelo Corelli Violin Sonata in D minor ‘La Follia’, opus 5, No. 12; Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber Sonata Violino Solo Representativa. Friday, March 13, 2015, 8:00 p.m., Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Charles R Jr Drama Center, University of Michigan. Tzu-Yin Huang, piano. Daniel Martinec, clarinet. Gabriel Fauré Sonata No.1 for Violin and Piano, opus 13; Ernest Chausson Poème; Béla Bartók Contrasts, Sz. 111.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, soda-lime-silica glass, and fused quartz substrates by spin coating. The film mineralogies were determined by glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD) and laser Raman microspectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyse the film morphologies. The chemical compositions of the films were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical properties (transmittance and optical indirect band gap) were assessed using UV-VIS spectrophotometry. In the first set of samples, undoped TiO2 films were coated on fused quartz substrates and annealed at 750° to 900°C. These films were fully dense, ~400 nm thick, and consisted of agglomerated grains. The crystallinity changed from anatase → anatase + rutile →rutile with increasing temperatures. The results confirmed that the counter-diffusion of Ti into the SiO2 substrate occurred leading to a stabilisation of anatase and delay in its transformation to rutile. The transmittance and the optical indirect band gap decreased with increasing temperature (3.05 eV at 750°C to 2.30 eV at 900°C). In the second set, TiO2 thin films were doped with iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in concentrations of 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt% (metal basis relative to Ti), and deposited on both FTO and soda-lime-glass substrates, followed by annealing at 500°C. These films were fully dense and ~500 nm thick. In the Fe-doped films, anatase was the major phase and its crystallinity decreased with increasing doping owing to lattice expansion. The dopant was present as Fe3+ and with increasing doping, the optical indirect band gap decreased from 3.36 eV for undoped to 2.95 eV for 7 wt% Fe. In Mn-doped TiO2 films, the major phase was anatase and its crystallinity decreased with increasing doping owing to lattice expansion. Mn3+ and Mn4+ were the valence states in the films and these can generate shallow trapping sites at the donor and acceptor levels, and thus lower the optical indirect band gap (3.32 eV for undoped and 2.90 eV for 7 wt% Mn). Lowering the band gap can improve the photocatalytic activity, provided the changes in crystallinity are minimal.

Horn trio, op.40 / Johannes Brahms -- Souvenir de Florence, opus 70 / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

As Asian international music therapy students, we shared many experiences and challenges when adjusting to the United States culture. In order to improve each other’s learning experiences and amplify our coping strategies, six of my Asian peers at Montclair State University and I spontaneously formed a group in 2011. The group seemed to have a positive effect on its members. To understand the benefits of the group from multiple facets and identify its role when addressing members’ needs in academic, clinical, and personal domains, I chose to use narrative inquiry and arts-based research in order to allow the participants to speak their perspectives in personal tones and convey messages that transcend verbal expression. Through systematic analysis of verbal and musical data collected from in-depth interviews, the challenges along with effects of cultural differences such as language barriers, losing control of overwhelming new things, and insufficient social support were identified. By addressing these identified issues, the group was found helpful in providing additional opportunities for practicing music therapy techniques, gathering information from each other, and using secondary language to share thoughts and feelings in a relaxing and secure environment. In addition, the increasing connection with in-depth cultural understanding greatly improved social bonding among members and, therefore, strengthened the social support system by creating a sense of belongingness for the members.

In this work, green state joining was extended to powder-injection-molded metal components. The technical goal was to develop a process that permits the microstructure of the joint and part to develop simultaneously during sintering. A water-based emulsion, whose main component is ethylene acrylic acid, and 5,5 dimethyl hydantoin formaldehyde (DMHF) were used as adhesives to bond pairs of partially debound parts, i.e., one phase of binder had been removed in the binder system. The adhesive is then removed during heat processing and two metal parts can co-sinter together. Factors, like the method of applying the adhesive, the thickness of adhesive layer, the type of adhesive, or the presence or absence of applied pressure were process variables. Voids and gaps were frequently observed, and proved resistant to process variable changes. Two types of specimens gave continuous microstructure across the joint some of the time. One type is specimens that were machined flat prior to joining. Another is specimens with thin walls, < 1 mm.The results are interpreted in terms of: the rigidity of the secondary binder, polyoxymethylene, below its melting point; the conformability of joining surface; and warpage of the injection molded parts.

