Search Constraints
Number of results to display per page
Search Results
- Creator:
- Dao, Hong Thanh
- Description:
- Undocumented students make up one of the most underserved minority groups in higher education. Some federal legislation hinders undocumented students from pursuing higher education due to their immigration status. However, many states are creating their own policies to make postsecondary education more accessible and affordable for undocumented students. The California DREAM Act has positively changed the lives of many undocumented students, as it provided financial resources to students in the pursuit of higher education. As more and more undocumented students attend college, it is imperative that educational leaders understand the challenges and barriers impacting students in higher education so they can properly meet the needs of this population. Although undocumented students qualified for state and institutional financial aid, due to the recent implementation of the California Dream Act, very little is known of their educational journey as they work toward their college degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and challenges encountered by AB 540 undocumented college students after the implementation of the California DREAM Act as they work toward a college degree. This study will contribute to the awareness around this student population so their educational needs are better understood. This study used a qualitative method to further understand the participants’ educational journeys. The researcher conducted all face-to-face interviews at a location that was most comfortable and convenient for the participants. All interviews were audio-recorded with the consent of the participants. Four Latina AB 540 undocumented college students participated in this study. Findings from this study showed that all the participants continue to struggle with financial, academic, and legal challenges even after the implementation of the California DREAM Act. However, the California DREAM Act has significantly impacted all four participants and made pursuing higher education possible. Without the California DREAM Act, the majority of the participants would not attend college because they are unable to afford it. Thus, it is critical that higher education leaders develop specialized services and resources to meet the needs of undocumented students with regard to being successful in college.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
- Creator:
- Stephenson, Ian
- Description:
- Reduction of drag has been an important topic recently to improve efficiency. However, most of the research on it has been at high speeds in the aerospace and automotive industries. This study focuses on the reduction of low speed drag with the idea of making bicycles more efficient. This is achieved by focusing on the aerodynamic properties of truncated airfoils as new tube shapes. Two different airfoils, NACA0020 and NACA0030, were studied for the coefficient of drag using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Each airfoil was systematically truncated by removing 10% of the chord length at a time up until the maximum width. Each of these shapes were then simulated at different angles of attack from 0 to 30 degrees in 5 degree increments and the coefficient of drag in the x direction was recorded and compared. The average was taken for each shape from 0 to 30 degrees. The NACA0020 and NACA0030 showed a 16% and a 19% decrease in average drag respectively when comparing the full airfoil to the fully truncated airfoil. Based on these results, two three-dimensional model of the front half of a bike were made, one using standard round tubes and one using the truncated airfoil cross-section. These were then tested at an angle of attack of 0 and 15 degrees. The frame using truncated airfoils had a 48% reduction of drag at both angles of attack.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Creator:
- Alaniz, Katrina Nicole
- Description:
- Over the years, policymakers have struggled to offer adequate mental health services and treatment to those who suffer from a mental illness. Those who are diagnosed with a mental illness, tend to be legally involved with the criminal justice system. In order to offer services and treatment to those in need, California voters passed the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) in 2004. The goals of the act were to reduce the legal involvement of individuals using MHSA services and programs. This study is a policy analysis examining whether California’s MHSA is decreasing arrest and incarceration rates for individuals utilizing its services. Secondary data were accessed through various government and county websites. Nine California counties were selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed to determine whether or not the county decreased the legal involvement for those who were utilizing its programs and services offered by the county. For the purpose of this study, legal involvement is defined as arrests and incarcerations. The data indicate that California’s MHSA is decreasing arrest and incarceration rates for individuals who are enrolled in MHSA programs and services. A majority of the counties sampled demonstrated a decrease in legal involvement for its participants. The findings also show which counties succeed and which counties need more assistance in the legal involvement aspect of the MHSA. The data clearly show that each county implements their MHSA programs differently from one another, each having their own strength and weaknesses. Overall, California’s MHSA is decreasing the legal involvement for individuals utilizing its services.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Criminal Justice
- Creator:
- Zickler-Martin, Laurel
- Description:
- Identification of closely related species is an enduring problem in zooarchaeology. This problem poses particular challenges for the Canine Surrogacy Approach, a model based on the premise that stable isotope signatures of dog skeletal remains can be used as a proxy for those of humans. Where Canis archaeological specimens (C. familiaris, C. latrans, and C. lupus) are fragmentary or recovered from variable depositional contexts, they may lack morphological characteristics commonly used in identifying these species to taxon, potentially resulting in overly broad or incorrect identifications. This study aimed to find a method for distinguishing dog, coyote, and wolf skeletal remains when DNA analysis is not feasible. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether statistical analysis conducted with readily available software on osteometrics taken with standard lab equipment could act as a reasonable substitute for DNA analysis in identifying prehistoric canid remains. A secondary facet of this research problem is the need to assess the accuracy of visual zooarchaeological identification protocols commonly employed in the analysis of archaeological canid remains; this is achieved by comparing the results of visual and statistical identification methods. The overall purpose of this research is to present a method for bolstering accurate reporting of Canis remains in California and help lay the groundwork for the more widespread use of the Canine Surrogacy Approach (CSA) here. Several factors shape the success of statistical identification of archaeological dog remains, including: the nature and size of the reference data set; the number of species included in the analysis; the morphological variability of Canis familiaris and the high degree of overlap with their wild cousins, C. lupus and C. latrans; and the effects of taphonomy and site formation history on the surface characteristics and depositional context of archaeological canid remains. Future research will better distinguish and control for the role of each of these factors.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Van Dyke, Aleia R. and Stiles, Sarah-Brooke J.
- Description:
- A new requirement was enacted into California law in 2015 to better equip school personnel to effectively fulfill their role as mandated reporters. California’s AB 1432 law requires annual training of school personnel on identifying and reporting suspicions of child abuse and neglect. This exploratory study sought to capture teachers’ and school-based mental health professionals’ perceptions of the efficacy of this mandated reporter training. The participants selected for this study work in six public school districts that serve low socioeconomic (SES) neighborhoods in the Sacramento Valley. This study employed qualitative content analysis to evaluate participants’ responses; data was collected via two focus groups (n= 12) and 12 in-depth interviews (n= 12). Of the 24 participants, 12 were teachers and 12 were school-based mental health professionals. The findings indicate a number of themes regarding the training itself (a refresher, convenient, impersonal, lack of information regarding early intervention/prevention strategies, and lack of information regarding risk factors and red-flag behaviors), as well as highlight some perceived barriers to reporting child maltreatment to in general (poor inter-agency collaboration and negative reporting experiences). Based on the research findings and conclusions, it is recommended that ongoing research be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mandated reporter training content as well as the method for delivering the training. For example, schools may be able to improve mandated reporter training by offering an in-person training to new employees and those employees unfamiliar with reporting. This can help better prepare school staff to recognize and report ongoing child maltreatment and so is an important investment for all school districts.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Aldous, Rachel Elizabeth
- Description:
- Coaches have long told athletes to get a good night sleep before competition, but little research has been done to support this advice. Though considered healthy, restorative and necessary, sleep has been placed low on this country’s list of priorities. As of 2002, college athletes were reported to receive fewer than 6.1 hours of sleep per night (Walters, 2002). This is very low considering the demands of school, social life and a rigorous practice schedule. Due to this gap, this study looks at one night of acute sleep loss reduced to 4 hours time in bed and its impact on an endurance treadmill exercise bout. 5 college-aged (18-24 years of age), recreational runners performed 3 maximal exercise tests. The first test was a VO2 max test performed after 8 hours time in bed. The subsequent 2 tests were time to exhaustion tests at 70% of each subjects’ VO2 max. One test was after 8 hours time in bed. The other, after 4 hours time in bed. The variables of interest were time to exhaustion (TTE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). There was no significant difference in time to exhaustion, though there was a trend toward sleep debt resulting in a decrease in performance (47.6 ± 16.22 min v 41.30 ± 20.33 min, p<0.1). There was no significant change in the respiratory exchange ratio. There was, however, a significant increase in the rate of perceived exertion (17.8 ± 1.79 v 19.2 ± 0.45, p<0.05). Though sleep plays an integral role on many metabolic processes, after one night of acute sleep loss, there was no significant effect on RER, the metabolic measurement of interest in this study. A trend towards decreased endurance performance and increased RPE without metabolic changes suggests that psychological variables may have attributed to the decrease in performance. More research must be done on mood as it correlates to athletic performance as well as to the effect of more than on night sleep debt on metabolic parameters.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Kinesiology (Exercise Science)
- Creator:
- Finn, Sarah L.
