Investigation of the Hygroscopic and Morphological Properties of Atmospheric Aerosols

The first objective of this thesis was to examine the hygroscopic and morphological nature of various substances through the use of an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM). The hygroscopic growth and changes in morphology for pure-component aerosols were studied for particles greater than 2 µm in size. Hygroscopic growth was observed through changes in relative humidity (RH) and hygroscopic growth curves were created. The second objective of this thesis, the hygroscopic growth of multi-component aerosol mixtures, was studied using Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analysis(HTDMA). The size distribution for an aerosol stream was determined before and after the stream was subjected to an increase in relative humidity.

The Differential Usage of Services by Impaired Elderly

Why do some clients use institutional services, while other, with comparable impairment, use community based services? To answer this question, a matching procedure paired clients from the two types of service provision. Sixty-six clients, ages 62 and over, were matched for functional ability as rated on a 6-item ADL scale (Katz, et al., 1970). A discriminant function analysis was performed, with the setting of service provision as the criterion variable. The results indicated that the institutional group was more likely than their community counterparts: (a) to have had previous service contact with other service providers; (b) to have less support available within the community setting from family members or friends; (c) to be more impaired in the areas of mental health and social resources.