Matching Items (193)
Description
Recent research has confirmed and revealed many physical and mental benefits of yoga. The practice of yoga has spread throughout the western world, where it is widely used for the purpose of exercise and fitness. Due to its rise in popularity, there is a need for research regarding the energy expenditure required for different types of yoga. The majority of the literature cites yoga as being an effective exercise for light intensity activity, but there are not as many studies attempting to determine if there are postures and sequences that can meet the requirements for moderate physical activity. In addition, there is a need to validate mobile devices with which to measure energy expenditure (EE) that are compatible with the dynamic movements that occur during yoga. The purpose of this study was to measure energy expenditure of twenty-two yoga practitioners of varying experience during a 30-minute Vinyasa flow yoga practice and from this data collection determine: if an ashtanga-based vinyasa yoga class meets the criteria for moderate intensity physical activity, the reliability between the Actigraph and Oxycon Mobile and the validity of an Actigraph GT3X device worn on the hip in estimating energy expenditure for ashtanga-based vinyasa flow yoga. The Actigraph GT3X and the Oxycon mobile were used to measure energy expenditure. Mean values for energy expenditure recorded by the Oxycon and Actigraph were 3.19 ± 0.42 METs and 1.16 ± 0.23 METs respectively, exhibiting a significant difference in data collection. There was no correlation between the values recorded by the two devices, indicating that the Actigraph was not consistent with the Oxycon Mobile (previously validated for measurement of EE). Results of this study indicate that this Vinyasa flow yoga sequence does satisfy the criteria for moderate intensity physical activity as defined by ACSM with an average EE of 3.19 ± 0.42 METs, and that the Actigraph GT3X is not an accurate device for measurement of EE for yoga.
ContributorsHand, Lindsay Gabrielle (Author) / Huberty, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications stands as a "gold standard" of journalism education throughout the country. In my time at the school though, I found that some aspects in the whole of the curriculum were missing. I as well as several other friends became interested in production and the technical side of things. This seemed to be the direction we wanted to go and soon realized this played a crucial part in journalism. Although there is a studio production class and a studio production track through the immersive Cronkite News program, there is not much in between. This inspired me to take a look deeper into production skills and their place within a journalism education. The project is split into three main sections that dive into the ideas of teaching production skills and technical skills to journalism students and whether or not it is valuable. The first part is the background of the project and why this project came to be. The background section explores the inspiration for the project. The project continues with a look at job statistics and where the industry currently sits. This continues into the final section that contains personal stories and interviews with professionals in the field. This is a critical section to back up claims made through research and evaluation. There is a lot of personal experience and non-traditional research done through this project, but the assertions and conclusions made are clear. Through job statistics, personal stories, and interviews with professionals, this project examines how production could be taught in a traditional journalism program. These stories show that a journalism curriculum may not be the best place to teach production in depth, but that it still is an incredibly important part of the journalism world as a whole.
ContributorsHardy, Joseph Michael (Author) / Jacoby, Jim (Thesis director) / McJannet, Rob (Committee member) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The Chinese tourism market has become the largest tourism market in the world and continues to show promise in its future development. Global destinations such as Southeast Asia, France and now Australia have begun to see a major boom in Chinese tourists within the past decade due to less restrictive travel policies, a growing economy and higher disposable income rates within urban centers in China. Australia has become the top destination among Chinese citizens that wish to travel due to its coastal and beach attractions, unique wildlife, and general welcoming attitude toward Chinese citizens. As the market continues to grow, the characteristics and demographics change as well. The Chinese government did not allow for international travel until the early 1990s. During this time, package tours offered by government-regulated travel agencies were the prominent method of travel planning with travelers over the age of 35 making up the majority of travelers. However, in the past decade there has been a shift from group travel toward independent travel due to higher income and more independence among young adults. There remains a stigma against Chinese tourists due to behavioral and cultural challenges Chinese tourists face when traveling abroad, but as Chinese travelers begin to travel in smaller groups and have greater exposure to international cultures, these negative stereotypes will start to disappear. This paper focuses on the impact the Chinese tourism market has on Cairns, Australia. Cairns is characterized by its backpacking culture, easy access to environmental attractions and a high number of annual travelers from Asia and China specifically. The paper uses qualitative research and compiles information from news sources, government documents and statistical data regarding Chinese outbound tourism and its impacts on Australian tourism. There is also a case study composed of personal observations of a nature park in North Queensland which uses specific marketing and attraction coordination to appeal to Chinese tourists. This case study analyzes the tactics used by local destinations that cater to group travel over independent travel and points out the benefits of this type of specialized tourism. The research concludes by arguing the trend toward independent travel is beneficial to the Cairns tourism industry rather than harmful as long as the industry recognizes the new trends in Chinese tourism and does not focus on the previous trends of group travel when appealing to Chinese tourists. Instead, the industry should continue to focus on the backpacking culture and work toward catering to the demands of millennial travelers.
