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Nitrogen Isotopes In The Measurement Of N2-Fixation And The Estimation Of Denitrification In The Global Ocean, Richard Dabundo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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, …

Improving Performance And Energy Efficiency Of On-Chip Memory Systems, Menglong Guan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Preschoolers’ Emotion Regulation: Maternal Perspectives On Tantrums And Emotion Regulation, Alicia J. Leland

Master's Theses

Emotion regulation begins to develop in young children and is likely influenced by early caregiver relationships. Emotion regulation is necessary during conflict situations; for children, this may arise as a temper tantrum. Children and caregivers must both utilize emotion regulation strategies during tantrum situations in order to restore emotions to a calm level. The current study looked at maternal perspectives on children’s emotion regulation. Mothers completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist, which measures a child’s emotion regulation, and responded to open-ended questions about their child’s tantrum experiences in order to examine strategies used by mothers and children during tantrum episodes. A …

Into The Red: A Look Into The Reasons Why Refugees Decide To Flee, Settle Or Migrate To And From Morocco, Fadeelah E. Holivay

Master's Theses

This research paper explores some of the main reasons why refugees and asylum seekers, particularly from sub-Saharan African countries, embark on a journey and decide to settle, flee or migrate to and from Morocco. Because of this phenomenon, Morocco has seen a 96% increase of refugees migrating to the borders of Morocco each year for the past three years. Many say that this astonishing increase of migrants choosing Morocco is due to such factors as: wars breaking out regionally across central African and Middle Eastern countries causing them to flee; Morocco being a culturaly diverse francophone country whose laws and …

Exhibition, Featuring, Catherine Duggan

Master's Theses

Exhibition, Featuring is a collection of poems inspired by art, life, and history intertwined with the very center of humanness, convergence of heart and brain. The poems assembled here attempt to recreate the sensation of memory and remembering, and at times, trying to forget. Concerned with language and the ways in which we communicate with others, the lines weave in and out of conversation, evoking daily interac­tions and thoughts carried within us, continuous as breathing. The collection is divided into five parts, each establishing a variance of the whole—all parts a harmony. The reader will discover formal poetry, poems evoking …

A Comparison Between High-Risk And Low-Risk Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kathryn Bradbury

Master's Theses

Due to the elevated recurrence rates in high-risk younger siblings of children with ASD, the population is frequently used to examine early ASD symptomatology. However, the representative nature of this population compared to the general population of children with ASD is unknown. Previous research also suggests that parents of children with ASD raise concerns about the development of subsequent children earlier than first-time parents or parents of typically developing children. Whether an actual discrepancy exists in the attainment of milestones in these populations has not yet been assessed. The current study proposes to compare high- and low-risk children with ASD …

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 …

Dynamical X-Ray Diffraction From Arbitrary Semiconductor Heterostructures Containing Dislocations, Paul Rago

Master's Theses

High-resolution x-ray diffraction is a valuable non-destructive tool for the structural characterization of semiconductor heterostructures, and measured diffraction profiles contain information on the depth profiles of strain, composition, and defect densities in device structures. Much of this information goes untapped because the lack of phase information prevents direct inversion of the diffraction profile. A common practice is to use dynamical simulations in conjunction with a curve-fitting procedure to extract the profiles of strain and composition in the depth of the material. Prior to this work, the dynamical simulations have been based on perfect, dislocation-free laminar crystals, and this renders the …

Examining The Role Of Dax-1 In Regulation Of Cell Proliferation In Human Breast Cells, Amy E. Scandurra

Master's Theses

DAX-1 is a member of the Nuclear Hormone Receptor superfamily and acts as a transcriptional repressor. DAX-1 plays an important role in the development of adrenal and gonadal tissues. In addition to its role in normal cell development and differentiation, DAX-1 appears to have some influence on the progression of cancer. This work aims to examine the role of DAX-1 in regulation of proliferation in breast cancer. In our study, we have expressed DAX-1 in a DAX-1 deficient breast cancer cell line as well as knocked down DAX-1 expression in normal DAX-1 positive breast cells. Through these experiments, we were …

Experimental Studies Of Turbulent Local Extinction, Marc D. Schneider

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Tensile Behavior Of Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete And Reinforcement Bar, Corey P. Hollmann

Master's Theses

Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) is a very resilient material with improved compressive and tensile strength, toughness, durability, and corrosion resistance compared to conventional concretes. Although there is high interest in using this material in the construction industry, the lack of design standards and standardized test methods limit the implementation and application. One critical knowledge gap is seen in understanding the tensile behavior of UHPFRC in combination with steel reinforcement bars. The objective of this research is to fill this knowledge gap. In particular special emphasis has been laid on investigating the effect of fiber volume fraction and …

Migration, Global Middle Class, And Professional Development: How Chinese Graduate Students In The U.S. Re-Establish A Sense Of Selfhood, Sylvia Shi Pu

Master's Theses

Transnational migration inevitably leads to destabilization of identity. Groups with different characteristics adopt varied strategies to restabilize a sense of selfhood. Elite global migrants, well-equipped with economic, cultural, and educational capital, tend to embrace a cosmopolitan lifestyle in the new location (Favell 2008). In contrast, migrant workers with limited human capital depend on their national peers for useful information and resources in order to make smooth transition across borders (Brown 2011). However, the case of the elite Chinese student migrants fits into neither of the trajectories. In regaining a sense of personhood, those global middle-class migrants end up in a …

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 …

Barriers To Adoption Of Methane Digester Technology On California Dairies, Desiree Lee Libarle

