Eleven tested anions were able to form adducts with neutral oligosaccharides at low cone voltage in negative ion mode electrospray mass spectrometry. Among them, fluoride and acetate have the abilities to significantly enhance the absolute abundance of [M-H]- for neutral oliogosaccharides. The chloride adduct has the best stability among all the adduct species investigated. For the above three anions, CID of adduct species may be used for structural determination of neutral oligosaccharides. In the presence of F- and Ac-, simultaneous detection of acidic oligosaccharides and neutral oligosaccharides was achieved. The ratio of Cl- : non-Cl-containing product ions obtained in CID spectra of chloride adducts of disaccharides was used to differentiate anomeric configurations of disaccharides. Density functional theory (DFT) was employed to evaluate the optimized structures of chloride adducts of disaccharides. The formation and decomposition of chloride adducts with oligosaccharides of different acidities were investigated in MALDI mass spectrometry.

This dissertation explores how people frame environmental change. Specifically, this work explores the identity loss that residents of coastal Louisiana experience due to coastal land loss. I rely on 126 in-depth interviews of residents from communities in six coastal parishes (counties). Respondents convey the meanings they give to land loss through constructing a narrative of place. A phenomenological approach is employed that focuses on how stories are told and the subjective interpretations of societal members. First, Louisiana's coastal communities hold a significant attachment to place that in many cases has been developing for close to three centuries. For most residents, place is an inseparable part of identity. Second, Louisiana's coastal land loss is an environmental disaster that causes a heightened awareness of place attachment among residents. Along with a keen awareness of their attachment due to anxiety over land loss, residents believe little is being done to abate that loss. While some erosion and subsidence of the coastal wetlands is natural, much of the loss is caused by human action upon the environment. Communities have watched this mostly slow onset disaster for over fifty years, yet the issue only began receiving significant attention in the last few years of the twentieth century. A third factor contributing to the sense of loss residents experience is their alienation from the bureaucratic and technological processes of coastal restoration. Residents believe that their localized expert knowledge has been dismissed by the institutional expertise of scientific knowledge. Residents say that part of who they are is eroding and they feel helpless and in some respects, prevented from doing anything to alleviate that loss. Exploring the impact of Louisiana's coastal land loss on residents' attachment and identification with place can shed light on the role communities themselves can play in policy and restoration projects. In this regard, the meanings residents' ascribe to places are important for how and what decisions are made concerning those places.

South Louisiana regularly experiences effects from flooding. This study looks at what homeowners are doing to reduce their losses from floods through the practices of flood mitigation. I developed four hypotheses to predict homeowners' mitigation behavior. (1) Homeowners with a history of flooding are likely to mitigate more than those without previous flooding. (2) High-disposable-income homeowners are more likely to mitigate than lowdisposable- income homeowners. (3) The stronger the place attachment among homeowners, the higher the likelihood they will mitigate. (4) Homeowners who have experienced effective mitigation measures in the past are more likely to mitigate than those who have not. To test these hypotheses, a survey was administered in five different neighborhoods throughout Orleans and Jefferson parishes having high concentrations of repeatedly flooded homes. The findings suggest severity of past flooding, disposable savings, strong relationships with neighbors, and discussion of flooding with neighbors are the strongest predictors of flood mitigation.

Humans have an innate tendency to attach themselves to objects on their cultural landscape. After a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, people seem to hold on to objects left behind by the disaster. This paper examines several of the concepts and reasons as to why attachments may have formed to objects left on New Orleans' landscape after Hurricane Katrina. I explored human reactions after a natural disaster, and discussed how memories, collective and individual, often lead to personal attachment to objects. In an attempt to get a better understanding of this phenomenon, 250 surveys were distributed to residents in the New Orleans metro area. The surveys were used as a tool to discover if attachments were formed and if so, what led to the attachment. The results from the survey revealed that 38% of the people surveyed formed an attachment to an object left by Hurricane Katrina.

Strain within the crust is accommodated along vertical gradients, but a general characterization is difficult given the heterogeneity of the earth's outermost layer. The western termination of the Chugach metamorphic complex in southern Alaska includes a uniquely well exposed crustal section ideal for obtaining the vertical profile of a crustal section. Field studies in this area resulted in the characterization of deformational fabric and analysis of finite strain magnitude and orientation. These observational data provide constraints for kinematic modeling following results presented in Teyssier and Cruz (2004). By optimizing the fit between field data, finite strain analysis, and modeling, a complex ductile stratification of the crust is inferred. I conclude that strain was concentrated within the lower crust, becoming more diffuse in upper ductile levels. This unconventional crustal stratification and vertical strain gradient was consistent with an anomalously high thermal gradient created by the adjacent subducting spreading ridge.