- Description:
- The world of evangelical humanitarianism is a sprawling social nexus, deeply rooted in Christian history, and constantly evolving on contemporary global scale. Since its earliest days, it has been fraught with cultural, religious, and political-economic tensions. While conventional approaches risk falling short of tapping the currents of meaning that flow under the surface of the humanitarian exchange, I use relational, multi-sited ethnographic analysis to provide an intimate portrait of evangelical humanitarian sensibility. This ethos is embodied by a handful of creative agents who structure their lives around international short-term mission endeavors. By including their voices and conceptual structures built from evangelical mythology, I hope to both capture the intricacy and depth of the evangelical humanitarian worldview, and add flavor to the critical discourse of evangelicalism. Short-term missionaries labor under the weight of heavy scrutiny—the worst of which they inflict upon themselves. The narrative portraits I offer illuminate humanizing inflections of self-awareness, doubt, faith, and resilience. By focusing on social spaces of conflict and negotiation, this thesis explores the subjectivity of these actors suspended between worlds, as they mobilize distant members of the “body of Christ” in the exchange of material, relational, and spiritual meaning. I argue that their position is marginalized, even within the evangelical community—and yet it is also abundantly fruitful. These subjects demonstrate the depths of creativity, grace, and sacrifice required to embody both evangelical and humanitarian identities, in the hope of “loving like Christ,” and uniting the global Church.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Boyd, Marissa Ashley
- Description:
- Brief Literature Review: While environmental factors play a role in a student’s institutional retention, student attitude and behavior may be just as significant to retention and degree completion. Exposure and prior knowledge of the social conventions of academia can be instrumental in preparing students for achieving success in a higher education setting (Farkas, 1996). Students who do not have family or friends who have been exposed to higher education cannot pass down the key tools to be academically successful in college. Students identifying as first generation are often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and encounter decreased levels of family support, lessened college expectations, and lower educational values among parents (McConnell, 2000; Terrenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & Nora, 1996). Statement of the Problem: Institutions looking to promote the academic persistence of African American students may find that traditional retention practices may not work as well with students of color. Student retention is widely based on student engagement, including academic and social involvement with the campus community (Kuh, 2005). Identifying the ways in which academic and social supports effect attitudes of African American students towards academic persistence will allow colleges and universities to enhance existing programs or create programs to include support for students specifically through means of academic and social integration. Methodology: The study used a quantitative method to conduct research on all undergraduate African American students currently enrolled at a diverse university located in California’s capital. The study employed an electronic survey, and 103 students participated in the research. Conclusions and Recommendations: African American students’ most influential form of support came from themselves, indicating a high level of academic self-efficacy. The study revealed that African American students did not engage in academic and social activities on campus events with much frequency, but there seemed to be a slightly higher rate of academic engagement utilizing social informality than purely social activities between African American students and their peers. Understanding the influence of both academic and social support systems on student success, specifically African American student success, may allow institutions to foster or create support systems in alliance with academic programs.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
- Creator:
- Sahragard-Monfared, Gianmarco
- Description:
- NASA is currently preparing the Multipurpose Crew Vehicle Orion for a manned flight scheduled for 2023. In these preparations, the parachute system used by the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is being reviewed to ensure a safe landing of the crew and vehicle. This paper focuses on running software guided analysis simulations on the CEV and parachutes to determine if a safe landing at 24 ft/s is attainable. Multiple simulations were conducted with varying flight conditions. Although the parachute system was a success during Exploration Flight Test-1, NASA has chosen to continue analysis of the parachute system to ensure the velocity of the CEV does not exceed 29.5 ft/s at impact and therefore guarantee the safety of the crew during Exploration Mission-2. In this paper, SolidWorks Simulation was used to simulate the CEV’s decent into splash down. The objective of this study was to create a new testing method for vehicles that use large parachutes as a method of deceleration. A secondary objective was to confirm NASA’s parachute test data with this new test method.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Creator:
- Hinds, Thomas M.
- Description:
- Brief Literature Review: The literature review of this thesis focuses on both adult learning and organizational development theories to contextualize human resource development (HRD) practices specific to professional development. It then reviews the literature on professional development in higher education. Statement of the Problem: Traditional higher education institutions are faced with a changing environment that challenges their operating models, yet their professional development programs are not built to keep staff trained and educated enough to be able to respond with new, flexible, effective organizational, pedagogical and technological approaches. IT on campus faces a particularly dynamic landscape of increasing institutional demand, rapidly changing technology, unique issues such as security and customer service, and heavy marketplace competition for IT staff. There is recognition among higher education IT leaders that professional development of staff is an important component to the organizational success, but there is little literature on how these programs should be constructed. Methodology: This thesis used a qualitative study of the primary IT department at a traditional United States public university to understand perceptions and attitudes of the staff toward professional development. It contextualizes the findings to the theories and practices related to professional development, including in higher education and information technology (IT) departments in higher education. Conclusions and Recommendations: The literature review and research conducted for this thesis determined that there is a lack of rigor in the approach to professional development within IT departments in higher education, and identifies negative effects. The research suggests that IT departments in higher education would benefit from taking a more deliberate approach to professional development programming, using commonly accepted HRD and andragogic principles. In addition, in order to help address diversity issues in IT, they may additionally want to incorporate heutagogic, or self-determined learning, principles into their professional development approaches to address the deficiencies of standard HRD and andragogic models.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
- Creator:
- Strange, Erin Leigh
- Description:
- Predator-prey dynamics and their ecological drivers have absorbed the interest of population ecologists since models were first developed describing the cyclical nature of predator-prey populations in a static framework. Empirical data has demonstrated that species life histories evolve over ecological timescales in response to changes in broad ecological processes or specific changes in population densities and/or spatial distributions. Anthropomorphic environmental impacts have influenced ecological processes on a broad scale and in many cases impacted predator-prey relationships. Southern Resident killer whale, Orcinus orca, and its preferred prey, Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawystcha, provide an opportunity to evaluate human impacts from Chinook salmon ocean harvest and hatchery production to the predator-prey dynamic between these co-evolved species. This is particularly important when considering the management of ocean fisheries and hatcheries that support those fisheries relative to the recovery of the Southern Resident killer whale population, a federally-endangered marine mammal species. The purpose of this study was to: 1) investigate the impacts of modifications in Chinook salmon ocean harvest and hatchery production inputs on their abundance as a prey species for Southern Resident killer whale; and 2) evaluate how the Southern Resident killer whale population responds to the subsequent prey availability. Time-series (1984-2011) Chinook salmon terminal run (freshwater harvest plus spawning population) and ocean fishery harvest data from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California, were analyzed under twelve scenarios involving different combinations of ocean fishery harvest and hatchery production. Chinook salmon terminal run results were used as input to the Southern Resident killer whale population dynamics model to evaluate the whale population response to varying levels of prey availability. Two covariates were chosen for the Chinook salmon time-series analysis: reduction in ocean fishery harvest and reduction in hatchery production. The primary response variable chosen for this analysis was Chinook salmon terminal run, although ocean fishery harvest and Chinook salmon total abundance were also evaluated. Linear regression was used to evaluate the influence that reductions in ocean harvest and hatchery production have on the relative absolute change in Chinook salmon terminal run, fishery harvest, and total abundance between the status quo and each scenario. A Mann-Whitney Test was used to determine trends between early and late periods in the Chinook salmon time-series. Results of this study indicate significant interactions between covariate and response variables, revealing that reduction in ocean fishery harvest explains the amount of Chinook salmon in the terminal run to a weak degree, while the reduction in hatchery production explains the amount of Chinook salmon in the terminal run to a moderate degree. Although percent reduction calculations showed decreasing ocean harvest as hatchery production decreased, the linear regression showed that percent reduction in hatchery production does not explain the amount of Chinook salmon ocean fishery harvest. The ocean fishery harvest reduction percentage weakly explains the Chinook salmon fishery harvest. In addition, reduction in hatchery production explains the total abundance of Chinook salmon in the ocean to a weak degree, while ocean harvest reduction explains the total abundance of Chinook salmon in the ocean to a moderate degree. Results also indicate a significant decrease in fishery impacts from an early time period (1984-1997) to a late time period (1998-2011), while no significant difference was demonstrated between the two timeframes for terminal run and total abundance. Southern Resident killer whale modeling results revealed that all of the Chinook salmon scenarios (terminal run data) resulted in a positive Southern Resident killer whale population growth response. However, statistical analysis between scenarios indicated no significant difference in the Southern Resident killer whale population growth over a 10-year projection. These results have value to fishery managers with regard to potential modifications to Chinook salmon ocean fishing harvest and hatchery production that may result in a greater prey base for the Southern resident killer whale population. Identification of the Chinook salmon populations most important as prey to Southern resident killer whale could focus natural/wild Chinook salmon population restoration and hatchery reform efforts with the target of increasing the numbers of Chinook salmon produced in those important watersheds. Chinook salmon management decisions directed at changing the focus of hatchery operations to support naturally spawning populations and improving freshwater habitats to support natural/wild spawning Chinook salmon populations may provide more prey over the long-term for Southern resident killer whale than management actions directed at further restrictions on the commercial ocean Chinook salmon fishery. However, based on prior research (Ward et al. 2013) and the results of this study, Chinook salmon management practice involving a complete closure of the ocean fishery while maintaining current levels of hatchery production may produce a higher likelihood that the Southern Resident killer whale population would reach their recovery target.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Biological Sciences (Ecology, Evolution and Conservation)
- Creator:
- Gibson, Bret Edmond
- Description:
- Using exercise to enhance occupational performance and injury prevention is well documented. In recent years the use of labile suspension exercise devices (i.e. TRX) has become a popular means of exercise used in both performance enhancement and rehabilitative settings. Firefighting is known to be a physically demanding occupation that is associated with a high prevalence of lower back injury. Exercise intervention, namely the inclusion of core training, is a commonly used strategy for injury prevention, performance enhancement, and rehabilitation of the low back. Biomechanical analysis can provide insight to the efficacy of several different dynamic labile suspension exercises. The purpose of this study was to measure the kinematics and electromyographical differences in (EMG) activity of the rectus abdominis (RA), external obliques (EO), and lumbar erector spinae (LES) of firefighters when comparing a TRX Straight Arm Plank to several different TRX core exercise conditions. Six healthy male firefighters were recruited from local fire departments. Each subject performed several different TRX core exercises in randomized order. Mean ± SD EMG activity at the peak phase (p-phase) and Peak EMG was recorded bilaterally for the RA, EO, and LES and compared between a control condition and several other exercise conditions. Dependent samples t-tests were used to detect differences between the exercise conditions. The results indicated that there were significant differences (p < 0.015) identified in the %MVC at the p-phase of the right EO between the control and both the TRX Alternating Knee Tuck (p = 0.007) and TRX Pike (p = 0.0008). Additionally, each TRX suspension exercise elicited significant differences (p < 0.015) in Peak %MVC between left EO (KT, p = 0.006; AKT, p = 0.005; Pike, p = 0.003) and right EO (KT, p = 0.008; AKT, p = 0.006; Pike, p = 0.0002) when compared to the control condition. The TRX pike elicited the highest mean Peak %MVC for the LE (19% ± 12%), LO (64% ± 19%), RO (84% ± 30%), and RRA (58% ± 17%). The findings of this study support the notion that labile suspension exercises in general produce moderate to high levels of abdominal challenge, particularly in the EO. Exercise prescription should take into account and match an individual’s level of fitness, injury history, and training goals. The data collected in this study can help govern exercise selection for the firefighter. The information provided in this research indicates that the TRX suspension exercises can be used as a viable means for strengthening the abdominal wall of firefighters.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Kinesiology (Exercise Science)
- Creator:
- Coyne, Kaitlyn
- Description:
- There is a lack of research demonstrating self-determination skills being taught at the elementary level. This pre-post design study examined the impact of implementing a self-determination curriculum unit to two groups of fourth graders, ages nine to eleven years old, who receive special education for various diagnoses, including specific learning disability, speech and language impairment, other health impairment, and autism. Eleven students learned about self-determination (i.e. self-awareness, self-advocacy, choice making, and goal setting) through 28 lessons which included the use of role playing, hands-on activities, and literature. All participants, students, their parents, and their teachers, completed the AIR Self-Determination Scale before and after the curriculum intervention. Researcher reflection notes, student responses to post-intervention motivation scales, responses to research supplemental questions on pre- and post-surveys from parents and teachers were additional data sources. The findings indicate that overall, there were examples of growth in students’ self-determined behaviors. In particular, the capacity scores from the AIR measure showed an increase in perceptions of students’ self-determination skills, based on parent and teacher surveys. In discussions during the unit lessons, all students were able to articulate their goals and recognize the meaning of key self-determination terms in various aspects of the curriculum. Recommendations for practice include implementing the curriculum unit with a larger number of students, including students in general education and those with more significant disabilities. Further research should be conducted to identify more long term effects of elementary-level self-determination curriculum for students with disabilities.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Special Education)
- Creator:
- Sturgeon, Kellie M.
