Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Self-Practice Qigong On Strength Gains And Wellbeing During Off-Season Training For Fall Sport Athletes, Christopher Shawn White

Master's Theses

The use of mind-body therapies, such as Tai Chi, yoga, Qigong, and meditation are frequently reported as a means of coping with anxiety and depression. Despite these findings, there is little knowledge of Qigong exercise being able to impact elite athlete’s physical and mental states during off-season training. Purpose: Determine the efficacy of Qigong to facilitate strength gains and wellbeing in collegiate anaerobically trained athletes. Methods: Seventy-three athletes (47 M, 26 F, 18-22 years) volunteered to participate in a Qigong exercise group or standard care group. Strength gains were measured through a vertical jump test and a 3 RM front …

Self-Presentation And Social Media: A Qualitative Examination Of The Use Of Instagram By Amateur Npc Female Figure Competitors, Victoria Michelle Lupinetti

Master's Theses

Mainstream media representations of women have shaped the concepts of femininity and have influenced the way women view and present themselves in various contexts. Erving Goffman’s (1959) Theory on Self-Presentation described how individuals perform roles to project a desired impression to others. Currently, social media platforms allow women to share their lives and interests with a wide-reaching audience. Within this historic context, the purpose of this study was to examine the lives and experiences of amateur female figure competitors who represented themselves and their interests in fitness via photographs on Instagram.

Eight women who shared their fitness journeys on social …

Global Leadership Effectiveness: The Predictive Value Of Cognitively Oriented Competencies, Silma E. Lange

Master's Theses

Global leadership is becoming increasingly important in multinational companies as well as in non-profit and public sectors. The purpose of this study was to investigate what makes a global leader effective, by identifying key predictors of global leadership effectiveness. The predictors investigated in this study included a combined measure of overall intercultural global leadership competency and selected cognitively oriented competencies: nonjudgmentalness, inquisitiveness, tolerance of ambiguity and cosmopolitanism. The sample consisted of 171 undergraduate and graduate students from a large university. Linear and multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the ability of the competencies to predict effectiveness. Inquisitiveness was the …

Structure, Construction, And Geochemistry Of The Highly Elongate, Cretaceous Seven-Fingered Jack Pluton In The Devil's Smokestack Area, North Cascades, Washington, Scott William Elkins

Master's Theses

This thesis provides an analysis of magmatic structures and geochemistry from a portion of the mid-crustal, ~92-90 Ma Seven-Fingered Jack pluton, North Cascades, Washington. The study area was divided into three separate domains. Rocks in the northern domain (~9 km2) are characterized by N-NNW- trending, moderately to steeply plunging magmatic folds that reflect regional shortening. The central (~3 km2) and southern (~3.5 km2) domains are structurally homogeneous and contain a dominant NW-striking magmatic foliation. Schlieren are locally developed, several meters long, thin (cm-scale), and strike NW and dip steeply to the NE. Field data indicate the pluton is constructed of …

Longitudinal Distribution And Summer Diurnal Microhabitat Use Of California Red-Legged Frogs (Rana Draytonii) In Coastal Waddell Creek, Neil Keung

Master's Theses

Habitat use by federally threatened California Red-Legged Frogs (CRLF; Rana draytonii) is incompletely understood. I captured, PIT-tagged, and radio-tracked CRLFs (n = 20) at Waddell Creek, Santa Cruz County, from July–December 2012. Limited tracking for movements was also conducted in 2013. Frogs were clumped in deep, complex habitats along the stream within 2 km of breeding ponds near the stream mouth, but most adults were concentrated in the lagoon. Marked and tracked frogs had very small summer home ranges, and most returned to the same home range after breeding. Frogs tended to use good aquatic (e.g., wood, undercut banks, dense …

Gender Differences In Stress, Alcohol Consumption, And Cigarette Use Among College Students At San José State University, Thomas Farleigh

