THE CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY OF GLASS IN RENAISSANCE VENICE

MCCRAY, WILLIAM PATRICK THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1996 국내박사

Halophyte responses to soil variation and interspecific competition in southern California salt marshes

McCray, Arja Tuulikki University of California, San Diego 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

Halophyte responses to soil variation and interspecific competition were studied in four Southern California marshes. In a constructed marsh in Mission Bay, experiments were conducted to test whether establishment of planted <italic> Spartina foliosa</italic> depended on transplant source, soil texture, soil organic matter, or organic soil amendments: alfalfa, kelp, peat, and processed sewage. Short transplants from the adjacent natural marsh exhibited greater initial survival and growth than more robust transplants from other Mission Bay donor marshes but “Donor effects” did not persist beyond three months. <italic>S. foliosa</italic> grew best on relatively fine-grained, organic-rich soils (>14% mud and >5% organic content). Of all organic fertilizers tested, only processed sewage enhanced <italic>Spartina foliosa</italic> growth. <italic>Salicornia bigelovii</italic> rapidly colonized fertilized and unfertilized areas. <italic>S. bigelovii</italic> in sewage-treated soil was taller and produced more seeds than in peat- or kelp-treated soil. The tallest seed-bearing individuals were found in fine-grained (mud >14%), organic-rich (organic content >5%) soil. Experiments in the Northern Wildlife Preserve (Mission Bay) tested effects of freshwater and nitrogen addition on <italic>Spartina foliosa</italic> grown with or without its potential competitor, <italic>Salicornia virginica</italic>. Nitrogen increased growth of both species, suggesting that plants in this marsh are nitrogen limited. Freshwater application increased herbivory on <italic> S. foliosa</italic>. Substitutive and additive experiments did not reveal competitive interactions between <italic>S. virginica</italic> and <italic> Spartina foliosa</italic>. Relationships between marsh vegetation and soils were compared in four marshes. Soil and assemblage composition, relationships between plant and soil variables, and <italic>S. virginica</italic> morphology varied significantly among the Mission Bay constructed marsh, Northern Wildlife Preserve, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Upper Newport Bay marshes. The constructed marsh was the most distinct in many respects, however its assemblages were similar to those of the adjacent Northern Wildlife Preserve. Compared to east-coast counterparts, southern California marshes are discontinuous and isolated, and their halophytes seem highly adapted to local conditions. Halophyte responses to physical factors are marsh-dependent in nature and intensity, making extrapolations across marsh systems difficult. Each southern California marsh must be viewed as a unique entity and managed accordingly.

Psychophysiological responses to modulation of negative emotion: Differential effects in two dispositional emotion regulation styles

McCray, Adam E Arizona State University 2005 해외박사(DDOD)

The effects of emotional suppression and enhancement on psychological, physiological, and behavioral components of the emotional response were tested in a group of 48 male and female undergraduate students classified as dispositional suppressors (repressive copers) and dispositional enhancers (high anxious individuals). Participants were shown negative pictorial stimuli and given three types of instructions: (1) view the pictures, (2) suppress your emotional responses, and (3) enhance your emotional responses. Measures of startle eyeblink were used as a bias-free measure of the conscious experience of negative emotion. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured at one minute intervals throughout the experiment. The results indicated that both suppression and enhancement reduced the magnitude of startle eyeblinks and all three measures of cardiovascular functioning but these strategies did not affect participants' self-reports of negative emotion. These results are discussed in the context of the adaptivity of emotion regulation strategies and the influence of emotional awareness on emotional responding.

Promoting the journey to health: Healthcare access and transportation in rural South Africa

McCray, Talia Melanie University of Michigan 2001 해외박사(DDOD)

The spatial distribution of healthcare facilities can result in inequitable access to health care for persons living in rural communities and developing countries. Low-income women in these areas are disproportionately affected because they tend not to have access to private vehicles, and therefore must walk or rely on public transport, which may not meet their needs or even exist. In addition, the laborious and time consuming tasks of attending to work-related activities coupled with household and childcare responsibilities leave little room for non-work related travel, including traveling to obtain health care. With this in mind, this dissertation explores some of the environmental factors encompassing household responsibilities, travel time, and the culture's social structure that inhibit or support a woman's use of prenatal care services in the Ubombo Magisterial District, a northern area in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The study analyzes 327 households and 5 clinics within a rural area of approximately 50 square kilometers. To analyze the data, a standard multinomial logit model and a discrete choice model with individual level characteristics are applied. In addition, geographical information systems (GIS) are used to understand spatially the travel patterns of the respondents. The fundamentals of access according to Stuart Chapin's theory (1974) state that first a desire to engage in the activity must exist, and second, the opportunity to engage in the activity must exist. The results of the study show women are being encouraged to utilize prenatal care services and are attending residential clinics for prenatal care at high rates. There is a varying degree of access to healthcare facilities dependent upon travel time, travel mode, and whether fetching water affects a woman's ability to travel. Furthermore, the results show there are spatial differences in prenatal care utilization patterns. Women tend to use the nearest health facility. Some facilities are being utilized more than others, and the transportation mode has a stronger effect on hospital utilization and a minor effect on clinic utilization. This research contributes to the knowledge of understanding the complex factors that encourage or discourage women to make the journey to a healthcare facility for prenatal care. The factors that significantly affect utilization are in some ways very different and in other ways very similar to those found in developed countries like the United States. Travel time and mode are common factors, however fetching water is only an issue in developing countries where tasks, allocated to women by the culture, involve much travel. Childcare, which often appears as a constraint for women in the United States, is not problematic in the Ubombo Magisterial District because of the polygamous family structure. However, childcare and fetching water are similar in that both are constraints on travel behavior.