- Description:
- Data from three studies were used for the development and validation of a new inventory called the Spiritual Identity Scale (SIS). In Study 1 a viable factor structure was developed. In Study 2 convergent and divergent validity was established by examining the relationships between spirituality and religiosity. For Study 3, the sample size and lack of age and gender diversity limitations from Studies 1 and 2 were addressed by using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for participant recruitment, the single-component structure of the SIS was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, and the moderating properties of the SIS were assessed in relation to coping strategies, the use of social support, and depressive symptomology using structural modeling (SEM). SEM results revealed that the SIS had no direct effect on maladaptive coping strategies in relation to traumatic stress, but did reveal some age and gender differences that should be explored further in future studies.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Molina, Zelene
- Description:
- Scholars have found that half the students entering college are unsuccessful in accomplishing their aspirations of earning a college degree (Swail, Redd, & Perna, 2003). Student retention and persistence, especially among underrepresented students, continues to be a challenge for institutions of higher education. For instance, the Latino population is rapidly growing in the U.S., and more Latino students are enrolling in institutions of higher education, but their educational attainment continues to lag. The literature demonstrates that student success has a variety of definitions and that student engagement can contribute to student success. Educational researchers have studied the effects of student engagement in colleges across the nation. Astin (1999) claimed the greater a student’s involvement is, the greater their learning and development will be. Since more Latino students are seeking a post-secondary education, researchers have explored the outcomes of their engagement. A multitude of factors contribute to the persistence of students in higher education. Involvement in campus activities enhances a student’s educational experience. Research shows that student participation in extracurricular activities while in college plays a significant role in academic achievement (Astin, 1999); however, further research needs to examine the impact that student engagement has on the college persistence of Latinos. This study investigated Latino student engagement in campus activities and the impact on student success. The methodology used for this study was both quantitative and qualitative. Undergraduate Latino students participated in an online questionnaire conducted through Qualtrics, an Internet-based survey tool. University administrators and faculty that work closely with this population of students participated in semi-structured interviews. The researcher utilized mixed methods to gain a better understanding of the impact that Latino student engagement has on student success. The data gathered from the 14 undergraduate students, three faculty members, and two university administrators suggest that there are positive outcomes to Latino student engagement. According to the findings, the majority of students that become involved on campus are able to build friendships and develop personal and professional skills and engagement helps them in their pursuit of obtaining a college degree. The findings also indicate that there are factors that may prevent Latino students from participating in campus activities. Based on these findings, a recommendation is that professionals in higher education incorporate a variety of programs to encourage student participation.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
37416. Wealth instability and retirement: how capital market volatilities affect retirement decisions
- Creator:
- Hancock, Steven
- Description:
- Retirement is an expensive proposition and wealth preservation becomes an important concern for those nearing retirement age. Using capital market volatility as a proxy, this study analyzes the potential impacts of wealth instability on the probability of retirement. The effects of two distinct notions of volatility are explored: implied volatility and historical volatility. Data are used from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and a Cox Proportional Hazards model is implemented to estimate the retirement probabilities of 2,800 male heads-of-households over the age of 50 for the years of 1999 to 2013. This study finds that a one percentage point increase in stock market volatility leads to a 1.5 to 4.2 percent increase in retirement probability. In addition, individuals who have high exposure to equities are even more likely to retire due to increasing volatility. On the other hand, increasing Treasury yield volatility is found to delay retirement and high exposure to bonds does not have an additional effect. Thus, capital market volatilities affect retirement in opposing ways based upon asset class while non-capital market volatilities have no conclusive effect. These results may be useful for pension plan administrators or financial planners who are interested in viewing volatility risk from a different perspective.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Economics
- Creator:
- Mehraban Teymouri, Ramtin
- Description:
- This thesis analyzed the design, implementation and manufacturing of a low-cost soil sample collector robot. The robot utilized dynamic mechanical parts, controlling microprocessor boards, 3D printed collecting arm, DC motors, a servomotor, batteries and communication modules. Indeed, the study focused on three main goals: reducing the cost of digging processes, manufacturing a clean, an environmentally friendly machine and introducing a remote control vehicle. The robot cost less than $1000 with few parts purchased from off-the-shelf products. Also, lithium-ion batteries to actuate the motors eventuated a fossil fuel free vehicle. Moreover, wireless RF modules with high coverage that fulfilled creating an unmanned robot. It is hoped than the thesis motivates students about robotics and projects regarding making a device, which requires knowledge of multiple engineering fields.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Creator:
- Sims, Crystal
- Description:
- Brief Literature Review - Adult learners are leading the forefront in advancing their knowledge and skills by accessing online professional development. Structuring a learning model that embraces the characteristics of adult learners provides a learning environment that increases the chance for the learner to be successful (Harris, 2003; Kenner & Weinerman, 2011). The Community of Inquiry Framework (CoI) identified three interdependent elements essential to provide an engaging educational experience (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). Further understanding and incorporating the elements that contribute towards an engaging educational experience in online professional development courses will help institutions meet the needs of today’s adult learners and remain competitive in today’s market. Statement of the Problem - Many higher educational institutions are offering non-traditional options that allow adult learners to participate in professional development training that is convenient and flexible. The market is saturated with private and public online training resources that allow professionals to meet their day-to-day responsibilities while maintaining control over when and where they can access training through the convenience of a computer. In order to be competitive, organizations need to offer engaging learning experiences that include the necessary elements to engage adult learners in order to assist them in meeting their educational learning goals. This research examines the experiences of students who have taken an online professional development program and what factors contribute towards creating an engaging educational experience in order to contribute towards the knowledge so that institutions can remain competitive in today’s market. Methodology - The study used a combination of methods to conduct research gathering data from students who had completed at least one online professional development course for continuing education in the last three years at a Northern California public university. The study utilized an online survey. A total of 55 students participated in the research. Conclusions and Recommendations - Overall, adult learners in an online professional development course for continuing education had a positive learning experience and would continue taking online courses. The data showed there was overall agreement that the three essential elements of teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence necessary to create an engaging educational experience for adult learners were present during their online experiences. Social presence showed the lowest agreement value. The top three most valuable aspects of the online courses perceived by the adult learners in this study were flexibility, structure and convenience. In addition, qualitative analysis showed that adult learners are seeking online learning as a valuable way to grow professionally. Special attention should be given by institutions to create engaging educational experiences in their online courses that increase the professional capabilities and capacities of the intended audience in order to remain competitive in today’s market for online courses. Future research is needed to understand whether adult learners in professional development programs find value in having social presence in their online professional development experience and how the learning topic and/or the audience influence which elements would be necessary to meet their professional development goals.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
- Creator:
- Del Toro Vargas, Celia
- Description:
- The purpose of the research was to explore the perceptions of child abuse and neglect among first generation Hispanic immigrants. This quantitative study explores the level of acculturation and the cultural child-rearing practices among the participants. A total of 100 qualifying surveys were collected from participants who self-identified as first generation Hispanic immigrants. The participants agreed to participate and answered the questionnaire voluntarily. The data presented in the following study was collected through a bilingual, English and Spanish, 14-question survey. Participants were asked questions ranging from basic demographics to the level of agreement of inappropriate child-rearing practices. After the data collection process, the researcher explores the influence of acculturation on the child abuse perceptions among Hispanic immigrants.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Ellis, Keith Robert
- Description:
- The literature shows the value of student services in educational institutions and the increasing use of technology in colleges. Expectations continue to grow in California’s community colleges for the increased use of technology to deliver student services. Additionally, technology acceptance is influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as well as the facilitating conditions of user inclusion in the system selection, training, and support. Lastly, the student disability educational accommodation process has been outlined and defined by relevant law and court cases including the use of technology as a means of accommodating disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the acceptance of technology by students with disabilities at a community college. Commonly used accommodations for students with disabilities are note-taking services and or voice recording lectures, but an examination of the student experience with respect to these accommodations may guide or create barriers for student success. The theoretical framework was the Technology Acceptance Model that identified perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as technology acceptance predictors with the extension of a subjective norm and three facilitating conditions: user inclusion in system selection, training, and support. A qualitative methodology was used with a semi-structured in-depth interview protocol for participants to share their perspectives with regard to their educational accommodations and assistive technology. Data were presented in a case study format. Participants were purposely asked to participate based on specific selection criteria. Creswell’s (2012) qualitative research design was used for analysis. Generally, students with disabilities have an openness and willingness toward the use of technology as a means of accommodation. Additionally, those who use it view the Livescribe Smartpen and audio recording very positively. Training and support are attributed to the decision-making process. Livescribe Smartpen and audio recording training and support should be developed from ease of use and usefulness demonstrating the benefits. Livescribe Smartpen training must contain note-taking strategies. Note-taking service accommodation is popular, and there is a consensus that it couples with audio recording; however, there are quality control and reliability issues combined with lack of feedback.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
- Creator:
- Sumner, Scott Edward
- Description:
- The triboelectric effect is a phenomenon whereby certain materials acquire an electrical charge after coming into contact with one another. Currently, there are no published methods for the separation of paper from a mixture of paper and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) flakes using only the triboelectric effect (i.e. without the use of high-voltage electricity). A belt separator concept, in which a brush tribocharges the belt and creates an electric charge to which paper is attracted to, was used as the basis for the investigation. Two belt (“plate”) materials and two brush materials were evaluated to determine which combination resulted in the largest amount of paper collected. Also, the effects of flake and plate tribocharging time were evaluated. The results showed that the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plate tribocharged with the polyurethane brush attracted the most paper. Tribocharging time of the flake mixture did not have a noticeable effect on the separation of paper from the mixture. However, a dramatic increase in the amount of paper collected with plate tribocharging times from zero to ten seconds was observed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Creator:
- Blake, Brittany Elizabeth
- Description:
- Masculinity within Victorian literature and culture is often distilled to general concepts of what it meant to “be a man” or “be a gentleman,” but the novels of Elizabeth Gaskell show a fluidity of masculinity through male relationships. Specifically, the masculinity portrayed in Mary Barton (1848) and North and South (1854) presents two variations of masculinity through master-worker relationships, exposing the instability of a single definition of (gentle)manliness. In Mary Barton, the conflict between John Barton and John Carson is based on their shared agony of the loss of their respective only sons, and their mutual suffering leads to violence and a demand for revenge. With the intercession of Bible verses, the men are able to achieve reconciliation just before Barton’s death, urging male forgiveness and a master’s duty to move toward more humane treatment of his workers. The transformation of master-worker relationships in North and South is reliant on the keystone of masculinity, John Thornton. Thornton’s definition of masculinity is based on man in relation to himself, and so even though others in the community judge Thornton’s masculinity on his work as a master, he attempts to be manly in relation to himself. The significance of suffering and violence of Mary Barton is lessened in Thornton’s world because the reconciliation of master and worker allows Thornton greater understanding of himself, and thus Thornton and Nicholas Higgins are ultimately united not as master and worker, but as men. The transformation of master-worker relationships from Mary Barton to North and South exposes the fluidity of Victorian masculinity, from violent action and religious reconciliation to self-knowledge and manly unity. Ultimately, Gaskell’s development of Thornton as a master and a man promotes a changing view of the individual capitalist and, most importantly, the individual man.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- English (Literature)
- Creator:
- Reeves, Jack Aaron
- Description:
- There is a growing body of evidence that front-of-package (FOP) labeling on pre- packaged foods and sugar-sweetened beverages may be an effective method of helping consumers make healthier dietary choices. On the other hand, there is also growing evidence that the current industry standard Facts-Up-Front FOP label design by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is not effective. For my thesis, I wanted to address this disparity by creating a set of visual label guidelines to assist future policymakers in their efforts to stem the increasing tide of obesity. To accomplish this, I used a mixed methods approach. First, I completed a regression analysis using the California Health Interview Survey dataset to understand the relationship between an individual’s level of nutritional knowledge and his or her consumption of sugar- sweetened beverages. By using education level as a stand-in for nutritional knowledge, I find that the more nutritional knowledge an individual has, the fewer SSBs he or she will consume. Considering this relationship between knowledge, consumption, and the potential effectiveness of FOPs, I next develop a framework from which to analyze the current industry standard FOP label. From this framework, and an analysis of current literature, I find that the industry standard is not effective at influencing consumers’ consumption patterns of SSBs because it lacks four visual characteristics; clarity, color, context, and novelty. Finally, I will present a set of policy recommendations for both the Food and Drug Administration and the State of California.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Ballard, Jonathan T.
- Description:
- Brief Literature Review: Higher education has integrated many new ways to support incoming freshmen at various universities in order to combat low student retention and completion rates. Many institutions are turning to summer transition programs to help bridge the gap between senior year at high school and freshman year at college. “Summer transition programs are designed to assist individuals to overcome or at least cope with the many social and academic difficulties that arise in the transition to college” (Tinto, 1993, p. 162). It is a struggle that many students face nationwide and a supportive bridge into the first year of college can make the first year experience much more enjoyable and successful as well. This study added to previous research on first-year students’ transitions and persistence beyond their first year. In particular, Schlossberg‘s Transition Theory, Astin‘s Involvement Theory, research on student engagement, and Tinto‘s Theory of Student Departure were used to relate the findings of this study to the influence the Summer Transitional Enrichment Program had on selected participants (Schlossberg, 1981; Astin, 1999; Tinto, 1993). Schlossberg‘s Transition Theory was used to further analyze the findings of this study (Schlossberg, 1981). The study showed the summer program, positively influenced the transition of participants to college and positively influenced their persistence beyond their first-year of enrollment at a large research University. Statement of the Problem: The continued success and implementation of summer enrichment programs is significant in the field of higher education for institutions nationwide. It is essential that new students be prepared for their undergraduate career. Students need as much support and guidance as possible to aid in academic and social success. In order to continue to support marginalized students’ success transitioning from high school to their first year of college, institutions need to insure that summer programs are developing skills for success and geared toward improving retention rates. This study will examine the question if summer enrichment programs make students feel that they are better prepared academically, mentally, and socially for their first year of college. It is more important now than ever before to document for stakeholders how summer enrichment programs are beneficial to students and the campus as a whole. Frequently, these programs are being cut at many different institutions. Methodology: The study used a qualitative method to conduct research on current second-year students who participated in the 2014 Summer Transitional Enrichment Program at a Northern California Research University. The interviews conducted used semi-structured questions. Five students participated in the research. Conclusions and Recommendations: The outcomes of this research signified that the 2014 Summer Transitional Enrichment Program influenced participants’ transition to college, and clearly helped their success beyond the first year at the institution. This study’s research revealed five crucial findings on what the STEP program does to help students become successful. It encourages campus involvement, provides a helpful support system, creates lasting friendships, allows them to adjust to the college life, and lastly the opportunity for self-growth. These findings produced a deeper understanding of the importance of summer programs at institutions nationwide. Future research is needed to reveal the effects of the program on third, fourth, and fifth year students. Also, it is needed to look at the effects STEP had on students who did make it past their first year at the university. Finally, the researcher recommends that there be a comparison between STEP participants and non-participants who have not done the summer program. This potential study would offer insight into the differences of the transitions and successes of students.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
37425. An exploratory study of how undergraduate students make foreign language enrollment decisions
- Creator:
- Mendoza Ponce, Tania Erika
- Description:
- Enrollment motivation in foreign languages is impacted by various factors, some relate to the individual’s experiences with the language, some related to his or her experiences with instruction (Gardner, 2010), some are integrative (Masgoret & Gardner, 2003; Oxford & Shearin 1994), and some are instrumental (Hudson, 2000). Self-efficacy theories and value-expectancy theories also provide a framework to understand how students rationalize choices and make their enrollment decisions (Oxford & Shearin, 1994). Learning languages enhances collaboration in an increasingly interconnected world (Şahin, 2011). The most effective ways, however, for an institution to respond to the need for an international curriculum and to support foreign language study, have created conceptual divides and are still greatly debated (Green 2012). This study explored the enrollment orientations of undergraduate students matriculated in first and second semester language courses at a public university in Northern California. This paper contributes to the debate on whether or not students are interested in a foreign language component to their academics, how the institution can best support foreign language instruction, and how the institution can design and implement initiatives that will further its graduates’ applicable global skills. Data were collected from 200 student participants using a digital questionnaire. All student participants were matriculated in first and second semester foreign language courses. Data were also collected from faculty and staff participants, using semi-structured interviews. The patterns found in the data revealed that students’ motivation associated with foreign language enrollment are affected significantly by the need to fulfill academic requirements, particularly the foreign language graduation requirement. Integrative factors, such as a personal interest in the language or culture, and instrumental drivers, such as attaining a job promotion, were also at play. Staff and faculty perceived the need to fulfill the foreign language graduation requirement as one of the strongest motivational factors among students. Advisors underscored the need for initiatives outside the language classrooms, such as study abroad and connecting with the international students already on campus, as means to nurture the students’ interest in learning languages and to boost enrollment in foreign language courses.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Higher Education Leadership)
- Creator:
- Calbonero, Jennifer
- Description:
- Today, in an increasingly competitive job market, a growing number of employers require applicants to possess a bachelor’s degree as a minimum education standard of employment eligibility. This suggests that an individual with a higher education background is better equipped with the skills, training and competency above other applicants to be successful in his or her profession. Law enforcement, however, has remained one of the career professions that does not require any higher education requirement for employment eligibility. Yet there is reason to think greater education requirements may benefit in the professionalization of law enforcement, and may help officers in their line of duty. Currently no state in the U.S. has established that law enforcement officers should have higher education degree as a minimum requirement for enrollment. In California, the minimum education requirement for law enforcement officers is a high school diploma or GED. However, because agencies have the ability to set their own hiring standards, a small percentage of law enforcement agencies have actually required more stringent education backgrounds in higher education, from completing some college, to an associate’s degree, to even a bachelor’s degree. This thesis was aimed at furthering the discussion on whether increasing the hiring education standards for law enforcement agencies within California would have a notable impact. In this study, 42 law enforcement officers from across the state were surveyed about their agency’s requirements, and their thoughts on the feasibility, costs, and benefits of increasing the minimum education standards. The results of this survey were in line with several of the reports found in the literature. They show that officers perceive several benefits to the having a higher education background that can improve their performance on the job. However, it is unclear whether there is political feasibility to make such a significant change happen across all agencies in California. Law enforcement agencies and associations, such as the ones represented in my survey, are more likely to be hesitant or reluctant to change. These findings can help guide further research as to how to adequately define and measure “better policing,” and whether education has an impact on that. Finally, I would recommend that California find better opportunities to collect data among law enforcement agencies, which can be anything from mandatory surveying to greater oversight at a head agency.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Paredes, Brenda
- Description:
- This thesis employed the Discourse Historical Approach of Critical Discourse Analysis in order to uncover discursive strategies used to dismantle California’s bilingual education system. This study identified the ideological groundings that allowed Proposition 227 to pass and subsequently allowed the California Department of Education to suspend English learner program monitoring. The analysis included an overview of artifacts that were crucial to the implementation of Proposition 227 and the suspension of English learner monitoring programs. By applying the analytical concepts of historical contexts, social actors, and legitimation strategies to each artifact, it was found that three significant ideological constructs were reinforced: (1) English learners were being recontextualized as a societal burden, (2) bilingual education was being recontextualized as a faulty educational system, and (3) the California Department of Education was claiming autonomy from the responsibility of educating English learners.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Communication Studies
37428. Quality of teacher-child relationships and social-emotional competence in preschool age children
- Creator:
- Deavers, Chelsea
- Description:
- The current study investigated the quality of teacher-child relationships in the prediction of social and emotional competence of preschool age children. Fifty-three students from eight preschools participated in this study. A quantitative survey design was employed to collect data through teacher completion of the Student-Teacher Relationships Scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001) and parent completion of the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale: The Short Form (SCBE-30; LaFreniere & Dumas, 1996) and Demographics Survey. The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale was accessed online by the primary preschool teachers’ through Survey Monkey. The Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale and Demographic Survey were sent to parents via Survey Monkey, but hard copies were also supplied in either English or Spanish (the parent preferred language). Correlational analyses were used to explore associations between the quality of teacher-child relationships and student social and emotional competence, as well as demographic variables and the quality of teacher-child relationships. Results indicate few significant relationships between parent demographics and quality of teacher-child relationships or children’s social and emotional competence. However, teacher-child conflict is significantly correlated to child anxiety-withdrawal, with parent education as a possible mediator. Future research should include a larger sample and observations to enhance current literature and theory of teacher-child relationships.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Child Development
- Creator:
- Reese, Hannah M.
- Description:
- Be it the slave narratives of the American South or the independence chronicles of India and its 1,001 midnight’s children, the conditions of colonialism—including national subjugation, physical and psychological dislocation, and the processes of hegemony—as expressed in literature walk hand-in-hand with the trope of body-as-text. The corpus of the subjugated human figure has been, for centuries, used as the canvas for the traumas of colonialism. In light of the concurrent shifts from the twentieth to twenty-first century and postcolonialism to a generation of post-postcolonialism, there has also emerged a shift in the use of body-as-text—where the physical body is inscribed with the trauma indicative of an historically colonial struggle—to a new trope of text-as-body in which the literal, published text adopts, reflects, and represents the body and consciousness of the post-postcolonial subject. Text-as-body borrows its co-name, literary transubstantiation, from the Roman Catholic tradition, and just as the bread and wine of the Eucharist is transformed into the body and blood of Christ, so too is the text (consumed and shared by the public) the transubstantiated body of the diasporic writer. All of the amalgamated parts of the diasporic individual—the many heritages, many cultures, many voices, many languages, and many roots—are represented within the text via three central phenomenon of the literary transubstantiation trope: specific formal structure based on non-linear chronology and heightened poly-vocality; presentation of the body of the older (postcolonial) generation through the traditional body-as-text and, more specifically, through amputation and phantom pains; and finally, the repeated and benevolent use of Lucifer as a counter-hegemonic divinity figure. This thesis is built upon the research of many different scholars across several disciplines. The nature of the (emergent) critical theory as well as of my own argument regarding text-as-body require a skillful combination of multidisciplinary scholarship that, in no small way, reflects the complexity of the genre itself. Scholarship that has been, thus far, central to my research include Bill Ashcroft’s The Empire Writes Back, Wendy W. Walter’s At Home in Diaspora, William Gass’s “The Philosophical Significance of Exile,” and Salman Rushdie’s Imaginary Homelands. Moreover, I have reached out to medical and psychological research in order to understand the significance of amputation and phantom limb pain within these novels, and Today’s Missal, paired with religious scholarship relating to transubstantiation, has aided in articulating the fullness with which these authors’ novels become extensions of the post-postcolonial body and consciousness. “(Corpo)reality” explores three central phenomena of literary transubstantiation within Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Malika Mokeddem’s Of Dreams and Assassins, and Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. These phenomena allow for the successful transition from the use of the corporeal body as a storyboard of the postcolonial experience—body-as-text—into an era of text-as-body which allows the text produced by an author to absorb and reproduce the post-postcolonial consciousness.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- English (Literature)
- Creator:
- Dailey, John David
- Description:
- This study utilized a survey design to determine paraeducators’ views on professional development: what works, what does not, and what could be done to make it better, from the perspective of the paraeducators themselves. The sample included fifty-three paraeducators currently working for a large suburban school district in northern California. The survey questions posed asked participants to relate the effectiveness of previous professional development experiences, and describe the opportunities they would like to be provided in the future. Preferences related to timing of professional development, topics, instructional formats and delivery methods were also assessed. Data were collected through a web-based survey program. Descriptive statistics and ordinal regression measures were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that the participants indicated both similarities (e.g. strong desire among the majority for professional development related to behavioral management/positive behavioral supports) and differences (e.g. mixed opinions on the usefulness of professional development between subgroups based on number of years of service). Grade-level placement subgroups reported notably different topic preferences. No significant correlation was found between number of years of service and opinion of the effectiveness of previous professional development. Paraeducators indicated that they want to be involved in the decision-making process with regard to future professional development. Implications for practice include: accommodating the primary professional development topic choice (behavioral management/positive behavioral supports), recognizing the notable differences regarding topic preferences between grade-level subgroups, and acknowledging the strong support among participants for the inclusion of paraeducators in the process of crafting professional development opportunities. To build upon the results of the current study, future research could examine the creation and implementation of a professional development program that integrated paraeducators’ preferences and its influence on satisfaction with the training and on the efficacy of paraeducators’ implementation of practices that were the focus of the training.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education (Special Education)
