Creating the socialist university: Academic culture and GDR politics at Greifswald University, 1945--1961 (Germany)

Blaich, Kristian Bernt Emory University 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation examines the SED's higher-education project between 1945 and 1961. It seeks to uncover the inherent tensions between the expectations of a traditionally elite professional stratum and the political demands of socialist society—contradictions that ultimately impaired the long-term viability of the SED's goals. Eschewing a top-down approach to academic culture in favor of an examination of everyday life at one East German university, this project is a case study of the effects of social leveling at the University of Greifswald. Focusing on professors' reactions to the Party's attempts at transforming the university into a socialist institution, this study argues that the SED did not meet with the success for which it hoped. During its early attempts to alter the universities' sociopolitical composition, the SED encountered three practical obstacles. First was the personnel problem. In order to ensure that its universities were staffed with qualified teachers and researchers, the SED was often forced to retain, hire or promote bourgeois professors rather than those from more ideologically desirable working-class backgrounds. Secondly, the implicit threat of losing renowned scholars to the West served to remind SED functionaries of the value of their professors. The existence of what amounted to an open border between the GDR and the FRG until 1961 meant that the SED had to be willing to keep its professors contented enough to remain at their posts. Finally and most basically, the power of tradition simply proved too strong for the SED to overcome. The inherent nature of academic work—its intellectual hierarchy, its promotion based on merit, and its mentoring function—precluded any serious social leveling within the university. Ultimately, rather than turning elite positions into jobs for the masses, GDR universities served essentially to transform workers into elite leaders. While the SED was eventually able to build a professoriate that was politically loyal to the socialist state, this goal was only achieved at the cost of compromise.

The poetics of distance in Northern Irish poetry (Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon, Michael Longley)

Drummond, Gavin Morgan Emory University 2002 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation examines the poetry of Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon and Michael Longley, each of whom responds to the difficulty of writing historically-responsible poetry in a time of political upheaval. I argue that these poets formulate a poetics of distance that illuminates, and even exaggerates, the inevitable distance in poetry among the object described, the reader, and the writer. Making use of Emory's extensive Irish archival materials, I begin the dissertation with a set of mostly-unpublished epistolary poems these poets exchanged as the Northern Irish Troubles took hold in the early 1970s. Arguing that these letters represent a fundamental moment of aesthetic reflection, I go on to describe the poetics of distance as a mode that these poets thereafter increasingly, and more complexly, adopted in their writing. For example, close reading of Heaney's early poem “Digging” reveals his early habitual use of a noun-laden language which roots him linguistically in a particular and proximal place and community. His later poetry, which works with more complex verbal formulations, as well as an eclectic layering of myth and allusion, betrays a need to escape such easy placement. Derek Mahon's obsessive habit of revising his poetry tries to eradicate historical narrative by blurring the origin and the ends of his poetry. Longley's poetry, after a ten year silence, eventually voices its poetics of distance by constructing verse composed of delicate fragments which, like the title of his poem “The Ghost Orchid,” intimate an eluding of a clear political stance. An appreciation of these shifting poetic distances helps us better understand the contesting pressures of political history and aesthetic freedom in the writings of these poets. My dissertation shows how a poet can respond to history without becoming entrenched in political judgments.

Prenatal patterns of movement and habituation as predictors of obstetric complications, anthropometric measures, and neurobehavioral outcome

Israelian, Marlyne Kohar Emory University 2000 해외박사(DDOD)