ContributorsRochon, Jacob Henri (Author) / Goodman, Rebekka (Thesis director) / McWilliams, Claire (Committee member) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Horizon is a young adult dystopian fiction piece that addresses issues of gender and LGBTQIA+ identity. In the story, the world has been divided into two separate societies: earth, inhabited by females, and a platform in the sky, inhabited by males. This physical division is the result of a war between the two groups. Ever since this war, there has been limited communication between the two societies, and the members of each society have animosity for those who are of a different sex or gender. The plot follows two main characters, Andrea and Susumu, as they come to understand the corruption of their societies and attempt to cross the gender divide. They are joined on their journey by other characters of varied gender and LGBTQIA+ identities, each of them unable to fit into their society's parameters of appropriate gendered behavior. This creative project looks critically at the ways in which members of different genders can become alienated from each other through societal pressure. It also analyzes how LGBTQIA+ identity may factor into the gendering of an individual, explores how people can be ostracized because of their identity, and critiques the gender binary. The second component of this creative project is a detailed reflection on the creative writing process. It outlines the steps of creating Horizon, from brainstorming through writing and editing. An explanation of the purpose the project and a discussion of writing challenges and future goals is included. The reflection also puts Horizon in context with other LGBTQIA+ media and dystopian novels and explains some of the most crucial decisions that were made in the creation of this story.
ContributorsPerry, Samantha Lynn (Author) / Himberg, Julia (Thesis director) / Dove-Viebahn, Aviva (Committee member) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Arizona and Florida are unique venues are they are the only two locations in the world to host the preseason leagues known as Spring Training for all thirty Major League Baseball teams. With fan bases willing to travel and spend disposable income to follow their favorite teams and/or escape the cold spells of their home state, the sports and tourism industries in Arizona and Florida have been able to captivate a status as top spring destinations. This study takes a focus on the economic impact that Spring Training in March has on the state of Arizona; specifically the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Consumer research is presented and a SWOT analysis is generated to further assess the condition of the Cactus League and Arizona as a host state. An economic impact study driven by the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) analysis method is the primary focuses of research due to the sum and quality of usable data that can be organized using the SWOT structure. The scope of this research aims to support the argument that Spring Training impacts the host city in which it resides in. In conjunction with the SWOT analysis, third parties will be able to get a sense of the overall effectiveness and impact of Cactus League Spring Training in the Valley of the Sun. Integration of findings from a Tampa Bay sight visit will also be assessed to determine the health of the competition. This study will take an interdisciplinary approach as it views the topics at hand from the lenses of the consumer, baseball professional, and investor.
ContributorsOlden, Kyle (Co-author) / Farmer, James (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This study investigates how the patient-provider relationship between lesbian, gay, and bisexual women and their healthcare providers influences their access to, utilization of, and experiences within healthcare environments. Nineteen participants, ages 18 to 34, were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted inquiring about their health history and their experiences within the healthcare system in the context of their sexual orientation. The data collected from these interviews was used to create an analysis of the healthcare experiences of those who identify as queer. Although the original intention of the project was to chronicle the experiences of LGB women specifically, there were four non-binary gender respondents who contributed interviews. In an effort to not privilege any orientation over another, the respondents were collectively referred to as queer, given the inclusive and an encompassing nature of the term. The general conclusion of this study is that respondents most often experienced heterosexism rather than outright homophobia when accessing healthcare. If heterosexism was present within the healthcare setting, it made respondents feel uncomfortable with their providers and less likely to inform them of their sexuality even if it was medically relevant to their health outcomes. Gender, race, and,socioeconomic differences also had an effect on the patient-provider relationship. Non-binary respondents acknowledged the need for inclusion of more gender options outside of male or female on the reporting forms often seen in medical offices. By doing so, medical professionals are acknowledging their awareness and knowledge of people outside of the binary gender system, thus improving the experience of these patients. While race and socioeconomic status were less relevant to the context of this study, it was found that these factors have an affect on the patient-provider relationship. There are many suggestions for providers to improve the experiences of queer patients within the healthcare setting. This includes nonverbal indications of acknowledgement and acceptance, such as signs in the office that indicate it to be a queer friendly space. This will help in eliminating the fear and miscommunication that can often happen when a queer patient sees a practitioner for the first time. In addition, better education on medically relevant topics to queer patients, is necessary in order to eliminate disparities in health outcomes. This is particularly evident in trans health, where specialized education is necessary in order to decrease poor health outcomes in trans patients. Future directions of this study necessitate a closer look on how race and socioeconomic status have an effect on a queer patient's relationship with their provider.