Master's Theses

Stress, alcohol consumption, and cigarette use represent three considerable threats to the mental and physical health within this country. Learning more about the prevalence and predictors of these threats in young adults may aid the development of programs to reduce the deleterious effects of these threats as young adult's age. A vast amount of research has been done to examine the possible association between stress and substance use in college students, but given the diversity of college students across the US, more research is needed targeting specific college campuses. This study did so with regard to a sample of students …

The Development Of A Small Scale Wind Tunnel Simulating The Atmospheric Boundary Layer, Maximillian Hobson-Dupont

Master's Theses

There has been much success in atmospheric boundary layer simulation with medium sized closed-circuit wind tunnels with test section dimensions of approximately 1 x 1 m. However, smaller, blower-type wind tunnels are more common in university laboratories due to the lower cost and smaller space requirements. A small size, open flow wind tunnel with a 1 x 1 foot test section was modified to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer with a combination of upstream spires and cubic roughness elements. The primitive spire geometry detailed in the literature was found to yield poor agreement with the power law velocity profile of …

Examination Of Employee Alignment As A Predictor Of Work Engagement, Troy Stephen Pasion-Caiani

Master's Theses

Work engagement, which is defined as a positive affective-motivational state of fulfillment in workers, characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption in a work role, has been shown to produce many benefits for both individuals and organizations. In the present study, employee alignment was introduced as an additional personal resource measuring employees' attitudes and beliefs toward their organization, their leaders, and the mission, vision, and goals of their organization. Using a sample of 1,510 employees, this study examined perceived organizational support (POS), supportive leader behavior, and employee alignment as predictors of work engagement. Furthermore, this study tested the incremental validity of …

Synthesis Of A Ditopic Verdazyl Ligand And Investigation Of Its Coordination To Transition Metals, Erik Charles Johnson

Master's Theses

The goal of this research project was to prepare a self-assembled grid complex with a ditopic bis-verdazyl ligand and nickel(II) ions. A verdazyl is a relatively stable type of organic free radical in which the unpaired electron is delocalized over four nitrogen atoms. The ditopic verdazyl ligand was synthesized in six steps, and its coordination to metal ions, in particular Ni2+, was investigated. The hypothesized complex of the ligand with Ni2+ is potentially functional as a molecular magnet due to the free radical nature of the ligand; hence, the complex could be useful for information storage. The ligand was definitively …

Asylia And Peer Polity Interaction In The Hellenistic Period, Kathleen Ann Kirsch

Master's Theses

This thesis proposes that the Peer Polity Interaction Theory can explain the spread of the civic title of territorial asylia (inviolability) in the Hellenistic period. The Greeks had always considered sacred space to be inviolable; thus there was no apparent need to acquire a separate title of inviolability. During the Hellenistic period, however, ambassadors canvassed the Greek world for recognition of asylia, and acceptances were inscribed in stone and placed in highly visible places. It was clearly a particularly sought after title.

By surveying the primary epigraphic and numismatic sources and examining asylia in the context of the Peer Polity …

Modeling Black Bear-Vehicle Collision Zones In Yosemite National Park, Katie Elaine Rodriguez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify road and habitat characteristics associated with black bear-vehicle collisions in Yosemite National Park and to suggest proper mitigations to reduce their occurrence. Black bear-vehicle collision data collected by Yosemite National Park staff between 1995 and 2011 were used to identify variables associated with collisions. Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software was used to map and split Yosemite roads into 1 km segments. After measuring road and bear habitat-related variables along each road segment, logistic regression analyses showed that segments with collisions were associated with crossing sites, understory vegetation, curves, close proximity to …

Reviving Mesopotamia: Genocide And The Preservation Of Cultural Heritage In The Nationalist Music Of William Daniel (1903-1988), Rashel Pakbaz

Master's Theses

Once an illiterate Christian community suppressed by its Muslim neighbors, the Mesopotamian population in Persia benefitted from the American missionaries establishing schools and hospitals that helped their culture and language flourish in the late 1800s. Their survival as a people and a culture was threatened, however, when the Muslim Ottoman Empire began the Christian Genocide in Eastern Anatolia during World War I. As a survivor of these horrific events, composer William Daniel (1903-1988) felt the need to preserve and promote Mesopotamian culture through music, and as a Western trained musician, he successfully developed a nationalist style of music based on …

