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1. Goethe and Popenoe's twentieth-century eugenics, 1903-1965: "a singular worldview and multifaceted action plans"

Creator:: Juarez, James Gregory
Description:: Eugenics is a term sometimes casually thrown around in everyday discussions. It even appears in various forms of popular media such as television shows, movies, cartoons, novels, and even Japanese anime. Eugenics did not simply appear in human history as a coincidence. Its history is surprisingly engrained in the history of California itself. This master’s thesis has compiled a condensed history of eugenics to provide readers a solid understanding of the term. It then introduces readers to two significant historical figures as part of society’s amnesia about the existence and history of a eugenics movement: Charles Matthias Goethe and Paul Popenoe. This thesis utilizes various historical sources and artifacts of these two men to bring to life their actions within the twentieth-century eugenics movement. Goethe and Popenoe shared a singular worldview or they both wanted to use eugenics to solve the problems of twentieth-century society, such as: immigration; low IQ values; the population of low humans; opponents of eugenics; conflicted eugenicists of Catholic faith; eugenics organizations not agreeing; and a lack of sharing eugenics scholarship. However, Goethe and Popenoe had different ways of accomplishing their goals through the areas of: eugenics rhetoric; a California sterilization program; an intrinsic value of faith; analogizing low humans; collaboration among eugenics organizations; proliferating eugenics literature; and a global eugenics network. and Thesis (M.A., History)--California State University, Sacramento, 2018.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: History

2. RC airplane to autonomous UAV conversion: optimal control and industry standard methods

Creator:: Koontz, Richard Anthony
Description:: A generic remote control airplane is converted into an autonomous UAV. The aircraft’s dynamic behavior is represented in state space form, with a series of 1st order differential equations. Stability and control derivatives are estimated using software based on theory and empirical data. These estimates are checked using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A SolidWorks® model of the remote control plane is obtained with the assistance of a 3D scanner. This model is used to estimate mass properties of the airplane, and to export geometric data to ANSYS for CFD. A mathematical model of the aircraft is created in Matlab, and Simulink is used to design the autonomous UAV’s control systems. A control system for the inner loop or plant is designed using a linear quadratic regulator. A guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) system is designed for the outer loop. The performance of the UAV is analyzed in Simulink and results are discussed. Recommendations for continuation of the project are made. and Thesis (M.S., Mechanical Engineering)--California State University, Sacramento, 2018.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

3. The remediation of arsenic in chromated copper arsenate contaminated soil using natural and modified zeolite material

Creator:: Viani, Alessandro
Description:: Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that is present in the Earth’s crust in small amounts, over time becoming exposed due to both natural and manmade processes. The arsenic exposed in the ground can be subject to weathering such as rainfall, allowing the arsenic to become mobilized. A manmade source of arsenic is wood that has been pressure treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a compound that protects the wood against insects and fungi. Over time, the wood can start to break down, allowing the arsenic to leach out into the surrounding soil. Once in the soil, plants can uptake the arsenic, which can lead to accumulation in the edible portions such as the leaves and berries, potentially harming humans and animals which consume them. In this study, the zeolite chabazite was used to sorb arsenic from the soil, reducing the amount available for uptake by the plant. Using radishes, with both non-modified and iron modified chabazite mixed in with the soil, the arsenic concentration in the radishes was reduced from 36.111±9.601 mg/kg in the leaves to 15.345±5.837 mg/kg and 14.116±2.403 mg/kg for the non-modified and the iron modified chabazite, respectively. It was also found that chabazite particle size had a significant effect on arsenic adsorption, further reducing the arsenic concentration in leaves from 15.345±5.837 to 7.713±0.569 mg/kg for the non-modified chabazite, and from 14.116±2.403 to 6.179±2.083 mg/kg in the iron modified chabazite with reduced particle size. Additionally, sawdust from CCA treated wood was incorporated into soil, as to model uptake of arsenic resulting from leaching. The data for the sawdust plantings suggests complex ion interactions between the chabazite and the CCA treated wood, which may make remediation of soils contaminated with CCA more difficult. Furthermore, the component ions of CCA, chromium, copper and arsenic leach from the wood at different rates. Chabazite may have different affinities for each of these ions, creating less adsorption capacity for arsenic, potentially leading to higher concentrations in the plants. In addition to the planting studies, leaching studies were performed, assessing the maximum amount of arsenic that the iron modified chabazite could adsorb from aqueous solution. The adsorption was modeled using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Using data from the isotherms, it was found that the adsorption of arsenic by iron modified chabazite does not follow the Langmuir model, but fits the Freundlich model well.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Chemistry

4. Examining HIV-related avoidance behavior through stigma and conservatism

Creator:: Martin, Justin Thomas
Description:: The aim of the present study was to fit data to a structural equation model that includes conservatism, HIV-related stigma, and avoidance behavior. An exploratory factor analysis was performed, and a subsequent structural model was created with conservatism directly relating to avoidance and indirectly affecting avoidance through HIV-related stigma. Results showed that though the chi-square was significant, the structural model resulted in good model fit. In the full model, positive pathways were found between all latent variables, though the direct path between conservatism and avoidance was not significant in the full model. When tested alone, it was found that the pathway between conservatism and avoidance was significant and positive, and further tests indicated full mediation with 45.6% of the effect of avoidance mediated through stigma. Replication studies should be performed to validate these results, and future research should focus on expanding the avoidance latent variable by including HIV-testing rates.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology

5. Heart rate variability changes in sea level residents during a 12 hour exposure to Hypoxia

Creator:: West, Michael
Description:: Introduction--High altitude illness, specifically acute mountain sickness, is a potentially life threating ailment for individuals that travel to high altitude. Acute mountain sickness is characterized by the following symptoms; headache, lethargy, dizziness and gastrointestinal issues. To date there have been several attempts to validate the use of heart rate variability in an effort to predict when an individual is more likely to become sick at altitude, but no studies have included a model with exercise that is known to increase acute mountain sickness.--Purpose-- The purpose of this study is to examine changes in autonomic output via heart rate variability to see if there is a relationship between autonomic output and severity of acute mountain sickness during a 12-hour exposure to normobaric hypoxia.--Methods--Eleven participants (7 male and 4 female) were recruited for this study, of which eight (6 male and 2 female) finished the study. Participants were exposed to two 12-hour altitude sessions (FIO2 12.4%) which was roughly 4,200 meters. Baseline heart rate variability, blood pressures, heart rate, oxygen saturations and Lake Louise scores were obtained with participants seated for five minutes prior to entering the altitude tent. Subsequent measurements were taken at hours 3, 4, 5, 6 and 12 with participants seated for at least five minutes and were taken prior to any exercise. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine any significant differences and Tukeys post hoc was used to determine where those differences occurred between groups. A Pearsons correlation was used to determine any relationships between the changes in HRV and AMS scores from hours 6 to 12. An alpha level of 0.05 was used for significance.--Results--The main finding of the study was a main effect for treatment and time for HRV measures. Significant differences between groups were observed and a significant difference between hour 3 and 12 of the non-exercise trial with LnrMSSD values being 3.73±0.45 and 3.40±0.36 respectively for hours 3 and 12. An interaction effect of treatment by time was observed for heart rate. Heart rates were significantly higher in the exercise trial at hours 4, 5, 6 and 12 when compared to all timepoints except hour 12 during the non-exercise trial. A Pearson value of 0.41 and 0.14 were calculated for non-exercise and exercise differences between LnrMSSD and LLS between hours 6 and 12 which yielded p-values of 0.30 and 0.75 respectively.--Conclusions--Although significant differences were found regarding HRV, no significant relationships between HRV and AMS were observed. This leads to the conclusion that HRV is not a valid tool for predicting AMS during acute normobaric hypoxic exposures.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Exercise Science)

6. Evaluation of work zone intrusion alarm systems

Creator:: Sanni, Shukurat
Description:: Safety is a major work zone concern; this concern is heightened for workers that work near travelling public. Motorists and passengers are more vulnerable and have a greater likelihood to be injured or killed from a work zone crash. The prevalence of work zone crashes was 45 percent in California in 2014. Work Zone Intrusion Alarm (WZIA) systems are innovative safety devices with the technology to provide auditory alert in work zones following a vehicle intrusion. These devices typically have a detection, transmitter, and auditory alert unit, with some devices having a visual and/or personal safety alert unit. The objective of this thesis is to assess the effectiveness of WZIAs. The objective was achieved with a combination of a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis revealed the potential of the devices. The quantitative analysis resulted from a pilot test of three WZIA systems: the Traffic Guard Worker Alert System, SonoBlaster and Intellicone. The research found WZIAs to be effective but recommends improvement to the systems’ functional characteristics. The findings and recommendations presented in this research will assist in the widespread implementation of Work Zone Intrusion Alarm systems. This thesis concludes with future research suggestions that will expand on this research’s findings.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Civil Engineering (Transportation)

7. Student, parent, and teacher perceptions on homework and the perceived effects of homework on family time

Creator:: McIntyre, Danielle and Marion, Allison
Description:: Since the 1980’s there has been a gradual, yet steady increase in the academic demands placed on our students and in the amount of homework assigned (Kohn, 2006). Misconceptions on the effectiveness of homework and student achievement have led many teachers to increase the amount of homework assigned to keep up with political demands (Kohn, 2006). While a significant body of research demonstrates the lack of correlation between homework and student success, children at the elementary level are receiving amounts of daily homework that interfere with family life and other extracurricular activities (Cooper, Robinson & Patall, 2006; Vatterott, 2009). Due to many parents, students and teachers normalizing increasing homework demands as a part of school life, the outcome research surrounding homework has largely been ignored. The current lack of research in this area necessitates further examination of this issue. The present research study investigated parent, teacher, and student perspectives regarding the amount of homework students are assigned. The perceived effects of homework on family time was also examined. The participants in this study were students in grades 3-6 (n = 395), their parents (n = 442), and their teachers (n = 28). Preliminary research data suggests that (a) while parents largely reported homework relates to their child’s learning, a large portion of parents also stated that homework is busy work; (b) there are differences in the perceptions of the actual and ideal amounts of assigned homework, amongst parents, students, and teachers; and (c) while the majority of parents reported that homework rarely or never gets in the way of family time, a large portion also stated that homework creates a power struggle with their student. Limitations, recommendations for future research, and suggestions for increasing the home-school connection are discussed.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (School Psychology)

8. An analysis of local government interventions for edible food recovery

Creator:: Myers, Stephen Reitenour
Description:: This thesis explores public policies that have the potential to meet the 20% statewide edible food recovery mandates of SB 1383. This policy became law in 2016 as part of a broader effort to curb methane emissions, of which about a fifth is attributable to landfilled organic waste. While there have been significant successes at the city level across the nation, and while there are promising models at the county and regional level in California, a statewide edible food recovery mandate is unprecedented, and has the potential to throw local food distribution and waste hauling systems into chaos if not adequately designed and managed. The overall goal of this thesis is to identify policies that can enable local jurisdictions to meet their statutorily-required edible food recovery amounts with reasonable expenditures of money and effort. To make these determinations, I used Bardach’s (2012) analytical research method, the “Eightfold Path,” to develop a list of policy alternatives and criteria by which to assess them. The resulting analysis allowed me to plot alternatives along one axis of a table and criteria along the other, creating a “Criteria Alternatives Matrix,” or “CAM” for short. I analyzed four policy alternatives that the literature and my conversations with stakeholders in the waste management and food recovery fields recommended, and determined that one of the four policies have a relatively high likelihood of success according to the five criteria by which I evaluated each. I also determined that two other complementary alternatives could also be successful. The use of software to match donors and recovery organizations with on-the-spot transporters for time-sensitive donations was the top-ranked alternative, with (1) utilization of public health inspectors to promote recovery among regulated food distributors and (2) facilitation of planning and coordination between donors, recovery organizations, and transporters as equally-ranked complements. I recommended the implementation of donation-matching software as the strongest option to address the issue, but also indicated that some combination of the three could be particularly effective in facilitating edible food recovery in the near future.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

9. Tendencies of a large Midwestern civilian review board: does race matter?

Creator:: Mouzes, Andie Mary
Description:: Civilian review boards can benefit not only an individual complainant, but also the surrounding community at large and law enforcement agencies across the country. The diminutive amount of existing research conducted on civilian review boards has focused primarily on the reason for their existence but not the tendencies that the data from these oversight boards reflect. This present study was designed to fill the gaps in the lack of research existing on the tendencies of civilian review boards and further, if race plays a vital factor in the complaint process. Specifically, this study examined complaints against Chicago police officers as logged by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) in Chicago. In sum, this thesis examined whether complaints in general had a racial foundation and more specifically, whether excessive force complaints against African American and White officers statistically differed. The study found that of the 2,577 disposed complaints used in this study, race did play a role in the complaints made against officers and complaints made about excessive force. Although the results did reflect a relationship between race of complainant by race of officer, it only accounted for 8.6% of the variance of the race of the officers involved in the complaints. It should be noted however that there are other factors besides race which need to be considered and were not thoroughly tested in this study. Research on the tendencies of civilian review boards may give complaining civilians an improved understanding of a civilian review board’s proceedings but more study needs to be done as to any racial disparities regarding complaints.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Criminal Justice

10. Evaluating the efficiency of modified habit reversal for reducing speech disfluencies

Creator:: Montes, Christina C.
Description:: Recent literature supports using a multi-component awareness training procedure to decrease speech disfluencies for college students. However, this procedure can be time-consuming and is likely not feasible in practical settings, such as college classrooms. The present study focused on the time required to decrease speech disfluencies. In Experiment 1, we conducted a component analysis of awareness training, and we evaluated the efficacy and efficiency of an awareness enhancement device in Experiment 2. We found that in vivo speech practice may be sufficient for reducing disfluencies for some students, but a treatment package including both video and in vivo training is more likely to result in marked behavior change. We also found that in vivo speech practice with the addition of an awareness enhancement device was effective for four of five participants; however, training time was comparable to the combined treatment package.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis)

11. But he is a man, and you are a woman: an attitudinal study of Asian Indian men and women regarding gender roles

Creator:: Mander, Navjoyat
Description:: The purpose of this attitudinal study was to examine the attitudes of Asian Indian men and women regarding gender roles. Perspectives concerning gender roles were surveyed through topics such as: cultural expectations of sons and daughters, household responsibilities, social mores, marriage, and intimate partner (domestic) violence. Through quantitative and qualitative data, the researcher was able to gather significant information. Quantitative data results exhibit variety of responses. While majority of the participants’ responses demonstrate egalitarian views, a constant 7% is evident in almost every statement with a contradictory response. By applying thematic data analysis, the researcher was able to conclude three major themes. However, the open-ended qualitative data results display conflicting attitudes expressed by the participants.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Behavioral Sciences Gender Equity Studies)

12. Entropy

Creator:: Helenske, Tammy
Description:: During my time in the Master of Art Studio program at Sacramento State University Sacramento I have had an opportunity to expand my perceptions and grow as an artist. This work represents my exploration of time-based media, hybrid media, installation art, and the concept of immersion. The process expresses my personal struggles with mental illness from a subjective perspective. My search for source material to best communicate my content included audio and video exploration both in and out of the studio. The tools chosen to activate the content demanded equal amounts of research and attention. The result is a cohesive body of work that reflects my time in the program.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Art (Art Studio)

13. The influence of professor-student interactions and campus belonging on college student psychosocial well-being

Creator:: Haghighat, Misha Daniali
Description:: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between professor-student interactions and psychosocial well-being (loneliness, social anxiety) through the mediator of campus belonging. The college transition can be stress-inducing for students (representative of steadily increasing rates of loneliness and anxiety), due to an absence of support networks (e.g., parents). Positive professor-student interactions were examined given that they foster a sense of campus belonging, in turn affecting psychosocial well-being. The current study was comprised of undergraduate students (N = 298) enrolled at a Northern California University. Simple mediation analyses indicated that positive professor-student interactions were linked with a greater sense of campus belonging, which in turn was linked with sense of psychosocial well-being. Additional analyses examined if demographic groupings (gender, ethnicity, job hours, transfer status) differed in these effects. Results reflect the benefits of professor-student interactions in scaffolding students’ sense of psychosocial well-being, and recommendations for furthering ties preemptively.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology

14. Exploring perceptions that males and females have towards concealed carry on a college campus

Creator:: Goode, Stephen
Description:: Often the perceptions students have towards concealed carry differ in a variety of cases especially males’ and females’ opinions (Doubleday, 2013; Gius, 2018; Jang, Dierenfeldt, & Lee, 2014). Few studies have explored if one's gender had any significant effect on one’s perceptions of support for concealed carry policies on a college campus Doubleday, 2013; Gius, 2018; Jang, Dierenfeldt, & Lee, 2014. This quantitative study examined a small sample of California State University Sacramento criminal justice students and was conducted during the Spring 2019 semester. The results from the data did show a significant difference in variation between males’ and females’ perceptions towards concealed carry on a college campus. It is important to note that those significant variations should be examined and further analyzed.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Criminal Justice