Master's Theses

The goal of this research was to analyze the barriers to adoption of methane digesters on California dairies. Methane digesters have long existed as a technology in the dairy industry, both in the United States and abroad. Much research has been done to attest to the viability and economic sustainability of methane digesters; however in 2014, there were 26 dairies in California that have methane digesters installed, and of these, only 17 of those were still in operation, according to the USEPA AgStar Anaerobic Digester Database. Hence, the question remains, as to why this technology has not been widely adopted …

The Queer And The Bodily: Explorations Of Power In Women's Visionary Writing In The Book Of Margery Kempe 2014, Jayne Emerson Stacconi

Master's Theses

The provocative Book of Margery Kempe is a seminal text in the history of female authorship. Claiming to be the first written autobiography, The Book serves as a literary representation of womanhood during the late fourteenth to the fifteenth centuries when Margery was writing, and also speaks to circulating medieval discourses of religion, pilgrimage, and sexuality. Participating in medieval women’s visionary writing as a genre, Margery’s visionary power is a tool by which she is able to emancipate herself from the limiting roles of wife and mother. Additionally, by working within the conventions of visionary writing, Margery is able to …

Relative Expression Of Germination Genes Sleb, Gerac, And Gpr In Heat Treated Bacillus Licheniformis And Bacillus Subtilis, Valerie Paige Arechiga

Master's Theses

Endospore-forming bacteria of the genus Bacillus are of significant importance to the food industry. Species from this genus exhibit the ability to form metabolically dormant endospores characterized by resistance to heat, UV, and chemical treatment. Spores have undetectable metabolic activity and remain impervious to the harsh conditions of their environment, but they can detect environmental cues signaling favorable growth conditions and begin the process of germination. Once germination and outgrowth are complete, the fully viable cell is capable of reproducing and forming colonies. The resistance of these endospores has been a topic of decades of research, particularly because of their …

A Case Study On The Apple Hill Grower's Association: An Agritourism Area In Camino, Ca, Christine J. Delfino

Master's Theses

The current research is a case study on the Apple Hill Grower’s Association (AHGA). The purpose of this case study was to gain a full understanding of the AHGA with a focus on the economic and social motivations of the original farmers to bring tourism to the farm. A majority of the past research on agritourism involves quantitative studies that are survey based; this study gives qualitative research perspective based on focus groups and personal interviews. In addition, past research is focused on other states (i.e. Michigan, Missouri, Montana) and countries (i.e Italy and Australia). This case study adds research …

Photobioreactor Design For Improved Energy Efficiency Of Microalgae Production, Alexander Burns

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Photobioreactor Design for Improved Energy Efficiency of Microalgae Production

Alexander Burns

The objective of this research was to investigate a new photobioreactor (PBR) design for microalgae production that retains the typical advantages of existing tubular PBRs while reducing power consumption by providing simultaneous culture circulation and gas exchange with airlift alone and no centrifugal recirculating pump. Traditional tubular PBR designs feature a compressed air supply and a centrifugal pump for culture circulation and gas exchange. Circulation and gas exchange in a closed-system PBR is necessary to keep the algae suspended and to provide sufficient mass transfer (mainly for the …

Spatial And Temporal Comparisons Of Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes Carnatus) Life History And Condition In South Central California, Natasha Leigh Meyers-Cherry

Master's Theses

Recent studies have shown environmental factors influence life history traits in fishes. Understanding intraspecific variability of life history characteristics and condition is necessary to determine local fisheries management strategies. Gopher rockfish, Sebastes carnatus, comprise 50% of the estimated shallow nearshore recreational rockfish catch in California, yet insufficient local data exist regarding life history traits and condition of this species. Our study locally defines growth parameters (maximum size and age), size (age) at reproductive maturity, and condition (hepatosomatic indices) for gopher rockfish in south central California. The growth parameter values of gopher rockfish from our study are similar to previously …

Tools For Financing Local Bicycle And Pedestrian Improvements: Moving From Planning To Implementation In A Fiscally Constrained Environment, Elissa Mcdade

Master's Theses

Communities across the United States, of all sizes, have accepted that maintaining the automobile-centric design of their cities is not a sustainable way to plan for the future growth, public health or safety of their cities or citizens. As a result, communities have begun to embrace a shift in their design and engineering standards to allow for pedestrian and bicycle friendly facilities that safely accommodate and encourage mode choice. Through the collective will of the public and city leadership, communities are rapidly moving toward implementing plans and design standards that re-establish the public right of way as safe and accessible …

A Performance Study And Characterization Of A Single Use Pharmaceutical Vibrational Mixer Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Michael C. Eichermueller

Master's Theses

A single use pharmaceutical mixer was analyzed for performance with various system configurations using Computational Fluid Dynamics. The analysis was conducted across a range of oscillation frequencies and liquid fill levels within a fully sealed mixing tank to determine the rate of fluid homogenization, liquid shear, velocity profiles and force application utilizing a single and dual mixer flat plate head configuration. These characteristics are useful for predicting the expected mixing time of a fluid and how much fluid shear is acting on protein cultures that are intended to be grown in the mixing vessel. General trends show that larger fill …

Examining Ambiguities In The Automatic Packet Reporting System, Kenneth W. Finnegan

Master's Theses

The Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is an amateur radio packet network that has evolved over the last several decades in tandem with, and then arguably beyond, the lifetime of other VHF/UHF amateur packet networks, to the point where it is one of very few packet networks left on the amateur VHF/UHF bands. This is proving to be problematic due to the loss of institutional knowledge as older amateur radio operators who designed and built APRS and other AX.25-based packet networks abandon the hobby or pass away. The purpose of this document is to collect and curate a sufficient body …