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Rooftop Surface Temperature Analysis in an Urban Residential Environment

Description

The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon is a significant worldwide problem caused by rapid population growth and associated urbanization. The UHI effect exacerbates heat waves during the summer, increases energy and water consumption, and causes the high risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality. UHI mitigation efforts have increasingly relied on…

The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon is a significant worldwide problem caused by rapid population growth and associated urbanization. The UHI effect exacerbates heat waves during the summer, increases energy and water consumption, and causes the high risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality. UHI mitigation efforts have increasingly relied on wisely designing the urban residential environment such as using high albedo rooftops, green rooftops, and planting trees and shrubs to provide canopy coverage and shading. Thus, strategically designed residential rooftops and their surrounding landscaping have the potential to translate into significant energy, long-term cost savings, and health benefits. Rooftop albedo, material, color, area, slope, height, aspect and nearby landscaping are factors that potentially contribute. To extract, derive, and analyze these rooftop parameters and outdoor landscaping information, high resolution optical satellite imagery, LIDAR (light detection and ranging) point clouds and thermal imagery are necessary. Using data from the City of Tempe AZ (a 2010 population of 160,000 people), we extracted residential rooftop footprints and rooftop configuration parameters from airborne LIDAR point clouds and QuickBird satellite imagery (2.4 m spatial resolution imagery). Those parameters were analyzed against surface temperature data from the MODIS/ASTER airborne simulator (MASTER). MASTER images provided fine resolution (7 m) surface temperature data for residential areas during daytime and night time. Utilizing these data, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to evaluate the relationships between residential building rooftops and their surface temperature in urban environment. The results showed that daytime rooftop temperature was closely related to rooftop spectral attributes, aspect, slope, and surrounding trees. Night time temperature was only influenced by rooftop spectral attributes and slope.

ContributorsZhao, Qunshan (Author) / Myint, Soe (Author) / Wentz, Elizabeth (Author) / Fan, Chao (Author) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor)

Created2015-09-18

Improving Time Management Skills In College Students Using Personalized Interventions

Description

Learning how to manage time efficiently is something that many people struggle with, college students in particular. The purpose of this study was to examine if personalization via self-experimentation of strategies to improve time management skills is a useful strategy for achieving this goal. This study used a multiple baseline…

Learning how to manage time efficiently is something that many people struggle with, college students in particular. The purpose of this study was to examine if personalization via self-experimentation of strategies to improve time management skills is a useful strategy for achieving this goal. This study used a multiple baseline approach with three phases: phase one, the baseline, phase two, which included individuals receiving examples of plausible strategies to improve time management skills, and phase three, which involved the self-experimentation component. Results of this study suggest no significant changes in time management based on self-reported completion of tasks but do indicate a trend towards improved time management skills overall based on the time management questionnaire taken at the beginning and end of the study. These results suggest that further exploration in the use of self-experimentation strategies for improving time management is likely warranted but that current strategies likely require additional research. Results from the interviews indicate that the self-experimentation strategy, as delivered via PACO does increase awareness and thinking about time management.

ContributorsCope, Breanna (Author) / Hekler, Eric (Thesis director) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2016-05

The Trojan Horse of Sleep Technology: How the Introduction of Sleep-oriented Features is Leading the Charge in Improving Sleep Habits

Description

As science has progressed, sleep deficiency has been discovered to be associated with declines in both mental and physical health, and similarly, sleep deficiency has been noted as a public safety concern with 20 percent of motor vehicle crashes linked to driving while drowsy. The National Sleep Foundation has identified…

As science has progressed, sleep deficiency has been discovered to be associated with declines in both mental and physical health, and similarly, sleep deficiency has been noted as a public safety concern with 20 percent of motor vehicle crashes linked to driving while drowsy. The National Sleep Foundation has identified that 62 percent of Americans do nothing to address their sleep deficiency, and with a society that normalizes coping mechanisms such as napping and caffeine consumption, it is easy to see why nothing has been done to resolve this issue. Nevertheless, with sleep technology falling in the hands of more and more Americans this thesis aims to explore how these technologies are being adopted and how the introduction of sleep-oriented features for established products may lead to more sleep conscious consumers.

ContributorsSmith, Keaton (Author) / Burgman, Roland (Thesis director) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2020-12

Advancing Emotional Intelligence in Primary Education

Description

The purpose of this research project was to implement a staff development program that would assess and strengthen the level of emotional intelligence of the teachers at a local low-income middle school. A goal of the project was to increase a teacher's level of emotional intelligence such that they could…

The purpose of this research project was to implement a staff development program that would assess and strengthen the level of emotional intelligence of the teachers at a local low-income middle school. A goal of the project was to increase a teacher's level of emotional intelligence such that they could strengthen effective relationships and better ground them in trust with their students. Teachers participated in a 9 week program. Pre- and post emotional intelligence scores were reported.

ContributorsCarpenter, Breanna (Author) / Lietz, Cynthia (Thesis director) / Ferguson, Kristin (Committee member) / Rittenhouse, Sarah (Committee member) / School of Social Work (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2018-05

Age of Social Transition, Parental Acceptance, and Mental Health of Transgender Adults

Description

The rates of anxiety, depression, and attempted suicide for transgender individuals are extremely elevated relative to the general population. Yet, little research has been conducted about the transgender population regarding social transition (an individual presenting as their authentic/true gender, one different than the gender they were assigned at birth, in…

The rates of anxiety, depression, and attempted suicide for transgender individuals are extremely elevated relative to the general population. Yet, little research has been conducted about the transgender population regarding social transition (an individual presenting as their authentic/true gender, one different than the gender they were assigned at birth, in the context of everyday life) and parental acceptance. Both of which have been shown to impact the mental health of transgender individuals. The purposes of this study were: (1) To characterize a sample of transgender adults on their age of awareness of their authentic gender identity and their age of social transition. (2) Examine whether age of social transition, (3) parental acceptance, and (4) the gap in time between age of awareness and age of social transition (awareness-transition gap) were related to mental health. (5) Examine whether parental acceptance was related to age of social transition or to awareness-transition gap. (6) Examine whether age of social transition or awareness-transition gap interact with parental acceptance as correlates of mental health. The sample consisted of 115 transgender adults, ages 18 to 64. Measures were separated into 7 subheadings: demographics, transgender
on-cisgender identity, age of awareness, age of social transition, primary caregiver acceptance, secondary caregiver acceptance, and mental health. Hypotheses were partially supported for age of social transition with mental health, parental acceptance with mental health, and awareness-transition gap with parental acceptance. This study investigated under studied concepts of social transition and parental acceptance that appear to have an effect on the mental health of transgender adults.

ContributorsRosenberg, Beth Ann (Author) / Gonzales, Nancy (Thesis director) / Saenz, Delia (Committee member) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Created2018-05