ContributorsRajan, Sindhu (Co-author) / Bradley, Arianna (Co-author) / Larson, Michelle (Co-author) / Alvarado, Aimee (Co-author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Arnold, Michelle (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Netflix has positioned itself at the forefront of the future of television with its original programming, which has been rolled out in greater and more frequent amounts just in the last couple of years. The streaming service has already experimented with creativity in ways most other shows and creators haven't, playing with the pacing of overall seasons as well as the length of episodes. So, too, Netflix has been at the forefront of increasing visibility for minority characters on television. Many of its shows incorporate racially diverse casts and depict lots of LGBTQ characters, a refreshingly realistic view of the world that many of its viewers have always lived in but haven't yet witnessed on television. Visibility and representation are critical concepts for analyzing minority characters on television. It is important for diverse characters to be seen, first and foremost, but also to be seen in positive or at least realistic lights. Care must be taken to avoid fulfilling stereotypes or tropes, and attention must be paid to what has happened to other characters who have come before. However, many of Netflix's portrayals of these characters, particularly bisexual characters, leave much to be desired. With the original dramas House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Orange is the New Black, and Sense8, all of which include characters who identify as or behave bisexually, Netflix has been reluctant to use the specific word bisexual to describe characters, and many don't even identify their sexuality with a synonym for the term. Many of the bisexual characters that I identified died or were killed on the shows, and nearly all of them fulfilled stereotypes or tropes in some way. There were multiple scenes of threesomes or other distinctly kinky sexual encounters, which served to exoticize bisexuality and distance it from the more normatively viewed identities of heterosexuality and homosexuality. Ultimately, while Netflix's original programming has offered increased visibility to bisexual characters, it has yet to reflect the real community it seeks to portray. In particular, Netflix's refusal to label characters as bisexual is frustrating and limiting. It can be argued that this is a progressive move toward more ideas of sexual fluidity and a post-modern lack of sexual labels, but there are not enough depictions of identified bisexual characters on television yet for this to make sense. Until bisexual characters and their identities are not invisibilized or stigmatized, more work has to be done to ensure that bisexual people are represented fairly and accurately on television and in all media.
ContributorsKoerth, Kimberly Marie (Author) / Himberg, Julia (Thesis director) / Sturges, Robert (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Solar energy has become one of the most popular renewable energy in human’s life because of its abundance and environment friendliness. To achieve high solar energy conversion efficiency, it usually requires surfaces to absorb selectivity within one spectral range of interest and reflect strongly over the rest of the spectrum. An economic method is always desired to fabricate spectrally selective surfaces with improved energy conversion efficiency. Colloidal lithography is a recently emerged way of nanofabrication, which has advantages of low-cost and easy operation.
In this thesis, aluminum metasurface structures are proposed based on colloidal lithography method. High Frequency Structure Simulator is used to numerically study optical properties and design the aluminum metasurfaces with selective absorption. Simulation results show that proposed aluminum metasurface structure on aluminum oxide thin film and aluminum substrate has a major reflectance dip, whose wavelength is tunable within the near-infrared and visible spectrum with metasurface size. As the metasurface is opaque due to aluminum film, it indicates strong wavelength-selective optical absorption, which is due to the magnetic resonance between the top metasurface and bottom Al film within the aluminum oxide layer.
The proposed sample is fabricated based on colloidal lithography method. Monolayer polystyrene particles of 500 nm are successfully prepared and transferred onto silicon substrate. Scanning electron microscope is used to check the surface topography. Aluminum thin film with 20-nm or 50-nm thickness is then deposited on the sample. After monolayer particles are removed, optical properties of samples are measured by micro-scale optical reflectance and transmittance microscope. Measured and simulated reflectance of these samples do not have frequency selective properties and is not sensitive to defects. The next step is to fabricate the Al metasurface on Al_2 O_3 and Al films to experimentally demonstrate the selective absorption predicted from the numerical simulation.
In this thesis, aluminum metasurface structures are proposed based on colloidal lithography method. High Frequency Structure Simulator is used to numerically study optical properties and design the aluminum metasurfaces with selective absorption. Simulation results show that proposed aluminum metasurface structure on aluminum oxide thin film and aluminum substrate has a major reflectance dip, whose wavelength is tunable within the near-infrared and visible spectrum with metasurface size. As the metasurface is opaque due to aluminum film, it indicates strong wavelength-selective optical absorption, which is due to the magnetic resonance between the top metasurface and bottom Al film within the aluminum oxide layer.