15. Trust children: an analysis of four democratic schools and the recommendations that emerged

Creator:: Baginski, Chase
Description:: If teachers in the 21st century desire to create a critical impact on their students and democracy, then they must strive to make their classrooms more democratically centered. They must actively cultivate an experience within their classroom that fosters democracy for their students, allowing them to live and practice democracy from an early age. Democratic Education teaches students to be socially responsible and active citizens by allowing them to balance a greater amount of freedom and responsibility, preparing them for their roles as active and civic adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the guiding principles of four democratic schools, compare their similarities, and to make recommendations for public school teachers who are interested in creating a more democratically centered classroom based on those similarities. The study examined the following four schools: Summerhill School (1921), Sudbury Valley School (1968), Windsor House School (1971,) and Lehman Alternative Community School (1974). While it would be impossible for public school teachers to fully turn their classroom into a mini-democratic school, it is possible for them to implement strategies to increase democracy, especially in the vein of freedom and responsibility, in their classrooms. This range of strategies includes anything from rearranging the desk and tables in a classroom, to implementing Genius hours, cooperative learning, student-centered learning, and the use of UDL. If an educator wants to know if a strategy or action is going to move their class in a more democratic direction, all they have to do is ask “Is this going to offer my student more freedom in the class within the context of responsibility?” If yes, then that educator is moving towards democracy.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Special Education)

16. Implementing choice of novel and previewing film adaptations as intrinsic reading motivation tools

Creator:: Shepard, Mallory
Description:: When adolescents read more, their attitudes toward reading become more positive, and their language and comprehension skills increase as well (Broeder & Stokmans, 2013). Reading motivation, reading enjoyment, literacy, comprehension levels, and amount of reading are all interrelated, and to increase one factor of reading, the other factors must also be increased (Becker, McElvany, & Kortenbruck, 2010). This study compared four groups of 8th grade adolescents (N = 19, 13-14 years old, 11 female and 8 male) and their reading motivation. Film and choice were assessed as possible motivational tools to increase intrinsic reading motivation. One group was assigned a novel to read and did not watch the film adaptation. A second group was assigned a novel to read and watched the film adaptation up to its climactic event prior to reading the book. A third group chose a novel to read from a given list, with brief descriptions of each novel. A fourth group chose a book to read from the given list and watched its film adaptation up to its climactic event before reading the book. Each participant’s intrinsic motivation to read was assessed with the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) developed by Guthrie and Wigfield (1997). Levels of intrinsic motivation were measured before and after reading the book. vi A series of ANOVAs were performed to test for significant differences and interactions between the groups. There were no significant main effects. Change in intrinsic motivation approached significance in the film groups. However, this change was in the opposite direction than expected, showing a decline in motivation. There was also a gradual increase in motivation for participants who did not preview a film and chose a book rather than being assigned a book, suggesting further experimentation with these manipulations.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Child Development

17. Framing the NFL national anthem protest: an analysis of news media in post-racist America

Creator:: Melton, Jordan
Description:: The purpose of this study was to explore the framing of the narrative presented by American news outlets in reporting on the NFL national anthem protests that began in 2016 to bring attention to police brutality and systemic racism towards blacks in the U.S. I analyzed the ways news media presented the protest, then evaluated how each article legitimized, validated, or transformed the stated purpose of the protest. Utilizing theoretical frameworks on colorblind and dog-whistle racism, critical race theory, frame alignment processes, and symbolism in America culture, I conducted a content analysis of news articles published during three key periods of the NFL anthem protest – September 2016 (n=100), February to May 2017 (n=99), and September 2017 (n=100). Common themes observed included lower mentions of the stated purpose of the protest, repeated allusions to the American flag and national anthem being totems of American ideals, and frequent use of frame transformation.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

18. Beyond the emergence of rhetorical agency: Operation Rescue and the function of prophetic agency

Creator:: Marin, Alfredo
Description:: This thesis analyzes the rhetoric of Operation Rescue, the Christian pro-life activist organization, within the theoretical framework of Kenneth Burke’s Logology. With the intent to answer the research question: How does rhetorical agency interrelate to the function of the rhetor’s message, this thesis considers the critical lens of metaphor and analogy to inform us about the emerging nature, function, and implication of prophetic agency within a religious context.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Communication Studies

19. Range of motion and perceived pain and disability in individuals with low back pain

Creator:: Martinez, Jacqueline Marie
Description:: Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a major contributor to the cost of health care in the United States (Johnson, & Thomas, 2010; Dagenais, Caro & Haldeman, 2008). CLBP has many causes. CLBP effects a majority of the population (Kim et al., 2014; Johnson, & Thomas, 2010; Wong & Lee, 2004). Physical and psychological factors influence CLBP and it is beneficial to understand which factor has more of an influence. Physical factors can involve range of motion (ROM) of the hips and low back. The psychological factors can involve fear of motion, perceived pain and/or perceived disability. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the most influential aspect of CLBP by finding a simple method of assessing functional impairment through the evaluation of range of motion and psychological involvement. Understanding the influential aspects of CLBP will aid clinicians in providing an all-around approach during the rehabilitation process and potentially help reduce the health care cost of low back pain. Methods: Twenty volunteers participated in this study, three were excluded from the study because of reports of surgery or injury to the low back. The range of motion of the hips and low back were assessed using a goniometer. The psychological involvement related to CLBP was assessed using three questionnaires: the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The TSK measured fear of movement, the VAS measured pain level, and the ODI measured perceived disability due to back pain. Participants were asked to either sit, stand, or lie down according to the goniometer measurement protocol. Goniometer measurements were done in random order following the completion of the questionnaires. Results: Pearson Correlation Coefficient results showed a significant correlation between ROM of the low back and two of the three questionnaires. There was a significant (p=0.016) negative correlation between the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and low back ROM. There was a significant (p=0.003) negative correlation between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the ROM of the low back. No significant interaction was seen with hip ROM and any of the questionnaires. There was also no correlation between the TSK and the ROM of the hips or low back. A regression analysis revealed the correlation between ROM of the low back and the VAS and ODI were not meaningful. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest the relationship between low back ROM and the values of disability (ODI) and pain (VAS) need to be evaluated and further investigated in individuals with CLBP.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Movement Studies)

20. "One foot in the dark, the other in the light:" tracing the literary path of darkness from scary to sublime

Creator:: Martinez, Isabella
Description:: The iconic symbols of light and darkness are well-recognized throughout literature. Readers are conditioned to accept that light traditionally connotes holiness, hope, and happiness, while darkness acts as a harbinger of doom, death, and depression. As the works of John Milton show, the Bible plays a large role in casting light as ‘good’ and darkness as ‘evil.’ However, as the literary canon expands beyond the Eurocentric viewpoint of the privileged white male, perceptions of darkness and light shift as well. With the inclusion of female authors and authors of color, darkness comes to be aligned with peace and sublimity as opposed to fear. To investigate this change, I examine selected works of John Milton, Edith Wharton, Jean Rhys, Edwidge Danticat, and Jamaica Kincaid, and engage with a myriad of cultures and critics. I posit that the relatively recent shift in the way darkness and light are perceived comes from the widening of the historically Eurocentric literary canon. The holiness of light is admired throughout Milton’s work, accepted in Wharton’s, and merely acknowledged by Rhys. Through their own experiences of multiculturalism, Rhys, Danticat, and Kincaid are able to envision another aspect of darkness, one untouched by Western religious beliefs. As the literary canon expands to include female authors and authors of color, we gain an appreciation of different cultures. Through the work of authors such as Danticat and Kincaid, darkness is being elevated to its true role as sublime rather than scary, an equal counterpart to the beauty of light.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: English (Literature)

21. Synthesis and conformational properties of Hexamethyl Triazacalix[6]arene

Creator:: Martinez, Christian
Description:: A variety of calixarene analogues involving heteroatoms as the bridging units have been reported because the substitution of the carbon bridges with heteroatoms can impart novel properties and influence the conformer of the macrocycle. However, the chemistry of replacing the bridging methylene units of calixarenes derived from p-tert-butylphenol with free amino groups to prepare azacalixarene macrocycles is still in its infancy. Nitrogen bridges can alter the conformational properties of the macrocyclic array through changes in bond lengths and angles associated with the nitrogen heteroatom, which results in a cone conformation. Additionally, the nitrogen heteroatom also provides additional binding sites to the macrocycle and can participate in hydrogen bonding along the endo rim which may also influence conformational properties. Furthermore, the nitrogen heteroatom opens up new avenues to further functionalize the bridge position through amine alkylation or acylation chemistry. The synthetic methodology was developed for hexamethyl triazacalix[6]arene by preparing a functionalized linear oligomer followed by cyclization over seven reactions steps in 32.1% overall yield. Of the eight conformers possible for the hexamethyl triazacalix[6]arene, in solution the cone conformer is preferred due to the bifurcated hydrogen bonding by the amine-methoxy functional groups along the endo rim. Additionally, the cone-to-cone ring inversion can be observed by temperature-dependent 1H-NMR spectroscopy since the temperature dependent signal is the result of the conformational flexibility of calixarenes and indicates that the protons are exchanging environments rapidly on the NMR time scale at high temperature but are frozen at lower temperatures. 1H NMR spectra was collected at various temperatures beginning at room temperature (298 K) and stopping at -57 ⁰C (216 K). The rate of exchange for a given temperature was determined by the iterative parameter refinement of the line shape (1000 cycles and with a 92+ % overlap) and used in an Erying plot to determine the thermodynamic parameters. The enthalpy of activation (∆H‡) was determined to be 8.95 kcal/mol and the entropy of activation (∆S‡) was determined to be -4.3 cal/mol*K for the cone-to-cone inversion barrier. The Gibbs free energy of activation (∆G‡) for hexamethyl triazacalix[6]arene was calculated to 9.9 kcal/mol at coalescence. In comparison, the activation barrier for cone-to-cone inversion for the full carbon-bridged calix[6]arene is estimated to be below 9.3 kcal/mol.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Chemistry

22. The role of financial aid in supporting access for undergraduate students at the university of California

Creator:: Landa, Israel
Description:: Receiving student financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and work-study increases college access for students planning to attend a college or university. Early on, California made a commitment to make sure the University of California (UC) was accessible to students by providing financial assistance to eligible students in the form of free tuition. Over the years, state financial support has decreased, ending the no-tuition policy and increasing the cost of attendance at a UC. According to the UC, tuition and fee increases have been accompanied by substantial increases in financial aid. However, it is unclear if the UC is using financial aid optimally to ensure access to UC by historically underserved students. This study seeks to understand the characteristics of students who receive financial aid at the UC and how financial aid is being allocated. This study finds that all else being constant, White undergraduate students are more likely to receive financial aid, but Latino, Black, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian undergraduate students receive more financial aid than White undergraduate students at the UC. However, even as Latino and Black undergraduate students receive more financial assistance and their enrollment at UC has increased, enrollment rates continue to be lower than their White counterparts and they are less likely to receive aid at all. This thesis uses 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08) data collected by US Department of Education. This study surveyed 2007-2008 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in federal financial aid eligible postsecondary institutions in the United States and Puerto Rico. I used a logistic regression and an ordinary least squares regression to estimate the differences in the amounts received by different groups of undergraduate students attending the University of California (UC). After controlling for different variables, I found out that overall, Latino and Black undergraduate students tend to receive more financial aid than their White counterparts. However, when looking at longitudinal data on enrollment, these same students groups continue to be underrepresented at UC, in particular Black undergraduate Students. Even though Latino and Black students receive more financial aid overall at a UC, enrollment numbers still do not reflect the makeup of California’s high school graduating demographics. Given the history of underrepresentation at UC, it is important for policy makers to figure out ways to increase access to these students. I recommend that the state consider providing more free financial aid to cover the full cost of an education, which includes tuition, fees, books, transportation, housing and living expenses. I also recommend that the Legislature require the UC share disaggregated student financial aid data with academic researchers for the purposes of reporting and statistical analysis. This should provide some insights on how to expand financial aid to cover the full cost of attendance and expand access for those students with the most need, and ensure that access is provided in an equitable manner.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

23. Implications of California’s rapid increase in no party preference voter registration: substituting demographic characteristics for party affiliation as indicators of policy preference among party-unaffiliated voters

Creator:: Kemmerer, Dennis
Description:: The number of California voters who are choosing not to register with one of the state's six recognized political parties has increased substantially over the last two decades, first surpassing Republican registration in mid-2018, and then to an all-time high of just over 28 percent of all registered voters in the state as of February 10, 2019. Unlike party-affiliated voters, the ideological leanings and policy preferences of these voters cannot be determined from voter registration rolls. Where campaigns could previously target Democratic- and Republican-registered households with liberal- and conservative-leaning messaging respectively, those campaigns will have to rely on other indicators to determine how to target those voters with messaging that aligns with their particular issue and candidate preferences. A linear regression analysis of the vote choices of party-unaffiliated voters in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential elections shows that racial/ethnic minority status, age, and household income are fairly strong indicators of ideological preference.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Government

24. Circumstantially fired combustion port geometry: analysis of hybrid rocket motor solid fuel grain

Creator:: Kearney, Jeremy
Description:: Efficient hybrid rocket engine designs are highly desirable due to the inherent safety of these systems when compared to the premixed solid rocket motor or bi-propellant rocket engines. Hybrid rocket motors use a pressurized tank to impel liquid oxygen or other oxidizers into the solid rocket fuel combustion chamber, where an ignition source is used to start the combustion reaction. An actuated valve can be placed between the oxidizer tank and the solid fuel grain, allowing throttle ability of the hybrid engine designs. Solid fuel grains are inert and will not combust without an oxidizer. The combination of throttle ability and a non-premixed inert solid fuel grain result in the increase safety of the hybrid motor system. Hybrid rocket motors lack the high regression rates that solid or liquid rockets possess and therefore are not as commercially viable. This paper focuses on a complex solid fuel grain geometry that leverages rapid prototyping to increase the effective regression rate of the solid motor. Traditional cylindrical fuel port geometries have long length to diameter aspect ratios that increases the fuel port burn surface area but results in a poor volumetric efficiency. Advanced designs such as triangular wagon wheel configurations or helical fuel ports have been successful at increasing the regression rate of the engine but can result in a decreased volumetric efficiency. In place of the previously mentioned fuel port configurations, it is proposed that by orienting the combustion ports laterally on the circumference of the solid fuel grain that the internal surface burn area and internal flow path of the oxidizer would be increased, resulting in an increased fuel regression rate. Preliminary theoretical analysis shows that there is a slight increase in the time to peak thrust using a circumferentially fired combustion port, but a significant decrease in the volumetric efficiency of solid fuel grain. One initial advantage of the design is an increased number of combustion ports, which allows for a smaller solid fuel grain length to diameter aspect ratio because of the increased internal flow path. The smaller aspect ratio gives more flexibility when tailoring the design to envelope limitations.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

25. Assessing local control action plans under the local control funding formula

Creator:: Johnson, Mark H.
Description:: For this thesis, I explore how Local Control Action Plans (LCAPs), under the Local Control Funding Formula, follow established administrative theory on strategic planning while also raising questions about how districts develop LCAPs. To explore these case studies, I develop an exploratory framework derived from literature on the topic, including synoptic and periodic strategic planning, executive-led versus worker-led strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. In order to conduct this analysis, I selected the following four school districts from different locales: Folsom Cordova Unified, Dixon Unified, San Juan Unified, and Amador County Unified to identify any themes in the district LCAPs. After applying my exploratory framework to analyze my district findings, I found three different themes within the districts sampled: (a) districts’ planning committees tend to specialize in their roles, (b) human resource and material resource conditions within districts could have an impact on the development of LCAPs, and (c) districts tend to act creatively when developing their LCAPs. Finally, I conclude with a hypothesis about local control and advise on further research.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

26. Analysis of prenyltransferase gene expression in Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries

Creator:: Jiang, Brenden
Description:: Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin produced by the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. It is responsible for causing amnesic shellfish poisoning, a condition capable of devastating marine wildlife and humans with severe neurological complications once ingested. Much of the biosynthetic pathway, its regulation, and the biological function of domoic acid remains to be elucidated. Recent research has found N-geranyl-L-glutamic acid as the true precursor to domoic acid. This is formed by the condensation of two metabolites, geranyl diphosphate and glutamate. The former, geranyl diphosphate, is synthesized through a condensation of isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. This initial step is catalyzed by a geranyl diphosphate synthase, a member of the prenyltransferase family. Here, expression of three prenyltransferase genes (Psemu2, Psemu3, and Psemu4) was analyzed through quantitative polymerase chain reaction in three strains of P. multiseries isolated from different growth phases to correlate relative abundance with domoic acid accumulation. Of the three transcripts, Psemu3 and Psemu4 were previously identified as potential geranyl diphosphate synthases in homology modeling studies. Psemu2 and Psemu3 consistently had higher relative expression over Psemu4 in all three strains. Prenyltransferase expression also decreased as domoic acid concentration reached an apparent maximum in late-log and stationary phase. This demonstrates that prenyltransferase transcripts Psemu2 and Psemu3 are highly expressed in log phase, and possibly may play a role in domoic acid biosynthesis.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Chemistry (Biochemistry)

