Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Bronwyn S. Fees / Research conducted since 1990 suggests that young adults over 18 but under 29 years of age feel as though they are neither an adult nor an adolescent but somewhere between. This blur of boundaries between adolescence and adulthood can lead to the question, if a male does not yet think he is an adult, does he also not yet think he is a man? Guided by Arnett’s theory of emerging adulthood, the purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to identify the inter-individual differences in characterizing masculinity and the factors that may contribute to the development of these definitions. Males (n = 20) from a public Midwestern university, ages 18-23 (x̄ = 19.7 years) participated in individual interviews addressing their perceptions and definitions of masculinity. Three dominant themes about masculinity emerged including physical, emotional and behavioral characteristics, with behavioral characteristics containing 11 dominant and 4 lesser themes. While participants’ ideas about the extrinsic or visible characteristics of men and masculinity were similar to that of their peers in this study, the intrinsic or ideological characteristics of men were more closely aligned with that of their families. The majority of participants identified as not being men but stated that they are in the process of achieving manhood. Thus the development of a man may be separate from but similar to that of the development of an adult. Implications of this study include the practitioner response to influences responsible for differing masculine characteristics and the behaviors that result. Drinking alcohol has strong peer and media influences, as does disrespect toward women, both of which could have an impact on the individual. Also, the stress associated with various conflicting messages from family, peers, media, and their own opinions may be problematic for many youth.

In emerging adulthood, the developmental period between ages 18 and 25, romantic relationships last longer and become more intimate and serious. This developmental period also marks the peak of intimate partner violence (IPV) rates across the lifespan. Individuals in this age group also rely on technology more heavily than other age groups, and use this technology as another means by which to perpetrate IPV. The current thesis investigated the impacts of victimization by such technological IPV (tIPV), as well as the importance of technology-related factors in the perpetration of tIPV. Two hundred and seventy-eight (204 female, 74 male) participants in an intimate relationship of at least three months completed an online survey. Participants reported on their perpetration of and victimization by in-person and tIPV as well as on a range of victim impacts and technology-related perpetration factors. Experiencing tIPV victimization was related to increased alcohol use for both men and women, and increased fear of partner for women. For depression, perceived stress, relationship satisfaction, quality of life, social support, and post-traumatic stress, tIPV victimization did not predict impacts above in-person victimization. The amount of technology usage as well as the amount of technological disinhibition both uniquely predicted tIPV perpetration, counter to the hypothesis that technological disinhibition would moderate the relationship between technology usage and tIPV perpetration. In-person IPV perpetration also significantly predicted tIPV perpetration, and when these variables were included, technology usage was no longer significant. Upon further investigation, social media use, but not texting, significantly predicted tIPV perpetration. While these results suggest some unique impacts and contributing factors to tIPV, overall these results highlight that tIPV often occurs within a broader pattern of abuse that includes in-person IPV. These results suggest that tIPV, while a new medium of aggression, is not necessarily distinct from in-person IPV. This means that efforts should be made to integrate tIPV into IPV theory and practice, rather than to create a new field of research and practice based solely around tIPV. / Graduate

In a global world with an ever-changing environment, expansions of partnerships have been suggested in order to stay competitive. A fundamental goal of partnerships has shown to be value creation. Previous research has focused on value creation in partnerships mainly in developed markets. This study helps to address the gap of value creation in partnerships in emerging markets, by showing how value is created in markets characterized by a complex environment. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to explore how organizations can create value through their partnerships in emerging markets. To begin with, a literature review was conducted. Following by a case study on partnerships in emerging markets in order to explore value creation in these partnerships. Data was collected using seven semi-structured interviews at four different organizations. The researchers have in this study identified different aspects important to create value in partnerships at different stages in emerging markets. A model with three stages have been developed including: starting the partnership, throughout the duration of partnership, and shared value. Identifying and declaring these stages is in itself a contribution to academia, as well as practitioners, since these stages have not been noted in earlier literature.