Form-Finding of a Compliant T-4 Tensegrity Mechanism

McCray, Melvin, IV University of Florida ProQuest Dissertations & The 2017 해외박사(DDOD)

Tensegrity structures are defined as unique mechanisms consisting of strut members, elements in a compressive state, and tie members, elements in a tensile state, arranged in an orientation in which the device is in a stable state of self-equili.

The impact of puberty, sexual attitudes, and parental relationships on depressive symptomatology among African American girls

McCray, Valerie Lin The University of Michigan 2000 해외박사(DDOD)

This study investigated the effects of pubertal development on the psychological functioning of African-American girls. The participants were 9–16 year-old girls (N = 97) residing in urban areas of Detroit, Michigan. Three self-report measures of pubertal development (breast/axillary hair growth, girls' perceived development compared to their peers, and the amount of time that had elapsed since menarche) were utilized to predict levels of depressive symptomatology. Whether or not girls had begun their menstrual cycles (menarcheal status) was explored as a possible moderator of the effects of pubertal development on depressive symptomatology. In addition, three factors (girls' sexual attitudes, perceived parental control, and perceived parental approval) were examined as possible mediators of the relationships between pubertal development and depressive symptoms. Menarcheal status was a statistically significant moderator of the effects of breast/axillary hair growth on depressive symptomatology. For girls who had begun their periods, the more breast and axillary hair they reported, the higher their levels of depressive symptoms. Girls' sexual attitudes was a significant mediator of the effects of breast hair growth on depressive symptoms. As the time since menarche increased, levels of depressive symptomatology increased. Perceived parental control was a significant mediator of the effects of the number of years since menarche and depressive symptoms. Perceived parental approval suppressed the effects of perceived accelerated development on girls' depressive symptomatology.

Three Essays on Antipoverty Programs and Reductions in Child Maltreatment

McCray, Neil ProQuest Dissertations & Theses George Mason Unive 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

Millions of children are reported maltreated in the United States each year. In addition to the costs imposed on victims, maltreatment also imposes costs on society at large, including short and long-term medical care, reductions in education and workforce productivity, and increased criminality, among other costs. Finding ways to reduce maltreatment risk is a critical concern of public policy. Because poverty is a primary risk factor for child maltreatment risk, researchers have considered whether antipoverty programs might reduce child maltreatment. This dissertation consists of three papers discussing and assessing the effects of antipoverty programs on child maltreatment. The first paper discusses theories that explain the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment generally – primarily family stress and family investment models – and then considers literature on the relationship between child maltreatment and several antipoverty programs and policies including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (and its predecessor, Aid to Families with Dependent Children), and the minimum wage. Findings from the literature suggest strong theoretical reasons to expect that antipoverty programs should reduce maltreatment risk, that there are correlations between antipoverty program increases and reductions in child maltreatment, and some more recent causal studies demonstrate policies can reduce maltreatment risk. The second and third papers each consider a different antipoverty program (Medicaid and SNAP, respectively) and use variation in policy decisions at the state-level to assess effects on child maltreatment outcomes. Paper two considers Medicaid’s effects on child maltreatment. First, the paper discusses why Medicaid might reduce maltreatment risk, both via the proposed theoretical models relating to socioeconomic status and via changes in health care utilization for both adults and children. Because the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansions, which were originally mandatory, were rendered optional by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, state selection to expand or not expand Medicaid functions as a sort of natural quasi-experiment. This paper exploits variations in state selections to expand or not expand Medicaid to identify the causal effect of Medicaid expansion on child maltreatment outcomes. Prior to the ACA, a number of states had state-funded programs expanding Medicaid similar to ACA Medicaid expansions. Some states also chose to expand Medicaid early or to partially expand their programs. Due to these and other variations, precisely defining which policy changes constitute “Medicaid expansion” can be complicated; this paper considers several different definitions of expansion to examine whether inclusion or exclusion of some states affects results. The paper finds that January 2014 Medicaid expansions led to reductions in child neglect, but the robustness of that result is sensitive to which states are included in the sample in terms of when they expanded and the generosity of their prior Medicaid coverage. The third paper considers the relationship between SNAP and child maltreatment. The paper first considers theoretical reasons why SNAP might affect child maltreatment risk, including family stress and family investment models, and then considers additional factors relating specifically to food insecurity. Then the paper turns to empirically assessing whether SNAP leads to reductions in child maltreatment. It exploits variation in state decisions regarding broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) in SNAP, a policy which increases the number of people eligible for SNAP and can also simplify application processes. State selection of BBCE leads to reductions in neglect and sexual abuse, and some findings indicate BBCE may also reduce physical abuse and medical neglect, though those findings are sensitive to model specification. This dissertation discusses several theoretical reasons why antipoverty programs should reduce maltreatment risk, assesses literature on several programs, and empirically assesses the causal effect of two programs – Medicaid and SNAP – on child maltreatment outcomes. Findings suggest Medicaid expansions may reduce neglect, though the results are sensitive to how Medicaid expansion is defined, and that SNAP broad-based categorical eligibility reduces neglect and sexual abuse. Results support the proposed theoretical models and more generally support the idea that antipoverty policies and programs may reduce child maltreatment.