Bakgrund: Hur mödrar knyter an till sitt väntade barn, vad det påverkas av och vad det kan få för konsekvenser samt hur de lär känna sitt barn under graviditeten innefattas av prenatal anknytning. Prenatal anknytning har stor plats inom mödrahälsovården men som begrepp är det relativt odefinierat. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva begreppet prenatal anknytning genom en begreppsanalys. Metod: En begreppsanalys med kvalitativ design. Först utfördes en litteratursökning, den teoretiska fasen, och sedan blev fem barnmorskor identifierade genom ett bekvämlighetsurval och intervjuades i fältstudiefasen. Resultatet från fältstudiefasen sammanställdes med resultatet från den teoretiska fasen. Resultat: Begreppet prenatal anknytning resulterar i flera definierade attribut där fosterrörelser har stor del. Andra attribut är interaktion, dela med sig, fantasier och känslor. Referensramen för begreppet bestäms av dess förutsättningar och konsekvenser. Slutsats: Prenatal anknytning kan ses som ett komplext begrepp som anpassas till varje graviditet utifrån de definierade attributen. / Background: Mothers prenatal attachment, what it is influenced by and what the consequences might be and how the mothers experience their child during pregnancy are included in prenatal attachment. The concept is lacking clear definitions. Prenatal attachment has a great part within maternal health care but as a concept it's relatively undefined. Aim: The aim was to describe the concept of prenatal attachment through a concept analysis. Methods: A concept analysis with qualitative design. Five midwives were selected trough a convenience sampling and were interviewed, earlier a literature review was conducted. The result from the field study phase was brought together with the result from the theoretical phase. Results: The concept of prenatal attachment results in defined attributes. Fetal movement was a significant attribute. Other attributes were interaction, sharing, fantasies and emotions. The frame around the concept is set due to its conditions and consequences. Conclusion: Prenatal attachment can be identified as a complex concept adapted to each pregnancy based on the defined attributes.

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo explorar la transgeneracionalidad en el apego en madres y sus hijos adolescentes con discapacidad física. De esta manera se busca conocer cómo se desarrollan las representaciones de apego en los adolescentes con discapacidad física, centrando el análisis en la trasmisión generacional, manifestado a través de las narrativas de apego de las madres con las abuelas y el impacto de la propia discapacidad. Con este propósito, desde el marco del paradigma cualitativo, se entrevistó a tres diadas madre-hijo adolescente (2 madre-hija y 1 madre-hijo), tomando a la madre como eje articulador de lo transgeneracional. Surgen del análisis temático, tres ejes: La relación madre-abuela, la relación madre-hijo y la relación hijo-madre. Como hallazgo principal se encontró que la transgeneracionalidad en el apego no se encuentra determinada por la discapacidad en sí, o por la representación de apego de la propia madre, sino que consiste en un aspecto multideterminado por la interacción de distintos factores desplegados en lo relacional. Además, la posibilidad de establecer una representación de apego segura en un adolescente con discapacidad se encuentra mediada por la capacidad de su madre de verlo como un sujeto con una mente independiente. / The current investigation aims to explore the transgenerational transmition of attachment on mothers and their teenage children with physical disability. In this manner, it seeks to understand how attachment representations are constructed in adolescents with physical disability. Focusing the analysis mainly in the generational transmission, expressed by the narratives of the mothers with the grandmothers, and the impact of the disability diagnose. With this purpose, from a qualitative paradigm, three mother-adolescent-offspring dyads (2 mother-daughter and 1 mother-son) were interviewed, taking the mother as the articulating axis of the transgenerational aspect. The thematic analysis presents three axes: The mother-grandmother relationship, the mother-offspring relationship and the offspring-mother relationship. The results of the study show that the transgenerational transmission in attachment is not determined by the disability itsfelf nor the mothers’ attachmente representacion, it is multideterminated by the interaction of a series of factors displayed in the relational aspect. Also, the possibility of establishing a secure attachment representation for an adolescent with physical disability is mediated by the capacity of his mother to perceive him as an individual with a mind of his own. / Tesis

Attachment theory has implications for relational functioning across the lifespan. The attachment experience of institutionalised children in South Africa is understudied. Using a psychoanalytic perspective as an addition to thematic analysis of the ASCT, this research aims to add to the functional perspective of attachment, an internal psychic frame of reference with which to view attachment of at risk children in South Africa. Using 58 ASCT protocols, divided between children’s homes and hospitals, stories were analysed using thematic content analysis and discussed with an object relations perspective. Results suggest the inclusion of additional categories of attachment to the current classification system as well as a deeper relational understanding of the experience of insecure attachment. This has implications for the current understanding and classification of attachment.