- Creator:
- Funston, Renée
- Description:
- Development often causes gentrification. Some groups purposefully seek gentrification to improve the social and economic status of an area. Other groups oppose gentrification because of its social impacts on the community and existing residents. Modern-era streetcars demonstrate the double-edged sword of gentrification. Local governments across the U.S. are developing streetcars to promote economic development. However, development of a streetcar can increase the desirability of an area, which may displace long-time residents. This thesis addresses the question: Do modern-era streetcars cause gentrification? Using U.S. Census and American Community Survey data, this thesis employs logistic regression analysis to determine if streetcars cause gentrification. The data compares the cities of Little Rock, Tacoma, Tampa, Portland, Seattle, and Memphis because these cities have modern-era streetcars. The areas “treated” by proximity to a modern-era streetcar are the census tracts that intersect the streetcar line. The “control” is the city. This thesis uses different dependent variables in three separate models to assess the effects of gentrification: median household income, percent of college graduates, and median contract rent. This thesis found that a few years after operation of a streetcar begins there are signs of gentrification, as evidenced by a rise in median household income, proportion of college graduates, and median rent. I found that each year after a streetcar opens the indicators of gentrification increased. However, I cannot be certain that the streetcar caused the changes in the dependent variables or has a correlation with it. There could be an overall trend in development in the area and the streetcar was one of many large-scale developments at a given time. This thesis considers the impact of a capital project (i.e., streetcar) on gentrification because of the prominence of issues related to gentrification in public policy today. There are important lessons for local governments to consider to ease tensions over development. Local governments need to focus on growing a diverse housing stock and embracing the characteristics that make their jurisdiction distinctive. Local governments also needs to improve opportunities for higher density housing in the downtown area to prevent an increase in housing supply pressure because this pressure can lead to a rapid increase in rent. Finally, local governments need to insure an adequate affordable housing stock to prevent housing displacement.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Urban Land Development
- Creator:
- Whiting-Casey, Creston
- Description:
- For the past 20 years, a major debate has unfolded between academics, economists, and legislators regarding the effects of raising the minimum wage. The main point of contention is if increasing the minimum wage will cause higher rates of unemployment. However, as the federal government remains stagnate on taking action towards increasing the federal minimum wage, income inequality in the nation is on the rise and the purchasing power of those living on the minimum wage is steadily decreasing. To combat these socio-economic concerns, many individual states are taking action to ensure the resiliency of the value of the minimum wage over time by automatically indexing increases of the minimum wage to factors such as the Consumer Price Index. This thesis attempts to provide greater clarity on the relationship between minimum wage policies and unemployment rates through regression analysis. Data utilized for this study come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Labor, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the National Council on State Legislatures, and the American Community Survey for all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) between 2010 and 2014. Twenty-eight different independent variables were collected for each state. Variables were categorized under the four following themes: state minimum wage policies, state economic output, state education level, and state demographics. The primary form of regression analysis was a fixed-effects panel regression model to account for time differentials and individual state characteristics. The results from the regression analysis suggest that if a state has a policy of automatically indexing the minimum wage, unemployment is higher by an average of 0.69%, keeping all factors constant. This means policymakers will have to weigh the purported socio-economic benefits of indexing minimum wages against the possible unemployment effects. Another key finding is that once a state’s minimum wage amount expands above 38.45% of the all industry average wage amount within that state, unemployment starts to rise at an increasing rate. This result is important for two reasons. First, this provides policymakers and economists another type of benchmark to assess the possible effects of different minimum wage amounts on unemployment. Second, by utilizing this factor of analysis, policymakers can accurately formulate an appropriate minimum wage amount at the highest extent possible to bolster the purchasing power of those living on the minimum wage, while at the same time, preventing the unemployment rate from potentially increasing. The last significant finding is that increasing the education attainment level of the populace through higher rates of high school graduation and college advancement should remain as a top priority for policymakers as this study strongly shows that a more educated populace is a more employed populace.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Sparks, Geneviève Cristine
- Description:
- This study examined the relative contribution of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) from upstream historical mercury-mining districts to Lake Berryessa, a reservoir with water quality impaired by mercury. The third and fourth largest historical mercury producing mining districts in California are within Lake Berryessa’s three largest tributary watersheds. These mining districts, which lie within mercury-bearing deposits are located within the Pope Creek, Upper Putah Creek, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks watersheds. Downstream of the reservoir, Lower Putah Creek drains into the Yolo Bypass, a major source of THg and MeHg to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Study objectives include (a) determine if tributaries downstream of historical mercury mining districts and draining to Lake Berryessa are sources of THg and MeHg; (b) identify correlations in water chemistry among collected parameters; (c) characterizing variability of parameters in upstream and downstream reaches of each creek; and (d) estimate THg and MeHg loads entering the reservoir from each tributary. Water samples were collected from October 2012 to September 2014 during 55 non-storm and 9 storm events along Pope, Upper Putah, Lower Putah, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks and analyzed forfield parameters (pH, alkalinity, hardness, specific conductance, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and redox potential), total suspended solids (TSS), and total particulate matter (TPM). Discharge measurements were made at the time of sample collection; flow and concentration data were combined to compute instantaneous loads of selected constituents. Additionally, water samples were collected during four non-storm and one storm events for analysis of unfiltered THg, MeHg, TSS, and TPM along the tributaries. One hundred thirty-five streambed sediment samples were collected to determine the spatial variation of THg, organic content, and grain size distribution. Based on results of water sampling, all three tributaries contribute THg and MeHg to Lake Berryessa. Some consistent spatial trends in THg (water) concentrations were observed over multiple sampling events; THg (water) decreased from upstream to downstream in all three tributaries. Tributary reaches with elevated THg in streambed sediment (“mercury hot spots”) are near or downstream of historical mercury mines and mercury enriched ore deposits. The importance of TSS and TPM relative to THg and MeHg transport in the most contaminated stream reaches indicates that erosion control may be a useful remediation tool for decreasing THg and MeHg loads to Lake Berryessa.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Geology
- Creator:
- Tracy, Lindsay Jeanine
- Description:
- California has utilized the initiative system since 1911. During this time, the initiative system in California has evolved into the ‘fourth’ branch of government. Initiatives play an important role in government by providing the voting public with a means of bypassing the legislature to enact policy or change. Yet unlike candidate races, there are fewer signals available for voters to use in determining how to vote on initiatives. For this reason the role of the media is especially important. In this thesis I examine whether certain categories of initiatives in California between 2000-2014 received greater media attention than others. To conduct this thesis, I collected data from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the California Secretary of State to obtain citizen initiatives that were placed on the ballot from 2000-2014. I then performed a search on the Lexis-Nexis database for newspaper articles about the 67 initiatives in the data set. I collected information from Lexis-Nexis on how many articles, words, and paragraphs each individual measure received between January and the date of the election for their respective years. This information was then used to sort each individual measure into one of the nine categories for analysis. The results of this study indicate that the nine categories of initiatives received roughly the same amount of media attention. While minor differences were observed, a simple t-test showed that the differences between the categories were not statistically significant. However, a few controversial social measures earned a widely disproportionate share of media attention. I also found some evidence that media attention did not influence initiative passage rate. Additionally I found signs that initiatives can receive little media attention before passage but subsequently prompt much controversy. My thesis indicates that we need to give more attention to the role of the media in the initiative process. Initiatives remain a central feature of California government, and California voters continue to rely on the same main sources of information to inform them about measures on upcoming elections. If as this study suggests there is not enough information provided about important initiatives by traditional news outlets, where and how can we expect voters to obtain all of the information necessary to vote?