The volatiles change caused by different factors in different chocolate was analyzed by using SIFT-MS (Selected Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry). During conching, all volatiles initially increased then decreased in unsweetened dark (UDC), dark (DC), unsweetened milk chocolate (UMC). The greatest rate of volatile loss occurred during the first 28h of conching. The total volatile lost was 72- 79% at 48h, and loss was mostly due to methanol. The percent lost of acetic acid was least, about 16-61%. Most volatiles lost 80-95% during conching, but a few volatiles had low percent lost. In storage study, unsweetened dark chocolate at 4°C, 25°C, and 50°C had higher total volatile concentration than unsweetened milk. Samples at 50°C showed less loss than at 25°C and 4°C in total volatile. The low loss of Strecker aldehydes, heptanal, and nonanal may indicate the occurrence of the Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation. In blooming measurement, cocoa mass, unsweetened dark chocolate, and dark chocolate were analyzed. Acetic acid in bloomed samples was significant lower than unbloomed in UDC, DC, and cocoa mass (CM). In the real time volatile release test, the volatiles decreased over time before swallowing and maintained a constant level after swallowing. The mouthspace before swallowing to headspace ratio (MSbs/HS) on average were 0.069. The mouthspace before to mouthspace after swallowing ratio (MSbs/MSas) varied from 0.042 to 49 between different types of chocolate and volatiles. Benzaldehyde had the highest MSbs/MSas ratio in cocoa liquor and dark chocolate compared with other compounds. The nosespace to headspace ratio (NS/HS) were varied from 0.0012 to 0.17. No correlation was found between volatile lingering and air-water partition in this study.

In the last several decades, multiculturalism has became the one of the most popular research topics in psychology and counseling, and the counselor preferences of ethnic minority clients has been well researched. However, in the history of research on counselor preferences, the needs and preferences of ethnic majority clients have been neglected. This study investigated the counselor preferences of White university students. This study examined three primary research questions: whether counselor ethnicity influenced White university students’ initial counselor preferences, what were White university students’ preferences for various counselor characteristics, and whether White university students preferred specific counseling styles for different problem types. A survey consisting of three parts, a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire including three analogical counselor-client vignettes, and a Preferred Counselor Characteristics Inventory, was administered to students at a university in the southeastern United States. With regard to preferences for counselor ethnicity, the findings suggested that counselor ethnicity generally did not affect White participants’ initial counselor preferences. Aside from ethnicity, the study investigated White students’ preferences for various counselor characteristics: credibility, counseling style, age, gender and race. The results indicated that the characteristics valued by the highest percentage of White students were counselor credibility and counseling style. Moreover, participants’ preferences were influenced by their own gender and past experiences with counseling. Lastly, participants favored different counseling styles depending on the problem type, and gender played an important role in preference for counseling style.

Paying specific attention to influences of life events and different timing of taking compulsory military service for Taiwanese people, this dissertation explores time-dependence of job mobility and class mobility throughout careers. The author criticizes that previous research of social mobility focusing on either differences between father’s and son’s classes or the relationship between one’s initial and current statuses do not realize the process of status attainment in which individual characteristics and life courses continuously interact with external structures in the labor market. The analyses in this dissertation demonstrate the dynamics of career mobility by specifying two career stages and investigating the differences in paces and mechanisms of job change and class mobility. All findings lead to the conclusion that the time dependence of career mobility is deeply embedded in the context of life course in a society. For Taiwanese men, the timing of taking CMS (i.e., before or after their first entry into the labor force), which is strongly correlated with their educational level, is crucial to the pace and type of career development. For Taiwanese women, their trajectories of mobility follow the typical scenario of career mobility in which job change happens often during the early career and then settles into relatively stable employment in the later stage. Compared to job mobility, status attainment is more stable and consistent throughout the life time. After specifying the directions of job mobility, results show that upward and downward mobility, which bring significant change in occupational prestige, do not show gender differences in their transition rates, and their patterns are consistent throughout careers. With respect to the transition between social classes, moving into ownership (including employers and self-employed) in later careers is a mainstream transition for all Taiwanese people in spite the fact that women have much lower transition rates than do men. Moreover, this dissertation also examines inter-sector and intra-sector mobility in segmented labor market in Taiwan. Taking selection bias into consideration, this research found that under the assumption of homogeneity, the treatment effects of initial attainment in the public sector have negative effects on job mobility throughout careers. However, when heterogeneity of treatment effects are taken into account, findings reveal that there is no significant heterogeneity in this treatment effect for Taiwanese men, but for Taiwan women, the more likely they are to attain a position in the public sector at the time of first entry into the labor market, based on their educational achievement and social background, the more they benefit via low transition rates of job mobility in their work lives.