This paper studies if a change in political risk has a significant impact on the stock returns of countries. Additionally, the paper assesses if this change in political risk impacts stock returns differently in emerging and developed countries. The paper conducts a risk based portfolio analysis and a linear cross-sectional regression analysis in order to find a conclusive result. The portfolio analysis, which replicates a study carried out by Diamonte, Liew, and Stevens (1996), reveals that there is a difference in the impact that change in political risk has in developed and emerging countries. The regression analysis finds that change in political risk does impact stock returns but there is no statistically significant difference in this impact between emerging and developed countries. The regression analysis also finds that the existing level of risk does not significantly affect the impact that growth in political risk has on stock returns.

abstract: This dissertation explores South Asian American (SAA) emerging adult daughters' roles as their parents' reluctant confidants and mediators of conflict. Using Petronio's (2002) communication privacy management theory (CPM) as a framework, this dissertation investigates daughters' communicative strategies when engaged in familial roles. Findings from 15 respondent interviews with SAA women between the ages of 18 and 29 reveal daughters' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for role-playing within their families, such as inherent satisfaction and parental expectations, respectively. Additionally, findings highlight daughters' use of coping and thwarting strategies after they become the recipients of their parents' unsolicited private information. Namely, daughters engaged in coping strategies (e.g., giving advice) to help their parents manage private information. Likewise, they enacted thwarting strategies (e.g., erecting territorial markers) to restore boundaries after their parents (the disclosers) violated them. Consequently, serving as parental confidants and mediators contributed to parent-child boundary dissolution and adversely affected daughters' well-being as well as their progression toward adulthood. This study provides theoretical contributions by extending CPM theory regarding reluctant confidants within the contexts of emerging adult child-parent relationships and ethnic minority groups in America. Practically, this study offers emerging adult children insight into how they might renegotiate boundaries when their parents change the relationship by disclosing personal information. Information gleaned from this study provides SAA emerging adult daughters with an understanding of the ramifications of prioritizing their familial roles and being a reluctant confidant, in addition to potential avenues for remediation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Communication Studies 2012

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Poluentes orgÃnicos emergentes (POEs) ou simplesmente contaminantes emergentes referem-se a qualquer composto quÃmico presente numa variedade de produtos comerciais como medicamentos, produtos de uso veterinÃrio, embalagens de alimentos, produtos de higiene, agrotÃxicos, ou alguns microrganismo. Os POEs podem ser encontrados em matrizes ambientais e biolÃgicas, nÃo sÃo usualmente monitorados ou ainda nÃo possuem legislaÃÃo regulatÃria correspondente, e apresentam risco potencial à saÃde humana e ao meio ambiente. Neste trabalho, foi desenvolvido e validado um mÃtodo para a determinaÃÃo de cafeÃna, ciprofloxacina, 17β-estradiol, 17α-etinilestradiol e dietilestilbestrol, considerados interferentes endÃcrinos. O mÃtodo desenvolvido utilizou extraÃÃo em fase sÃlida (SPE) e cromatografia lÃquida de alta eficiÃncia acoplada a um detector de arranjo de diodos. Foram estabelecidas condiÃÃes cromatogrÃficas com eluiÃÃo por gradiente utilizando acetonitrila e Ãgua ultrapura pH 2,0. O planejamento fatorial realizado por SPE indicou que melhores respostas sÃo alcanÃadas quando utiliza-se o cartucho C18, 500 mL de volume de amostra, pH 3,0 e volume de eluiÃÃo igual a 2,0 mL de metanol 100%. As figuras de mÃrito de validaÃÃo do mÃtodo indicaram seletividade, sensibilidade, linearidade, precisÃo, exatidÃo e robustez satisfatÃrias para a maioria dos compostos estudados. Os limites de detecÃÃo (LD) variaram entre 0,283 e 1,543 μg/L (ppb) e os limites de quantificaÃÃo (LQ) variaram entre 0,944 e 5,142 μg/L (ppb). Foi proposta uma nova estratÃgia de controle de qualidade utilizando padrÃo surrogate, e estabelecido um fator de relaÃÃo (FR) a fim de corrigir as concentraÃÃes dos compostos de interesse em amostras reais. O mÃtodo validado foi aplicado nas anÃlises de Ãgua superficial dos aÃudes que fazem parte do abastecimento de Ãgua da RegiÃo Metropolitana de Fortaleza/CE. Os compostos 17β-estradiol, 17α-etinilestradiol