Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Demographics'

Supermassive black holes are a fundamental component of the universe in general and of galaxies in particular. Almost every massive galaxy harbours a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in its center. Furthermore, there is a close connection between the growth of the SMBH and the evolution of its host galaxy, manifested in the relationship between the mass of the black hole and various properties of the galaxy's spheroid component, like its stellar velocity dispersion, luminosity or mass. Understanding this relationship and the growth of SMBHs is essential for our picture of galaxy formation and evolution. In this thesis, I make several contributions to improve our knowledge on the census of SMBHs and on the coevolution of black holes and galaxies. The first route I follow on this road is to obtain a complete census of the black hole population and its properties. Here, I focus particularly on active black holes, observable as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) or quasars. These are found in large surveys of the sky. In this thesis, I use one of these surveys, the Hamburg/ESO survey (HES), to study the AGN population in the local volume (z~0). The demographics of AGN are traditionally represented by the AGN luminosity function, the distribution function of AGN at a given luminosity. I determined the local (z<0.3) optical luminosity function of so-called type 1 AGN, based on the broad band B_J magnitudes and AGN broad Halpha emission line luminosities, free of contamination from the host galaxy. I combined this result with fainter data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and constructed the best current optical AGN luminosity function at z~0. The comparison of the luminosity function with higher redshifts supports the current notion of 'AGN downsizing', i.e. the space density of the most luminous AGN peaks at higher redshifts and the space density of less luminous AGN peaks at lower redshifts. However, the AGN luminosity function does not reveal the full picture of active black hole demographics. This requires knowledge of the physical quantities, foremost the black hole mass and the accretion rate of the black hole, and the respective distribution functions, the active black hole mass function and the Eddington ratio distribution function. I developed a method for an unbiased estimate of these two distribution functions, employing a maximum likelihood technique and fully account for the selection function. I used this method to determine the active black hole mass function and the Eddington ratio distribution function for the local universe from the HES. I found a wide intrinsic distribution of black hole accretion rates and black hole masses. The comparison of the local active black hole mass function with the local total black hole mass function reveals evidence for 'AGN downsizing', in the sense that in the local universe the most massive black holes are in a less active stage then lower mass black holes. The second route I follow is a study of redshift evolution in the black hole-galaxy relations. While theoretical models can in general explain the existence of these relations, their redshift evolution puts strong constraints on these models. Observational studies on the black hole-galaxy relations naturally suffer from selection effects. These can potentially bias the conclusions inferred from the observations, if they are not taken into account. I investigated the issue of selection effects on type 1 AGN samples in detail and discuss various sources of bias, e.g. an AGN luminosity bias, an active fraction bias and an AGN evolution bias. If the selection function of the observational sample and the underlying distribution functions are known, it is possible to correct for this bias. I present a fitting method to obtain an unbiased estimate of the intrinsic black hole-galaxy relations from samples that are affected by selection effects. Third, I try to improve our census of dormant black holes and the determination of their masses. One of the most important techniques to determine the black hole mass in quiescent galaxies is via stellar dynamical modeling. This method employs photometric and kinematic observations of the galaxy and infers the gravitational potential from the stellar orbits. This method can reveal the presence of the black hole and give its mass, if the sphere of the black hole's gravitational influence is spatially resolved. However, usually the presence of a dark matter halo is ignored in the dynamical modeling, potentially causing a bias on the determined black hole mass. I ran dynamical models for a sample of 12 galaxies, including a dark matter halo. For galaxies for which the black hole's sphere of influence is not well resolved, I found that the black hole mass is systematically underestimated when the dark matter halo is ignored, while there is almost no effect for galaxies with well resolved sphere of influence.
Supermassereiche Schwarze Löcher sind ein fundamentaler Bestandteil unseres Universims im Allgemeinen, und von Galaxien im Besonderen. Fast jede massereiche Galaxie beherbergt ein supermassereiches Schwarzes Loch in seinem Zentrum. Außerdem existiert eine enge Beziehung zwischen dem Wachstum des Schwarzen Loches und der Entwicklung seiner umgebenden Galaxie. Diese zeigt sich besonders in der engen Beziehung zwischen der Masse eines Schwarzen Loches und den Eigenschaften der sphäroidalen Komponente der Galaxie, beispielsweise seiner stellaren Geschwindigkeitsdispersion, seiner Leuchtkraft und seiner Masse. Diese Beziehung erklären zu können, sowie das Wachstum von Schwarzen Löchern zu verstehen, liefert einen wichtigen Beitrag zu unserem Bild der Entstehung und Entwicklung von Galaxien. In dieser Arbeit steuere ich verschiedene Beiträge dazu bei unser Verständnis des Vorkommens Schwarzer Löcher und der Beziehung zu ihren Galaxien zu verbessern. Zunächst versuche ich ein vollständiges Bild der Anzahl und Eigenschaften Schwarzer Löcher zu erhalten. Dazu beschränke ich mich auf aktive Schwarze Löcher, wie man sie im Universum als Aktive Galaxienkerne (AGN) in großen Himmelsdurchmusterungen finden kann. Ich benutze eine solche Durchmusterung, das Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES), um die AGN Population im lokalen Universum zu studieren. Dazu habe ich die optische Leuchtkraftfunktion von AGN bestimmt. Diese habe ich mit anderen Ergebnissen leuchtschwächerer AGN kombiniert um die bisher beste AGN Leuchtkraftfunktion im lokalen Universum zu erhalten. Der Vergleich mit Ergebnissen bei höherer kosmischer Rotverschiebung bestätigt unser Bild des sogenannten "AGN downsizing". Dies sagt aus, dass leuchtkräftige AGN bei hoher Rotverschiebung am häufigsten vorkommen, während leuchtschwache AGN bei niedriger Rotverschiebung am häufigsten sind. Allerdings verrät uns die AGN Leuchtkraftfunktion allein noch nicht das ganze Bild der Demographie Schwarzer Löcher. Vielmehr sind wir an den zugrunde liegenden Eigenschaften, vor allem der Masse und der Akkretionsrate der Schwarzen Löcher, sowie deren statistischen Verteilungsfunktionen, interessiert. Ich habe eine Methode entwickelt um diese beiden Verteilungsfunktionen zu bestimmen, basierend auf der Maximum-Likelihood-Methode. Ich habe diese Methode benutzt um die aktive Massenfunktion Schwarzer Löcher, sowie die Verteilungsfunktion ihrer Akkretionsraten für das lokale Universum aus dem HES zu bestimmen. Sowohl die Akkretionsraten, als auch die Massen der Schwarzen Löcher zeigen intrinsisch eine breite Verteilung, im Gegensatz zur schmaleren beobachtbaren Verteilung. Der Vergleich der aktiven Massenfunktion mit der gesamten Massenfunktion Schwarzer Löcher zeigt ebenfalls Hinweise auf "AGN downsizing". Als nächstes habe ich mich mit Untersuchungen zur zeitlichen Entwicklung in den Beziehungen zwischen Schwarzem Loch und Galaxie beschäftigt. Diese kann helfen unser theoretisches Veständnis der physikalischen Vorgänge zu verbessern. Beobachtungen sind immer auch Auswahleffekten unterworfen. Diese können die Schlussfolgerungen aus den Beobachtungen zur Entwicklung in den Beziehungen beeinflussen, wenn sie nicht entsprechend berücksichtigt werden. Ich habe den Einfluss von Auswahleffekten auf AGN Stichproben im Detail untersucht, und verschiedende möchgliche Einflussquellen identifiziert, die die Beziehung verfälschen können. Wenn die Auswahlkriterien der Stichprobe, sowie die zugrunde liegenden Verteilungen bekannt sind, so ist es möglich für die Auswahleffekte zu korrigieren. Ich habe eine Methode entwickelt, mit der man die intrinsische Beziehung zwischem Schwarzem Loch und Galaxie aus den Beobachtungen rekonstruieren kann. Schließlich habe ich mich auch inaktiven Schwarzen Löchern und der Bestimmung ihrer Massen gewidmet. Eine der wichtigsten Methoden die Masse Schwarzer Löcher in normalen Galaxien zu bestimmen ist stellardynamische Modellierung. Diese Methode benutzt photometrische und kinematische Beobachtungen, und rekonstruiert daraus das Gravitationspotenzial aus der Analyse stellarer Orbits. Bisher wurde in diesen Modellen allerdings der Einfluss des Halos aus Dunkler Materie vernachlässigt. Dieser kann aber die Bestimmung der Masse des Schwarzen Loches beeinflussen. Ich habe 12 Galaxien mit Hilfe stellardynamischer Modellierung untersucht und dabei auch den Einfluss des Halos aus Dunkler Materie berücksichtigt. Für Galaxien bei denen der Einflussbereich des Schwarzen Loches nicht sehr gut räumlich aufgelöst war, wird die Masse des Schwarzen Loches systematisch unterschätzt, wenn der Dunkle Materie Halo nicht berücksichtigt wird. Auf der anderen Seite ist der Einfluss gering, wenn die Beobachtungen diesen Einflussbereich gut auflösen können.