The Sorcerer King, Jennifer San Filippo

Master's Theses

THE SORCERER KING is a musical stage adaptation of Charles Perrault’s fairytale

“Bluebeard." In a kingdom loosely based on eighteenth-century France, young courtier Catherine unwittingly falls for King Damien, the young monarch whose wife mysteriously disappeared years ago. Meanwhile, peasant Anne, Catherine’s friend, secretly plots a rebellion against whom she perceives as a cruel and apathetic king. As Catherine and Damien’s relationship quickly culminates in marriage, political tensions between the rich and poor rise. Catherine must confront the patriarchal barriers of her station as queen, as well as her own naiveté, to prevent civil war—and learn the truth about her …

Beasts Of Flight, Brian Wood

Master's Theses

Beasts of Flight is a set of thirteen short stories connected by themes of personal impotence and the dysfunction of sexual relationships.

Some stories are bizarre. The title piece, “Beasts of Flight,” explores systemic hatred and fear through the eyes of a talking parrot. In “I Should Exit My Home When the Costume Party Causes Paralysis of the Brain,” the host of a Halloween party is frozen by the mask of one of his guests. “The Joytime Killbox” details a city’s obsession with staring down the the barrel of a loaded gun. Crossing into sacrilege, “The Book of Smote,” is …

Investigation Of Population Structure And Distribution Of The Invasive Bryozoan Watersipora Species Along The California Coast Using Nuclear And Mitochondrial Dna, Darren James Wostenberg

Master's Theses

This study combined microsatellite nuclear DNA analysis with cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) mitochondrial DNA analysis to evaluate coastal population structure, environmental factors influencing population distribution, and the potential for hybridization among coexisting Watersipora haplogroups along the California coast. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of the COI gene identified three haplogroups: W. subtorquata clade A, W. subtorquata clade B, and W. new species. Analyses resulted in seven haplotypes for haplogroup clade A, and a single haplotype in each haplogroup clade B and new species. Microsatellite data indicated the greatest source of genetic variation in the two species examined (W. subtorquata and W. …

Petrology And Sequence Stratigraphy Of A Portion Of The Lost Burro Formation, Death Valley, California, Rachel Unger

Master's Theses

An in-depth study of a 9.6-m interval within the Lost Burro Formation, exposed in Death Valley National Park, California, was undertaken in order to ascertain whether or not the banding within the unit represents systematic changes in the depositional environments. In the course of this study, 57 thin sections were made and examined, resulting in the identification of six Standard Microfacies (SMFs) in the measured section. The carbonate rocks were interpreted to preserve a range of environments from shallow subtidal normal marine environments, lagoons or restricted marine environments, and tidal channels to intertidal flats, upper intertidal ponds and supratidal flats. …

The Investigation Of The Low Temperature Combustion Of Mesitylene And Tert-Amyl Methyl Ether By Synchrotron Photoionization Mass Spectrometry, Martin Yu-Hin Ng

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the combustion experiments performed at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) located at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories (LBNL). The need for renewable fuel sources, the need for the study of their combustion in the contexts of homogenous charge combustion ignition (HCCI) engines can be found in Chapter 1. The components of the experimental set-up used throughout this thesis—time-of-flight mass spectrometer, Excimer laser, vacuum pumps and other components—and the components of ALS responsible in synchrotron radiation generation and processing—the linear accelerator, the booster ring, insertion devices, gas filters and monochromator are explained in …

Institutionalizing Urban Agriculture Can Provide More Than Hope For Poor San Franciscans: An Analysis Of The Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone Act (Uaiz), Rania Ahmed