foram detectados numa concentraÃÃo mÃxima de 989 e 980 ng/L, respectivamente. / Emerging organic pollutants (EOP), or Emerging Contaminants, is a term that is used to refer any chemical compound insert in variety of comercial products such as medicines, veterinary products, food packaging, pesticides, or any microorganism. The EOP can be found in environmental and ecological arrays not usually monitore or government unregulated, and poses risks to human health na environment. The methodological approach of this thesis included a developed and validated method to determine caffeine, ciprofloxacin, 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethinylestradiol and diethylstilbestrol, considered endocrine disruptors. The method uses a Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) and high performance liquid cromatography coupled to a diode array detector. Chromatografic conditions were established by gradiente elution using acetonitrile and ultrapure water (pH = 2). The experimental design performed by SPE showed that better responses are achieved when it is used the cartridge C18, 500 mL sample volume, pH 3,0 and 2,0 mL 100% methanol elution volume. The method validation parameters indicated satisfatory selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness. Detection limits (DL) ranged from 0,283 to 1,543 μg/L (ppb) and quantification limits (QL) ranged from 0,944 e 5,142 μg/L (ppb). A new quality control strategy using surrogate standard was proposed, and a relation factors (RF) was established to correct of concentrations of compounds of interest in real samples. The validated method was applied to the analysis of surface waters reservoirs from water supply system in metropolitan region of Fortaleza. The compounds 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethynyl estradiol was detected in a maximum concentration of 989 to 980 ng / L, respectively.

As modificações geradas no âmbito das decisões de políticas econômicas nacionais das últimas décadas atentaram para o papel da estabilidade macroeconômica no desempenho das economias de mercado. O controle da inflação constitui-se no objetivo primordial das autoridades monetárias que, a partir dos anos 1990, encontraram na adoção de metas de inflação um modo mais eficiente para atingir a estabilidade de preços. Segundo a literatura convencional contemporânea, os resultados do regime de metas de inflação em economias avançadas e emergentes garantem, diretamente, uma redução dos níveis e da volatilidade das taxas de inflação, uma ancoragem das expectativas inflacionárias e menores custos da desinflação em termos do produto. Entretanto, acredita-se que a intensidade e os impactos desses efeitos podem ser diferenciados ou comprometidos quando aplicados à realidade dos países emergentes. Fundamentadas nas visões críticas das implicações do regime de metas de inflação à evolução das economias emergentes, as discussões teóricas visaram expor as definições gerais do regime de metas de inflação e as questões estruturais da dinâmica macroeconômica dos mercados emergentes. Constatou-se que a preponderância dos mecanismos de transmissão da taxa de câmbio sobre a inflação, os desequilíbrios ficais, financeiros e externos, e as características de vulnerabilidade e instabilidade macroeconômicas dos países emergentes podem dificultar o funcionamento do regime de metas de inflação. Essencialmente, a avaliação empírica dos efeitos de metas de inflação sobre o desempenho macroeconômico dos países emergentes evidenciou que, além deste regime não apresentar relevância estatística na explicação das taxas de inflação, de crescimento do produto e de juros, os movimentos da economia internacional parecem definir as condições de estabilidade macroeconômica nessas economias. Portanto, concluiu-se que a implementação de metas de inflação não melhorou nem piorou o desempenho macroeconômico dos países emergentes que adotaram este regime a partir dos anos 1990. Tal resultado contribui no debate atual sobre a dimensão das políticas de estabilidade de preços e, em especial, os efeitos de metas de inflação em economias emergentes. / The modifications generated in the scope of national economy policy decisions in the last decades had attempted for the role of macroeconomic stability in the performance of market economies. The control of inflation consisted in the monetary authorities’ primary objective that, from the 1990 years, had found in the adoption of inflation target a more efficient way to reach the price stability. According to conventional literature contemporary, the results of inflation targeting in the advanced and emerging economies guarantee directly a reduction of the level and the volatility in the inflation rates, an anchorage inflationary expectations and lesser costs of disinflation at the product. However, one gives credit that the