Hoim, Terje

Dust particles in plasma can arrange themselves into a vertical con guration
when placed inside a glass box. What really occurs in the glass box is still unknown
and is di cult to nd out by direct methods of measurement. In this thesis, the
dust chains are investigated through probe oscillations and a Matlab simulation
that uses a parallel plate capacitor to model an electric eld. Parameters of the
plasma and dispersion relations for the transverse oscillation are extracted from
the chain's motion. For both longitudinal and transverse oscillatory motion, the
simulation is used to nd the charge on all the dust in the chains and to simulate
the chain's motion. The plasma parameter values are expected within experimental
error. The dispersion relations show that more than one wave motion
propagates through the chain. The charge found is much higher than expected,
and so the simulated motion may not be very accurate.

Adopting various mindfulness techniques has been shown to affect both psychological and physiological conditions within the body (Hill & Updegraff, 2012; Nyklícek et al., 2013). This experiment was conducted to explore the relationship between mindfulness meditation techniques and existential anxiety reported by participants. Existential anxiety has been defined within past research as “a deep concern over whether or not one is living a meaningful and fulfilling life” (Morse, 1998). Due to the nature of the concept of mindfulness, adopting mindfulness techniques was thought to lead to generally more meaningful experiences for an individual, which would decrease the individual’s report of existential anxiety. Within the present study, mindfulness training was administered by means of videos viewed upon a computer screen. Participants were instructed to complete a number of self-report questionnaires both before and after viewing the videos, and the analysis of the data collected after administering the training indicated that not only did levels of mindfulness increase post-treatment, but also that mindfulness and existential anxiety do seem to share a strong negative correlation.

Mindfulness refers to a state of mental awareness in which the individual is focused on the current moment while attempting to experience and nonjudgmentally accept passing sensations and thoughts. A previous study (Vernon, Stiksma, & Levy, 2014) found that one week following a single meditation training session, participants reported positive results. This current study examined the efficacy of the same one-session mindfulness meditation training administered online and the participants’ scores of mindfulness, stress, and social behavior and emotion. Between the pre-treatment and post-treatment, anxiety decreased, negative affect decreased while positive affect increased, and mindfulness decreased. This research will have implications for online mindfulness meditation classes, and whether the physical presence of an instructor is beneficial.

Several countries are experiencing a new demographic trend called “population aging” that can significantly impact housing markets. Countries such as the United States and Japan are observing their share of elderly people expand. I use regression analysis to determine the relationship between house prices and population in the United States and Japan to assess the impacts of populating aging on housing. I then use the parameters estimated by the regression analyses along with population projections for the period 2015-2050 to simulate house price trends for these two countries. These regression and simulation tests merge aspects of past models on population aging and housing, compare the effects of population on real house prices in the United States and Japan, and support the claim that population aging lowers real house prices. The results of my model also predict that, compared to the United States, Japan’s real house prices will fall more dramatically.

One very powerful tool in curing cancer is mathematical modeling. Using accumulated data we take a look at possible models for the growth of cancer cells, incorporating the positive effect of the immune system. We latter include the effects of chemotherapy. The presence of chemotherapy and the immune system is represented by parameters in our model. We use bifurcation analysis to find the values these parameters required in order for any tumor to go into remission. We will finally show that is the concentration of chemotherapy drug is incorrect or if the drug has the incorrect toxicity, we can actually have a large growth in the number of tumor cells or a dangerous decrease in the number of effector cells.

Football (soccer) performance is commonly believed to be based on player talent and franchise finances. However, there may be factors exogenous to football influencing football performance. The aim of this study is to show that on-field performance is influenced not only by the usual factors such as player talent and franchise finances, but also by factors such as the wealth of the nation, the size of the population, the degree to which football is part of the culture, and taxation policies. Using regression analysis as the main method to substantiate my claim, this study will focus on the performance of leagues in comparison to their counterparts in other nations. I will limit the scope of the study to leagues affiliated with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).