Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reef Restoration On Nitrogen Cycling In A Eutrophic Estuary., Michael Hassett

Master's Theses

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are functionally extinct in the urbanized Hudson-Raritan estuary (HRE) in New York City, however, oyster restoration is promoted to mitigate nitrogen (N) pollution via oysters' filtration and excretion. Seasonally, I took 12 sediment cores (45 cm2) adjacent to and 10 m away from a recently constructed reef in the HRE. Cores were incubated in flow-through chambers with site water containing (1) no amendments, (2) 15N-ammonium, or (3) 15N-nitrate, from which I calculated coupled nitrification-denitrification and direct denitrification as isotope-enriched N2. Coupled denitrification was minimal at all sites while direct denitrification was elevated near the reef, suggesting organic …

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). …

Positive Peer Pressure Among Black American Youth And The Roles Of Ethnic Identity And Gender, Dakari Quimby

Master's Theses

Peer pressure is a phenomenon that affects many youth due to the importance of peer relations during adolescence (Brinthaupt, 2002). Consequences associated with negative peer pressure have been well documented, but the extant literature on positive peer pressure is sparse though it may be an untapped source of positive development (Padilla-Walker & Bean, 2009). The current study examined whether positive peer association, a form of peer pressure involving the indirect modeling of behaviors, can have a role in promoting healthy youth development longitudinally among African American adolescents living in low-income, urban, high violence neighborhoods. A sample of 316 African American …

Tcr Modifications To Enhance Expression, Chain Pairing, And Antigen Recognition For Adoptive T Cell Transfer, Kendra Foley

Master's Theses

T cell receptor (TCR) gene modified T cells for adoptive T cell transfer therapy have been shown to have clinical success in treating melanoma and other malignancies by redirecting the specificity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to recognize tumor and/or viral associated antigens of choice. One of the challenges in using TCR gene modified T cells is the potential mispairing between endogenous and introduced alpha and beta TCR chains, allowing for unwanted off-target reactivity, autoimmunity, or impaired therapeutic efficacy. One approach to augment proper TCR chain pairing and to enhance T cell function involves the modification of the introduced TCR …

Social Policy Shifts And The Relationship Between Snap Workers And Their Clients, Latrese Annette Monden

Master's Theses

In an effort to better understand how federal social policy changes shape the ways in which public service workers assist their clients in obtaining food benefits through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, this study uses ethnography and interviews to capture the experiences of workers and their clients. Specifically, it examines how public service workers implement new policies while maintaining their professional identities and responding to the mission of their organization. These goals may be in tension. The key findings are that workers do not resist changes in policy because of the limitations of their job …

The Relation Between Implicit And Explicit Self-Esteem Predicting Inconsistent Parenting, Bethany Otto

Master's Theses

Recent research has begun to examine insecure high self-esteem, which is characterized by low implicit (unconscious) and high explicit (conscious) self-esteem. However, little work has investigated its possible origins. Examining its origins is important because empirical findings have linked insecure high self-esteem to defensiveness, narcissism, in-group bias (Bosson et al., 2003; Jordan et al., 2003; Trumpeter et al., 2008), and anxiety (Bos, Huijding, Muris, Vogel, and Biesheuvel 2010). The current research investigated the possible origin of insecure high self-esteem in inconsistent parenting based on relevant research and theories that link parenting to the development of implicit and explicit self-esteem. Contrary …

Health Care In The Us Department Of Veterans Affairs: Critical Issues And Strategic Progress, Kristin Nicole Sandoval

Master's Theses

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one of the largest executive departments in the nation, providing essential financial and medical assistance to veterans and their families. As the VA continues to evolve and grow it is imperative to understand the department’s current capability constraints and how they arose in order to propose effective methods for addressing current issues and overcoming future policy pitfalls. The most critical issues presently facing the VA concern appalling increases in wait-times and backlogs for services, which have emerged since 9/11 and are primarily the result of growing numbers of disabled veterans from …

Using Satellite Remote Sensing, Field Observations And Wrf/Single-Layer Urban Canopy Model Simulation To Analyze The Oklahoma City Uhi Effect, Hengyue Zhang

Master's Theses

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) was investigated using satellite data, ground observations, and simulations with an Urban Canopy Parameterization in a numerical weather prediction model. Satellite-observed surface skin temperatures at Xi’an City and Oklahoma City (OKC) were analyzed to compare the UHI intensity for the two inland cities. A larger population density and larger building density in Xi’an City creates a stronger skin-level UHI effect. However, ground observed 2-m surface air temperature (Tair) data showed an urban cooling island (UCI) effect that occurred over an urban region in OKC during the daytime of July 19, 2003.