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine if fetal movement and habituation in response to repeated vibroacoustic stimulation could be used (a) to assess obstetric complications, (b) to predict neonatal outcome on antropometric measures, and (c) to predict performance on a measure of postnatal neurobehavioral development. Fetal movement and habituation in response to a repeatedly presented vibroacoustic stimulus was studied in 58 fetuses who were between 34 and 38 weeks gestational age. Fetuses were stimulated with the Toitu Fetal Stimulator (TR-30, Wayne PA). Movement and heart rate were recorded with the Toitu MT430 fetal actocardiograph. Fetuses were classified as Habituators or Non-Habituators on the basis of two sets of criteria. The first criterion defined habituation as 5 consecutive trials in which the fetus did not respond to the vibroacoustic stimulus. The second criterion defined habituation as 3 consecutive trials in which the fetus did not respond to the vibroacoustic stimulus. Although the random probability of fetuses meeting either criterion was low (.002, and .026 respectively), the 5 trial criterion proved to be most sensitive in detecting differences between fetuses. The results of this study confirmed that the fetal movement response to repeated vibroacoustic stimulation is sensitive to pre- and perinatal risk factors and predictive of obstetric complications. A number of significant differences were uncovered between Habituators and Non-Habituators. The ability of the fetus to exhibit habituation of the movement response was associated with more optimal maternal health, higher socioeconomic status, greater birthweight, and less obstetric complications. Furthermore, specific characteristics of the movement response such as reaction time, magnitude of the movement response, and overall levels of motor activity accounted for a significant proportion of the variance on measures of obstetric complications and Apgar scores at birth. Although fetal movement and habituation were not predictive of postnatal measures of neurobehavioral development as assessed with the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (BNBAS: Brazelton, 1984), there was a positive correlation between the number of trials to habituation and scores on the abnormal reflex cluster of the BNBAS.

Who You Know: Pre-Entry Contacts and Post-Entry Social Structure

Sterling, Adina D Emory University 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

A growing body of research suggests that disparities in workers' networks propel them into stratified opportunities in organizations. Workers that are embedded in organizational networks have greater resources and career rewards than less socially-connected workers. Little is known, however, about how structural differences in workers' networks arise. This dissertation presents and tests a theory on the origins of structural differences in workers' networks. The theory points to the significance of pre-entry relationships that influence access to networks in organizations. I argue that pre-entry relationships are a product of an external structure that conditions interaction opportunities between organizational insiders and outsiders. When workers are hired with pre-entry relationships they form more social ties in organizations than workers without pre-entry relationships. After establishing the relationship between pre- and post-entry social structure, I develop arguments on how these structures impact mobility in organizations. Past research indicates that all other things equal, individuals with relationships to organizational members are more likely to be hired by employers. Here I suggest that pre-entry contacts also influence career outcomes after individuals join organizations. I examine the influence of pre- and post-entry social structure on post-entry mobility. I test these predictions using data collected from graduate students in business and law that completed internships. I investigate the effect of pre-entry relationships on the networks that graduate students formed and on their acquisition of post-graduate job offers from employers. An important concern when testing this prediction is that pre-entry contacts are not randomly assigned. My context affords me the chance to observe graduate students' networks at the university. I use their university networks as a proxy for network behavior in regression Models. Additionally I use a two-stage IV technique to determine if external structures condition the likelihood of having pre-entry relationships that subsequently impact post-entry networks and career rewards. Finally I conduct semi-structured interviews to gain qualitative insights on pre- and post-entry social structures and careers. Quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests that networks and mobility outcomes are rooted in pre-entry relationships.

Hormone therapy decision-making of postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative-Emory

Ashford, Susan A Emory University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

Background. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) halted its estrogen plus progestin (E/P) hormone pills in July 2002 because findings indicated health risks exceeded benefits. As a result, women in the study had to make a decision about using hormone therapy (HT). As limited research exists regarding decision-making in the context of a large study, the Hormone Therapy Decision-Making Model was developed and tested. Purpose. To examine the HT decision, decision outcomes, and selected intrapersonal (perceptions of risks, benefits, family history, symptoms, age, race, education, and income), interpersonal (advice of family, friends, and health care provider), and environmental factors (media) of WHI participants in the E/P HT study group and Observation study (ObS) group. Method. A descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional design using new data and secondary analysis of existing WHI data was employed. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square, Mann Whitney U, Krusdall-Wallis test, and logistic regression were used to address the study aims. Sample. Sample (n = 188) was recruited from the E/P HT study arm (n = 91) and the ObS group (n = 97) of the WHI-Emory Clinical Center. Sample characteristics were: mean age 71.44 (SD 6.62; range 58 to 89), predominately White (89.4%), non-Hispanic (95.2%), college educated (72.2%), and 61.7% reporting income in the $20,000 to $74,999 range. Major findings. Current HT users (1) had higher incomes, higher education, and assigned the health care provider with greater importance in making their HT decision than non HT users; (2) assigned greater importance to these reasons regarding the HT decision: "to feel better", to treat or prevent (1) "symptoms", and (2) "colorectal cancer". Women ≥75 years rated their perceptions of risks for developing conditions related to using or not using HT as low. Decision satisfaction, perceived quality of life, and symptoms did not differ among study groups, HT use groups, age, race, education or income. Media was not important for this sample. Only higher income explained HT use (p = .025). Conclusion. The premises of the Hormone Therapy Decision-Making Model were partially supported by this study.