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Threats to Saudi Arabia have historically been categorized as external, reference immediate neighbors, and internal via conservative Islamic opposition groups. The United States, because of its security arrangement, has guaranteed the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia. Opposition groups within the Kingdom, while attracting recent attention, are placated through concessions to the Ulema and direct payment. However, primary destabilization of the Saudi regime today is due to stress placed upon the Saudi economy and ruling structure by an unprecedented population growth within the Kingdom over the last two decades. The argument is that growth in the Kingdom has rapidly outstripped the regime's ability to provide for it, undermining the key pillar of the Royal Family's ruling legitimacy. This thesis explores stress placed upon the Saudi regime through its population growth. Due to effects of relative deprivation, the Saudi populace is demanding government participation, calling to question personal regime expenditures, and the motivations of regime foreign policy, especially in relation to the United States. This study will briefly address courses of action available to the Royal Family, current effects of population growth upon the Saudi economy, and the regional and international consequences of a failed Saudi government.

Digital piracy is an emerging cybercrime subtype with overarching implications for administrators and researchers alike. Within this body of knowledge, it is unclear what individual-level factors are linked to digital piracy. Using a college-based sample, while focusing on gender, race, and age, this study identifies fundamental individual-level variables associated with digital piracy commission. After conducting multiple independent samples t-tests and a multivariate logistic regression, results found age and computer proficiency were significantly associated with the likelihood of engaging in digital piracy. These findings can help establish the foundational characteristics of digital pirates. By shifting the focus back to basic individual factors, universities can identify preventive efforts and researchers can better understand who engages in digital piracy.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003.
Thesis advisor(s): Robert E. Looney, James A. Russell. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-72). Also available online.

Using data from the American National Election Studies from 1968 to 2016, I explore the historical relationship between voter income, other demographic factors, and political polarization. I find that while having a higher income and a better education generally correlates with increased Republican political preference, though the relationship between higher income and increased Republican preference does not hold in lower income groups. Race is by far the most significant indicator of political preference, with whites and blacks on opposite ends of the political spectrum, and Hispanics as well as other races somewhere in between the two. In addition, I analyze the data from 20th century elections separately from 21st century elections and discover key differences in how each factor influences political preference.

Principals and superintendents serving in four suburban school districts in Wisconsin experiencing significant increases in the numbers of students who identify as Hispanic or African American were studied to identify how these leaders were working to meet the needs of all learners in increasingly diverse public school contexts. This study aimed to answer three primary research questions: What resources, supports and strategies are employed by principals in suburban school districts experiencing significant demographic changes related specifically to increases in the number of students who identify as African American or Hispanic that helped them be successful in their roles? What do these school leaders need from their superintendents in order to successfully deliver on the promise of creating school environments within which all students succeed? How are superintendents in these suburban contexts increasing their competencies and supporting principals in proactively leading through racial demographic shifts in a society that has typically marginalized such groups of students? Leadership dispositions, knowledge, skills, and resources identified by building administrators necessary to successfully meet the challenge of actualizing success for all students are discussed and include growth mindset, a deep understanding of change management, a willingness to confront and disrupt, and a reliance upon peer collaboration. The superintendent/principal relationship is analyzed for relevance and impact on principal effectiveness and issues currently faced by district administrators serving in increasingly diverse suburban school districts are outlined. Results of this study illuminate opportunities for future research and implications on current practice in the field of educational administration.

This dissertation examined the student discipline policies of 1,025 Texas school districts, as well as data from the Texas Education Agency’s Academic Excellence Indicator System in order to identify demographic patterns regarding corporal punishment policies in Texas schools. the study also studied the relationship between a district’s corporal punishment policy and student achievement. the dissertation utilized legal research methods and document analysis as its research methodology. Document analysis was the primary methodology used to answer the research questions whereby individual school district policies were identified and classified based on a number of demographic characteristics as well as the variations in corporal punishment policies among the various districts. the results of the study found that although more Texas school districts permit corporal punishment than have banned the practice, 60 percent of Texas school children go to school in districts where corporal punishment is not permitted. Corporal punishment is generally permitted in rural areas, with the majority of school districts in West Texas and the Texas Panhandle still allowing it by policy. a case study affirmed a finding from a national study regarding the type and locale of a student that is most likely disciplined using corporal punishment. the study determined that the larger Texas school districts have moved away from using corporal punishment as a disciplinary tactic. No district categorized as “Major Urban” by the Texas Education Agency permits corporal punishment of students. None of the larger districts categorized as “Urban” or “Major Suburban” that prohibit corporal punishment were identified as “Academically Unacceptable” under the State accountability system. This study also found that districts that prohibit corporal punishment and have a large number of minority students tend to have higher AEIS ratings. This study’s findings suggest that the elimination of corporal punishment in highly populated Texas school districts may be an indication that corporal punishment in the schools is gradually changing from being a largely Southern occurrence to being a primarily Southern rural phenomenon. This information could prove valuable for policy makers and legislators who are under a misconception that their constituents support corporal punishment.