Adhesion through microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMM) is an essential step of infection for most pathogenic bacteria. Leptospira spp. are pathogenic spirochetes that cause a zonootic disease and express several important virulence factors on their surface including immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) proteins, LigA and LigB. In this dissertation, both LigA and LigB were discovered as MSCRAMMs to bind to some extracellular matrices such as fibronectin (Fn), elastin, tropoelastin, laminin, and collagen. The Fn binding sites are located on LigBCen, C-terminal unique Ig-like domains and LigBCtv, C-terminal non-Ig-like region. In addition, those Fn-binding fragments can also mediate leptospiral adhesion to host cells. A high affinity Fn-binding site was identified on LigBCen2, and the domains of Fn those contribute to the binding were N-terminal domain (NTD) and gelatin binding domain (GBD). Apart from Fn, LigBCen2 can interact with laminin, collagen, and fibrinogen. Interestingly, LigBCen2 was also found as a calcium-binding protein, and calcium-induced conformational change can assist LigB-NTD interactions. Furthermore, LigBCen2 was found to contained a well folded region, LigBCen2R containing 12th and partial 11th Ig-like domains, and a disorered region, LigBCen2NR. LigBCen2R and LigBCen2NR bind to GBD and NTD, respectively. There would be a disordered to ordered transition on LigBCen2NR upon NTD binding. In addition to LigBCen2R, most of Ig-like domains on LigA (7’-8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th) and LigB (7’-8th, 9th) can bind to GBD. The binding affinity of GBD or MDCK cells become greater if the Lig proteins contain more Ig-like domains especilly including the terminal Ig-like domain (LigA13 or LigB12). It suggests that Lig-GBD interaction is enhanced by multivalency to mediate leptospiral adhesion to host cells. Interestingly, Lig proteins with terminal Ig-like domains (LigAVar7’-13 or LigBCen7’-12) bind GBD with 40-fold greater affinities than it without terminal Iglike domains (LigAVar7’-12 or LigBCen7’-11). The compact structure possessed by LigAVar7’-12 or LigBCen7’-11 instead of LigAVar7’-13 or LigBCen7’-12 suggested the relevance to their strong binding affinities with GBD and host cells. Moreover, the Fn-binding sites of LigBCtv was also identified and located on amino acids 1708-1712, LIPAD containing region, and 15th type III modules of Fn (15F3) is characterized to be the slow and moderate binding partner of LIPAD containing region. LIPAD containing region was proved to be surface exposed and possesses a nacent helix and β-strand structure. Elastin and tropoelastin were also discovered to interact with Ig-like domains of Lig proteins. Interestingly, elastin and tropoelastin can bind to conserved region of Lig, which other ECMs don’t bind. Tropoelastin-Lig interaction is attributed to chargecharge interactions, and ASP341 on 4th Ig-like domain (LigCon4) serves as an imporant role for the binding. The binding of Lig proteins to tropoelastin might be elicited to inhibit elastogenesis, then, to help the leptospiral entry by preventing tissue repair and reorganization. Fibrinogen (Fg), a plasma rich protein can be also associated with several Ig-like domains of Lig proteins. LigBCen2R including partial 11th and full 12th Ig-like domains of LigB, can bind to FgαCC, the C-terminal αC domain of Fg. By binding to LigBCen2R, the RGD motif of FgαCC can be blocked and prevent its further interaction with integrin αIIbβ3 for platelet adhesion and aggregation. LigBCen2R- FgαCC can also inhibit thrombin-induced fibrin clot formation but not influence the binding of plasminogen or tissue plasminogen activator. To sum up, Lig-Fg interaction blocking platelet adhesion, aggregation and clot formation might be the one of the reasons to lead pulmonary hemorrhage in Leptospira infected patients.

With the development of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), many companies and research institutions are enthusiastically engaged in pursuing its applications. In order to be competitive in today's business environment, companies must lower the cost of logistics and improve efficiency. Distribution Centres play an important role within the supply chain. Because it helps suppliers and customers to connect, RFID technology will be one of the prevailing technologies in the near future. A review of RFID technology literature has identified several barriers relating to the adoption of RFID. This research identifies the most significant issues that will impact on the future of RFID technology. The implementation of RFID is still at the emerging stage. RFID has immense potential benefits for Distribution Centres, but there are many practical aspects that have yet to be solved. This research assesses impacts and obstacles for the introduction of RFID. These findings should identify the barriers encountered when implementing RFID in the supply chain process which will be valuable information for those interested in RFID.