The sensitivity and accuracy …

Effects Of Input Modality On Capturing Notes, Chaya Bijani

Master's Theses

The features of the smartphone make it an indispensible commodity of Western urban lifestyles. However, the most common problems of using a mobile device for work-related activities are limited screen space and poor input techniques. People in the workforce whose daily job entails being in a mobile environment generally prefer to carry light, mobile devices along with a pen and a notepad. The purpose of this study was to investigate optimal input modality for taking notes. The three modes of input evaluated were spoken notes, typing on the phone, and writing by hand using a pen and paper. The variables …

One County, Two Libraries: Watsonville And The Organizing Of The Santa Cruz County Library System, 1900-1930, David Robert Addison

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the creation of California’s Free County Library System during the Progressive Era. Previous histories of the topic have conveyed a partial picture of those involved in organizing county libraries, focusing on leaders at the state level, such as James L. Gillis and Harriet Eddy. Using Santa Cruz County as a case study, this thesis examines the overall process of organizing a county library system at the local level.

Primary source materials consulted include correspondence and publications from the California State Library, newspaper accounts from the time period, California Library Association meeting minutes, News Notes of California Libraries, …

The Moderating Role Of Perceived Organizational Support On The Relationship Between Bullying And Work Behaviors, Zakwan Salahieh

Master's Theses

Workplace bullying has been linked to many unfavorable outcomes that can be very costly to organizations. One way to minimize the impact of this negative behavior is through perceived organizational support (POS). Thus, researchers have called for more studies examining the joint effects of workplace bullying and POS on various outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether POS would moderate the relationship between workplace bullying and outcomes that are related to work behaviors and motivations, namely, organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and work engagement. A total of 224 individuals working in a variety of industries participated in an …

Chasing Rx: A Spatial Ethnography Of The Crossfit Gym, Matt Crockett

Master's Theses

CrossFit is a group fitness program that incorporates a variety of weightlifting and gymnastic movements performed at high intensities. Although there is growing research on CrossFit’s physiological and behavioral outcomes, few studies have qualitatively examined the program’s psychological and sociological characteristics. Drawing from Henning Eichberg’s (1998) work on spatial geography, this five-month ethnographic study examined the space and place of two San Francisco Bay Area CrossFit gyms as an introduction to a broader discussion on CrossFit subculture and evolving discourses about the body, health, and fitness. Specifically, three major themes about the CrossFit space emerged from the participant-observation data, including: …

Measuring Tsunami Exposure And Pedestrian Evacuation Potential For The City Of Alameda, California, Evacuation Playbook Phases, Jeffrey Peters

Master's Theses

A maximum tsunami inundation zone modeled by the California Geological Survey (CGS) is currently the basis for all tsunami evacuations in California, although CGS is developing Evacuation Playbooks of specific event-based evacuation phases. This report estimates population exposure for the Alameda, CA, Evacuation Playbook Phases since past U.S. Geological scientific reports estimated a large difference in numbers of Alameda residents in the maximum inundation zone when compared to an event-based inundation zone. A pedestrian evacuation analysis using an anisotropic, path distance model was also conducted to understand the time it would take for populations to reach high ground by foot. …

Paying For Your Crime: The Pay-To-Stay Jail Program In California, Carla Sue Schultz

Master's Theses

Many California cities have recently implemented pay-to-stay jail programs at the local level. Pay-to-stay programs provide a safe and private incarceration experience for those who can afford the nightly fee. This study provides a theoretical analysis of the pay-to-stay jail program in relation to mass incarceration and the ever-expanding prison economy. It examines pay-to-stay programs as a new method of stratified punishment, reproducing race and class oppression within the U.S. penal regime. A case study of the Fremont pay-to-stay program offers insight into the implementation, operation, and application process for inmates seeking segregation from general county jail populations. This study …

"They Going To Throw You In Jackson Where You Belong": Depictions Of Mental Disability In The Works Of William Faulkner And Flannery O'Connor, Marie Elizabeth Lawson

Master's Theses

Mentally disabled characters in the works of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor are often subjected to mistreatment, neglect, and violence at the hands of their families and communities. In William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury (1929) and The Hamlet (1940) and Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” (1955) and The Violent Bear it Away (1960), characters with mental disabilities are depicted in such a way as to evoke sympathy for the characters without the narratives overtly calling for sympathy. This is achieved through the juxtaposition of positive narrative portrayals with negative treatment by the characters’ …

Effects Of Stress On 9-1-1 Call-Takers And Police Dispatchers: A Study At The San Jose Police Department, Kimberly D. Turner

Master's Theses

This research addresses the significant gap in literature related to stress among 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers. The relationship between perceived stress and work-life balance, fairness at work, support at home, and work control as well as physiological and psychological outcomes is examined. Survey responses were collected during the summer of 2012 from 89 police 9-1-1 call-takers and radio dispatchers of the San José Police Department Communications Division in San José, California. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, I found those who enjoy a balance between work and personal life experience less stress. Also, greater stress is associated with more psychological and …