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 24, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Matthew Foulkes. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there are personal and demographic characteristics which can predict the most accurate teacher appraisers. The demographics were limited to the following: campus-level job assignment, employing district size, sex, race, number of years of experience as an administrator, previous level of teaching experience, and curriculum area taught by the appraiser. The 622 subjects were school administrators trained to utilize the Texas Teacher Appraisal System. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Where an independent variable was significant (.05), a follow-up ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison were employed. Based on the findings of this study the following conclusions were drawn: 1. A summary data set indicated there was little evidence that any of the demographic variables was a significant predictor of accuracy in the evaluation process. 2. Six different data sets indicated that varying instructional settings and methodologies can influence evaluator accuracy. The campus assignment, years of experience, content area taught, race, and sex of the appraisers were all identified in at least one of the exercise sets as having significance. Except for sex and race, none of the variables was found to be significant when the overall prediction equation with all demographic variables was evaluated. 3. In the prediction equations of this study the percent of variance was so minute that social significance could not be established. 4. The Texas Teacher Appraisal System can be used by appraisers with various backgrounds and experiences without a reduction of accuracy. 5. School boards can appoint appraisers with various backgrounds and experiences without a reduction of accuracy in the process.

Though Costa Rica has suffered numerous bouts of deforestation to its valuable tropical rainforest area, especially in the 1970s, it has become a leader in its efforts to regenerate and restore its rainforest. However, studies and protocols for the assessment of forest regeneration are urgently required. Research has shown that the percentage of light penetrating the canopy floor, or light fraction, is a good indicator of rainforest maturity. In this study, digital rectilinear photography and a global positioning system receiver were used to survey the Firestone Reserve inCosta Rica in order to measure the light fraction differences between primary/riparian forest, bamboo plantation, secondary hardwood plantation, and natural secondary regrowth. The images were used to calculate light fractions with the software program ImageJ. Using ArcGIS, a kernel density plot was created, along with a map organizing the light fractions in the vegetation types. Significant differences in light fraction were found between bamboo and all other vegetation types, between secondary natural regrowth and secondary hardwood plantation, and between secondary natural regrowth and primary/riparian forest. No significance was noted between primary/riparian and secondary hardwood plantation, or between primary/riparian and secondary forest. Inaccuracies of the study could be due to the high amount of variance, low sample size, or high levels of sunlight that distort the photographs. Nevertheless, the study provided useful information concerning the differences between vegetation types and has implications towards regrowth and recovery of the rainforest.

At the outset, this thesis sets out to address limitations in conventional population data for the representation of stocks and flows of human populations. Until now, many of the data available for studying population behaviour have been static in nature, often collected on an infrequent basis or in an inconsistent manner. However, rapid expansion in the use of online technologies has led to the generation of a huge volume of data as a byproduct of individuals’ online activities. This thesis sets out to exploit just one of these new data channels: raw geographically referenced messages collected by the Twitter Online Social Network. The thesis develops a framework for the creation of functional population inventories from Twitter. Through the application of various data mining and heuristic techniques, individual Twitter users are attributed with key demographic markers including age, gender, ethnicity and place of residence. However, while these inventories possess the required data structure for analysis, little is understood about whom they represent and for what purposes they may be reliably employed. Thus a primary focus of this thesis is the assessment of Twitter-based population inventories at a range of spatial scales from the local to the global. More specifically, the assessment considers issues of age, gender, ethnicity, geographic distribution and surname composition. The value of such rich data is demonstrated in the final chapter in which a detailed analysis of the stocks and flows of peoples within the four largest London airports is undertaken. The analysis demonstrates both the extraction of conventional insight, such as passenger statistics and new insights such as footfall and sentiment. The thesis concludes with recommendations for the ways in which social media analysis may be used in demographics to supplement the analysis of populations using conventional sources of data.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 1998.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-131).
This thesis investigates the relationship between demographics and asset prices. More specifically it examines the effect of changes in the age distribution of the U.S. population on housing, stock, and bond prices over the post World War II period in the U.S. This is done in two steps. First, survey data on household asset holdings is used to construct age profiles of household demand for housing, stocks, bonds, and debt. These asset demand profiles are combined with data on the age distribution of the U.S. population to construct time series measures of aggregate demographic demand for housing, financial assets net of debt, and stocks in excess of bonds, which are then used to analyze the effects of demographically driven changes in aggregate asset demand on equilibrium asset prices over the period from 1946 through 1997. The results of this exercise suggest several interesting findings. With respect to the microeconomic issue of life cycle investment behavior, one finds that the scale and composition of household asset demand changes dramatically over the course of the economic life cycle. Young households, that is, households with heads under age 40, tend to draw credit out of financial markets, primarily by issuing mortgage contracts for the purchase of houses. The extent of this and other borrowing done by young households tends to exceed any gross contributions they make to financial markets through transactions accounts, mutual funds, retirement plans, etc., making them net negative investors in financial assets on average. In contrast, households with heads between ages 40 and 60, tend to provide substantial amounts of credit to financial markets. Much of this saving is, at least nominally, retirement saving, held in personal retirement accounts and employer provided pensions. Households with heads over age 60 tend, like younger households, to drain credit from financial markets. However, unlike young households, older households draw credit out of financial markets not by borrowing, rather, by using previously accumulated assets to fund consumption during retirement. Due to large shifts in the age distribution of the U.S. population since 1946, these life cycle investment patterns appear to have had significant macroeconomic consequences. Tests of the correlation between the constructed demographic demand variables and corresponding asset price series, suggest a statistically significant link between demographic changes in the U.S. population and observed long run movements in housing, stock, and bond prices. This is true even after controlling for the effects of other factors such as fluctuations in real GDP (in the case of housing and bond prices) and dividends (in the case of stock prices). Estimated elasticities of real housing prices with respect to the demographic demand for housing suggest that demographic factors can account for approximately 59% of the observed annual increase in real housing prices between 1966 and 1986. Similarly, demographically driven changes in the demand for financial assets can account for approximately 77% of the observed annual increase in real stock prices between 1986 and 1997 and can account for at least 81 % of the observed annual increase in real bond prices. As for the future, current Census Bureau population projections suggest that annual growth in demographic housing demand will provide a positive stimulus of about 0.35% per year to real housing price appreciation between 1997 and 2007, down from about 0.98% per year for the period between 1986 to 1997, and 1.02% per year for the period between 1966 and 1986. Growth in the demographic demand for financial assets is expected to provide a positive stimulus to real stock and bond price appreciation of about 8.76% per year between 1997 and 2007, up from about 6.62% per year for the period between 1986 and 1997, and -1.34% per year for the period between 1966 and 1986.
by Steven M. Bergantino.
Ph.D.

