Understanding How Intentionally Unplugging From Cell Phones Shapes Interpersonal Relationships And The Undergraduate College Experience, Jadelin P. Felipe

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of what motivated college students—the Unplugged Students—to intentionally use their cell phones less and how they understood the impact that unplugging had on their interpersonal relationships and college experience. Nine undergraduate college students from four private schools were interviewed in one-on-one semi- structured interviews. These students, considered non-users, provided a particularly useful perspective as these students made a conscious choice to counteract social norms and experienced both being plugged in and unplugged. Cell phones and the act of unplugging proved to make up a complex and more nuanced topic than …

Viewing Loneliness From An Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Perspective: Pilot Testing A New Loneliness Measure And Testing The Relation Of Loneliness To Adults' Remembrances Of Parental Acceptance And Rejection In Childhood, Alex D. Molaver

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Mechanical Stimulation And Stiffness Characterization Device For Electrospun Cell Culture Scaffolds, Soliman A. Alhudaithy

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

"Do Not Fashion The Other": Representing Contemporary Haudenosaunee Literature 2016, Michael Patrick Brewster

Master's Theses

Historically, the issue of representation in postcolonial studies is one of some contention. While scholarship might recognize the necessity for highlighting the plights and struggles attendant to postcolonial societies, the primary literature being studied is most often written by natives of those societies themselves. This gap is especially evident with Indigenous cultures, because there are relatively few Indigenous scholars working in the academy. We are at the point now when we have a multiplicity (but not a plurality) of Indigenous voices writing literature (poetry, memoir, fiction, film, etc.) and academic criticism. However, there is value in non-Natives reading and writing …

Diagnostic Practices Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Brazil, Ana Claudia Vespa Mainer Dias

Master's Theses

In Brazil, in spite of over half a million students with special needs in primary education, little research has been conducted about ASD diagnostic practices. This involves learning about the training that professionals are receiving, what diagnostic practices are being implemented on the field, and whether those are being contextualized according to the Brazilian culture. Students with special needs are directly affected by the results of diagnostic practices, since identifying the individuals is one of the first steps. Lack of understanding about that stage may lead to the problematic realities of underidentification or overidentification, exclusion of children who should receive …

Enzyme Level N And O Isotope Effects Of Assimilatory And Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction, Lija Treibergs

Master's Theses

Nitrate N and O isotope distributions in the environment can be used to elucidate salient biogeochemical N transformations. In order to do so, it is necessary to know the isotopic imprints characteristic of respective N transformations, and to understand the underlying mechanisms that determine these patterns. In order to provide mechanistic constraints on the isotopic imprints associated with nitrate consuming processes, we measured the enzymatic N and O isotope effects (¹⁵ε and ¹⁸ε) imparted on nitrate by three types of nitrate reductase enzymes, including (a) a prokaryotic respiratory nitrate reductase, Nar, from the heterotrophic denitrifier Paracoccus …

Evaluation Of Biodegradability And Cell Functionality Of Injectable Glycol Chitosan Hydrogel, Aiswaria Padmanabhan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Ethnography Of Taste: Craft Beer Culture In Hattiesburg, Yingkun Hou

Master's Theses

This thesis studies the craft beer culture in Hattiesburg in order to answer the research question: Is taste what draws people to this culture? Beyond conducting classic participant-observation, I deployed the method of sensory activated participant-observation in my fieldwork. In so doing, this research centers the perspective and the data collected on the senses, especially the taste of craft beer. The purpose of this research is to add to our knowledge of the anthropology of the senses and contribute to the literature on the anthropology of taste.