intensity and the impacts of effects can be differentiated or biased when applied to reality of emerging countries. Based in the critical views of inflation target implications to emerging economies evolution, the theoretical quarrels had aimed at to display the inflation target general definitions and the structural matters of emerging market macroeconomic dynamic. One evidenced that the predominance of the exchange pass through inflation, the external, financial and fiscal disturbs, and the macroeconomic vulnerability and instability characteristics of emerging countries can difficult inflation target working. Essentially, the empirical evaluation of the inflation targeting effects on the macroeconomic performance of emerging countries demonstrated that, beyond this regime not to present statistics relevance in the inflation rates, growth product and interest rates explanation, the movements of the international economy seem to define the conditions of macroeconomic stability in these economies. Therefore, one concluded that the implementation of inflation target did not improve nor got worse the macroeconomic performance of the inflation targeting emergent countries from 1990s. Such result contributes in the current debate on the prices stability policies and, in special, the effect of inflation target in emergent economies.

A ocorrência de produtos farmacêuticos e de cuidados pessoais no meio ambiente tem levado a preocupações sobre seu impacto ambiental e à saúde pública. O sulfametoxazol (SMX) é um fármaco que tem sido encontrado amplamente no ambiente. Neste estudo foi verificada a eficácia de vários processos, a saber eletroquímico, eletroquímico foto assistido, fotoquímico, Fenton e foto-Fenton, para a degradação de SMX em solução aquosa. A degradação eletroquímica e eletroquímica foto assistida foram realizadas em uma célula de fluxo do tipo filtro-prensa, usando um ânodo dimensionalmente estável comercial com composição nominal Ti/Ru0,3Ti0,7O2. Durante ambos os processos, efeitos de diferentes parâmetros foram analisados, como a natureza do eletrólito, a concentração de eletrólito suporte (NaCl) e a densidade de corrente aplicada. Os experimentos fotoquímicos, Fenton e foto-Fenton foram realizados em um reator de vidro cilíndrico de compartimento único. O efeito das concentrações inicias de Fe2+ e de H2O2 foram estudados para os processos Fenton e foto-Fenton. Similarmente, o efeito do pH inicial, a concentração inicial do SMX e a temperatura foram investigados para todos os processos. A variação da concentração de SMX foi determinada por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) e a quantidade de matéria orgânica foi monitorada por análise de carbono orgânico total (COT). Os resultados obtidos indicaram que o SMX foi completamente degradado, porém, o COT foi apenas parcialmente removido em todos os processos. No período de tempo de ensaio estabelecido o aumento da densidade de corrente e da concentração de NaCl mais eficiente para a degradação e remoção de COT nos processos eletroquímicos. A quantidade de Fe2+ e H2O2 aumenta a eficiência do processo Fenton e foto-Fenton, e meio ácido foi favorável para todos os processos. O consumo de energia elétrica, baseado no parâmetro EEO (energia por ordem) mostrou que os processos eletroquímicos são energeticamente mais eficientes do que os fotoquímicos. As degradações acompanhadas por CLAE acoplado à espectrometria de massas, permitiu que vários intermediários fossem identificados, sendo então proposta uma sequência reacional para a degradação do SMX. O radical hidroxila e o cloro ativo atacam os anéis benzílico e isoxazólico, tendo sido demonstrado que os compostos iniciais formados foram os compostos hidrolisados e clorados. Os íons inorgânicos, tais como: NO3-, NH4+ e SO42-, também foram identificados durante os processos de degradação. / The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment has raised concerns about their impact upon environmental and public health. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a pharmaceutical that has been found widely in the environment. This study investigated the effectiveness of various processes such as electrochemical, photo assisted electrochemical, photochemical, Fenton photo-Fenton to SMX degradation in aqueous solution. The electrochemical and photo-assisted electrochemical degradations were performed in a filter press type flow cell using a dimensionally stable anode with nominal composition of Ti/Ru0.3Ti0.7O2. During both these processes the effects of different parameters were analyzed, such as, nature of the electrolyte concentration of the supporting electrolyte (NaCl) and the applied current density. The photochemical, Fenton and photo - Fenton experiments were carried out in a single compartment cylindrical glass reactor. The effects initial iron concentrations and H2O2 were