UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
Browse
10 results
Search Results
Item UNDERSTANDING MANAGED RETREAT THROUGH A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER LENS: A CASE STUDY ON THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND(2021) Miralles, Andrea Maria; Paolisso, Michael J.; Alcañiz, Isabella; Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Due to concerns about increasing sea levels and climate displacement, there has been a growing interest in the adaptation option of managed retreat. In managed retreat, shorelines move inland acting as a natural buffer to coastal climate impacts, while coastal communities move to higher ground through voluntary home buyouts. Managed retreat is also highly controversial, as it is poorly understood and presents significant challenges to equity. In order to address these issues, this thesis research provides a multi-stakeholder analysis on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland focused on understandings and trust in managed retreat processes. Key findings from this research are that communities, government and non-governmental organizations have different understandings of managed retreat, that retreat discussions need to occur at official levels now, that equity must be a central component of planning, that trust is necessary for successful retreat and that any future retreat must emphasize community agency and collaboration.Item Post-Hurricane Recovery in the United States: A Multi-Scale Approach(2019) Kerr, Siobhan Elizabeth; Patwardhan, Anand; Public Policy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)As we increasingly consider resilience as a central strategy for addressing climate change, recovery emerges as an important dimension that is often the focus of public policy. The progression of global climate change will cause an increase in the scale and magnitude of disasters, so it is more important than ever to understand how we can not only prevent impacts, but also recover from them. This research was carried out with the primary goal of examining recovery at multiple scales, while simultaneously considering the social and economic forces and community behaviors that influence recovery outcomes. This dissertation proposes new ways of conceptualizing and quantifying recovery and analyzes the way that neighborhood characteristics and community engagement influence the recovery process. The findings emphasize the importance of assessing recovery progress on multiple timescales and highlight the opportunities that emerge as a result of community engagement with local government throughout the recovery process. The first analytical chapter considers the interaction between vulnerability and recovery by studying power outages and restoration following Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana. This approach uses power restoration as a metric by which to better understand short-term recovery of a specific infrastructure system, building a model for recovery that takes into account antecedent conditions, impact, hazard and prioritization. The next chapter considers 311 requests in Houston TX as a potential proxy measure for civic engagement and social capital. This chapter analyzes 311 contact volumes across the City of Houston and identifies the neighborhood characteristics that influence proclivity to call. Finally, the 311 data is used to better understand system-level recovery and community engagement in the recovery process in Houston TX following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The chapter compares neighborhood-level use of 311 services prior to Hurricane Harvey to the way it was used for storm-related concerns in the weeks directly following the storm.Item An Operatic Contribution to a Literary Conversation: Locating Henry James' Ambiguity in Benjamin Britten and Myfanwy Piper's "The Turn of the Screw"(2018) Athanasiou, Evangeline Katerina; Haldey, Olga; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In 1954, Benjamin Britten and Myfanwy Piper’s chamber opera, "The Turn of the Screw," premiered at the Venice Biennale. They adapted their story from the late eighteenth-century Henry James novella of the same title. Soon after its publication in 1898, James’ "The Turn of the Screw" sparked a literary debate focusing on the credibility of the main narrator, a young governess who claims to see ghosts while in charge of two children isolated in a country house. During the 1950s, when Britten’s musical career was steadily advancing, the literary debate moved in the direction of reconciling the argument over the governess’ credibility. This study primarily expands upon musicological scholarship from Philip Rupprecht as well as literary scholarship by Shlomith Rimmon, along with various other studies concerning music, literature, and adaptation. Through a textual and musical analysis of James’ ambiguity as realized in Britten and Piper’s "The Turn of the Screw," this study demonstrates that the opera should be considered among the contributions to the mid-century critical trend toward the synthesis of the two dominating interpretations of the novel from the twentieth century.Item Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations in Eastern US Crop Production(2017) Salazar Lahera, Natalia; Hill, Robert L; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Climate change is affecting crop production in the Eastern US and is expected to continue doing so unless adaptation measures are employed. In the first study, we conducted surveys and interviews to identify crop management practices currently used as adaptations in the Mid-Atlantic US. The results pointed to a variety of water and soil management practices, changes in crop characteristics, and changes in planting dates. In the second study, we used the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to evaluate future climate change impacts and adaptations in Eastern US corn-soybean rotation systems. The effects of climate change on yields ranged from decreases to increases, generally improving with latitude and worsening with time. Climate change affected corn yields more negatively or less positively than soybean yields. No-tillage and rye cover cropping did not serve as effective adaptations in regards to yields. In fact, planting rye after corn and soybeans reduced corn yields.Item MOVING TOWARD AN OPTIMUM: THE ADAPTATION GENETICS OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA.(2015) Stearns, Frank Warren; Fenster, Charles B; Biology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Adaptation accounts for many of the interesting characteristics of biodiversity. Despite this, the genetic mechanisms underlying the process of adaptation in nature are largely unknown. While general principles are emerging, important questions remain. Although experimental evidence has corroborated theoretical predictions, very few studies have tested macroorganisms in nature, where adaptation is most relevant. My dissertation addresses several important questions in adaptation genetics in the context of fitness landscapes, primarily using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Fitness landscapes are used to visualize the relationship between genetics and fitness (evolutionary success of an individual). Although fitness landscapes have been considered metaphorical, recent work (and this dissertation) suggests they may approximate reality, providing testable predictions. I first assess pleiotropy (when one gene has multiple effects), an important component of fitness landscape models. I examine this concept in historical context and suggest future directions for research. Next I evaluate how well genetic relatedness corresponds to climate adaptation across the native range of A. thaliana and find support for parallel evolution (identical but independent genetic changes), suggesting that fitness landscapes are complex. In my next chapter, using a combination of natural and artificial conditions, I examine how induced mutations impact traits that are fitness indicators as compared to general traits. I find that new mutations tend to reduce fitness, whereas their effect on general traits is bidirectional. This result is more pronounced under stressful field conditions. Finally, I evaluate a mathematical model of adaptation in the field using induced mutations in A. thaliana. I find support for a previous result from laboratory studies - that lineages that are less well adapted to an environment are more likely to benefit from new mutations whereas lineages that are well adapted are more likely to be disrupted by new mutations - and extend that to the wild. Throughout I explore the importance of contingency in evolution, sometimes underscoring how it leads to unpredictable adaptation (chapters one and two), yet also demonstrating that the actions of mutations can be fit to simplifying assumptions (chapters three and four). These studies therefore significantly contribute to the emerging scholarship on adaptation genetics.Item Evaluation of Biochar Applications and Irrigation as Climate Change Adaptation Options for Agricultural Systems(2014) Lychuk, Taras; Hill, Robert L; Environmental Science and Technology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model was updated with algorithms to determine the effects of biochar applications on crop yields and selected soil properties. EPIC was validated using the results of a 4-yr field experiment performed on an Amazonian Oxisol amended with biochar. Simulations were conducted for 20-yr into the future and predicted increased values of soil cation exchange capacity, pH, soil C content, and decreased soil bulk density values after biochar applications. EPIC was then used to evaluate climate change impacts and effectiveness of annual biochar applications and irrigation as adaptation options on yields of C3 and C4 crops from representative farms in 10 Southeastern US states. Simulations were conducted for 1979- 2009 historical baseline climate data and 2038-2068 time periods using four regional climate models (RCM). Future corn (Zea mays L.) yields initially increased, but corn and soybean (Glycine max L.) yields had decreased by 2068. Future C4 crops generally produced higher yields compared to the historical yields of C4 crops. Historical baseline yields of C3 crops and future C3 crop yields were not significantly different. Biochar amendments had no effects on yields and in some cases resulted in significant yield decreases. Irrigation caused increases in corn yields, but not for soybean yields. Irrigation did result in increased C3 and C4 crop yields for some farms that were typically in drier areas. Further EPIC simulations were conducted to estimate the effects of climate change impacts and adaptations on microbial respiration, soil C content, and nitrate losses in runoff and leachate. Microbial respiration was higher under C4 crops than under C3 crops. Biochar amendments increased microbial respiration, although the relative relationship of C4>C3 microbial respiration was maintained. Nitrate losses were significantly higher in the future and followed a C3>C4 pattern. The greatest nitrate losses were observed under C3 crops with even greater losses due to irrigation. Biochar amendments resulted in reduced losses for nitrate in leachate, but not in runoff. C sequestration increased under C4 crops and biochar applications. Under some RCM weather scenarios, biochar applications and irrigation are promising adaptation strategies for agriculture in the Southeastern US.Item ATOMIC-AGE COMEDY: THE CREATION OF THE TRAMP'S NEW WORLD(2013) Jansen, Robert Michael; Felbain, Leslie; Theatre; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)ABSTRACT Title of Document: ATOMIC-AGE COMEDY: THE CREATION OF THE TRAMP'S NEW WORLD Robert Jansen, MFA in Performance, 2013 Thesis Directed By: Leslie Felbain, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Abstract The Tramp's New World Written and Adapted by: Rob Jansen From his office atop the 50th floor of the Chrysler Building, American Pulitzer Prize winning author James Agee struggles to complete a screenplay entitled The Tramp's New World--which tells the story of Charlie Chaplin's "Tramp" character as the lone survivor of a super atomic blast. Agee enacts the Tramp's tale of survival amidst the backdrop of a devastated New York City. Using projection, physical comedy, music, and silent film technique The Tramp's New World adapts a lost screenplay for the stage described as "so dark it was without precedent" and tells the story of a writer's struggle to find redemption through his art. The play explores the question: can a man's desire to create be a match for his proclivity towards self-destruction?Item Socialization practices in low-income immigrants and their young children: A qualitative approach(2011) Aldoney Ramirez, Daniela; Cabrera, Natasha J.