An exploratory analysis of national beauty pageants for children was conducted through the administration of a questionnaire and through observation. The population surveyed was mothers with daughters sixteen years old or under. Questionnaires were distributed at six national pageants in five states with a total of 134 respondents. The questionnaire probed a variety of areas concerning the child's involvement, expenses incurred, beauty enhancements worn, and general demographic information concerning the contestant's family. Attitudinal statements concerning the role of women in society and the importance of beauty in society were investigated. A comparison was made between the attitudes of the pageant mother and a sample of mothers taken from the 1993 General Social Survey. The results suggested that pageant mothers were more supportive about the changing roles of women. In addition, mothers were given an attractiveness scale on which they rated themselves and their daughters. Data analysis on a variety of variables was carried out at univariate and bivariate levels.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder that can affect a variety of people at different ages. The characteristics are involuntary repetitive contractions of muscles, causing stereotyped movement and postures, or torsion. These movements are caused by the co-contraction of both agonist and antagonist muscles. Spasmodic dysphonia, or SD is a type of dystonia that is characterized by involuntary contraction of the muscles involved in phonation and typically begins in those who are over the age of 28. The morphology of the laryngeal nerves and intrinsic laryngeal muscles are normal in most patients, and this suggests that the cause of the misfiring is upstream to the larynx. Spasmodic dysphonia is separated into two categories, adductor or abductor type spasmodic dysphonia or ADSD and ABSD, respectively. In this study we evaluated a population of 74 SD patients over several years, compiling data on demographics, onabotulinumtoxinA treatment, the difference between age of onset and age at diagnosis, and Voice-Related Quality of Life Survey (V-RQOL) results. Our results indicated that the vast majority, 70 patients, had ADSD while 4 had ABSD. The average age of onset was 43.1 years old, and the average age at diagnosis was 50.2, making the average difference between age of onset and age at diagnosis 7.1 years. The time between symptom onset and diagnosis varied considerably when patients were subdivided into those with symptom onset before or during 1983 and those with symptom onset after 1983. The year after 1983, 1984, was chosen, as this is the point at which botulinum toxin treatment for SD became available. The elapsed time between symptom onset and diagnosis varied for patients that had symptoms onset prior to 1983 and after 1983, 27.7 years and 3.4 years respectively. The total V-RQOL score for the before treatment group was 33, and the total score for the after treatment with onabotulinumtoxinA group was 15, making the total drop in points 18 or a 54.5% decline in severity of voice symptoms. The analysis of the botulinum toxin treatment over time for SD patients showed that there was an increase of 0.3 onabotulinumtoxinA units per true vocal fold for ADSD patients and 95.6 onabotulinumtoxinA units per posterior cricoarytenoid muscle for ABSD patients. The Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale was effective to evaluate whether spasmodic dysphonia symptoms worsened over time with or without botulinum toxin treatment, and overall our results indicate symptoms do not worsen over time, although they also do not get better over time as well. This shows that while botulinum toxin is a successful treatment of SD patient symptoms, it does not treat the cause of spasmodic dysphonia and is therefore not a permanent solution. The V-RQOL over time showed a drop in score before treatment as opposed to after treatment. A student's t-test was performed at a 95% confidence interval, and these changes were shown to be statistically significant when compared to no change in V-RQOL scores (p=0.027). This shows that while botulinum toxin is not a permanent cure, it is an effective treatment and the best available treatment at this time.

The main aim of this thesis is to discuss conflicting opinions about the existence, targets and the system of advertising and to examine its effects on purchasing behaviors. Another important aim of the study is to demonstrate that advertising is an important but not the sole factor which increases the sales of a product. The study focuses on the relationship between the capitalist industry and consumers&
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purchasing decisions. It discusses the effects of marketing strategies on consumer behaviors and purchasing preferences. The interaction between the symbolic representations of commodities&
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brand names and consumption decisions are evaluated and the basic arguments of critics and advertisers about the system of advertising are discussed. In addition, variables other than advertising that influence consumer behaviors are examined and the importance of advertising in modern marketing is presented. To understand the messages in today&
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s advertisements deeply, semiology as one of the most important methodologies of decoding advertisements, the basic advertising formats and the language of advertising are evaluated. The question of how meaning is reconstituted both by advertisers and the viewers of messages is discussed. The study also entails a case study in which AkSam&
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s re-launch advertising campaign is evaluated. AkSam&
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s brand and image perception before and after the advertising campaign is examined. After this evaluation, the success of an advertising campaign in accordance with its advertising strategy is discussed.

Assessment of trophic interactions between increasing populations of New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and fisheries in southern Australia is limited due to a lack of species specific demographic data and an understanding of the factors influencing population growth. To establish species specific demographic parameters a cross-sectional sample of New Zealand fur seal females (330) and males (100) were caught and individually-marked on Kangaroo Island, South Australia between 2000 and 2003. The seals were aged through examination of a postcanine tooth, which was removed from each animal to investigate age-specific life-history parameters. Annual formation of cementum layers was confirmed and accuracy in age estimation was determined by examination of teeth removed from individuals of known-age. Indirect methods of assessing reproductive maturity based on mammary teat characteristics indicated that females first gave birth between 4-8 years of age, with an average age at reproductive maturity of 5 years. Among reproductively mature females, age-specific reproductive rates increased rapidly between 4-7 years of age, reaching maximum rates of 70-81% between 8-13 years, and gradually decreased in older females. No females older than 22 years were recorded to pup. Age of first territory tenure in males ranged from 8-10 years. The oldest female and male were 25 and 19 years old, respectively. Post-weaning growth in females was monophasic, characterised by high growth rates in length and mass during the juvenile growth stage, followed by a gradual decline in growth rates after reproductive maturity. In contrast, growth in males was biphasic and displayed a secondary growth spurt in both length and mass, which coincided with sexual and social maturation, followed by a rapid decline in growth rates. Age-specific survival rates were high (0.823-0.953) among prime-age females (8-13 yrs of age) and declined in older females. Relative change in annual pup production was strongly correlated with reproductive rates of prime-age females and adult female survival between breeding seasons.

It has become increasingly apparent that active galactic nuclei (AGN) have played a key role in the galaxy formation process, leading to the galaxy population we see to day. In order to understand better this inter-relationship, we must first measure the characteristics and evolution of the AGN population over cosmic timescales. Models of the AGN population which reproduce the spectrum and intensity of the extra-galactic X-ray background require a large population of faint AGN, the majority obscured by large column densities of cold material. In the local Universe, where we find mostly low luminosity objects, the obscured AGN make up 80% of the population. However, at higher redshifts, including the epoch when AGN and galaxies were forming most rapidly, the demographics of the obscured AGN population are still poorly understood. For this thesis, I have made a detailed examination of the AGN detected in several of the deepest XMM-Newton "blank-field" observations. I have carried out a detailed set of Monte-Carlo simulations in order to compare directly the X-ray properties of the observed AGN to the predictions of a number of AGN population models. For sources detected in the "13H" deep field, I find that the best fitting model contains AGN with a broad range of obscuration levels, but with significantly absorbed AGN making up at least 75% of the population. Furthermore, by examining the sources in XMM-Newton observations of the "CDFS" field, for which nearly complete redshift determinations are available, I find that the AGN absorption distribution exhibits little redshift or luminosity dependence. I confirm these findings by extending my study to a much larger AGN sample, and investigate field-to-field AGN source density variations.

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This thesis develops a data-driven, statistical model capable of predicting a U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) unit’s manning level based on the demographics of the unit’s location. This model will aid decision-makers involved in USAR stationing by assessing the ability of a proposed stationing location to support a unit’s manning requirements. USAR units must recruit the majority of their personnel from the population within immediate proximity to the unit. Since the recruiting boundaries of multiple reserve centers often overlap, this thesis first develops an allocation method that ensures the population is not over-counted. This thesis then develops linear regression, classification tree, and logistic regression models to determine the ability of the location to support manning requirements. These models demonstrate that local demographic factors are a key driver in the ability of unit to meet its manning requirements. In particular, the logistic regression model delivers predictive results that allow decision-makers to identify locations with a high probability of meeting unit manning requirements. The recommendation of this thesis is that the USAR implement the logistic regression model.