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of human resource development professionals in Taiwan regarding their working relationships with subject-matter experts (SMEs) during the training design process. A descriptive correlation survey was used in this study. The target population in the study was 314 HRD professionals who worked in high-tech companies located in a science park in Taiwan. One hundred forty-six of 173 respondents completed the online survey (response rate: 84.39%). The questionnaire was used to assess the independent variables, the current and desired ability of HRD professionals in the training design process, classified across the four stages (analysis, design and development, implementation, and evaluation) and the dependent variable, the ability of HRD professionals in working with SMEs. Paired t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square, Pearson product-moment correlation, and simple linear regression analysis were used to address the research questions. The results showed there was no perceived difference between the HRD professionals’ current and desired ability regardless of whether they had worked with SMEs or not. Among HRD professionals who had not worked with SMEs, education level, years of work experience in HR related jobs, and experience in designing training programs were significantly related to current ability in the training design process; among HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs, education level was significantly related to ability to work with SMEs. In particular, a higher percentage of HRD professionals who had not worked with SMEs had obtained bachelor’s degrees while a higher percentage of HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs had obtained master’s degrees. A higher percentage of HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs had experience in designing training programs compared to HRD professionals who had not worked with SMEs. Finally, there was a significant positive relationship between the ability to work with SMEs and current ability in the training design process among HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs. This study provides implications for the professional development of HRD practitioners and the practice of HRD in Taiwan companies. Cross-cultural issues are discussed to explain inconsistencies between the results and US-based perspectives on the training design process.

Liquid crystal (LC) devices can be operated as amplitude modulators and phase modulators. LC amplitude modulation is commonly used in liquid crystal display (LCD) while phase-only modulation is useful for laser beam steering, tunable grating, prism, lens, and other photonic devices. Most LC devices are polarization dependent and require at least one polarizer. As a result, the optical efficiency is low. To enhance display brightness, a power hungry backlight has to be used leading to a high power consumption and short battery life. In a LC phase modulator, the polarization dependent property complicates the laser beam steering system. It is highly desirable to develop new operating mechanisms that are independent of the incident light polarization. In this dissertation, we have developed eight polarization-independent liquid crystal operation principles: three of them are aimed for displays and the other five are for phase modulators. For amplitude modulations, a new polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) and two new dye-doped LC gels are polarizer-free by combining light scattering with dye-absorption effects. In phase modulation, we explore five device concepts: PDLC and Polymer-Stabilized Cholesteric Texture (PSCT), homeotropic LC gels, thin polymer film separated double-layered structure, and double-layered LC gels. In the low voltage regime, both PDLC and PSCT have a strong light scattering. However, as the voltage exceeds a certain level, the phase modulation is scattering-free and is independent of polarization. The homeotropic LC gels do not require any biased voltage and the response time is still fast. Although the remaining phase in these devices is small, they are still useful for micro-photonic device applications. To increase the phase change, thin polymer film separated double-layered structure is a solution. The orthogonal arrangement of top and bottom LC directors results in polarization independence. However, the response time is slow. Similarly, double-layered LC gels are not only polarization independent but also fast response due to the established polymer network.

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to develop a system level optimization model based on the 1998 National Research Council (NRC) swine growth and nutrient requirement model. The optimal swine ration formulation model that directly accounted for the amount of nutrient excretion, and the required changes in waste treatment facilities was developed. Data from series of low protein and phosphorus feeding trials conducted at Oklahoma State University (Carter et al., 1999; 2000; 2001; 2003) were used to validate the simulation model. The MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) and the Minos solver in GAMS 2.5 were used for statistical and optimization analysis, respectively.

Some prior research has shown that thought suppression may lead to the rebound of to-be-suppressed thoughts, while focused-distraction may not. In order to replicate the effects of suppression and focused-distraction and also to investigate whether a more approach-based method, concentration, would be more effective in reducing unwanted thoughts than the other two strategies, this study compared the effects of suppression, focused-distraction, and concentration techniques on controlling unwanted distressing thoughts, and examined how affective reactions and prior experience were associated with the use of these techniques and the occurrence of to-be-suppressed thoughts. In the study, college students were told either to suppress thoughts about a distressing story, to suppress the same thoughts by focusing on an alternative distraction task, to simply concentrate on that alternative task, or to think about anything without restrictions for six minutes. This initial period was followed by a “free-thinking” period to assess the delayed effect of thought suppression techniques. As predicted, the results indicated that focused-distraction and concentration led to fewer intrusions of target thoughts than suppression, and concentration in turn resulted in fewer target intrusions than focused-distraction during the initial period. Subjects in the focused-distraction and concentration condition also tended to report lower anxiety during the initial period than those who were told to suppress thoughts. However, no difference was found in intrusions of target thoughts or anxiety among conditions for the subsequent free-thinking period. Also, the results revealed no evidence of an immediate increase in target thoughts or of a postsuppresional rebound effect for suppression or the other two strategies. In addition, the present study found that during the initial period, higher anxiety, greater perceived distress toward the story, more prior experience, and higher scores on the White bear Suppression Inventory were associated with more target thought intrusions for all conditions combined. During the second period, higher anxiety, higher suppression attempts, and lower self-efficacy were related to more target thought intrusions for all conditions combined. It was also found that higher ratings of suppression attempts were associated with more target thought intrusions during both Period 1 and Period 2 for the suppression condition.