Gods And Gurus In The City Of Angels: Aimee Semple Mcpherson, Swami Paramananda, And Los Angeles In The 1920s, Amy Hart

Master's Theses

This project focuses on two case studies as representative examples of Los Angeles’ progressive tolerance in the period of the 1920s: The Pentecostal mega-church of Aimee Semple-McPherson, and the Vedanta Ashram of Swami Paramananda. Both religious institutions opened in Los Angeles in 1923, just thirteen miles away from each other, and continued to thrive side-by-side throughout the twentieth century until present day. Each religious figure spoke to a part of the growing Los Angeles population: McPherson’s staunchly Christian, emotionally-driven, Hollywood-style ministry appealed to a large number of Los Angeles natives and newly-arrived immigrants, rocketing the emerging Pentecostal denomination into nationwide …

A Microfluidics Based Cell Culture Device With Controlled Temperature Gradient, Radhika Shiradkar

Master's Theses

Cell culture is an extensively used technique for studying the behavior and growth of cells in response to different conditions. Examining the effect of temperature variation on cells helps in understanding the characteristics of cancer cells and may help in developing therapeutic procedures. To study the effect of this variation, we propose to use a microenvironment with a programmable temperature gradient. Microfluidics based cell culture devices offer advantage of providing a controlled environment, effectively.

The study focuses on creating a microfluidic cell culture device with a controlled temperature gradient. The device consists of two components– a microchannel (18mm×6mm) that holds …

Saving Sex Slaves: The A21 Campaign And The Mobilization Of Christian Affect, Nicole Elizabeth Magee

Master's Theses

In this thesis, I argue that the A21 Campaign’s discourse mobilizes Christian affect to produce relational proximity between audience members and human trafficking victims. My study intervenes in related literature surrounding Burke’s (1969) idea of identification by acknowledging that discourse can invite audiences to feel relationally close to or empathetic with others in the absence of consubstantiation. Relying on Gould’s (2009) notion of the mobilization of affect, I contend that unconscious, Christian affective investments are mobilized within A21’s rhetoric through the covert deployment of evangelical tropes that register with Christians’ affective desires and encourage believers to act as Christ or …

Latino Youth With Spina Bifida: Psychosocial Functioning, Family Functioning, And Acculturation, Jaclyn M. Lennon

Master's Theses

Objective: Research on Latino youth with spina bifida (SB) is sparse. However, SB rates are highest in this ethnic group, and typically-developing (TD) Latino youth are at risk for poor psychosocial functioning. The aims of this study were to examine: (1) differences in psychosocial and family functioning between Latino and non-Latino Caucasian youth with SB; (2) family functioning as a predictor of youth psychosocial functioning as moderated by ethnicity; (3) the impact of acculturation on youth psychosocial and family functioning in Latino youth with SB. Methods: Participants were recruited as part of a larger, longitudinal study (Devine et al., 2012). …

Seeing Success: Biographies Of Low-Income Students, Julia M. Morrice

Master's Theses

The purpose of this narrative ethnographic study was to explore the success stories and lived experiences of six low-income students, utilizing an asset-based approach and attention to cultural wealth. Low-income students are less likely to attend college, and those that do are less likely to complete a degree. There is presently a lack of asset-based research that explores the successes of low-income students. A semi-structured interview protocol yielded biographical narratives of low-income students, which included discussions about identity and provided insight into the cultural wealth possessed by low-income students. In an effort to better understand the use of visual methodologies …

Exploring The Intersection Of Creative Practice Development And Second Language Acquisition In Adult Artists Professionally Connected To Seattle, Megan E. Deangelo

Master's Theses

Artists’ voices are disproportionately being excluded from international discourse because current English language education does not adequately serve this population of learners. This study was conducted as a catalyst for inquiry into the most effective ways artists acquire English so as to inform the development of curricula and programs to address their language learning needs. This study’s theoretical framework is created by Long’s (1981) interaction hypothesis and Skehan’s (1996) theory of task-based learning. The author proposes that artists’ English language learning experiences would be more fruitful if they were patterned after the interactions to which they are accustomed in their …

Assemblage Comparisons Of Living Benthic Foraminifera At Bathyal Sites Oiled And Un-Oiled By The Deepwater Horizon Blowout In The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico, Valerie Joanna Cruz

Master's Theses

Live benthic foraminiferal assemblages were studied at contaminated and uncontaminated bathyal sites around the wellhead of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Samples collected in October of 2010 and 2011 and summer of 2012 were divided into uncontaminated (GIP 12, 21, K, and 25 and Obs0), moderately oiled (GIP 16 and 17) and heavily oiled groups (GIP 15), in which the TPAH concentrations ranged from 29 to 7,553 ng/g in 2010. Metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and cluster analyses were conducted to compare all surface samples. Additionally, the heavily oiled site (GIP 15) and an uncontaminated site (GIP 25) were studied downcore …