Effects Of Acute Exercise, Mindfulness Meditation, And Mindfulness Meditation Neurofeedback On Stroop Performance, Claire Evelyn Balgemann

Master's Theses

Empirical research has demonstrated that acute aerobic physical exercise, neurofeedback, and mindfulness meditation independently have positive effects on executive performance. Technology has enabled a new intervention that combines neurofeedback and mindfulness meditation; however its effects on executive function are unknown. The aim in the present study was to understand how executive function may be enhanced in healthy individuals. Forty-two participants were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: acute physical exercise, mindfulness meditation, or mindfulness meditation neurofeedback delivered via the Muse brain-sensing headband. Participants completed 50 trials of the Stroop task, a well-established measure of executive function. A statistically …

Assessing Lesbian Gay Bisexual Resistance In Core Team Sports, Kevin Edward Lynch

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine how sport and lesbian-gay-bisexual resistance intersect with economy, media, religion, politics, education, and race and whether those institutions reinforce the hegemonic masculinity gender construction embedded in sport. Through a review of literature, I explore whether the aforementioned institutions are incorporating sociologist Eric Anderson’s inclusive masculinity or whether they are stuck in the hegemonic form mainly in the core team sport of basketball, baseball, football and hockey. Also, I investigate if Allport’s contact hypothesis has played any role in the movement from hegemonic masculinity to inclusive masculinity. Religion, education, and economy all seem …

Walt Kuhn: From Spotlight To Studio, The Art Of Show Business, Emily May Mcewan-Upright

Master's Theses

Walt Kuhn, an American artist born in New York, is often overlooked for his contribution to Modern American Art. Kuhn is typically recognized for his organizational and curatorial role in the 1913 Armory Show, but he was also internationally known in his time for his paintings of show people and as a creative director for several vaudeville and circus acts over his lifetime. During his career as a creative director, Kuhn’s artwork evolved from superficial renderings of theatre scenes to psychologically intense tronies of performers. Kuhn and other American artists, including the Ashcan group and Edward Hopper, examined the relationship …

The Effects Of Robot-Child Interactions On Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Coordination, Kinga Palatinus

Master's Theses

Coordination is crucial throughout development, from motor development and language acquisition to children’s play and other social interactions. Based on the links between motor and social behavior, proper coordination should help children connect socially with others. Being part of a larger study investigating the effects of a multisystem intervention tool for children with ASD, this work examined the effect of robot-child interaction on interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination in typically developing children. 5-year-olds and 7 year-olds participated in a four-week training protocol, where children had to copy the movements of a small humanoid robot. Measures of cross recurrence quantification analysis revealed …

The Final Whistle: An In-Depth Analysis Of How Elite Transfer Student-Athletes Adapt To Life After Intercollegiate Sport, Julianne Hubbard

Master's Theses

Since elite intercollegiate student-athletes often elect to transfer institutions for reasons of athletic dissatisfaction, it was hypothesized that members of this population have strong, exclusive athletic identities, making the transition out of sport extremely troublesome. The following research study utilized a mixed-methods approach to examine the athletic retirement experiences of elite transfer intercollegiate student-athletes. Nine former NCAA Division I women’s soccer players provided quantitative and qualitative information regarding athletic identity, transferring, and retirement from elite sport. Using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) developed by Brewer et al. (1993), ‘at-risk’ individuals likely to have experienced negative transitions from sport were …

Bioremediation And Phytoremediation Systems For Breaking Down Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (Tph) In Contaminated Sandy Soil, Patrick Mcintosh

Master's Theses

Bioremediation and Phytoremediation Systems for Breaking Down Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in Contaminated Sandy Soil

ABSTRACT

The applications of bio- and phytoremediation systems were used to breakdown low-level total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in a contaminated sandy soil. The overall aim was to determine which soil regimes, amendments, and plant species enhance the breakdown of TPH. The first project included planted mixtures of cool and warm-season grasses with different willows, mono and intercropped with various fertilizer and carbon additions. The second project introduced different soil regimes of saturation, intermittent oxygenation, installment of aboveground covers, as well as the addition of switchgrass …

Refugee Resettlement And Family Reunification In Canada, Yohannes Kenningd Woonssi Sawassi Ys Sawassi

Master's Theses

This thesis addresses the plight of Sub-Saharan Africans who are now Canadians and are trying to settle in a new country in order to reunite with their family members. However, rather than assisting with process of resettlement, current Canadian policy has the opposite effect. It appears to create a route by which people can sponsor their loved ones, but in reality the nature of the process is arduous and filled with time delays, regulatory and processing issues and other kinds of difficulties. Consequently, what therefore appears as a hopeful situation ends up creating despair. This situation is particularly hard for …