27. Municipal recreation leaders' knowledge and perceptions of recreational therapy

Creator:: Harris, Chelsea J.
Description:: Although there is broad research focusing on recreational therapy and its benefits to various populations, there is limited information about municipal recreation leaders’ knowledge and perceptions of the profession and its practitioners. According to the literature reviewed, authors of various studies suggest that people do not know or fully understand the benefits and difference between recreational therapy and municipal recreation (Widmer, Duerden & Taniguchi, 2013; Witman & Shank, 1987; Walkenhorst et. al., 2015; Meeras, 2010; Martin and Markow, 2006). Moreover, staff directors and staff members are unaware of the needs and accommodations necessary for individuals with disabilities to access to recreation facilities. Municipal recreation leaders who are untrained, unaware, and unknowledgeable of the needs and accommodations necessary to guarantee optimum use and participation are a disservice to populations with disabilities. Furthermore, municipal recreation leaders need further training to increase knowledge of recreational therapy because of the increase of services and revenue that could be provided to serve a growing population of individuals with disabilities (Brault, 2005; Brault, 2010; McNeil, 1993; McNeil, 1997; McNeil, 2001; Steinmetz, 2006; Taylor, 2018). With the increasing number of individuals with disabilities in California, it is a duty of municipal recreation leaders to ensure safety and quality delivery of recreation services and programs. The purpose for this study is to identify the perceptions of municipal leaders on recreational therapy as it relates to their current level of knowledge of the profession and practitioners in the field. A survey was administered to 2,017 recreation professionals who are active members of California Parks & Recreation Society (CPRS). Seventy-one (71) completed the online questionnaire in March and April 2019. The results of this study identified and revealed that a majority of the sample that completed the survey possess poor to average knowledge of the recreational therapy profession and its practitioners. Survey responses also suggested that a majority of the sample population was interested in receiving future training related to various topics in recreational therapy. The findings could serve as the foundation for future research on municipal recreation leaders’ knowledge and perceptions. In addition, the findings add to the existing literature and body of knowledge.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Recreation Administration

28. Child welfare workers perspective of poverty, and case substantiation

Creator:: Harris, Ayesha and Robinson, Rochelle
Description:: Families living in poverty are overly represented in the child welfare system. Risk factors that include but are not limited to, inadequate housing, emotional and social challenges, and domestic violence cause families living in poverty to be more likely to have CPS involvement. It is important to determine if families in poverty are overly represented in the child welfare system due to child welfare workers’ perception of poverty to ensure families living in poverty are not overly represented. The researchers present literature regarding child abuse and neglect, case substantiation, and perception of poverty, focusing on risk factors associated with poverty, and the child welfare system. This research aims to determine if perception of poverty influences a person’s decision to substantiate reports of alleged child abuse and neglect. The researchers in this study developed two sets of vignettes, one set depicting a family living in poverty and another set depicting a wealthy family. Each set of vignettes consisted of one vignette regarding a domestic violence incident, and another vignette regarding lack of supervision. In each vignette participants were asked to determine if the abuse occurred, or if neglect occurred using the California Department of Child Adult and Family Services definitions of Substantiated, Inconclusive, or Unfounded. The respondents were asked to provide a written explanation to defend their decision. Each respondent was also given the Feagin Poverty Scale (Feagin, 1972; Viljoen & Maseko, 2013) to measure their perception of poverty, and a demographic questionnaire. After analyzing the data using our hypothesis Master of Social Work student’s perception of poverty and case substantiation, we found that our hypothesis was partly substantiated with significance. Participants response to the Feagin Poverty Scale (Feagin, 1972; Viljoen & Maseko, 2013) and their decision to find child abuse and neglect allegations substantiated, unfounded or inconclusive suggest that there is a statistically significant correlation found between a person’s perception of poverty and their decision to determine child abuse and neglect allegations to be inconclusive, unfounded, or substantiated. Findings from this study suggest it would be beneficial for further research to be conducted to study perception of poverty and how this impacts caseworkers’ decision making in the child welfare system.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Social Work

29. Introducing INVELOX technology to generate energy using wind and wind turbines by retrofitting traditional wind turbines

Creator:: Hanna, Sherif
Description:: Using a Venturi to Capture and increase wind velocity are carried out to enhance the performance of wind turbines, the Idea of Ducted Wind Turbines has been an interest because of the ability to increase the velocity through them, the results of multi physics simulations involving Computational Fluid Dynamics, used to evaluate a highly acclaimed innovative wind power generation system known as INVELOX, are presented. This patented technology significantly outperforms traditional wind turbines, and it delivers superior power output, reflecting an idea of wind power plant in the urban Areas where wind velocity is low, so increased wind velocities throughout the INVELOX System and the Venturi resulted in significant improvement in the Kinetic Energy hence power output of Turbine. In addition, INVELOX technology brought an idea of retrofitting the traditional horizontal axis windmills to adapt the Innovative INVELOX design at reduced cost. Furthermore, the new design claiming the ability of solving all the major issues, such as low turbine reliability, intermittency issues, adverse environmental and radar impact that have so far undermined the wind industry. The goal in this thesis divided into two sections, section one I will try to examine the possibility to capture, accelerate and concentrate the wind by creating a simple prototype of a ducted wind turbine with a ratio of 1:20 with the new INVELOX design system to validate the feasibility of retrofit those traditional wind turbines. Second is test results will be measured from a fielded unit, the results will be compared with those obtained by using the bare INVELOX technology, both velocities at Intake and Venturi positions will be compared in this analysis. In more studies that are recent and in other thesis work the Actual concentration was on the INVELOX technology, the studies used computational fluid dynamics but never measured from a fielded unit, the performance of the system was validated by recent measured field data by the company itself. My Field test of a simple prototype Ducted Wind Turbine showed that the increase in wind speed maintained even with speeds as low as 2.5 m/s, and thereby energy production can be significantly improved. This measured data shown to be consistent with that obtained through full-scale computational fluid dynamics models and other research work. Further lab testing is recommended to confirm the velocity developing with an actual turbine being inserted.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

30. Connectedness to nature and place-based education

Creator:: Galante, Guy Frederick
Description:: The author posits that an environmentally focused place-based pedagogy will lead to increased nature relatedness, inclusion of nature in self, and overall love and care for a regional park that borders a Northern Californian university. This study represents a basic tool kit to get the seeds of connection to germinate in a particular place. Despite being literally just on the other side of the levee that separates the campus and the 23-mile park and river corridor, a considerable number of the university’s students do not seem to know that a regional park exists. College level outdoor recreation courses and science-based experiments that lead students to the regional park are often times students’ first ever, and maybe only, contact with it. Connecting the university’s students with the park more intentionally has the potential to foster environmental stewardship in a generation of young people who would then be equipped to handle the socio-political, socio-cultural, and environmental pressures that impact the park. Even if students do not engage in park policy matters in the future, they may spend their lives living near it and still can become perpetually responsible users and protectors of the cultural, environmental and recreational resources of the regional park. Not to mention that the river supplies a generous portion of the region’s water supply. This study is designed to gain an understanding of students’ connectedness to nature levels, and to get a sense of what they know about the regional park that borders their campus. The knowledge gained from the study will help guide the formulation of place-based curriculum to be offered to higher education students in the Sacramento, CA region.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Recreation Administration

31. The effects of exercise order on lower body jump power

Creator:: Fkiaras, Vasiliki Maria
Description:: The purpose of this study was to examine how exercise order affects lower body jump power in collegiate athletes. There is still a disparity in knowledge on the effects of exercise order of resistance training on lower body jump power. Therefore, there is a need to learn more about the effect of exercise order on lower body jump power. The sample size was thirty-eight, 26 males (age: 21.346 ± 2.591, height: 70.846 ± 2.935 and weight: 149 ± 32.714) and 12 females (age: 20.364 ± 3.529, height: 66.364 ± 2.656 and weight: 149 ± 32.714) collegiate athletes were recruited for this study. Subjects were divided into three separate groups. Group A (GA; performing exercise order 1-5), Group B (GB; performing reverse order of GA, 5-1) and Group C (GC; the control group was asked to not perform any form of resistance training in and out of the facility during the duration of the study). The data collected was of the lower body power: Vertical Jump (VJ) and Standing Broad Jump (SBJ) to compare before and after results. Subjects were asked to train two days per week for six weeks during their off-season period. The exercises used for this study were solely lower body extremity exercises (back squat, bulgarian squat, lateral lunge, valslides and seated leg raises). A single factor ANOVA was used for comparing the differences amongst the three groups for the VJ and SBJ. A Scheffe post-hoc was used to determine whether there were any significant differences. Alpha level was set at P < 0.05. Data was also reported as means ± SD. The results showed that there was a significant main effect found. After post-hoc analysis, there were no significant differences found. There are other variables to consider when knowing that more studies are needed to state a firm answer to exercise order affecting athletic performance. To summarize, in this study there was no 1-RM back squat test done. If there was a 1-RM test done, then percentages could have been prescribed to elicit a higher stimulus in training sessions. Incorporating a plyometric exercise or sprint test could possibly lead to a significant increase in lower body jump power tests. Lastly, conducting the study longer than six weeks or increasing the number sessions per week could lead to greater stimulus.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Movement Studies)

32. Outdoor recreation opportunity barriers for individuals with disabilities and non-motorized boating on California waterways

Creator:: Everett, Heather Leann
Description:: This mixed methods study was designed to investigate the barriers to participation for individuals with disabilities with regards to non-motorized boating on California waterways. Barriers regarding accessibility were researched and data were analyzed from a sample of 1,746 self-administered online survey respondents. Reported barriers to participation for individuals with disabilities from the perspective of individuals with and without disabilities included: accessible parking, accessible docks, cost, accessible trails, lack of published information about accessibility, accessible restrooms and/ or concessions, adaptive rental equipment, staff knowledge regarding disabilities, program availability, transportation, unclear signage, effective communication from on-site staff, and accessible boat ramps. Data were collected from both the perspectives of individuals with and without disabilities in order to gain a variety of perspectives regarding barriers to accessibility. Individuals with disabilities participating in non-motorized boating on California waterways do experience many barriers to participation, and the data from this study may be utilized by practitioners in order to provide more inclusive opportunities for individuals of all abilities.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Recreation Administration

33. Determinants of vacancy in retail power centers in Sacramento County: when local governments should intervene in declining shopping centers and identifying desirable economic development incentives

Creator:: Drane, Natasha Marie
Description:: On January 31, 2018, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors (Board), during a workshop, focused its attention on retail shopping centers experiencing chronic vacancies. In 2017, another major big-box retail closure in a shopping center prone to big-box departure sparked the Board’s discussion of this issue. The Board’s interest in declining shopping centers within Sacramento County (county) is the impetus of this Master’s in Public Policy and Administration thesis. This thesis employs a nested research design using both quantitative (regression analysis) and qualitative (interviews) methods. The regression analysis attempts to answer the research question: What causes vacancies in power centers located within Sacramento County? The findings of this portion of the study show location to competition and socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods near shopping centers highly influence vacancies. Specifically, when competition increases by one retail power center within one to three miles, the vacancy rate of a retail power center increases by 26 percent. The competition variables within 3-5 miles and within 8-10 miles have a positive effect on lease rates, driving vacancy rates down by 14 percent and 8 percent respectively. Household income above $200,000 decreased vacancy rates by 6.9 percent and having a higher education degree decreased vacancy rates by 3.25 percent. The regression analysis provides information, given available data, about what contributes to vacancies in Sacramento big-box retail centers, but this thesis also aimed to understand qualitatively what the county can do, if anything, to help these shopping centers with high vacancy rates and in decline or at risk of decline. The qualitative research question is: What can Sacramento County do, if anything, to help shopping centers in decline or at risk of decline become profitable again? Whether a local government intervenes into a declining shopping depends on the consideration of several factors, including retail market conditions as well as ownership and shopping center characteristics. The decision to provide incentives requires a determination of whether the incentive will help improve the outcome of the property over the long term, which requires a look at retail market conditions, owner needs, and property needs. Identifying the needs of owners and the property are important, but a local government must also evaluate its own priorities and identify its financial and human resource capacity to provide an incentive. The most important incentives for developers are certainty of time and cost, but economic incentives help also, when it determines the success of a project. The recommendations presented in this thesis take into consideration factors that the county can exercise control over and that can help improve economic development activities in the county in order to address the broader issue of declining retail shopping centers.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

34. No more silence with tinnitus - a content analysis of an online discussion forum for individuals with tinnitus

Creator:: Chiu, Joubert
Description:: This research examines the experiences of individuals with tinnitus as told by the messages exchanged on an online discussion board. This study provides insight on an illness that is often overlooked, shedding light on the day to day problems individuals with tinnitus may face. This research also examines the different types of social support messages exchanged among forum users. A total of fifty primary posts and responses were collected for a grounded theory approach. Posts were coded and analyzed to reveal dominant themes and subthemes. The types of social support messages were categorized based on the Social Support Behavior Code framework (Cutrona and Suhr 1992). Tinnitus as a life disruption emerged to be the main core theme, followed by several subthemes under this category: “constant presence in the mind,” “losing agency,” and “feelings of isolation.” The findings suggest that individuals with tinnitus undergo behavioral and social changes based on the interactions they have with their surrounding environment. Some tinnitus sufferers grow fearful of their illness and others feel they are not treated well by others when disclosing information to medical specialists or close friends. Analysis of the types of social support messages exchanged revealed that “informational support” was the most common support message, followed by “emotional support,” and “esteem support.” Discussions on the issues of isolation led to informational and emotional support messages from repliers who participated on discussion threads.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

35. Using computer simulation software to investigate the application of variable valve timing technology to internal combustion engines displacing under 1,000 cc

Creator:: Ciobanu, Daniel
Description:: Statement of Problem: Improvements to internal combustion efficiency have soared in the last decade due to stricter emission regulations and increased consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Variable valve timing (VVT), engine start-stop cycles, direct injection, and close-coupled catalytic converters are only a few of the technologies now found standard in most new cars now sold. However, this technology has largely been absent from smaller displacement engines typically found in two- and three-wheeled vehicles. This thesis examines the use of a computer-based engine cycle program to simulate the effects of adding VVT technology to a small displacement, high-speed relatively modern motorcycle engine, and whether the output gains, if any, mirror those of the larger engines used in automobiles and light trucks. Sources of Data: The bulk of the raw simulation data was generated by the Lotus Engine Simulation software in the form of text and CSV files. The dissemination of these data forms the basis for the conclusions reached. A portion of the background information was culled from two pivotal textbooks on four-stroke internal combustion engines: John Heywood’s Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals (2nd Edition), and Gordon P. Blair’s Design and Simulation of Four Stroke Engines. All input data required by the Lotus program was empirically derived from disassembling a Honda 600 F4i engine and performing metrology inspection in line with established CSUS lab practices, using calibrated instruments. Where empirical measurements were not practical, the Honda F4i service manual provided additional information. Conclusions Reached: After validating the software as a reliable source of engine performance data, single and parametric study simulations were performed to gather engine performance characteristics with inlet and exhaust valve parameters that were varied through a set of values that used the OEM fixed values as a center line. Three 2-D parametric studies were performed for 100% throttle, steady state operation: varying intake valve lift + closing time, varying exhaust valve closing time + intake valve opening time (overlap), and finally varying intake valve lift + exhaust valve lift. The results show that at full throttle, the use of VVT improved torque output by an average of 6% throughout the entire engine speed range, and decreased fuel consumption by 1-2 percent. If implemented in a production setting, these gains would come with the drawbacks of increased mass (and complexity) in a system that can hardly afford both, given the already small build envelope of motorbikes, and increased cost to consumers. However, given that motorbikes are currently higher greenhouse gas emitters than passenger cars, it is a small price to pay to at least slow the tide of pollution currently being output by this transportation group.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

36. Self-efficacy and academic performance among college students: analyzing the effects of team-based learning

Creator:: Olave, Barbara Joan
Description:: College participation rates are growing among students of lower socioeconomic status and first-generation students (those who are the first members of their families to attend college), however their success rates do not keep pace with students of higher socioeconomic status and those whose family members have attained college degrees. Research indicates that one element impacting college students’ success rates is confidence in their ability to bring about intended outcomes in the face of challenges (self-efficacy). Guided by Constructivist Learning Theory, this study was designed to assess the possible impact of increasing opportunities for successful completion of goals (efficacious actions) in introductory college courses. A total of 159 university students in four introductory sociology courses were either assigned to a control group taught using the conventional lecture style of teaching, or an experimental group which adopted the Team-Based Learning framework. Eligible participants completed pre- and post-tests to assess possible changes in self-efficacy levels, and final course grades were monitored to assess differences in final grades. It was hypothesized that adding opportunities for efficacious actions into lower division introductory college courses would increase both self-efficacy and grades among first-generation college students and therefore narrow the achievement gaps.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