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the U.S., yet little is known about how these families socialize their children to function in the U.S. Based on ecocultural theory, this study utilized focus groups interviews with 28 parents to explore the socialization practices of low-income Latino immigrant parents with their young children. Findings from this study suggest that parents model their expectations/values according to environmental demands developing diverse strategies to combine what they view to be Latino and American values. Research results also indicate that participating parents cope with the challenges in socializing their children by being optimistic and highly investing time and resources on their children. This study provides a basis for generating hypotheses to be tested with larger datasets; identifying areas that policies and programs might develop to support effective parenting in Latino immigrant families; and, informing the development of culturally sensitive measures to evaluate Latino parenting.Item Bio-inspired VLSI Systems: from Synapse to Behavior(2008-08-04) Xu, Peng; Abshire, Pamela; Electrical Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)We investigate VLSI systems using biological computational principles. The elegance of biological systems throughout the structure levels provides possible solutions to many engineering challenges. Specifically, we investigate neural systems at the synaptic level and at the sensorimotor integration level, which inspire our similar implementations in silicon. For both VLSI systems, we use floating gate MOSFETs in standard CMOS processes as nonvolatile storage elements, which enable adaptation and programmability. We propose a compact silicon stochastic synapse and methods to incorporate activity-dependent dynamics, which emulate a biological stochastic synapse. We implement and demonstrate the first silicon stochastic synapse with short-term depression by modulating the influence of noise on the circuit. The circuit exhibits true randomness and similar behavior of rate normalization and information redundancy reduction as its biological counterparts. The circuit behavior also agrees well with the theory and simulation of a circuit model based on a subtractive single release model. To understand the stochastic behavior of the silicon stochastic synapse and the stochastic operation of conventional circuits due to semiconductor technology scaling, we develop the stochastic modeling of circuits and transient analysis from the numerical solution of the stochastic model. The analytical solution of steady state distribution could be obtained from first principles. Small signal stochastic models show the interaction between noise and circuit dynamics, elucidating the effect of device parameters and biases on the stochastic behavior. We investigate optic flow wide field integration based navigation inspired from the fly in simulation, theory, and VLSI design. We generalize the framework to limited view angles. We design and test an integrated motion image sensor with on-chip optic flow estimation, adaptation, and programmable spatial filtering to directly interface with actuators for autonomous navigation. This is the first reported image sensor that uses the spatial motion pattern to extract motion parameters enabled by the mismatch compensation and programmable filters. The sensor is integrated with a ground vehicle and navigation through simple tunnel environments is demonstrated. It provides light weight and low power integrated approach to autonomous navigation of micro air vehicles.Item AN EXAMINATION OF THE RE-INVENTION PROCESS OF A HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM: THE CHANGES AND EVOLUTION OF "FOCUS ON KIDS" HIV PREVENTION PROGRAM.(2004-04-27) Galbraith, Jennifer Scott; Boekeloo, Bradley; Public and Community HealthBehavioral prevention programs remain one of our most powerful tools in slowing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. However, questions persist on balancing fidelity of these programs and adapting them to a different target population or setting. The current study explored the extent to which "Focus on Kids," an HIV prevention program with efficacious results from a carefully conducted study, was re-invented when adopted by other agencies and implemented in new settings. This study investigated the quality of re-invention by using a proxy variable of adherence to the core components of the curriculum thought to be responsible for the positive behavior change. The use of a snowball sampling technique identified 34 service providers who had utilized the curriculum. After conducting a telephone survey with the participants, an ex post facto design was used to determine the relationship between reasons for re-invention and other variables thought to be associated with re-invention quality. Results indicated that considerable re-invention occurred. Organizations frequently changed and deleted activities and over half of respondents added new activities. The research allowed the construction of a model of re-invention with factors that were both positively and negatively associated with quality re-invention. Decreasing re-invention quality was associated with citing certain reasons for re-invention: time constraints or the host agency required change. Factors associated with quality implementation included an adopter organization being a national non-governmental organization, having a researcher on the team, or citing expanding to new topics as a reason for re-invention. The results of this study demonstrate the need for curriculum developers to understand the real world environment in which HIV prevention curricula are used. Developers must facilitate practitioners' understanding of the theory and core components of the curriculum thought to be responsible for behavior change.