Master's Theses

Cities have turned to urban agriculture (UA) as a means of revitalizing neighborhoods and addressing unmet food needs of urbanites. Farming the city has gained momentum and has become an important force in urban social landscapes and economics. UA has also sparked debates about the appropriate development of highly valuable private spaces. In 2014, the City of San Francisco created a tax incentive to encourage owners to use undeveloped private properties in UA. This tax incentive represents the political prioritization of UA as legitimate land use in San Francisco with the possible purposes of either meeting a pressing residential need …

Terpyridine Functionalized Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticles (Ddsn) For Detection Of Metal Ions, Jonathan J. Liu

Master's Theses

In an effort to synthesize a novel silica nanoparticle platform for the fluorescent sensing of metal ions and future use in QDA, we synthesized from the bottom up a novel 2, 2’: 2’, 6- terpyridine functionalized fluorescein doped silica nanoparticle system capable of the sensitive detection of Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺. To further probe the properties of our nanoparticle system, we substitute the fluorescein dye of rhodamine and have observed differences in the selectivity and sensitivity of the system indicative of the potential customizability of the system. Initial QDA results on the fluorescein system suggest that while the …

Crowded Out: The Effect Of Sex Ratios On The Sex Worker Labor Market And Migration In India, Michael Dickerson

Master's Theses

India’s skewed sex ratios have lead to the destruction of marriage markets in many villages as well as an increase in violence against women. This paper examines how India’s distorted sex ratios effects the migration of sex workers. By using a modified gravity model of migration the results in this paper indicates that an over supply of sex workers in a local market leads to a crowding out effect, and pushes the women to migrate to districts with more men than women. This paper contributes to the literature by bringing more clarity to how the labor market impacts the decisions …

The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment On Labor Market Measures: Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa, David A. Mayom

Master's Theses

There is scant literature examining the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and labor market measures in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. This paper explores the effect of FDI on the labor market measures using panel data of 48 Sub-Saharan African Countries from 1991 to 2009. The result indicates that FDI has a positive and significant effect on employment implying that an increase in the inflow of FDI is associated with higher employment. Thus, Sub-Saharan African governments should strongly consider poverty alleviation and employment policies that encourage and direct FDI to the industries where it can significantly reduce unemployment.

Gender Bias In Microlending: Do Opposites Attract?, Kanyinsola Adepoju

Master's Theses

This study exploits a quasi-random assignment of clients to loan officers using a unique database and survey from a large microfinance bank in Nigeria to show that opposite-sex preferences affect credit demand and supply. We find that clients matched to loan officers of the opposite gender are more likely to receive credit and are more likely to return for an additional loan with the credit lender.

Goal Setting, Self-Help Groups, And Incentives As A Poverty Alleviation Strategy: Evidence From Field Experiments In Indonesia, Colombia And Ethiopia, Sherefedin K. Nuri

Master's Theses

Abstract: This study uses randomized field experiments conducted in Indonesia, Colombia and Ethiopia to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of goal-setting, self-help groups, and incentives as a poverty alleviation strategy. The experiment in each country had subjects randomly assigned to one of the five groups: 1) goal setting “goal”, 2) goal setting and group “group”, 3) goal setting and incentives “incentives”, 4) goal setting, group and incentives “FII” and 5) control group. Results show that the “goal” treatment has a positive and significant effect on income in Indonesia, the “incentives” treatment resulted in a positive and significant effect on …

Electrolyte Effects On The Kinetics Of Comproportionation Electron-Transfer Reactions And On Intervalence Charge-Transfer Band Energies Of Binuclear Ruthenium Ammine Complexes, Zhiji Han

Master's Theses

Chapter 1 describes an overview of electron-transfer reactions. The kinetic equations for ET reactions have also been described in detail.