37. At the intersection of privilege and marginalization: analyzing the experiences and communication practices of administrators of color in higher education

Creator:: Ramirez, Erik Miguel
Description:: Institutions of higher education are becoming more diverse in student populations, but minority representation at the administrative level is still lacking. Despite current efforts to diversify leadership, the experiences of administrators of color remain largely unexplored. This thesis seeks to understand the communication practices and lived experiences of people of color in higher education administration. Drawing on co-cultural theory and dominant group theory, and on literature pertaining to diversity efforts in higher education, the benefits of diversity, and the experiences of professionals of color in academia, interviews were conducted with 16 high-level administrators of color to determine how they communicate in their respective positions and what their experiences suggest about current diversity efforts. A qualitative analysis revealed that administrators of color enact communication practices associated with both privileged and marginalized identities. As such, they occupy a dual positionality of privilege and marginalization from which they advocate for students of color and other underrepresented groups. Additionally, findings indicate that the intersection of privilege and marginalization in the position that administrators of color occupy generates a cultural taxation system composed of three factors: personal motivation, cultural group expectation, and institutional pressure. This study brings to light stories that are rarely told and offers a new way of understanding the experiences of people of color in leadership positions. Theoretical implications for intercultural communication and for the concept of cultural taxation are offered, as well as practical implications for addressing issues associated with administrative diversity in higher education.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Communication Studies

38. College students' perceptions, experiences, and attitudes towards stalking and cyberstalking

Creator:: Ramirez, Claudia
Description:: There is no single universal definition of the terms stalking and cyberstalking as these terms vary in legal, social and academic meaning. This study aims to determine which behaviors are most commonly considered stalking and cyberstalking, based on subjective opinion. Participants of this study (N=94) were provided with common stalking and cyberstalking behaviors and were able to select and write in behaviors they considered stalking and cyberstalking definitions. Furthermore, this study examines how many participants believe they have been victims of stalking and or cyberstalking. This rate was then compared to university reported stalking 2017 victimization rates of the university where the study took place, as well as other similarly sized universities. The results indicate that stalking victimization reported by Sacramento State and similarly sized universities are alarmingly low, which may indicate under reporting. Overall, this study suggests the spreading of awareness of stalking and advocacy and support of stalking victims from college campuses.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Criminal Justice

39. Does distance make a difference? the relationship between physical school environment and teachers' perceptions of school connectedness, administrative support, and burnout

Creator:: Rein, Lindsey Kathryn
Description:: While working conditions are known to impact employees’ perceptions of the work environment and employees’ health, the effect of the layout of a school site on teachers has yet to be explored. This study aims to determine if the physical distance between a special education teacher’s classroom and the administrative office affects his/her experience of burnout, connection to the school, and administrative support. Data were collected from survey research in a small district in Northern California. Results indicated that, while special education teachers’ classrooms were farther from administration buildings, there was no significant impact of classroom distance on burnout symptoms, school connectedness, or perceptions of administrative support.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (School Psychology)

40. Gutting the duck: a CAM analysis of energy storage technologies for California's grid

Creator:: Branch, Charles Ross
Description:: Since California began decarbonizing its energy supply nearly 20 years ago, the state has become a leader in the clean energy revolution. Backed mostly by a rapid expansion of solar energy, California now generates more renewable energy than any other state in the nation. Although California’s growth in solar energy is impressive, it does not come without challenges. Most concerning of these challenges is grid imbalance between energy supply and energy demand over the course of a day. Referred to as the “duck curve,” the imbalance raises concerns about the grid’s ability to integrate more solar energy as California moves to a 100 percent carbon free energy supply. This thesis explores energy storage as one approach to address California’s duck curve and meet the state’s energy policy goals. More specifically, I look at four energy storage technologies and perform a criteria-alternative matrix (CAM) analysis to determine which storage technology best mitigates the duck curve while helping California achieve its energy goals. The thesis concludes that policymakers and regulators should implement the four following recommendations: Recommendation #1: Adopt an “all of the above” strategy in terms of storage technologies. Recommendation #2: Pursue underground CAES as a priority for utility-scale energy storage. Recommendation #3: Expand the use hydrogen fuel cells for increased grid flexibility. Recommendation #4: Reduce reliance on solar energy by classifying large hydro as “renewable” energy.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

41. Real Men, zeros, and heroines: gendered power dynamics in superhero films

Creator:: Zahn, Shelby
Description:: Despite the influx of superhero films in recent years, the genre seems to replicate the hegemonic gender relations of capitalist American society. Is there a difference between how these films from 1990-2019 use their protagonists to portray gendered power dynamics? This study analyzes thirty-six of the highest-grossing American superhero films from 1990-1999, 2000-2009, and 2010-2019 in a qualitative content analysis. Connell and Messerschmidt’s conception of hegemonic masculinity (2005) is used as a framework. Themes of demographics, violence, and relationship to the state are coded. Findings suggest that villains and heroines are often enemies of the state, and heroes are often allies. Heroines encounter male threats in varying degrees of sexual violence.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

42. Adverse action in the selection process: beyond the uniform guidelines

Creator:: Avalos, Michelle Gabrielle
Description:: The goal of this thesis is to supplement the analyses of a previously administered state-level multiple-choice examination using the 80 Percent Rule with Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analyses. DIF analysis addresses group differences when candidates are equated for level of ability (a more direct way to address test fairness) in an attempt to identify potentially biased exam items. By using a hierarchal logistic regression approach, the study evaluates Non-Uniform and Uniform DIF alongside the 80 Percent Rule assessment in an effort to address limitations identified in the 80 percent rule statistic as introduced in Section 4D of the Uniform Guidelines. The archival data utilized in this study were provided by a State Agency located on the West Coast of the United States. Job applicants (N = 1,517) across the state participated in the selection measure for a Cashier-based Classification and 8 demographics were utilized in the assessments (Male, Female, Over 40, Under 40, Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, and Asian). It was concluded that the use of hierarchal logistic regression analysis in this study provided (1) clarity on violations identified through the 80 Percent Rule assessment and (2) evidence of item bias for several protected groups.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology (Industrial/Organizational Psychology)

43. What maternal variables predict extended breastfeeding practice?

Creator:: Yates, Charlotte E.
Description:: The goal of this study was to explore variables associated with extended breastfeeding practice. Specifically, the study investigated whether intrapersonal factors (breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding history/education), interpersonal factors (perceived support, attitudes, and return to work) and demographics were associated with the practice of extended breastfeeding. A total of 414 participants completed a survey posted to a forum for mothers and mothers-to-be. Results revealed no significant associations between demographic variables and extended breastfeeding. However, there were significant associations between intrapersonal factors (breastfeeding self-efficacy), and interpersonal factors, (work support), and the practice of extended breastfeeding. Women who breastfed longer than 12 months were more likely to report greater breastfeeding self-efficacy, more likely to meet their breastfeeding goals at work, and had fewer work barriers to breastfeeding. Limitations, future directions, and implications are discussed.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Child Development (Applied Settings)

44. Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among university students

Creator:: Rambeau, Virgil E., Jr.
Description:: Food insecurity impacts university students, resulting with physical and mental health risks, at-risk for low GPAs, and change in behavior (Hughes, Serebryanikova, Donaldson & Leveritt, 2011; O’Neil & Maguire, 2017; Wood, Harris III & Delgado, 2017). Current research examines the relationship between food insecurity and adults, families, and children, while the food experience of university students is lacking in these studies. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to examine specific demographic characteristics of students who attended California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) and to evaluate whether there are statistically significant differences between the student population experience with food insecurity. This study focused on four research questions: What is the relationship between income status and food insecurity? What is the relationship between racial identity and food insecurity? What is the relationship between hours worked per week and food insecurity? What is the relationship between housing insecurity and food insecurity? A Pearson’s Chi-Square demonstrated a correlation between housing insecurity and food insecurity. This study will contribute to future research that explores the food experience of university students.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Social Work

45. Metal substitution of natural zeolites clinoptilolite and mordenite via hydrothermal dealumination and atom planting for catalytic applications

Creator:: Soehn, Ryan Amir
Description:: Zeolites are mesoporous natural or synthetically prepared aluminosilicate materials widely used as adsorbates, waste remediation agents, and catalysts. Due to the complexity of the synthetic process, there has been growing interest to modify readily available natural zeolites, thus transforming them into valuable active zeolite materials. Dealumination of a parent zeolite material, achieved through chemical and physical processing, produces stable reactive defect sites that can be subsequently utilized to insert new desired atoms into the structure. This study performs an in-depth analysis of each intermediary step necessary for metal substitution of natural zeolites to be successful. The results presented shows the successful controlled dealumination of zeolite mordenite using a hydrothermal process followed by washing to remove the extra-framework aluminum. Successful "atom planting" of aluminum (III) using AlCl3 and titanium (IV) using TiCl4 was performed on the dealuminated material as well as the non-modified material. Attenuated Total Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FTIR), solid state Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (ss MAS NMR), and Diffuse Reflectance Ultraviolet Spectroscopy (DRUV) was utilized to monitor the dealumination and atom-planting structural changes in the material throughout the modification process. The newly modified zeolite hopefully is expected to exhibit novel catalytic properties not shown by the starting material.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Chemistry

46. Where art thou? An examination of women’s experience pursuing a higher education degree in studio art

Creator:: Seed, Annemarie
Description:: The purpose of this work surveyed and interviewed women who completed a degree in studio art or other art related concentrations. This study focused on the educational experiences of females in their studio art courses. The researcher evaluated and analyzed data to identify similar experiences shared by women. This study focused on the following questions: What influences and informs female student’s art making practice? How can the curriculum in studio art education help (or hinder) female artist’s transition into the art market? Sources of Data Females of various ages, that have completed a degree within any concentration of studio art, art history or art education were surveyed and interviewed. There were 43 participants that took the survey. The survey was sent out through Facebook as an open call and through email to a network of professional contacts within the art community including museum staff, educators, gallery owners and artists. The artists selected to interview were volunteers from professional colleagues known through the local art community. The survey was designed to be primarily quantitative data to easily identify specific themes. The qualitative nature of the survey allowed for the researcher to conduct thematic analysis and make conclusions. In addition to the Likert scale questions, the survey allowed for other responses that produced rich data that the researcher developed and applied a coded scheme to produce qualitative data and draw conclusions. Conclusions Reached The quantitative and qualitative nature of the study allowed for the researcher to draw conclusions based on the data findings in relation to gender. The history and current research on the representation of women in the professional art field is deeply rooted in the hegemonic pedagogies of studio art curriculum. Women lack role models, mentorship and learning from and about other women artists. The study defines deficient areas within the studio art discipline that can and should be addressed.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Behavioral Sciences Gender Equity Studies)

47. Negotiating third culture kid identity gaps: An (inter)cultural communication perspective

Creator:: Rangoonwala, Michael Karim
Description:: In the wake of globalization, a growing line of research has emerged to better understand individuals who grow up on the crossroads of national cultures due to their parents’ vocation known as third culture kids (TCKs). Scholars and counselors acknowledge the large need to better understand how TCKs negotiate their (inter)national cultural identity. Utilizing the communication theory of identity (CTI) framework, interviews were conducted with 17 missionary kid (MK) TCKs to examine if and how they experience identity gaps. A qualitative analysis revealed various intensity levels in personal-communal, personal-relational, and personal-enacted identity gaps. Multiple factors such as context, time, identity salience, relational closeness, and cultural similarity caused variation in the experience of these gaps. The notions of being a hidden immigrant and a cultural chameleon were emphasized through passive communication strategies of camouflaging, reactive revealing, and selective revealing. Additionally, the religious dimension of being an MK had identity gaps, which were also managed passively. This research affirms and extends TCK and CTI literature in numerous ways, providing unique theoretical viewpoints of a multifaceted, dialectical (inter)national cultural identity, as well as practical implications for scholars, counselors, and TCKs.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Communication Studies

48. Perirhinal cortex inactivations produce recall deficits in fear extinction to a discontinuous visual stimulus

Creator:: Potter, Nicole Malia
Description:: Several studies suggest that the perirhinal cortex (PER) may function to unitize stimulus components across time or modalities, and multiple findings have supported the involvement of the PER in stimulus unitization during fear conditioning. However, the role of the PER in processing such stimuli during other aspects of fear learning, including fear extinction, have not been evaluated. The current study assessed the involvement of the PER during a fear extinction paradigm using a discontinuous or a continuous conditioned stimulus (CS). Rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups based on two factors: CS type (a continuous light versus a discontinuous light) and PER manipulation (Saline group or Muscimol group). Results showed that the PER is involved in fear expression regardless of the CS type; however, the PER had a stimulus-specific role in the recall of an extinction memory.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology

49. Identifying risk factors of financial exploitation of older and dependent adults in Sacramento County

Creator:: Sauvé, Daniel and Okumura, Kara
Description:: This study describes and explores the nature of financial abuse (FA) of older adults, those aged 65 and over, in Sacramento County, California, with the aim of developing characteristic profiles for those with increased vulnerability for such mistreatment. This research was conducted with Sacramento County Adult Protective Services (APS), a program aimed at detection and prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older and dependent adults, and the investigation of reports thereof. Existing data for 1,211 financial abuse (FA) reports was collected through the APS 24-hour report hotline. This study used descriptive statistics to identify existing correlations between hotline data points, and inferential statistics to relate those to level of risk of FA. Specific attention was given to the correlation between the victim’s gender, ethnicity, and living situation and the report outcome – substantiated or unsubstantiated – of financial abuse. Analysis shows that a statistically significant correlation exists between the victim living alone and the substantiation of the report of FA. Although the additional individual characteristics identified in the hypothesis, gender and ethnic minority, did not individually yield significant results, multivariate analysis indicated a significant vi relationship between report substantiation and non-minority females who live alone when compounded; additionally “non-relative” perpetrator relation was most strongly associated with substantiated reports. Overall, the results of this research confirms the complex nature of financial abuse of older adults; creates a localized perspective to assist in prevention, assessment, and intervention; and contributes to the larger body of literature of FA as a national public health issue.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Social Work

50. Work-to-family conflict: cases of the United States and Japan

Creator:: Tsukada, Yusuke
Description:: Using the cross-national data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 2015, this thesis compared workers in the United States and Japan. This thesis examined the potential factors resulting in unequal distribution of work-to-family conflict based on three research questions. First, I tested whether one experienced different levels of work-to-family conflict depending on the occupational status they had. Second, the thesis investigated whether specific job characteristics predicted the degree to which one was susceptible to work-to-family conflict. In particular, the thesis tested the consequences of the following natures of work conditions: job autonomy, job authority, control over working schedule, personal earnings, boredom at work, job insecurity, working on weekends, and weekly working hours. This thesis, therefore, not only identified the level of occupational status, but also examined the work conditions and characteristics that produced more work-to-family conflict. Finally, this thesis compared the above relationships by gender and between two countries: the United States and Japan. It was argued that the examination of the effect of cultural and social contexts on work-to-family conflict showed that American workers were likely to experience higher levels of work-to-family conflict than Japanese workers. It was also argued that, as peculiar Japanese cultural and social contexts, there were the effects of age and educational attainment on work-to-family conflict. Specifically, older Japanese workers were likely to experience lower levels of work-to-family conflict, and Japanese workers with higher educational attainment were likely to experience higher levels of work-to-family conflict. These findings implied that there were the different cultural and social contexts between the United States and Japan.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

51. Decline of female coaches in the NCAA at the Division 1 level in the Mountain West Conference

Creator:: Willard, Jourdan
Description:: Statement of Problem The purpose of this work was to examine collegiate female coaches and male and female athletic directors at the NCAA Division 1 level about the decline of women coaches after the passing of Title IX in 1972, focusing on women sports within the Mountain West Conference and what factors played major roles in the decline of female coaches on the women side of sports. Furthermore, it showed what major affects this decline of female coaches had on collegiate female athletes. Additionally, this study measured the potential strategies to retain and promote female coaches in NCAA Division 1 athletics. Sources of Data The goal of this study was to survey all female head coaches and assistant coaches coaching female sports and male and female athletic directors within the Mountain West Conference at the Division 1 level. This survey would determine why there is a decline of female coaches at the Division 1 level, how perceptions of gender roles contributed to a decrease of female coaches at the collegiate level, and what potential strategies could be implemented to help promote female coaching positions and improve retention of female coaches at the collegiate Division 1 level. Only qualitative research was done for this study. The research instrument used was an open-ended 14-question survey sent to participants who choose to participate in this study. An open-ended question format was used in order to get more analysis about the questions asked in which more depth was added in the data collected. Surveys and questionnaires within qualitative research allowed the researcher to collect large amounts of data in a relatively shorter amount of time and with a larger participant population (Mills, 2017). This survey was created solely by the researcher through research and personal experience as a female collegiate coach. The researcher used the same survey for all participants in order to gain appropriate responses to answer the research questions stated above. Conclusions Reached Content analysis of the 68 participants, female collegiate coaches and male and female athletic directors of the Mountain West Conference found that the decline of female collegiate coaches was mostly due to the passing of the 1972 Amendment Act, Title IX. Title IX was passed to bring parity to females in collegiate athletics to their male counterparts. Although female student-athletes were positively affected by Title IX, it negatively affected female collegiate coaches. This negative affect was due to increased job positions and additional money put into the female collegiate sports teams. Other factors that contributed to this decline of female collegiate coaches were coaching inequalities, pay discrepancies, balancing professional and personal lives, along with hiring/firing decisions made by athletic directors. Besides Title IX, most participants in this study found that work/life balance mostly contributed to female coaches leaving the profession. They felt as though there was not enough support from athletic departments to juggle being working mothers. Recommendations from these participants included better childcare options and more support and a family friendly work environment. Lastly, participants felt that the lack of continued education in this profession deterred women coaches. With the coaching profession constantly evolving, they felt as though more education is necessary to maintain their success and become the best coach they can be in their professions. In the future, Division 1 schools will be partnering with the Alliance of Women Coaches to put on leadership conferences for women coaches. Hopefully, this will help retain and promote female coaches at the collegiate level.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Behavioral Sciences Gender Equity Studies)