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This research creates Marine Corps Reserve Optimizer (MCRO), an optimization tool to aid Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) in the task of geographically situating their subordinate units with respect to demographics. It implements an integer linear program that selects optimal locations for all candidate moving units based on the projected availability of qualified recruits in candidate areas. MCRO optimizes to (a) minimize a penalty function that measures stress with respect to demographics, and (b) minimize unit movement. Two base cases are demonstrated, one illustrating the total demographic stress with 2011 population data without allowing unit movements, and another with the projected 2036 population under the same conditions. We then allow MCRO to recommend movements, and find that (i) the relocation of 10 units reduces the number of areas experiencing the highest penalty from nine to three, and (ii) all stress can be relieved in 56 movements. Finally, we use MCRO to evaluate and quantify the demographic impact of four possible unit movements MARFORRES is currently considering.

This PhD project addresses the political, economic and cultural geographies of transnational child adoption. The research conducts a detailed exploration of two key elements with this complex and rapidly evolving practice of family development. First, it examines the legal and fiscal transactions that are required for transnational child adoption (TNA) within key receiving countries. Focusing on TNA practice trends within the US and UK, it explores the regulations and economies of this unique family building process on local, national and global scales. The aim of the research is to accurately describe the political economies and geographies of TNA receiving families residing in the UK and the US. Secondly, this project explores key debates within public discourse around reproductive options that inform the rhetoric around receiving families as distinctly ‘modern’ family formations. It addresses the ways the new practice is differentiated, normalised or negotiated in relation to both understandings of the family and relatedness as well as wider issues of multiculturalism, transnationalism, social capital production and the technical intensity of modern reproductive practices. In particular, this work considers the extended geographies of receiving families that are conventionally represented in relation to notions of relatedness and family through ideas of intimacy, closeness and proximity. This thesis responds to an urgent need for more updated and comprehensive quantitative, qualitative and legal research on the recent escalation of TNA in comparison with other globalized family building alternatives that have similarly broadened in parental accessibility over the same period. Based on a critical review of current TNA practice, this research explores how and why TNA has become a contested topic of public discourse and increased in cultural visibility in excess of its numerical significance relative to other forms of family formation.

PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO
COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DO PESSOAL DE ENSINO SUPERIOR
PROGRAMA DE EXCELENCIA ACADEMICA
Há pouca resposta das taxas nominais de juros ao movimentos da inflação na segunda metade do Século XIX, enquanto a equação de Fisher prevê uma relação de um para um da taxa nominal de juros à inflação. A maior parte das respostas a essa observação dependem, de algum jeito, de argumentos sobre a irracionalidade dos agentes econômicos (Fisher (1906), Friedman e Schwartz (1982), Summers (1983) e Barsky e De Long (1991), por exemplo), ou argumentam que os dados desse período são falhos (Perez e Siegler (2003)). Nessa dissertação, eu argumento que a taxa de juros nominal não aumentou o quanto deveria não por irracionalidade dos agentes, mas sim porque a taxa natural de juros abaixou como resposta a uma transição demográfica nesse período, atribuída às melhoras na infraestrutura de saúde pública e a avanços na ciência médica. Eu construo um modelo de gerações imbricadas estilizado com base em Gertler (1999) que captura algumas das principais características da economia americana desse período. Então, calibro-o e conduzo experimentos demográficos para mostrar que o principal argumento de Barsky e De Long (1991) contra o efeito Fisher não prossegue caso se cancelem os efeitos da transição demográfica.
There is little response of nominal interest rates to inflationary movements in the second half of the Nineteenth Century, while the Fisher equation would predict a one-to-one relation between these economic variables. Most of the previous answers to this observation rely on some sort of irrationality argument (Fisher (1906), Friedman and Schwartz (1982), Summers (1983) and Barsky and De Long (1991) are some examples) or state that there are problems in the data used (Perez and Siegler (2003)). In this thesis, I argue that this is not due to agent irrationality, but to the lowering of the equilibrium interest rate level as a response to a demographic transition attributed to advances in medical science and enhancements in sanitation infrastructure. I build an stylized overlapping generations model based on Gertler (1999) that captures the main features of the American Economy during this period, then calibrate it and conduct experiments to show that Barsky and De Long s (1991) strike on the Fisher Effect does not hold when the demographic channel is turned off.

Human herpesvirus (HHV) –6A and HHV-6B are unique among herpesviruses in their ability to integrate into the telomeres of human chromosomes and be inherited in a Mendelian fashion. Based on current data, inherited chromosomally integrated HHV-6 (iciHHV-6) is present in 0.5-2% of the UK population. There is increasing evidence to suggest that iciHHV-6 is not a dead-end for the virus, and that HHV-6 can be excised from the genomes of iciHHV-6-positive individuals. It is hypothesised that this excision occurs from the formation of T-loops between the end of the telomere and the viral telomere like repeats (TLRs). T-loops form naturally in a cell as part of the complex that protects the end of the chromosomes; however, under certain circumstances these can be excised leading to a loss of telomeric repeats from the chromosome and the formation of circular, extra-chromosomal telomeric sequence. There is increasing evidence that excision can lead to reactivation of the virus and potentially cause disease. Our current understanding of the phenotypic associations of iciHHV-6 is based on case-reports and case-control studies of individual diseases. The work presented in this thesis set out to answer a number of questions regarding the phenotypic consequences, and genome dynamics of iciHHV-6. First, the association between both exogenously acquired HHV-6 and iciHHV-6 and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) was examined in a case-control study. Whilst exogenously acquired HHV-6 was significantly associated with cHL the virus was present at low levels in DNA extracted from cHL tumours. Virus at such low level was concluded as not having a direct role in the pathogenesis of cHL. A case control study of iciHHV-6 and cHL revealed no difference in the prevalence of iciHHV-6 amongst cases and controls, but identified a single iciHHV-6-positive individual who appeared to have four integrated viral genomes. Secondly, iciHHV-6 was examined in the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS) cohort, in a hypothesis generating study. It was revealed the iciHHV-6 was present at a prevalence of 2.7%. Further analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of iciHHV-6 between individuals born in Scotland (2.8%) and England (1.8%). Analysis of disease phenotypes revealed potential associations between iciHHV-6 and breast cancer in an unrelated subset of the GS:SFHS cohort. Also confirmed was the recent 3 report of an association between iciHHV-6 and angina pectoris. Analysis of other variables revealed iciHHV-6-positive females had a lower average Mill Hill vocabulary test score than iciHHV-6-negative females; and that iciHHV-6-positivity was associated with participation in fewer years of education. Thirdly, the iciHHV-6 genome in an LCL generated from an iciHHV-6A-positive individual was shown to be dynamic. The gross structure of the HHV-6 genome is a unique (U) region flanked by direct repeats (DR) (DR.U.DR).Analysis using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), on DNA extracted at various time points of the LCL culture revealed that viral sub-genomic regions were lost in a proportion of cells, which coincided with a reduction in population doublings of the culture. At the point of reduction of viral copy number, an excess of HHV-6 DRs was noted suggesting that only a portion of the viral genome had been lost in these cells. Gradually the viral copy number returned to approximately one copy per cell. It is likely this was caused by an outgrowth of cells where excision had not occurred. This in vitro model demonstrated that whilst excision of iciHHV-6 genomes is possible, it may be accompanied by a reduction in cell viability. Loss of HHV-6 genomic regions was also examined in 59 iciHHV-6-positive individuals and was infrequent. Only six showed some degree of DR loss. Further to this, inheritance of single direct repeats was observed in six individuals and two families in the GS:SFHS cohort. A novel ddPCR and mathematical model was developed to predict the iciHHV-6 genome configuration in samples where atypical U:DR ratios were observed. Through this, we hypothesise that an iciHHV-6-positive individual who had 4 U regions per cell and 5 DR regions per cell, had an integrated HHV-6A genome concatemer with the configuration (DR.U)4.DR, and hypothesised that this arose from integration of a replication intermediate. Finally, phylogenetic analysis of five regions of 26 iciHHV-6 genomes and their counterparts in exogenously acquired HHV-6 genomes was performed. There was a higher degree of divergence between iciHHV-6A and exogenous HHV-6, along with evidence of a common viral ancestor in four iciHHV-6-positive individuals. This divergence was not observed in iciHHV-6B were very little variation was observed between iciHHV-6B and exogenously acquired HHV-6B. These results shed light on the complex relationship between iciHHV-6 and the human host.