Mesenteric Perfusion Pattern Changes as the Result of Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Preterm Infants

Marin, Terri Emory University 2012 해외박사(DDOD)

Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most serious gastrointestinal emergency encountered by very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Approximately half of the 4500 preterm infants affected annually require surgical intervention, with associated mortality rates of 30%-50%. Extensive research has determined that NEC pathogenesis is most likely multifactorial; however, prematurity is the only definitive predictor. Clear predictive and prevention strategies for this disease remain unknown and its incidence unchanged. Recent evidence demonstrates a temporal relationship between packed red blood cell (PRBC) administration and NEC development. Although the underlying pathophysiology of this occurrence is unknown, leading theories suggest gastrointestinal immaturity and the age of blood infused may substantially increase the risk for transfusion-related NEC. Therefore, perfusion alterations as a result of changing blood flow subsequent to transfusion and the age of blood administered may increase the risk for ischemic insult. This observational, prospective study endeavored to identify changes in mesenteric tissue perfusion by monitoring differential tissue oxygenation using near-infrared spectroscopy in preterm infants receiving blood transfusions. In addition, the relationship between the age of blood infused and perfusion pattern alteration was observed. Thirty-three transfusion events were observed. It was concluded that the most immature infants demonstrated lower mesenteric perfusion following PRBC administration. The administration of PRBCs greater than six days old was also associated with decreased mesenteric perfusion. Four infants developed NEC temporally associated with PRBC transfusions, occurring within 48 hours of blood infusion. Infants who developed transfusion-related NEC were gestationally younger, more likely to have received enteral feedings during the transfusion, received larger volumes of feedings and received greater volumes of blood than infants who did not develop transfusion-related NEC.

Varieties of Capitalist Development: The Political Determinants of Economic Governance Systems

Moore, Joel D Emory University 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

This thesis uses a typological framework to explain why the core functions of economic activity vary so significantly from state to state. I explain this variation by linking large structural factors to micro-level decisions. The typological framework I employ examines the interaction between levels of systemic vulnerability faced by governments on the one hand and the number of veto players on the other. I hypothesize that states without the institutionalized constraints embodied in multiple veto player governments will only develop the broadly-targeted policy environment necessary for coordinative economic governance institutions when sufficiently high levels of vulnerability serve as an alternative form of constraint. Additionally, I hypothesize that states with very many veto player governments will be unable to overcome the tendency towards the sorts of particularistic policies that lead to hierarchical economic governance institutions, regardless of the level of vulnerability. I use this framework to account for variation in economic governance institutions in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Strategic, institutional and radicalness factors in the evaluation, adoption and early integration of RFID: An empirical investigation of current and future adopters

Sharma, Aditya Emory University 2007 해외박사(DDOD)