52. The impact of DACA on the DACAmented and unDACAmented population

Creator:: Hernández-Torres, Mariela W.
Description:: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a temporary immigration policy that was passed by President Obama in June 2012. This research focuses on the impact that DACA has had on the DACAmented and UnDACAmented recipients. This study will also analyze whether a temporary program like DACA could be used to benefit a larger part of the undocumented population. This research is crucial to assess how this policy benefits and changes lives of a vulnerable population. It will help inform and improve future policies directed to an undocumented immigrant population. In-depth interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with 10 individuals: 5 DACA and the 5 non-DACA recipients. I compared the two groups’ experiences and used intersectional and social capital theories to analyze the findings. Although not a generalizable sample, the study seeks an exploratory and qualitative understanding of the unique experiences among DACAmented and UnDACAmented population at time of extreme nativism in the country.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

53. The impact of the earned income tax credit on child educational achievement in the United States

Creator:: Thich, Melissa
Description:: Using a variation of difference-in-differences model, this thesis examines the effects of three different Earned Income Tax Credit expansions and EITC eligibility on children’s total PIAT score, mathematic PIAT score, and reading comprehension PIAT score. More specifically, we estimate the effects of background and familial factors, which include total family income, age, residential location, race, gender, mother’s educational level, mother’s age at child’s birth, household size and poverty status on child achievement. In an ideal world, children of all racial groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and family history would have an equal opportunity in education. However, it is evident that family income positively affects children’s test scores, and EITC can provide an additional source of income for families, leading to improved scores. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth from 1979, our results show that over the years as the EITC expansions occur, a positive relation exist between EITC eligible students and children educational achievement, although, these effect were not statistically significant.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Economics

54. Cicero: a study of gamesmanship in the Late Republic

Creator:: Boyd, Eugene H.
Description:: Roman politics during the final decades of the Late Republic was a vicious process of gamesmanship wherein lives of people, their families and friends were at the mercy of the gamesmen. Cicero’s public and political gamesmanship reflects the politics, class and ethnic biases of Roman society and how random events impacted personal insecurities
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: History

55. Aerodynamic analysis of runner goggles

Creator:: Lucas, Brandon A.
Description:: In Track and Field, sprinters such as Usain Bolt undergo wind resistance or drag forces during a race competition. Athletic clothing and shoes help reduce drag of a sprinter. Eyewear, which is used to block glare and harmful UV rays, have not been studied to determine their impact on aerodynamic drag. It is possible that these sprinter goggles could contribute to extra drag, or they could be designed in such a way to actually reduce drag and improve a sprinters time by 10ths of seconds. In this thesis, air resistance of a sprinters head is analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to determine the drag force while running with and without Eyewear.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

56. Spawning habitat evaluation in the low flow channel of the Feather River

Creator:: Davalos, Jennifer
Description:: Hydraulic mining, gravel mining, gold dredging, timber harvesting, water diversions, urbanization, and the Oroville dam have played a role in degrading the spawning habitat of the low flow channel of the Feather river. In efforts to restore the spawning habitat, gravel was added to Hatchery Cottonwood Riffle, Upper Auditorium Riffle, and Auditorium Riffle. Monitoring of grain sizes, permeability, dissolved oxygen, upwelling/downwelling conditions, depth and velocity, and temperature took place before the gravel additions, and after construction was complete. The goal of the project was to evaluate the suitability of the spawning habitat as it evolved from the pre-restoration conditions to post-restoration conditions. Based on the measurements taken before and after restoration, the three sites either remained suitable for spawning or improved.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Geology

57. California punk rock: a content analysis of political themes in song lyrics pre and post 9/11

Creator:: Leonardini, Anthony
Description:: This study analyzed punk rock song lyrics that were released between the years 1996-2006, from two California record companies, Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph Records. The purpose of doing so was to find political themes, during the Pre and Post 9/11 Eras, while using a content analysis research method. By critically analyzing and interpreting song lyrics, this allowed me to highlight how music scenes, like punk rock, can be outspoken towards inequalities, corruption, and political issues. Specifically, I identified seven political themes that reflect punk’s anti-hegemonic values, which are rejecting the status quo and opposing political corruption. My research questions aimed to find how particular regions and political eras play a role in the construction of lyrics with political content. Although punk rock has always been critical of the status quo and conventional values, my argument is that certain regions, for example, California, and political eras, like the Post-9/11 Era, generate a greater influx of political content from punk bands. As a result, song lyrics, from the Post-9/11 Era, contained more political themes than the Pre-9/11 Era’s song lyrics. Music’s influence on society is too significant to overlook. Studying song lyrics gives us an opportunity to explore and better understand new perspectives, attitudes, and ideas about social and political factors that influence our behaviors and lives.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

58. 3-D mapping of groundwater TDS using borehole geophysics and historical produced water geochemistry at the Midway-Sunset oil field, Kern County, California

Creator:: Finney, David M. N.
Description:: In California, a vast population and agricultural industry rely on groundwater for their main water supply source. Recent drought conditions have placed a higher demand on groundwater resources, and in order to preserve this resource for future use, groundwater must be managed carefully. In areas where oil fields are located, there is concern that petroleum extraction operations and produced wastewater disposal are negatively impacting groundwater that may qualify as protected. To protect these waters, it is essential to know their location and extent. To accomplish this, we develop maps that locate the distribution of groundwater containing less than 10,000 parts per million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS) since these waters are more likely to qualify as protected. To map groundwater TDS at the Midway-Sunset oil field, we use the Stephens et al., [2018] method which relies on produced water geochemical measurements, TDS calculated using the RP method, and ordinary kriging. However, unlike the areas mapped by Stephens et al., [2018], the Midway-Sunset oil field presents unique challenges to mapping groundwater TDS. At the Midway-Sunset oil field, decades of enhanced oil recovery operations have led to significant variations in the geothermal gradient, while detrital diatomite in the sediments causes geophysical porosity logs to overestimate total porosity. This is a problem because TDS calculations require resistivity, temperature, and porosity data. The following thesis addresses these challenges to mapping groundwater TDS at Midway-Sunset in several key ways. Thermal effects from enhanced oil recovery were removed by only considering a subset of wells that were unaffected by thermal processes while three different porosity models were developed and tested for different regions of the field in order to remedy the diatomite-porosity-problem. The resulting calculated TDS values were then combined with existing geochemical measurements of TDS and kriged to generate salinity maps and cross sections for the Midway-Sunset oil field. In the northern portion of the field, the TDS maps and cross sections reveal that the depth to the 10,000 ppm TDS boundary extends to greater than ~-1500 feet elevation, while in the southern region the boundary is much shallower, with a maximum depth of ~150 feet elevation. In the study area, stratigraphy, faults, and freshwater recharge appear to control the distribution of groundwater TDS.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Geology

59. A comparison of preprinted and write-on response cards in higher education

Creator:: Copsey, Catherine Jeanne
Description:: This study compared the benefits of preprinted vs. write-on response cards in two undergraduate psychology courses using an alternating treatments design blocked by content unit. We compared both response card types to standard lecture in Experiment 1 and a passive lecture control condition in Experiment 2. We examined the effects of response card type on students’ exam performance, learning gains (i.e., questions answered incorrectly in class then correctly on exams), retention scores, retention gains (i.e., learning gains maintained on a posttest), and in-class participation. Students also reported their preference for response card type using a satisfaction survey. Both response card conditions resulted in higher exam scores over standard and passive control conditions, and we found that write-on response cards produced significantly higher learning and retention gains across experiments. We offer recommendations for using response cards in higher education as well as expanding this line of research.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis)

60. The diffusion of ideas in Punjab, India: a failed social movement

Creator:: Singh, Shaminder Kaur
Description:: In June of 1984, the prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, ordered the Indian army to invade one of the holiest of temples of the Sikh faith, The Golden Temple (Sri Harmindar Sahib), in Amritsar, Punjab, India. This attack was titled “Operation Bluestar”. The objective was to detain one Sikh activist fighting for injustices inflicted upon Sikhs and terrorist in the eyes of the Indian government. Efforts to detain the Sikh activist, Bhinderawale, resulted in cruel and heartless casualties of innocent lives who pilgrimaged to the temple from around the world. Brutally murdered, men, woman, elderly, and children were recalled by surviving eye-witnesses. Following this attack, Indira Gandhi’s two Sikh bodyguards shot and killed Gandhi due to the attack on their faith. Following the murder of the prime minister, the Indian government launched “Woodrose Operation”, a strategic and systematically planned out removal of all Sikhs. Thousands of Sikh families were shot, beat, raped, and burned alive in broad daylight and v night shamelessly, while police officials did not intervene. Many Sikh men were imprisoned during that time as well under unlawful and fake charges. As the prisoners’ sentences were completed recently nearly 30 years after Operation Bluestar, the Indian government refuses to release them. In 2013-2015 a social movement, #SikhLivesMatter was launched in efforts to add pressure to the Indian government to release the prisoners. While the movement gained international attention, the movement made no major accomplishments to release the prisoners and silenced after a good two-year uproar. Utilizing the Diffusion of Innovations theory, this thesis examines the #SikhLivesMatter movement to understand what factors led to the movement’s failure and how the movement can be resurrected effectively and successfully. Qualitative research techniques of social media, post collection analysis and interviewing were used to make major conclusions. Interview participants included Indian-Sikhs and American-Sikhs. This thesis concludes that perhaps this movement was an “emergent social movement” as it lacked many important requirements of a social movement that is successful. For example, a lack of central leadership that can promote effective communication, outlined, collective goals and actions to create a massive and inclusive support system.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Communication Studies

61. Discrimination and political engagement: the role of education for six Asian American groups

Creator:: Kaur, Rajwinder
Description:: The purpose of this thesis was to explore how discrimination impacted Asian Americans’ political engagement. Specifically, this thesis investigated 1) whether discrimination contributes to lower political engagement (i.e., participation in political activities, interest in politics, and discussions regarding politics) and 2) whether college education played a role in changing the influence of discrimination on political engagement amongst Asian Americans. Using the Critical Race Theory, this thesis examined nationally representative date from The National Asian American Survey (NAAS) 2008. The findings from the whole sample analysis showed that higher level of exposure to discrimination in fact made the Asian Americans more politically engaged (participation, interest, and discussion). However, each Asian ethnic group had its own unique predictors of political engagement, indicating the importance of disaggregating the Asians when analyzing their political behaviors. With regard to education, college education was consistently one of the most important factor for political engagement but did not interact with discrimination in influencing political engagement.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

62. Guiding the choice : comparing the academic performance of a charter high school and a public high school in Sacramento

Creator:: Taxdal, Logan
Description:: The expansion of charter schools, fueled largely by school choice advocates, has provided many prospective students families with access to alternatives from their traditional public school options. However, comparisons of academic performance between the two school structures often yields mixed results. This is particularly true amongst schools in urban settings. In Sacramento, California, a study of an academic comparison between a charter high school and traditional public high school was conducted. Data utilized within the study was sourced from statewide assessment data from the 2016-2017 school year. Analysis of the results indicated that the charter high school provided students with a greater educational opportunity than the traditional public high school in this urban setting.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Special Education)

63. Gender outlaws: a queer narrative study of late-eighteenth century women's novels of prejudice

Creator:: Grey, Cody and Grey, Cody David Lynn
Description:: In this study, I analyze how the gothic heroines and narrative structures of three radical feminist-authored texts – Mary Wollstonecraft’s Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman (1797), Mary Hays’s The Victim of Prejudice (1799), and Eliza Fenwick’s Secresy, or The Ruin on the Rock (1795) – challenge pre-existing social prejudices against women as a public and private entity. At the conclusion of the eighteenth century, the definition of gender understood by British society takes a radical turn: where earlier decades understood gender to be projected or performed by dress and behavior, the 1790s bore witness to a rising, bio-essential understanding of gender as an undeniable quality one is born with. By and large, the fair sex and feminine gender is a popular subject with conduct books and literature promoting idealistic and sometimes unrealistic expectations for women’s social roles and conduct. By both answering Abby Coykendall’s call for queer narratology and elaborating on Sarah Winter’s notion of the “novel of prejudice,” I examine how these novels challenge social ideas and concepts pertaining to bio-essential understandings of gender in the final decade of the eighteenth century. All three novels by Wollstonecraft, Hays, and Fenwick not only use similar gothic elements to project the narrative world into the realm of uncanny possibilities, but each gothic heroine’s experiences of gender prejudice inform an audience of empowered feminine expressions defiant of social prescriptions of gender.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: English (Literature)

64. Examining the experiences for diverse women in settings of higher education : an intersectional analysis

Creator:: Aguilar, Daisy
Description:: Sociologists have examined the barriers that students of color, in general, experience in higher education, as well as how campus climate can be improved to be more inclusive for the increasingly diversified student population. However, few researchers have examined college students’ experiences across race, gender, and class, particularly the intersectional effects on women in various college settings (McCabe 2009). Therefore, this study examines the intersectional experiences of women from different racial and ethnic groups at California State University, Sacramento. With the use of three focus groups, this study will explore Black, White and Chicana women’s experiences in different settings of higher education. This study will employ the theory of intersectionality to guide the analysis and to explore the differences by race, gender and class
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

65. Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on life satisfaction levels with a focus on mental health

Creator:: Khan, Anam H.
Description:: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often shortened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a federal statute that represented the most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of health coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Yet the act remains controversial. Indeed, the current federal administration has taken various steps to constrain it. While the debate on effects of the ACA are still in question, data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) suggests that since implementation until 2016, more than 20 million Americans have received health coverage because of ACA. In addition, information from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI) has shown a dramatic and steady decline in the uninsured rate since the 2012-2013 baseline period before ACA’s major coverage provisions took place. It is therefore important now more than ever to study the varying effects of ACA not only at the federal level but in California as well. Given ongoing efforts by various parties to undermine the ACA, it is essential to know what the impact could be. Furthermore, arguments in support of ACA could be used in the future to establish state laws that keep some provisions or version of ACA in place in California. Prior research has shown that health insurance coverage is linked to life satisfaction. I extend this research and delve further into the topic by assessing whether or not increased coverage from the Affordable Care Act led to increased life satisfaction and in particular, the improvement of mental health. Drawing from BRFSS data, the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world, I investigated this topic using multiple regression analysis. Based on my data and the results from my regressions, I found that the number of individuals with some form of health coverage increased from pre-ACA implementation in 2010 to post-ACA implementation in 2016. I also found that life satisfaction levels increased during these years. When it comes to mental health, I found there was an increase in the percentage of respondents that experienced zero days of mental health distress. Along these lines, the percentage of respondents that experienced some mental distress, either 6-15 days or 16-30 days both decreased from 2010 to 2016. When looking at the regression results, I found that individuals with health care coverage were more satisfied with life. As expected, I found that good health led to higher life satisfaction values and the same to be true for mental health. The results in this study support the expansion of health care coverage that has been obtained through the ACA, and emphasize the importance of modernizing policies in the world of mental health. With nearly one-third of those covered under ACA exhibiting an existing mental disorder, policies at both the state and federal level need to encompass solutions to resolve the growing mental health disorder issues in the nation.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

66. The Impact of increased physical activity opportunities on overall academic achievement: an analysis of the top elementary schools in the United States.