De Gustibus Non Est Disputadem: The Culinary Arts, Ferran Adrià, And Documenta 12, Jean A. Nihoul

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Perceived Threat Of Secularism And Militancy Among Religious Fundamentalists, Chase Wilson

Master's Theses

Religious fundamentalism has been found to predict endorsement of aggressive counterterrorism techniques, such as the use of severe interrogations and pre-emptive military attacks (e.g. Barnes, Brown & Osterman, 2012). The present study tested whether a perceived increase in secularism constitutes a psychological threat to American religious fundamentalists, and thus increases endorsement of such counterterrorism tactics. Replicating previous research, religious fundamentalism was found to positively predict endorsement of aggressive counterterrorism techniques, even when controlling for ideology and party identification. Contrary to hypothesis, the secularism prime had no effect. An unpredicted finding of this study was that religious fundamentalism only related to …

Constructive Feedback In L2 Writing With Chinese High School Students In Taiwan, Chiawei Diane Yang

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lack of motivation in L2 writing of Chinese high school students in Taiwan. The subject of this study was to examine how age, culture, and the education system in Taiwan influenced students’ motivation in learning English writing. It provided insight about how academic environments influence students’ motivation in learning English, how teachers’ feedback shapes students’ learning attitudes, and effective ways to increase students’ motivation and self-esteem. The study utilized Krashen’s (1981) affective filter hypothesis and Dornyei’s (1994) three levels of motivation theory. Ten Taiwanese students participated in this study. All of …

Countering The Dreamer Narrative: Storytelling, Immigration Reform, And The Work Of 67 Sueños, Drew Schmenner

Master's Theses

Research question: How has the practice of storytelling been used in the current U.S. conflicts over immigration?

Telling an effective story is an essential part of a complex strategy to bring about social change, but storytelling as a part of collective action has not been extensively studied. For activists in the United States fighting for immigrant rights, especially the passage of the DREAM Act, storytelling has been an important tactic, but the nature of the narrative that was constructed has its drawbacks because it excluded some members of the immigrant community. In 2010, the Bay Area-based group 67 Sueños (“67 …

Experiences Of Immigration Among Women From Taiwan, Robert Johnston

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the transformative effects of immigration from the 1960s through the 2010s among women from Taiwan living in the County of Santa Clara. The study focused on three substantive areas: (1) early life experiences and factors leading to immigration; (2) shifts in social identities after leaving Taiwan (e.g., political, national, and ethnic self-concepts in various contexts); and (3) practices of child-rearing. Several methodological tools were employed during the data collection phase of the research process, including interviews, surveys, and participant observations. The findings of this study suggested a dynamic process of change in which informants adapted to, were …

Hip-Hop, Medellín And Social Change, Veronica Henao Posada

Master's Theses

This study explores the ways in which the Hip-hop movement is producing social change in Medellín, Colombia. Looking specifically at a Hip-hop school called Cuatro Elementos Skuela, which exists autonomously and with very little state support in the Medellín neighborhood of Aranjuez, I argue that young people are contributing to the reconstruction of the city’s social, cultural and economic fabric. I start by explaining the historical context of Medellín, describing the different sets of conflicts that unleashed high levels of violence and caused the fragmentation of the social, cultural and economic fabric. Moreover, I review the role of the …

Women And The Second Estate In 16th Century Zambezia: Gendered Powers, A 'Puppet' African Queen And Succession In Vakaranga Society, 1500–1700, George G. Levin

Master's Theses

Women in vaKaranga society of the 15th to 17th centuries have been portrayed as oppressed by an "extremely patriarchal" system, but the reality, while still fitting the simple classification of a 'patriarchal' monarchy, indicates quite a bit more negotiation of gendered powers than women, as a class, experienced in the Mediterranean or East Asia. The vaKaranga were the architects of Great Zimbabwe, the capital of a growing state, colonizing their cousins of the Zambezi river, which their Kusi-Mashariki Bantu forefathers had traversed southward a millennium before. Civil war had (apparently) split one nation into two states, Mutapa (Monomotapa) and Khami …