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010.
Page 98 blank. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-92).
Do demographic factors play a role in the choice of supply chain risk management practices by supply chain professionals? Are there stronger relationships between certain demographic factors and supply chain risk management practices? Most supply chains today cuts across multiple countries, cultures, languages, income levels, and industries just to name a few. This means there are differences in supply chain risk management behaviors or attitudes. Is there a way to understand some of these differences better and will the management of global supply chains benefit from this knowledge?
by Kenneth Kanyagui.
M.Eng.in Logistics

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Biological Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2014.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
Viral predation on bacteria in the ocean liberates carbon from the particulate fraction, where it is accessible to higher trophic levels, and redirects it to the dissolved fraction, where it supports microbial growth. Although viruses are highly abundant in the ocean little is known about how their interactions with bacteria are structured. This challenge arises because the diversity of both bacteria and viruses is exceedingly high and interactions between them are mediated by specific molecular interactions. This thesis uses heterotrophic bacteria of the genus Vibrio as a model to quantify virus-host interactions in light of host population structure and ecology. The methods developed in this thesis include streamlining of standard bacteriophage protocols, such as the agar overlay, and facilitate higher throughput in the isolation and characterization of novel environmental virus-host systems. Here, >1300 newly isolated Vibrio are assayed for infection by viral predators and susceptibility is found to be common, though total concentrations of predators are highly skewed, with most present at low abundance. The largest phylogenetically-resolved host range cross test available to date is conducted, using 260 viruses and 277 bacterial strains, and highly-specific viruses are found to be prevalent, with nearly half infecting only a single host in the panel. Observations of blocks of multiple viruses with nearly identical infection profiles infecting sets of highly-similar hosts suggest that increases in abundance of particular lineages of bacteria may be important in supporting the replication of highly specific viruses. The identification of highly similar virus genomes deriving from different sampling time points also suggests that interactions for some groups of viruses and hosts may be stable and persisting. Genome sequencing reveals that members of the largest broad host-range viral group recovered in the collection have sequence homology to non-tailed viruses, which have been shown to be dominant in the surface oceans but are underrepresented in culture collections. By integrating host population structure with sequencing of over 250 viral genomes it is found that viral groups are genomically cohesive and that closely-related and co-occurring populations of bacteria are subject to distinct regimes of viral predation.
by Anne Kathryn Marie Kauffman.
Ph. D.

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic small intestinal immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by ingestion of gluten-containing food in genetically predisposed subjects. The enteropathy is presented with a wide variety of clinical manifestations, which can occur even outside the gastrointestinal tract. In the majority of cases, the diagnosis of CD is based on a small intestinal biopsy showing mucosal alterations, i.e. intraepithelial lymphocytosis, crypt hyperplasia, and villous atrophy. The treatment, gluten-free diet (GFD), has recently been revised with the addition of gluten-free oats. Oats give a more diversified nutrition and increase the fibre content. The use of oats in CD is though still debated in some reports. A strict life-long adherence to the GFD can be problematic, especially for pediatric CD patients. Sweden reported of one of the highest observed CD prevalences worldwide, i.e. 3%, among 12-year-olds born during what has been described as “the Swedish celiac epidemic”, 1984−1996. The aims of this thesis were to elucidate how pediatric CD has changed during a 41-year period in Sweden, i.e. 1973−2013, in terms of clinical presentation, disease severity, incidence, and demographics. We also wanted to adress the compliance to the GFD, the use of oats in the GFD and the safety of oats inclusion in the diet by measuring urinary nitric oxide (NO) metabolites. Filed information provided data about 2856 pediatric patients  investigated for suspected CD between 1973 and 2013; of which 1030 patients were diagnosed with CD. After the data analyses the mean age of CD patients was shown to increase after the celiac epidemic period. Currently, CD shows a less severe picture in terms of symptoms and intestinal pathology. Younger children suffer primarily from gastrointestinal symptoms and growth failure, whereas extra-intestinal manifestations are more often displayed among adolescents. We also reported an unusually high pediatric CD incidence rate and  cumulative incidence, likely the highest reported worldwide. We hypothesised that the introduction of new antibody tests would affect the diagnostic activity and accuracy in performing small intestinal biopsies for CD investigation. However, the outcome of diagnostic activity and accuracy could not clearly be attributed to the use of antibody tests due to changes occurring in parallel during the 41-year study period, e.g. a different pattern of symptoms at presentation and improved knowledge of the disease among parents and health professionals. In a questionnaire-based study our patient group reported a high  compliance to the GFD. Long duration of the GFD may, however, influence compliance negatively. Oats have been included to the GFD of our study population in most of the cases without reporting major complications related to their well-being. The urinary measurements of NO metabolites revealed two patient groups, one with high and one with low levels. The two populations did not differ regarding sex, age, compliance to the GFD or oats consumption. Factors such as nitrate-rich foods, asthma or urinary tract infections did not affect the results. The high levels could possibly be attributed to poor adherence to the GFD, sensitivity to oats, or some unknown factor(s). The elevated levels of NO metabolites might indicate mucosal inflammation and pinpoint the need of careful follow-up of children on oats-containing GFD as not all of them might tolerate oats.