studied for Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. Similarly the effect of initial pH, initial concentration of SMX and temperature were investigated for all processes. The variation of SMX concentration was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the amount of organic matter was monitored by analysis of total organic carbon (TOC). The results indicated that SMX was completely degraded, but TOC was partially removed in all processes studied, during experimental period the increase of the current density and NaCl concentration enhanced the degradation and TOC removal in the electrochemical processes. The amount of iron and H2O2 increases the efficiency of Fenton and photo-Fenton processes and acidic media was favorable for all processes. The electrical energy consumption parameter based on EEO (energy per order) was also evaluated and it was observed that the electrochemical processes are more energetically efficient than the photochemical. The degradations followed by HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry, in which several intermediates were identified and proposed a reaction sequence for the degradation of SMX. The hydroxyl radical and active chlorine attack benzene and isoxazólico rings, and has been demonstrated that the initial compounds formed were hydrolyzed and chlorinated compounds. Inorganic ions such NO3-, NH4+ and SO42- were also identified during degradation processes.

To date, limited research has been conducted on the effects of cytotoxic drugs on aquatic species. Three of these species, a single celled plant, an invertebrate and a fish, were exposed to six cytotoxic drugs, both singly and as simple mixtures. A range of endpoints were assessed, including growth inhibition in algae, immobilisation in daphnia and the impact on organ size and the expression of the DNA damage repair genes RAD51 and p53 in zebrafish. No effects at environmentally relevant concentrations were observed in any of the three species.

Each and every one of us is exposed to chemicals on a daily basis and contributes to the global issue of chemical pollution. Humankind has become heavily dependent on the use of man-made chemicals in order to sustain the increased quality of life that is generally seen globally. There is however a price to pay in that we generally live in a world that is polluted by anthropogenic chemicals. From the water we drink to the food we eat there will be some trace of chemical residues; you just need to look closely enough and/or know what you’re looking for. With many hundreds of thousands of man-made chemicals approved within Europe for use in various ways, it is no surprise that we come into daily contact with them. What is also important to understand is that the presence of a man-made chemical is not enough to establish whether it poses a risk to environmental or human health; it needs to be present in sufficient amounts to elicit an effect. Over the past 20 years the focus of my research been on understanding which chemicals we should be concerned with, which pose the greatest risk and why do they pose such a risk. This work is of major societal and scientific significance as it protects the world we live in whilst teaching us about the better regulation of the chemicals we have become so dependent. To understand the nature of my research it is important to understand that prior to the mid-nineteen nineties hazardous organic chemicals were typically restricted to lists comprising of a number of banned (and typically chlorinated) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans and the antifouling biocide tributyltin (TBT). One of the major enigmas that faced environmental scientists at the time was that even though it was possible to quantify and monitor the presence of the above hazardous substances in the environment, they often didn´t explain the environmental quality measured though biological effects on organisms. Chemicals are globally regulated on an individual substance level and subsequently within the context of influencing these regulations, for the improved protection of environmental and human health, it is therefore essential to know which chemical contaminants are actually causing biological effects. It is also necessary to know the levels at which any organism will be exposed and what the consequences of these levels. My research subsequently became focused on two separate approaches; identifying which substances actually cause the biological effects unexplained by hazardous substances and evaluating the occurrence, environmental fate and ecotoxicity of those chemicals not routinely monitored or present on priority lists of hazardous substances; a group of chemical contaminants later termed contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). An effect-directed non-target approach A targeted approach to environmental