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Swanick, Devin
- Description:
- The duck curve is a power demand curve that is named for its shape, and represents the demand on utility power generation. Recently, the peaks and valleys of the duck curve have been diverging. As more solar power is generated, mid-day supply becomes more abundant, resulting in decreasing simultaneous demand on utilities. These sudden changes in power availability can be damaging to the electrical infrastructure, e.g. by desensitizing safety equipment or tripping breakers. By modeling these loads on a computer and using predictive information on solar power availability, power loads can be scheduled to more closely match supply. Scheduling power loads to times when power is most abundant would shift those loads away from peak demand, both flattening the duck curve and reducing risk to the utility infrastructure.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Creator:
- Barrios, Dayna Yvonne
- Description:
- Native Americans have endured many hardships throughout history. In modern times, tribal disenrollment is becoming an epidemic for many Native communities. Disenrollment is a non-traditional concept where an individual, or family, is stripped of their tribal citizenship. They are no longer able to participate in tribal affairs, they lose access to healthcare, cultural and financial resources, and the effects are detrimental to an individual’s Native identity and feelings of belonging. This thesis analyzes the causes and consequences of disenrollment. I interviewed seven disenrolled members from three Native Nations in California to understand how and why they were disenrolled, along with how being disenrolled has affected them and their families. Structural violence, symbolic power, and symbolic violence all play a part in disenrollment and it is a violation of a person’s civil and human rights. Based on my findings, I have concluded that disenrollment is a form of inequality that many Native people are experiencing. I have found that the effects of disenrollment range from the fracturing of an individual’s identity, PTSD and other forms of mental trauma, along with experiencing poverty and a lack of resources.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Cohen, Carrie Dee
- Description:
- In 1956 an assortment of approximately 232 objects, photo albums, books, and personal papers were donated to the Sacramento State College Department of Anthropology. The Beardsley Collection, as it is now known, was amassed around the turn of the 20th century by George F. and Alice W. Beardsley of San Francisco and Carmel, California, and comprises ethnographic, natural history and decorative art objects from Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and North America. My research traces and analyzes the shifting sociohistorical significance and value of the Collection through three phases of its commodified career: first as a privately developed collection that reflects the lives and subjectivities of the Beardsleys, second as a museum acquisition and embodiment of mid-twentieth century disciplinary concerns, and lastly as, itself, a museum “artifact” worthy of ethnographic inquiry. An analysis of the collection's social biography—its life history—in this way contributes to a wider corpus of scholarship and comparative data concerned with the relationship between museums and imperialism, collecting, and materiality.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Foy, Matthew S
- Description:
- This research seeks to explore the complex realities underpinning the ‘magnet myth’ of social services, “the notion that a city’s progressive politics, forgiving nature, and the increasing access to services attracts more homeless to a region” (OMG 2015). Some argue that resources and certain services attract a large number of homeless individuals to metropolitan regions (Tsai et al. 2015). Others suggest that individuals fall into a life of transient homelessness for complex and convoluted reasons (Rahimian, Wolch, and Koegel 1992). This research contributes to this literature on homelessness, through a qualitative study of transient youth in Northern California, traveling by bus stations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 respondents that self-identified as homeless at a bus depot in Northern California, and who had traveled to the current city within the last 30 days. Open-ended questions explored how individuals made sense of their own transience, their strategies for survival, and the issue of homelessness more broadly. Additional interviews (29) were also collected with community stakeholders, including local residents, business owners and employees, representatives from the Business Improvement District, and social service providers. Findings from the qualitative study shed light on the nuanced reasons that may contribute to transient homelessness around Northern California, particularly with respect to adults who are housing-insecure and traveling by bus. The majority of respondents spoke to the themes of needing a “change of scene/fresh start” (56%) from their previous locations, while others reported that their home city “lacked resources” (44%). A third of respondent also discussed that their transience was a result of a “sudden loss/significant life event,” or that they were moving “in search of job opportunities.” With respect to why transient homeless individuals were traveling to the specific city in which the interviews were conducted, 38 percent reported that they had come “for family,” 28 percent had “plans fall apart,” 22 percent thought there might be “more jobs in the area,” and 19 percent perceived the area to have “more resources for the poor.” When asked about their prior perceptions of the city before they had traveled, the majority of respondents knew little of the city (approximately 60%); while others could discuss both positive and negative aspects. In terms of how community members perceived the homeless in the area, 52 percent believed that this population affects business in one way or another, 41 percent discussed how homelessness has changed over time, 34 percent held either positive or neutral sentiments toward the homeless, 31 percent mentioned negative attitudes toward the homeless, and 28 percent discussed services when prompted about their perceptions of the homeless. When community members were asked about what they believed to be most difficult for the homeless, about half of the respondents mentioned that not having their own place is most difficult (48%), while fewer participants discussed structural issues that limit the homeless in the area (38%). About a quarter of community members mentioned that psychological barriers limit the opportunities of the transient homeless in the area (28%). When community members were asked about what the homeless needed most, a majority of community members mentioned that housing/shelter would be of the most assistance (76%), about half of the respondents discussed services as being the most important in assisting the homeless (48%), and a little less than a quarter of community members discussed various levels of support that they believed would assist the homeless the most (24%). Many transient homeless individuals found themselves in the River District area after traveling through the bus depot, with the eco-system of services offered in the area keeping many nearby because of the resources available to the poor. There is consistency between community members in terms of their lack of ownership of the homelessness issue in the River District. Many feel empathetically toward the homeless, but fail to mention how they are personally assisting with this issue. The implications of the findings for policy and service provisions for transient homeless individuals are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Sociology
- Creator:
- Golia, Francesca Maria
- Description:
- Eleonora de Fonseca Pimentel was no ordinary woman. Eighteenth-century Neapolitan intellectuals recognized her passion for learning and her poetic talent and welcomed her into their salons and academies at a very early age. Even the Bourbon monarchs of the Kingdom of Naples were impressed by her skill and appointed her as court librarian. Pimentel was able to infiltrate the masculine world of learning due the unique circumstances of the Italian Enlightenment, which was more open to permitting exceptional women an advanced education, and it allowed them to pursue their studies further than any other women of the eighteenth century outside of the Italian peninsula. However, as political events began to shift in Naples in response to the French Revolution, many of the enlightened intellectuals, along with Pimentel, turned to revolutionary democratic ideals to improve the social, economic, and political condition of their state. Pimentel became increasingly involved in political affairs due to her advanced education and her notable reputation, as well as her lack of familial obligations that originated from her abusive husband and their eventual separation, allowing the intellectual community of Naples to accept Pimentel within the public political masculine sphere. In Italy, Pimentel’s story has been retold in the form of historical novels, theatrical productions, and to a lesser extent, scholarly research, which has often romanticized her image as a victim or martyr. Pimentel’s life and work has largely been ignored outside of Italy. This study sheds light on the historical context that gave rise to such a revolutionary female figure, whose life and work should be studied on an international level. The changing political circumstances in Naples, stemming from the events of the French Revolution created the perfect environment for Pimentel to emerge in her political role as writer, editor, and director of the newspaper Il Monitore Napoletano. Pimentel far surpassed even the most exceptional women of her time due to her political works and translations, her public role during the Neapolitan Republic of 1799, and her continuous fight to gain the support of the Neapolitan citizens, becoming a true revolutionary heroine of the eighteenth century.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- History
- Creator:
- Thompto, Chelsea
- Description:
- My artistic practice is centered on my lived experience as a transwoman. I draw upon witnessing shifts in my gendered privilege and the level of acceptance I experience within society, which mirror my shift between gender identities. It is the occupying of this space between normative genders that both makes me an outsider and allows me to see the dynamics of gender in a wholly different way. My art practice includes sculptural and installation pieces primarily using wood, cement, wax and paint, and a binary codification system. As with my art practice, my thesis will seek -- through the use of text, photos, and formatting -- to reenvision the space between normative gender roles as a place of power and perspective.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Art (Studio Art)
- Creator:
- Thompson, Janel Dyan
- Description:
- Accurate determinations of age at death from adult human skeletal remains is highly problematic due to various influences (e.g., rates of growth and degeneration, environment, genetics, disease, activity level, etc.). Therefore, critical testing and analysis of aging methods is essential to increase accuracy for age at death estimations. A recent method developed by Calce (2012) to estimate age at death using acetabular morphology places individuals into three broadly defined age classes of young, middle, and old (17-39, 40-64, 65 and up). The Calce (2012) method was used on a well documented North American sample (N = 952) of whites and blacks of known age at death housed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. (Terry Collection). Tests of bias and inaccuracy and percentages of individuals correctly assigned to age class were conducted. Results showed that 61% were correctly assigned to the correct age class using this method. This compares with 81% correctly assigned reported by Calce (2012) and 45% reported by Mays (2014). Results of bias and inaccuracy were calculated separately for whites and blacks. Overall for both groups, bias ranged from 0.3 - 1.7 years and inaccuracy ranged from 6.4 - 7.3 years. These results fall below reports for bias and inaccuracy using pubic symphysis and auricular surface aging methods. The Calce (2012) acetabular aging method shows promise for use in forensic and paleodemographic contexts. This aging method is still new and needs further testing to determine its potential utility in other human skeletal analyses.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Richardson, Paul N.