Prevalent patients were over-represented in many pulmonary hypertension registries and clinical trials. These patients have better survival compared with incident patients. As pulmonary hypertension (PH) is diagnosed and managed in designated pulmonary hypertension centres only in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, this provides a unique opportunity to define the demographics, epidemiology and outcomes of a large cohort of purely incident, treatment-naive idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. We included all newly diagnosed, treatment naive patients diagnosed in all eight PH centres in the UK and Ireland between January 2001 and December 2009 in our study. We used the same inclusion criteria used in the French and Scottish registries to define our idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients. We further refined our criteria for idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH by excluding patients with evidence of parenchymal lung disease on thoracic CT. These excluded patients (refer as Pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension co-existing lung disease in this thesis) were managed as idiopathic PAH by their PH physicians and otherwise satisfied the usual haemodynamic and pulmonary function criteria used to define idiopathic PAH in many PH registries and clinical trials. We divided our idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients into two age subgroups according to their median age to study the effect of age on their phenotypes and survival. We also divided our idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients into three subgroups according to their year of diagnosis to study the changing epidemiology of the disease over the past decade. We also compared the baseline characteristics and outcomes of our idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients with PAH with ‘co-existing lung disease’ patients. Firstly, we confirmed that the demographics, epidemiology and survival of incident idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH has changed compared with patients from the pre-disease targeted therapy era of the 1980s, and continued to evolve in the UK and Ireland over the past decade. The incidence of idiopathic PAH continued to increase over the past decade in the UK and Ireland, most likely reflecting increased referral to the pulmonary hypertension centres. Patients were still referred late with severe functional and haemodynamic impairment. Greater education is needed to raise awareness amongst the non-pulmonary hypertension community of the changing epidemiology of the disease. We have used our incident study cohort of idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH to validate currently available survival prediction models in PAH. Our results suggested that some survival prediction models performed better than others. We observed different phenotypic characteristics and survival between younger and older idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients. Baseline variables with prognostic significance were also different between younger and older idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients. Interestingly, obesity was associated with better survival in older patients but the contrary in younger patients. We also explored the prognostic significance of short term improvement in six minute walk distance and functional class in response to treatment in incident idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH. Change in six minute walk distance after three months of pulmonary hypertension treatment was associated with improved survival in patients with low baseline six minute walk distance. Change in functional class at six months was also predictive of survival in our idiopathic, heritable and anorexigen-associated PAH patients. Finally, we observed that pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension with co-existing lung disease patients who otherwise satisfied the usual haemodynamic and pulmonary function criteria for idiopathic PAH had significantly different demographics and worse survival compared with idiopathic PAH patients. Better characterisation of this subgroup of PH patients will avoid bias from inclusion of these patients as idiopathic PAH in future clinical trials.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is mental disorder commonly characterized by inability to paying attention, as well as excessive activity and/or inability to control ones behavior. As such ADHD can often have a negative impact on the lives of those affected especially young children. Not only that but ADHD is misunderstood and stigmatized in several cultures and demographics. While various management strategies exist with the most common being medication and behavior therapy. This literature review looks to compare treatments received by patients in various parts of the world as well as the perceptions toward ADHD and the management process across cultures and socio-economic groups. This could give us a better understanding of why certain people chose one treatment option over another and could also help us gain a better understanding of various stigmas and false beliefs individuals may have regarding ADHD management.

Diversion rates of solid waste due to recycling and other efforts vary across communities for multiple reasons. Past research has provided demographic and attitudinal profiles of recyclers and non-recyclers at mainly the individual and household levels with some at the community level. Researchers have found both commonalities and variations in these profiles. Studies have also looked at how the structure of a recycling program influences recycling behavior. The question asked here is how community-level demographic and attitudinal characteristics interact with the structure of public recycling programs to influence aggregate rates of recycling participation and diversion in 40 cities in the western United States. The results of this study provide modest support for my hypotheses that when recycling programs are less convenient, demographics and attitudinal characteristics will explain more variation in diversion of waste at the community scale. Similarly, as recycling programs become more convenient, the roles of demographic and attitudinal factors (recycling friendliness) are expected to decrease. This study found increased recycling program convenience and less visible fee assessment structures were associated with higher rates of recycling among cities regardless of their degree of recycling friendliness. When recycling outcomes were cross tabulated with indicators convenience and fee assessment, low rates were generally found among cities with low program convenience and high rates were generally found among cities with high program convenience. Cities with less convenient programs were more likely to see higher rates of recycling when their underlying demographic and attitudinal attributes reflected characteristics that have been associated with increased recycling activity. However, when program convenience was high (and fee structures less visible) high rates of recycling were found across cities with both favorable and unfavorable demographic characteristics. I use case-specific detailed narratives to explore the factors that influence outcomes among selected cities that did or did not meet my expectations.

This thesis investigates the following factors concerning student nurses: (1) demographic background and life experiences; (2) motivations to enter and commitment to nursing school; (3) students' conceptions of the role of a nurse; (4) comparison of students' expectations with their ideals and with the realities of nursing. A questionnaire was administered to first year nursing students at three institutions; a four-year baccalaureate degree program and two community college associate degree programs. The two types of institutions were chosen to allow comparison between students on two different career tracks. The findings indicate that contemporary student nurses are older than typical college students, have had a significant number of prior occupational experiences, and in contrast to the 1960's and earlier, are not exclusively female. They were most strongly motivated to be nurses by the desire to help others and conceive of the role of a nurse as challenging, rewarding, and relatively professional. In general, these students had a good understanding of the role of the average nurse, but they would construct the ideal nursing environment somewhat differently than the actual nursing environment. These findings relate to career exploration and motivational processes associated with occupational training. It can be inferred from survey data that initiates to training programs often are quite aware of what the discipline demands. In many cases they have sought out others who are working in the field. These data also reflect the increasing occupational mobility of American society whereby individuals change careers once or more during their lifetimes.

Nonprofit organizations rely upon volunteers to assist in achieving their mission and reaching strategic operational goals. As the volunteer population in the United States has decreased, nonprofit organizations are challenged to recruit and retain volunteers. To improve operational efficiencies in nonprofit volunteer management, organizations need to implement more effective strategies to assign roles to volunteers and develop a better understanding of how those roles fit into volunteers' lives and the value systems of individual volunteers. The functional theory of volunteer behavior characterizes the values, understanding, social, career, protective, and enhancement functions as they relate to an individual's motivation for volunteering. To investigate how active volunteer demographics related to self-reported ratings of personal and social motivational functions, a multivariate analysis of variance, with designated follow-up post hoc tests, was used to address the research questions and associated hypotheses to provide a basis to make comparative statistical analysis to determine volunteer needs, values, and purpose based on age cohort, sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. It was found that the functional aspect, career, was a significant determinate when focused on the demographics of age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, an interaction emerged with sex and age with career, social, understanding, and enhancement functional aspects. The results of the study will foster positive social change by increasing the understanding of how volunteer behavior impacts volunteer retention and recruitment, facilitating nonprofit organizations in their ability to effectively match volunteer skills with assignment, thereby maximizing their impact and longevity within the organization.

Correctional officers occupy an important societal role in maintaining safety and assisting in the rehabilitation of inmates; however, both their performance and mental health are highly susceptible to fatigue because of working in a high stress environment. This study investigated the relationship between correctional officers' demographic factors (level of education, marital status, gender, and race/ethnicity) and their psychological resilience. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10 (CD-RISC-10) was used to measure correctional officers' resilience when responding and or coping with stress. This study utilized the stress-vulnerability model as a framework to investigate protective factors against and risk factors for psychopathological symptoms. Participants included 52 individuals who were over the age of 18, employed as correctional officers, and who worked for either the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Two tests measured the outcome variable of correctional officers' psychological resilience. The first factorial 2-way analysis of variance revealed no significant differences in correctional officers' levels of psychological resilience by gender and or race/ethnicity. The second factorial 2-way analysis of variance revealed no significant differences in correctional officers' levels of psychological resilience by marital status and or educational level. The information gained from this study implies that the development of programs that improve correctional officers' resilience and prevent the onset of psychopathology should be focused on factors other than races/ethnicities, genders, marital statuses, and levels of education.