Objectives. The empirical qualitative study explored Older People’s (over 65 years of age) perceptions of psychological change and the processes by which these occurred. It also aimed to add to understanding of the barriers to therapeutic change. Subsequently, a systematic review of the current literature pertaining to older people’s attachment styles, and how attachment is measured within this population, was conducted. This scrutinised the literature regarding role of attachment (as a trans-diagnostic construct) in old age, as this may influence their change processes. Design. As the empirical study was exploratory, it adopted a Grounded Theory methodology, influenced by the constructivist perspective as described in Charmaz (2014). Data was obtained via semi-structured interviews, with the later interview schedule grounded in emergent codes and memos of earlier interviews. Literature pertaining to older people, attachment, and how attachment is measured, was obtained from a systematic review. Method. Twelve participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview, following discharge from an Older Peoples Psychological Therapy Service, for the empirical project. Participants were aged 65 years or over and had received varying models of therapy over varying durations. Those reporting improvement, or no change, as a result of receiving psychological therapy, were approached to participate. Through detailed analysis, a tentative model of older people’s psychological change processes was constructed. This model was further checked by some participants for quality control. Subsequently the systematic review explored a key theme of attachment (as suggested by the categories highlighted in the empirical project). Literature regarding attachment, older people and how attachment is measured within this population, was obtained through a systematic search through major databases, compared against a checklist, constructed for this review, with all analysis prorated by qualified clinical psychologists supervising this study. Results. Interview transcriptions were analysed in line with a constructivist perspective of grounded theory. A non-linear model of psychological change, grounded in the data, was constructed. The main concepts of the model were Age as Context, Seeking Help and Entering the Therapeutic Environment, Building a Therapeutic Relationship, Developing a New Understanding, Therapeutic Changes and Post Therapy Reflections and Commitments of Continuation. In addition, some similar processes were highlighted across different therapeutic modalities, thus supporting trans-theoretical models of psychological change. In addition, the model highlighted a theme of models of relationships having continuity through the lifespan (as evidenced in the concepts of Seeking Help and Building a Therapeutic Relationship). This echoed the trans-therapeutic concept of attachment. Therefore, a systematic review of attachment in older people was conducted. Overall the quality of the literature pertaining to attachment, older people and how attachment is measured within this population was poor. There was a paucity of evidence of minimisation of bias reported in either design or analysis. Conclusions. The empirical project demonstrated the process of psychological change in older people is non-linear in nature. Some constructs of change were similar to those found in the adult literature, but there were also some constructs relating specifically to ageing, and the theoretical developmental stage of old age. This supports suggestions that age specific constructs should be held in mind when working therapeutically with older people. The systematic review found research exploring attachment in older people is a growing field of research, but one which is still in its infancy compared to other clinical populations. In addition, several studies had serious methodological issues and therefore readers are encouraged to interpret their results with caution.

Background: There has been growing interest and research into the construct of self-compassion. Self-compassion has been positively associated with psychological well-being, and negatively associated with a range of psychological difficulties. The origins of self-compassion have been linked to early attachment experiences, with poor attachment relationships proposed to result in an inability to self-soothe and take a compassionate stance towards the self. Whilst research in nonclinical populations provides some initial support for these hypotheses, there is a lack of research conducted in clinical populations. Given a large effect size has been found for the association between self-compassion and psychological difficulties, this suggests it may be an important target for therapeutic change. There is a growing evidence-base for the use of compassion-focused therapies, with research suggesting they are effective in reducing mood symptomology. However, less is known about the impact of these therapies on levels of self-compassion, or whether reductions in mood symptomology occur as a causal effect of increased self-compassion. In addition, other ‘third wave’ therapies may also indirectly increase self-compassion. Aims: The research aims were two-fold. The first aim was to conduct a systematic literature review to evaluate the effectiveness of compassion-focused and mindfulness-based interventions in increasing levels of self-compassion. The second aim was to examine the role of self-compassion and its relationships with attachment and interpersonal problems in adults attending a primary care psychological therapies service. Specifically, self-compassion and interpersonal problems were hypothesised as potential mediators between insecure attachment and anxiety and depression. Method: To address the first research aim, a systematic search was conducted to identify studies that utilised a compassion and/or mindfulness-based intervention with a clinical population, and included self-compassion as an outcome measure. To address the second research aim, a cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted. Participants (N=74; 60% female, mean age = 40 years) attending a primary care psychological therapies service completed four self-report questionnaires assessing self-compassion, attachment, interpersonal problems and anxiety and depression. Results: The findings of the systematic review suggested that self-compassion can be increased through both compassion-focused and mindfulness-based interventions. However, methodological weaknesses across studies highlighted that further research is needed and definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. The results of the empirical study indicated that low self-compassion, attachment avoidance and high levels of interpersonal problems were all associated with increased emotional distress. Furthermore, self-compassion mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and emotional distress and anxiety. Interpersonal problems was not a significant mediator. Conclusions: Taken collectively, the findings here suggest that self-compassion may be an important target in psychological therapy. In addition, results of the mediation analysis indicated that low self-compassion can be a pathway to overall emotional distress and anxiety for individuals with attachment avoidance. This provides support for the theory that self-compassion is linked to early attachment experiences.