Creator:: Lenz, Stephen
Description:: Physical education and having a physical education specialist on staff, as well as physical activity, physical fitness, diversity and socioeconomic status, have been overlooked with regards to their potential impact on academic achievement as a result of most of the research focusing on leadership. The purpose of this study is to examine data from the top elementary schools in academic achievement throughout the United States, and determine what is similar or different regarding physical activity, physical education, physical fitness, socioeconomic status, diversity and access to physical education specialists in these top schools when compared with the national average schools. The participants consisted of the top public elementary schools in the United States based on the websites https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-schools/, thebestschools.org, and neighborhoodscout.com. Data for socioeconomic status, diversity, physical education and physical education specialists, and extracurricular activities was collected and analyzed, and compared to national averages. Socioeconomic status: 62.8% of the top schools had 10%, 81.10% had 20%, and 92.68% had 47.5% of students or less on free or reduced lunches. Diversity: Of the top elementary schools, 133 of 164 schools had one predominant ethnicity: 120 white, two African American, one Hispanic, and 10 Asian/Pacific Islander. The white population w the most dominant race present, exceeding the national average by 13%. Physical Education and Specialist: 95.1% of the top elementary schools had access to both physical education and a specialist. Extracurricular Activities: All of the top elementary schools had access to an afterschool program with extracurricular activities. Socioeconomic status likely had the greatest impact and could explain how these schools were able to have access physical education, physical education specialists, extracurricular activities, and therefore more opportunities for physical activity, physical fitness, and greater learning opportunities towards academic achievement.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Exercise Science)

67. Comunidad, educacion y sueños: an analysis of career aspirations for undocumented youth

Creator:: Jimenez Arellano, Patsy V.
Description:: Research on undocumented students has been developed during the last decade, however, most of the sociological research on the undocumented community has focused on college students. This study examines the aspirational experiences among the general undocumented youth. Specifically, study asks the following questions: 1) what factors shape their career aspirations after graduating high school? 2)What are some of the challenges that the undocumented youth confront while maneuvering the educational system? 3)What are some of the social support that undocumented youth receive and/or lack in order to access the higher education system? Using interviews with open-ended questions, six individuals participated in this research and all were undocumented, with access to AB 540 and DACA. The analysis of findings was guided by critical race theory and community cultural wealth. The findings reveal that immigration status affects career aspirations and choices of undocumented youth; in addition, mentorship opportunities and family support significantly shape career aspirations. The study also offers insights on undocumented DACA recipients that do vi not attend college. Non-college participants’ career aspirations were highly influenced by the lack of policies like DACA and AB 540 (and other state policies such as the Dream Acts AB 30 and 31) that provide access to resources for undocumented students when they graduated from high school. Structuring access to higher education for the undocumented youth improves their aspirational success.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

68. Rethinking America: an analysis of white nationalism and race dynamics in the context of Unite the Right

Creator:: Forneret, Thais Medeiros
Description:: Using social identity theory, this research investigated how the general public perceived demonstrations of white nationalism during the “Unite the Right” rally of August 12, 2017. Examining publicly available comments posted to news articles about the Charlottesville attack, this research investigated how the general public rationalized the rally as an overt expression of white nationalist sentiments in the United States. First, results suggested a high level of deflection of the responsibility for the violent confrontation, either side blaming the other for the violence. Second, many right leaning commenters felt left out by society and victimized by the media. Further, this study provides empirical and theoretical evidence connecting the delineation of subordinate statuses to how the rally was perceived by the general public.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

69. Jane Austen's uncensored rebellion: the juvenilia

Creator:: Linney, Michelle Yvette
Description:: Jane Austen’s juvenilia was preserved in three vellum notebooks, which contain final drafts of over twenty short stories, plays, letters, and scraps written between 1787 and 1793. As such, they offer a rare glimpse at the development of the aspiring young writer, documenting the evolution of Austen’s early writing style. The stories are burlesques of traditional themes from eighteenth-century literature, offering Austen’s readers her humorous perspective on the limiting conventions reinforced in popular novels and conduct books. While Austen loved reading novels, she was critical of depictions of sentimentalism and mocked the excessive emotion depicted in her favorite novels. This thesis provides an analysis of a sampling of stories from each of the three notebooks, including “Jack & Alice” from Volume the First, “Lesley Castle” from Volume the Second, and “Evelyn” from Volume the Third. Throughout my thesis I highlight allusions to numerous novels that appear in the juvenilia, suggesting that while Austen was a great lover of the novel, she was critical of the portrayals of men and women in popular literature. Ultimately, this essay will demonstrate that while the juvenilia is humorous on its surface, it reflects the anxiety and frustration Austen experienced as a young woman. Furthermore, because the stories were written for a private audience of close family and friends, who shared her disdain for sentimentality, the juvenilia represent Austen’s contribution to the criticism of novels and the societal limitations they reinforced. Through this lens, we can read Austen’s juvenilia as an uncensored rebellion against the limitations she experienced as a young woman both through the novels she loved and in her daily life.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: English (Literature)

70. Sexuality education and gender: how gender impacts values about sex education as an adult

Creator:: Della Santa, Melanie
Description:: The purpose of this research is to examine the attitudes of undergraduate students at a California State University regarding their experiences with sex education in the K-12 school setting. Parents and school administrators are polled regularly to find out what they think should be in sex education curriculum (Constantine, Jerman, & Huang, 2007; Eisenberg, Madsen, Oliphant, & Resnick, 2012; Greenblatt, 2008; Kantor & Levitz, 2017; McKee, Ragsdale, & Southward, 2014; Turnbull, van Schaik, & van Wersch, 2010), but adolescents and young adults are rarely asked what they want from their sex education (Forrest et al., 2004). There is a significant gap in academic literature that asks young adults to first reflect on their experience of receiving sex education, but even fewer studies have then asked those same young adults what they think should be taught (Walcott, Chenneville, & Tarquini, 2011). In addition to this, virtually no research exists that views those answers through the lens of gender to find out if there is a disproportion in the topics taught to, or preferred by, males or females. This research could potentially add to the ongoing conversation about how instructors teach sex education, and what is included in that instruction. It is the hope of the researcher that the outcome of this research will positively impact the breadth of knowledge that young people receive in their sex education curriculum. The research study was designed using a quantitative approach by gathering data through online surveys. The survey questions examined students’ previous experiences of their own sex education, their attitudes about those experiences, and their current attitudes about sex education. Because the research questions ask students to explore their current attitudes about sex education curriculum, this cross-sectional survey design enabled the researcher to measure the current beliefs and attitudes of the students surveyed (Creswell, 2012). Surveys were sent to students enrolled in specific classes within the College of Education at a California State University. Survey topics included basic demographic information, when/if participants were taught sex education, what topics they received instruction on, and what topics they would recommend be included in future curriculums. Through frequencies and crosstabulations, the researcher was able to compare specific data sets and responses based on participants’ gender and experience with sex education curriculum. Conclusions Reached Overall results of this study revealed that there is very little relationship between the type of sex education students received when they were an adolescent, and what kind of instruction they support and recommend as adults. The ratio of participants that received abstinence curricula and recommend it was not positively consistent, nor was the relationship between learning and recommending comprehensive sex education, since most participants recommended comprehensive education regardless of what they received growing up.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Behavioral Sciences Gender Equity Studies)

71. Developmental feasibility for a ceramic wankel rotary combustion chamber using computer aided analysis

Creator:: Hellstrom, Ian
Description:: The goal to achieve higher fuel-efficient internal combustion engines is a common goal for engine manufacturers. Current engines reject approximately 20 percent of the fuels energy to the engine cooling system. The waste energy is rejected to the atmosphere, in order to maintain the proper operating temperatures of the engine components. Controlling the energy loss by providing material that can operate a higher temperature can be one solution to minimize energy loss. Ceramics allow higher operating temperatures than current alloys that are common in mass production engines. Using ceramics as part of the combustion chamber can lower the energy loss. An engine with ceramic inserts to control temperature and alloys to provide the load bearing structure where testing using computer aided thermal simulations. Using SolidWork’s Thermal Simulations, a rotary engine was analyzed for heat losses, using inputs from field-collected data and data available from literature reviews. Results showed that the ceramic inserts provided a higher resistance to heat flow to the coolant systems, thus allowing more energy available in the combustion chamber.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

72. Consumer protection and the role of government: evaluating California's proposed fire barrier performance standard through benefit cost analysis

Creator:: Fesler, Nathan Stephen
Description:: The State of California’s Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishing and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI) is the only regulatory agency that has imposed smoldering safety standards for upholstered furniture. However, this does not address ignition from an open flame. In response to industry input, BEARHFTI is evaluating a fire barrier performance standard that requires a flame-resistant fire barrier to improve the resistance of upholstered furniture to an open flame. The desirability of mandating fire barriers in upholstered furniture for residential use depends upon whether the benefits from pursuing a regulatory requirement exceed the cost of imposing it. This thesis evaluates the efficiency of California’s currently proposed fire barrier performance standard. Through a Benefit-Cost Analysis, I account for the likely future benefits for Californians of the adoption of a fire barrier performance standard, and the likely future costs to furniture manufactures of implementing it for home furniture sold in the state. Using a unique Benefit-Cost framework, the estimated net present value over a 16-year time horizon is negative $836,539,890, suggesting the costs will far outweigh the benefits. Given an inherent level of uncertainty in the model assumptions and data used, a sensitivity analysis was performed to check the robustness of the initial findings to model changes. A range of sensitivity analyses of the benefit/cost inputs and model parameters indicate the initial negative findings are robust to changes in assumptions. Therefore, I conclude that directly imposing a fire barrier performance standard is not an efficient approach to protecting California consumers against upholstered furniture fire losses caused by an open flame. As a policy alternative, I propose BEARHFTI consider a product warning label requirement to reduce consumer harm from upholstered furniture flammability risk.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

73. Influence of microstructure on microwave reflectivity in copper

Creator:: McKown, Alissa Jane
Description:: To better understand the phenomena of various thrust outputs with constant energy input in the RF Resonant Cavity Thruster, a theoretical space travel propulsion system, the impact of microstructural variations in the cavity material was investigated. Specifically, copper samples with various grain sizes were tested for RF (microwave) reflectivity. The device studied, also known as the EmDrive, is constructed of a copper material. It is hypothesized that variations in the grain size of the copper will produce variations in reflected output to microwave inputs, resulting in a possible explanation for differences in output thrust. Copper samples with varying grain size were examined. The two specimen sizes were 1/2-inch x 1/2-inch x 1/8-inch and 3-inch x 3-inch x 1/8-inch. Samples were heat-treated in a NEY 6-525 programmable oven. The samples were polished and etched to expose the grain vi structure prior to microscopy. The small samples were also mounted for microscopy. The grain size of the samples was determined using the ASTM E112 intercept method and verified using calibrated Motic Images Plus software. Once the sample grain size was determined, samples were re-polished in preparation for microwave reflection experiments. Microwave reflection data were collected in an anechoic chamber using Windfreak Technologies SynthUSB II 3.5 MHz-4.4GHz Radio Frequency Synthesizer was used with an Altelix panel antenna to generate the appropriate frequency incident input, the output signal from the specimen was then measured by a second Altelix panel antenna and an RF Instruments Spectrum Analyzer. Raw data were collected via RF Instruments software provided with the hardware. The size of samples 1 through 6 made it difficult to ensure that the variations in reflectivity recorded were due to the samples themselves, which is why the second set of larger samples were made. A few trends indicating a possible relationship between annealing and reflectivity, and grain size and reflectivity were noted. Further research should be completed to validate these trends.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

74. The impact of privacy laws on cross agency collaboration cross over youth project model

Creator:: Losé, Victoria
Description:: Statement of Problem: The U.S. Department of Justice started to notice an influx of youth becoming wards of the state throughout the United States. A common pattern that judges noticed for these youth included being in the child welfare system along with the justice system. Judges ordered all the participating agencies that coordinate care for youth in the child welfare system to come together to provide more effective and efficient services to their shared clientele. This cross-agency collaboration includes Child Welfare, Probation, Behavioral Health Services, Department of Education, and Juvenile Courts. These agencies must work together to help their shared client. However, that includes sharing personally identifiable information. With these collaborations’ privacy laws prohibit data sharing amongst outside agencies. My thesis explored how the impact of privacy laws could be overcome, by focusing on Sacramento County’s implementation of the Cross Over Youth Project Mode as a case study. Sources of Data: I used a qualitative approach for this research. I conducted non-participant observations of meetings to see if these privacy laws impacted any information these stakeholders shared amongst each other. Additionally, I conducted interviews of the staff from the different agencies participating in this cross-agency collaboration. Conclusions Reached: The current policy does allow for sharing data. However, the process could be expedited if the language in the policy actually explicitly stated that all stakeholders that form a multidisciplinary team are also allowed to share data with one another.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Public Policy and Administration

75. Cooking academy: increasing self-efficacy in children

Creator:: Asch, Angela
Description:: Cooking skill and nutrition knowledge in youth is limited as nutrition education is not a mandated subject matter and home cooking has declined over previous decades (Reicks, Trofholz, Stang, & Laska, 2014; Schneider, Dumith, Orlandi, & Assunçāo, 2017). However, the ability to cook and the knowledge to make informed decisions about nutritious food is vital for good health, well-being, and the practice of food preparation and cooking (Utter, Larson, Laska, Winkler, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2018). Research shows that youth and adults that participate in cooking and nutrition education programs use those skills to make informed food choices and practice those healthy behaviors after the programs, which may mitigate adverse health effects like obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (Hersch, Perdue, Ambroz, & Boucher, 2014; Reicks et al., 2014). Thus, the need for afterschool intervention programs that teach practical life skills like cooking and nutrition is significant. One hundred and seventeen youth participated in a seven-week afterschool intervention program focused on cooking and nutrition education. The program utilized curricula from the 4-H Cooking 101 curricula series, a national non-profit organization, which aspires to increase self-efficacy and empower youth with life skills. During each two-hour class, participants prepared, cooked, and enjoyed a recipe completed within their assigned small group. Each lesson included a nutrition education message as well. All participants actively engaged in preparing and cooking food. Survey results indicated cooking self-efficacy, nutrition knowledge, and healthy habits increased after participants completed the intervention program. Furthermore, participants cited additional benefits such as pro-social behaviors like cooperation and teamwork. Hence, interventions that engage youth in life skills like cooking and nutrition education aid in their physical development and well-being.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Child Development

76. The role of extrinsic motivation in learning English as a second language among international college students

Creator:: Huo, Xiangqiu
Description:: Motivation is one of the cornerstones closely linked to a college student’s learning ability and academic performance. Cherry (2018) defines extrinsic motivation as one’s psychological behavior that is compelled by external rewards such as grades, praise, money, and fame. This type of motivation arises from outside the individual, as opposed to intrinsic motivation, which originates from inside the individual. From my personal experience and experiences witnessed amongst my international student peers, the English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum we took was no simple walk in the park. With sufficient extrinsic and intrinsic motivators to stimulate our education environment, we have noticed our increased ability to have better comprehension, concentration and understanding of the fundamentals of the English language. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) can also be enhanced through extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to accelerate ESL student’s ability to master new language skills.This thesis provides an extensive review of literature related to the topic of extrinsic motivation and its relationship with educators and international college students. Moreover, the thesis will also explore how extrinsic motivation is a more effective motivator compared to intrinsic motivation and how it has specifically contributed to the success of international students in the learning of English as a second language. Lastly, this thesis discusses various ways educators can leverage extrinsic motivation to improve the effectiveness of how well their students master English as a second language.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Curriculum and Instruction)

77. Desert Side-notched points as Numic markers: a comparison of Numic and non-Numic artifacts.

Creator:: Altieri, Nicholas Ryan
Description:: This study considers the idea that Desert Side-notched points are of Numic origin by comparing those found in Numic and non-Numic areas. Considering Cultural Transmission theory, it is hypothesized that Desert Side-notched points found in non-Numic areas will be more variable and have significant morphological differences from those found in Numic areas. The data for this study consists of numerous Desert Side-notched points from published and unpublished sources, along with new data from the Rollin and Grace Enfield collection. Multiple statistical methods were employed as 12 attributes from each projectile point were considered. The results mostly confirmed the original expectations, as it was found that points in non-Numic areas were more variable and morphologically distinct from their Numic counterparts.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Anthropology

78. Libertad for our youth of color: early prevention program

Creator:: Andrade, Emily
Description:: The early 1990’s reports of spikes in juvenile violence brought nationwide interest in reforming the juvenile justice system to prevent youth from engaging in delinquent behavior. Diversion Programs have since then become of high importance with the goal to divert youth from engaging in deviant behavior, but also with the purpose to prevent them from “building” a criminal profile and keeping them away from the traditional justice system. In this study, I examined which Caminos Program intervention was more effective in preventing recidivism amongst a first-time youth offender. This study relied on secondary data from the Caminos Program and employed the intersectionality theory to understand the experiences of a predominately working-class Chicanx youth within the intervention program. I hypothesize guided by intersectionality theory that non-colonial/-policing social interventions directed to first-time youth offenders of color will decrease recidivism. The findings from the whole sample study showed that the odds of reoffending are 3.98 times higher for female compared to males. For every additional hour of pro-social activity the odds of reoffending decrease by 2.6%. For every additional hour of community service the odds of reoffending decreases by 4%. Interestingly, for every additional hour of counseling services the odds of reoffending increase by 1.5%. These findings will allow for researchers to continue to explore and study other diversion programs across the nation, but also find better approaches to understanding recidivism and how systems of oppressions affect these types of programs and our youth of color.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