Chapter 2 describes a series of novel kinetic accelerations which deviate strongly from the predictions of the classical Debye-Huckle theory with a range of different added “inert” electrolytes. The greater catalytic effects seen with the heavier halides and other catalytic electrolytes (especially certain dicarboxylates) indicate an important role for hole-transfer superexchange in the ET transition state. The hypothesis of a catalytic ternary association complex, [RuII--X--RuIII] has also been explored by kinetic modeling of the reaction. An increasing ratio of anion-catalyzed …

Chutes And Ladders: Climate Variability And The Decision To Enter Sex Work In India, Kate Pennington

Master's Theses

There is widespread consensus that climate change will drive large-scale changes in poverty distributions, migration, and participation in risky informal labor markets, especially for poor households in developing countries which are both more likely to depend on the environment for their livelihood and less able to insulate against climate shocks. Within poor households, gender inequality means that women and children will bear a disproportional amount of welfare losses. I examine the impact of climate variability on migration and participation in risky informal labor markets for a particularly vulnerable population: female sex workers in India. Using a unique survey of 5,498 …

Investigations Of Thioether Generation For S-D-Ribosyl-L-Homocysteine Synthesis, Brendan Corcoran

Master's Theses

Creation of the thioether linkage is a fundamental step for the chemical preparation of the bacterial quorum sensing molecule S-D-ribosyl-L-homocysteine (SRH). Although previous preparations of SRH and its analogues have been reported in the literature, they employ assorted methods with varied results. Therefore, a reassessment of the methodology used for synthetic preparation of the thioether bond in SRH-like molecules is here considered. This work examines four methods of thioether generation following two mechanisms, bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (S_N2) and radical-initiated thiol-ene coupling, in an attempt to generate SRH in a more efficient and reproducible manner. Both mechanisms address …

The Relevance Of Economic, Institutional And Cultural Determinants For Venture Capital Investments. A Us-Europe Comparison., Nadja Benes

Master's Theses

This study analyzes the determinants of early-stage VC investments by identifying characteristics in the economic, institutional, as well as cultural framework that could explain the diverging levels of early-stage VC investments across countries. Data was assembled for 16 countries during the period from 1995 until 2013. The results indicate that countries that are more open to trade are associated with higher levels in early-stage venture capital. A higher unemployment rate negatively affects a country’s level of early-stage VC funds. Higher R&D expenditures as a proxy for the technological and innovation capacity in a country as well as a higher value …

The Impact Of Migration And Remittances On Children's Education In El Salvador, Philip H. Jakob

Master's Theses

The effect that migrant remittances have on school enrollment is a challenging relationship to empirically define, requiring both an analysis of the circumstances that lead a household member to emigrate from their home and equally, but not always independently, how the family makes investment decisions in the education of one or more of their children. This study presents a new strategy to determine the nature of this relationship for households in El Salvador, using a 2SLS estimation with a wealth-stratified panel constructed from household survey data over a nine-year period. Employing this methodology to estimate the combined effects of both …

Unintended Consequences Of Enforcement In A Fisheries Institution: Results From An Artefactual Experiment In Tanzania, Spencer Maccoll

Master's Theses

Overfishing and the destruction of fishing commons in developing countries is a growing problem. Policymakers and local community leaders are looking for solutions to keep their fishing commons sustainable. Fines and enforcement mechanisms are commonly suggested to help preserve the commons. This paper discusses a novel artefactual experiment conducted throughout several fishing communities in Tanzania to determine the effect of enforcing a ban on illegal fishing gear on fishing behavior. Results indicate that the fishers in the enforcement treatment group depleted the fish stock significantly faster than the unenforced control group. One possible explanation for this result is that the …

Consumption Smoothing And Labor Supply Allocation Decisions: Evidence From Tanzania, Dustin Davis

Master's Theses

This paper tests the hypothesis that agricultural households engage in intermittent wage labor as a way to smooth consumption in the face of idiosyncratic shocks to agricultural income. Using data on agricultural households from the Tanzanian LSMS-ISA National Panel Survey and global commodity price data as a source of plausibly exogenous variation, the sensitivity of wage labor to farm income shocks is estimated. The idiosyncratic shock to post-harvest income is estimated by incorporating pre-harvest information, including local farm-gate prices as instrumented by global commodity prices. The results show that households are more likely to select into wage labor and work …