The proposed sample is fabricated based on colloidal lithography method. Monolayer polystyrene particles of 500 nm are successfully prepared and transferred onto silicon substrate. Scanning electron microscope is used to check the surface topography. Aluminum thin film with 20-nm or 50-nm thickness is then deposited on the sample. After monolayer particles are removed, optical properties of samples are measured by micro-scale optical reflectance and transmittance microscope. Measured and simulated reflectance of these samples do not have frequency selective properties and is not sensitive to defects. The next step is to fabricate the Al metasurface on Al_2 O_3 and Al films to experimentally demonstrate the selective absorption predicted from the numerical simulation.
ContributorsGuan, Chuyun (Author) / Wang, Liping (Thesis advisor) / Azeredo, Bruno (Committee member) / Wang, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Meditation app usage is associated with decreases in stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Many meditation app subscribers, however, quickly abandon or reduce their app usage. This dissertation presents three manuscripts which 1) determined the behavioral, demographic, and socioeconomic factors associated with the abandonment of a meditation app, Calm, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) determined which participant characteristics predicted meditation app usage in the first eight weeks after subscribing, and 3) determined if changes in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms from baseline to Week 8 predicted meditation app usage from Weeks 8-16. In Manuscript 1, a survey was distributed to Calm subscribers in March 2020 that assessed meditation app behavior and meditation habit strength, and demographic information. Cox proportional hazards regression models were estimated to assess time to app abandonment. In Manuscript 2, new Calm subscribers completed a baseline survey on participants’ demographic and baseline mental health information and app usage data were collected over 8 weeks. In Manuscript 3, new Calm subscribers completed a baseline and Week 8 survey on demographic and mental health information. App usage data were collected over 16 weeks. Regression models were used to assess app usage for Manuscripts 2 and 3. Findings from Manuscript 1 suggest meditating after an existing routine decreased risk of app abandonment for pre-pandemic subscribers and for pandemic subscribers. Additionally, meditating “whenever I can” decreased risk of abandonment among pandemic subscribers. No behavioral factors were significant predictors of app abandonment among the long-term subscribers. Findings from Manuscript 2 suggest men had more days of meditation than women. Mental health diagnosis increased average daily meditation minutes. Intrinsic motivation for meditation increased the likelihood of completing any meditation session, more days with meditation sessions, and more average daily meditation minutes. Findings from Manuscript 3 suggest improvements in stress increased average daily meditation minutes. Improvements in depressive symptoms decreased daily meditation minutes. Evidence from this three-manuscript dissertation suggests meditation cue, time of day, motivation, symptom changes, and demographic and socioeconomic variables may be used to predict meditation app usage.
ContributorsSullivan, Mariah (Author) / Stecher, Chad (Thesis advisor) / Huberty, Jennifer (Committee member) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Chung, Yunro (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Biogas’s potential as a renewable fuel source has been an area of increased research in recent years. One issue preventing wide-spread use of biogas as a fuel is the trace amounts of impurities that damage fuel-burning equipment by depositing silicon, sulfur, calcium and other elements on their surface. This study aims to analyze the effects of a high concentration of L4 linear siloxane on solid oxide fuel cell performance until failure occurs. L4 siloxane has not been extensively researched previously, and this investigation aims to provide new data to support similar, though slower, degradation compared to D4, D5 and other siloxanes in solid oxide fuel cells. The experiments were conducted inside a furnace heated to 800℃ with an Ni-YSZ-supported (Nickel-yttria-stabilized zirconia) fuel cell. A fuel source with a flow rate of 20 mL/min of hydrogen gas, 10 mL/min of nitrogen gas and 0.15 mL/min of L4 siloxane was used. Air was supplied to the cathode. The effects of siloxane deposition on cell voltage and power density degradation and resistance increase were studied by using techniques like the current-voltage method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. The results of the experiment after reduction show roughly constant degradation of 8.35 mV/hr, followed after approximately 8 hours by an increasing degradation until cell failure of 130.45 mV/hr. The initial degradation and stagnation match previous research in siloxane deposition on SOFCs, but the sharp decline to failure does not. A mechanism for solid oxide fuel cell failure is proposed based on the data.
ContributorsRiley, Derall M. (Author) / Milcarek, Ryan J (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Liping (Committee member) / Phelan, Patrick E (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021