Effects Of Perceived Individualism-Collectivism And Self-Consciousness On The Self-Disclosure In Social Networking Sites, Hongliang Chen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Chronic Kidney Disease As A Modifier Of The Periodontitis-Associated Microbiome And The Response To Periodontal Therapy, Michel Araujo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Three Faces Of Destiny: An Analysis Of The Modern Medea Figure On The American Stage, Melinda M. Marks

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which three structural factors contained within three modern American adaptations of Euripides' Medea serve to enhance the dominant personality traits of the main character. The plays used in this study are Steve Carter's Pecong (1990), Cherrie Moraga's The Hungry Woman (2002), and Neil Labute's Medea Redux (1997). While each protagonist is a re-development of the original Medea, the personalities of each are distinctive to the world of their adaptations. There are three main ways in which the structure of each adaptation works to enhance certain emotional markers within the main character.

The first analysis …

The Media Is A Funhouse Mirror: Comparing Economic Interaction Issues In The U.S. And Chinese Media, Yiye Zhang

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

This project studied the differences between mainstream news reporting in the U.S. and China. I employed content analysis to analyze the major features of 427 news reports about the economic interaction between the two countries. The research focused on the key media frames in the two sets of news media, the factors that shaped these media frames, and the real meanings behind those reports. The study found both similarities and differences. The two sets of media showed significant differences in their reporting of news and events about economic issues in terms of the selection of topics, and the discourse …

The Globalization Of Cosmetic Surgery: Examining Bric And Beyond, Lauren E. Riggs

Master's Theses

What is driving the globalization of cosmetic surgery? Using BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries as a model, this master's thesis systematically identifies and analyzes (1) the origins of cosmetic surgery in historical, regional, and country-specific terms, and (2) examples of how cosmetic surgery has become normalized. As a result, clear patterns emerge in regards to: embedded power structures related to racism and war; the results of Western interests rapidly opening countries’ markets to high media and corporate influence—especially in the wake of political oppression and austerity; the exacerbation of pre-existing class, color, race, and gender prejudice by hyper-consumerism; the …

Validation Of The Self-Compassion Scale: Correlations With The Beck Depression Inventory-Ii, Pär Daniel Andréasson

Master's Theses

Self-compassion denotes a compassionate and empathic attitude toward oneself (Neff, 2003b). In the past decade, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) has been used to measure self-compassion in individuals and its effects on social, psychological, and physiological functioning. While many studies have found positive effects of high self- compassion showing promise for the use of the construct in clinical and empirical applications, there is a dearth of literature regarding the psychometric properties of the SCS. Furthermore, previous studies have not evaluated the individual subscales of the SCS as they relate to other inventories. This study evaluated the SCS and its subscales in …

The Relationship Between Liv-1 And E-Cadherin (Cdh1) In Prostate Cancer Cells, Lei Cao

Master's Theses

BACKGROUND

The zinc importer LIV-1 is widely distributed, mainly in hormonally controlled tissues. Attention has focused on its role in breast cancer, especially its regulation by estrogen and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its link to the Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) marker, E-cadherin (CDH1). EMT is important for tumor progression and metastasis. CDH1 expression is under complex control, including by two transcriptional repressors, Snail and Slug. Contrast to CDH1, elevated MMP-9 expression has been linked to increased metastasis and tumor stage.

METHODS

The role of LIV-1 in prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and DU145 was investigated. Cells were treated with or …

Bacterioplankton Production In The Western Mississippi Sound And The Role Of Photosynthetic Extracellular Release As A Driver Of Bacterial Production, Amy Michele Glover

Master's Theses

Bacterioplankton growth and metabolic activities are a vital component in structuring marine and estuarine ecosystems. In this study, bacterial production (BP) was investigated at two separate stations in the western Mississippi Sound (MS). One was an inshore site outside of the Bay of St. Louis and the other site was located in the transition zone (offshore) between the MS and Mississippi Bight, just south of Cat Island. Bacterial production (BP) was analyzed using the addition of ¹⁴C leucine to natural water samples. In addition, samples were augmented with algal exudates in order to investigate BP based on uptake of …