Political trust is an important concept in a representative democracy because it defines citizens’ expectations of their elected officials, their willingness to allow government to act on their behalf, and the quality of democratic accountability. Distrust, or when government outcomes fail to meet citizens' expectations, has been linked to discontent and disaffection, and to a broad decline in the legitimacy of government institutions. Research consistently shows that Latinos are more trusting than non-Latinos--a finding which seems discordant in light of the socio-economic and cultural differences between these groups. The concept of expectations is especially interesting and useful in examining differences in levels of political trust among Latinos and non-Latinos. The literature on Latino trust lacks any comprehensive analysis of the determinants and consequences of political trust among Latinos. This dissertation attempts to answer the following questions: What are the determinants of political trust among Latinos? Why are Latinos more trusting of government than non-Latinos? What impact does political trust have on Latino policy preferences and vote choice? Utilizing survey data of Californians, evidence I find that acculturation and country-of-origin variables account for differences between Latinos and non-Latinos, and that socio-economic variables do not. Latinos of Mexican origin are less trusting that other Latinos. Political trust has a negative impact of Latino support for health care reform, but no impact on non-Latino policy preferences in this area. Once again, trust impacts Mexican and non-Mexican Latinos differently. Finally, I confirm the positive relationship between political trust and voting for an incumbent (the negative relationship between trust and support for a major or minor party challenger); this relationship is constant across Latino and non-Latino groups.

Research was undertaken to investigate the demographics of the pet population in a local community. A sample of the general dog population and owners was then compared with a sample of relinquished dogs and their surrendering owners, to identify dog and household characteristics associated with canine relinquishment to an animal welfare centre (AWC). The investigation was carried out in Strathclyde Region, Scotland. A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted to establish the pet owning status of a randomly selected sample of households. The dog and cat populations were then estimated by extrapolation of results to local census data. Using an area based approach, the association between deprivation, community setting and pet ownership were assessed using available census data. A Geographical Information System approach was applied to the data to display the spatial distribution of pet ownership in Strathclyde Region. Dog owning households identified by the telephone survey were invited to participate in a second study. This case-control study compared information regarding dog and household characteristics of these successful owners (controls), with a sample of unsuccessful dog owners and their pets (cases). The control sample was assessed by mailed questionnaire. Case households were selected by AWC staff at the time of relinquishment and data collected using self-administered questionnaires. Results revealed that 36.1% of households were pet owners, with dogs and cats being the most prevalent species owned. The canine population of Strathclyde Region was estimated to be 248,649 and the feline population estimated to be 170,044. These dogs and cats were owned by an estimated 185,589 and 121,235 households, respectively. Deprivation and urban communities were negatively associated with pet ownership. A sample of 360 of the dog owning households agreed to participate in the second study. Based on a response rate of 89.2%, 321 of these households returned usable questionnaires. Comparison of data from these questionnaires with data obtained from 49 case households revealed that several factors were associated with relinquishment. Although certain dog characteristics were identified as important, most of the predisposing characteristics were owner-related. Uneducated, inexperienced dog owners who impulsively acquired their dog for little cost, were more likely to relinquish their pet after a short duration of ownership because of inappropriate care expectations, lack of planning and the dog failing to meet their expectations. Surprisingly, dog behavioural problems were no more prevalent in relinquished animals. These data were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model. Variables retained in the final model associated with relinquishment included ownership of a small mammal pet, no history of previous pet ownership, young dogs, mixed breed dogs, lack of veterinary care, short duration of residence in the present home and absence of a garden. The study identified several risk factors associated with canine relinquishment, many of which could potentially be modified to decrease the numbers of animals abandoned at AWCs. Use of the multivariable logistic regression model could enable the assessment of the likelihood of future relinquishment. In particular, application of the model in AWCs could decrease the number of adopted dogs that are subsequently relinquished.

This study examines the determinants of a household’s threshold price for a restaurant meal cost increase; the level of cost increase that would cause households to either eat in restaurants less frequently or change what they would typically purchase. The design of the study is formulated using a Tobit model to examine the threshold price by differing social, economic and demographic characteristics of households in Kentucky as well as their preferences for restaurant-specific characteristics. The empirical estimates suggest that households that frequently have dinner at restaurants, households with higher incomes and households that strongly prefer full-service restaurants have a positive threshold price-range; which suggests that such households are more willing to pay an additional cost increase in restaurant meals. Conversely, households that always notice taxes before paying their checks, households close to retirement-age, and households that do not strongly prefer local-food restaurants have negative threshold price-range and are consequently less willing to pay an additional cost increase in restaurant meals.

Thesis advisor: Richard McGowan
Proposition 13 revolutionized local politics in California when it stated that any future increase in taxes or tax rates would require a vote of two-thirds of the electors in any given local jurisdiction. Since California is the sixth largest economy in the world and exhibits tremendous economic and demographic variation, this study seeks to determine what characteristics of a county can be used to predict whether or not a local ballot initiative will pass. In addition, this study attempts to determine whether there is a distinction between the predictive value of demographic variables for transportation, education, safety, and facilities initiatives. This report reveals that greater wealth within a county is associated with a greater likelihood of an initiative passing, although at a decreasing rate. The data also suggests that a greater percentage of nonwhites in a county is correlated with an initiative passing. In counties with larger elderly populations, initiatives are less likely to pass. Furthermore, the data indicates that the impact of demographics varies for transportation, education, safety, and facilities initiatives
Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2005
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Economics
Discipline: College Honors Program

The first substantive chapter (II) addresses the macroeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS, with reference to sub-Saharan Africa. The framework is designed to capture some interactions between the formal and the informal sector, and - reflecting open capital markets of many economies affected by HIV/AIDS - to address the implications of capital mobility. Additionally, our study is the first academic study of the growth impact of scaling up antiretroviral treatment. Allowing for capital mobility, our analysis returns a stronger impact of HIV/AIDS on output and income per capita than the corresponding closed-economy models. The estimated impact on the informal sector is more pronounced than for the formal sector, reflecting a stronger impact of HIV/AIDS on savings rates. GDP per capita is lower in the scenario with comprehensive scaling-up of antiretroviral treatment, as rising costs of care and treatment affect savings rates. Chapter III adapts a microeconomic framework with forward-looking agents to study the contributions of health, as well as income, to living standards, drawing on empirical work on the value of statistical life. For leading industrialized countries, the contribution of health over long periods of time has been of similar magnitude as rising incomes, but the contribution of health has slowed down since about 1950. For developing countries, the slowdown occurred somewhat later. HIV/AIDS has resulted in steep declines in living standards in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Chapter IV focuses on the impact of capital-deepening arising from falling relative prices of ICT equipment. The estimated impact of ICT-related capital deepening on growth in developing countries is substantial (about 0.3 percentage points), although lower than comparable estimates for leading industrialized countries. Unlike in some industrialized countries, the impact of ICT-related capital deepening has not slowed down after 2000, owing to growing absorption of communications equipment.