79. Housing injustice: gaining safe and affordable housing in Salinas, California

Creator:: Vega, Liliana
Description:: Despite government programs intended to alleviate housing instability, low-income families continue to struggle in gaining safe and affordable housing. Affordable housing has become increasingly limited for many working-class families, whose wages have remained stagnant. Housing is the greatest cost expenditure for many families; whereby, a large portion of income goes towards rent. Consequently, there is a supply gap in units available for low-income renters, as homeownership has declined, while more households have turned to the rental market. Based on eleven in-depth interviews this qualitative study analyzed (a) how low-income Hispanic and white female renters in Salinas, California navigate access to affordable housing and (b) how housing challenges and living conditions affect low-income renters well-being. Relying mostly on snowball sampling, these women told me what housing problems they have encountered due to affordability and quality of housing conditions. The results indicate low-income mothers obtain housing by relying on social networks, prioritize rent while juggling multiple bills, and encounter health issues when obtaining affordable housing; yet, they expressed being blessed despite their housing conditions. Guided by an intersectionality framework, this paper explored how low- income mothers deal with high rental costs, the challenges in accessing affordable housing, and the techniques they employ to make ends meet.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

80. Spanish-speaking high school students’ perceptions regarding reading

Creator:: Villalpando Perez, Anahi
Description:: Statement of Problem: For English Language Learners (ELLs), students whose first language is not English, reading is daunting. Most English teachers assign reading on a nightly basis with the expectation that students will perform the task independently outside of the classroom setting. Most students, including English language learners, prefer to skim and scan the text with the expectation of finding the answer to the questions being asked. The task of reading is not always seen by ELLs as part of the learning process of language. In order to understand how long-term English language learners perceive reading, research needs to be conducted to examine long-term English language learner perceptions. This research categorizes the effects of reading on developing English language proficiency and researches how these effects may or may not influence long-term English language learner perceptions. Sources of Data: This study presents findings from a survey including multiple choice, four-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions given to 80 Spanish-speaking English language learners who have been in US schools for more than seven years and thus are vi considered Long-Term English Language Learners (LTELLs). In order to answer the research questions, one source of information was analyzed, survey responses. Conclusions Reached: LTELLs have a positive perception toward reading and although there were some differences by gender or grade level, the difference was not statistically significant.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Curriculum and Instruction)

81. Going beyond perception: a spatial analysis of the relationship between violent crime and Asian immigration in Los Angeles

Creator:: Tang, Emelie
Description:: The relationship between immigration and crime has long been a topic of interest among scholars. Much of the research has focused on black and Latino populations in an attempt to explain racial segregation and crime in American cities. The present study contributes to this literature by examining Asian immigrant populations. Using spatial statistics tests, the researcher identified patterns and analyzed the relationship between Asian immigrant populations and violent crime in Los Angeles. Overall, the findings suggest that higher Asian immigrant populations result in lower violent crime counts on a neighborhood level. Moreover, the study reinforces prior literature that has suggested immigration can serve as a protective factor against engagement in criminal activity. Immigration may be a source of economic development and social control that benefits both immigrants and native-born residents.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Criminal Justice

82. Taylor Swift and the 1989 album release and fanbase response parasocial relationship study

Creator:: White, Sarah
Description:: This thesis looks at how social media and its intricacies, paired with parasocial relationships, significantly influence and control social media-goers' behavior in favor of the entertainer, in this case, Taylor Swift. The critical question of this thesis is: How did Taylor Swift use social media to communicate with her fanbase about her release of the album, 1989? This thesis will employ close textual analysis on Swift's social media posts about her album release on release day and fan response from the three social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This study argues Swift used simple language and popular social media intricacies to oversee and control the online conversation about 1989 and her fandom.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Communication Studies

83. The effects of culture and gender on attitudes towards and perceptions of domestic violence

Creator:: Simmons, Kayla Leigh Anne
Description:: Statement of Problem Domestic violence as an area of research is continually expanding, which, in the 1990s, grew in its theoretical basis (Bograd, 1999; Perilla, 1999; Pinn & Chunko, 1997). However, in the United States alone, there is still a need for rigorous quantitative and qualitative research on the subject of domestic violence and cultural impacts. To fully grasp the depth of the issue of domestic violence, the cultural lived experiences of all individuals must be considered (Bent-Goodley, 2005; Kishimoto & Mwangi, 2009). Minority populations of women within the United States are much more likely to experience domestic violence, but mainstream research continues to disregard experiences that fall outside of what has come to be considered the norm, which are the experiences of White women (McMullan et al., 2010; Nash et al., 2013; Oetzel & Duran, 2004; Stephan & Aprahamian, 2015). There is much research investigating how domestic violence impacts the lives of White women, but those experiences are often generalized to women of color (Bent-Goodley, 2005; Berkel et al., 2004; McMullan et al., 2010; Stephan & Aprahamian, 2015). The lives of women of color, and men, must be researched specifically, rather than merely addressed as an aside. Research has shown that many college students have been either the perpetrators or victims of domestic violence, with 20% of college students surveyed saying that they were in a sexually violent relationship (Berkel et al., 2004, p. 120). It is still of the upmost importance to continue to study the college student population and uncover the attitudes and beliefs of students regarding domestic violence, so that researchers and social service students might better understand how to mitigate domestic violence in student populations and erect supports that can be truly impactful on campus. Sources of Data This study was a quantitative survey research design. A flyer was given to undergraduate, freshmen students in various courses, asking them to participate in the research. The participants in the study were collected via convenience sampling, in the hopes that this methodology would attain a diverse sample of the targeted population. The participants were asked to identify their age, gender, ethnicity, major, how many semesters they have attended CSUS, and their current living situation. The participants also responded to items on a Likert-type scale, including topics such as cultural empowerment (Maffini & Wong, 2015), independent versus interdependent feelings (Cross, Bacon, & Morris, 2000; Lu & Gilmour, 2007), justifications for domestic violence (Fox, Gadd, & Sim, 2015), and domestic violence myths (Peters, 2003). The quantitative method was used because it was determined that this type of cross-sectional survey design would be the most efficient way to get an informed snapshot of the attitudes and beliefs of young students in college (Creswell, 2015). Conclusions Reached The hypothesis for the current study was twofold, first, it was hypothesized that gender would affect perceptions of and attitudes towards domestic violence; secondly, it was hypothesized that culture would affect perceptions of and attitudes towards domestic violence. The first hypothesis was supported while the second hypothesis for the study was unable to be supported by the results of this research study. While the hypothesis regarding ethnicity was not supported, the significance of the differences between men and women undergirds the idea that there is still widespread acceptance of domestic violence, even on the college campus (Berkel et al., 2004). Traditional gender role attitudes remain common, and previous research has tied those attitudes to greater acceptance of domestic violence, especially violence against women (Berkel et al., 2004; Carlson & Worden, 2005; Khan & Hussain, 2008; McMullan et al., 2010).
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Behavioral Sciences Gender Equity Studies)

84. Gay pride: a framing analysis of pictures from New York's Gay Pride Celebrations

Creator:: Pritchard, Ryan K.
Description:: This study examines the rhetoric of gay pride parades from their inception to their current incarnation though the examination of selected published photographs in The New York Times. The study analyzes six photographs from New York City’s gay pride celebrations, each corresponding with a significant event affecting the LGBTQIA rights movement. The study uses Entman’s (1993) four aspects of framing as its primary theory to analyze the selected images from LGBTQIA pride parades/festivals and combines Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, Gregory Herek’s theory of heterosexual masculinity and hegemony to supplement the theory and further examine the many factors comprising gay pride celebrations. The goal of this thesis is to illustrate that gay pride parades and festivals have changed from a form of civil protest to a celebratory event that is overtly sexual in nature.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Communication Studies

85. Metabolic and physiological responses to unweighted running

Creator:: Panchal, Neil
Description:: The purpose of this study was to examine the metabolic and physiological effects of running at three different percentages of body-weight (BW): 100, 75, & 50 on a lower body positive pressure treadmill (LBPPT). Twelve healthy college aged students, 6 male and 6 females, on a current training regimen and current/previous competitive experience participated in the study. The participants performed three graded exercise tests (GXT) using a custom protocol following a Latin Square design. Variables analyzed in the study included absolute VO2max (L/min), HRmax (bpm), maximal oxygen saturation (%), maximal RPE, test performance (minutes), O2 pulse, and VT1 & VT2. A 3 x 2 mixed-model RM-ANOVA was used to compare main effects of within-subject differences (BW-3) and between-subject differences (gender-2). No significant differences were seen in VO2max and VT1 & 2 (bpm) between the BW percentages (p>0.05). HRmax was significantly different between the 100-75 & 100-50 %BW comparisons. Average HRmax at 100%: 186±7.8, 75%: 183±7.5, & 50%: 182±7.7. Maximal RPE showed significance in the 100-50 & 75-50 comparisons. Maximal oxygen saturation showed significance in the 100-75 & 100-50 comparisons. Average SaO2 at 100%: 96±1.5, 75%: 97.7±1.2, & 50%: 97.9±0.9. Significant differences were also seen in performance between 100-75, 100-50, & 75-50 comparisons. Average performance at 100%: 11.4±1.5, 75%: 14.1±1.8, & 50%: 16.6±1.5. Based on the percent of their HRmax, VT1 was significant in 100-75 & 100-50 comparisons while VT2 was significant in men only at 100-50 comparison. Based on these results, it appears that training at a lower percentage of BW can lead to similar cardiopulmonary adaptations achieved at 100% BW, without the same level of stress applied, supporting the rationale behind conducting the study. Increased pressure from the LBPPT applied to the lower extremity may have acted as a mechanism in increasing venous return which in turn increased the stroke volume and caused the decreased HRmax in the participants. Lower HRmax and increased performance time may also indicate training at a lower percent of BW may allow individuals to sustain a prolonged steady-state at a similar intensity at 100% BW potentially allowing for an extended stimulus applied to the working musculature improving overall performance.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Exercise Science)

86. The differential impacts of recessionary and expansionary periods on the income of individuals: the importance of marital status, educational attainment, gender, and race

Creator:: Park, Shinhyun
Description:: There is no doubt that recessions and expansions are economy wide phenomena; however, there is no reason to believe everyone will be affected equally. Differences in race, gender, region, marital status, educational attainment, and other individual characteristics are likely to help determine how people are affected by recessions and expansions. This paper examines differences across the mild recession of 2001, the severe recession of 2008 and the expansionary periods in between by constructing a panel data set of almost 40 million observations over the years 2000 to 2016. One of the main findings of this thesis is that marital status and gender have large and statistically significant impacts on the incomes of individuals during recessionary and expansionary periods. The results show that although married individuals earn higher incomes, the other marital status groups such as single, divorced, and separated people are affected less than others when the economy is in distress. This research is not able to justify previous research that income varied more for men than for women during recessions, the results in this thesis show the opposite. That is, recessionary periods do not harm males more and, therefore, do not seem to be beneficial in reducing the gender wage gap. Instead, the size of gender differences seems to narrow only during expansionary periods. In addition, this paper also shows that single individuals may be more economically disadvantaged during recessions. The findings in this study show that single, divorced, and separated people may have a slight advantage when compared to married individuals working in periods of both growth and decline. These results are consistent with the interpretation that single and separated people may be more desirable to employers when the economy is in distress because single people are more willing to do the same amount of work for lower pay. Without a spouse, they may have little choice but to continue to work. Recessions and expansions also appear to have differential impacts based on educational attainment. The results shown here is consistent with previous literature that argue that education reduces the negative impacts of recession on income. The findings in this study show that income is not affected too heavily by the growth or decline in the economy but worker with a high school diploma or an associate degree is more favorable in hiring standards during the recessionary periods. The results show that those with very little education, as well as those with post-graduate degrees, did slightly worse during the last recession compared to those with other levels of educational attainment. Surprisingly, while the coefficients on the race and ethnicity variables are statistically different from zero, the magnitudes of the coefficients are generally small. When race is interacted with economic status, the coefficients are statistically significant, but not large for most groups. Many other personal characteristic variables, particularly marital status and educational attainment are more important in the regressions than race. That is, while the Great Recession of 2008 led to large declines in incomes, the negative impacts seem to have influenced every race fairly equally.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Economics

87. Acute blood pressure responses to tai chi stance exercise

Creator:: Pfister, Daniel
Description:: Hypertension is a serious health risk world-wide. Isometric exercise has shown to reduce resting blood pressure (RBP) in hypotensive and normotensive individuals. Since they are isometric in nature, Tai Chi stances may also show RBP improvements in similar exercise protocols. The purpose of this study was to evaluate acute blood pressure responses in two isometric stances commonly practiced in Tai Chi. 20 normotensive subjects (13 females and 7 males, Age: 25.4 ± 4.5 years, Height: 171.1 ± 10.1 CM, Weight: 70.1 ± KG) performed two different stances, separated by at least 24 hours, for two 2-minute bouts with a 1-minute break in between. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were taken at rest 10 minutes before exercise, during the break, immediately post, 5 minutes post, and 10 minutes post exercise. Muscle activity of the vastus lateralis (VL) and biceps femoris (BF) was measured via EMG and reported as %MVC. Ten minutes after performing the empty stance (ES) average resting BP decreased significantly by -4 ± 5.0 mmHg and -3 ± 6.7 mmHg (SBP, DBP). The front stance (FS) average SBP decreased -2 ± 5.5 mmHg and DBP changed 0 ± 6.7 mmHg but did not reach levels of significance. No significant correlations with BP changes and muscle activity were found in either stance. While the mechanisms remain unclear, the changes in RBP are significant considering that only four minutes of exercise was performed in total and that these were normotensive individuals. As these reductions were similar to those noticed after several weeks of other forms of isometric exercise, longer term training studies are warranted to determine the full benefits of Tai Chi stance training.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Exercise Science)

88. Parents self-report why they choose to homeschool

Creator:: Kile, Michelle L.
Description:: This qualitative study observed and recorded 11 Facebook Pages with 14 original posts gathering 402 replies, to see what parents self-reported to their peers on Facebook when asked what the main reason(s) are they choose to homeschool their children. This research found the top three responses from the parents replies to the original posts as: Teacher or School Issues, Curriculum Issues, and Family Time. The reasons for homeschooling have shifted from the stereotypical teaching of a religious based education, with a mid-ranking in this research, to everyday parents with different backgrounds and a variety of grievances with the public education system. The parents reported wanting to help their children do better and be better, and to keep them away from perceived problems within the public school system. The parents are choosing what they think is best for their family and their children.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

89. Modeling reinforcement contingencies to increase diet variability of children with food selectivity

Creator:: Flanagan, JeNell P.
Description:: The current study evaluated the effectiveness of modeling positive and negative reinforcement contingencies for three children with food selectivity and autism spectrum disorder. A differential reinforcement contingency was first modeled in which participants observed the model access preferred items and edibles upon the model’s consumption of six bites of nonpreferred foods. If participants’ acceptance of nonpreferred food did not increase, a nonremoval of the spoon procedure was modeled. Modeling differential reinforcement resulted in increased food acceptance for one participant and, for two participants, food acceptance increased after the nonremoval of the spoon procedure was modeled.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis)

90. The effects of population density on home prices

Creator:: Sharpe, Ryan G.
Description:: Residents, home buyers, planners, and elected officials have differing ideas about how much a home value is changed by potential increases in density due to new development or how much of a premium is placed on the seclusion afforded by lower-density neighborhoods or the amenities offered by higher-density neighborhoods. Existing literature largely only probes the nature of any relationship between home prices and population or residential density in a simple way and as a control for other possible relationships. Using a dataset provided by the Sacramento Association of Realtors that includes over 10,000 home sales in Sacramento County, California over three months in 2013 and four months in 2016, and neighborhood data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this study conducts a hedonic price estimate to test whether a quadratic relationship between home prices and population density exists, controlling for other home, neighborhood, and sales factors. The results indicate that home prices are higher in both dense urban neighborhoods and sparse rural neighborhoods than in middle-density suburban neighborhoods.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Urban Land Development

91. Novel approach to controlled vehicle stability specifically applied to space landers

Creator:: Keys, Christopher Russell
Description:: Vehicle dynamics is highly dependent on mass distribution. Airplanes are particularly affected by mass distribution. Altering the moment of an airplane change how well it can fly and even lead to disaster [1]. Ocean vehicles will also undergo disaster if mass is not distributed properly. Interactions between waves and the center of mass of a ship greatly alter how the ship moves and responds [2]. Ground vehicles have gotten the most attention for their center of mass positions. High performance cars and off-road vehicles have some of the most public recognition for moment of inertia issues. There have been many studies, and attempted fixes to these problems, but none of them involving actively shifting the center of mass itself [3-10]. When entering atmosphere space landers need to at specific angles to maximize chance of a successful entry. During this time the vehicle must burn fuel to right itself and make adjustments which requires more fuel to be carried and hence a heavier load. vi It is proposed that a system which pumps the fuel of a Morpheus like lander into axially symmetric tanks during entry would allow mid motion manipulation of the vehicle’s tilt. This moment altering method should allow less fuel to be used, and perhaps a significant reduction of weight.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering

92. Teaching children with autism to mand for information using "why?" as a function of denied access

Creator:: Pyles, Megan Leigh
Description:: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty developing complex verbal behavior, including question-asking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a procedure to teach two children with ASD to ask “Why?” Typically, Why-questions are followed by causal information that describes the reason an event occurs. For this reason, we established causal information as a reinforcer by denying access to items without providing a reason. Participants were prompted to ask “Why?” and were provided information that led to access of preferred items. To ensure that “Why?” only occurred when information was valuable, we included a condition where access to items was restricted, but a reason for denied access was provided. Both participants learned to ask “Why?” when information was needed and refrained from asking “Why?” when information was not needed. Results from this study suggest that this procedure was successful in teaching children with ASD to ask “Why?”
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis)

93. A perceptual role of the perirhinal cortex: fact or fiction?

Creator:: Schnider, Ashley Kay
Description:: The role of the perirhinal cortex (PER) in memory is well established; however, its role in perception remains controversial. The objective of the current thesis is to revisit this debate by using a series of experiments that aim to replicate and extend the current literature. Our current working model of the PER predicts that the PER will be involved in making perceptual discriminations when the task relies on a high-level visual discrimination that requires a “unitized” representation of the stimulus over features but not in cases where the discrimination could be solved on simple characteristics. In the present set of experiments, results did not provide evidence to support a perceptual role of the PER. However, there were significant limitations in the visual stimuli used in the third experiment. Due to this confound, further studies are necessary before any conclusions to PER function in this capacity can be drawn.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology

94. Ascend life skills: a qualitative program evaluation examining participants experiences in a sacramento county rehabilitation program

Creator:: Ferrell, Rebecca S.
Description:: In response to an increasing crime rate after WWII, the United States began developing programs which were designed to assist in improving the lives of those living in poor and deprived conditions. In order to maintain accountability of these programs and reduce fraudulent funding, program evaluations were introduced. The present evaluation focuses on a program called Ascend Life Skills. Upon completion of the program, Ascend participants were asked if they would be willing to participate in an interview with Dr. Jennie Singer regarding the challenges and support offenders face in the community. A group of comparison subjects recruited through Sacramento County Probation Department and Sacramento Sheriffs Department were also interviewed and asked the same questions. Results suggested that the Ascend life skills program had helped participants learn new skills, find employment, maintain pro-social networks, and increase their self-esteem.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Psychology

95. Post-synthesis modification of zeolite Y: a study of dealumination and realumination

Creator:: Mendiola, Victor A.
Description:: Post-synthesis modification of zeolite materials can be an effective way to enhance desirable physical and chemical properties. Specifically, altering the silicon to aluminum ratio and the introduction of a unique heteroatom are primary goals of the Crawford research group. The goal of this research project was to establish the necessary tools to modify zeolites, starting from Zeolite Y. Zeolite Y was used as the test material for studying hydrothermal dealumination and subsequent spontaneous realumination. These two processes were studied using FTIR and magic angle solid state NMR techniques. The degree of hydrothermal dealumination can be controlled based on the evidence presented for the dealumination of zeolite Y Si/Al 5.2 and 12. The rates of dealumination were calculated from FTIR measurements for zeolite Y Si/Al 5.2 and 12 to be ~1 Si/Al unit and ~3 Si/Al units per hour of hydrothermal treatment respectively. The degree of dealumination was shown to be dependent on the amount of time exposed to hydrothermal dealumination conditions. A pathway for dealumination is proposed for zeolite Y Si/Al 5.2 based on 29Si NMR data. The proposed pathway suggests that the rate of dealumination increases for silicon with a greater number of neighboring Al atoms compared to those with fewer Al neighbors. Spontaneous realumination, with ambient temperature and ambient relative humidity, was observed for both zeolite Y Si/Al 5.2 and 12 through use of FTIR measurements. Realumination was broken down into three periods; short-term 1, short-term 2, and long-term. All three phases were observed in FTIR and 29Si NMR spectra during realumination of zeolite Y Si/Al 5.2 and 12. The observation that aluminum readily reinserts into the formed dealumination defect sites strongly suggests that heteroatom insertion into dealuminated zeolites is possible. It was shown that metal ions could be inserted into defect sites created upon dealumination based on the increase in Si/Al ratios during spontaneous realumination.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Chemistry

96. Exploration of expeditious pre-engineered building system subject to mortar attacks

Creator:: Patel, Kishan M.
Description:: At the frontline of a war zone, the need for life supporting infrastructures at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) is paramount to the mission’s success. These structures must provide life safety and resiliency from direct and indirect mortar attacks to its occupants. At a FOB that is constantly being attacked, accomplishing life safety and resiliency to the structure is an extremely challenging task. Operating in a war zone environment presents limitations on the type of construction methods that can be implemented on these essential infrastructures. Due to hazardous conditions, security concerns, and timeliness of delivery, the contracted construction projects are extremely rare at a FOB site. Majority of these infrastructures are temporary construction such as tents that do not provide any protection from mortar explosion. These temporary structures are constructed by troops. The troop construction also presents with challenges such as; the quantity of proper construction materials, time, and the level of construction skills of the troops. Therefore, the need for a building shelter that accommodates these constraints will greatly improve personnel safety at a FOB. This paper explores a pre-engineered building shelter solution that can be implemented at FOBs. The pre-engineered shelters have some distinct attributes such as modularity, low assembly time, and ease of transport. This project evaluates the feasibility of a typical composite panel of the shelter. The composite panel is comprised of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), and aluminum honeycomb panel. Threats due to 81mm, 107mm, and, 120mm mortars were investigated. Two different blast loading cases resulted from these mortars were considered. Case-1 a standoff distance between the mortar explosion and the shelter, resulting in pressure-controlled blast loading and, Case-2 evaluates a mortar directly impacting the shelter’s panels, resulting in an impact-controlled blast loading. The blast loads were calculated according to Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-340-02. Based on finite element analysis, the shelter’s composite panel yielded a satisfactory level of protection against majority of the mortar sizes considered. It is concluded that having a standoff distance between the explosion and the shelter will greatly increase the structural reliability on this pre-engineered shelter and a direct impact loading on the shelter will causes localized damages.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering)

97. Analysis of lithium-ion battery cooling methods for electric vehicles

Creator:: Singh, Guramrit Pal
Description:: The objective of this thesis was to determine the ideal cooling method for lithium-ion batteries used by electric vehicles. Internal heat generated within the battery pack during charging and discharging must be accommodated with proper thermal management. The battery must maintain operating temperatures between 25°C and 40°C to provide maximum power output and performance. Theoretical calculations for air, fin, and liquid cooling method were performed to determine the heat rate values based on a battery pack sized 500x300x200 mm. ANSYS software was used to perform simulations and to validate calculations. Meshing of the geometry was done and internal heat generation and convection were applied to the model of the battery pack. Results were compared for total heat flux and temperature. Air cooling method had a maximum total heat flux of 24,445 W/m2 and maximum temperature of 48.8°C. Fin cooling method had a maximum total heat flux of 9,223.4 W/m2 and maximum temperature of 35.116°C. Liquid cooling method had a maximum total heat flux of 10,465 W/m2 and maximum temperature of 34.098°C. Based on these results, the lowest maximum temperature provided was by the liquid cooling method. Furthermore, a modified battery pack was designed with additional air outlets to enhance the convection process of the air cooling method. Simulations on ANSYS software determined the modified battery pack to be most efficient in thermal management with a maximum temperature value of 32.526°C.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing)

98. Experiences within first-year advising among first-generation Latino/a college freshmen: an institutional analysis on the transmission of cultural capital

Creator:: Sandoval Lopez, Yesenia
Description:: The purpose of this study is to explore how a Northern California University’s Academic Advising Center’s First Year Advising Program is serving first generation Latina/o students. This quantitative study will analyze the type of visits made after students’ mandatory First Year Advising appointments as well as the academic attainment of incoming 2009 freshmen class of first generation Latina/o students. This study focuses on the cultural capital the Academic Advising Center provides students through the First Year Advising Program. The major goals of this study are to (1) analyze first generation Latina/o students’ academic attainment, who were part of the First Year Advising Program and (2) provide suggestions to better serve this growing population of students.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Sociology

99. The forgotten minority: when being who you are defines who you will be

Creator:: Currington, Adrienne Lynn
Description:: If students with disabilities have successfully completed the requirements for being accepted into college and are also successful in completing the admission process, their ability to succeed (in receiving a degree) may be mitigated due to multiple factors such as lack of services and accommodations, lack of awareness of services that are available, and most often a student’s failure to self-identify. Over the decades, many of these issues have been addressed with changes to federal and state regulations associated with “disabled” students. The 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other guiding laws have attempted to address issues related to the lack of services, accommodations, and awareness of services for disabled students. Considering recent progress, the current issue for students with disabilities is one of self-identification. When students receive services in kindergarten through high school, their IEP (Individual Education Plan) is mandated to be evaluated, reviewed, and updated annually, or every two years. Once a student is enrolled in an institution of higher education, the student must self-identify in order to receive any services. If students are unaware of the resources available to them, or are too embarrassed to seek assistance, they will struggle in silence, resulting in a negative experience in college and, in many cases, a failure to graduate. Over the years, students with disabilities in higher education have become the “forgotten minority.” This group consists of any student who has limited vision, hearing impairment, learning disability, developmental disability, emotional disability, or illness, physical disabilities, and learning difficulties that span a broad scale from very severe impairments to minor struggles. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between when students self-identify for services for students with disabilities and the impact it has on their success for degree attainment.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Education (Higher Education Leadership)

100. The philosophy and coaching behaviors of boys' high school soccer coaches through an observational study

Creator:: Maldonado, Lino
Description:: Previous research has investigated the feedback and behaviors of high school coaches. The purpose of this study was to compare the behaviors and feedback (FB) within the high school soccer coaches for differences and similarities, and to examine how those behaviors compared to their philosophy. Accurate recording and precise definitions of coaching behaviors were utilized to determine a trend of coaching behaviors in high school soccer coaches. The participants in this study were four high school boys’ soccer coaches. The coaches were interviewed to get an insight to their philosophy. The coaches’ behaviors and feedback were recorded during four training sessions. The behaviors and feedback emitted were also separated into segments, Training Form, Playing Form, Water break and Chalk Talk. Descriptive statistics and rate per minute were administered on the behaviors and feedback emitted by each coach. The results demonstrated differences amongst the four coaches in this study. Two of the coaches spent the majority of training in the practice segment Playing Form. As for the other two coaches, they spent approximately the equal amount of time in the practice segments Training Form and Playing Form. The predominant behaviors by the coaches were instruction, praise, questions and hustle. Two of the coaches in this study failed to match their feedback and behaviors with their stated philosophy. The feedback and behaviors for the other two coaches matched with their stated philosophy. This study demonstrated that sometimes the coaches’ behaviors and feedback do not match with their philosophy.
Resource Type:: Thesis
Campus Tesim:: Sacramento
Department:: Kinesiology (Movement Studies)

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1. Goethe and Popenoe's twentieth-century eugenics, 1903-1965: "a singular worldview and multifaceted action plans"

2. RC airplane to autonomous UAV conversion: optimal control and industry standard methods

3. The remediation of arsenic in chromated copper arsenate contaminated soil using natural and modified zeolite material

4. Examining HIV-related avoidance behavior through stigma and conservatism

5. Heart rate variability changes in sea level residents during a 12 hour exposure to Hypoxia

6. Evaluation of work zone intrusion alarm systems

7. Student, parent, and teacher perceptions on homework and the perceived effects of homework on family time

8. An analysis of local government interventions for edible food recovery

9. Tendencies of a large Midwestern civilian review board: does race matter?

10. Evaluating the efficiency of modified habit reversal for reducing speech disfluencies

11. But he is a man, and you are a woman: an attitudinal study of Asian Indian men and women regarding gender roles

12. Entropy

13. The influence of professor-student interactions and campus belonging on college student psychosocial well-being

14. Exploring perceptions that males and females have towards concealed carry on a college campus

15. Trust children: an analysis of four democratic schools and the recommendations that emerged

16. Implementing choice of novel and previewing film adaptations as intrinsic reading motivation tools

17. Framing the NFL national anthem protest: an analysis of news media in post-racist America

18. Beyond the emergence of rhetorical agency: Operation Rescue and the function of prophetic agency

19. Range of motion and perceived pain and disability in individuals with low back pain

20. "One foot in the dark, the other in the light:" tracing the literary path of darkness from scary to sublime

21. Synthesis and conformational properties of Hexamethyl Triazacalix[6]arene

22. The role of financial aid in supporting access for undergraduate students at the university of California

23. Implications of California’s rapid increase in no party preference voter registration: substituting demographic characteristics for party affiliation as indicators of policy preference among party-unaffiliated voters

24. Circumstantially fired combustion port geometry: analysis of hybrid rocket motor solid fuel grain

25. Assessing local control action plans under the local control funding formula

26. Analysis of prenyltransferase gene expression in Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries

27. Municipal recreation leaders' knowledge and perceptions of recreational therapy

28. Child welfare workers perspective of poverty, and case substantiation

29. Introducing INVELOX technology to generate energy using wind and wind turbines by retrofitting traditional wind turbines

30. Connectedness to nature and place-based education

31. The effects of exercise order on lower body jump power

32. Outdoor recreation opportunity barriers for individuals with disabilities and non-motorized boating on California waterways

33. Determinants of vacancy in retail power centers in Sacramento County: when local governments should intervene in declining shopping centers and identifying desirable economic development incentives

34. No more silence with tinnitus - a content analysis of an online discussion forum for individuals with tinnitus

35. Using computer simulation software to investigate the application of variable valve timing technology to internal combustion engines displacing under 1,000 cc

36. Self-efficacy and academic performance among college students: analyzing the effects of team-based learning

37. At the intersection of privilege and marginalization: analyzing the experiences and communication practices of administrators of color in higher education

38. College students' perceptions, experiences, and attitudes towards stalking and cyberstalking

39. Does distance make a difference? the relationship between physical school environment and teachers' perceptions of school connectedness, administrative support, and burnout

40. Gutting the duck: a CAM analysis of energy storage technologies for California's grid

41. Real Men, zeros, and heroines: gendered power dynamics in superhero films

42. Adverse action in the selection process: beyond the uniform guidelines

43. What maternal variables predict extended breastfeeding practice?

44. Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among university students

45. Metal substitution of natural zeolites clinoptilolite and mordenite via hydrothermal dealumination and atom planting for catalytic applications

46. Where art thou? An examination of women’s experience pursuing a higher education degree in studio art

47. Negotiating third culture kid identity gaps: An (inter)cultural communication perspective

48. Perirhinal cortex inactivations produce recall deficits in fear extinction to a discontinuous visual stimulus

49. Identifying risk factors of financial exploitation of older and dependent adults in Sacramento County

50. Work-to-family conflict: cases of the United States and Japan

51. Decline of female coaches in the NCAA at the Division 1 level in the Mountain West Conference

52. The impact of DACA on the DACAmented and unDACAmented population

53. The impact of the earned income tax credit on child educational achievement in the United States

54. Cicero: a study of gamesmanship in the Late Republic

55. Aerodynamic analysis of runner goggles

56. Spawning habitat evaluation in the low flow channel of the Feather River

57. California punk rock: a content analysis of political themes in song lyrics pre and post 9/11

58. 3-D mapping of groundwater TDS using borehole geophysics and historical produced water geochemistry at the Midway-Sunset oil field, Kern County, California

59. A comparison of preprinted and write-on response cards in higher education

60. The diffusion of ideas in Punjab, India: a failed social movement

61. Discrimination and political engagement: the role of education for six Asian American groups

62. Guiding the choice : comparing the academic performance of a charter high school and a public high school in Sacramento

63. Gender outlaws: a queer narrative study of late-eighteenth century women's novels of prejudice

64. Examining the experiences for diverse women in settings of higher education : an intersectional analysis

65. Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on life satisfaction levels with a focus on mental health

66. The Impact of increased physical activity opportunities on overall academic achievement: an analysis of the top elementary schools in the United States.

67. Comunidad, educacion y sueños: an analysis of career aspirations for undocumented youth

68. Rethinking America: an analysis of white nationalism and race dynamics in the context of Unite the Right

69. Jane Austen's uncensored rebellion: the juvenilia

70. Sexuality education and gender: how gender impacts values about sex education as an adult

71. Developmental feasibility for a ceramic wankel rotary combustion chamber using computer aided analysis

72. Consumer protection and the role of government: evaluating California's proposed fire barrier performance standard through benefit cost analysis

73. Influence of microstructure on microwave reflectivity in copper

74. The impact of privacy laws on cross agency collaboration cross over youth project model