This study is among the first few empirical field studies that develops an integrative Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) adoption and implementation model (research model), and tests model hypotheses at the construct and rationale levels using field interviews and field survey data. The study tests a multi-stage implementation model to identify factors that are critical in the evaluation, adoption and integration stages of RFID. The research model incorporates both the strategic choice perspective where adoption is voluntary with a view to improve organizational efficiency and performance, and the institutional perspective where adoption is a result of conforming to pressures from an organization's institutional environment. The study compares the relative influence of each rationale on the adoption and post adoption integration decisions by a firm. This study also introduces the concept of technology radicalness in interorganizational innovation adoption and tests for the effects of radicalness factors/dimensions in the RED adoption and implementation model. The study addresses the ambiguity surrounding the term technology "radicalness" and identifies attributes that make an emerging technology radical from the adopter's perspective. Perceived technology radicalness is conceptualized and tested through four dimensions (amount/extent of new knowledge, nature of concept change, extent of component change, extent of linkage change). Data from field interviews supports this new conceptualization. A scale operationalizing the proposed dimensions of perceived radicalness construct is developed and then tested by confirmatory factor analysis in structural equation modeling (SEM) using both experimental and field survey data. Field survey data from both current and potential evaluators, adopters and integrators of the technology is utilized for testing the research model. The model is analyzed using multiple regression and binomial logistic regression techniques. The study finds important differences between the current and future adoption and implementation scenarios and across the three-implementation stages. The results from this study support the proposed multidimensional conceptualization of the radicalness construct and suggest an improvement over current measures of radicalness.

Three Essays on the State Children's Health Insurance Program

Xu, Jing Emory University 2013 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation studies the impact of public health insurance expansions under the 1997 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on different health outcomes. The first chapter estimates the impact of the SCHIP expansion on vaccination status among children under age 2 in a timely manner. I employ a simulated instrumental variables strategy to address the issue of selection into public health insurance programs. I find that being eligible for public health insurance is associated with a higher probability that a child receives recommended vaccine series without lengthy delays. In contrast, I find little effect for the single-dose vaccines such as varicella and MMR. In light of the positive health consequences associated with vaccinations, these results imply that expanding health insurance coverage could improve social welfare and the welfare of children with low socioeconomic status. The second chapter investigates the impact of health insurance expansions under SCHIP on birth outcomes among teenage mothers. I employ ordered probit and quantile regression to evaluate the existence of heterogeneous eligibility effects on birth outcomes of teenage mothers. Results show that increased public insurance income eligibility is associated with significant improvements in prenatal care utilization among teenage mothers. For teenage mothers with singleton births, the expanded insurance eligibility is associated with a small but significant increase in birth weight. I also find that pregnancies with lower health endowments may benefit more from the expanded eligibilities than pregnancies with great endowments. The third paper is co-authored with David Frisvold. In this paper, we examine the impact of SCHIP/Medicaid eligibility expansions for children on the prevalence of food insecurity among families with children. Our results suggest that being eligible for SCHIP/Medicaid reduces the probability that a family with children has low food security. We also find that SCHIP/Medicaid eligibility has stronger effects on families in states that had higher uninsured rates among children before SCHIP expansion and low income families with income less than 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Gestures and multimodal signaling in bonobos and chimpanzees

Pollick, Amy S Emory University 2006 해외박사(DDOD)

Vocalizations and facial expressions have been studied for decades in great apes. Manual gestures, however, have received less attention, as well as how gestures are involved in multimodal communication. This study first aimed to provide description of manual gestures that initiated social interactions in the two ape species closest to humans, bonobos (P. paniscus) and chimpanzees (P. troglodytes). Secondly, how gestures are combined with other communicative signals, namely facial expressions and vocalizations, were examined, as well as how these patterns differed between species. Finally, the efficacy of multimodal signaling was investigated by examining variation in response to gestures produced alone and to combinations of gestures with other signals. Subjects were two independent captive social groups of bonobos containing a total of 13 individuals and two groups of chimpanzees containing a total of 34 individuals. 32 distinct manual gestures were documented, with no significant variation in frequency between groups. The two species differed in contextual usage of gestures to a much higher degree than the contextual usage of facial/vocal signals. In combinations of gestures and facial/vocal signals, the gesture typically followed a facial/vocal signal, and vocalizations were found to be more prevalent than facial expressions. Combinations of signals elicited higher rates of responding than did gestures in bonobos but not chimpanzees. The results suggest that manual gestures are less tied to behavioral context than facial/vocal signals are, and thus may be more evolutionarily recent signals. The possibility that multimodal signaling in apes provides evidence for the evolution of a similar strategy in hominid ancestors is discussed.