analysis infers that we know exactly what we should be looking for. Whilst this is a suitable approach for chemicals that we suspect may be of concern, it does not help us understand which other contaminants may be present in the environment and potentially causing harm. When embryos of oysters exposed to estuarine surface waters developed deformities and this could not be attributable to the levels of priority hazardous substances a bioassay-directed non-target approach to environmental analysis was developed to identify chlorinated and alkylphenols as responsible [5, 6]. This approach has subsequently evolved into the approach termed effect-directed analysis (EDA) and is widely used globally for the identification of CECs. My own research has successfully applied the approach to identify for the first time a number of important environmental contaminants; steroidal androgens [10, 13, 14] as environmental contaminants, the phthalate ester bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate [10], cinnarizine, cholesta-4,6.dien-3-one [19], C1-C5 and C9 alkylphenols [21], petrogenic naphthenic acids [57] as environmental estrogen receptor agonists, C1-C5 and C9 alkylphenols [21], PAHs and petrogenic naphthenic acids [57] as androgen receptor antagonists and unresolved polar aromatic compounds as important environmental genotoxins [15]. Another focus of my effects-directed research has been identifying environmental contaminants that exert the same effects as dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in that they are aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists. Dioxin-like chemicals are ubiquitous in the environment and in addition to those that are routinely monitored there are a large number of other compounds that exert dioxin-like effects [26, 28, 32, 33, 37, 52, 64, 82, 93, 98, 99]. Better understanding of AhR agonists will in the long run help protect the environment and humans from a particularly hazardous group of chemicals. A targeted approach The early- to mid-nineteen nineties saw the widespread introduction of liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to the environmental analytical toolbox. Robust instruments typically using electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation were well suited to the analysis of the more polar CECs, such as alternative antifouling biocides to TBT, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, veterinary medicines, illicit drugs and rodenticides. Robust analytical methodology is key to my research [2, 4, 18, 31, 34, 35, 42, 49, 66, 69, 72, 73, 86, 94, 102] as it allows the better understanding of how contaminants behave and interact with the environment. Development of robust, specific and sensitive methods for the analysis of alternative antifouling biocides [2, 4] allowed for the first time an evaluation of their life-cycle from release at the paint surface, and the factors that influence this [3], their occurrence in the environment [7, 8, 12, 29], fate and behaviour [12, 16] and subsequent effects [36, 41]. Assessment of the environmental risks based upon these data showed that both Irgarol 1051 and diuron were a threat to freshwater and marine algae. The significance of this research is that it subsequently led to restrictions being placed on the use of Irgarol 1051 and diuron in antifouling products in a number of European countries [58] and an awareness of the hazards associated with the deliberate release of biocidal products into the environment [86]. Observations of human pharmaceutical residues in the chromatograms of wastewater effluent samples being analysed by EDA and reports of their occurrence in German wastewaters motivated the development of LC- tandem MS methods for the quantification of pharmaceutical residues in waste- and surface waters [18]. Pharmaceuticals, we showed, occur in treated wastewater effluents and marine and freshwater recipients [24, 25, 30, 42, 43, 51, 66] and that, to no great surprise, the per capita pharmaceutical loads from hospitals were greater than the general population [43, 51]. Other highlights include understanding the processes that occur within sewer systems and what influences pharmaceutical occurrence in the final treated effluent [59, 60, 81, 85, 105], all of which allow for a better assessment of the overall risk posed to the environment. Even though several hundred papers have been published on pharmaceuticals in the environment since my early work, this has almost exclusively been focused on the parent pharmaceutical ingredient in aqueous matrices from developed counties. To remedy this shortfall more recent work has focused on quantifying the proportion of pharmaceutical metabolites released as compared to the parent [66], pharmaceutical occurrence in sludges and sediments [69], as well as evaluating occurrence in less studied water cycles [101].