Observing and Understanding Complex Magnetic Spin Textures with Lorentz Microscopy

McCray, Arthur Richard Chaput Northwestern University ProQuest Dissertations & T 2023 해외박사(DDOD)

There is a wide interest in the fundamental physical nature of topological spin textures, such as magnetic skyrmions, due to their many unique properties that result from topological protection. Individual skyrmions have been extensively studied, but the collective behavior of skyrmions in dense lattices is still poorly understood. In the work presented in this thesis, lattices of Neel skyrmions and Bloch-type magnetic bubbles were investigated in the van der Waals ferromagnets Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) and Cr2Ge2Te6 (CGT). The response of spin textures to varied temperature and applied magnetic fields were observed using in situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) imaging, which yielded insights into the magnetic energy landscape of these materials. Skyrmion lattices in FGT displayed a temperature-dependent hysteresis effect in the lattice ordering, which is understood through a quantitative, statistical analysis of skyrmion sizes and through the application of an analytic domain wall model. CGT was shown to support both skyrmion-like homochiral lattices of magnetic bubbles as well as mixed-chirality bubble lattices, and magnetoelastic coupling between strain and magnetic domains was observed. Computational tools were also developed to analyze LTEM image data and extract quantitative information. These include a new method for calculating the electron phase shift imparted by magnetic samples, which enables a more accurate simulation of LTEM images for three-dimensional magnetic samples. Machine learning was also utilized, both to extract quantitative information from LTEM images using neural networks, and to solve inverse problems by applying automatic differentiation to physics-based forward models. This enables the reconstruction and isolation of the magnetic phase shift from a single defocused LTEM image and reconstruction of the sample magnetization configuration from a tilt-tableau of LTEM images. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates that combining in situ LTEM with advanced analysis methods enables quantitative studies that provide new insights into the physical properties of complex spin textures.

Teachers teaching diverse learners: A heuristic inquiry of culturally relevant instruction

Cannon, Lisa McCray Arizona State University 2009 해외박사(DDOD)

The needs of the impoverished, non-White, non-English speaking student have yet to be addressed by the American education system. The United States is still experiencing larger-than-ever gaps in achievement between ethnically diverse students and White students. Meeting the needs of ethnically and linguistically diverse students requires that teachers implement instruction, strategies, and content that are sensitive to the culture of the students. Minorities make up 42% of American classrooms, yet the teaching profession is still represented by White middle-class women. As a result, there is a cultural disconnect between the educator and students. How can teachers minimize the cultural disconnect and effectively instruct students? A new pedagogical paradigm is needed, one that builds on students' cultures as a strength by connecting cultural knowledge with content knowledge. The goal of this study is to emphasize the work of successful teachers who have purposefully chosen to be culturally responsive in their teaching approach. Through heuristic inquiry, the researcher seeks to recreate and uncover the meaning of her lived experience as an ethnically diverse student situated in predominantly White middle class schools. The researcher utilized three phases of inquiry: immersion, acquisition, and realization. In the immersion phase, the researcher chose to use narrative inquiry to illustrate her story as an African American Latina whose dual experience both as the student minority and the teacher of minority students provides a unique perspective. Acquisition of new knowledge occurred through in-depth interviews and stories shared by three co-researchers. Synthesis of this study came through realization of the impact when student's culture and language are ignored in classrooms. During the analysis of the four teacher's stories several core themes emerged: (a) using student's culture to build self-concept, (b) advocating for children, and (c) revealing the value in all children and in all cultures. Through exhaustive analysis and on-going conversations, the data that emerged revealed that teachers, whether minority or non-minority, working with diverse populations need to adopt instruction that is culturally relevant and responsive.

Manipulation of Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystal Optical and Electronic Properties Via Postsynthetic Chemical Modification

Kroupa, Daniel McCray University of Colorado at Boulder ProQuest Dissert 2017 해외박사(DDOD)

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are a promising class of functional materials that have been the subject of intense research and development for over thirty years due to their highly tunable optical and electronic properties. Potential applications that can take advantage of these tunable parameters include nanoscale photonics, light-emitting diodes, biological labeling/imaging, and next-generation solar energy capture, conversion, and storage strategies. Nanoscale physicochemical structure drastically influences nanocrystal optical and electronic behavior; therefore, a more thorough understanding of how to manipulate, characterize, and optimize nanoscale composition, size, and shape is necessary for their wide-spread technological implementation. This thesis explores how postsynthetic modification of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystal physicochemical structure affects emergent optical and electronic properties.