Beyond The Economic: The Freedoms, Capabilities, And Social Capital Of Latin American Women Entrepreneurs In San Francisco, Melia M. Vilain

Master's Theses

In light of the scholarly debate surrounding the goals and mixed effects of development programs, particularly in recent years in relation to microfinance, this study investigates the effects of economic development programs on Latin American women entrepreneurs in San Francisco’s Mission District. It demonstrates that microfinance, when combined with education, can provide important non-economic benefits that contribute to increased freedoms and capabilities for immigrant women entrepreneurs. Drawing on qualitative interviews with ten business owners, as well as a review of the existing literature surrounding development, immigration, and gender, this research argues that owning a business in the US can produce …

Combating Hiv/Aids In Marginalized Communities: Papua And West Papua Provinces, Indonesia, Bani Cheema

Master's Theses

My study focuses on foreign aid and local initiatives for HIV/AIDS prevention in eastern Indonesia using the provinces of Papua and West Papua as a case study. The two provinces are home to indigenous tribal groups that are socioeconomically marginalized and most affected by the epidemic. My research investigates behavior change communication as a principal strategy undertaken by multiple organizations for HIV/AIDS prevention in this region. I take a qualitative approach by examining the effectiveness of this strategy in local communities and by revealing social and cultural barriers that impede success. Obstacles that negatively impact prevention efforts include structural violence, …

Parenting Stress In Parents Of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Role Of Child Characteristics And Social Support, Lauren D. Haisley

Master's Theses

The current study drew on the Double ABCX model of stress to explore the relationship between parenting stress in parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and factors contributing to heightened levels of stress. Specifically child characteristics, pile-up demands, external resources and parent perception were examined in cross-sectional samples of parents of children 2 (Time 1), 4 (Time 2) and 8 (Time 3) years of age. Additionally a comparison sample of parents of 2 year olds with a developmental delay (DD), and two longitudinal subsamples (2-4 and 4-8) were utilized. Prior to the child’s diagnosis (Time 1), parenting …

Impact Of Leaflet Material On Transcatheter Aortic Valve Function, Andrea Mandragouras

Master's Theses

There has been a huge push in the medical device industry to make the current transcatheter aortic valves (TAV) smaller. This would shift some patients who are receiving transapical access site which is in the heart to the transfemoral site which is in the leg. With a decreased hospital stay, and higher endpoint safety transfemoral is typically preferred. Some patients are forced to receive the transapical approach because of the small arteries in their leg and the size of the device. The current TAVs leaflets are made from thick porcine or bovine pericardium which causes the bulkiness in the device. …

A Master Plan For Riverside Park, New London, Connecticut: A Case Study Of The Project And An Evaluation Of Its Service Learning Component, Madeline Rose Schad

Master's Theses

The Community Research and Design Collaborative (CRDC) is the outreach organization of the University of Connecticut's Landscape Architecture Program. This project, performed by CRDC, took place in Riverside Park which is located in the northern portion of New London, Connecticut. It began with developing a master plan for the park. During the master plan development, an issue with the stormwater system at the adjacent Winthrop Elementary School came to light. A study was performed in order to develop a solution to the problem that could be incorporated into the master plan for the park. Throughout the project, a series of …

Recruitment Patterns Of The Fouling Community On Eelgrass In Long Island Sound, Diana Lancaster

Master's Theses

The seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) is typically found in shallow protected areas of portions of eastern Long Island Sound (LIS). Although the species and its associated ecosystem have been well studied in many places, work in LIS has been limited. A field study was conducted to assess the fouling communities associated with eelgrass beds around Pine Island, in eastern LIS. Samples were collected from four sites between July and October, 2011. A total of 15 species of fouling organisms were found on eelgrass leaves throughout the study period. Recruitment patterns varied spatially and temporally. Differences in the composition of fouling …

Seasonal Variation Of Milk In Central Valley California And The Association Of Milk Variation With The Composition And Texture Of Low Mositure Part Skim Mozzarella, Vaideki Jai

Master's Theses

The chemical composition of milk (specifically casein, fat, and calcium) is known to affect the quality and functional properties of Mozzarella cheese. Therefore, concentrations of total nitrogen, casein nitrogen, non-casein nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen, true nitrogen, casein nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio, casein nitrogen to true nitrogen ratio, fat, total calcium, total solids, somatic cells, and pH were measured in silo milk samples collected weekly over 18-months from a large dairy plant in Central Valley, California from July 2008 to December 2009 to verify changes and correlate to low moisture part skim Mozzarella (LMPS) characteristics. LMPS mozzarella cheese from the same …