- Description:
- This thesis analyzes the effect of foreign and domestic oil demand and supply shocks, global economic activity shocks, and monetary policy shocks on U.S. macroeconomic aggregates. A factor augmented vector autoregressive (FAVAR) model is used to maximize the amount of information incorporated to help minimize the “curse of dimensionality” problem associated with traditional vector autoregressive models. Data from FRED, BLS, USCB, EIA, BEA, BGFRS, OECD, McCracken, and Kilian were used to analyze the effects of foreign and domestic oil demand and supply shocks in addition to monetary policy shocks on the U.S. economy. My results for the effects of foreign oil supply, global aggregate demand, foreign oil demand, and monetary policy shocks on the U.S. economy are mostly consistent with previous research. However, my research shows that crude oil related shocks affect individual U.S. industries differently as expected. Positive global aggregate demand and foreign oil demand shocks have positive effects on the U.S. mining industry and negative effects on other U.S. industries. In addition, my research contributes to the literature by separating and identifying foreign and domestic crude oil demand and supply shocks. I including domestic oil production and domestic crude oil refinery inputs since they determine U.S. sensitivity to import oil prices and find that these variables significantly affect the U.S. economy.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Economics
- Creator:
- Cabrera, Lilian Edith
- Description:
- The present study examined the effect of working memory capacity in false memory elicited by the DRM paradigm in two experiments (Experiment 1: N = 31, 80.6% female, age M = 21.29 years, SD = 4.26; Experiment 2: N = 29, 72.4% female, age M = 20.28 years, SD = 3.02). A concurrent digit load task was introduced to reduce available working memory capacity for the DRM task. The results of Experiment 1 revealed that false recall of critical lures was marginally higher when participants had a concurrent digit load task. While the initial increase in the digit load increased false recognition of critical lures, a further increase in the digit load reduced false recognition. In Experiment 2, participants were forewarned about the tendency of associative lists to elicit false memory of critical lures. Results from Experiment 2 demonstrated that while the concurrent digit load task did not affect false memory, warning instructions significantly reduced false recognition of critical lures.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Emery, Richard Todd
- Description:
- Quinoxalinones are fused, aromatic heterocycles which have exhibited interesting biological activities, including antitumor, antibiotic, and antiprotozoal properties. Investigations into the synthesis of these molecules may provide a better understanding of their specific functions and aid in targeted design of new derivatives. The synthesis of 3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-one and 1H-quinoxalin-2-one through the reaction of o-phenylenediamine and ethyl bromoacetate was investigated under various conditions in order to gain an understanding of the overall reaction mechanism and what factors determine the product composition. The reaction was initiated via an SN2 substitution with bromine acting as a good leaving group, then cyclization occured to form 3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-one . These conditions included solvent, temperature, base, and various functional groups as part of the substituted diamines. The type of base that was utilized allowed for some control over the selectivity of the product outcome. Pyridine favored the cyclized products, while not adding a base allowed for an increase in the oxidized quinoxalinone form. Strongly activating (methoxy) and deactivating (benzoyl) groups para to one of the amine groups allowed for a very selective process where only one of the four possible major products was synthesized which included the preference of only one of the two possible quinoxalinone derivative regioisomers.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Chemistry
- Creator:
- Haro, Joshua
- Description:
- This study explored the relationships that exist between an individual’s geographical context (i.e., residential isolation and exposure to ethnic groups), social context (i.e., high school diversity and close friends), and cultural variables (i.e., ethnic identity and ethnocultural empathy) with 469 participants, (75.3% women, age M = 20.47 years, SD = 4.24. Structural equation models were employed to explore the relationships between the main study variables. Results suggest a sequential path to ethnocultural empathy that exists between different levels of the individual experience, beginning with the residential ethnic composition to ethnic peers (β = .372, Β = .006, SE = .001, p < .001), ethnic peers to ethnic identity (β = .274, Β = 2.991, SE = 1.048, p = .004) and ethnic identity to ethnocultural empathy (β = .361, B = .361, SE = .047, p < .001). Implications for the diversity of residential areas, schools, and friends are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Sadaf, NoorulAyain
- Description:
- The manufacturing industry has over three hundred different manufacturing processes; each process has its own importance and application. Sacramento County has more than seventy large-scale manufacturing companies and small-scale machine shops. By searching on Thomas Net and on the manufacturing companies’ websites, I attempted to identify all the manufacturing processes around Sacramento County. I then selected a few processes and conducted a detailed investigation on Google for the available suppliers of each process. After accessing the online data, I tracked the rare manufacturing processes and then analyzed the needs of these processes in several cities of Sacramento County. In addition to analyzing the manufacturing processes data in my thesis, I interviewed the suppliers of two rare manufacturing processes, peening and injection molding, to discover the greatest need for suppliers in the Sacramento County. During the interviews, the suppliers explained many critical problems of manufacturers of Sacramento County such as, outsourcing, minimum wage increase and the waste of materials such as metals and plastics. Consequently, this thesis has also provided possible solutions for these local and statewide problems. In addition to the tracking of manufacturing activities, the thesis has provided suggestions for improving “Supplier Discovery”, an online project for developing the database of manufacturing companies that are specifically located in Sacramento County.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Creator:
- James, Brian Noel II
- Description:
- The Pre-Newberry period in the Inyo-Mono Region has garnered debate in terms of population and land use pattern. Initial thought centered on the abandonment of areas due to climatic fluctuations the prompted population depression. Subsequently, however, the focus turned to the role of different settlement shifts during the middle Holocene and how these changes generated a more ephemeral archaeological record in response to short-term occupation and high mobility. In conjunction with this alternative is the potential for buried deposits to exist under recent Holocene alluvium, and that the visibility of this portion of the record is obscured by taphonomic processes. In order to assess the viability of these alternative explanations, data on numerous dart points from multiple regional reports and projects, along with new data from the Harry Riddell and Rollin and Grace Enfield collections was compiled. Morphometric analysis was undertaken to address variability in middle Holocene dart forms and obsidian sourcing and hydration data were enumerated and added to new sourcing and hydration data from the Enfield sample. These data were then analyzed across landforms of differing ages within the region. The underrepresentation of points on particular landforms of differing age was addressed and artifact frequencies corrected in an attempt to identify biases. Known point morphologies remained consistent in many cases adhering to previous conclusions. Identification of a Wide-Stemmed form was established with the possibility that it represents a generalized form related to Pinto points, potentially a preform. Timing of point forms also adhered closely to expected ranges, albeit conditioned by the limitations inherent in obsidian hydration dating (OHD). The perceived gap in pre-Newberry occupation breaks down with the addition of new data, particularly data obtained from the Inyo-White Mountains east of Owens Valley. Occupation of the region appears to gradually increase throughout the middle Holocene with a slight acceleration post 4000 B.P. and a more dramatic pulse during the Late Newberry interval (ca. 2000 B.P.).
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Leyva Castro, Aurelia
- Description:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. High density lipoprotein (HDL), which carries cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver for excretion, is associated with a lowered risk for CVD. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major protein in HDL, has also been correlated with lowered CVD risk, possibly due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Despite these beneficial features, apoA-I misfolded into amyloid fibrils has been found in the arterial plaque of patients suffering from CVD. There are 14 known fibril-forming mutations of apoA-I associated with amyloidosis in vivo. These mutations are found in the N-terminal helix bundle domain (1-190) between residues 26-90 (inside cluster) and residues 170-178 (outside cluster). ApoA-I is found in both lipid-free and lipid-bound forms in vivo, with about 90% of the protein existing in the lipid-bound form. It is unknown whether lipid-free, lipid-bound, or both forms contribute to the development of amyloid deposits in vivo. Recent in vitro experiments on isolated protein demonstrates significant structural effects of the inside cluster mutation G26R (Lagerstedt J.O., Cavigiolio G, Roberts L.M., Hong H.S., Jin L.W., Fitzgerald PG, Oda M.N., Voss J.C., 2007, Biochemistry, 46, 9693-9) and the outside cluster mutation L178H (Petrlova, J., Duong, T., Cochran, M. C., Axelsson, A., Morgelin M., Roberts, L.M., Lagerstedt, J.O., 2012, J. Lipid Res., 53, 390-398) on lipid-free apoA-I. In contrast, there was little effect of the inside cluster mutations G26R and W50R on lipid-binding ability (Das, M., Mei, X., Jayaraman, S. Atkinson, D, Gursky, O. 2014. FEBS Journal, 281, 2525-2542). The outside cluster mutation L170P reduced the stability of lipid-bound apoA-I but not its ability to bind lipid and form HDL (Das, M., Wilson, C.J., Mei, X., Wales, T., Engen, J.R. & Gursky, O. 2016. Journal of Molecular Biology, 428, 449–462). A full understanding of apoA-I amyloidosis in vivo requires analysis of all apoA-I amyloid mutants. The goals of this thesis research were to examine the effect of the outside cluster L178H mutation on (1) the structure of lipid-bound apoA-I and (2) the formation and stability of reconstituted HDL (rHDL). The lipid-bound structure was examined using limited proteolysis. The effect of the L178H mutation on rHDL particle size, distribution and stability was examined through native gradient gel (NDGGE). The properties of lipid-bound L178H apoA-I are very similar to those of lipid-bound WT protein. The rHDL particles formed are similar in size, ranging from 9.3-9.5 nm in diameter. The 24-hour proteolysis of rHDL samples incubated for 0, 1, or 7 days at 4°C and 37°C produced an end particle of 8.4 nm in diameter and a peptide fragment size of 24 kDa for both WT and L178H at all time and temperatures, this indicating similar stabilities. Edman sequencing of peptides produced by limited proteolysis was inconclusive for WT but revealed cleavage at L42 in L178H, a known point of cleavage in lipid-bound WT. A minor difference in rHDL prepared from the two proteins was observed in samples incubated over a seven-day period at 4°C. WT rHDL increased in diameter from 9.3 ± 0.1 nm to 9.9 ± 0.1 nm whereas L178H rHDL showed little change. The reduced ability of L178H to acquire more lipid at a lower temperature is likely due to introduction of the polar Histidine residue, which could reduce hydrophobic interactions. Overall, these results show there is little effect of the L178H mutation on lipid-bound protein structure and rHDL formation, consist with results from other amyloidogenic mutants. Thus, our research supports the conclusion that amyloid fibrils in vivo develop from lipid-free protein.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Chemistry (Biochemistry)
- Creator:
- McGee, J. Bruce
- Description:
- The current study explored a potential prejudice reduction strategy and sought to examine how exposure to a way of thinking about the origin and development of human beings, along with pre-existing beliefs about human origins, influence racial attitudes and prejudice. In a computer-based procedure, participants (N = 158) viewed a narrated presentation about human origins, either a scientific evolutionist account designed to induce a broader, more inclusive in-group identity or a biblical creationist account, and completed measures of universal orientation and implicit and explicit racial attitudes. Presentation type did not differentially influence universal orientation or implicit or explicit racial attitudes. However, participants with creationist beliefs were found to be lower in universal orientation and higher in symbolic racism than participants with non-creationist beliefs. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Cheung, Ho Man
- Description:
- The present study examined attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help for Asian, African, Latino, and White Americans. Help-seeking attitudes were examined as two separate constructs, approach and avoidance attitudes, and served as the main dependent variables. The relationship of age, gender, ethnicity, previous mental health use, sense of coherence, level of perceived stress, and problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies to approach and avoidance help-seeking attitudes were examined. Results showed that age, previous personal and indirect experience with mental health services and problem-focused coping were positively related to approach attitudes; women reported higher approach attitudes than men, and Latinos reported higher approach attitudes than Asian and White Americans. Results also showed that age, previous personal experience with mental health services, sense of coherence, and problem-focused coping were negatively related, but emotion-focused coping was positively related to avoidance attitudes; men reported higher avoidance attitudes than women, and Asian and African Americans reported higher avoidance attitudes than Latinos and White Americans. Previous personal experience with mental health services was the strongest predictor of approach attitudes, while emotion-focused coping was the strongest predictor of avoidance attitudes.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Psychology (Counseling Psychology)